Secret Art Finally Achieved! Reinforcements at the Node, The Sovereign Descends

The Dark Sovereign's terrifying pressure blanketed heaven and earth. The air above the scorched land froze solid as iron, every breath laced with bone-chilling cold and suffocating oppression. The golden-red aura around Ximen Qing struggled to rise as the pressure made his entire body tremble slightly, yet he steadfastly held his mind firm. His gaze remained fixed on the cross-legged Son Gohan, and his hoarse voice rang out with unshakable force, piercing the deathly still battlefield.

Hearing this, Son Gohan immediately shut his eyes and activated the incantation with all his strength. White light surged around him, intertwining with the faint golden glow around Ximen Qing to form a dazzling golden-white energy barrier that tightly protected them both. Veins bulged on his forehead, sweat sliding down his cheeks and seeping into the scorched earth. Purifying power poured endlessly from within him, merging with Ximen Qing's Sovereign power and the power of Earth's spirit veins before flooding madly into the [Spirit Vein Sealing Art], all to complete the secret technique as quickly as possible and completely suppress the Twinborn Token.

Nearby, Nappa and Gray Shadow gritted their teeth and regulated their breathing as well, disregarding their injuries and the corrosive pressure as they desperately mobilized the last of their energy. Nappa slowly forced himself upright. The wound in his chest continued to bleed, and his aura was still chaotic, but he clenched his fists as a faint yet resolute golden-red aura flickered around him. "Gray Shadow, hold on. We can't let my lord and Grandpa Gohan fight alone. As long as we recover even a shred of combat strength, we can help my lord keep the leading guardian occupied!"

Gray Shadow nodded faintly. His body remained weak, but he still struggled to prop up his upper body, determination flashing in his eyes. "My lord has shown us immense kindness. Today, even if we must give our lives, we will protect my lord and protect Earth!" Before his words had faded, the two sat cross-legged at the same time, shut their eyes, and focused fully on recovering, striving to regain even a trace of combat strength before the Dark Sovereign descended and support Ximen Qing.

The leading dark guardian kneeling on the ground suddenly raised his head upon hearing Ximen Qing's words. Fanaticism and viciousness mingled in his eyes, while a mocking, feral grin spread across his lips. "Wishful thinking! The Sovereign will descend at any moment. Even if you complete the secret technique, it will only be a futile struggle. Today, every one of you will become a sacrifice for the Sovereign's arrival!"

Before he finished speaking, he shot to his feet, and the black mist around him surged once more—though he had been severely wounded by the [Sovereign Purple Flame Break] and had yet to recover his strength, he still radiated a frightening pressure. Dark energy gathered in his palm. Rather than immediately attacking the two performing the secret technique, he lunged toward Nappa and Gray Shadow, intending to eliminate these two potential threats first before calmly taking the Twinborn Token and ensuring nothing went wrong.

"Not good! He's going after Nappa and Gray Shadow!" Son Gohan's expression changed drastically when he sensed the leading guardian's movement. He wanted to divert a portion of the spirit vein power to support them, but the [Spirit Vein Sealing Art] was at a critical stage. If he lost focus, not only would the secret technique fail, but both he and Ximen Qing would suffer severe injuries, perhaps even lose their lives. All he could do was roar anxiously, "Nappa! Gray Shadow! Be careful!"

Ximen Qing's eyes turned cold. Though anxiety filled his heart, he did not dare lose focus—he knew how crucial the secret technique was, and the slightest mistake would ruin everything. Gritting his teeth, he mobilized the power of the spirit veins within him with all his strength, splitting off a weak but condensed strand of golden-red energy infused with purifying effects and firing it fiercely at the leading guardian's back. At the same time, he shouted, "Dark scum, don't you dare harm my subordinates!"

Sensing the attack from behind, the leading guardian paused slightly and gathered a black shield with a backhand motion. With a sharp hiss, the golden-red energy struck the shield. It failed to break through, but it still forced him to stop. He turned toward Ximen Qing, the killing intent in his eyes growing even thicker. "Ximen Qing, you can barely protect yourself, yet you dare divide your attention to save them? Today, I'll kill you first!"

