Saiyan Audience! The Secret of Royal Blood

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

After three days of recovery, Earth had shed the desolation left behind by the great battle. The collapsed mountains rose again under the nourishment of Ximen Qing's energy, the seawater that had flooded inland receded back into the ocean, and fresh green shoots emerged from the cracked earth. The surviving creatures of Earth each went about their duties, busy rebuilding their homes. The air no longer carried the shadow of destruction, leaving only peace and reverence—this peace had been won through Ximen Qing's strength, while this reverence was the exclusive glory of a cosmic overlord.

Ximen Qing floated at the edge of Earth's atmosphere, golden and silver energy flames flickering around him. His permanent power level of 45,000 circulated slowly as his sharp gaze fixed on the depths of space, an arrogant smile resting on his lips. Behind him, Grandpa Gohan stood quietly, his face full of gratification. Looking at the land that had regained its vitality, his pride in Ximen Qing grew ever stronger.

"Grandpa Gohan, look. Those forces that submitted to me should be arriving soon." Without turning around, Ximen Qing spoke casually, though his tone carried unquestionable authority. With a slight movement of his fingers, the Cosmic Hegemony Token appeared in his palm, emitting a faint golden glow. "With this token guiding them, they won't dare be late, much less play any tricks—if there's someone foolish enough to test me, I can use them as an example and let the entire universe know that my rules are not to be crossed!"

Grandpa Gohan nodded lightly, his gaze directed into the depths of the universe, curiosity in his eyes. "Yes. I never expected cosmic forces to come submit to you so quickly. Especially that surviving Saiyan tribe. I heard that Saiyans had always been proud, and even Frieza had feared them to some extent back then. Yet they're actually willing to submit voluntarily now. It seems your deterrence has already far surpassed Frieza's in his day!"

"Proud?" Ximen Qing scoffed, his tone full of contempt. "Before absolute strength, all pride is nothing more than a fragile disguise. They submit to me not because I'm merciful, but because they're afraid—afraid of becoming the next Frieza, afraid that I'll crush their tribe. Still, this Saiyan Tribe does interest me somewhat."

He paused as a Saiyan Royal Bloodline fragment appeared in his palm. The fragment gave off a faint red glow, subtly resonating with the Innate Saiyan bloodline within his body. "After all, they may be hiding the secret of the royal bloodline, and if I want to gather all these fragments, I'll likely have to rely on them."

At that moment, several orderly presences emerged from the depths of space. There was not the slightest malice in them, only pure reverence and submission. Silver warships cut through the void as they sped toward Earth. The lead warship was enormous, its hull engraved with the Saiyans' exclusive totem—a roaring giant ape. It looked imposing, yet as it neared Earth's atmosphere, it slowly decelerated, not daring to overstep in the slightest.

"They're here." Ximen Qing's eyes narrowed, and the royal bloodline fragment in his palm glowed even more brightly. "The leader should be the head of the surviving Saiyan tribe. His presence isn't weak—around 35,000 in power level. He's somewhat stronger than Frieza's subordinates."

No sooner had he spoken than more than a dozen silver warships arrived outside Earth's atmosphere and formed a neat formation. Not one dared to enter without permission. Then the ship hatches opened, and figures dressed in Saiyan battle armor slowly flew out. At their head was a tall, resolute-looking man with short black hair standing upright and sharp eyes. Yet the instant he looked at Ximen Qing, all the edge in his gaze vanished, replaced by complete respect. More than a dozen Saiyan warriors followed behind him, their presences orderly and their expressions solemn. Every one of them kept their heads lowered, not daring to meet Ximen Qing's eyes.

The leading Saiyan flashed forward and arrived before Ximen Qing first. Dropping to one knee, he assumed the utmost respectful posture. His loud, devout voice resounded throughout the atmosphere. "Nappa, deputy general under King Vegeta and leader of the surviving Saiyan tribe, brings the survivors of the Saiyan race to pay respects to Lord Ximen Qing! Congratulations to my lord for killing Frieza and ascending to the position of cosmic overlord! May the Saiyan race follow my lord forever, going through fire and water without hesitation!"

The dozen or so Saiyan warriors behind him also dropped to one knee and shouted in unison, "Greetings, Lord Ximen Qing! We are willing to follow my lord and never betray him!"

Their voices merged together, filled with incomparable respect and none of the pride Saiyans had once possessed. Back then, the Saiyan race had been massacred by Frieza, their royal family wiped out, and the survivors scattered in every direction, living lives of constant hardship. Now, Ximen Qing had killed Frieza, their blood-soaked enemy, and become the cosmic overlord. Submitting to him would not only preserve the remaining spark of the Saiyan race, but also give them the chance to restore Saiyan glory. Their submission was born of both reverence and hope.

