Black-Gold Ape Body Shatters Demonic Might, Shenron Falls, Demonic Seed Hidden

Dark clouds pressed down over the valley. Dark green flames of energy surged around King Piccolo, and the terrifying pressure of his prime weighed heavily on everyone's hearts like a mountain. He rolled his neck, his bones cracking loudly, savoring the long-lost surging power within him as the vicious grin on his lips grew ever more arrogant.

He looked up at Shenron in the sky, his gaze sinister as a venomous scorpion. "I only needed to use things like the Dragon Balls once. I can't leave them for someone else to use against me."

Before his words had even faded, he raised a hand and fired an extremely concentrated Demon Light Cannon. The dark green beam tore through the sky, shooting straight for Shenron's enormous head. Having just granted a wish, Shenron was already weakened. Caught completely off guard, he was struck squarely between the eyes by the Demon Light Cannon. He let out a mournful cry that shook heaven and earth, and his massive body crumbled away inch by inch, turning into countless golden motes that vanished amid the clouds. The seven Dragon Balls on the ground instantly lost their luster, becoming ordinary grayish-white stones. They sprang into the air and flew in every direction, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.

"Shenron... is dead?" Bulma stared blankly at the sky. The screen of the Dragon Radar in her hand went dark at once, every single light disappearing.

Master Roshi shuddered from head to toe, his aged face filled with disbelief. "He actually killed even Shenron... From now on, there will be no Dragon Balls left to grant wishes."

Goku clenched his fists as he watched the stone spheres scatter away, his eyes full of disappointment.

King Piccolo withdrew his hand and laughed heartily. "Without the Dragon Balls, even your last hope of turning this around is gone! This valley will be your burial ground today!"

His gaze swept over the people below before finally settling on Qi Tian, his killing intent undisguised. The humiliation of being forced back at Blue Stone Town would be repaid a hundredfold today.

"Boy, weren't you arrogant before? Let's see how you take my attacks now!"

King Piccolo's figure flickered, and he vanished from the mountaintop. The next second, he appeared in midair above the valley and slammed one palm downward. A gigantic palm imprint of demonic energy crashed down. Wherever its palm wind passed, the ground collapsed and the rock walls split apart. Its power was several times greater than the Demon Light Cannon from before.

"Everyone, watch out!"

Master Roshi roared as his energy erupted at full force. His muscular form activated instantly, his power level of 6,800 pushed to its limit as he thrust both hands forward and unleashed a full-power Kamehameha. The pale blue energy wave collided with the demonic palm imprint, but it lasted less than two seconds before collapsing with a boom. The demonic palm imprint continued downward without slowing, bearing straight down on them. Yamcha and Krillin went pale, unable even to muster the strength to dodge.

Just as the palm imprint was about to fall, a figure slowly stepped forward and raised a hand.

Qi Tian held up a single palm, and a faint black-gold glimmer flashed across it. The demonic palm imprint, powerful enough to flatten half the valley, was steadily held in midair by his hand before shattering inch by inch into black smoke and dispersing without a trace.

"That's all you've got?" Qi Tian raised his eyes toward King Piccolo in the air, his tone calm. "You recovered your youth, yet you're still just as weak."

King Piccolo's pupils contracted sharply, stormy waves rising in his heart. His full-force attack from his prime had been stopped with a single hand? He had clearly sensed that this youth's power level was only around ten thousand. How could he possibly withstand his full-strength attack of sixteen thousand?

"Impossible! You must have used some kind of evil technique!" King Piccolo snarled through gritted teeth. He dove down, both fists wrapped in violent demonic energy as he bombarded Qi Tian like a raging storm. Every strike could shatter mountains, and the demonic energy corroded the air with piercing hisses.

Qi Tian shifted his feet lightly, weaving effortlessly through the dense rain of fists. With Flaw Insight fully activated, the trajectory of each of King Piccolo's moves was crystal clear to him. At times, he raised a hand to block; at others, he turned aside to evade. He remained relaxed and composed throughout it all, while King Piccolo's storm-like onslaught could not even touch the corner of his clothes.

After dozens of exchanges, King Piccolo was panting heavily, his attacks gradually slowing. Looking at the youth opposite him, whose breathing remained calm and steady, fear arose in his heart for the first time.

What kind of monster is this guy?!

"Had enough?" Qi Tian lifted his eyes, a black-gold gleam flashing through them. "If you're done, then it's my turn."

The instant his words fell, dazzling black-gold light erupted around Qi Tian. A terrifying shockwave exploded outward from him, lifting every piece of shattered stone from the valley floor into the air as cracks rapidly spread across the rock walls. The youth's body did not expand and remained in its original form, but a layer of fine black-gold beast fur covered his skin. A golden ape-shaped mark slowly emerged on his forehead, his eyes turning a deep dark gold as his aura surged wildly at a terrifying rate.

Ten thousand, twenty thousand, thirty thousand...

His aura blasted past fifty thousand before finally stabilizing at the terrifying level of 59,400, then slowly receded.

