Early in the morning, sunlight spilled across the ground. Ye Fan sat up on his bed, stretched lazily, and then looked out the window at the sky.
He sighed with emotion, "As expected, food in the modern world is much more flavorful!"
After that, Ye Fan stood up and headed to Happy Restaurant to enjoy breakfast.
Before long, he arrived at the small diner. The restaurant was filled with the appetizing aroma of food, lifting everyone's spirits.
Ye Fan found a table by the window, sat down, and ordered a simple breakfast, eating with great relish.
While eating, his thoughts were far from the food. "How on earth does one join the Armor Team?"
He pondered quietly to himself, his gaze drifting inadvertently toward the bustling crowd outside the window.
After a moment, Ye Fan sat at his seat, lost in deep thought as he carefully recalled the plot developments of the first generation of armor heroes.
"Based on the plot and the current timeline, in three days, an Energy Beast will appear on Tianxing Street in Happy City, and Xinnan will ultimately resolve the situation.
Ah, this is an opportunity—an opportunity to join the Armor Team."
Having made up his mind, Ye Fan left Happy Restaurant. He took a taxi to Tianxing Street, then found a hotel with an open view overlooking the entire street, and checked in.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Starting early in the morning, Ye Fan stood guard by the window, his sharp gaze monitoring every single movement on Tianxing Street.
By the afternoon, a fish-headed Energy Beast suddenly leaped out from a shadow, beating its fists against its chest and letting out a deafening roar toward the sky.
Then, it lunged rapidly toward pedestrians not far away, about to grab its target.
At that exact moment, a flash of light swept by. The Earth Tiger Armor summoned by Ye Fan appeared beside the Energy Beast, grabbing its outstretched claws with lightning speed.
Immediately following that, the Earth Tiger Armor slammed a ferocious punch straight into the Energy Beast's chest. The immense force sent the fish-headed Energy Beast stumbling backward until it crashed to the ground, unable to get back up for a moment.
Before long, Xinnan appeared not far away, having summoned the Flame Dragon Armor.
Right there, a flash of light gleamed in Ye Fan's hand as the Split Earth Blade was firmly grasped in his palm.
He swung his blade straight at the fish-headed Energy Beast. The Energy Beast reacted quickly, barely managing to climb up from the ground, and summoned a cold-gleaming harpoon to hold horizontally in front of itself for defense.
In an instant, blade and harpoon clashed, the sound of metal echoing through the air.
Ye Fan did not stop there. With a fierce kick, the powerful force directly sent the fish-headed Energy Beast flying several meters away.
Following closely, he executed the Lingyun Step, his figure flashing like lightning. In just a few fleeting moments, he closed in on the fallen Energy Beast, and after a few clean, decisive slashes, the battle was brought to an end.
After defeating the Energy Beast, Ye Fan absorbed its card, thinking to himself, "Although the Earth Tiger Armor seems to have grown slightly stronger because of this, it doesn't seem to help my overall strength much. Could it be that this Energy Beast was just too weak?"
Ye Fan was about to turn and leave when he heard Xinnan nearby hurriedly walk up and ask, "You're also an armor summoner. Care to grab a meal and get to know each other?" Inwardly, Xinnan muttered, "Can't Meizhen change this line of dialogue?"
Meizhen's voice came through his earpiece, "Tell him to grab a meal and come to Happy Restaurant. I'll pull him into the Armor Team. Haven't you always wanted a teammate?"
Ye Fan stopped in his tracks, turned to look at Xinnan, smiled faintly, and replied, "Sure, but you're treating."
Hearing this, Xinnan wore a relaxed smile and said, "Alright, Happy Restaurant, my treat."
......
Inside Happy Restaurant, Meizhen looked up and saw Ye Fan following Xinnan inside. Surprised, she said, "It's you?"
Ye Fan smiled and said, "Hello, Meizhen."
Meizhen then smiled slightly and said, "I never expected you to be an armor summoner."
Ye Fan smiled and said, "I never expected you to be the person in charge of the Armor Team on the news."
Meizhen smiled lightly and said, "Let's eat and talk."
During the meal, Meizhen said, "Ye Fan, Xinnan should have told you about the Armor Team. Would you like to join us?"
Ye Fan looked at Meizhen with a smile and said, "I can, but I also have a few conditions. Can you accept them? Don't worry, these conditions aren't unreasonable."
Meizhen lowered her head to think for a moment, then replied, "Let's hear them!"
Ye Fan said, "First, I want to be the team leader, and the others must follow my orders. Second, I want to see the spirit stones of the other elements."
Meizhen frowned, pondered for a moment, and then answered earnestly, "Becoming the team leader requires the approval of the other teammates. As for seeing the elemental spirit stones, I'll talk to my brother about it shortly, alright?"
Ye Fan nodded slightly in agreement.
Meizhen turned and walked into a room, stopping in front of a large screen. She reached out and tapped gently with her finger, and an image immediately appeared on the screen.
