"Dr. Kelu, have those five sets of armor been fully researched?" an elderly man in a military uniform asked Dr. Kelu through the screen.
Lowering his head to look at the experimental data, Dr. Kelu replied, "So far, we haven't found anyone outside the Five Elements Village who can summon the armor."
In fact, Dr. Kelu knew very well in his heart that there was something unusual about Ye Fan, but he did not want Ye Fan to be exposed too prematurely.
Sighing, the military-uniformed elder said, "Sigh, the Xingtian Squad in Hope City can only be used by those three people, and the armor in Nanbo City is still under development; who knows when it will succeed. The current situation is truly a headache!"
Dr. Kelu nodded to show his understanding. After all, what they faced was not merely domestic problems, but also threats from abroad.
Shortly after, the military-uniformed elder hung up the phone, and Dr. Kelu continued to focus intently on Ye Fan's data.
He pondered to himself: "Earthquakes in Japan are becoming more and more frequent, and there are some signs of activity from vampires and exorcists in Europe. It seems we must speed up our pace. Perhaps I should talk directly with Ye Fan and see what on earth he knows."
......
"Choujiang, is everything arranged?" Holding his mobile phone in his right hand, Shadow Boss asked Choujiang on the other end of the line.
Standing in a dark corner with a phone in his left hand as well, Choujiang replied softly, "You got it!"
Immediately afterward, he pulled another phone out of his right pocket and made a call.
The call connected quickly, and Choujiang lowered his voice to tell Ye Fan, "Boss Ye, that damn Shadow Boss has thrown four Energy Beasts in different places. Moreover, he has even sent an Energy Beast to lurk in secret outside Happy Restaurant—you must be careful!"
Hanging up the phone, Ye Fan swept his gaze sharply across the surrounding environment, pondering inwardly: "The Gold Spiritual Stone is about to be mine."
Looking at the three screens before him which displayed the three armor summoners in different locations, Shadow Boss wore a sinister smile at the corner of his mouth.
He dialed Choujiang's phone once more: "Start the operation!" With that, he hung up the call.
Upon receiving the order, Choujiang did not move immediately; instead, he continued to hide in the corner near Happy Restaurant.
Not far behind him, an Energy Beast as pitch-black as ink was stealthily concealed.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz"—red light suddenly flashed in the research laboratory, and the alarm sounded.
Hearing the sound, Meizhen immediately sprang into action. Looking at the images displayed on the screen, her heart tightened involuntarily.
The figures of four Energy Beasts appeared on the screen, each appearing in a different corner of the city.
Meizhen stared blankly at the screen, a look of astonishment on her face.
Next, she began checking the specific locations where these Energy Beasts had appeared, discovering that they were all close to the positions of the few people who had just gone out.
Realizing something was wrong, Meizhen hurriedly contacted the people in those vicinities and issued warnings to them.
Receiving Meizhen's message, Li Xinnan, Dongshan, and Kunzhong took swift action.
They all straddled their motorcycles and galloped toward the places where the Energy Beasts had appeared.
Meanwhile, Ye Fan also learned about the situation regarding the Energy Beasts.
Instead of rushing directly to the battlefield like the others, he chose to leave the research laboratory first and then made a detour.
Following the location data sent to him by Choujiang, he quietly arrived behind Choujiang.
Summoning the Earth Tiger Armor and staring at the Energy Beast before him, Ye Fan approached it lightly and stealthily on nimble feet.
When he was close enough, he struck suddenly, his blade piercing toward the Energy Beast like lightning and running it through in a single blow.
Immediately following this, he quickly flicked his wrist and delivered another palm strike, beating the Energy Beast to the verge of death.
Witnessing all this from a surveillance monitor not far away, Jie Wang jumped straight out of his chair in shock.
Fixating his eyes on the Earth Tiger Armor on the screen, he muttered to himself, "How can it be so strong?"
He lowered his head in deep thought, his heart filled with doubt and incomprehension.
The battle on Ye Fan's side ended extremely quickly, wrapping up in just a few short seconds.
As for Choujiang, the moment Ye Fan appeared, he was scared out of his wits and hurriedly fled in a fluster to hide aside.
