It's Not Softness, But Genuine Fear

This planet was one that Xuesaiya and Xuesaili's five-woman squad had stumbled upon by chance years ago.

They had only recently made their debut then, with power levels of merely three or four thousand. Xuesaili had only just crossed the six-thousand mark, while the youngest sister in the squad had not even taken on an official mission yet.

High-level planet-cleansing missions? They could not even break through the outer defensive arrays.

Mid-level missions? Those had long been snatched up by the old hands.

That left only a few low-level cleanup orders in remote star systems—desolate, barren, with communications cut off, places even Planet Vegeta's main world could not be bothered with.

After several discussions, the five of them came to an immediate agreement. They boarded an old secondhand ship and plunged headfirst into this dim corner where even the navigational star charts were blurry.

It was then that Xuesaiya and Xuesaili first noticed it—quietly floating at the edge of their mission system was a lush, life-filled planet.

They had not casually crushed it for a bit of merit, not because they were softhearted, but because they truly did not dare touch it.

On that verdant planet, experts with power levels over ten thousand were everywhere. More terrifying still were several presences so unfathomably deep that the tactical lenses they wore blared warnings, directly displaying glaring red words: "OUT OF RANGE."

With the strength they had possessed at the time, rashly entering it would have been no different from jumping into a volcanic vent with their eyes shut.

If Barros had not brought up the old matter this time, the Xuesaiya sisters would have forgotten all about it.

The spaceships tore through stardust, and four silver-gray streaks of light almost simultaneously anchored themselves in Planet C9965's orbit.

Standing before the viewport, Barros swept his blade-sharp gaze across the emerald land below. There was no warmth in his eyes, only the resolve of ice-cold steel. "Bardock, Loka, Jitinde, Slokak—you will each lead ten elite warriors and fifty veteran warriors. Split into four routes and strike in. Uproot every native on this planet."

"Yes, Lord Barros!"

"Yes, Lord Barros!"

After two months of hellish gravity training, Bardock and the other three had firmly taken spots among the top five in the army's power rankings—second only to Barros, the Xuesaiya sisters, and Palanti.

Bardock himself had quietly surpassed Palanti's threshold.

The instant the order was given, four figures burst from the ships' hulls. Sixty Saiyan warriors followed behind them like four red-hot spears, trailing dazzling flames as they pierced the clouds and plunged viciously toward the verdant interior.

Seeing them disperse the moment they neared the atmosphere, Barros's brows drew together. His voice was as cold as liquid nitrogen. "Kamosi, activate a full-range scan. Dig out every tough bone on this planet, inch by inch!"

"Understood!" Kamosi turned and barked at the standby area, "Everyone, activate your power detectors!"

"Report! Directly below us—eleven above ten thousand, five above twenty thousand!"

"Report! Thirty thousand li south—forty-five above ten thousand, eighteen above twenty thousand!"

"Report! Forty thousand li north—fifty-one above ten thousand, twenty-three above twenty thousand! Three above thirty thousand, one past the fifty-thousand threshold!"

"Report! Sixty thousand li west—thirty-nine above ten thousand, twelve above twenty thousand, one above thirty thousand!"

"Report! Ninety thousand li east—eighty-seven above ten thousand, thirty-one above twenty thousand! Seven above thirty thousand, two past fifty thousand, and one more... its power peak has soared above seventy thousand!"

The moment all five sets of figures were reported, the four warships fell utterly silent.

Every Saiyan warrior froze in place, their Adam's apples bobbing as they held even their breath.

It was too astonishing.

Setting aside Barros, the Xuesaiya sisters, and unconventional power such as Great Ape form—

the entire Saiyan race, the pride of Planet Vegeta, actually could not compare to this obscure native planet in a remote star region.

None of the Saiyans had expected that this planet, sitting right beside the border between the North Galaxy and East Galaxy, would be home to so many top-tier experts.

Barros swept his cold, knife-like gaze over the green planet, swiftly comparing it to the Dragon Ball universe in his mind. Aside from Frieza's frozen homeworld, whose whereabouts were difficult to trace, and Earth, which had yet to rise, the only planet that could rival the one before him was the Saiyans' former homeland—Planet Vegeta!

After a brief silence, Barros suddenly spoke. "Kamosi, immediately notify Loka and the others—under no circumstances are they to approach this planet's eastern and northern regions!"

Though during these two months of interstellar travel, Loka, Jitinde, and Slokak had undergone repeated real combat and seen their power levels soar, all breaking past the twenty-thousand mark—

no matter how strong they were, they were still far inferior to Bardock, whose power had surged to fifty-seven thousand after a bloody battle.

If they rashly entered the eastern or northern regions, they would likely be killed on the spot by the local experts before they even had time to trigger Great Ape form.

Whenever foreign enemies invaded, every civilization reacted the same way—setting aside private grudges, joining forces to encircle and eliminate them, leaving no roots behind.

Loka and Jitinde, who had been speeding through the sky, suddenly received an urgent message from the ship and came to a sharp stop in midair.

