Unease and Doubt

"There are several other life energies with quite high intensity—high enough that they warrant attention."

Vados spoke slowly, her gaze seeming to pierce through the planet's atmosphere as she fixed her eyes on some distant point.

"Especially that presence hidden at the very deepest level. It is as steady as a stellar core, yet conceals an explosive force that is impossible to estimate..."

She paused, and this silence lasted even longer.

"What's going on in the deepest part? Stop keeping me in suspense and explain it clearly!"

Champa was visibly more irritated now. The pressure radiating from his body unconsciously spread outward, forcing even the surrounding cosmic dust away.

"It's nothing, Lord Champa."

Vados suddenly smiled. All her previous gravity vanished without a trace, and her expression returned to its usual relaxed ease, touched with a hint of teasing.

"It is simply that my angelic intuition tells me the current master of this planet may not be as... obedient and compliant as you expect."

"Hmph!"

Champa snorted, the arrogance of a God of Destruction written all over his face.

"A Saiyan—so what if he has gotten a little stronger? How strong could he possibly be? Don't forget, I am the God of Destruction of Universe 6! The birth and death of the universe are under my control! If he knows what is good for him, then fine. But if he dares show disrespect, I'll let him learn what the authority of destruction means!"

Vados paid no further attention to his declaration. She merely shook her head with that mysterious smile, as though watching a child throwing a tantrum.

She raised her staff and lightly pointed it forward.

"Then let us go and have a look, Lord Champa."

The moment her words fell, their figures blurred, transforming into two streaks of purple and silver light. Like arrows, they tore through space and shot straight into Planet Sadala's azure atmosphere, moving so fast that they left behind only faint trails of energy.

At the heart of Planet Sadala's royal capital, before the magnificent palace hall.

The plaza was vast, its ground paved with whole slabs of dark alloy. Though it had weathered countless storms and battles, it remained as smooth as new, reflecting the drifting clouds above.

The colossal stone pillars and relief carvings surrounding it were symbols of Saiyan glory and history.

Chen Feng stood at the center of the plaza.

His hands were clasped behind his back, his posture straight. His long black hair and cloak swayed gently in the breeze.

He wore only a simple dark combat suit, without any additional armor, yet he naturally exuded an aura as steady as a mountain.

He slowly raised his head, his deep gaze seemingly locking onto a point above the clouds.

A faint smile rested on his lips, but it did not reach his eyes.

His eyes were like a pool of calm, unruffled deep water, reflecting the sky and clouds as they awaited the coming storm.

The plaza was silent. Hit stood like a statue in the shadows behind and to Chen Feng's side, while Frost shifted his feet somewhat nervously. The three Saiyan warriors held their breath, their muscles taut as they prepared for impact at any moment.

The wind swept through the plaza, carrying the distant clamor with it, yet it could not disperse the tension gathering here.

"They're here."

Chen Feng spoke softly. His voice was not loud, yet it reached everyone's ears with perfect clarity.

Almost the instant he finished speaking—

"Boom!!!"

The thick clouds overhead were violently ripped apart by a brute force!

They did not slowly part. Instead, it was as though a massive hole had been forcibly torn into a sheet of cloth!

Two figures descended from the sky, carrying a pressure that made the plaza's ground tremble faintly beneath them!

Without any attempt to slow themselves, they crashed directly and ostentatiously into the alloy floor of the plaza like meteors!

"Thud—!!!"

A deafening boom erupted. Dust from the impact point mixed with tiny motes of energy light and spread outward in a ring. The blast of air made Chen Feng's cloak snap wildly and caused Frost and the three Saiyans to instinctively raise their hands to shield themselves.

The dust quickly dispersed, revealing the scene.

Champa patted at his body, though there was hardly any dust on him. With his chin raised, he swept his critical, arrogant gaze across the crowd before finally stopping on Chen Feng.

Vados, meanwhile, floated elegantly above the ground, her staff lightly touching the floor. A polite smile that was impossible to read rested on her face.

The two sides confronted each other in the plaza of this ancient Saiyan palace.

The air seemed frozen as invisible pressure collided between them.

Champa floated in midair, his crimson cloak utterly still in the faint breeze that carried the scent of sulfur.

His bloated body radiated an almost tangible pressure, making the Saiyan warriors feel as though breathing had become difficult, their muscles tightening involuntarily.

His tiny eyes swept carelessly over the crowd. Everywhere his gaze fell, the air seemed to grow heavier.

At last, his gaze—like two icy awls—fixed directly on the figure at the top of the steps: the only person entirely unaffected by his divine might, standing without the slightest tremor.

He slowly descended, his bare feet landing on the black basalt ground with a dull sound.

He lifted his chin, his voice filled with the lofty, unquestionable authority of a God of Destruction. "You are the one in charge of this planet?"

Chen Feng stood on the platform extending from the royal palace hall, with stone pillars carved with Saiyan history behind him.

He wore no royal robes, only a deep blue combat suit beneath dark gold shoulder armor, with a red royal cape hanging behind him.

In response to Champa's provocative question, he slowly raised his eyelids. His golden pupils were calm and undisturbed as he met Champa's gaze, carrying a faintly equal presence.

"I am the King of the Saiyans, Chen Feng."

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly pierced the silence of the plaza. Every word was steady and powerful.

"Lord Champa, God of Destruction, I have long admired your name."

Champa was visibly stunned for a moment.

He had expected fear, vigilance, or even anger from the other party. Instead, he was met with a calm attitude, as though he were looking at an equal opponent.

It left him feeling as though he had punched empty air.

The fat on his face trembled. He immediately concealed that instant of surprise with even more exaggerated arrogance, waving his thick, short arm as if brushing away insignificant dust. "Since you know who I am, let's save some trouble! I'm in a hurry and have no time for nonsense. Listen, I want the strongest Saiyans here. You—right now, immediately—pick out the strongest ones for me!"

His tone was purely commanding. This was not a request for discussion, but the natural requisition of a god.

Chen Feng did not answer right away.

He tilted his head slightly and looked toward the shadow at his side.

A figure stood there, almost completely merged with the shadow cast by the corridor pillar. One would not notice him at all without looking carefully.

Following Chen Feng's gaze, the person moved.

He took a step forward, the hem of his gray cloak brushing the ground without making a sound.

When he stepped fully out of the shadows and into the sunlight, his purple skin and cold, sculpted features made Champa's pupils shrink to pinpoints!

"Y-you... you are..."

For the first time, Champa's voice noticeably wavered. It held not only surprise, but also stunned disbelief.

"Hit?! The legendary 'assassin' Hit from Universe 6?! Why are you here?"

Hit raised his eyes and replied in his characteristically flat, uninflected voice, "Lord God of Destruction, it has been a long time."

Champa's expression changed completely, his earlier arrogance replaced by uncertainty and alarm.