Emperor's Lock, Deep Space Deadlock

A bone-chilling cold instantly permeated every inch of the spacecraft.

There was no gale, no explosion, not even a tangible shockwave of energy.

Yet, every muscle and every cell in Lin Chen's body was frantically screaming a top-level warning of impending death.

It was the absolute suppression of a superior over an inferior, the indifferent killing intent of a galactic emperor looking down upon an ant.

A single lock from his consciousness caused the entire small scout ship to tremble violently; red warning lights flashed frantically, and piercing mechanical alarms blared incessantly.

[Ultra-high-level evil energy lock detected!]

[Enemy combat power exceeds detection limit!]

[Ship engine overloaded, shields on the verge of collapse!]

The cold system prompts mixed with the mechanical alarms, making one's scalp tingle.

Lin Chen sat in the pilot's seat, his back already soaked in cold sweat, his pupils constricted to pinpricks.

Frieza!

It was really him!

Just moments ago, Planet Vegeta had been completely annihilated, billions of Saiyans turned to ash in an instant. Amidst such a massive scene of destruction, he was merely in an insignificant small escape pod, yet Frieza had precisely pinpointed his aura!

At this moment, Lin Chen truly grasped the terror of the galactic emperor.

His vision, perception, and control were completely beyond the comprehension of ordinary Saiyans.

"A mere ant that slipped through the net, daring to flee under This Seat's very eyes?"

The indifferent voice pierced through the void once more, landing lightly in his ears, yet it carried the chilling finality of a death sentence.

In the deep reaches of space, a black energy sphere that blotted out the stars hovered slowly.

It was the world-ending energy bomb that had just completely obliterated Planet Vegeta.

The energy had not yet dissipated; pitch-black currents swirled around it, devouring all surrounding light—deadly, cold, and destructive.

A petite yet incomparably majestic white figure floated silently in front of the energy sphere.

He was not tall, his skin was deathly pale, he wore a purple crystal headpiece, and an aura of despairing terror swirled around him.

Frieza.

The universally acknowledged emperor of the cosmos, a supreme powerhouse who controlled most of the star sector and viewed billions of lives as nothing more than blades of grass.

He tilted his head slightly, and those narrow, icy, slit-like pupils locked precisely onto the wobbling little spacecraft from tens of thousands of meters away.

There was no rage in his gaze, no boiling killing intent.

There was only extreme indifference, as if he were looking at a speck of dust about to be crushed at will.

"A very weak aura, barely fifteen hundred in combat power... A bottom-tier trash Saiyan from Planet Vegeta?"

Frieza whispered softly, his tone carrying a hint of playful curiosity.

He knew very well how terrifying his destructive strike was.

The entire planet had exploded from its core; the surface, the underground, and all hidden spaces had been completely annihilated. Not to mention a low-level Saiyan, even a warrior of Nappa's caliber could not have survived an explosion of that magnitude.

Yet, this low-level grunt with pathetic combat power had survived and was even trying to sneak away from the sector in a ship.

"This is somewhat interesting."

Frieza lifted a fingertip, and a thin, pitch-black thread of energy slowly coalesced.

This was an annihilation beam he had gathered casually; its power was not great, not even worth mentioning.

But to erase a low-level Saiyan with a mere fifteen hundred combat power, it was more than enough.

In the starry sky, the light-speed black beam shot forth instantly, locked straight onto the ship's core!

Lin Chen's heart constricted; he had no time to think.

With the crisis of life and death pressing down upon him, the extreme rationality he had honed through ten years of endurance reached its peak.

He couldn't dodge!

He absolutely could not block it head-on!

The gap was not just a matter of a few multiples; it was an absolute chasm of dimensions!

A casual strike from Frieza likely reached hundreds of thousands in combat power, if not higher.

With his current combat power of just over fifteen hundred, he would be reduced to dust the moment he touched it.

"System! Evade the risk with everything! Maximize damage avoidance!"

Lin Chen roared in his heart, almost subconsciously.

