Returning to hometown to farm: The apocalypse system arrived ten years earlier?

Chapter 325 "Crystal Gold Armor"

After traversing Africa more than ten times, Li Xiang crossed the Mediterranean Sea and arrived in Europe, heading straight for Eileen's castle.

Located in the remote Cordore Mountains, this ancient castle was built over a thousand years ago. However, after several renovations, and the addition of alchemical elements after Eileen awakened her powers, it has become even more mysterious and magnificent.

Eileen lives here alone, her only companions being various alchemical golems. This young girl is quite good at enduring loneliness.

Of course, she also regularly goes to big cities to shop and vacation, maintaining contact with the outside world and preventing herself from becoming disconnected from society.

When Li Xiang arrived, Eileen was writing and drawing in the study. Li Xiang appeared silently behind her and took a closer look. She seemed to be designing a magical alchemical ship.

"Well done!" Li Xiang couldn't help but praise.

"Oh my god, Mr. Armor, could you please say hello next time you come in?" Eileen was startled, but then overjoyed and hugged him.

"Have you forgotten that I'm the world's number one thief? What kind of thief greets you before entering a house?" Li Xiang joked.

"Respected Mr. Armor, may I ask what is it about my castle that you fancy?" Eileen asked deliberately, raising her head.

Feeling her passion, Li Xiang naturally said, "Besides a beauty of unparalleled grace, who else could be the most beautiful girl in all of Europe?"

"Are you a magic mirror? Please say it again, who is the most beautiful girl in all of Europe?" Eileen wrapped her arms around Li Xiang's neck, pressed her delicate body against him, and gently swayed back and forth.

“Of course it’s Irene de Merovinga, the most beautiful girl in all of Europe,” Li Xiang repeated, just as he wished.

"Hmm..." Eileen murmured, immersed in Li Xiang's praise, completely oblivious to why Li Xiang said "all of Europe" instead of "the whole world".

After a tender moment, Li Xiang said, "I brought you some things."

"What?" Eileen asked curiously.

Then, Li Xiang led her to the warehouse next to the alchemy laboratory. With a flick of his wrist, he released large chunks of high-purity metal from the interdimensional warehouse. There were about thirty kinds of metals, many of which were rare metals, totaling more than three hundred tons. Fortunately, Eileen's warehouse was big enough, otherwise it really wouldn't have been able to hold them all.

Eileen is skilled in alchemy and has a high demand for metals. She recently needed to purchase several metals again, and Li Xiang's delivery was a timely help.

However, despite the necessity, Eileen couldn't help but tease, "Mr. Armor, other people give roses on dates, but you give so many lumps of iron."

Is this a typical straight man?
Li Xiang also felt it wasn't quite romantic enough, so he smiled slightly, took out a large piece of gold, used "Crystal Vein Armor" to condense it into a large bouquet of golden roses, and gave it to Eileen.

This bouquet of golden roses has ninety-nine flowers, each one exquisitely crafted, shimmering with gold. Each petal is only a fraction of a millimeter thick, with translucent, feathery edges. The stems are spiral golden vines, complete with barbs.

"Isn't that too vulgar, esteemed Mr. Armor?" Eileen's face lit up with joy, but she still maintained a slight air of reserve.

"Do you want it or not? If not, I'll throw it away."

"Yes, yes, of course I want it!" Eileen couldn't let Li Xiang throw it away, so she quickly snatched it back, cherishing it dearly. This golden rose would never wither for hundreds of years, symbolizing their everlasting love.

"You can also manipulate metal?" Eileen asked.

"No, it's just a crystal vein weapon, a type of earth-elemental ability." Li Xiang's crystal vein weapon actually has some "shortcomings." If the raw material is crystal ore, the success rate of condensing extraordinary items is the highest, but if a certain amount of metal is added, the higher the proportion of metal, the lower the probability of producing extraordinary items.

If you try to condense extraordinary items using pure metal, the success rate will be even lower.

However, metal ore is also one of the underground mineral veins, so Li Xiang is extremely skilled at purifying metals and changing their form. It's just that he feels lacking when it comes to the extraordinary realm. This might be because his ability is earth-based.

Since Li Xiang had come from afar, Eileen naturally wanted to give him a welcome feast.

Eileen led Li Xiang to the restaurant, and the two chatted for a while. Soon, a variety of authentic French dishes were served one after another: garlic butter and herb baked snails, Gillardeau oysters, beef stew in red wine, duck breast confit, baguette, French cheese, onion soup, fruit salad... all brought by the alchemist servants.

