Armor: After finding the Demon-Sealing Box, I won't eat beef.

Looking at Xiangyang, who was fast asleep with his eyes closed.

A bold idea popped into Lin Zhen's mind.

If one could directly extract the pure Five Elements power from his body, one's own strength would inevitably experience a tremendous surge.

But Lin Zhen quickly suppressed this impulse.

He was calm enough and fully aware of the risks involved.

He himself possessed the pure source of darkness, while Xiangyang possessed the orthodox source of the five elements of light.

The two forces are inherently opposed, like fire and water.

Forcibly absorbing it will not lead to fusion and strengthening; it will only instantly trigger a clash between the source and the source.

He ended up dying from his body exploding.

The reason why the light energy dissipated during the battle can be absorbed and assimilated is because it is the dissipated energy after neutralization.

The five elements within Xiangyang's body represent the purest and most fundamental power of light.

There is absolutely no room for maneuver.

Absolutely must not be touched.

At the very least—don't touch it before you understand the risks.

"No forceful action will be taken for the time being."

Lin Zhen pondered to himself.

"We will continue to study this further and try to implant a mental imprint in him."

The Five Elements Imperial Bloodline, such as Xiangyang's, is a treasure unearthed over thousands of years of development in Earth's Light and Shadow Village.

Now that it's in our hands, we won't let it go easily.

Even if the imprint of thought cannot completely shake Xiangyang's original intention.

As long as you can subtly change his mindset in the slightest, or leave a hint of what's to come, it's a sure-fire win.

"clear."

Dr. Zhang, who was standing to the side, nodded solemnly and accepted the order.

He then proceeded to report on the follow-up plan: "Next, I will conduct a comprehensive screening of his physical data and perform an in-depth analysis of his gene sequence."

"To thoroughly understand the unique changes in the imperial bloodline."

"Um."

Lin Zhen responded with a faint "yes".

Without lingering any longer, he turned and left the laboratory.

In his plan, the greatest value of Xiangyang is that it will be thoroughly studied and understood.

At the same time, he must keep the sun firmly in check and absolutely not let the Shadow Guardians and their dark creatures lay a hand on it.

During this time, Lin Zhen received a secret report from his subordinates.

Strange and bizarre events have been occurring one after another at many of the group's restaurants and clothing stores.

Many customers paid with real cash, but in the blink of an eye, the banknotes turned into blank paper and withered leaves.

Lin Zhen instantly realized who was behind it all.

There is no one but the Black Emperor.

Such a low-level and clumsy bizarre method could only be used by a desperate Black Emperor.

He knew very well that the Shadow Guardian had once again approached the Black Emperor and begun to support him.

Now, with the power of shadow, the Black Emperor has awakened a bizarre ability to briefly manipulate the minds of others.

Although they are not top-tier combat forces, they still pose a threat and must be guarded against.

In particular, we must not allow the Black Emperor to find an opportunity to manipulate Xiangyang.

……

Several days later, in the Black Domain.

In just a few days, Evil Gold's injuries were completely healed, at an astonishing speed.

Not only did his injuries heal, but his strength also increased dramatically.

He had previously briefly absorbed the imperial power that had dissipated from Xiangyang's body, which was the embodiment of the most fundamental laws of the Bright Universe.

Even a trace of it is a hundred times purer than the dark energy within the body of Evil Gold.

Thanks to this, Evil Gold's combat power more than doubled.

Now it possesses the terrifying strength to take on two opponents at once.

"Great, Brother Evil Gold!"

The one with the most impatient temper and the loudest voice, Ehuo, spoke first, his tone full of excitement.

"Your sudden increase in strength proves that the power within that child truly nourishes us!"

"Fortune favors the bold, even at the cost of risk."

It's also worth drawing strength from Xiangyang!

Evil Metal was in a great mood at the moment, and dark energy surged around him.

"That's a once-in-a-lifetime treasure; we must hold onto it tightly."

"Unfortunately..."

Evil Water spoke at the opportune moment, his tone icy, as if pouring a bucket of cold water on someone.

"This treasure is now in the hands of that ungrateful Lin Zhen."

"Given his vigilance and strength, he would never let us get close to Xiangyang."

Lin Zhen will keep it all for himself.

Even the wicked soil looked worried and echoed him in a low voice.

"That's right."

"He most likely also covets the power of Xiangyang's Five Elements bloodline."

If he successfully absorbs it and his strength increases further, we'll have absolutely no chance of turning the tide.

"There is no need for you to worry."

Ejin spoke in a deep voice, calming the crowd's anxiety.

"Lin Zhen is fundamentally different from us."

His body is rooted in darkness, while Xiangyang's body is rooted in the pure light of the five elements.

The two forces are inherently contradictory.

Forcing coexistence will only cause the fundamental source to explode.

Lin Zhen is meticulous and shrewd; he would not do something so foolish as to bring about his own destruction.