The person in the image was a plump, kind-faced man—Welcome's older brother.
Meizhen said to the chubby man on the screen, "Brother, today an Earth-element armor summoner came by wanting to join our team, and he has some conditions."
Then, Meizhen told her brother all of Ye Fan's conditions.
The chubby man on the screen nodded and then spoke, "Becoming team leader depends on his own abilities. As for looking at the spirit stones—well, I checked his background and found no issues, though he isn't from the Five Elements Village. After you take him to see the spirit stone later, bring him over so I can have a chat with him."
Meizhen nodded and turned to walk out of the room. Approaching Ye Fan, she said softly, "My brother agreed to let you look at the spirit stone, but he wants to meet you and have a chat."
Ye Fan frowned slightly, secretly guessing the other party's intentions.
Even so, he nodded in agreement and followed Meizhen to the place where the spirit stones were kept.
Ye Fan carefully observed the Fire Spirit Stone before him. It lay quietly inside a transparent glass container, emitting a faint red glow.
When he focused his gaze on the Fire Spirit Stone, a strange sensation welled up in his heart.
This feeling was similar to the power he had previously perceived when comprehending the Earth Intent, yet it carried a subtle difference.
He muttered inwardly, "Could this be the Fire Intent?"
As this thought arose, he began trying to understand and feel that strange power.
Gradually, he seemed able to capture some subtle changes, as if a certain connection had been established between himself and the Fire Spirit Stone.
"Ye Fan?" Meizhen tapped Ye Fan on the shoulder and asked with concern, "What's wrong with you?" As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on Ye Fan.
Yanked back to reality from his thoughts, Meizhen forced a smile and explained, "It's nothing, just a bit surprised at seeing this Fire Spirit Stone."
Following that, Meizhen said softly, "Let's go. My brother is still waiting." Ye Fan nodded and followed Meizhen to the main console.
The chubby man on the screen wore a kindly smile as he looked at Ye Fan and spoke, "Hello, Ye Fan. I am Dr. Kelu. Welcome to the Armor Team!"
Ye Fan politely responded, "Hello, Dr. Kelu. Is there something you wanted to see me about?"
Dr. Kelu put away his smile, his expression turning serious as he slowly said, "I reviewed your records and found that you are not a descendant of the Five Elements Village. So I'd like to know, how on earth were you able to summon the armor?"
Ye Fan scratched his head, offering a wry smile as he answered honestly, "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself why I can summon the armor."
Dr. Kelu frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "Since that's the case, let's put this matter aside for now. If you encounter any problems in the future, feel free to ask Meizhen at any time. If she can't resolve them, come find me then. We'll leave it at that for now, goodbye."
Suddenly, the main control room screen flashed with a dazzling red light, and an alarm sounded as an Energy Beast appeared near the coastline.
Meizhen reacted swiftly, locking onto the location in mere seconds and accurately relaying the exact coordinates to Ye Fan.
After that, Ye Fan hurried out, mounted his cool motorcycle, and sped off like lightning toward the spot where the Energy Beast had appeared.
Inside the control room, Dr. Kelu placed another video call, speaking sternly to Meizhen, "Keep a close eye on Ye Fan." With that, he hung up the video.
Ye Fan got off his motorcycle, walked into a corner, and transformed into the Earth Tiger Knight. Due to the special laws of this realm, Ye Fan was able to summon it directly.
With a flash, Ye Fan jumped right in front of the Energy Beast and looked it up and down.
He muttered to himself, "So it's an Evil Parasite Beast." With that, Ye Fan raised his fist and smashed it hard into the Evil Parasite Beast.
Struck by Ye Fan's punch, the Evil Parasite Beast staggered backward and crashed straight to the ground.
However, it quickly struggled back up from the ground, shook its head, roared angrily at Ye Fan, and lunged at him baring its claws.
Ye Fan sidestepped easily to avoid the Evil Parasite Beast's attack, then flew out with a kick straight at the creature.
The Evil Parasite Beast was knocked flat on its back once more, wildly flailing its limbs on the ground.
Seeing the Evil Parasite Beast's pathetic state, Ye Fan couldn't help laughing out loud, then lifted the foot he had pressed down upon it.
The Evil Parasite Beast quickly climbed up from the ground, raising both hands as a sharp broadsword suddenly materialized in its grip.
Seeing this, Ye Fan immediately drew his own weapon—the Split Earth Blade.
Wielding the broadsword menacingly, the Evil Parasite Beast slashed toward Ye Fan. Ye Fan raised the Split Earth Blade and steadily blocked the creature's onslaught.
Right after, Ye Fan countered with a backhand slash, viciously striking the Evil Parasite Beast down to the ground, rendering it completely immobile.
Finally, Ye Fan unleashed the Earth Tiger Knight's ultimate move—the Split Earth Slash—successfully defeating the Evil Parasite Beast and turning it into a card.