These magical servants all have metal bodies and highly flexible joints, and can be understood as classical robots forged through alchemy, with a distinctly punk style. They belong to a different system from modern artificial intelligence technology robots.

Since it was a candlelight dinner, French red wine was naturally indispensable, and tonight they were opening a large bottle of Lafite.

Lafite actually has many series, just like Penfolds has many series. The most famous and high-end Lafite is naturally Grande Lafite, which is the wine produced by Domaine de Rothschild.

There's Grande Lafite, and naturally there's Petit Lafite, then there's Ducharc, Merlot, L'Oréal, the legendary Bordeaux series, and so on, depending on the specific winery.

Because Lafite owns more than just one winery. In addition to four châteaux in Bordeaux, France, it has also acquired wineries in Argentina and Chile, and even purchased land in the Penglai Hill region of China to build the Longdai Winery. It is worth mentioning that Longdai is currently the only self-built winery of the Lafite Group, constructed entirely from scratch.

Lafite's fame is undeniable. In China, almost everyone has heard of Lafite, but not everyone knows Penfolds. This shows that Lafite's status in China is definitely higher than that of Penfolds.

Penfolds is popular because the 407 is often seen at business banquets and as a gift, and the name is quite pleasing and popular among Chinese people.

Eileen and Li Xiang were drinking a 2010 Lafite. Like 1982, it was an amazing vintage. However, Li Xiang didn't know much about wine, so Eileen shared some of her experiences with him.

In fact, Eileen's family castle used to have a brewery, but after her parents passed away, no one took care of it, and the brewery gradually fell into disrepair.

Under Eileen's guidance, Li Xiang, being an extraordinary individual, also possessed a very sensitive sense of taste and was able to discern the unique flavor of this wine, which had rich dark fruit and chocolate notes, along with a slightly soft texture.

When Li Xiang mentioned the magic alchemy ship that Eileen had designed, Eileen rolled her eyes at him and said, "Mr. Armor, it's all because of you."

"because I?"

"Wasn't it you who was issuing warnings all over the world, saying that there would be a super flood in two years?"

Li Xiang smiled slightly. There was no point in hiding anything from Eileen, so he nodded and said, "Yes, you should also prepare early. Well, your castle isn't afraid of floods, but you must have sufficient supplies. Also, there's the issue of security; refugees might come seeking refuge."

Eileen nodded and said, "So I plan to build a magical alchemy ship. If it can save some people, then I will."

Li Xiang gave a thumbs-up and said, "You are a kind girl."

The two drank and chatted, with alchemical servants constantly bringing up delicious food. Eileen actually ate very little; most of it ended up in Li Xiang's stomach.

After a satisfying meal, Eileen smiled and said, "Mr. Armor, you've given me so many gifts, so let me give you one in return."

"I look forward to it, it would be my honor." Li Xiang nodded gently.

Candlelight flickered in the silver chandelier. As Eileen rose, the silk cushions rustled softly. Her fingertips brushed against Li Xiang's hand, her crystal nails reflecting a honey-like glow in the candlelight. "Wait for me a moment," she said, her voice carrying the lingering sweetness of the Seine. As she turned, the scent of iris perfume mingled with the tips of her golden, wavy hair, brushing against Li Xiang's nose.

On the twelve-meter-long oak dining table, a bottle of 2010 Grand Lafite gleamed with a garnet luster in a Baccarat crystal glass. Li Xiang lightly tapped his gilded dinner knife with his fingers, the amethyst inlaid on the handle flashing in rhythm. Suddenly, he heard the crisp sound of stiletto heels striking the floor from the corridor.

"Tap, tap, tap~"

A stunningly beautiful woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing a black lace butterfly eye mask, dressed entirely in white, and in a sexy flamenco dress appeared at the door.

"Where's the gift?" Li Xiang asked.

Eileen gently raised her chin: "It's me."

Her large skirt swayed with her cat-like steps, and beneath the lace eye mask, her cobalt blue pupils shimmered with the golden light of candlelight, radiating intense heat. The stunning Western beauty walked towards Li Xiang, her long legs suddenly extending, her toes, painted with crimson nail polish, hooking the back of the velvet chair: "Do you like this packaging?"

