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

You'll find out later.

The girl casually let out a burp, looking lazy and carefree.

She also tried to act like an ordinary person.

She raised her slender little finger and gently picked her teeth with her nail, her posture looking exceptionally childlike.

Before the five of them could even take a closer look, they realized that...

The surging black field around them spontaneously gathered together.

It firmly enveloped her petite body.

next second.

The dark area flashed by, and the girl, along with that eerie darkness, disappeared into the air above the sea.

On the deck, the emperor stood there, completely bewildered.

After the girl appeared, they were truly just passive spectators throughout the entire ordeal.

First, they didn't know where their opponent came from, nor did they know why the Black Beast was so afraid.

But the only thing that is certain is that the Black Beast has disappeared.

The biggest crisis has been averted.

Then the imperial armor began to slowly dissipate.

The ultimate golden armor gradually differentiated, transforming into five warm and pure rays of light, which steadily floated down onto the deck of the drilling platform.

The light fell to the ground.

The figures of Li Xinnan, west Zhao, Bei Miao, Kun Zhong, and Wu Dongshan appeared one by one.

Having just dismantled the group, the five of them remained kneeling on one knee with one hand supporting them on the ground, in perfect unison.

He exudes an extreme level of handsomeness.

After a brief moment of respite, Bei Miao was the first to regain her senses.

He slowly got up, supporting himself on the ground, and patted the dust off his hands.

Seeing this, the other four people also used the support to stand up and stretch their sore limbs.

Silence spread across the deck, and everyone's attention was focused on the mysterious girl from before.

After holding it in for a while, Kunzhong raised his hand and scratched the back of his head, asking with a puzzled look on his face.

"By the way... who was that girl who suddenly appeared just now?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xinnan, Dong Shan, and west Zhao all shook their heads slightly.

That person never gave his name from beginning to end.

They wouldn't recognize them.

Bei Miao's eyes were serious as he subconsciously scanned the empty sea.

In a deep voice, he said, "I have a very strong intuition that she is definitely our enemy."

"This sense of crisis is several times stronger than when we were facing the Black Beast."

"I feel that way too."

west Zhao immediately nodded in agreement, his expression extremely serious.

Wu Dongshan was stunned for a moment, then gave a wry smile.

"I thought I was the only one who felt this eerie sense of oppression, but it turns out everyone feels the same way."

"From this perspective, she is definitely not an unknown person."

west Zhao spoke with certainty.

Just as the group was deep in thought, Kunzhong suddenly raised his hand, as if he had remembered a huge problem.

"etc!

I suddenly realized a critical problem!

The other four looked over immediately, thinking he had discovered some crucial clue.

Kunzhong looked like he was about to cry, pointing at the huge steel platform under his feet, his voice filled with panic.

Look!

"This is a deep-sea drilling platform!"

"We're stuck in the middle of the ocean now, how do we get back?!"

Upon hearing this, Bei Miao immediately glanced at him sideways, giving him an utterly speechless and idiotic look.

He raised his hand, took out the Black Rhino Armor Summoner from his pocket, and spoke calmly.

"Kunzhong, do you think you're very humorous?"

"Oh...right!"

Kunzhong instantly realized what was happening, scratched his head awkwardly, and wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

They are armor summoners, how can they be trapped and die at sea?

But the next second, an accident happened.

"ah--!"

Wu Dongshan, who was standing next to him, suddenly gasped softly, his face full of astonishment.

"What's wrong?" Everyone immediately turned to look at him.

"My summoner isn't working."

Wu Dongshan repeatedly used the Wind Eagle Summoner, but the summoner remained completely dark.

"I just tried to transform, but I couldn't trigger the armor's energy at all. It's like my phone ran out of battery and crashed."

"Not only does it transform, but it also has built-in communication functions that support calling."

They were all paralyzed.

As soon as he finished speaking, west Zhao also quickly tested his Snow Mastiff summoner.

"Mine is broken too, it's not working."

Following this, Li Xinnan, Bei Miao, and Kun Zhong conducted the tests one after another, and the results were exactly the same.

All five armor summoning devices malfunctioned and became unusable.

"How could this happen?"

"How could the summoner suddenly break down?" Kunzhong asked, his face full of confusion.

Bei Miao pondered for two seconds, then quickly figured out the key point.

"No need to guess, it must have been caused by the combined Emperor Armor just now."

"The Emperor's ultimate energy level is too high; ordinary summoning device materials cannot withstand that power."

"Forcibly bearing the power of an emperor once resulted in being burned by energy overload."

"That makes sense." Li Xinnan nodded slightly, acknowledging the deduction.

"That makes sense, but what do we do now?"

Kunzhong panicked.

At that moment, the five of them realized the seriousness of the situation.

