Chapter 95: Swift as Lightning

"But will there really be a Fruit of the Spirit Tree on a planet like this? I've heard that the Spirit Tree drains all the life energy from a planet, and this place doesn't look like it at all," Neiz observed the surroundings, noting the vibrant, spring-like scenery, and asked with some doubt.

Shaviza shook his head, "Legends can't always be trusted. Perhaps there are some inaccuracies in the tales."

"Neiz, Dore, we need to first control the natives here and make them search for us. Otherwise, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack," Shaviza, as the captain of the Armored Squadron, may not have the highest combat power among them, but he was certainly the smartest.

"Captain's right. Let me check the power levels of the natives on this planet..." Dore smirked, reaching up to activate his scouter.

The electronic beeping sounded in his ear, and a series of data quickly appeared on the screen. However, most of the readings were below 1000.

Dore sneered disdainfully, "Hah, there aren't even many with a power level over 1000. What a trash planet!"

Just as he finished speaking, a few strange readings suddenly appeared on the scouter. Dore was about to lock onto those signals for a closer look when one of the energy sources spiked dramatically.

With a "boom," the scouter couldn't handle the overload and exploded.

"Huh... It actually exploded. Looks like there's some strong individuals here after all. This just got interesting!" Neiz, seeing Dore's scouter blow up, was surprised but more excited than anything else.

Even though the scouter was old, it had an upper limit of several tens of thousands. The fact that it exploded meant there was someone on this planet with a power level beyond its capacity.

Whether or not they were stronger than the Armored Squadron was not something they worried about.

Cooler's Armored Squadron was the pinnacle fighting force in the North Galaxy. Besides King Cold, Lord Cooler, and Lord Frieza, they considered themselves unmatched. Even the Ginyu Force, known for their strength, were far inferior.

Dore wasn’t surprised by Neiz’s excitement. With a slight smile, he stepped forward and said, "Neiz, leave that one to me! A power level in the tens of thousands should give me a good workout."

"Well... alright then!" Neiz reluctantly nodded. Although this was a rare chance to fight, he let Dore have it. Neiz sighed in mild disappointment.

Dore laughed heartily and stood waiting. But after a while, no one came to confront them.

"Perhaps they don't have scouters to detect us. This really is a backward planet," Dore thought, frowning.

"Cooler's Armored Squadron!" Just as Dore was growing impatient, a calm voice suddenly called out from not far away.

"Who?"

Shaviza and his companions frowned, looking up to see a man and a woman, both dressed elegantly, floating in the air and glaring at them with bright, cold eyes.

"Since you know our name, you must be quite bold to seek us out," Shaviza said, sitting on a rock with his knee up, looking up at the intruders. A cruel smile spread across his handsome face.

Though he didn't recognize the man and woman floating in the air, their ability to name the Armored Squadron suggested they were not ordinary. Shaviza began to speculate on their origins.

Slowly descending, Xavier and Celine landed opposite the Armored Squadron. A gentle breeze rustled the dry leaves on the ground, creating a soft, whispering sound.

"Since I've encountered you, Cooler's Armored Squadron, today will be your end," Xavier stated calmly, but with an undeniable authority.

"Hah?" Xavier's words left the three members of the Armored Squadron exchanging glances before they chuckled dismissively.

Neiz scanned them with his scouter, finding their power levels to be below 8000.

"Haha, trash with power levels under 10,000 dare to boast about destroying us? Do they not know the terror of the Armored Squadron? How laughable!" Neiz laughed arrogantly, his tone dripping with contempt.

Shaviza shook his head with a smile, dark energy radiating from him, "How could such a backward civilization comprehend the terror of the Armored Squadron? They're just frogs in a well. Neiz, Dore, make sure to give them a proper welcome!"

"Of course, I've been waiting for this!" Neiz and Dore cracked their knuckles, impatient to start.

Xavier raised an eyebrow, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. It seemed these three completely underestimated him. Well, he would make them regret coming here soon enough.

"Celine, take on the blond, blue-skinned Shaviza. His power level is around 140,000. Just keep him busy," Xavier instructed quietly.

At this point, the Armored Squadron members were not at their peak power. Even the strongest, Dore, had a power level of just 150,000. For Celine, with a power level slightly over 120,000, defeating Shaviza was out of the question, but stalling him was doable.