Following that, Ye Fan unleashed a Cleaving Earth Slash, effortlessly blasting the heavily injured Energy Beast into a card and taking it into his belt.
Turning his head to look in the direction of the surveillance camera not far away, Ye Fan removed his armor helmet, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly into a disdainful smile.
Then, with a gentle twist of his belt, he summoned the Earth Tiger's Light and Shadow Wing, piloting it at high speed toward the location where the Energy Beasts had emerged.
In the surveillance room, Jie Wang watched anxiously as Ye Fan's figure departed, an expression of fury on his face.
He immediately picked up the walkie-talkie and shouted, "Xizhao, take the Scorpion Beast to the place this armor went, and see if you can bring him back to me."
Upon receiving the order, Xizhao replied without the slightest hesitation, "Okay."
He then set out together with the Scorpion Beast, hurrying toward the spot Ye Fan had just reached.
Upon arriving at the destination, Ye Fan saw an Energy Beast with a wolf's head and a scorpion's tail.
He first used the Light and Shadow Wing to launch an aerial strike to test the beast's strength.
However, not long after, the wolf-headed Energy Beast's eyes suddenly rolled, its body immediately collapsing to the ground as it began to twitch continuously.
Looking at the wolf-headed Energy Beast before him, Ye Fan muttered inwardly, "Is the damage from the Light and Shadow Wing really this high? I remember its damage wasn't high before. Could this Energy Beast be deliberately feigning weakness to lure me into a trap?"
Even though he had some doubts, Ye Fan did not lower his guard easily.
At the same time, Ye Fan also noticed that the remaining duration of the Light and Shadow Wing was running out.
Then Ye Fan walked not far from the wolf-headed Energy Beast and first threw a Cleaving Earth Slash at it.
Seeing this, the wolf-headed Energy Beast scrambled up quickly and moved aside.
Its wolf eyes flashing red, the wolf-headed Energy Beast rushed forward swiftly and dealt Ye Fan a claw strike.
Lifting his Cleaving Earth Blade to block, Ye Fan watched as the wolf-headed Energy Beast whipped around with a side kick, whereupon Ye Fan employed the Lingyun Step to flash aside in the blink of an eye.
He then slashed down once more with his blade onto the wolf-headed Energy Beast's head, prompting the beast to whip backward with its scorpion tail.
Flashing aside again with the Lingyun Step, Ye Fan looked at the Energy Beast and thought to himself, "Truly strong. Its head is really hard. They say wolves have an iron head, copper tail, and tofu waist—I'll try hitting its waist next."
On the other side, the wolf-headed Energy Beast also shook its head, let out a howling "Awooo" toward the sky, and materialized a long blade.
It then lunged at close quarters toward Ye Fan, who also summoned the Earth Tiger Claws—claw in his left hand, blade in his right—and charged at the wolf-headed Energy Beast.
With a flash of Ye Fan's figure, the long blade in his hand transformed into a lightning-like radiance, slashing fiercely down toward the wolf-headed Energy Beast's head.
However, this Energy Beast reacted extremely quickly, promptly raising the long blade in its hands to meet Ye Fan's attack.
The two blades collided in mid-air, producing a crisp metallic clashing sound accompanied by flying sparks.
Seeing that his initial strike failed to connect, Ye Fan instantly altered his strategy, spinning his body agilely while smoothly sweeping the long blade in his hand toward the beast's waist.
This strike was as swift and fierce as lightning, but the Energy Beast was equally nimble; side-stepping, it easily evaded Ye Fan's attack.
At the same time, the beast's scorpion tail stung toward Ye Fan once more like a venomous dart.
Startled, Ye Fan hurriedly executed the Lingyun Step, his figure darting swiftly to the side like a phantom.
The scorpion tail missed, skimming through the air with a piercing whistle of wind.
The Energy Beast lunged forward again, rapidly swinging its blade. Recovering his composure, Ye Fan swung his right-hand blade with great force to bat away the wolf-headed Energy Beast's weapon, while swiftly channeling his Cloud-Shattering Palm with his left hand to slam heavily into the wolf-headed Energy Beast.