All summoners were destroyed, making it impossible to combine the armor and contact the outside world.

Looking up, the sky was covered with dark clouds, the heavy clouds obscuring the sun and making it impossible to tell its location or the time of day.

All around was the vast, boundless sea, with its surging waves.

There's nothing there except this lonely drilling platform.

"We're doomed... Are we really going to be trapped here and starve to death at sea?"

Kunzhong's lips drooped, and he looked like he was about to cry but had no tears.

Who would have thought that just minutes ago, they were still combined into the Imperial Armor to conquer space?

The savior who crushed the ultimate monster.

The scenery is magnificent, and the combat power is at its peak.

But then he was stumped by the simplest question: how to get home.

Just when the five were in dire straits and filled with helplessness.

Rat-a-tat-tat—! ! !

The clear sound of helicopter rotors spinning could be heard from the distant horizon.

It pierced through the thick, dark clouds, getting closer and closer.

Li Xinnan and the others immediately looked up, their eyes lighting up instantly.

Through the gaps in the thick, dark clouds, a large transport helicopter broke through the clouds and flew towards the platform.

The moment when life comes to life.

Kunzhong forgot all his troubles and jumped up like a child, waving his hands and roaring.

"Here! We're here!! Please help us!!!"

The helicopter seemed to have pinpointed their location with pinpoint accuracy.

It slowly adjusted its course and began to descend towards the drilling platform.

"Great! I heard that!"

The pilot heard us!

Kunzhong was so excited he almost cried. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. He was no longer going to be trapped at sea.

Seeing his outburst, west Zhao helplessly raised his hand to his forehead and muttered a complaint.

"Kunzhong, could you please pay a little attention to your image?"

"This helicopter is a proprietary model for our group."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately focused their attention on examining the markings on the aircraft.

Sure enough, the logo of the Nippon Group was clearly and prominently printed on the fuselage, making it highly recognizable.

The helicopter landed steadily on the empty deck, and the cabin door slowly opened.

When west Zhao saw the figures sitting in the cabin, he froze on the spot, his face full of astonishment.

Deep inside the cabin, a familiar figure sat quietly.

It was Lin Zhen, who had been rumored to have been missing for several months.

He looked languid, a cigar between his fingers, the smoke rising slowly.

In fact, given his current level of life experience...

Tobacco and alcohol have no effect on him whatsoever.

It's just a habit I've developed over the years, and I'm too lazy to change it intentionally, so I've kept it.

"This person... looks so familiar."

Wu Dongshan stared at Lin Zhen's face.

He frowned slightly, feeling like he'd seen this place somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it.

Bei Miao's eyes instantly turned cold, and a faint hostility emanated from his body.

He stared intently at Lin Zhen, his tone icy and chilling.

"Hmph, who else could it be?"

"He is Lin Zhen, the founder of the Shadow Realm who has always treated us like monkeys."

These words instantly awakened everyone.

"Yes, yes, yes! I remember now!"

Kunzhong immediately chimed in, suddenly realizing what was going on.

"I knew he looked familiar! I'd seen his picture in the newspapers before!"

Li Xinnan looked at Xi Zhao, his face full of doubt.

"west Zhao, didn't you say he'd been missing for a long time? How come he suddenly appears here?"

"I don't know either."

west Zhao shook his head slightly, his eyes full of surprise.

The other four remained where they were, wary and hesitant to approach.

In contrast, Lin Zhen remained calm throughout, seemingly unconcerned about the others' wariness.

He glanced at the crowd, raised his hand slightly, and spoke with a casual tone.

"What are you waiting for? Get up here."

The sound wasn't loud, but it had extremely strong penetrating power.

It entered clearly into everyone's ears, carrying an aura that left no room for refusal.

west Zhao was the first to come to his senses and quickly turned around to urge everyone on.

"Don't just stand there, get on the plane right now."

Li Xinnan, Bei Miao, Kun Zhong, and Wu Dongshan looked at each other in pairs, their eyes filled with hesitation.

Everyone knows that Lin Zhen is the founder of the Dark Shadow Realm.

They are the enemies of their light and shadow lineage.

The arrival of a helicopter from a mortal enemy to provide rescue out of nowhere seems incredibly strange.

What kind of enemy in the world is so kind?

But now they are trapped in the deep sea, all their summoning devices are broken, and they have no other choice.

After a moment's hesitation, and at west Zhao's repeated urging, the group finally stepped onto the helicopter.

As for Bei Miao, he resisted the whole time and was eventually half-pulled up by Kun Zhong.

From the moment he boarded the plane until he took his seat, his gaze remained fixed on Lin Zhen, and the anger in his eyes never dissipated.

If looks could kill, Lin Zhen would have been killed countless times by now.

Lin Zhen completely ignored his extremely aggressive gaze.

