Starforce Warriors

Chapter 424: Great Xia Dragon Group, Codename Jade Emperor (2)

“Hehe...”

The leader took the backpack, a triumphant expression on his face. Finally, the treasure his organization had longed for was in his hands. The Corpse Emperor Sacred Crystal.

With this, they could craft super-powered weapons capable of slaying even the strongest Saints. It would propel the Mechanical Eternity faction’s power to unprecedented heights, and position them as one of the most formidable forces in Xiajing City. Moreover, seizing this treasure from the Dragon Group would shatter the Great Xia Dragon Group’s plans, eliminating their threat to the New Martial Arts factions.

This would further weaken Great Xia's official strength and reduce its authority over the independent factions. A new era for families and corporate powerhouses was on the horizon.

“Cough, cough...”

In the distance, Xuan Huang, slumped against a broken wall, coughed, blood frothing from her mouth and nose.

She looked toward Ruo Shuang, sorrow flickering in her eyes. “I knew it... cough, cough... How else could this mission have been compromised? Even an ambush shouldn’t have prevented Earth Flame and the others from sending a signal. So, it was you who betrayed us.”

Ruo Shuang stood with her head lowered, silent and motionless.

The leader of the mechanical warriors chuckled, “Let me clarify for your teammate’s sake. She is no longer the unparalleled assassin of the Dragon Group. Ruo Shuang is now a puppet, her mind replaced with a mechanical brain.”

Xuan Huang’s face went pale as realization dawned on her.

Her body trembled violently, and flames of anger blazed in her eyes. “What... what did you do to her?”

“A simple brain modification.”

The leader slowly lifted his faceplate, revealing a handsome, middle-aged face.

He sighed with a hint of nostalgia, “Captain Xuan Huang, we’ve fought in the shadows for ten years. Who would have thought that our second face-to-face meeting would come at the end of your desperate road?”

“So, it really is you, Mei Fusu.”

Xuan Huang recognized the middle-aged man.

She wasn’t surprised; she only coughed up another mouthful of blood, her gaze burning fiercely as she said, “You will pay the price for opposing the Great Xia Dragon Group.”

“There is nothing in this world that comes without a price,” Mei Fusu replied calmly. “The only question is whether the price is worth it. Perhaps one day I’ll die at the hands of the Dragon Group, but today, I am the victor.”

Xuan Huang looked toward the sky. Her gaze was deep and resolute.

Mei Fusu chuckled lightly. “There’s no need to wait. No Dragon Group reinforcements will be coming. All the powerful Dragon Group operatives within reach have been lured away. There will be no miracles here.”

Xuan Huang remained silent. Her eyes softened as she looked at Ruo Shuang with a mix of tenderness and sorrow. The moment she realized that Ruo Shuang had been modified, Xuan Huang had already forgiven her old friend and teammate.

As someone who had investigated the forbidden surgeries conducted by the Mechanical Eternity faction, she knew too well the sheer evil, inhumanity, and madness of brain replacement procedures. It left the victim aware, yet unable to control their own body. They would be forced to carry out actions against their will. Betrayal, assassination... None of these actions had been Ruo Shuang’s true intention.

She was alive, but trapped in the prison of her own body. It was, perhaps, the cruelest punishment in existence. Xuan Huang’s heart was filled with guilt. She had neglected to show her teammate the care and vigilance she needed, leaving Ruo Shuang to suffer through unimaginable horrors without even realizing it.

“Actually, the organization’s main target for transformation was you, Captain Xuan Huang.” Mei Fusu smirked, raising the backpack in his hand triumphantly.

He smiled and said, “Lord Michael has always coveted your body. As the Dragon Group’s most combat-capable captain and the owner of the Immortal Phoenix bloodline, you’re regarded as the closest to Sainthood within Great Xia. Now, with the Corpse Emperor Sacred Crystal, Lord Michael will be able to transform you into his finest masterpiece...”

As he spoke, he began to slowly open the backpack. But his expression suddenly changed.

Boom!

A violent explosion erupted from the backpack as a terrifying wave of energy radiated in all directions.

The explosive flames engulfed Mei Fusu and his men in a blinding flash. The blast’s force shook the entire ruined town, making the ground tremble fiercely. When the flames and smoke finally cleared... The heavily armed mechanical warrior wielding the hellfire Gatling gun had half of his head and one shoulder blown off.

The other two mechanical warriors, who had been farther away and managed to react quickly, had survived. However, their armor was now sparking and malfunctioning, indicating severe equipment damage and near-total energy depletion.

Mei Fusu, who had been closest to the exploding backpack, had his powered armor disintegrate into a spray of metal fragments in an instant. Yet, his own strength was formidable.

In the split second of the explosion, he had unleashed his inner qi, activating a magnetic shield on his left arm. A barely visible force field had enveloped his body, absorbing the brunt of the blast’s shockwave. Even so, the impact hurled him more than ten meters backwards.

“Xuan Huang!!” Mei Fusu’s enraged scream echoed through the air.

Furious, he realized that even with the situation seemingly under control, this Great Xia Dragon Group captain had still nearly killed him with a devastating tactic.

“What a pity,” Xuan Huang slumped against the ruined wall as she muttered with deep regret, “I didn’t manage to blow you to pieces, you bastard.”

