Starforce Warriors-Chapter 572: The Reckoning Has Begun

The moment Hu Yuer felt Li Xiaofei's presence, she wrapped herself around him like a snake.

"Kill them. Don’t leave a single one alive. They’ve seen the skin beneath my first button," she said, her soft, sultry voice laced with an overwhelming, murderous intent.

Li Xiaofei nodded.

"Alright," he replied simply, his voice calm but charged with lethal determination.

He looked at the group before him and asked, "Who’s first?"

Hu Yuer’s gaze fell on the white-suited man.

"I want that stone," she said, her tone cold yet resolute. She wanted to know how the so-called Eye of Artemis had managed to control her so completely.

Across from them, the white-suited man burst into laughter.

"A Great Xia martial artist? What a pleasant surprise! I didn’t expect such a valuable catch today. Boy, what’s your—"

Before he could finish, his wrist sprayed blood. The hand holding the Eye of Artemis had been severed cleanly. The stone spun in the air until a flash of light brought it floating toward Li Xiaofei.

Li Xiaofei caught the stone and examined it carefully, his senses probing the strange and sinister energy within. After confirming it posed no immediate threat, he handed the Eye of Artemis to Hu Yuer.

"Take it," he said.

Hu Yuer clutched the stone, her fox-like eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and vengeance.

"Ahhh..." The sharp, searing pain finally registered as the white-suited man froze in shock.

His face twisted with terror as he instinctively turned to look at his severed hand. A layer of silvery frost had coated the wound, sealing it instantly. A breath later, his entire right arm was encased in crystalline ice. The pain vanished entirely, replaced by an eerie numbness.

"You-"

He tried to say something.

Swish!

Sword light flashed as a flying sword pierced both his eyes and came back once again to behead him. His grotesquely contorted face hit the ground with a crack, shattering into fragments of ice crystals.

An overwhelming frost exploded from the shattered head, spreading rapidly through the air. Dozens of nearby rebel elites were instantly frozen into ice statues.

Ye Yu felt the bone-chilling cold rush toward him, his body stiffening as the frost began to creep over his skin. He activated his internal energy as he tried to resist, but the icy energy had already immobilized him.

A layer of silvery frost covered his body. He desperately activated the thirty-six Inscribed Treasure Bones embedded in his body, frantically unleashing all the energy of the star beasts within him. But it was useless. Not only did the frost refuse to retreat, but it also invaded his body with reckless abandon.

This is bad.

Panic gripped Ye Yu as he burned his life force to boost his energy and blood, pushing his body to its limits to fight the frost. Still, it was futile.

It only took the icy energy two breaths to penetrate his veins and freeze him from the inside out.

How is this possible?

His mind reeled in confusion and horror. He had fought so hard, risked his life to undergo excruciating surgeries, and clawed his way to his current power and position.

He had thought himself a miracle—a survivor of the impossible. He believed that when he finally confronted Li Xiaofei again, he would tower above him. He knew that he would be able to crush the man who had destroyed the Ye family. He had been looking forward to trampling Li Xiaofei beneath his feet and humiliating him endlessly. Yet now, his carefully built confidence crumbled like frost under the blazing sun.

Just a wisp of the icy sword qi that had escaped when Li Xiaofei killed Claude had pushed Ye Yu into a realm of certain death. The gap between his strength and Li Xiaofei's was beyond comprehension.

He was terrified. But he was also furious and utterly unwilling to accept it.

Why did I pay such a steep price, enduring agony and countless sacrifices, only to find myself unworthy of even drawing my blade in Li Xiaofei's presence? Why?

Consumed by overwhelming rage, Ye Yu let out a furious roar. But his final roar was cut off as he transformed into a frozen statue. His final conscious thoughts were swallowed by the freezing cold, leaving nothing but silence.

It wasn’t just Ye Yu. Every star beast and rebel elite within the mountain cavern fell victim to the same fate of being frozen to death by the overwhelming frost. It was nothing short of a massacre—a slaughter as effortless as cutting grass.

Sheer numbers meant nothing against the current Li Xiaofei. Hu Yuer’s eyes widened in astonishment. She had always believed that Li Xiaofei could defeat Ye Yu and his forces.

But she had never imagined it would be done so effortlessly and elegantly. He had frozen ten thousand enemies to death with little more than a thought.

This man... he has become even stronger.

Hu Yuer’s gaze lingered on Li Xiaofei, filled with awe and disbelief. Before her stood countless ice sculptures of men and beasts, frozen in their final moments.

