Chapter 450: Another Conversation
On the other side, in the Realm of the God of Destruction, Beerus was undergoing intense training—and his progress was astonishingly fast.
After nearly three hours of grueling practice, he finally managed to perfectly master the formidable power of Ultra Instinct, which he had initially been unable to control.
Yet even so, Beerus remained unsatisfied and continued pushing himself in ongoing combat drills with Whis.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Dali's own understanding of divinity was also advancing by leaps and bounds.
He had split into over a thousand clones, all meditating together.
Although the unique nature of divinity limited the effectiveness of such methods—no matter how extraordinary his comprehension was—it was as they said: brute force can create miracles.
After two hours of meditation, his divine energy finally surpassed two thousand points.
At that moment, the Grand Priest appeared.
He arrived without a sound, standing silently beside Uchiha Dali.
Perhaps he had intentionally revealed his presence—or perhaps Dali's growing divinity allowed him to perceive it—but the instant the Grand Priest appeared, Dali actually sensed him.
The Grand Priest smiled faintly and said, "It seems your progress is even faster than I anticipated, Uchiha Dali."
"The flow of time in this place seems… a little different," Dali said, opening his eyes curiously to look at him.
Though time could not be measured or touched directly, as a god, Dali could sense its subtle irregularities.
Hearing this, the Grand Priest showed a hint of surprise.
"Your perception is impressive," he said.
"If I remember correctly, you're the first to notice something unusual about this place in such a short amount of time."
Dali didn't feel proud at the praise—only intrigued.
"The flow of time here is slower than outside," he said. "Was that intentional, Grand Priest? So that I wouldn't grasp the mysteries of divinity too quickly?"
Since angels were neutral beings, it wasn't inappropriate for him to ask.
As expected, the Grand Priest didn't hide it and answered candidly—just as Dali had guessed.
"Your talent is simply too great," the Grand Priest explained. "So I had to use this method to slow your comprehension of divinity."
He smiled. "Though it seems that didn't work as well as I'd hoped."
Hearing this, a flicker passed through Dali's mind.
From the very beginning—ever since the Grand Priest brought him here—he had faintly sensed that the Grand Priest was trying to guide him in some way.
He'd just had no proof.
Now, he intended to ask directly.
"Grand Priest, you must have seen something different, haven't you? Something about me."
Dali stood up and turned to face the Grand Priest, who hovered in the void behind him.
Someone of the Grand Priest's level couldn't possibly be unaware of what was going on. Otherwise, he wouldn't have done so many peculiar things.
Every instinct in Dali's body told him that the Grand Priest had a reason for his actions—and that reason wasn't as simple as protecting the Grand Zeno.
"Sometimes being too clever isn't necessarily a good thing," the Grand Priest said, staring at him with an amused smile instead of giving a straight answer.
After a pause, he continued, "But then again, being too clever isn't always bad either."
"So, Grand Priest," Dali said with a faint smile, "perhaps there's no need to keep me guessing any longer."
"To be honest," the Grand Priest said, smiling lightly, "I truly did see something unusual about you. From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew."
At those words, Dali's expression grew serious.
He had suspected as much—that the Grand Priest could somehow see the future, or at least glimpses of it.
The logic was simple. This universe was finite; all laws of power ultimately converged. Whatever names they took, they were the same in essence.
For example, mind-reading and Observation Haki were, to some extent, the same thing.
If Uchiha Dali's Observation Haki, elevated to its highest level, could read minds and even perceive the future, then the Grand Priest, with his divine status, should easily be capable of similar—or even superior—abilities.
"So that's why you brought me here?" Dali asked quietly.
He didn't bother asking what exactly the Grand Priest had seen. There was no need.
The Grand Priest's actions already told him everything.
He must have seen something favorable—something worth observing.
Not exactly to help him, perhaps, but to watch him.
The Grand Priest had brought Dali to this planet simply for easier observation. As for his true purpose, only he himself knew.
Dali still couldn't read the Grand Priest's heart.
The Grand Priest didn't give a clear answer to Dali's question. Instead, after watching him for a long moment, he finally said, "Uchiha Dali, don't overthink it."
"What may happen in the future is only a possibility. Until it becomes reality, countless factors can still alter the outcome."
"Your performance so far is commendable—but only commendable."
His words carried a subtle, layered meaning.
Dali smiled faintly. "Grand Priest, perhaps you could make yourself a bit clearer."
The Grand Priest's gaze deepened.
"The angels are neutral beings," he said. "I told you that once before, didn't I?"
"Yes," Dali nodded.
"And you should also remember what else I said."
"The angels do not involve themselves in conflict. We answer only to the Grand Zeno."
Dali's heart stirred, but he said nothing.
Was that a reminder—or a warning?
The Grand Priest continued, "Since we answer only to the Grand Zeno, you should understand, Uchiha Dali—"
"—the neutrality of the angels is a limited neutrality. When necessary, we may choose not to remain neutral."
Although he still hadn't spelled it out completely, his meaning was more than clear.
Dali understood perfectly.
The Grand Priest's words held multiple layers of implication.
If the angels' neutrality was not absolute, then that meant one thing—
They could just as easily stand against him… as they could stand with him.