Mei Fusu looked at the shreds of the backpack. His first reaction wasn’t to check on the condition of his subordinates, but to shout furiously, “Where is the Sacred Crystal? Where is the Corpse Emperor Sacred Crystal?”

Xuan Huang laughed. “Given how much time has passed, while you focused all your energy on dealing with me, the Corpse Emperor Sacred Crystal has likely already made it safely into the city. Soon, it’ll reach the Dragon Group headquarters... Mei Fusu, it seems you’ve been duped.”

As she laughed, blood trickled from her mouth. She had stalled him all this time for this exact moment.

“No... Impossible.” A chill ran down Mei Fusu’s spine, but then he quickly sneered. “We’ve blocked and shut down every channel available to the Dragon Group. Unless... unless you used...”

He abruptly realized something, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Xuan Huang. “White Deer Academy?”

Xuan Huang remained silent.

Mei Fusu immediately regained his composure. He quickly realized it was too late to pursue the crystal, so he calmly issued orders, “Number Three, Number Four, clean up the battlefield. Erase all traces. We’re returning to the city.”

Then he began to walk slowly toward Xuan Huang. Capturing this celebrated captain of the Great Xia Dragon Group alive would still be a significant achievement. Other matters could be dealt with in time. As long as the Corpse Emperor Sacred Crystal hadn’t reached Dragon Group headquarters, there was still a chance.

At that moment, in the shattered storage house in the distance, Lin Wan’s heart was in her throat. The rapid twists and turns in the situation had left her mind reeling.

Mei Fusu’s overwhelming strength had shocked her, but the way Xuan Huang, the captain, had continued to try to turn the tide even in such a desperate situation with unwavering resolve and cunning had left her deeply impressed. She now felt something close to admiration for this woman.

"Senior," Lin Wan looked at the masked man with a pleading gaze.

"Step back." The masked man replied calmly. "I’m about to make a show of it."

Lin Wan was taken aback. That tone... Before she could fully process it, the masked man’s figure flickered, and he appeared like a ghost on the battlefield.

A crimson light flashed behind him. The rusty, battered longsword he carried seemed to come alive, brimming with a fierce spirit as it slashed down, decapitating the two remaining mechanical warriors.

Since they had lost all of their armor's defensive abilities in the explosion, their resistance was no better than that of the zombies who had recently fallen under the rusty sword’s edge.

“Who’s there?” Mei Fusu reacted instantly.

He launched an air cannon blast with a backward thrust of his palm.

Boom!

The masked man’s figure was seemingly obliterated in an instant, reduced to fragments.

Lin Wan’s heart clenched tightly as she nearly cried out in despair. But in the very next moment...

Whoosh.

The rusted sword, now enveloped in a mysterious golden inner qi aura, sprang to life and transformed into a streak of light that shot toward Mei Fusu once again.

The masked man wasn’t dead. The figure that Mei Fusu had shattered was merely an afterimage left by his high-speed movement.

Mei Fusu raised his hand, his left index finger extending and firing a miniature high-frequency missile.

Boom!

The overcharged missile collided with the rusted sword midair, triggering an explosion. Yet, contrary to Mei Fusu’s expectations, the rusted sword didn’t shatter. Instead, it passed unscathed through the explosion, briefly slowed, then abruptly accelerated toward him again.

The intense sword qi radiated a deadly threat. Mei Fusu clenched his right hand into a fist and threw a punch to meet the sword head-on.

Clang.

The sound of metal echoed as the rusted sword was deflected, flying back through the air.

"Who exactly are you?" Mei Fusu demanded, feeling a chill run through him.

His opponent’s sword technique was utterly strange. He’d neither seen nor heard of anything like it before. The masked man had positioned himself in front of Xuan Huang, shielding her. He tilted his head as he seemingly examined Mei Fusu.

"So, you’re the one they call the strongest expert of Mythical Heavy Industry, Mei Fusu? A powerful figure of the New Martial Arts faction. Impressive, but... such a pity." The masked man sighed.

Mei Fusu couldn’t discern where this man had come from, nor what his identity was. But one thing was clear... He was extremely dangerous.

Mei Fusu asked cautiously, "What’s a pity?"

Regret colored the masked man’s voice. "If we were in a different time and place, I’d truly enjoy a proper fight with you to experience your so-called supreme New Martial Arts techniques. But, unfortunately, I'm short on time today, so I must send you on your way quickly."

He brought his fingers together like a sword and pointed lightly at Mei Fusu.

"For the second time, kill.'" He spoke calmly.

Whoosh!

Sword light flashed. This time, the rusted sword effortlessly pierced through Mei Fusu’s heart. An intense, icy sword qi instantly shredded all his vital energy and inner qi, extinguishing the immense strength he had cultivated over his lifetime.

“Urgh...” Mei Fusu felt his life force fading away as his eyes filled with disbelief and unwillingness.

“Who... who are you?” He struggled to ask, clutching his wound.

The masked man gestured and the rusted sword returned to his hand. He stood tall and unmoving with the sword resting behind him. His posture exuded an effortless grace, as if he had practiced it a thousand times.

“I suppose it doesn’t hurt to tell you.” The masked man replied calmly. “Great Xia Dragon Group, codename Jade Emperor.”