The helicopter cabin was exceptionally spacious; even after all five people were seated, there was still plenty of room to spare.

Luxurious and comfortable.

Once everyone was seated, Lin Zhen gently waved to the driver.

The pilot immediately understood, and maneuvered the helicopter to slowly ascend, smoothly leaving the drilling platform and flying towards the distant land.

Lin Zhen then looked at the five tense people, his tone casual and indifferent.

"There's chilled champagne in the armrests and cigars in the overhead compartment."

"If you want to smoke or drink, help yourself, don't be shy."

"You'd be that kind?"

Bei Miao immediately sneered.

He cut to the chase, his words brimming with skepticism: "They've probably planted something inside already, waiting to ambush us."

Before Lin Zhen could speak, west Zhao quickly offered an explanation.

"Bei Miao, my dad wouldn't do such a thing."

Bei Miao turned her head away, her face full of disbelief, her tone defiant.

"He's your father, of course you'll side with him."

"No, it's not."

west Zhao had no choice but to defend himself and patiently calm everyone down.

"My father's character is such that he would disdain such a low-level method as poisoning."

Li Xinnan, Wu Dongshan, and Kunzhong remained silent throughout, making no move.

They still maintained a clear distance from Lin Zhen in their hearts and remained wary.

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhen simply smiled faintly and raised his hand to twirl the cigar between his fingers.

He spoke up: "Gurkha Royal Courtesan, you really don't want to give it a try?"

I heard a string of unfamiliar words.

Xin Nan, Bei Miao, Dong Shan, and Kun Zhong looked completely bewildered.

I couldn't understand a word they were saying.

"It sounds like English?" Kunzhong scratched his head and muttered something that seemed to understand but not quite.

Seeing this, west Zhao thoughtfully offered some scientific explanations.

"The Royal Gurkha Cigar has a market price of up to 9.5 million."

"This cigar is made with the finest ingredients and crafted with the utmost skill, and is produced in limited quantities worldwide each year."

Extremely rare, these items are exclusive collectibles for the ultra-wealthy.

"What??? Nine and a half million per tube???"

Kunzhong's pupils dilated instantly, and he sprang up from his seat, his head slamming hard against the cabin ceiling.

He winced in pain.

He quickly reached into the storage compartment above his head and took out a cigar.

The exquisite and luxurious outer packaging features a five-carat dazzling diamond set in the eggplant body, complemented by gilded patterns, exuding an overwhelming sense of luxury.

Those who witnessed it were deeply shocked.

"My God! One cigarette is worth a mansion! This is outrageously extravagant!!!"

Even the usually composed Li Xinnan and Wu Dongshan couldn't help but feel a tremor in their hearts at this moment.

They work diligently in the ERP research lab, earning a monthly salary of 12,000 yuan, which is far above average.

But a single cigar they casually smoke is worth more than what they earn in a lifetime of hard work.

The enormous gap between the rich and the poor leaves people speechless.

Wu Dongshan carefully took one from Kunzhong's hand, examined it repeatedly, and sighed softly.

"How can the difference between people be so great..."

"Whatever, I'm going to try it today, no matter what!"

Kunzhong became interested, displaying the spirit of a young man.

Such top-tier luxury goods are a once-in-a-lifetime experience; one must experience them firsthand.

When I go back, I can brag to my brothers on the court.

Seeing this, Lin Zhen took out a pure gold lighter from his pocket and casually tossed it over.

Kunzhong quickly caught it and lovingly stroked the exquisite gold lighter.

He clumsily lit his cigar, took a deep drag, and swallowed it directly into his lungs.

next second.

Cough cough cough—!

The strong smell of tobacco hit Kunzhong's throat, causing him to cough violently and his eyes to well up with tears.

"Wow, this is terrible! What's going on?"

"Why is it so hard to smoke a cigar that costs millions?"

west Zhao was both amused and exasperated, and could only offer a helpless reminder.

"Cigars are not like cigarettes; you can't inhale them. Just hold them in your mouth and savor the flavor."

"Oh my god, why didn't you say so earlier, cough cough..."

Kunzhong coughed and complained at the same time, looking particularly comical in his disheveled state.

The tense and oppressive atmosphere in the cabin was instantly eased by his appearance.

After calming down, Li Xinnan looked at the exquisite cigar in his hand and politely glanced at Lin Zhen.

"Um...can I take one home to keep as a souvenir?"

Lin Zhen nodded slightly, casually agreeing.

west Zhao provided further explanation as appropriate.

"This cigar is a top-tier collectible luxury item, more of a status symbol, and very few people actually smoke it."

Upon hearing this, Kunzhong asked with great curiosity.

"If it's for collection purposes, why does your dad still smoke so often?"

