Strip me of my armor? I'll summon the Emperor in a flash!

Chapter 16 Battle Emperor Armor

Inside the dark, abandoned factory, the damp air was filled with the smell of rust and decay.

A few pale rays of moonlight slanted in through the broken glass window, illuminating the mottled bloodstains on the ground.

"grown ups!"

The ugly general bowed and respectfully placed an unconscious boy on the ground in front of the Black Emperor.

His breathing was rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, clearly indicating that the journey had not been easy.

"The person... has been captured for you!"

He knelt on one knee, head bowed, not daring to look directly into the Black Emperor's eyes.

The Black Emperor stood silently in the shadows, his black wooden cane tapping the ground lightly with a dull thud.

His gaze slowly moved down to the unconscious Xiang Yang, a barely perceptible fervor flashing deep in his eyes.

"finally……"

His voice was hoarse and deep, as if he had been suppressing it for too long and was finally able to release it.

The cane gently lifted Xiangyang's chin, exposing his pale face completely to the dim light. The Black Emperor's fingertips trembled slightly, his eyes flashing with a morbid excitement.

"That's right...it's him!"

His voice suddenly rose, echoing in the empty factory, filled with an almost manic joy.

"The Emperor of Light!"

The Black Emperor suddenly bent down, his fingers almost greedily stroking Xiangyang's cheek, as if confirming the authenticity of a rare treasure.

His breathing became heavy, and his eyes burned with a frenzied possessiveness.

"Once I control you... this world will be mine!"

His laughter was low and distorted, echoing in the darkness.

The ugly general knelt to one side, his body trembling involuntarily.

He had never seen the Black Emperor so out of control—his eyes were devoid of any reason, filled only with naked desire and madness.

"Sir, what do we do next..."

"Shut up!"

The Black Emperor suddenly turned his head, his eyes piercing the Ugly General like knives, which frightened him into silence.

"Now, no one can stop me..."

The Black Emperor slowly straightened up, his cane striking the ground heavily. Dark energy spread from beneath his feet like a tide, and the temperature of the entire factory suddenly dropped.

"What is the Dark Emperor?"

He sneered, his eyes full of disdain.

"True power...is here!"

He looked down at the unconscious Xiangyang, a sinister smile creeping onto his lips.

"Soon, you will become my most perfect... puppet!"

I couldn't help but fantasize about controlling the Emperor of Light and conquering the entire world!
"Ugly general!"

Black Emperor's voice echoed like sandpaper scraping through the empty, abandoned factory.

The ugly general trembled and quickly lowered his head, not daring to look directly into those eyes that gleamed with a scarlet light.

"Go out and keep watch," the Black Emperor commanded coldly. "Don't let a single fly in."

"Yes! Yes!" the ugly general responded repeatedly, hunching his back and quickly retreating towards the door.

His steps were hurried, and he almost tripped over the steel bars scattered on the ground.

The heavy iron gate slowly closed behind him with a dull thud.

When the last ray of light from the outside world was cut off, the Black Emperor finally stopped suppressing his inner ecstasy.

Hehe. Hehehe.

An eerie laugh echoed in the darkness, like the hooting of an owl.

He stuck out his scarlet tongue and slowly licked his chapped lips, his gaze fixed on the unconscious Xiangyang.

"Emperor of Light," the Black Emperor's voice trembled with excitement, "from this day forward, you are mine!"

He suddenly spread his arms wide, and his black robe fluttered and rustled even without wind.

A dense surge of shadow power erupted from his body, writhing and twisting in the air like viscous black mist. The temperature inside the factory plummeted, and a thin layer of black frost condensed on the ground.

"Wake up, my puppet."

The Black Emperor's withered fingers formed complex hand seals, and the power of shadow transformed into countless tiny black threads that drilled towards Xiang Yang's brow, heart, and limbs.

The black lines seemed alive, greedily searching for a way to enter the boy's body.

however--

Just as the first wisp of black mist was about to touch Xiangyang's skin, the boy's eyelashes suddenly trembled slightly.

The Black Emperor's movements suddenly stopped.

"Um?"

He narrowed his eyes and cautiously took a half-step back. But soon, he chuckled and cursed himself for being suspicious—what threat could an unconscious child pose?
The Black Emperor's withered, claw-like fingers suddenly tightened, and the power of shadow poured out like a flood bursting its banks.

Thick, inky energy condensed in the air into countless tiny black tendrils, frantically drilling into the seven orifices facing the sun.

“Ugh!”

Xiangyang, who was unconscious, suddenly arched his body and let out a heart-wrenching scream.