"So what should we do now? How can we get Xiangyang back?"

The evil water stared directly at the evil gold, asking for a solution.

"Let's charge straight in and fight him!"

With a fiery temper, he immediately growled.

"With our four guardians working together, we can always find an opportunity to snatch someone!"

"reckless."

Evil Water gave a cold laugh and retorted directly.

"Have you forgotten what happened to the wicked tree?"

"Don't even mention the four of us, even if all five guardians gathered together, they might not be a match for Lin Zhen."

A head-on confrontation would be suicidal.

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

After a moment, Badlands slowly spoke, proposing a new idea.

"If we can't do it head-on, then we'll use leverage."

"We also have two special mutant beasts that have completely turned evil."

"Chameleon, Giant Claw Scorpion!"

These two strange beasts were completely transformed by them using the power of darkness.

Although its combat power is not as good as Lin Zhen's elite mutant beasts, it is fierce and durable, which is enough to restrain the opponent.

Evil Gold lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head again.

"It's still too risky."

"Rather than taking the initiative and wasting our strength, it's better to sit back and watch the tigers fight."

"Sit back and watch the tigers fight?"

Evil Water's eyes lit up, and he instantly understood what it meant.

"Brother Evil Gold, do you intend to send ERP's armor summoner to deal with Lin Zhen?"

Is it feasible?

The bad soil looked hesitant.

"The entire ERP system was secretly controlled by Lin Zhen, and those summoners looked like his subordinates."

"What we control is the institution, not people's hearts."

A sinister smile curled at the corner of Ejin's mouth as he slowly revealed his entire scheme.

"We only need to spread the truth, without taking any action, and their internal structure will naturally fall apart."

They kill each other.

"Don't forget, Xiang Yang has been missing for a long time, and everyone in ERP has been searching for him everywhere."

"What a brilliant tactic of using someone else to do the dirty work!"

Evil Earth suddenly realized something, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

This move was precise and ruthless.

First of all, Zhang Jian was their mole planted in the ERP system, ready to cooperate in creating momentum at any time.

Secondly, west Zhao and Bing'er's childhood was destroyed in that bloody massacre at the orphanage.

If Lin Zhen is revealed to be the mastermind behind everything, even if the two remain rational, a rift and resentment will inevitably develop between them.

In addition, Chou Jiang once kidnapped and imprisoned Bei Miao's younger sister, Xiao Xi, for several months.

Once this matter is exposed, the strong-willed Bei Miao will definitely not let it go.

As for Wu Dongshan and Kunzhong.

Even without personal grudges, their stances would be completely opposed after learning that Lin Zhen was the mastermind behind the film industry.

"chaos!"

"Once they are thrown into chaos, we'll have an opportunity to seize Xiangyang!"

Evil Gold's eyes were sinister as he slowly clenched his fist, his killing intent palpable.

"Let's proceed with this plan."

Immediately, the four guardians split up and began to devise a plan to sow discord.

They first approached Meizhen.

When the Shadow Guardian revealed the whole truth that Lin Zhen was the mastermind behind the film industry.

Meizhen froze on the spot, her mind going completely blank.

Next, the Dharma Protector explained the relationship between west Zhao, Bing Er, and Lin Zhen.

They also told us the whole truth about the tragedy that happened at the welfare home back then.

Then.

They found Bei Miao and exposed all the details of his sister Xiao Xi's kidnapping and imprisonment.

Finally, they came to west Zhao and Bing'er themselves.

They stated frankly that the culprit who ruined their childhood and caused the tragedy at the welfare home was Lin Zhen, who had raised them.

Having done all this, the four guardians retreated back to the Dark Domain.

Quietly wait for the situation to become chaotic, then reap the benefits.

……

At this moment, Lin Zhen was completely unaware of the Shadow Protector's scheme.

He didn't have the extra energy to pay attention to these undercurrents.

At this moment, he was completely captivated by a sudden and strange event.

The top-floor private chairman's office of the Riyin Group.

Lin Zhen was sitting at his desk, reviewing the group's recent core documents.

The office door was hurriedly pushed open.

The security captain helped a subordinate, who was covered in blood and badly injured, into the room quickly.

The two looked flustered and were breathing heavily, clearly indicating that they had encountered something serious.

"Chairman, there's a major emergency to report!"

Lin Zhen raised his eyes, nodded slightly, and gestured for the two to speak.

"explain."

The subordinate covered in blood was a core member of the group's exclusive surveillance team.

His full-time job was to keep an eye on all the women who had entanglements with Lin Zhen.

These women were all young, beautiful, and exceptionally talented.

Those with ability will hold nominal positions and receive high salaries in subsidiaries of the group.

Those who were unable to support themselves were fully supported by Lin Zhen, and their lives were worry-free.

But everyone had one ironclad rule: before Lin Zhen completely let go of them, they were absolutely not allowed to have any involvement with any other man.