As the beast's scorpion tail stung toward him again, Ye Fan used the Cleaving Earth Blade to bat it away.
Immediately following this, Ye Fan dodged a heavy kick from the beast with a side step, and the long blade in his hand once again traced a cold arc as it thrust toward the beast's chest.
Knocked back repeatedly by Ye Fan's onslaught, the wolf-headed Energy Beast was ultimately sent flying backward, landing some distance away.
Its left claw clutched its waist while its right claw tightly gripped its long blade, its eyes revealing a trace of fear and unwillingness.
"Truly admirable! It's been a long time since I've encountered such an interesting opponent!" Crisp applause rang out.
A completely snowy-white armor suddenly appeared before Ye Fan, its eyes revealing a hint of excitement and anticipation.
Glancing first at the wolf-headed Energy Beast before him and then casting his gaze upon that snowy-white armor, Ye Fan muttered inwardly, "The Snow Mastiff Armor has finally shown itself."
The wolf-headed Energy Beast looked at Ye Fan, turned its head to glance at the Snow Mastiff Armor, and then cast a covert look toward the bushes not far away, letting out a low, rumbling "Awooo."
Immediately afterward, it also struck an offensive pose, preparing to launch an attack at any moment.
Before you could say Jack Robinson, the wolf-headed Energy Beast and the Snow Mastiff Armor lunged fiercely toward Ye Fan together.
Wielding a giant axe, the Snow Mastiff Armor chopped savagely down toward the top of Ye Fan's head.
Quick-eyed and fast-handed, Ye Fan promptly raised the long blade in his hand and blocked the blow.
Simultaneously, he executed the Cloud-Shattering Palm, deftly swatting away the blade edge of the wolf-headed Energy Beast.
At that exact moment, the wolf-headed Energy Beast's scorpion tail stung out like lightning. Making a prompt and decisive decision, Ye Fan used all his strength to bat away the Snow Mastiff Armor's axe with his blade.
Leveraging the momentum, he counter-attacked with a fierce backhand slash toward the Snow Mastiff Armor's chest, sending it flying backward.
Right after that, Ye Fan slashed another blade toward the wolf-headed Energy Beast's waist before swiftly employing the Lingyun Step to widen the distance between himself and both opponents.
All of a sudden, a scorpion tail thrust out from behind Ye Fan at extreme speed.
Reacting with utmost promptness, however, Ye Fan used his blade in a reverse grip to block it, while simultaneously utilizing the power of the Earth Tiger Claws to pull hard, yanking the hidden Energy Beast forcibly out into the open.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ye Fan followed up with a blade strike, precisely severing the Scorpion Beast's tail.
Finally, he delivered a supplementary palm strike, sending the Scorpion Beast flying heavily away.
Meanwhile, the wolf-headed Energy Beast was once again clutching its waist, the blade it held trembling slightly.
As for the Scorpion Beast whose tail had been severed, it clutched its residual tail in agony, emitting wave after wave of wailing cries.
Standing nearby and watching the surrounding Energy Beasts alongside Ye Fan, Xizhao pondered to himself: "This isn't right! They're both armor, why is the gap so massive?"
A strong sense of unease surged into his heart, and the urge to retreat immediately sprouted within him.
Thus, he cautiously stepped back two paces. Who would have thought that the wolf-headed Energy Beast had already retreated four or five paces away, looking as though it was about to turn and bolt in a frantic run.
Seeing this scene, Ye Fan immediately invoked the sword martial soul's soul skill.
A strange fluctuation instantly enveloped the wolf-headed Energy Beast and the Scorpion Beast.
For a moment, the two Energy Beasts appeared to suffer some kind of intense shock; they froze in place, and then began rolling frantically on the ground while clutching their heads in excruciating pain.
Before long, the two Energy Beasts gazed blankly at the sky with dull eyes, completely losing their combat capability.
Walking slowly up before the Snow Mastiff Armor, Ye Fan used the internal armor communication to say, "Xizhao, let's have a talk in a moment."
Having spoken, Ye Fan turned around, used the Cleaving Earth Slash on the two Energy Beasts separately, and blasted them into cards to collect.
