Desolate Star Terror! Mysterious Expert Guarding the Fragment

The universe was vast and boundless. A streak of gold-and-silver light tore across the sky as Ximen Qing raced forward like lightning, his permanent power level of 60,000 circulating steadily through his body. His gaze was locked on the blurry image ahead—the desolate planet shown in the bloodline fragment's vision. The closer he drew, the denser the royal aura in the air became. At the same time, a faint yet formidable pressure quietly emerged, carrying cold hostility as it slowly descended upon him.

Ximen Qing's eyes narrowed. The gold-and-silver aura around him tightened slightly, but he did not slow down in the slightest. A wildly arrogant smile still rested on his lips. "Oh? So this desolate planet really does have a guardian. Good. Let me see what kind of trash dares guard my royal bloodline fragment—and dares release their pressure in front of me, Ximen Qing!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ximen Qing flashed forward, instantly breaking through the desolate planet's atmosphere and landing firmly on its surface. Beneath his feet lay cracked earth where not a blade of grass grew. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but desolation—bare rocks and dried-up ravines everywhere. Howling winds swept up clouds of dust, and the entire planet was deathly silent. Only at its center shone a dense red glow, the aura of the royal bloodline fragment. That powerful pressure was coming from there as well.

Ximen Qing lightly stamped his foot, turning into an afterimage as he sped toward the planet's center. His 60,000 power level erupted without restraint, and his crushing presence scattered all the surrounding wind and dust. Wherever he passed, the cracked ground was stamped with deep footprints.

A moment later, Ximen Qing arrived at the center of the planet, and the sight before him made him pause. Above an enormous stone platform floated a red phantom—the final Saiyan royal bloodline fragment. A rich royal aura swirled around it, its red radiance flowing slowly. Before the platform stood a tall figure in silence, its body wrapped in a faint gray aura. Its presence was powerful and strange as it stared coldly at Ximen Qing, its eyes brimming with hostility.

The figure wore ancient gray armor, and its features were blurred beyond recognition. It radiated a formidable power level of 70,000, several degrees stronger than the Dark King after he had burned his life force. Its pressure bore down on Ximen Qing like something tangible. In a cold, hoarse voice devoid of emotion, it said, "Outsider, halt! This is the sacred ground guarded by the royal bloodline fragment. None but the fated may approach. Otherwise, die!"

"The fated?" Ximen Qing sneered. The gold-and-silver aura around him surged explosively, forcibly breaking through the other party's pressure. He fixed the mysterious figure with a sharp gaze, his voice filled with disdain and mockery. "I think you're tired of living! That royal bloodline fragment was mine to begin with. A mere guardian like you thinks you can stop me? Today, I'll kill you, take the bloodline fragment, and show you that the dignity of the universe's overlord cannot be provoked by anyone!"

"The universe's overlord?" The mysterious figure snorted coldly. Its gray aura exploded outward as its 70,000 power level burst forth without reservation. The stone platform shook violently beneath the pressure, while the surrounding rocks shattered into dust. "A wet-behind-the-ears brat like you dares call himself the universe's overlord? King Vegeta entrusted the bloodline fragment to me back then and ordered me to guard it until the fated one appeared. An arrogant tyrant like you is certainly not the fated one. Today, I'll clear away you little brat coveting the royal bloodline for King Vegeta!"

The moment it spoke, the mysterious figure flashed forward and appeared before Ximen Qing in an instant. It was so fast that it was nearly impossible to follow. Dense gray ki gathered in its palm, carrying a world-destroying force as it smashed toward Ximen Qing's chest. Its voice was cold and resolute. "Gray Annihilation Palm—Full Power! Brat, die!"

The gray ki, carrying overwhelming pressure, reached Ximen Qing in an instant. The air currents were torn apart by force, releasing a piercing hiss. Even with his permanent 60,000 power level, Ximen Qing could feel the terrifying force behind this strike—the mysterious guardian was even stronger than he had expected.

Yet there was not the slightest fear in Ximen Qing's eyes. Instead, blazing battle intent rose within them, and the smile at his lips became even more arrogant. "Good! A power level of 70,000—at last, someone worth stretching my muscles against!"

As soon as he spoke, Ximen Qing flashed aside, instantly twisting away from the attack. At the same time, gold-and-silver ki gathered at his fingertips, and he fired it fiercely toward the mysterious guardian's back. His voice was cold and sharp. "Gold-Silver Ki Blast—Hit!"

The gold-and-silver ki shot forth as fast as lightning. The mysterious guardian could not react in time, and the blast struck its back with a dull thud. Its body staggered several steps forward involuntarily, its gray aura falling into slight disorder. Its voice was full of shock. "What?! Your speed is actually this fast? How can someone with a power level of 60,000 possess such terrifying speed?"

