Multiple Crises! Trump Cards Revealed, Nodes in Danger

"Boom—!"

Another earth-shaking explosion resounded across Earth's skies. The clash between golden-red energy and pitch-black mist intensified, shockwaves sweeping in every direction. Ravines across the ground continued to spread and deepen; over the scorched earth, shattered stones and broken branches were hurled into the air by the energy, dancing chaotically through the sky. Though the golden-red aura around Ximen Qing still burned fiercely, it could not conceal his exhaustion. Sweat mixed with faint blood trickled down his brow, while the [Evil-Burning Light Blade] in his palm trembled slightly. Every collision with the lead Dark Guardian forced him to withstand pressure from a power level far beyond 120,000. His arms had long since gone numb.

"Ximen Qing, you won't last much longer!" The lead Dark Guardian curled his lips into a sinister grin. The black mist around him surged more violently, and the pitch-black energy sphere in his palm grew even stronger. Carrying a destructive, vicious aura, it slammed toward Ximen Qing. "Hand over the Twinborn Token obediently, and perhaps I'll let you die a little more comfortably!"

Ximen Qing's gaze sharpened. Suppressing the dizziness caused by his failing strength, he drove his remaining energy into [Crimson Flame Flash], narrowly evading the fierce attack in an instant. His figure left a blazing trail in midair. Yet before he could steady himself, the lead Guardian had teleported directly before him. Pitch-black claws wrapped in bone-chilling energy lunged straight for the Twinborn Token in his chest, moving so fast there was no way to avoid them.

"My lord, watch out!" Nappa's anxious cry rang out from afar. He was leading the elite warriors in desperately holding back the other two Dark Guardians. The golden-red aura around him was in disarray, and his body had gained many wounds, yet he still rushed toward Ximen Qing with all his strength. But the two Guardians clung to them relentlessly, giving them no chance to break free.

Gray Shadow flashed forward. Ignoring his own injuries, he forcibly summoned shadow energy and condensed it into a pitch-black short blade, stabbing straight at the lead Guardian's back in an attempt to force him away. But the lead Guardian's strength was formidable. Without even turning around, the black mist surrounding him automatically condensed into a shield. With a "Screech!", Gray Shadow's blade struck the shield. Not only did it fail to break through, but the shield's freezing energy blasted him backward. He crashed heavily onto the scorched ground, coughing up a mouthful of shadow essence blood. His aura weakened further, and he no longer had the strength to rise and restrain the enemy.

Seeing this, killing intent and anxiety tangled in Ximen Qing's eyes. He knew that if this stalemate continued, the lead Guardian would surely injure him severely, while Gray Shadow, Nappa, and the others would fall one after another. If the Twinborn Token was taken, Earth—and even the entire universe—would become a dark hell. He took a deep breath and pushed down his concerns. The golden-red aura around him suddenly surged, and energy far beyond anything before erupted from his body. The pure heat in his palm's golden-red energy faded, replaced by an eerie golden-violet glow—he was about to use the trump card he had hidden for so long: [Sovereign Purple Flame Break].

This was Ximen Qing's ultimate killing move, painstakingly forged through the fusion of the Universe Sovereign's source power. Its might far surpassed [Sovereign Evil-Shattering Blast], but using it would consume half his energy and leave him weakened for a long time afterward. Unless he had no other choice, he would never use it lightly.

Just as Ximen Qing was about to activate his trump card, an urgent shout suddenly came from the forest, accompanied by Son Gohan's somewhat weakened voice. "Qing'er! This is bad! The Purification Art has completely failed! The Twinborn Token's energy fluctuations have been exposed!"

Before his words had even faded, the Twinborn Token in Ximen Qing's chest suddenly began to convulse violently. Black light surged, instantly breaking through the suppression of the golden-red energy around him. A blinding beam of black light shot into the sky, pierced through Earth's atmosphere, and vanished into the depths of space. The lead Dark Guardian's expression changed sharply, before his sinister smile deepened. The black mist around him swelled severalfold, and his aura rose in tandem. "Excellent! The Twinborn Token's presence has been exposed. Before long, more Dark Warriors will arrive. None of you will escape, even if you grow wings!"

The other two Dark Guardians also sensed the Twinborn Token's fluctuations, and their morale soared. Their attacks grew even fiercer. The elite warriors led by Nappa gradually found themselves unable to hold on; more and more were struck by dark energy and collapsed to the ground, unable to rise. Casualties steadily mounted.