At this moment, Xizhao's expression grew complex, filled with both astonishment and vigilance, but he ultimately nodded. "Fine, I don't know what arrangements you have in mind."
He deliberated silently within: given the current situation, if he didn't agree, he truly feared he would have no other choices left.
The corners of Ye Fan's mouth lifted gently, sketching out a calm smile.
He said in an even tone, "Good, since you've agreed so readily, I'll tell you this: Bing'er by your side is actually your biological sister. Oh right, give me your Gold Spiritual Stone; I need to slice off a small portion."
Hearing this, Xizhao's expression morphed instantly into one of bewilderment, scarcely believing his own ears. "Is she really my sister?"
His voice was laden with uncertainty and the yearning for a positive confirmation.
Instead of answering immediately, Ye Fan took the Gold Spiritual Stone from Xizhao's hands and began slicing it with practiced dexterity.
"As for how to verify this, I'll leave it to you to handle."
As he operated, he added, "I'm going to install a positioning device on you, so that when you return to Jie Wang, you'll have an excuse to shed a certain degree of suspicion. Also, remember to take down my contact info—if you have any matters in the future, you can reach me."
With those words, Ye Fan carefully shaved a thin fragment off the Gold Spiritual Stone, then pulled a nearly invisible micro-locator out of his pocket.
Placing it beside Xizhao, he immediately summoned the Light and Shadow Wing, preparing to head toward the locations of the other three.
Linger his gaze on Ye Fan for a moment, Xizhao ultimately gripped the locator tightly in his hand.
Without lingering long, he turned and walked toward the nearest mobile phone shop, purchasing two new phones.
One was clearly for contacting Ye Fan, while the other was for his own convenience in staying in touch with the outside world.
Having completed all this, Xizhao dialed Jie Wang's phone with a trace of helplessness in his tone: "The mission failed; I am no match for him."
At that time, Jie Wang was sitting in some corner of the Shadow Realm, rubbing his temples unconsciously as if enduring a violent headache.
"Fine, then come back first before we discuss it," Jie Wang responded, though ripples of doubt stirred deep within his heart.
Just a short while ago, he had sensed an extraordinarily powerful wave of energy. If not for relying on the Five Elements Disc in his hands to fend it off slightly, his mental state would likely have suffered severe repercussions as well.
Yet Xizhao had returned completely unscathed, leaving him utterly baffled. "It seems that once Xizhao gets back, I must find a more secluded place to meet with him and carefully question what on earth happened."
......
Quickly identifying his bearings in the air, Ye Fan adjusted his posture and flew at high speed toward the location where Li Xinnan was.
At this moment, Li Xinnan was facing a difficult battle. Although the Flame Dragon Armor he summoned possessed formidable power, it appeared somewhat inadequate in his contest with the Shrimp-headed Energy Beast.
Whenever Li Xinnan attempted to close in on the Shrimp-headed Energy Beast, the opponent would cleverly use water mist to obscure his vision, making close-quarters attacks ineffective.
After several unsuccessful attempts, Li Xinnan altered his strategy, switching to the Blazing Bow for long-range attacks.
However, the Shrimp-headed Energy Beast's shell was exceptionally tough; even if the Flame Dragon's arrows could pierce ordinary defenses, the damage they inflicted on it was negligible.
The two sides remained deadlocked, neither able to gain the upper hand for a time.
As the battle continued, Li Xinnan gradually felt his physical strength failing him, knowing his limit was fast approaching.
Consequently, he sent out a distress signal via the real-time communication equipment with the research laboratory: "Any backup?"
The response came back swiftly: "Hang in there, Xinnan. Captain Ye just said he's on his way to you."
Hearing this news, the stone in Li Xinnan's heart finally settled, and he replied, "Got it."
About a minute later, Ye Fan descended from the sky riding the Light and Shadow Wing. Approaching the battlefield at lightning speed, he utilized the Lingyun Step to charge swiftly before the Shrimp-headed Energy Beast and delivered a precise slash to its head.
Though this strike was not fatal, it was enough to make the Shrimp-headed Energy Beast feel threatened, and it hurriedly waved its twin pincers in an attempt to counterattack.