Spiderweb-like black lines appeared beneath his pale skin, and veins bulged on his slender neck.

Crystalline tears rolled down her trembling eyelashes, leaving small, dark craters on the dusty ground.

"Open your eyes, my little sun," the Black Emperor's voice was like a viper's hiss, carrying a chilling tenderness.

Xiangyang's eyelids trembled violently, and he finally opened them abruptly—his eyes, which should have been as clear as morning dew, now appeared an eerie gray-black.

His pupils dilated and contracted, as if struggling against some invisible force.

"No." The boy's lips trembled as he squeezed out the two words, his childish voice filled with a pain that did not belong to his age.

Black Emperor excitedly licked his chapped lips.

He could clearly sense that the power of shadow was conquering the boy's body.

The dark energy, like millions of ants, gnawed at every inch of light.

Beneath Xiangyang's fair skin, dark lines writhed like living creatures, gradually outlining an evil rune.

"ah--!!"

Xiangyang suddenly let out a scream that sounded inhuman. His body twisted strangely, his back arching into an unbelievable curve.

Golden and black energies intertwined and collided on the body's surface, bursting out dazzling sparks.

The factory floor began to tremble, and the scattered steel bars seemed to be manipulated by an invisible hand, suspending in mid-air.

“Yes, that’s it.” The Black Emperor trembled with excitement, thick black sweat beading on his body beneath his black robes. “Let darkness devour your laughable light!”

"Descend, Imperial Armor!"

The Black Emperor's hoarse roar echoed throughout the factory, his withered arms outstretched, his black robes fluttering wildly in the raging energy.

A blinding golden light descended from the sky, engulfing Xiangyang completely like divine punishment.

The light was so pure it was almost sacred, yet wisps of black energy swirled around its edges.

The boy's figure in the golden light gradually blurred, and was replaced by a golden suit of armor as majestic as a mountain.

The yin-yang symbol on the waist of the armor slowly rotated, and the dragon-shaped shoulder guards emitted a blazing white light, yet the dragon's eyes shone with an eerie blackish-red hue. As the helmet finally took shape, the crystalline eyes on the visor suddenly lit up—they were as black as ink!
"The Emperor Armor!" The Black Emperor, witnessing the arrival of the Emperor Armor, erupted in ecstatic joy. "Hahahaha! I succeeded!"

The entire suit of armor suddenly trembled violently, and spiderweb-like black patterns appeared on its golden surface.

Beneath the visor, the eyes were completely dark, like an abyss, with only two crimson dots flickering in the pupils.

As it raised its arm, a crisp sound of chains snapping echoed through the air.

The armored warrior simply took a step, and the entire factory floor collapsed with a roar.

A violent energy hurricane erupted from its center, swirling rusty steel beams high into the air like straw.

"What...wonderful power." The Black Emperor's voice came from all directions, and the black patterns on the armor undulated like blood vessels.

"Are we late?"

A deep, cold voice suddenly echoed through the abandoned factory, like a cold blade slicing through the frozen air.

The Black Emperor froze abruptly, turning his head sharply, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpoints—

At the rusted iron gate of the factory, a tall, slender figure stood silently, as still as an abyss. Moonlight slanted down from the broken dome, outlining the man's sharp silhouette. The hem of his black trench coat fluttered slightly, as if blending into the shadows.

Li Yan had one hand in his pocket, while the fingertips of his other hand were entwined with wisps of black mist.

His gaze was eerily calm, like the sea before a storm, with turbulent undercurrents yet no visible waves.

"It's you?!"

The Black Emperor's voice suddenly rose, and his withered fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on the snake-headed cane.

The black gemstone inlaid on the staff head shimmered violently, reflecting the distorted horror on his face.

He never expected that Li Yan would be able to follow him like a shadow in such a hidden, abandoned place.

"Surprised?" Li Yan walked forward slowly, his military boots making a soft, crisp sound as they stepped over the broken glass scattered on the ground.

With each step, a barely perceptible black ripple spread across the ground. "You think hiding in a place like this..."

He suddenly raised his hand, and a black light flashed.

"—Can't I find it?"

"Crack!"

The steel frame beside the Black Emperor snapped in an instant, its cross-section as smooth as a mirror.

"So what if we found it?"

The Black Emperor, controlling the Imperial Armor, took a step forward, causing spiderweb-like cracks to spread across the ground beneath his gilded boots. "Now I possess the Emperor Armor of Light; you are no match for me!"

Li Yan stood at the other end of the factory building, moonlight shining through the broken dome onto him, outlining a long, slender silhouette.

