Starforce Warriors-Chapter 556: ‘Great Xia’ Meant Dangerous

The closer they approached the Demonic Lair, the more Divine Followers appeared around them. Most of the so-called Divine Followers were humanoid in form, but they had been corrupted by subspace energy and turned into zombie-like monsters.

A portion of them, however, seemed to have undergone some kind of evolution, transforming into grotesque, terrifying non-human creatures. These evolved beings retained a degree of intelligence and moved in a highly organized manner.

The stage of a Divine Follower could be roughly discerned by their appearance: the higher their stage, the more bizarre and monstrous their form.

Li Xiaofei and Bajie didn’t bother to act. A single roar from the Black Emperor was enough to send the Divine Followers scattering in all directions like terrified prey encountering a natural predator.

Even the higher-stage Divine Followers that tried desperately to command and rally the others were powerless. Li Xiaofei and Bajie found themselves entering the Nether God Fortress without expending much energy. But the place had undergone a complete transformation compared to their last visit.

The prison's lighting was now dim and suffused with a faint blood-red hue, like the glow of fresh wounds. The walls, floor, and ceiling were covered in a fleshy moss-like substance. It seemed alive as it constantly wriggled.

Some parts resembled translucent spore-like organisms. When disturbed by passing movement, they would suddenly burst with a loud pop, spraying dark red liquid everywhere. The liquid was viscous and carried the acrid stench of rotten eggs. If it touched human skin, it would immediately begin corroding flesh and bone.

Li Xiaofei tested it on his own arm. But before the corrosive liquid could destroy the entire limb, he calmly severed his left arm at the shoulder. Within a few breaths, the arm regenerated completely, good as new. Bajie, watching from the side, felt his eyelids twitch uncontrollably.

"Monkey Bro, do you have to be this hardcore?" Bajie couldn’t help but ask.

Li Xiaofei didn’t respond. Despite his near-invincible physical strength, his flesh had still been effortlessly dissolved by those corrosive spores. The danger of the Demonic Lair was far greater than he had initially imagined.

As they advanced, the fleshy moss around them occasionally extended tentacle-like appendages. The tentacles lashed out like the limbs of an octopus, coiling toward them.

Li Xiaofei tested his body against them once more, only to find himself severing yet another arm.

"Monkey Bro, if you ever crave meat in the future, you could just slice a few pieces off yourself and toss them in a hot pot," Bajie quipped, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Thankfully, they had the Black Emperor. The massive black dog unleashed a thunderous roar that sent a shockwave rippling down the prison corridor and disintegrating the grotesque obstacles in their path.

Li Xiaofei took a few steps forward before suddenly stopping in his tracks.

"What’s wrong, Monkey Bro? Did you find something?" Bajie immediately grew vigilant.

"Don’t you think we’re being a bit stupid?" Li Xiaofei asked.

"I am always dashing, brilliant, and resourceful—where do you see stupidity?" Bajie retorted. "If you’re feeling dumb, don’t lump me in, okay?"

Li Xiaofei gave him a long, meaningful look. Then, without warning, he threw a powerful punch forward.

Boom!

The entire Nether God Fortress prison trembled violently as the devastating force of Li Xiaofei's punch ripped through it.

A massive crater that was dozens of meters wide was blasted open in the ground, exposing a deep tunnel that led to the eerie depths of the Demonic Lair’s nest. The once-imposing Nether God Fortress had nearly been obliterated by that single blow.

Without saying a word, Li Xiaofei leapt directly into the massive crater. Bajie glanced at the Black Emperor.

"Fine," he muttered, rubbing his nose. "I admit it—maybe I was being a little dumb earlier."

"Woof," the Black Emperor barked in agreement, then jumped in after Li Xiaofei.

About a hundred meters underground, the once forbidden laboratory had now become a true den of evil. The space was flooded with knee-deep blood. Human limbs and scattered bones were strewn everywhere. Half-decayed skulls floated in the blood, their empty sockets staring lifelessly.

Unidentified fish-like creatures swam through the crimson waters, their sinister forms darting between the floating debris. The stench of decay and blood was overwhelming, filling the air with a suffocating heaviness.