[Ding! Fatal attack detected! Triggering host's desperate survival mechanism!]

[Temporarily unlocked: Micro-level Ultra Instinct Reaction!]

[Overdrawing full-body physical stamina to avoid the fatal strike!]

In an instant, Lin Chen's speed of thought and physical reaction were forcibly pushed to the limit.

The lethal beam hurtling in from the outside world slowed to a crawl in his eyes.

He manipulated the ship's joystick with explosive speed, his fingertips leaving afterimages as he pushed the engine power to the absolute limit. Just a fraction of a second before the light-speed attack arrived, the ship violently rolled and veered aside!

BOOM—!

The black beam grazed the ship's outer hull, slamming precisely into the celestial debris behind it.

The floating planetary fragments and meteor remnants were instantly annihilated, leaving not even a wisp of dust behind.

The terrifying shockwave slammed into the rear of the ship with brutal force. The small vessel was sent spinning and tumbling as if struck by a giant hammer; the alloy hull instantly cracked with dense, spiderweb-like fissures, and multiple engine conduits burst open.

Sparks showered the interior of the ship, and thick smoke filled the air in an instant.

"Cough!"

Lin Chen slammed hard against the cockpit bulkhead. His chest heaved, and a metallic taste surged into his throat, which he forced himself to swallow back down.

Sharp pain radiated from multiple bones throughout his body, and his arm muscles began to spasm slightly from the high-speed maneuvers and violent vibrations.

He had survived.

A hair's breadth away from being buried in the void of space.

Yet, this was merely a casual strike from Frieza.

It didn't even count as a warm-up.

Across the starry expanse, Frieza raised an eyebrow, a flicker of genuine surprise appearing in his eyes.

"Oh? You dodged it?"

"A mere low-class Saiyan, yet your reflexes are quite impressive."

He had originally assumed this strike would be enough to completely erase his opponent; he hadn't expected a bottom-tier grunt to actually dodge it.

Extreme survival instinct, lightning-fast reaction speed, and a faint yet incredibly refined aura.

Frieza's cold eyes flickered, his interest deepening.

"Ordinary trash cannot survive a planet-shattering blast, let alone dodge my attack."

"You have some secrets."

He did not immediately launch a second attack, instead hovering silently in the void, watching the heavily damaged, wobbling little ship.

"Stay."

The two words were faint, carrying an irresistible imperial will.

"Submit to me, hand over the secrets you possess, and This Seat may spare your life and grant you the qualification to serve in my legion."

For Frieza, a low-level warrior worth recruiting was one in ten thousand.

He valued talent, but he valued anomalies even more.

A low-class Saiyan who could survive a desperate situation and dodge his attack must certainly be hiding something mysterious.

If he could be subdued, perhaps something interesting could be unearthed.

If he proved ungrateful, it wouldn't be too late to kill him then.

The starry sky was deathly silent, the voice echoing slowly inside the ship.

Lin Chen gasped for air, staring fixedly at the white figure outside the screen, his eyes icy cold.

Submit?

Become a lapdog for Frieza?

It was laughable.

He knew Frieza's character all too well.

Cold, suspicious, bloodthirsty, and ruthless.

The recruitment now was only because he saw something strange in him.

Once he truly submitted, and the other party figured out his secrets and squeezed him dry of all value, the only thing awaiting him would be an inevitable execution.

The Saiyans had already been slaughtered to the last by him, let alone a nameless, powerless transmigrator from the bottom of the barrel.

Surrender meant certain death.

Resistance meant a slim chance of survival.

But at least, there was still a glimmer of hope.

"Dream on."

Lin Chen spat out the two words in a low voice, his tone firm and unwavering.

He steadied the violently bucking ship with one hand, enduring the agony throughout his body as he forcibly repaired the simplified control system. The ship's broken engines spewed a weak blue flame once more, and he pushed with all his might toward the jump gate at the edge of the star sector.

Only by leaving this patch of space and entering the turbulence zone would he have a chance to escape!

"Refusal?"