Even more terrifying, the frigid aura belonging to the Dark Sovereign suddenly became incomparably intense in the depths of the universe, as though it had drawn several times closer in an instant. The sky was once again shrouded in darkness. Black clouds churned ever more violently, and a low, horrifying roar faintly echoed from the depths of space, sending chills down everyone's spine—the Dark Sovereign was awakening faster and was about to descend upon Earth!

At that moment, Ximen Qing's communicator suddenly rang urgently. A panicked shout came from the warriors sent to investigate the Extreme Cold and Blazing Flame Star Systems. "My lord! This is bad! At the core of the ice plains in the Extreme Cold Star System, a huge number of Dark Warriors have appeared and are frantically seizing the power of the energy nodes! Deep within the volcanoes of the Blazing Flame Star System, there are signs of dark forces as well. The energy node seals have already been more than half destroyed!"

"What?!" Ximen Qing's expression changed drastically, and his heart sank. Multiple crises had erupted at once, far beyond all expectations—the Twinborn Token had been exposed, the Dark Sovereign was nearing, the two major energy nodes were in danger, those around him were being injured one after another, and his own energy was nearing exhaustion. This desperate situation was the hardest battle he had faced since his rebirth.

Noticing Ximen Qing's panic, the lead Dark Guardian smiled mockingly. He condensed even stronger pitch-black energy in his palm and hurled it ruthlessly toward Ximen Qing. "Ximen Qing, stop resisting! You no longer have any chance of winning. Submit obediently to the Dark Sovereign, and perhaps you can still save your miserable life!"

Ximen Qing slowly raised his head. The panic in his eyes had completely vanished, replaced by absolute resolve and sharpness. Golden, red, and violet light intertwined around him. The energy of [Sovereign Purple Flame Break] had fully condensed, and the sphere of light in his palm grew ever larger, radiating a heart-palpitating pressure. Even if it cost him half his energy and left him weak after the battle, he would never give up. He would never allow the dark forces to succeed.

"You want me to submit? Dream on!" Ximen Qing roared, his voice thunderous and resolute as it echoed across all of Earth. "Today, even if I have to give everything I have, I'll drive you back, protect the Twinborn Token, and defend Earth! [Sovereign Purple Flame Break]—Break!"

Before his words ended, Ximen Qing hurled the golden-violet sphere in his palm at the lead Dark Guardian. As it flew, the sphere frantically devoured the positive energy around it, its power continuously soaring. Wherever it passed, it burned a massive rift through the void. The pitch-black mist instantly dissolved, and even the freezing aura in the air was completely erased.

The lead Dark Guardian's expression changed drastically. He could no longer maintain his arrogance. Hastily, he activated all of his dark energy and formed a thick shield of black mist, doing everything he could to block the fatal blow. But the power of [Sovereign Purple Flame Break] far exceeded his expectations. The golden-violet sphere smashed into the shield, instantly covering it in cracks. The freezing black mist melted away like boiling water. Shockwaves swept outward, blasting the lead Guardian backward again and again. He spewed large amounts of black essence blood, his aura immediately thrown into chaos as his power level plummeted.

Seeing this, a glimmer of hope flashed through Nappa and the remaining elite warriors' eyes. Their morale surged, and they launched an all-out counterattack against the other two Dark Guardians, temporarily suppressing their offensive.

But Ximen Qing's face had turned deathly pale. He staggered back several steps, the golden-red-violet aura around him gradually fading. Half his energy had been depleted, leaving his entire body weak and powerless. He barely had the strength even to raise a hand. He knew that although this strike had severely wounded the lead Guardian, it had not killed him. The Twinborn Token's presence had also been exposed, the Dark Sovereign was about to descend, and the two major energy nodes were in grave danger. This war was far from over...

From the distant forest, Son Gohan hurried over while clutching an ancient book, his expression anxious and grave. "Qing'er, I found a method in the ancient texts. It may be able to temporarily suppress the Twinborn Token's energy fluctuations and reinforce the energy node seals as well, but I need your cooperation. You'll have to use the little energy you have left..."

Ximen Qing nodded slightly. Enduring his weakness, a trace of resolve flashed in his eyes. "Alright! As long as we can protect Earth and the Twinborn Token, I'm willing to pay any price!"

And in the depths of space, the Dark Sovereign's roar drew ever closer. More Dark Warriors were racing toward Earth; at the energy nodes of the Extreme Cold and Blazing Flame Star Systems, the dark forces' plundering grew ever more frenzied, and the seals were on the verge of collapse; on the ground, the lead Dark Guardian slowly steadied himself, ruthlessness flashing in his eyes as he gathered dark energy once more, preparing to counterattack—multiple crises still hung over Earth. Could Ximen Qing and the others preserve this sliver of hope, repel their powerful enemies, and stop the Dark Sovereign's awakening?