A man wearing a black hat and trembling slightly all over cried out in terror, "What kind of freak armor is this, how can it be so ferocious!"
At that moment, Ye Fan swept his gaze across the area, and the man in the black hat was instantly scared out of his wits, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Immediately following that, Ye Fan leaped forward, landing right in front of him.
The man in the black hat went weak at the knees, plopped down onto the ground, and stammered, "Big... Big brother, I... I was just passing by."
A smile curved the corners of Ye Fan's mouth as he said, "How about we become friends?"
The man answered tremblingly, "O-okay."
Before his voice even faded, the armor on Ye Fan's body dissolved, revealing his true face, and he said with a smile, "Hello, Choujiang!"
Choujiang was startled out of his wits, trembling all over, and fainted dead away.
After a while, Choujiang woke up in a dim room. He shook his head and looked around.
Noticing that Ye Fan was standing right beside him, Choujiang immediately dropped to his knees and begged for mercy, "Big brother, I don't know what business you have with little old me."
With a smile on his face, Ye Fan slowly began, "I know you people are pulling the strings behind the scenes with the Energy Beasts."
Choujiang was silent for a moment before saying, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Big Brother. How could you be sure it's me?" while thinking to himself, "Could I have been sold out?"
Ye Fan looked at Choujiang and said, "Never mind how I know; I have something I need you to do." With that, Ye Fan slammed a palm down, shattering the table beside Choujiang.
Startled, Choujiang hurriedly blurted out, "Yes, yes! Whatever arrangement the boss has, I will definitely carry it out."
Ye Fan nodded and said, "Very well, then I'll leave this task to you."
Choujiang asked with a puzzled look, "What task?"
The corners of Ye Fan's mouth curved slightly upward as he said, "I want you to be an undercover agent. Every time Shadow Lord makes a move from now on, you must pass the news to me in advance. Of course, all of this must be done in secret, and no one else can know. Understood?"
Choujiang hesitated for a moment, but thinking of the terrifying strength Ye Fan had just displayed, he gritted his teeth and agreed, "Alright, I understand. But..."
Ye Fan cut Choujiang off, saying, "There's one more thing. From now on, switch to a new phone and use it to contact me."
Choujiang nodded repeatedly, indicating that he would strictly follow Ye Fan's instructions.
Ye Fan nodded with satisfaction, then suddenly appeared right beside Choujiang.
He reached out a hand and pressed it gently onto Choujiang's shoulder.
A wave of immense power instantly surged into Choujiang's body.
Choujiang felt an unbearable, agonizing pain rush to his heart, and he couldn't help screaming out in misery.
Ye Fan said coldly, "This is just a small punishment for you. If you ever dare betray me in the future, the consequences will be far worse."
Rolling all over the ground in agony, Choujiang begged, "Boss, I will never betray you!"
Seeing this, Ye Fan stopped his hand. Choujiang gasped for breath in relief, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
Then, Ye Fan injected a trace of primordial energy into Choujiang's body, helping him heal the hidden injuries previously caused by Shadow Lord's electrical shocks.
Feeling the pain in his body gradually disappear and give way to a refreshing sense of ease, Choujiang looked at Ye Fan with overwhelming gratitude and said, "Thank you, Boss!"
Ye Fan waved his hand, signaling that Choujiang could leave. Wiping away his tears, Choujiang stood up and slowly walked out.
Meanwhile, inside the main control room of Happy Restaurant, Meizhen watched as Ye Fan obliterated an Energy Beast using just two or three moves, her jaw dropping in sheer astonishment.
Xinnan, standing right beside her, felt equally overwhelmed with emotion, secretly praising to himself, "This guy is truly formidable!"
Then, Xinnan thought to himself, "Since he's this strong, I should be able to focus peacefully on practicing the piano. If he wants to be team leader, let him be."
......
When Ye Fan returned to Happy Restaurant and sat down, Meizhen brought him a steaming plate of dumplings and placed them before him.
Ye Fan picked up a dumpling, popped it into his mouth, chewed thoughtfully, and praised, "These dumplings are really good!"
At that moment, the front doors of Happy Restaurant were pushed open slowly, and a figure appeared in the doorway. Sunlight streamed through the crack in the door, casting a bright ray of light across him.
He smiled and greeted the people inside, "Hello everyone! My name is Dongshan, and I am the Wind Hawk Armor summoner."
Sitting inside the restaurant, Ye Fan raised his head, his gaze falling upon Dongshan.
He stood up and responded with a smile, "Hello, Dongshan. My name is Ye Fan. I'm the Earth Tiger Armor summoner, and also the leader of the Armor Team."
A trace of surprise flashed in Dongshan's eyes upon hearing Ye Fan's self-introduction. He walked briskly over to Ye Fan, extended his hand to shake his, and said, "Hello, Team Leader Ye."