Ximen Qing looked down at the kneeling Nappa. His tone was calm, but it carried an overwhelming dominance. He made no move to help him up. "Rise. I know what your Saiyan race has suffered. Frieza slaughtered your people, and I avenged that debt for you. But that doesn't mean you're qualified to stand on equal footing with me."

"Yes! This subordinate understands!" Nappa hurriedly rose, still keeping his head lowered and not daring to show the slightest dissatisfaction. "My lord killed Frieza and has bestowed a grace as great as rebirth upon the Saiyan race. We will forever remember my lord's kindness. Should my lord ever have need of us, we will do everything in our power and never shirk our duty!"

"Kindness?" Ximen Qing raised a brow. The royal bloodline fragment at his fingertips stirred slightly, and its red radiance fell upon Nappa. "Tell me, do you recognize this?"

Nappa raised his head, and when his eyes fell on the bloodline fragment in Ximen Qing's palm, his expression changed instantly. Shock and reverence flashed through his eyes, and his body trembled involuntarily. His tone became even more respectful. "Th-this is... a Saiyan Royal Bloodline fragment! My lord, how do you possess this?"

"Oh? So you do recognize it." A mocking smile curled across Ximen Qing's lips, his tone arrogant. "The system rewarded it to me after I killed Frieza. I heard that gathering three royal bloodline fragments allows one to fuse the Saiyan Royal Bloodline and greatly increase one's power level—tell me about the origin of these fragments. And where are the other two?"

At the word "system," confusion flashed through Nappa's eyes, but he did not dare ask further. He immediately replied respectfully, "My lord, these Saiyan Royal Bloodline fragments were formed from King Vegeta's life-bound bloodline. When Frieza massacred the Saiyan royal family, King Vegeta split his bloodline into three fragments and hid them in different corners of the universe in order to preserve the spark of the royal bloodline. One fragment was said to have fallen into Frieza's hands, while the whereabouts of another were unknown. I never expected one to end up in my lord's possession!"

He paused before adding, "My lord, this royal bloodline is extraordinarily powerful. If all three fragments can be gathered and fused, not only will one's power level greatly increase, but the ultimate potential of the Saiyan race can also be unlocked. It may even be possible to surpass the legendary Super Saiyan! However, the power within these bloodline fragments is too tyrannical. Without the guidance of royal bloodline, forcibly fusing them may result in backlash from the bloodline's power and injury to oneself."

"Backlash?" Ximen Qing sneered disdainfully. The Innate Saiyan bloodline within him began to boil faintly, resonating ever more intensely with the royal bloodline fragment in his palm. "I am an Innate Saiyan, born with the purest Saiyan bloodline. How could a mere royal bloodline fragment possibly backlash against me? But you—since you know so much, you must know clues about the other fragment as well?"

Nappa's face changed slightly as he hurriedly said, "My lord, this subordinate does know some clues. Rumor has it that the other royal bloodline fragment fell into the hands of the Dark Tribe at the edge of the universe. The Dark Tribe acts in secret and possesses formidable strength. Their leader is said to have a power level above 50,000. They once served under Frieza, but immediately concealed themselves after Frieza's death and have not appeared since. It seems they are coveting this royal bloodline fragment, intending to use it to increase their strength and dominate a region."

"The Dark Tribe? A power level above 50,000?" Fighting intent flashed through Ximen Qing's eyes, and his smile became even more arrogant. "Interesting. How very interesting! I was just thinking that after killing Frieza, there would be no opponents left to entertain me. Who would have thought there'd be such a fool, daring to covet a royal bloodline fragment and hide away like this? It seems it's time to let them witness the might of a cosmic overlord!"

At that moment, several more presences arrived from the depths of space. They were weaker even than the Saiyans' presences, but they carried the same reverence and submission. Clearly, other cosmic forces such as the Clay Star Tribe and the Shadow Tribe had arrived as well.

Sensing those presences, Nappa immediately said, "My lord, the other forces that have submitted have also arrived. This subordinate will withdraw first. Once my lord has received the other forces, I will provide a detailed report on the Dark Tribe's specific circumstances, as well as offer all the resources of the Saiyan race to my lord for your command!"

"No need." Ximen Qing waved his hand, his tone calm. "Have them all come over and pay their respects together. As for the Dark Tribe, keep it in mind for now. Once I'm done handling these submitted forces, I'll have you explain it in detail. Also, tell the survivors of your Saiyan race to train hard. One day, I may give you a chance to restore Saiyan glory. But if anyone dares to slack off or harbor disloyal thoughts, I'll let you learn what a punishment more cruel than Frieza's feels like!"