Those accompanying them on the expedition were all elites among elites. Their combat instincts and control over sensing energy had long since reached perfection.

Seeing Loka abruptly halt, a seasoned warrior frowned and asked, "What happened, Loka?"

Loka clenched his fists, his gaze fixed like nails on the distant east. "Lord Barros has just issued an order—we are not to go east! Change course westward, rendezvous with Slokak, and clear the western side of this planet!"

"Why? Are there too many powerful enemies in the west for Slokak and the others to handle?"

Another man pressed on with a furrowed brow, his face full of suspicion.

Loka glanced over the group, his voice low. "Turn on the power scanners over your left eyes and see for yourselves."

The warriors all raised their hands and pressed the buttons on the sides of their lenses.

Beep—beep—beep—beep!

"Fifteen thousand two hundred—seventeen thousand two hundred—nineteen thousand!"

"Twenty-one thousand and ten—twenty-five thousand eight hundred ninety—twenty-seven thousand eight hundred!"

"Thirty-five thousand six hundred—thirty-seven thousand—thirty-eight thousand six hundred!"

"Fifty-two thousand—fifty-six thousand six hundred!"

"...Seventy-two thousand!"

This latest-model scouter had a maximum limit of one hundred thousand, leaving no room for error.

Yet as those soaring numbers flashed into view, even these battle-hardened warriors could not help but gasp in unison.

Though Kalo had been prepared, when he saw the "72,000" jumping on the display and caught sight of two other readings above fifty thousand, his face instantly turned pale.

This damned planet actually harbored a group of supreme experts they could barely even look up to!

Only now did they truly understand why Barros had strictly forbidden them from going east!

With their level of strength, they might not be wiped out the instant they met, but before they could transform into Great Apes, at least seventy percent of them would be dead on the way!

Kalo gritted his teeth and shot a vicious glare toward the east before abruptly turning and speeding southward. His cold voice was flung into the wind. "Change course! Head south and rendezvous with Slokak!"

At the same time, Jiyande's group, which had been supposed to charge north, had also scouted out the strength of the northern region—

Even with more than twenty warriors over ten thousand holding the line, they still found themselves woefully outmatched by the dense concentration of powerful presences there.

With no other choice, they could only hover in place as ordered and await further instructions.

On the spaceship, Kamosi received the report and immediately turned to inform him. "Lord Barros, Kalo has turned around and headed west, while Jiyande has stabilized his position..."

Barros lowered his eyes to gaze at the verdant planet below, nodded lightly, rolled his neck, and turned toward Xuesaiya and the others. "Mother, want to go down and stretch your legs?"

That was right—just stretch their legs.

This planet was indeed tough enough. Back when King Vegeta was at his peak, if they had not forcibly transformed into Great Apes before the battle began, even the combined strength of all the Saiyans might not have been enough to take it down.

Unfortunately, the one they had encountered today was Barros—an existence utterly beyond their reach.

Xuesaiya and Xuesaili had already been itching for a fight, and they agreed in unison upon hearing this. Palanti, beside them, was even more impatient and immediately volunteered to fight.

Barros shrugged and nodded with a smile. "Fine. The northern region is yours. Palanti, aside from the east, pick whichever direction you want."

Just as he was about to leave the ship, he suddenly remembered that the mid-level and higher Saiyans had spent two whole months stifled by training in the gravity chamber. They had long been bursting with pent-up fury. This planet was the perfect outlet for it. "Kamosi, notify everyone: anyone who isn't worried about there not being enough enemies to go around can leave the ship and help Bardock and the others clear out the local resistance!"

After a pause, he added, "And remember—this planet will be our new home from now on. No one is allowed to tear it apart, and no one is allowed to destroy the land or wipe out life."

With the Saiyans' usual berserk fighting style, by the time this battle ended, the entire planet would likely be left with collapsed mountains, broken rivers, and split earth—little better than a wasteland.

Kamosi understood the stakes well. His expression turned solemn as he answered firmly, "Yes! Rest assured, Lord Barros!"

Before his words had faded, Barros had already stepped out of the hatch. He gave Xuesaiya and the others a slight nod, then his aura erupted with a roar as he shot straight toward the east.

That side had long since gathered countless experts, waiting in full battle formation.

Since these insects that did not know their own limits had taken the initiative to gather together and offer up their lives, Barros was happy to save himself the trouble—wipe them all out in one go, clean and simple!

Watching his figure vanish into the distance, Xuesaiya lowered her head and softly told the puff-cheeked Palanti, "Palanti, be careful. Your mother and I will go on ahead!"

After giving Xuesaili a slight nod, Xuesaiya and Xuesaili suddenly ignited in blazing white auras, like the tails of two comets tearing through the sky as they shot toward the northern horizon of the planet.

Palanti pursed her little lips. She first glanced in the direction Xuesaili and the others had gone, then turned to look toward where Barros had disappeared in the east. Wrinkling her nose, she gave a cold snort and sped straight ahead.

Almost at the same moment, the Saiyan squad led by Bardock ran into local experts in the west, who had already laid out an inescapable net.