"Power level has never been the only measure of strength!" Ximen Qing sneered. With another flash, he caught up to the mysterious guardian in an instant. Dense gold-and-silver ki gathered in his palm as he smashed it toward the guardian's head with a force that seemed capable of crushing everything. "I am an Innate Saiyan. The power of the bloodline in my body far exceeds your imagination. Today, I'll make you understand what true strength is!"

The mysterious guardian's expression changed drastically. It hurriedly turned around, gathering gray ki in its palm once more and meeting Ximen Qing's attack head-on. Its voice was grave. "Arrogant! Today, I'll show you the might of a guardian's power!"

Boom—!!!

Gold-and-silver ki collided violently with gray ki. The terrifying energy unleashed at the point of impact instantly swept in every direction, tearing enormous cracks across the stone platform. The surrounding rocks were all blasted away by the shockwave, and dust filled the sky. Like a tsunami, the shockwave spread throughout the planet, making the entire Desolate Star tremble violently.

Both figures were sent flying backward before landing steadily. The gold-and-silver aura around Ximen Qing was slightly disordered, and a faint trail of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. This was the first time he had been injured by an opponent since killing Frieza and the Dark King, proving just how powerful this mysterious guardian truly was.

The mysterious guardian's gray aura had also weakened considerably, and its presence became slightly feeble. The shock in its eyes deepened. "Impossible! You clearly only have a power level of 60,000. How could you take a full-force blow from my 70,000 power level? And even knock me back? This is absolutely impossible!"

"There are plenty more impossible things!" Ximen Qing wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. The battle intent in his eyes burned even more fiercely as his gold-and-silver aura surged once again. At the same time, the Innate Saiyan bloodline within him resonated ever more strongly with the two royal bloodline fragments in his palm. Red radiance intertwined with gold-and-silver light, enveloping his entire body. "Today, not only will I take the final bloodline fragment, I'll make you submit to me completely. I'll let you know who the true strongest being in this universe is!"

The moment he finished speaking, Ximen Qing roared. The gold-and-silver aura around his body underwent another strange transformation. Unlike when he activated the Golden Super Saiyan form, this time dense red radiance mixed into the gold-and-silver flames. The three colors intertwined, forming a brilliant tricolor aura. His power level rapidly climbed—65,000, 70,000, 75,000! In mere moments, it soared to 75,000, far surpassing the mysterious guardian's 70,000!

[System Notification: The host's Innate Saiyan bloodline has resonated intensely with the two royal bloodline fragments. Bloodline Resonance Form temporarily unlocked. Power level increased by 25%. Current power level: 75,000!]

[System Notification: Exclusive skill unlocked: Tricolor Annihilation Cannon. Its power is equivalent to a full-force strike from a power level of 80,000!]

The system notifications rang out. The tricolor aura around Ximen Qing grew increasingly dense, his hair turning gold, silver, and red, while his eyes shone with the same dazzling three colors. From his small body erupted a power strong enough to shake the entire Desolate Star. The pressure of his 75,000 power level burst forth like an erupting volcano, crushing down on the mysterious guardian and instantly suppressing its pressure completely.

"What?!" The mysterious guardian's face turned as pale as paper, its whole body trembling slightly. Its eyes were filled with incredulous despair. It had never imagined that Ximen Qing could temporarily raise his power level—and leap all the way to 75,000, far beyond its own. Panic filled its voice. "Impossible! How can there be such a powerful bloodline force? Who exactly are you? You are definitely no ordinary Innate Saiyan!"

"You're not worthy of knowing who I am!" Ximen Qing sneered. He flashed forward, instantly transforming into a tricolor bolt of lightning as he charged at the mysterious guardian. He was so fast that the guardian had no time to react at all. Dense tricolor ki gathered in his palm before he struck fiercely at the guardian's chest. His voice was cold and decisive. "Tricolor Annihilation Cannon—Full Power! Today, submit or die!"

The tricolor ki shone brilliantly as it blasted toward the mysterious guardian with the terrifying force of an 80,000 power level. Wherever it passed, space itself was torn apart, and the gray aura was instantly swallowed. The mysterious guardian had no way to resist. It could only watch helplessly as the tricolor ki came crashing toward it. It desperately gathered the last trace of energy in its body, trying to mount one final defense, but it was futile.

Boom—!!!

The tricolor ki slammed violently into the mysterious guardian's chest. Its gray armor shattered in an instant, turning to dust. With a miserable scream, the guardian was flung backward like a kite with its string cut and crashed heavily onto the stone platform. It spat out a mouthful of blood, its gray aura vanishing completely. Its 70,000 power level plummeted to below 10,000 in an instant, leaving its presence pitifully weak and devoid of its former might.