Li Xiaofei exhaled softly, his breath radiating pure yang energy. The warm wave swept through the cavern, and every icy statue dissolved instantly, vaporizing into nothingness.

The aftermath of a massacre that had ended tens of thousands of lives vanished as though it had never occurred.

"Let’s go," Li Xiaofei said gently, taking Hu Yuer’s slender, snow-white hand in his own.

He smiled at her and said, "The others are still waiting for us outside."

***

Outside Firestone Mountain.

"Brother!" A jubilant cry pierced the air as Li Jie sprinted toward Li Xiaofei, throwing herself into his arms.

"You’re finally back!" She sobbed, her tears falling like a torrential rain. "I missed you so much. I thought... I thought you were..."

Her voice broke, overcome by emotion.

Li Xiaofei embraced his younger sister tightly, his expression softening as he gently comforted her.

"I’m back now," he said, his voice steady and soothing. "Everything is going to be alright."

His words carried a quiet, unshakable certainty. It was a promise that, as long as he was here, no harm would come to those he cared about.

At the same time, Li Xiaofei finally pieced together everything that had transpired on Earth during his time in Subspace. Though he had only spent a month in Subspace, ten full months had passed in reality. The 1:10 time dilation ratio was identical to that of the Secret Time Pavilion.

He couldn’t afford to dwell on whether there was a deeper connection between the two. His mind was consumed by the dramatic upheavals Earth had experienced. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

According to the students’ accounts, shortly after he entered Subspace ten months ago, the Yiggs had shattered Earth’s fragile order. The Yiggs Union flagrantly tore apart the international treaties that had been established by the Star Council to govern Earth’s nations and ethnic groups and launched a full-scale invasion.

The chaos within the Jiepeng Empire had provided the Yiggs with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They had occupied the island nation of Jiepeng without hesitation, sacrificing nearly two-thirds of its population in a grisly ritual to gain the ability to control star beasts.

Then, using Jiepeng as a springboard, they invaded Great Xia. The Yiggs had also mastered the technology to control Cave Beasts, and utilized them to carve new spatial passages. These passages allowed them to launch simultaneous offensives from the southeastern coast and the northwestern interior of Great Xia.

Meanwhile, the European Independent Nations Alliance, the Yiggs' most loyal ally, joined the invasion of Great Xia. Caught off guard, Great Xia suffered massive losses. However, under the leadership of the Grand Commanders and countless resolute martial artists, the initial counter attacks prevented the situation from spiraling into total collapse.

But the fatal blow was the betrayal of certain ancient martial Saint families within the nation. Now, nearly all of Great Xia’s territory had fallen. Only a handful of super-base cities like Haijing, Xiajing, Nanjing, Hangjing, Xijing, and fewer than ten others remained as desperate bastions of resistance. The mountains and rivers had fallen. Great Xia was shrouded in darkness.

Li Xiaofei also learned from the students and Hu Yuer that Liuhe Base City, under Xie Renyu’s leadership, had held out valiantly for nine months before finally falling to the Xie family rebels five days ago.

“The Xie family has fully embraced a path of darkness and depravity,” Hu Yuer explained gravely. “They’re plundering wealth and resources across the northwest, enslaving the populations of smaller base cities and selling them like commodities to the Yiggs.”

Her voice was filled with fury and sorrow. This was no longer just a war; it was a descent into utter barbarity.

"Let’s go. We’re heading back to Liuhe," Li Xiaofei said decisively, wasting no time. "We’ll reclaim our home."

"But there are still many rebels in the city..." Li Jie hesitated, trying to voice her concerns.

"Don’t worry," Li Xiaofei reassured her with a calm smile. "I’ll handle everything."

He then turned to Bajie and said, "You lead everyone and follow after me. I’ll go ahead and assess the situation."

"Got it. Don’t worry," Bajie replied, his tone steady but filled with an undercurrent of killing intent.

Bajie was strong enough to dominate the entire northwest region unchallenged. Yet, in this moment, his heart burned with an unquenchable rage.

Those who betray Great Xia, no matter where they flee, will be executed. The rebels in Liuhe Base City, and the Xie family who had plunged the entire northwest into darkness, would pay a heavy price. Only their blood could cleanse the stain of their sins.

As Li Xiaofei’s figure vanished into the horizon, moving at a speed too fast for the eye to follow, Bajie knew one thing with certainty. The reckoning had begun.