Annihilation and Redemption
Qi Heng gripped every last bit of energy on Vegeta's body, and purple energy boiled like magma, erupting directly from his skin, causing the ground to crack.
"Vegeta's body is mine! His power, his pride, his battle memories, his blood—all are mine! You can't take them away!"
"One."
Qi Heng began the countdown.
His voice was neither loud nor soft; he spoke steadily.
But as soon as that sound fell, Baby's purple aura suddenly stopped, as if something invisible had choked its source.
"Two."
Baby's body began to tremble violently.
It wasn't that he was trembling; it was that his body was terrified, every cell in it was frantically trying to escape.
He stared intently at Qi Heng's palm—there was nothing there, but he saw it.
He knew that it wasn't a ki blast or an energy shock; it was a more primal and terrifying force, as if it were directly connected to the fundamental rules of the universe, capable of erasing existence and annihilating souls.
Once this power is released, he will not be injured or defeated; he will simply "disappear."
It was completely erased from every corner of time, space, and consciousness, leaving no chance to escape.
"Three--"
"Etc--!"
Baby screamed, his voice hoarse, despair gripping his heart like a cold hand, "I'll come out! I... I'll come out!!"
The last word turned into a mournful wail.
Vegeta's body convulsed violently, and it felt as if countless black worms were frantically crawling under his skin.
Immediately afterwards, thick black flames, like asphalt, gushed out from his seven orifices and every pore, accompanied by a disgusting hissing sound.
These black wisps tumbled and pulled in the air, slowly coalescing into a blurry human figure—silver-white hair like withered grass, dark red eyes filled with poison and resentment, and features distorted by extreme pain and rage.
Vegeta lost all support, his body went limp, and he collapsed onto the cold, broken ground, raising a cloud of dust.
Just as the human form was about to solidify—
Qi Heng suddenly clenched his right fist.
Buzz--!
A golden beam of light burst forth from the center of the fist, not exploding outwards, but converging inwards like a living chain, instantly binding the black humanoid figure.
The moment the light touched her, Baby out a horrific scream.
He struggled desperately, the black energy trying to expand, split, and squeeze into the gaps in space, but the golden light was like the most solid cage, like a blazing flame that burned his soul, pulling back every wisp of his escaping consciousness and locking it firmly.
"No--! You can't--! I haven't avenged--! The vengeance for Tuffle Planet--!"
Baby's screams were piercing and distorted, filled with resentment and bitterness.
Qi Heng didn't glance at the struggling dark figure even once more throughout the entire process.
He calmly raised his left hand, his index and middle fingers together, and gently pressed them against his forehead.
Instant Transmission.
There was no sound of wind, no change in light or shadow.
The next second, the cold rocky ground, the dust, and Vegeta lying on the ground all disappeared.
All that remained was an almost absolute emptiness and a soul-stirring heat.
He and the black humanoid figure, firmly imprisoned by golden light, stood before a burning inferno—the enormous, boiling sun, constantly undergoing violent nuclear fusion, was within reach.
The raging corona lashed at the void like countless golden whips, its silent roar concealing the power to destroy stars. The blazing white light engulfed everything, illuminating Baby's final, desperate face with a deathly pallor.
The scorching light, like billions of red-hot steel needles, rushed towards us, its temperature high enough to instantly vaporize stars.
At the edge of the star, space itself is distorted and boiled by the intense heat.
Baby's body was firmly bound by solidified golden energy, which tightened with each of his struggles, like a living shackle.
He writhed wildly, the muscles beneath his skin bulging, and what came from his throat was not a roar, but a scream of extreme pain and despair, a sound that even briefly drowned out the roar of the stars.
"No--! Please--! Stop--! I'll do anything--!"
Qi Heng hovered in absolute void, the violent stellar winds blowing his silver-white hair backward, yet he was enveloped in an invisible realm of tranquility.
His golden pupils reflected the struggling enemy and the burning star, yet remained completely still.
His expression was like a frozen, deep lake, so cold it sent chills down your spine.
Faced with pleas, he simply raised his other hand and made a pushing motion forward.
The movements were gentle, yet carried an irresistible will.
The golden energy binding Baby suddenly shone brightly, transforming into a streak of light that, accompanied by a screaming figure, crashed into the boiling corona.
"Laugh--!"
Like cold water dripping into boiling oil, or thin ice being thrown into a furnace.
The golden energy, powerful enough to imprison a planet, groaned and quickly disintegrated upon contact with the boundless flames on the sun's surface, turning into wisps of smoke.
Baby's body was completely exposed to the star's most direct fury.
Instead of instantaneous vaporization, it undergoes a more brutal, slow incineration.
His indestructible carapace first emitted a dark red light, then began to carbonize, curl, and peel away from the edges like paper being licked by invisible flames, revealing the molten flesh beneath.
The flames greedily coiled around him, starting from his extremities and spreading inch by inch up his torso, devouring and disintegrating him little by little, turning him into ashes that shimmered in the solar wind.
The entire process was clearly visible, and the details were chilling.
"Aaaaaah--! Damn Saiyan--! I curse you--! Your entire race deserves to go to hell--!!!"
Baby's distorted face reappeared one last time in the flames, filled with the most venomous resentment and bitterness, roaring out the final curse of his life.
The next second, even more turbulent solar prominences crashed in like giant waves, completely engulfing everything that remained of him, even the afterglow vanished without a trace, as if he had never existed.
Qi Heng hovered silently in place, the starlight casting a flowing golden edge around his figure.
His golden eyes calmly watched the ball of flame Baby disappeared, his face expressionless, not even his breathing changed, as if he hadn't just thrown a galaxy-destroying enemy into a star, but merely brushed away a speck of dust.
"Go to hell?"
His thin lips parted slightly, his deep voice unable to travel in a vacuum, yet seemingly resonating directly at the level of cosmic rules, carrying a hint of coldness and near-mockery, "Well, there needs to be a place... to take you in."
As soon as he finished speaking, a ripple like water spread across the space beside him.
His figure shifted from solid to ethereal, like a reflection merging into the background, silently disappearing into the vast expanse of space where only the eternal roar of stars remained.
--Supreme Kai Realm.
The tranquility of the space was broken by gentle ripples.
Qi Heng's figure solidified from the ethereal, landing steadily on the seemingly eternally green, soft, carpet-like grass.
A gentle breeze blew by, carrying the fresh scents of grass, trees, and distant divine flowers, creating a stark contrast between heaven and hell with the hellish edge of the star just moments before.
Not far away, Son Goku lay on his back on the grass, his iconic orange martial arts uniform torn to shreds, covered in scorch marks and tears. His bare chest and arms were covered in bruises, burns, and horrific marks left by energy shocks, some wounds so deep they reached the bone.
His breath was weak, and his once vibrant face was now ashen, his brows furrowed, as if he were struggling with excruciating pain even in his unconscious state.
The young Shin was kneeling beside Goku, his handsome face filled with anxiety and focus, and fine beads of sweat were seeping from his forehead.