Ximen Qing flashed forward and appeared before the mysterious guardian in an instant. Looking down at it from above, his gaze was cold and utterly merciless. Tricolor ki gathered in his palm again, ready to strike at any moment. His voice was filled with arrogance and finality. "Now tell me—will you submit or not? If you still refuse, I'll kill you, take the bloodline fragment, and make you a stepping stone on my path to the top!"

The mysterious guardian trembled all over. Despair replaced every trace of hostility in its eyes. As it looked at Ximen Qing's godlike figure and felt the overwhelming pressure radiating from him, it no longer had the slightest thought of resisting. It knew clearly that it was no match for Ximen Qing. If it continued to resist, it would only be crushed with ease. Its voice was full of reverence and submission. "I submit! I am willing to submit to you, my lord! This subordinate failed to recognize greatness and did not know that you were a mighty Innate Saiyan. I have offended you greatly. I beg you to spare my life!"

"Spare your life?" Ximen Qing's eyes turned cold, though the ki in his palm receded slightly. "For the sake of your many years guarding the royal bloodline fragment—and because you did not truly harm me—I'll spare your life! From this day onward, you are my subordinate. Follow me at my side and help me fuse the royal bloodline. If you dare harbor any disloyal thoughts, I'll make your death more miserable than the Dark King's!"

"Thank you for sparing my life, my lord! Thank you, my lord!" The mysterious guardian hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude, its face full of reverence and thanks. "This subordinate obeys! From this day onward, this subordinate will serve you with absolute loyalty. I will follow you through fire and water without hesitation and will never harbor disloyal thoughts!"

Ximen Qing nodded in satisfaction and stopped looking at it. He turned toward the red phantom at the center of the stone platform. With a flash, he arrived before the bloodline fragment in an instant. A slight pull of his fingers drew the final royal bloodline fragment into his palm.

The three royal bloodline fragments nestled tightly together. Their red radiance intertwined and fused, emitting an incomparably dense royal aura. They resonated intensely with the Innate Saiyan bloodline in Ximen Qing's body. Streams of red energy flowed out from the fragments and slowly entered his body, warm yet powerful. He could clearly feel his body undergoing earth-shaking changes.

[System Notification: Congratulations, host, for collecting all three Saiyan royal bloodline fragments. Royal Bloodline Fusion function unlocked. Begin fusion immediately?]

A flicker of delight flashed through Ximen Qing's eyes, and an arrogant smile curled across his lips. His voice was resolute. "Begin fusion immediately!"

[System Notification: Royal Bloodline Fusion has begun. Please wait patiently. The host will temporarily be unable to move during the fusion process. Please prepare suitable defenses!]

As the system notification ended, the three royal bloodline fragments instantly transformed into three red phantoms and floated slowly above Ximen Qing's head. Their red radiance surged, completely enveloping his body as the fusion process officially began. Ximen Qing closed his eyes and quietly felt the energy of the bloodline fragments merge into his body bit by bit. The Innate Saiyan bloodline and royal bloodline intertwined and fused, while his power level steadily rose and his presence grew increasingly formidable.

Nearby, the mysterious guardian knelt respectfully on the ground, not daring to make the slightest unusual move. It watched Ximen Qing, wrapped in red radiance, with reverence in its eyes and silently sighed. My lord truly is the chosen one. He actually gathered all the royal bloodline fragments and can even fuse them with the Innate Saiyan bloodline. In the future, my lord will surely become the most powerful being in the universe. By following him, I too can realize my own worth!

The raging winds continued to howl across the Desolate Star, while red radiance covered the entire stone platform. The energy of the royal bloodline flowed endlessly into Ximen Qing's body, and the fusion process advanced steadily. But Ximen Qing knew that fusing the bloodline would be no easy task. Unknown dangers might arise, and he might endure immense pain, yet he feared nothing. He would fuse the royal bloodline, unlock even greater power, become the unrivaled overlord of the universe, and write his own cosmic legend!

At the same time, near Earth, the surviving Saiyans were training diligently, while the warriors of the surrendered factions actively prepared tribute. Grandpa Gohan stood quietly at the edge of Earth's atmosphere, gazing into the depths of the universe with anticipation filling his heart. Ximen Qing, you must return safely. You must successfully fuse the royal bloodline. We're all waiting for you!

Elsewhere in the universe, several hidden and powerful factions also detected the unusual aura from the Desolate Star, as well as the fluctuations of the royal bloodline fusion. Their gazes turned toward the barren planet, their eyes filled with greed and covetousness. They wanted to seize the fused royal bloodline, kill Ximen Qing, and take his place as the universe's overlord. A new crisis was quietly brewing. Yet Ximen Qing was at the critical stage of bloodline fusion and could not respond to attacks from outside at all. Whether he could successfully fuse the royal bloodline and resolve this new crisis became a question in everyone's mind...