Myriad-Transformation Black-Gold Great Ape, humanoid form, full power activated!

A violent yet not savage aura swept across the entire valley. King Piccolo was forced back again and again by the shockwave, his feet carving two deep trenches across the ground. He stared at the youth in the center with utter horror. He could clearly feel that the power radiating from Qi Tian was as unfathomable as a vast ocean. Before him, he was as insignificant as an ant.

"W-What kind of transformation is this?!" King Piccolo's voice trembled as unprecedented fear crept into his heart. He had lived for centuries and roamed the world without equal, yet he had never seen such terrifying power.

Master Roshi stood frozen below, so stunned that he did not even notice his sunglasses slipping down to the tip of his nose. He had thought he had already overestimated Qi Tian, but he never imagined the youth's hidden trump card would be this terrifying. With such power, let alone one King Piccolo, even ten of them probably would not be enough to fight him.

Goku's eyes widened, sparkling with admiration. "So amazing! Qi Tian is way too amazing!"

Krillin and Yamcha exchanged a look, both seeing shock and relief in each other's eyes. Relief that someone like him was on their side rather than their enemy.

"Now, try taking one of my attacks."

Qi Tian's voice rang out, carrying a somewhat heavier, beastlike resonance than before. Yet his mind remained clear, without the slightest trace of savagery. He slowly raised his right fist. Black-gold currents of energy curled around it. There was no earth-shaking display, yet the air throughout the entire valley seemed to freeze solid.

King Piccolo screamed and gathered every ounce of power in his body between his hands, forming a gigantic Demon Light Cannon ten meters in diameter. Dark green demonic energy churned ceaselessly around it. This was the strongest strike of his entire life.

"I don't believe it! I refuse to believe you can be this strong! Die!"

The gigantic Demon Light Cannon howled forth. In its wake, deep trenches were gouged into the earth, while everything was corroded to ash by demonic energy.

Qi Tian neither dodged nor evaded. He threw an utterly ordinary punch.

The black-gold fist force collided with the gigantic Demon Light Cannon. There was no earth-shattering explosion as expected. Like snow beneath the scorching sun, the Demon Light Cannon instantly melted away and collapsed, unable to offer even the slightest resistance. The black-gold fist force continued onward and struck King Piccolo squarely in the chest.

PFFT—

King Piccolo spat out a huge mouthful of dark green blood. His body flew away like a kite with its string cut before slamming heavily into the mountainside. His entire body was embedded in the rock wall, a massive section of his chest caved in as the demonic energy around him instantly weakened.

He struggled as he slid down from the rock wall and collapsed onto the ground. More than half the bones in his body were broken, and he did not even have the strength to lift a hand. His crimson eyes remained fixed on Qi Tian, filled with unwillingness and despair.

"How is this possible... I am the ruler of the world... How could I lose to a brat like you..."

[Ding! Defeated King Piccolo in his prime, ending the Demon Clan calamity. Savior Legend Sign-In triggered.]

[Sign in?]

"Sign in." With a thought from Qi Tian, the black-gold glow around him slowly faded, restoring his ordinary appearance.

[Ding! Sign-in complete. Rewards issued.]

[1. Permanent power level +1100. Current base power level: 11000.]

[2. Myriad-Transformation Black-Gold Great Ape evolved again: Transformation multiplier increased to 7x. Great Ape Roar unlocked. Can intimidate opponents weaker than oneself, briefly immobilizing them.]

[3. Life Purification: Can consume one's own energy to heal others' injuries and purge evil toxins and demonic energy.]

[4. Kami's Lookout Sense: Heaven Realm coordinate perception unlocked. Can use energy to fly directly to Kami's Lookout.]

A gentle warm current flowed through his body, instantly restoring his stamina and expended energy to their peak. Qi Tian slowly walked toward the severely injured King Piccolo.

Piccolo watched the boy approach step by step, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes. Summoning the last of his strength, he opened his mouth and spat out a dark green egg, which shot swiftly toward the distant forest.

"Even if I die... my child... will avenge me..."

"He will inherit everything of the Demon Clan... and drag this world into darkness..."

With that, Piccolo's head lolled to one side, and the aura around him completely vanished. A tyrant of the Demon Clan had fallen.

Qi Tian looked up in the direction the egg had flown, his gaze calm. He naturally knew what it was—Piccolo Jr., the future Demon King Piccolo. But he did not pursue it.

The seed had already been planted. The road ahead was still long.

The valley gradually returned to calm. The dark clouds dispersed, and sunlight once again poured down. A demonic catastrophe that had swept across the world had come to an end.

Master Roshi walked over. Looking at Piccolo's corpse, then at Qi Tian, he let out a long sigh. "It's all thanks to you. Otherwise, this time, the whole world would have been finished."

Goku ran over and circled Qi Tian twice, his eyes brimming with excitement. "Qi Tian, that transformation just now was so cool! Can you teach me?"

Qi Tian did not answer. He merely raised his head and looked toward the sky.

Piccolo was dead. The god in the Heavenly Realm should have sensed it as well.

A new journey had only just begun.