It seems I really can't hold back this punch

In the next instant, Barros was already standing before Broly!

Broly jolted in alarm, only managing to hurriedly cross his arms before his chest.

But that feeble defense meant nothing—Barros's mountain-like fist, carrying three billion battle power and terrifying physical strength, crashed down!

Broly, this Legendary Super Saiyan, was so powerful that he could practically rampage through the current universe, unstoppable in his path.

Yet the instant Barros threw that punch, Broly shot away like an arrow loosed from its bow, tearing through layer after layer of clouds with a piercing shriek as he slammed toward the ground—

BOOM!!

How could this planet's crust possibly withstand the crushing force of Barros's punch?

Before the thunderous crash had even faded, Broly had already smashed through the surface, pulverized the rock layers, pierced the planetary core, and burst out from the other side of the planet!!

Barros stared at the scorched abyss that pierced straight through the planet, his brows knitting slightly as he felt a little helpless—he really seemed unable to hold back his strength with that punch.

Then his expression sharpened as he instinctively searched for Broly's aura.

Only then did he suddenly remember: he had long since broken through the limits of his physical body, perfected the second layer of Dragon Elephant Prison Suppression, and transformed into an entirely new form—the strongest Super Saiyan yet!

Broly's legendary mode was certainly terrifying, but a flicker of concern truly crossed Barros's mind. If that strike had been even a little heavier, he might really have scattered the soul of this legendary warrior on the spot!!

Fortunately—

Though Broly's aura had suddenly weakened, it was still clearly discernible.

With a thought, Barros did not hesitate. He flew straight through the planetary core, already swallowed by magma, and raced along the tunnel Broly had blasted through.

But at that moment—

Broly, on the other side of the planet, actually hurled a Death Annihilation Bomb backhandedly, sending it straight toward the opening in the planetary core he had just torn through!!

After only two exchanges, he had already been injured by Barros.

At that moment, although his reason had been utterly consumed by fury, destructive urges, and savagery, his instincts still chose the cruelest and most resolute move for him:

Destroy the entire planet and bury Barros alive within it!!

The instant Barros entered the tunnel, he sensed the abrupt change in energy from afar, and his face darkened.

Before he could withdraw from the planetary core, the Death Annihilation Bomb had already slammed viciously into the center of the planet—

BOOM!!!

An explosion that shook the entire star system erupted...

At the former location of the planet, a ghastly white blaze suddenly erupted. In the final instant before the planet completely disintegrated, it lit the entire star system as brightly as day!!

Once the light faded, the entire planet had been reduced to ashes beneath the Death Annihilation Bomb, leaving only stardust drifting through the dead silence of space.

Yet amid that chaos, the most dazzling sight was a perfectly round emerald energy barrier, and the figure standing safely within it.

"Ha... ha... ha..."

Broly panted heavily. Thinking that the invincible Barros had perished along with the planet, he had just begun to grin when his laughter abruptly stopped—his eyes flew wide open, his pupils shrank, and his face filled with utter disbelief.

He stared fixedly beyond the barrier. There stood a figure with no energy shield, no golden aura, not even the slightest trace of released energy. He merely stood with his hands behind his back, his expression cold, as though the vacuum of space were nothing more than an ordinary courtyard.

"Y-you... how is that possible? Without a shield, you can survive in space with your bare body?!" The words nearly tore from Broly's throat in a roar.

In this world, space was the natural graveyard of all powerful warriors.

Even he—a Legendary Super Saiyan with enough battle power to stir the stars and look down upon all beneath the heavens—if he entered the void with his energy barrier withdrawn, relying on nothing but flesh and blood...

Within moments, he would silently wither away from suffocation, freezing, and radiation.

But before him...

Barros simply stood there, his clothes unmoving, his breathing steady. He had not even ignited the most basic aura.

Hearing this, the corner of Barros's lips curled upward in a proud, disdainful smile.

He knew all too well why Broly had lost his composure, why he was so utterly shocked.

It was because he was fundamentally different from the countless living beings of the Dragon Ball World.

He had bitterly cultivated Dragon Elephant Prison Suppression, focusing solely on tempering his body, forcibly delaying his transformation into a Super Saiyan by a full three years—for the sake of breaking free from the deadly shackles of space!

To him, becoming a Super Saiyan had never been some unattainable end point;

The boundless universe was the forbidden land he had once truly feared, a place he had no choice but to avoid.

He had tempered all one hundred and eight acupoints across his body one by one, finally shattering the shackles of his flesh and completing a total rebirth.

Though he had not undergone countless life-and-death battles to temper his body, the ruthlessness and persistence of his arduous training did not fall short of any pure-blooded Saiyan.

From the earliest basic body training, to the day-and-night torment in the gravity chamber, and then the later acupoint tempering and star-core absorption...

No one knew how much suffering he had endured.

Even Xuesaiya and Xuesaili, who had likewise cultivated the introductory chapter of Dragon Elephant Prison Suppression, could not possibly imagine it.

Using a star core to draw in stellar power and form pillars of starlight that coursed through his body, cleansing his marrow—that pain was simply beyond words.

Recalling every hardship along the way, then looking at the frozen horror on Broly's face, Barros's heart became utterly clear: his decision to grit his teeth and devote himself to body cultivation had indeed been right.

A sharp gleam flashed through his eyes as he looked at Broly, who was still too stunned to recover, and the corner of his lips slowly curled upward.

