Starforce Warriors-Chapter 546: It Is Bajie

San Zang leaped into the chaotic crowd below, followed by Tan Zhenwei and Zhou Rulong.

Bang! Bang!

Several electromagnetic smoke grenades exploded again. The three of them vanished instantly into the sea of people like drops of water into the ocean.

The outer square had descended into complete chaos. The Royal Iron Guards struggled to maintain order but were utterly powerless. Power armors audibly tore through the air as they skimmed over the square at low altitudes, quickly clearing the electromagnetic smoke and searching for their targets.

"002 reporting: target not found."

"003 reporting: target not found."

"The electromagnetic markers on the targets have been removed."

"Unable to track. Unable to track."

The power armor squad could not locate Tan Zhenwei and Zhou Rulong using the electromagnetic markers that had been implanted on them. Clearly, the rescuers possessed advanced technology and had immediately neutralized the markers.

At that moment, the massive Hengyu-class mechs that had been crouching like beasts around the perimeter of the outer square roared to life. At full height, they were a towering 113 meters. Their metallic frames resembled skyscrapers as they unleashed a strange electromagnetic field that enveloped the entire square.

A piercing ultrasonic wave swept across the area. Countless people clutched their ears and collapsed to the ground. The several thousand individuals who remained standing due to their superior martial cultivation instantly became targets.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Hundreds of micro-superconducting warheads shot out from the weapon arms of the surrounding mechs, indiscriminately targeting the thousands of individuals still standing. Some of the experts instinctively counterattacked by launching interceptor missiles.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The micro-superconducting warheads prematurely detonated, but they released a cloud of hallucinogens and ultra-anesthetic powders across the square.

"Target acquired."

The quasi-Saint, who had been sitting on the execution platform all along, revealed a cold smile as he suddenly acted.

He drew his blade and slashed out, sending several arcs of blade energy through the air. In the crowd, four experts who had fired interceptor missiles were struck by the blade energy. However, they were not killed. The blade energy sank into their bodies and paralyzed them.

"Capture them!" Quasi-Saint Toyama Shunpei bellowed. He soared into the air like a giant bird, commanding attention and dread.

"Get down here!"

A thunderous shout echoed across the square as a rotund figure leaped into the air and unleashed a horizontal saber strike at Toyama Shunpei. Light exploded as the two blades clashed. Toyama Shunpei’s expression turned to shock as he plummeted into the crowd below.

Deep, bone-revealing gashes appeared on his shoulder and waist. The exchange had nearly severed his body into four pieces. Meanwhile, the eerie inner qi infused within the blade continued to wreak havoc inside his body, making it impossible to expel entirely.

A Saint? Could there be a Saint-level expert among the remnants of Great Xia’s Dragon Group lurking within the empire?

When he sensed the overwhelming threat of the fair-skinned, rotund man gripping the straight blade opposite him, Toyama Shunpei realized he was facing a formidable foe.

His mind ignited with fervor as he prepared to recklessly overdrive the Inscribed Treasure Bone embedded within his body. But just then, a hand gently pressed on his shoulder.

The hand belonged to a boy who only appeared to be sixteen or seventeen. Yet, his eyes held the ancient and detached wisdom of a centenarian. His entire being radiated an aura steeped in the passage of time.

"Master," Toyama Shunpei quickly bowed in respect.

The boy was none other than one of the Four Saints of the Jiepeng Imperial Family, the Blade Saint, Akihito Gyokushitsu. A figure of unparalleled stature!

"Go capture the Dragon Group remnants," said Akihito Gyokushitsu as he removed his hand.

In that moment, the sinister blade energy within Toyama Shunpei’s body vanished without a trace.

"Thank you, Master," Toyama Shunpei said joyously as he bowed. He darted off toward the exposed members of the Great Xia Dragon Group without hesitation.

On the other side, San Zang's face grew serious. But his fighting spirit blazed even stronger, fueled by the fiery anger of vengeance. It was this very Akihito Gyokushitsu who had slain Fei Suo, the chief of the Great Xia Dragon Group in the Jiepeng Empire. Not content with mere death, Akihito Gyokushitsu had turned Fei Suo's severed head into a chamber pot and used it nightly in an act of humiliation.

San Zang wiped the fresh blood from his straight blade with the crook of his left arm. Then, he raised the blade high. Blade energy erupted around him. Thin strands of pale silver mist, visible to the naked eye, radiated outward in all directions, centered around the straight blade.

"I recognize you." A faint smile appeared on Akihito Gyokushitsu's youthful face. "You’re quite famous within the Great Xia Dragon Group. Code name Bajie. You caused a massive uproar after killing a senior investigator of the Realm of Traces, a man notorious for assaulting and abusing prostitutes. Everyone thought you were dead, yet here you are, in Jiepeng."

San Zang’s expression remained unchanged, but the bloody scene of Senior Investigator Roger of the Realm of Traces using the pretense of an investigation to slaughter an entire patriotic merchant family in Haijing City a year ago rose vividly in his mind.

Roger had savagely abused and killed his beautiful wife and two children in front of the merchant. His actions were nothing short of monstrous. It was Bajie, formerly San Zang, who had ended that beast's life. He didn’t regret it. Not even for a second.

"Good. At least you know who your grandpa is." Bajie sneered coldly, his lips curling into a grin. He slashed down with his straight blade. The arc of his strike streaked through the air like the Milky Way pouring across the heavens.

At the same moment, Akihito Gyokushitsu drew his tachi. It was the Jiepeng tachi versus the Dragon Group straight saber.

Neither of them wasted any time on unnecessary flourishes as they shot toward each other. The collision of blade energy erupted like countless stars colliding, sending dazzling bursts of light across the battlefield.