Frieza's eyes turned cold, and his last shred of patience vanished completely.

"You lowly ant, how dare you defy This Seat time and time again?"

"Since you refuse to obey, I shall crush you completely. I will extract your secrets by scouring your soul myself."

As these words fell, the temperature across the entire starfield plummeted to freezing.

A terrifying energy, dozens of times greater than before, gathered frantically in his palm.

A massive energy sphere, pitch-black streaked with purple light, slowly took shape, causing the surrounding space to warp under the pressure.

This was no longer a casual probing strike; it was a true, lethal annihilation!

Meteorites, debris, and residual energy fluctuations throughout the star sector were all swallowed up.

The pressure of world-ending destruction once again enveloped Lin Chen's entire body.

[Warning! Ultra-high-risk energy incoming! Fatal-level attack!]

[Spaceship structure about to disintegrate completely! Unable to defend! Unable to evade!]

The system issued frantic warnings, and the screen turned a solid, alarming red.

Lin Chen's expression sank completely.

There was no escaping this.

The opponent was serious.

With his current strength, he had no room to maneuver against Frieza's lethal attack.

"System! Do you have any emergency life-saving measures!"

Lin Chen asked in his heart, his voice low and urgent.

[Ding! Host's near-death state detected! You may consume all temporary potential to activate [Desperate Burst]!]

[Combat power will instantly triple! Duration: ten seconds!]

[Post-battle weakness for three days; base combat power will temporarily drop!]

Triple combat power!

Instantly surging to over four thousand seven hundred!

Lin Chen's eyes lit up fiercely!

Although the post-battle price was steep and would weaken his strength, at this moment, it was his only path to survival!

"Activate! Activate immediately!"

[Desperate Burst successfully activated!]

Boom!

Terrifying power exploded within his body instantly. His previously aching, damaged flesh was filled with violent energy, and his aura surged explosively. A white shockwave tore through the spaceship's hull, creating a visible ripple of air in the vacuum of space!

An aura of four thousand seven hundred combat power bloomed in full!

The broken outer shell of the ship was shattered by the force, the glass panels exploded, and Lin Chen was left half-exposed to the void.

The biting cold of space and the chaotic cosmic radiation washed over his body, but they could not suppress the surging momentum he now possessed.

With his thought speed pushed to ten times its limit, his eyes locked onto the incoming giant energy sphere.

Ten seconds!

He only had ten seconds at his peak!

"You want to kill me? Then let's see you try!"

Lin Chen brought his hands together rapidly, and the remaining cosmic energy around him gathered frantically into his palms.

A pale white energy sphere condensed rapidly. Though pitifully small compared to Frieza's world-ending attack, it was condensed to the absolute limit, with not a single ounce wasted!

Kamehameha!

During his ten years of hiding, he had long since memorized the principles of Earth's martial arts. Combined with the Saiyan method of energy manipulation, he could now trigger it on his own!

"Hah!"

With a low shout, the white beam of light tore through the air, charging head-on to collide with the pitch-black energy of destruction!

The next instant, the two energies crashed together!

BOOM--!

An ancient, thunderous roar shook the entire star sector!

Blinding black and white light instantly enveloped everything, swallowing all vision!

Terrifying energy turbulence raged wildly, countless planetary fragments were instantly annihilated, and the entire expanse of space trembled violently!

The weak Kamehameha was instantly crushed, swallowed, and shattered by the world-ending energy.

But, it had successfully neutralized the majority of the impact!

That fleeting moment of resistance!

It was enough!

Lin Chen utilized the reverse thrust generated by the energy collision to launch his body into a sudden leap, breaking free from the wreckage of the spaceship. Stepping through the void, he harnessed the turbulence to propel himself at full speed toward the interstellar jump zone not far ahead.

The spaceship behind him was instantly obliterated, vanishing into the void of space.

"Hm?!"

In the distance, Frieza's pupils constricted, his face etched with surprise.

He never expected a low-level Saiyan to unleash this level of resistance, or even use the momentum to escape!