Before Bardock and the others could land, an elderly man in white robes suddenly leaped up from the ground below. He gripped a gilded staff, his face rosy and full, yet he now shrieked hoarsely, "Just as expected, invaders from another realm who don't know their own limits! Kill them all—leave none alive!"

A row of armored staff-wielding warriors behind him roared as one, "Kill—!!"

Bardock sneered, the corner of his mouth twitching as he casually flung out a silver-glinting ki blast.

BOOM!!!

A deafening explosion erupted. The ground churned violently, and waves of dust soared into the sky.

Amid the roiling smoke and dust, a pearly-white barrier trembled faintly, streams of light flowing across its surface. Though ripples spread across it in layers, it steadily withstood the attack.

As the dust gradually cleared, the white-robed elder and his men were unexpectedly unharmed. Only their robes were slightly disheveled, while their faces were filled with panic. Bardock's brow furrowed, and a surge of icy killing intent rose in his eyes—

These natives had actually made him lose face in front of the Saiyans under his command.

"HAAAH—!!!" His furious roar thundered through the air. He clenched his right hand, and a blinding ball of white light rapidly compressed and spun within his palm. It was unmistakably his trump-card killing move: Ultimate Destruction Bomb!

The white-robed elder's expression changed drastically. With a loud thud, he drove his staff viciously into the ground and roared hoarsely, "Bastard! Form up and withstand it—!!"

Before his words were finished, his lips trembled rapidly, as though he were chanting an ancient spell at high speed.

The armored warriors behind him immediately moved. They swiftly formed a defensive formation in front of the elder, their auras lighting up one after another—red, orange, blue, purple, and every color in between—wrapping the entire line of defense in an impenetrable veil.

Bardock looked down coldly, a mocking curve rising on his lips.

The next instant, the Ultimate Destruction Bomb tore through the air, trailing a blazing tail as it crashed into the heart of the formation!

BOOOOOOM—!!!

Destructive energy exploded with savage force, and the shockwave overturned cloudbanks for hundreds of miles.

The white-robed elder did not even have time to close his eyes before he and the armored warriors before him were driven deep into the earth by the tremendous force, vanishing from sight.

Bardock had expected this. He could not even be bothered to spare the ground a glance—the power of that explosion was something he knew all too well.

"Everyone, prepare—" He had just turned to order a coordinated encirclement when, before he could finish, a fiery streak arrived with a piercing cry, shaped like a phoenix wreathed in flames as it charged straight at his face!

Battle-hardened from countless campaigns—and having suffered dearly from a sneak attack on Kanaron Planet—how could Bardock fall for the same trick again?

He twisted aside, bending backward like a drawn bow, narrowly evading the pounce.

The instant he regained his balance, his eyes turned icy. Bringing his hands together before thrusting them forward, he unleashed a two-colored energy wave that instantly shredded the returning firebird into a sky full of sparks.

But when his gaze swept downward, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he cried out in disbelief, "What?!"

The dust had yet to settle, yet the white-robed elder and the armored soldiers were somehow standing where they had been—clothes scorched black, hair disheveled, blood running from their temples, but every one of them remained upright and completely uninjured!

Beep, beep, beep—

A Saiyan swiftly activated his scouter. Within his vision, the combat power readings of the white-robed elder, the armored soldiers, and even the high-ranking priests behind them—dressed in brocade robes embroidered with suns, moons, and stars—were rapidly climbing. His face instantly turned ashen as he blurted out in a low roar:

"This is bad! Bardock, every one of them is tough—aside from you, there are seven or eight with combat power exceeding twenty thousand, and even those above ten thousand outnumber us! Be careful!"

In truth, there was no need for a warning—the other Saiyans had already brought up the data as well, holding their breath as they stared intently below.

Bardock flashed forward, shifting in front of the group, and shouted solemnly, "Protect yourselves. Call for help immediately if you're in danger!"

Before his words had faded, he had already shot out like lightning and vanished without a trace.

The natives below were still stunned when Bardock flashed to the side of two armored soldiers, white energy blasts already poised in his palms.

Bang! Bang!

Facing the crushing force of fifty-seven thousand combat power, the two experts with twenty thousand combat power did not even have time to blink before they were blasted into two charred afterimages.

Without giving the white-robed elder a chance to catch his breath, Bardock spun and charged again, punching through the chest of a middle-aged man in brocade robes before following up with an energy blast that killed him on the spot.

In the blink of an eye, three top experts with combat power above twenty thousand had all been slain.

At that moment, the Saiyans in the sky also dove down one after another, like eagles striking from the heavens as they pounced upon the enemies below.

The land stretched for thousands of miles, vast and boundless.

As flames spread across Bardock's battlefield, Barros crossed more than a hundred thousand miles alone and entered the eastern region where powerful experts gathered.

When those below saw his youthful face and his still-undeveloped adolescent frame, they first froze in surprise, then burst into uproarious laughter, their voices shaking the wilderness.

The laughter spread like a rising tide, sweeping across the entire scene in an instant.