The battle was not over yet.

He could continue fighting in space, but Broly could not.

Once the shield collapsed, no matter how powerful he was, exposure to the vast void would leave him with only one fate—body and soul annihilated.

Without waiting for Broly to react, Barros struck decisively. The edge of his palm sliced into the shield barrier like a blade!

In a flash, he broke through the defense, twisted his fingers into a claw, and viciously gripped Broly's shoulder blade. Then he activated Instant Transmission—their figures vanished from the void in an instant.

They abruptly appeared on a vibrant blue planet not far away.

Bang!!

The moment his toes touched solid ground, Barros spun and swept out with a curved kick, its fierce wind slamming straight into Broly's ankles.

Broly was still caught in his shock. Caught off guard, he lost his balance entirely. His massive body toppled sideways with a crash, leaving him wide open and completely exposed to Barros's attack.

Golden light suddenly erupted.

A dazzling golden energy wave, carrying overwhelming force, slammed viciously into Broly's chest just as his eyes flew open at the brink of life and death—sending him flying like a kite with its string cut.

Rumble! Rumble!!

Broly's flying body streaked across the sky. His knotted frame tore through the mountain range behind him, plowing out a long, savage ravine as shattered stones surged and cliff faces collapsed.

As he flew backward, dust and smoke churned like an enraged dragon sweeping across the earth.

When he smashed through a low peak and finally came to a stop, before he could even push himself up, he caught sight of a dark figure silently landing beside him from the corner of his eye.

Broly's pupils contracted sharply. Malice surged within him, and without any regard for the vast difference in their strength, he wrapped his right fist in crimson fighting spirit and threw it fiercely at Barros's face!

Bang!!

Barros raised a hand and easily clamped down on Broly's wrist. His expression remained indifferent as he looked down from above. His left hand rose in the same motion, forming a brilliant golden energy sphere in his palm before smashing it down at Broly's head—

The energy sphere exploded violently against Broly's chest!

Even though he had successfully activated the Legendary Super Saiyan form at that moment...

"Urgh—!"

Before the smoke had even dispersed, Broly spat out a mouthful of glaring blood. The golden glow around his body instantly collapsed, while his grass-green hair and pale pupils both faded. In an instant, he reverted to the appearance of an ordinary Saiyan.

Once the legendary form was released, his mind cleared as well.

He raised his head to look at the hand still gripping his wrist, breathing heavily as he spoke with difficulty. "G... Great Emperor!"

"Oh? Once you dropped the form, your brain woke up first." Barros's eyes flickered slightly as he let out a soft breath. His golden hair and aura receded as well, and the hand gripping Broly slowly loosened.

He lowered his gaze over the bedraggled figure before him. His armor was shattered, blood still stained the corner of his lips, and his breath was weak and unsteady like a candle flame in the wind. Shaking his head slightly, he reached into his belt and took out two Universal Capsules.

Poof!

The capsules burst open. Before the green smoke had faded, he flicked a finger, sending a Senzu Bean accurately into Broly's palm.

After spending several years on the Divine Martial Battle Star, Broly had long recognized this life-saving bean.

Without stopping to think, he tossed it into his mouth and swallowed it in one gulp.

The Senzu Bean's effects were immediate—Broly, who had been covered in torn flesh, broken bones, and damaged muscles only a second ago, instantly stopped bleeding. His flesh regenerated, his aura stabilized, and not a trace of his grievous injuries remained.

If not for the web-like cracks still covering the armor on his chest, no one would have been able to tell that the clash moments earlier had been so intense!

The instant his wounds healed, Broly sprang up with a flip and landed steadily in front of Barros. Letting out a long breath, he said, "Hah... Thank you, Great Emperor!"

Although he could not remember why he had suddenly suffered such heavy injuries, he clearly remembered everything before his transformation—so he immediately understood that he had lost control and gone berserk again!

And this time had been even more vicious, even more brutal than before. Rage and the urge to destroy had completely devoured his reason, grinding away even the fragments of memory from his legendary form.

Seeing his furrowed brow and confused gaze as he repeatedly tried to recall what had happened without making sense of it, Barros, who had intended to ask how the legendary form felt, simply abandoned the thought.

Having just released his Super Saiyan state, ninety-nine percent of Barros's strength had plummeted. His limbs felt weak, and waves of exhaustion surged toward his head.

If not for the burning battle intent still faintly pulsing deep within his bloodline, he feared he would not even have had the strength to look at Broly one more time!

After a moment of silence, he asked, "Broly, besides transforming into the legendary form, can you maintain the ordinary Super Saiyan form?"

Broly was instead stunned by the question. "Legendary form? Ordinary form?" His face was full of confusion, his gaze blank. Clearly, he had never heard such terms before.

Barros shook his head lightly and patiently explained the fundamental differences between the two forms—

An ordinary Super Saiyan used willpower to control energy, while the legendary form was governed by bloodline instinct. The former was controllable; the latter could easily consume the mind.

The more Broly listened, the clearer things became. The haze in his mind dissipated, and he finally understood what "ordinary" and "legendary" meant.

When Barros mentioned "the Super Saiyan who appeared once every thousand years," Broly's heart inexplicably warmed, and a long-lost sense of certainty and pride quietly rose within him.

He had always known that his talent was extraordinary, but he had never known exactly what heights he stood upon.