Seeing this, Ye Fan immediately turned to Li Xinnan and said, "Leave the rest to me. You go rest for a bit first."
Nodding with exhaustion, Li Xinnan responded, "Alright, Captain Ye. This Energy Beast has thick skin!"
He then retreated to the side, deactivated the Flame Dragon Armor state, and sat on the ground to recover his stamina, his gaze never once leaving the battle between Ye Fan and the Shrimp-headed Energy Beast.
Facing the Energy Beast before him, Ye Fan leaped into the air, a heavy slash heading straight for the Shrimp-headed Energy Beast's vital spots.
The Shrimp-headed Energy Beast hastily raised its twin pincers in defense, but Ye Fan was already prepared. A Cloud-Shattering Palm shook it backward, and he immediately channeled his soul skill to cause it a brief moment of absent-mindedness.
Taking advantage of this opening, Ye Fan launched the Cleaving Earth Slash once more, killing the Shrimp-headed Energy Beast in a single blow and transforming it into a card.
Storing the card away, Ye Fan told Li Xinnan, "Head back first, and remember to write a combat report for me. I'm off to support the others."
With that, he summoned the Light and Shadow Wing once more, soared into the air, and hurried toward the location where Dongshan was.
Watching Ye Fan's departing figure, Li Xinnan could not help but feel a twinge of envy: "So cool. By the way, does the Flame Dragon Armor have a Light and Shadow Wing too?"
He subsequently hailed a cab back to Happy Restaurant and began drafting his combat report.
Meanwhile, Dongshan was engaged in a fierce battle with a Cockroach Energy Beast.
Standing atop an artificial rock, the Wind Eagle Armor he summoned observed the fast-moving Cockroach Energy Beast below.
He thought to himself with a silent sigh: "Such speed, and such tenacity of life—only a cockroach could have a combination like this."
Just as he was pondering a countermeasure, the Cockroach Energy Beast suddenly flapped its wings, preparing to launch a new wave of attacks.
Dongshan reacted instantly, the Wind Eagle Armor flashing aside to evade the assault.
Right at that moment, Ye Fan's voice rang in Dongshan's ear: "Pin it in place for a second."
Understanding Ye Fan's intent immediately, Dongshan rushed toward the Cockroach Energy Beast and grabbed it with both hands, holding it firmly under control.
Gripping the Cleaving Earth Blade tightly, Ye Fan descended from the sky and brought a slash down upon the Cockroach Energy Beast's head.
Although the Cockroach Energy Beast sensed the danger, it reacted too late; its twin wings were severed, and it crashed heavily to the ground.
Seeing this, Dongshan immediately activated his finishing move, Piercing Wind Stab, while Ye Fan followed closely behind, executing the Cleaving Earth Slash. Together, they shattered the Cockroach Energy Beast, turning it into a card.
Nodding at Dongshan, Ye Fan said, "Not bad. Write a combat report after you head back later."
Having said that, he mounted the Light and Shadow Wing once more, flew eastward, and headed to the battlefield where Beimiao was.
The Black Rhino Armor summoned by Beimiao was locked in an intense, evenly matched fight with a Bull-headed Energy Beast.
Wielding a giant axe, the Bull-headed Energy Beast delivered strike after strike imbued with tremendous force, while the Black Rhino Armor met it with the Meteor Spear, both attacking and defending in a rather fierce spectacle.
Just then, Ye Fan appeared silently behind the Bull-headed Energy Beast, running it through precisely with a single blade strike.
Following that, Ye Fan unleashed the Cloud-Shattering Palm, sending the Bull-headed Energy Beast flying.
Seeing this, Beimiao coordinated tacitly with Ye Fan; the two simultaneously unleashed their finishing moves, ultimately defeating the Bull-headed Energy Beast completely and turning it into a card.
When the battle concluded, Ye Fan patted Beimiao on the shoulder and praised approvingly, "Not bad, you've improved."
Subsequently, taking his leave of Beimiao, Ye Fan boarded the Light and Shadow Wing and flew swiftly back to the house he had previously purchased. Sitting cross-legged, he closed his eyes and quieted his mind, beginning to comprehend the Gold Spiritual Stone in his hand and sensing the mysterious power contained within it.