Upon hearing the Black Emperor's blustering yet cowardly declaration, a mocking sneer slowly crept onto his lips.

This smile sent a shiver down Black Emperor's spine. Even from a great distance, he could still feel the condescending contempt.

“You think,” Li Yan slowly unbuttoned his black trench coat, the hem creating a slight gust of air as it fell, “that you can defeat me with this armor?”

Suddenly, a jet-black energy vortex burst forth from his fingertips, spreading through the air like ink.

Black Emperor subconsciously took a half step back.

"Dark Emperor Armor." Li Yan's voice suddenly became deep and authoritative. "Combination."

In an instant, the whole world seemed to be muted.

Countless black particles emerged from the void, swirling around Li Yan like a blizzard.

They collide, recombine, and nest, emitting a tooth-grinding metallic hum.

A suit of armor, identical in design to the Emperor's Armor but entirely black, is taking shape—the breastplate features ferocious dragon patterns, the shoulder armor is inlaid with dark purple energy crystals, and the mask's eyes glow with a blood-red light.

As the armor was assembled and put into place, the entire factory suddenly shook violently.

Two completely opposite energy fields collided, and golden and black lightning intertwined and exploded in the air.

Fine cracks appeared on the concrete wall, and the steel bars twisted and groaned as if they were alive.

"Dark Aurora Sword!"

Li Yan took a step forward, and the Dark Aurora Sword condensed and took shape in his palm.

The surface of this jet-black longsword was swirling with purple energy, and wherever its blade passed, even light was swallowed up.

"Let me see." Li Yan's figure suddenly blurred, and before he finished speaking, he appeared before the Emperor of Light. "The strength of an Emperor!"

The Emperor of Light summoned by Xiangyang also reacted quickly, summoning the Aurora Shield.

The Dark Aurora Sword and the Aurora Shield collided with a deafening roar, and the resulting shockwave shattered all the glass within a radius of 100 meters.

Back
Li Yan slowly sheathed his sword, and the Dark Aurora Sword in his hand turned into black particles and dissipated.

He took three steps back, each step leaving a footprint in the ground that burned with black flames.

With his eyes locked on the front, the Emperor Armor put away the Aurora Shield and summoned the Aurora Sword instead!
The moment the sword was drawn from its sheath, the entire space fell silent.

Unlike the version used by ordinary summoners, the Aurora Sword was now shimmering with liquid golden light.

The five-element wheel at the sword guard rotates on its own, each rotation causing the surrounding air to tremble.

Li Yan could sense that this sword was resonating with the entire world—it was a manifestation of the will of Heaven.

"Interesting." Li Yan chuckled softly, dark golden flames igniting in his pupils beneath the black mask.

He knew all too well what this meant: slumbering within the armor before him lay a supreme will that transcended humanity.

Even though it was forcibly controlled by the Black Emperor, the fighting spirit belonging to the Heavenly Dao was still awakening.

A hundred meters away, atop the ruins, the Black Emperor's gaunt figure swayed in the moonlight, laughing maniacally: "Li Yan! Feel the true power of an emperor!"

As if in response to his roar, the Emperor Armor suddenly raised its head.

Keng——!
The Aurora Sword struck down without warning. There was no charge, no preparatory movement; the blade appeared directly three feet above Li Yan's head.

Golden cracks appeared in space as countless light particles poured down like a torrential rain.

"Well done!"

The Dark Aurora Sword instantly reformed, and the moment Li Yan parried with his sword, the ground beneath his feet collapsed with a deafening roar.

The reinforced concrete ground within a ten-meter radius vaporized directly, forming a perfectly hemispherical crater.

Black and gold energy currents intertwined at the bottom of the pit.

“That’s more like it.” Li Yan’s voice came through the energy storm.

He stood alone at the bottom of the lava-like pit, black mist constantly emanating from the surface of his dark armor, corroding the surroundings.

When he looked up at the imperial armor standing above, he sneered, "But that's not enough!"

The sudden burst of shadow energy forcefully pushed the golden light away.

Li Yan's figure transformed into a black lightning bolt as he charged forward. The Dark Aurora Sword collided with the Aurora Sword seventeen times in a second, each collision creating a ripple of energy.

The remaining load-bearing columns of the factory collapsed one after another, and the entire roof slowly tilted amidst a deafening roar.

"kill him!"

"Kill him quickly!"

The Black Emperor's frenzied voice continued to ring out!
The only response he received was from the Emperor's Armor, whose aura grew stronger and stronger!

The Emperor Armor he controlled shone brightly with red light in its eyes.

A cold word came out of the Emperor Armor.

"kill!"

(End of this chapter)