"My dad doesn't need these external things to show off his status."

west Zhao spoke in a calm tone, but his words were remarkably Versailles.

"These so-called top-tier luxury goods are merely low-end entertainment for him."

Kunzhong's eyelids twitched wildly, and he looked utterly bewildered.

"Listen to this! Is this even human language? A cigar costing nearly ten million dollars is considered low-end?"

Li Xinnan and Wu Dongshan, who were standing to the side, also quietly took one and put it away.

Kunzhong casually pulled out a cigarette and stuffed it into Beimiao's arms without saying a word.

"Here, it's yours."

Bei Miao originally wanted to refuse firmly and stick to her position.

But when you can feel the exquisite texture of the cigar and think about its outrageous price, you still can't bring yourself to buy it.

He remained defiant verbally, but his actions betrayed his true intentions and he accepted.

At this moment, Lin Zhen gave Xi Zhao a wink.

west Zhao instantly understood and immediately got up to open the car's refrigerator.

He took out several bottles of Louis Roederer Crystal Champagne, filled them to the finest wine glasses, and handed them out to everyone one by one.

Looking at the crystal-clear champagne in the glass, Kunzhong reacted instantly and asked nervously.

"Don't tell me this one costs millions! My heart can't take it!"

west Zhao couldn't help but chuckle.

"Don't worry, it's not that exaggerated. A bottle only costs tens of thousands of yuan, it's really not expensive."

"Tens of thousands of yuan a bottle...that's definitely not cheap."

Having experienced the shock of spending millions on cigars, the crowd was surprisingly calm when faced with champagne worth tens of thousands.

Lin Zhen picked up the champagne glass in front of him, his gaze sweeping over the five people, his tone carrying a hint of approval.

"Congratulations to the five of you for successfully grasping the true meaning of bonds and unity."

"Although you were ultimately unable to seal the Dark Beast with your own hands, your growth is still evident to all."

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank the champagne in one gulp, his movements casual and unrestrained.

Li Xinnan and his four companions exchanged glances, hesitated for a moment, and then raised their glasses and drank them down in one gulp.

Even though Lin Zhen is seen as a villain by the world, he is also the creator of the film industry.

But at this moment, he was impeccably polite, and they did not lack the respect they were due.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere eased considerably.

Li Xinnan put down his wine glass, adopting a humble and polite demeanor, and took the initiative to ask questions.

"May I call you Mr. Lin?"

Lin Zhen remained noncommittal.

With permission granted, Li Xinnan finally asked the question that had been weighing on his mind for a long time.

"From the moment I boarded the plane until now, I can sense that you are not a purely evil person."

"If that's the case, why did you create the Shadowlands to wreak havoc in the first place?"

Lin Zhen held a cigar between his fingers, slowly exhaling a smoke ring, his expression calm.

"I'm in a good mood today, so I can answer your questions."

"I did all this because of my own ambition, and also because I had reasons to do it."

"The reason you had to do it?" Li Xinnan raised an eyebrow, full of curiosity.

"That's right."

Lin Zhen slowly began to speak, recounting his past since birth, his experiences and hardships in his youth.

The cabin was unusually quiet, and everyone listened attentively to his past experiences.

After hearing this, the group felt a deep sense of sorrow.

Lin Zhen's life is not exactly inspiring; in fact, it's far more outrageous than anyone could imagine.

He suffered from abnormal physical development from a young age, endured bullying, and experienced the harsh realities of life.

But they managed to seize a slim opportunity and gradually rose to their current heights.

Putting aside their positions of good and evil, if they were in that desperate situation, they might not have been able to do better than Lin Zhen.

"So what will happen to the Shadow Realm now?" Wu Dongshan's mindset had changed, and he asked softly.

"The film industry... has already faded from the historical stage."

Lin Zhen spoke in a calm tone.

"You mean, there won't be any more mutant beasts causing trouble in the world, and there won't be any more crises in the Shadow Realm?"

Kunzhong became excited instantly and quickly pressed for more information.

"Hmm." Lin Zhen nodded gently in affirmation.

After a brief moment of joy, Wu Dongshan remembered the mysterious girl and spoke up at the right time.

"By the way, you are very knowledgeable."

"Do you know a woman who is just like a normal person, but she gave us a very strange feeling?"

She can also manipulate the Dark Domain.

"What is its origin, appearing at the scene of our battle and absorbing the Black Beast?"

"I just heard you say that the five of us did not seal the Black Demon Beast."

They must know the inside story.

Upon hearing this, the four people who were relaxed instantly focused and looked intently at Lin Zhen.

This is the question that everyone is most concerned about right now.

A glint flashed in Lin Zhen's eyes as he spoke softly, his tone carrying a hint of deeper meaning.

"Her..."

From the perspective of biological genes and bloodline origins, she is considered—