Xavier only needed Celine to occupy Shaviza long enough for him to deal with the other two. He also wanted to test if his full power could instantly eliminate opponents at this level.

"Leave him to me!" Celine responded energetically, positioning herself in front of Shaviza. Her blood began to pump faster, her expression icy as she released some of her hidden power.

Suddenly, the temperature dropped by about ten degrees, the air thickened, and a strong sense of oppression swept over the area.

Shaviza's face changed, a slight tremor in his heart. He had underestimated her; this woman was almost as strong as he was.

"Neiz, Dore, be careful! These two have power levels over 100,000!" Shaviza warned seriously.

"What?!" Neiz and Dore were both shocked.

"Too late now! The battle begins!" Xavier smiled as he spoke. As soon as the words left his mouth, he appeared in front of Dore, grabbing his combat suit before he could react. With a swift motion, two energy blasts surged from his hands.

Such close proximity, and such a sudden strike!

"Damn it!"

Caught off guard, Dre's face finally lost its previous composure. The smile vanished, replaced by panic. He tried to evade, but Xavier's grip on his battle suit was unyielding, like being caught in a vice. Unable to dodge, he could only brace himself for the attack.

Boom! The energy wave between Xavier's hands emitted a dazzling, radiant light. Accompanied by intense heat, the terrifying energy erupted violently, instantly shattering the battle suit's defenses.

A scream echoed as the suit was torn apart. Dre's face contorted in pain and panic, and he quickly yelled, trying to muster his energy to block the attack.

A kill shot, then Xavier quickly retreated to a safe distance. Watching Dre, furious and menacing like an enraged rhino, Xavier didn't hesitate. He charged forward again, fearlessly meeting Dre head-on. The sound of their collision reverberated as they clashed fiercely.

Dre, renowned for his physical prowess and bloodthirsty nature, was a true battle king. However, his earlier carelessness cost him the initiative in the fight. Now wounded, his advantage was severely compromised. How could he possibly match Xavier?

Xavier's current power level was over 150,000, slightly higher than Dre's!

"Golden Energy Wave!" Dre raised his hand, unleashing a massive energy wave towards Xavier.

"Too late!"

Xavier sneered. Having already acted, how could he allow Dre to unleash his ultimate move? He paid no mind to the minimal energy drain.

Domination!

Utter, exhilarating domination!

Watching Dre struggle and howl in rage, Xavier felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction!

Dre, on the other hand, grew increasingly frustrated and stifled with each clash, his mood worsening.

Seeing that the time was right and noticing Nez poised to join the fray, Xavier decided to end the battle.

"Time Freeze!"

Suddenly, an ice-blue world enveloped the entire planet.

Xavier observed calmly. He realized that after merging his abilities, the power of space-time allowed him to use both time pause and spatial lock simultaneously, though the energy consumption was more intense.

This move provided an overwhelming advantage against opponents of similar strength. Even against stronger foes, it could serve as a trump card in critical moments, though its effectiveness was yet to be tested.

Now, Xavier needed to act swiftly. The energy wave in his hand intensified severalfold, its light becoming more blinding. The searing, dense energy was aimed directly at Dre's abdomen.

Next, the time freeze was lifted—

Dre only felt an unbearable heat and excruciating pain emanating from his abdomen, his eyes filled with disbelief.

When did the opponent get so close?

With a hint of confusion, Dre couldn't help but let out a furious roar. Pop! The energy wave pierced through Dre's body and shot into the sky, exploding violently in mid-air.

Boom!

The intense heat and high temperature spread out, forming a powerful shockwave. A few seconds later, the shockwave hit the ground, lifting the dust, toppling large trees, and echoing with deafening noise.

As the light and smoke cleared, Xavier's figure gradually emerged. At his feet, Dre lay helplessly on the ground. His torso, from his chest down to his abdomen, was completely penetrated, his body emitting a smoky scent, and a torrent of green blood flowed out.

"I... Dre... part of the terrifying Mecha Corps... how could this..." Dre groaned in frustration, his consciousness fading, and soon he was dead.

"..." Nez, who was preparing to assist, stood stunned, his face showing an expression of utter disbelief.