Li Xiaofei stood silently, taking in the grotesque scene before him, his expression calm but his eyes sharp. The moment Bajie landed, he let out a sharp scream and immediately unleashed the chilling energy of the Dual Sacred Body of Blade and Sword, turning the entire underground Demonic Lair into a frozen cavern.

The walls and floor were encased in ice, and the blood flooding the chamber was transformed into a crimson ice river. They then walked across the frozen expanse. As expected, high-stage Divine Followers came charging toward them, as though someone had kicked a hornet's nest.

These Divine Followers were grotesque in form. Some scuttled on six crab-like legs, some rolled like giant spheres, and others had two heads and four arms. They could no longer be considered human.

Clearly, they had undergone some sort of evolution after being corrupted by subspace energy, gaining not only monstrous forms but also a certain level of intelligence.

The Black Emperor surged forward. Though it was already full from its earlier feast, that didn’t stop it from gleefully hunting these creatures. It was like a battle-hardened cat thrown into a group of hamsters.

The Divine Followers, who prided themselves on their so-called immortal bodies, found their ability rendered completely ineffective against the Black Emperor. Anything the giant black dog bit, crushed, or tore apart was beyond recovery and permanently destroyed.

"They’re terrified, yet they’re still throwing themselves at us with reckless abandon," Bajie noted, his eyes lighting up.

He turned to Li Xiaofei and asked, "What does that tell you?"

Li Xiaofei’s gaze was calm as he replied, "It means that the god or demon commanding them is just as scared."

"Exactly," Bajie grinned, growing more enthusiastic.

He was someone who thrived on kicking a target when it was down. Li Xiaofei agreed with Bajie's assessment.

With the Black Emperor leading the way, the three of them quickened their pace, charging deeper into the lair. Eventually, they arrived at the same metallic chamber; the subspace vessel that had been turned into a massive laboratory.

There, an enormous, grotesquely fat monster crouched atop a colossal yellow-brass throne. It was now sixteen to seventeen meters in height.

"Well, well, it’s you again," Bajie sneered, always quick to deliver a verbal jab. "Weren’t you already chewed to death by a dog?"

Indeed, the creature perched atop the brass throne, cloaked in an aura of destruction and death, was none other than the strange, bloated entity that had been torn apart and devoured by the Black Emperor during the battle at the execution ground.

But it had now grown exponentially, as its body bloated to several times its former size. Its skin was encased in a dark red layer of natural bone armor, giving it the appearance of a hellish overlord that had emerged straight from the abyss. The creature’s glowing eyes burned with rage and malice as it stared down on the intruders.

"Foolish insects," the grotesque creature rumbled, its voice a cacophony of unsettling echoes.

It sounded as though its throat was clogged with phlegm, but had countless metal rods vibrating in the wind. It dismissed Bajie with utter disdain, but its gaze stayed locked on Li Xiaofei.

There was a flicker of confusion in its glowing eyes.

How could such a seemingly insignificant, insect-like being summon a Heaven-Devouring Hound, a creature born of divine and demonic heritage?

Meanwhile, the Black Emperor had finished dealing with all the high-stage Divine Followers, sweeping them away like autumn leaves in a gale. It now turned its focus on the figure seated atop the brass throne, baring its fangs as a low growl rumbled deep in its throat.

Li Xiaofei stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Black Emperor, his hand stroking its mane to soothe it.

"Did you come from the Temple?" Li Xiaofei asked, looking up at the bloated monster. "What happened there?"

The grotesque creature let out a sinister chuckle, its voice dripping with malice.

"Consumption," it sneered. "To make the gods stronger. The great King of Terror has begun his descent and requires the sacrifices of his followers. They have become my sustenance... Jiepeng people, does this truth unsettle you?"

"Ptui!" Bajie interjected, stealing the spotlight as usual. "You're the Jiepeng dog! Your whole family are Jiepeng dogs! The two of us are proud Great Xia men!"

"Oh, Great Xia..." freewebnσvel.cøm

For a moment, the grotesque creature fell silent. A trace of hesitation and unease crossed its monstrous face. It seemed to recall certain forbidden legends. In the drifting voids of subspace, the words Great Xia had once signified something profoundly dangerous.