The instant he lunged at Ximen Qing again, two weak yet sharp bursts of energy shot forth—Nappa and Gray Shadow had recovered a sliver of combat strength with all their might. Even if they could only launch one attack, they would risk their lives to hold him back. A golden-red sphere of energy formed in Nappa's palm, while Gray Shadow condensed a short black blade. One on the left and one on the right, they charged fiercely at the leading guardian.

"Reckless trash!" the leading guardian sneered. With a sweep of his palm, two black energy blades surged toward Nappa and Gray Shadow respectively. Nappa and Gray Shadow had long prepared themselves. Disregarding their own safety, they forcibly drove their energy, dodged his attacks, and simultaneously hurled the energy sphere and short blade at the leading guardian's chest and shoulder—their target was his weakness, and their only chance to restrain him.

Splat— The golden-red energy sphere and black short blade struck the leading guardian at the same time. They did not inflict severe damage, but they still left him lightly wounded. The black mist around him became unstable, and his aura weakened further. Enraged, the leading guardian struck both of them in the chest with a backhand palm. Nappa and Gray Shadow were blasted away and slammed heavily onto the scorched earth. Blood sprayed from their mouths, their auras weakening to the extreme, yet they continued to glare at him without the slightest fear in their eyes.

That brief delay gave Ximen Qing and Son Gohan the perfect opportunity! The [Spirit Vein Sealing Art] instantly entered its final phase. Ximen Qing's Sovereign power merged perfectly with the power of Earth's spirit veins, while Son Gohan's purifying power was driven to its utmost limit. The golden-white energy barrier around them became increasingly brilliant. The Twinborn Token in his arms completely ceased its agitation, its black light fully receding and its energy fluctuations thoroughly suppressed. It now resembled an ordinary black token, no longer detectable by the dark forces.

"It worked! The secret technique is completely finished!" Son Gohan slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath, a relieved smile appearing on his face. Yet his energy was utterly depleted, leaving him so weak that he staggered and nearly fell before Ximen Qing hurriedly caught him.

Ximen Qing slowly opened his eyes, joy and exhaustion flashing through them. Though the energy within him remained weak, he had recovered a little with the aid of the spirit veins, and the golden-red aura around him had stabilized. Supporting Son Gohan, he looked into the depths of the universe and spoke gravely. "The secret technique succeeded. The Twinborn Token's fluctuations have been suppressed, but the Dark Sovereign's pressure is growing stronger. He's about to descend, and the energy nodes of the two galaxies are still in grave danger."

Before he could finish, the communicator rang urgently. The voices of the warriors dispatched to the two galaxies were both anxious and excited. "My lord! The secret technique worked! The golden barriers around the nodes are getting stronger, and they've blocked the Sovereign's pressure from eroding them. But the dark warriors are still counterattacking like mad. We've suffered heavy casualties and can barely hold on. We request reinforcements!"

Ximen Qing nodded slightly, his tone resolute. "Understood. Hold your ground. I'll send reinforcements immediately!" With that, he took out his communicator and contacted Nappa's elite warriors, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Immediately deploy half the elite warriors to reinforce the Extreme Cold Galaxy and the Blazing Flame Galaxy separately. Assist the local warriors, eliminate the dark remnants, and protect the energy nodes. Do not let the dark forces succeed!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" The elite warriors answered firmly through the communicator. Soon, the remaining elite warriors split into two teams, boarded their fighters, and sped toward the Extreme Cold Galaxy and the Blazing Flame Galaxy to begin the rescue operation.

The leading dark guardian's expression changed sharply at the sight, unwillingness and despair churning in his eyes. "Impossible! How could you possibly complete the secret technique? How could the Twinborn Token's fluctuations be completely suppressed? The Sovereign is descending at any moment! Even if you protect the nodes and suppress the token, you will still be no match for the Sovereign!"

Ximen Qing slowly turned around, his sharp gaze fixed on the leading dark guardian. His voice was icy and piercing. "Dark scum, your end has come! Today, I'll kill you to avenge all the living beings harmed by the dark forces—and to buy us more time to face the descending Dark Sovereign!"

