Invitation

Chen Feng slowly turned around, presenting his back to Hit, and walked to the enormous observation window at the edge of the training grounds.

Beyond the window stretched an endless sea of stars, countless celestial bodies scattered across black velvet like diamonds.

He gazed into the distance, where a beautiful blue planet hung suspended—vast emerald landmasses, azure oceans, and a white atmosphere gently wrapped around it. Its quiet, soft halo made it resemble a lustrous gemstone in the dark universe.

"Look over there." Chen Feng raised a hand and pointed at the blue planet, his voice suddenly carrying a depth of emotion Hit had never heard before. "That is my homeland, Planet Sadala. The Saiyans' home planet in Universe Six."

Hit nodded, the movement slight but filled with earnest affirmation.

Of course, he had heard of Sadala—the Saiyans' homeland, a place renowned for battle and glory.

But he had never been there, nor had he ever imagined that he would have any connection to that planet.

Chen Feng walked forward several steps, his boots grinding softly against the rough sand and gravel of the barren planet.

He looked toward the horizon, where two dim stars were slowly setting, staining the sky in an interwoven twilight of dark red and deep purple.

The wind swept across the wilderness, stirring his silver-white hair and cloak.

"My people are there," Chen Feng continued, his voice calm and resolute in the night. "There are companions who fight beside me, and everything I must protect with my life." He paused, looking sideways at the last light of day. "And the situation in Universe Six is about to change. More and more powerful fighters will appear in the future, and the battles will grow fiercer, more brutal."

He suddenly turned, his cloak sweeping out in an arc.

His gaze fell directly upon Hit. There was no probing in those eyes, no calculation—only pure solemnity.

"I need someone like you," Chen Feng said, every word landing like a footstep on the ground. "Not an assassin, but a companion."

Hit's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Companion—like a stone cast into the still lake of his thousand-year-old heart, the word sent unfamiliar ripples spreading outward.

He had lived for too long and had long grown accustomed to walking alone through darkness and bloodshed.

He trusted no one, nor did he need anyone's trust.

In the assassin's trade, emotions were unnecessary, and bonds were dangerous.

Companions would only become weaknesses, burdens—baggage he might one day have to cut away with his own hands.

Yet now, standing amid the deepening night on this desolate planet and looking into Chen Feng's eyes, still clear in the darkness, Hit suddenly felt that the heart he had hardened for so long had loosened by the slightest crack.

Having a companion might... not be so bad.

"What if I refuse?" Hit asked. His voice remained low and steady, but careful listening could catch a faint tremor beneath it.

Chen Feng shrugged casually.

"Then leave. I won't stop you, and I won't kill you. You can continue being your assassin, and I'll continue being my king. We won't interfere with each other from then on."

"You aren't afraid I'll come for revenge later?" Hit pressed, stepping half a pace forward. His aura suddenly tightened for an instant, the instinctive response of an assassin sensing a threat.

Chen Feng smiled.

It was neither mockery nor feigned ease, but a confident smile that even added a hint of brightness to his youthful face.

"You won't."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because you're Hit." Chen Feng answered without hesitation, meeting Hit's probing gaze without the slightest attempt to evade it. "The strongest assassin in Universe Six. You have your own pride and principles. Sneaking around behind someone's back, resorting to despicable tricks—that isn't your style."

Hit fell silent.

The wind grew stronger, sweeping dust from the ground with a mournful howl.

He remained still, simply staring at Chen Feng. His eyes, usually hidden beneath the shadow of his hat brim, now clearly reflected the other man.

He tried to find even a trace of hypocrisy on that young face, a hint of calculation, even the slightest hidden intent.

He scrutinized his brows, his gaze, the subtle curve of his lips, even the rhythm of his breathing.

But there was nothing.

Chen Feng's eyes were as clear as a cloudless starry sky, as open and forthright as this unobstructed wilderness.

Every word he spoke seemed to come from the depths of his heart, without concealment.

Time flowed quietly. The two stars finally sank completely, darkness blanketing the land. Only thin starlight and the occasional glimmer of minerals from distant rock formations outlined the indistinct silhouettes of the two men.

After a long time, Hit drew a deep breath. It passed through his tightly pressed lips, carrying the chill of a thousand years of solitude, yet within his chest, it melted into an unfamiliar warmth.

"I accept." He finally spoke, his voice still low, like gravel grinding beneath a wheel, but now carrying a new resolve. "From today onward, I'll follow you."

A satisfied smile appeared on Chen Feng's face.

He did not offer thanks, nor did he show exaggerated delight. Yet the smile reached his eyes with genuine sincerity.

He reached into his robes and smoothly pulled out a small pouch. Untying its drawstring, he pinched out a round, lustrous green bean and held it out to Hit.

The bean actually gave off a faint glow in the darkness, as though it carried the breath of life.

Hit lowered his head and looked at the green bean lying quietly in Chen Feng's palm.

It was only the size of a fingernail, its surface smooth as jade. Under the starlight, it gave off a strange glow, almost like the pulse of life.

All around them lay the barren meteorite-strewn ground. Jagged black rocks rose like the bones of enormous beasts, while Planet Sadala hung in the distant sky like a gemstone burning with orange-red flames.

Instinctive wariness flashed through Hit's violet eyes.

He did not reach out immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes slightly and pushed his battle-hardened assassin's instincts—exquisitely sensitive to energy and malice—to their limit.

The air held only the cold scent of cosmic dust and the faint radiation carried by distant stellar winds.

There was nothing unusual about the bean itself.

No toxins, no curses. It was like an ordinary plant seed.

Only then did he extend his black-gloved hand. His fingertips felt a slight chill when they touched the bean.

He put it into his mouth. Without even needing to chew, the bean melted as though it were alive, and a gentle yet vast warm current instantly surged through every limb and bone.

"Urgh—!" It was not a groan of pain, but a muffled sound drawn out by overwhelming comfort.

Hit clearly "saw" and "felt" it—the charred wound on his chest, deep enough to expose bone where an energy wave had grazed him. His muscle fibers writhed, intertwined, healed, and regenerated like fast-forwarded footage. New skin swiftly covered the wound, leaving not even a scar.

The broken ribs inside him gave off faint cracking sounds as they precisely realigned and fused together.

Even more astonishingly, his nearly depleted stamina and ki flooded back like a flash flood pouring into a dried-up riverbed, explosively filling every corner of his body.

All exhaustion vanished, replaced by an unprecedented sensation of surging power ready to burst forth.

He instinctively clenched his fist, his knuckles popping. He rolled the shoulder joint that had been in agonizing pain moments ago, and the movement was incomparably smooth.

He looked up at Chen Feng again. The icy killing intent in his eyes had been replaced by deep astonishment and complicated emotions.

Its effects far surpassed any medical technology or magic he had ever seen.