"Yes! This subordinate obeys! Thank you for your grace, my lord!" Nappa replied respectfully at once, his eyes full of gratitude. He hurriedly retreated to the side, keeping his head lowered and not daring to make the slightest unusual move.

Very soon, figures from the Clay Star Tribe, the Shadow Tribe, and other cosmic forces arrived outside the atmosphere. One after another, they dropped to one knee and respectfully paid their respects to Ximen Qing, presenting the precious resources of their respective tribes. Their declarations of submission rang out together, echoing across heaven and earth and displaying the majesty of the new cosmic overlord.

Floating in the air, Ximen Qing looked down upon the forces submitting before him. His eyes were sharp and his tone arrogant, with no needless words. "Since you are willing to submit to me, then obey my rules—from this day onward, every tribe will keep to its place and refrain from infringing upon one another. You will deliver tribute to me on time. If any tribe dares challenge my authority, fight among yourselves, or collude with the Dark Tribe, then there will be no mercy. Your tribe will be wiped out!"

"Yes! We obey my lord's command!" The leaders of all the submitted forces responded in unison, their tones respectful and without the slightest objection.

Ximen Qing nodded in satisfaction. With a movement of his finger, the Cosmic Hegemony Token blazed brightly, and golden marks descended upon the foreheads of each tribal leader. "These are my hegemony marks. With these marks, if you encounter danger, you may ask me for help. But if you dare use these marks to commit evil or betray me, the marks will immediately backlash against you, scattering your souls and ensuring you can never be reborn!"

The moment the golden marks landed upon their foreheads, every tribal leader could clearly feel a powerful force enveloping them. It contained both Ximen Qing's pressure and the mark's backlash power. Their hearts trembled, and they became even less willing to harbor any disloyal thoughts. They hurriedly kowtowed once more, thanking Ximen Qing for his "grace."

Standing behind Ximen Qing, Grandpa Gohan watched the scene with a gratified expression and silently sighed to himself: Ximen Qing had truly grown up. He had become an overlord capable of standing on his own and ruling the universe.

Just as the tribal leaders finished kowtowing and prepared to rise and withdraw, Ximen Qing's eyes suddenly narrowed as he looked toward the depths of space. The golden and silver energy flames around him surged instantly, and his full power level of 45,000 erupted without reservation. His voice was cold and sharp. "Oh? It seems an uninvited guest dares to spy on Earth at a time like this?"

At his words, the expressions of all the tribal leaders changed dramatically. They raised their heads and looked into the depths of space, their eyes filled with fear—who could be so bold as to spy on Earth while Lord Ximen Qing was receiving the forces that had submitted to him? This was simply courting death!

Nappa's expression also changed as he hurriedly said, "My lord, could it be someone from the Dark Tribe? Did they sense the aura of the royal bloodline fragment and come to spy on us?"

A cold smile appeared on Ximen Qing's lips, and his gaze grew even sharper. A strand of golden-silver energy gathered at his fingertips, ready to strike at any moment. "Whoever it is, anyone who dares cause trouble on my territory will have only one path—death! Since they dared to come spying, they can forget about leaving alive. Today is the perfect chance to make an example of them and let the entire universe know that no one may covet my Earth!"

The instant he finished speaking, a pitch-black presence quietly emerged from the depths of space, carrying a trace of viciousness and greed. A cold voice traveled through space and reached everyone's ears, filled with provocation. "Ximen Qing? You're merely a brat who just ascended to the position of cosmic overlord, yet you dare speak so arrogantly before me? The Saiyan Royal Bloodline fragment is in your hands. Hand it over obediently, and perhaps I'll spare your life. Otherwise, I'll flatten Earth, kill you, seize the bloodline fragment, and become the new cosmic overlord!"

The killing intent in Ximen Qing's eyes instantly became so dense it was almost tangible. The smile on his lips turned colder still, and his voice was arrogant and resolute. "Insolent! You truly don't know the immensity of heaven and earth! Since you're seeking death, I'll grant your wish! Today, I'll show you what the strength of a cosmic overlord truly is—and what real crushing power means!"

A new crisis quietly descended. The Dark Tribe's provocation and the struggle over the royal bloodline fragment were about to begin. And Ximen Qing, the new cosmic overlord, would strike once more, crushing all those who refused to submit, protecting Earth, protecting his glory, and charging boldly toward even greater power!