Both fighters moved with lightning speed, showcasing Saint-level mastery in the way of the blade.

"Impressive. Truly the greatest prodigy of the Great Xia Dragon Group," Akihito Gyokushitsu remarked as his strikes flowed seamlessly into each other. "They say you once stepped onto the Star Battlefield and lived to return."

Bajie pressed his lips into a thin line, refusing to respond. His straight blade became increasingly fierce as he applied relentless pressure.

"A pity," Akihito Gyokushitsu continued, dueling with his words as much as his blade. "In a fair fight, you might have been a worthy opponent. But today, you’ve come to rescue others. You’re distracted and forced to split your attention. Today, your defeat is inevitable."

The Jiepeng tachi suddenly grew faster and stronger with each strike.

"You talk too much," Bajie sneered icily. He planted his feet firmly as if he was rooted to the ground, meeting each strike head-on with his Dragon Group straight saber.

The sound of their blades clashing filled the air with a rapid and relentless cadence, like a blacksmith hammering molten steel.

To prevent the shockwaves of their battle from harming their respective allies, both fighters had restrained their inner qi. Instead, they focused entirely on blade techniques, intent, and varying their strikes. Even so, the raw strength behind each clash could cleave a skyscraper in half.

At the same time, four Tan Zhenweis and four Zhou Rulongs suddenly appeared in the square. Each pair was surrounded and protected by different members of the Dragon Group as they each took different escape routes.

This unexpected development threw the encircling Royal Iron Guards and Rock Solid power armor squads into disarray. However, as the elite force trained by the Jiepeng Royal Academy, their response was swift. They quickly divided into four groups, each pursuing one of the fleeing teams.

Standing on the towering stone foundation of Kanzaki Palace, Li Xiaofei watched with a trace of surprise in his eyes. The resources and manpower the Great Xia Dragon Group had poured into this rescue operation were far beyond his expectations.

This approach was entirely at odds with the Dragon Group's usual covert and calculated style. It was a mission with an exceptionally high probability of failure. If this mission failed completely, it would mean the near-total eradication of the Great Xia Dragon Group's presence in the Jiepeng Empire. The Dragon Group could ill afford such a catastrophic loss.

So why would they risk so much?

But Li Xiaofei was equally surprised by the fair-skinned, rotund man referred to as Bajie.

So, that is Bajie. The man is still alive.

He was also far stronger than Li Xiaofei had imagined. Undoubtedly, he possessed Saint-level combat prowess. Not bad for someone who had cultivated the same techniques as himself.

If that is the case...

Li Xiaofei turned and walked back into Kanzaki Palace.

***

"Huff, huff, huff..." Dragon Scale was gasping heavily for air. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

He was surrounded by four companions. Electron Spark and Truth Listener each carried Tan Zhenwei and Zhou Rulong on their backs as they sprinted frantically.

Both Tan Zhenwei and Zhou Rulong had been injected with inhibitors. Even though their shackles had been removed, they were still as powerless as ordinary people. Thus, they had to be carried.

To avoid being detected and targeted by the power armor and the city’s Prism Towers, they could only rely on narrow streets and alleyways to escape their pursuers. Every detail of their escape routes had been planned in advance. They had calculated the time down to the second for passing each building, making sharp turns, and running through the alleys.

Yet, no matter how carefully they executed the plan, the pursuers behind them refused to be shaken off. Something was wrong. Dragon Scale realized there must have been a problem somewhere.

Suddenly, as they ran, Electron Spark let out a muffled grunt and stumbled forward, collapsing to the ground. Almost simultaneously...

Puff, puff, puff.

The faint sound of projectiles slicing through the air echoed in the alley. On the other side, Truth Listener staggered as his body swayed unsteadily.

Before Dragon Scale could fully turn to look, he felt a sharp numbness in his chest. His entire body went limp, and he collapsed uncontrollably to the ground.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

The sound of something slicing through the air echoed as the Rock Solid Special Operations Squad closed in, surrounding the fallen group.

Zhou Rulong, one of the rescued, stepped forward without hesitation and greeted them. "Captain Asuka..."

The squad captain, Asuka Sai, glanced at the collapsed Dragon Scale and his companions, a satisfied expression crossing his face. "Well done, Zhou-kun. You've handled this perfectly."

Zhou Rulong let out a long sigh of relief. His gaze shifted to the fallen Dragon Scale and the others, a trace of guilt flickering in his eyes. There was no other way. Who could endure the endless torment of the Jiepeng Temple? Neither life nor death was a reprieve within those walls.

Zhou Rulong deeply admired the unyielding warriors of Great Xia, whose iron will remained unbroken even in the face of relentless torture. But in the end, he was just an official. He had endured countless physical and mental trials, yet he could not withstand the final, devastating assault on his resolve.

"Take them away," Asuka Sai commanded with a sharp wave of his hand.

The Rock Solid Special Operations Squad experts stepped forward briskly. But as they walked forward, their heads rolled off their shoulders.

The scene unfolded so suddenly that it left everyone stunned. A top-tier operative with Dao Union Realm, an elite special forces expert, almost seemed to willingly offer his neck to an invisible blade.

Captain Asuka’s pupils contracted sharply. Out of nowhere, a figure wearing a monkey mask was now blocking the path to the Dragon Group members.

The masked figure tilted his head slightly, his eyes calm yet chilling, like those of a sinister demon who had clawed his way back from the depths of hell.

Beside him, Dragon Scale, who had been drowning in despair, suddenly felt hope.

The Monkey! The legendary, enigmatic figure rumored to be connected to the Dragon Group is here at this critical moment!