Despite the excruciating pain, the subordinate spoke with a trembling voice.

"Chairman... Liu Ruyan... she's pregnant!"

They also injured more than ten of our colleagues from Group 76 and escaped.

With a buzzing sound.

Lin Zhen abruptly stopped writing with his pen, and the instant he looked up, a chill ran through his eyes.

"Who are you talking about? Liu Ruyan?"

His tone was icy and chilling, filled with unbelievable anger.

"How could she possibly be pregnant?"

"And they even injured more than a dozen of your elite surveillance team members?"

The members of the surveillance team are all top talents selected through a rigorous process by the group.

His physical abilities, combat skills, and investigative abilities all far surpass those of ordinary people.

A dozen elite soldiers were all injured by an ordinary woman, and could only watch helplessly as she escaped.

This matter is strange in every way.

Lin Zhen slowly put down the document in his hand, and the air pressure around him suddenly dropped.

An invisible sense of oppression swept through the entire office, leaving the security captain and his injured subordinate stiff and fearful.

"so."

Lin Zhen slowly stood up, a chilling glint flashing in his eyes.

"Liu Ruyan, did you cheat on me?"

He has lived two lives and now possesses top-tier wealth, power, and strength.

He controls a vast business empire and wields extraordinary power.

Someone actually dared to provoke him and challenge his bottom line.

This is no longer a simple private matter; it is a blatant provocation.

Lin Zhen's chest was surging with rage, and his killing intent was overwhelming.

"check!"

"Find that man! I'll uproot him completely, plow the land three feet deep!"

The injured subordinate was so frightened that his legs went weak and he knelt down with a thud, his whole body trembling violently.

Faced with Lin Zhen's furious aura, he didn't even have the courage to raise his head.

"No...Chairman, no!"

"no?"

Lin Zhen laughed in extreme anger, his laughter cold and terrifying.

"Even today, there are still people who dare to touch the people around me."

"Speak! Who is it?!"

The subordinate was so frightened that his voice trembled, and he slowly and deliberately revealed the shocking truth.

"Chairman...that man...is yourself..."

These words were spoken.

Lin Zhen was stunned, and the anger in his eyes suddenly froze.

The next second, he felt it was so absurd that he laughed out of anger.

"I?"

He knows his physical condition all too well.

Constantly eroded by the dark source and undergoing continuous extraordinary evolution, his body has long since transcended the realm of ordinary humans.

There is absolute reproductive isolation between them and ordinary humans.

It's simply impossible for them to have any descendants.

How could Liu Ruyan possibly be pregnant?

The subordinate hurriedly kowtowed and tried to explain.

"It really is the chairman! I swear on my life, every word he says is true!"

"On July 23, 2006, you arranged for Liu Ruyan to work at the group's accounting firm."

"For the past three years, she has been under our close surveillance and has never had contact with a single man!"

"Her life was simple and clean, with no possibility of outside interference!"

"She's been acting strangely ever since she left you, like she's sick."

A year later, she started wearing loose-fitting clothes, and by 08, she couldn't hide it anymore; it turned out she was pregnant.

Lin Zhen found it utterly absurd: "It's actually quite convincingly made up."

"Chairman, it's true. I wouldn't dare lie."

I swear on my life, please believe me.

Lin Zhen frowned, suppressed his anger, and asked in a deep voice.

"Since you were already showing back in 08, why are you only reporting it now?"

The subordinate quickly explained the reason.

"At first, Liu Ruyan said that the child was yours."

"No outsiders were in contact with us throughout the entire process, and none of us had any doubts."

She also said that she wanted to give you a huge surprise after the baby was safely delivered, and asked us to keep it a secret for now.

Lin Zhen's gaze deepened as he continued to press for answers.

"And now?"

"Logically, the child should have been born long ago. Where is the child?"

At this point, the kneeling subordinate's face instantly filled with extreme terror.

He was trembling all over, his jaw was chattering, and his voice was filled with deep fear.

"Chairman... your child... has not yet been born..."

"That's not a normal child...it's a freak!!!"

"A freak?"

Lin Zhen narrowed his eyes, his brows furrowed tightly together.

"She's been pregnant for three years and still hasn't given birth? Is she pregnant with Nezha?"

The subordinate looked completely bewildered, not understanding the term at all.

"Nezha... what is that? This subordinate does not know."

Lin Zhen waved his hand irritably, too lazy to explain.

"Don't ask unnecessary questions."

"Explain yourself. How could Liu Ruyan, an ordinary person, injure more than a dozen of your elite surveillance personnel and forcibly escape?"

The members of the surveillance team were all highly skilled and professionally trained.

Liu Ruyan was just an ordinary woman with no fighting skills.

Logically speaking, they should have no power to resist.

It's very strange, extremely strange.

He needed to find out the whole process of the resistance and escape.

The key issue is that if Liu Ruyan is really pregnant with his child, then things will be in big trouble.