Before his words faded, the golden-red aura around Ximen Qing surged. Golden-red energy gathered in his palm—not a simplified [Evil-Burning Light Blade], but a full version that had recovered part of its power. Infused with the purifying power of the spirit veins, it was far stronger than before. His figure flashed as he activated [Crimson Flame Flash], instantly appearing before the leading guardian. The light blade in his palm aimed directly at the vital point in the other man's chest and stabbed down fiercely.

The leading guardian's face changed drastically. He could no longer maintain his arrogance and hurriedly activated all the dark energy in his body, condensing a black shield in a desperate attempt to block the attack. But he had already suffered severe injuries, his combat strength had plummeted, and the spirit vein's purifying power specifically countered dark energy. With a sharp hiss, the shield shattered instantly, and the [Evil-Burning Light Blade] plunged viciously into his chest. Golden-red energy swept through his entire body, madly dissolving the dark power within him.

"No—! I refuse to accept this! Sovereign, save me!" The leading guardian let out a shrill howl, his eyes full of unwillingness and terror. The black mist around him rapidly dissipated, and his body gradually turned transparent. In the end, he transformed into strands of black smoke that scattered into the air, utterly perishing.

After dealing with the leading dark guardian, Ximen Qing staggered back several steps, his face turning pale once more as he expended another portion of his energy. He took a deep breath, suppressing the weakness coursing through his body, then walked over to Nappa and Gray Shadow and slowly helped them up. His voice carried a trace of guilt but remained firm. "You've worked hard. Don't worry—we will protect Earth. We will preserve this last chance of survival for the universe."

Nappa and Gray Shadow nodded faintly, weak smiles appearing on their lips. "It is our honor to serve you, my lord. As long as Earth can be protected, we are willing to give our lives."

But at that moment, an earth-shaking roar suddenly erupted from the depths of the universe. It was far more terrifying than any before, carrying a savage aura capable of destroying heaven and earth as it instantly swept across the entire planet. Heaven and earth shook violently. Ravines across the scorched land spread wildly, mountains collapsed, rivers ran dry, and the ground cracked apart, as though the next moment this terrifying power would tear the world to pieces.

The four of them stiffened, their faces turning white as paper as they trembled uncontrollably—they could clearly sense that the Dark Sovereign's pressure was now close at hand, several times, perhaps dozens of times stronger than before. It was as if he would break through the cosmic barrier and descend upon Earth the very next second.

In the sky, pitch-black storm clouds churned violently as an enormous black rift slowly tore open. Dark energy surged madly within it, and an even colder aura than before spewed forth, shrouding the entire Earth. Despair instantly swept through every living being.

Ximen Qing slowly raised his head and looked at the black rift in the sky. The exhaustion and gravity in his eyes gradually gave way to absolute determination and resolve. He took a deep breath, and the golden-red aura around him slowly rose once more. Even facing the world-destroying Dark Sovereign, even in this desperate situation, he would never retreat. He would never give up.

"Grandpa Gohan, take good care of Nappa and Gray Shadow. Recover your strength as soon as possible." Ximen Qing's voice was hoarse, but his resolve was unquestionable. "I'll hold the rift in the sky and delay for as long as I can. Once the elite warriors reinforcing the nodes return, once all of us have recovered our combat strength, we'll fight the Dark Sovereign to the death!"

Son Gohan nodded faintly. His eyes were filled with worry, but there was also firm conviction within them. "Qing'er, be careful! We'll regain our strength as quickly as possible and come support you! Remember, no matter what happens, don't give up easily. You aren't fighting alone. All of us are fighting by your side!"

Ximen Qing nodded slightly without saying anything further. With a flash, he activated [Crimson Flame Flash] and sped toward the black rift in the sky. The golden-red aura around him blazed like the sun, while the golden-red energy in his palm continued to rise. His gaze was sharp as a blade, fixed firmly on the dark energy surging within the rift—he knew that the ultimate battle determining the universe's survival was imminent. This time, he had to win. He could only win.

The black rift in the sky continued to expand. The Dark Sovereign's roar drew ever closer, and dark energy poured out endlessly, eroding Earth's atmosphere. Ximen Qing hovered before the rift, his golden-red aura surging to its limit as the energy in his palm gathered into an ever more massive force. Fully prepared, he waited silently for the Dark Sovereign's descent...