"Interesting, truly interesting!"

Far from being angered, Frieza's smile only deepened, the greed in his eyes fully surfacing.

"A low-level physique capable of a Desperate Burst, possessing unique martial arts and bizarre escape methods..."

"You hide secrets far more intriguing than those of a Super Saiyan!"

With a flicker of movement, he transformed into a streak of white light, giving chase to Lin Chen.

"Run, run to your heart's content!"

"This Seat wants to see just how far you can escape!"

"Once I catch you, This Seat will study you thoroughly!"

The high-speed pursuit across the stars had officially begun!

Lin Chen pushed his speed to the absolute limit, his body weaving through the cosmic turbulence. Layers of energy detonated across his skin, barely resisting the erosive forces of the universe that threatened to tear his flesh apart.

His muscles tore, repaired, and tore again, sending waves of agonizing pain throughout his body, yet he dared not slow down for a single moment.

That terrifying aura behind him clung to him like a maggot to bone, drawing ever closer!

The distance closed rapidly!

Five thousand meters!

Three thousand meters!

One thousand meters!

The margin of death shrank infinitely!

Lin Chen could even clearly feel the icy breath emanating from behind him.

He was only a heartbeat away from being caught!

I must reach the jump zone! If I enter the spatial passage and warp randomly, I'll have a chance to shake him off!

Lin Chen gritted his teeth and pushed his speed to the breaking point, burning through his remaining life force until his vision began to blur.

In the midst of this desperate situation, the space ahead suddenly twisted violently, and a pitch-black spatial rift tore open!

A random cosmic jump passage had formed unexpectedly early!

"Now!"

Lin Chen spent his final ounce of strength, lunging forward and plunging instantly into the dark spatial rift.

Behind him, Frieza's killing blow arrived in an instant, grazing the edge of the rift and missing its mark entirely!

"Spatial jump?!"

Frieza halted abruptly before the rift, watching the spatial tear heal, his expression finally turning cold.

"A random inter-stellar jump; the trajectory cannot be locked..."

He stared at the rift for a long time, his fingertips tightening as killing intent and fascination intertwined in his eyes.

"You can run for a moment, but not for a lifetime."

"This Seat has already memorized your aura and the fluctuations of your bloodline."

"No matter which corner of the universe you flee to, This Seat will drag you back."

"When we meet again, This Seat wants to see if you can escape a second time!"

The spatial rift slowly healed, and the starry sky returned to a deathly silence.

At this moment, Lin Chen was being swept along by endless spatial turbulence, his body tumbling wildly as his consciousness began to fade.

The duration of his Desperate Burst had ended, draining his strength completely. Agonizing pain washed over him, and his combat power plummeted like a cliff.

He barely maintained a shred of clarity, watching the unknown star coordinates flickering before him.

He did not know where he would be transported.

Would it be a safe star system? Or a dangerous, uninhabited death zone?

Yet, just as his consciousness was about to sink into darkness, the system's cold notification exploded in his mind.

[Ding! Host detected to have escaped a mortal crisis! Main quest completed!]

[Desperate Escape mission settled! Rewards distributed!]

[Congratulations to the Host for unlocking: Super Saiyan Primary Access!]

[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: Massive Combat Power Points! Combat power permanently increased by 1200 points!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Random Bloodline Talent -- [Near-Death Rapid Recovery]!]

Massive rewards landed one after another, and a warm current frantically washed over his battered body.

But before Lin Chen had time to rejoice, a strange, vast, and terrifying divine sense—far surpassing Frieza—suddenly pierced through the spatial turbulence and lightly swept across his body.

An indifferent female voice echoed blankly in the depths of his consciousness.

"A strange Saiyan bloodline... escaping across star domains... an interesting mortal aura..."

"Universe 7, has there finally been a new variable?"

Lin Chen's mind was shaken to its core!

Beerus?

No!

This divine sense was more ancient, more profound, and more unfathomable than a God of Destruction!

What kind of terrifying existence was hidden in this unknown star domain?!