Li Xiang grasped her dangling ankle, his fingertips stroking the golden griffin fluttering its wings on the anklet: "You only know the value of a gift when you open it yourself."

The velvet chair back suddenly tilted over, and Eileen fell into Li Xiang's arms. The straps of her lace eye mask came undone during the movement, revealing the misty, dreamlike look in her eyes, reminiscent of the morning fog over Montmartre.

"Shall we check the goods now?" She bit Li Xiang's collar button and gently tugged at it, using her pearly teeth to help him undress.

Li Xiang reached out and gently tugged at her skirt, the silk fabric sliding down her ivory-like skin... On the dining table, the unfinished bottle of 2010 Lafite was knocked over, leaving deep red stains on the tablecloth...

A sudden downpour began outside, accompanied by thunder and flashes of lightning, while inside the castle restaurant, a similar "storm" was unfolding.

As the thunderstorm subsided and moonlight pierced through the stained glass windows, casting long, waxy tears from the gilded candlesticks on the dining table fell precisely into Eileen's flowing blonde hair, like a layer of honey glazing onto the morning mist of the Seine.

Eileen's fingertips traced the silver fork, the twig suddenly softening into a wisp of liquid silver: "My dear Li, you've given me a completely new understanding of alchemy..."

Her cobalt blue eyes reflected the flickering candlelight, her earlobes tinged with coral from excitement, her body trembled, still immersed in the afterglow of what had just happened, but her heart was filled with extraordinary joy.

Li Xiang had just taught her a strange technique from the mysterious East called "Starry Sky Concerto: Luan Ming Jiu Shao," which allowed her to leap two levels and become a fourth-tier transcendent.

She was overwhelmed with excitement; she could hardly believe that a single night of intimacy with the most powerful man in the world would yield such an unexpected reward.

This man is truly a gift from heaven, the most precious gift of her life.

"What are your two new superpowers?" Li Xiang, who cultivated with her, naturally knew that Eileen had condensed two new spiritual energy vortexes and given birth to two new superpower inscriptions.

"Carry me to the bedroom, and I'll talk to you slowly. I feel weak all over and can't get up."

Li Xiang picked her up in his arms and carried her slowly toward the bedroom.

After resting for more than an hour, Eileen finally recovered a little. At the same time, Li Xiang learned about her two new superpowers.

First, there's "Matter Deconstruction," which breaks down any metal it comes into contact with into basic particles for 30 seconds. This will greatly enhance her alchemy skills, and she believes that from now on, her alchemy will experience a qualitative leap.

The second is "energy infusion," which can convert one's spiritual power into electrical energy and store it in a specific metal. The current storage capacity is equivalent to 10 minutes of power output from a medium-sized power plant, approximately between 5,000 and 10,000 kilowatt-hours.

This ability also helps to improve alchemy, which is equivalent to a technological iteration. The alchemical golems created can use electricity, making them more advanced than previous works and more conducive to the integration of modern technology with traditional alchemy.

“Every cell in my body is singing right now… I can’t wait to go to the lab to do experiments, but before that…” Eileen suddenly mounted her horse, her lips brushing against Li Xiang’s earlobe, her electrified breath drawing tiny arcs of electricity in the air.

Li Xiang was surprised. Western women were indeed "amazingly powerful." Since that was the case, he wouldn't hold back.

The charm of the Western woman was different from that of Yao Yao and the other two women, and also different from that of Chiba Yukio, offering a unique kind of excitement.

Her special abilities are also quite unique. Li Xiang takes advantage of her strengths and makes up for his weaknesses, thus improving his own spiritual body and abilities.

The biggest gain was the "Crystal Vein Armor".

Yes, it should now be called "Crystal Armor".

Eileen's ability to manipulate metal complemented Li Xiang's "Crystal Vein Armament," granting him some "alchemy abilities," but he still belonged to the "Earthly Pivot Evolution Record."

While Eileen was in the lab making a new alchemical puppet, Li Xiang also tried out his method. He used 9999 pure gold to activate the "Crystal Gold Armor" and soon created a gold bracelet of extraordinary quality.

This golden bracelet is of grade five and was successfully made on the first try. Although it only has one extraordinary attribute, it is still quite good.

Its extraordinary attribute is "Golden Force Field": when attacked, it can generate a layer of golden particle matrix shield around itself, and deflect energy attacks below the fifth level, thereby neutralizing them.

Li Xiang had plenty of gold in his warehouse, and in high spirits, he condensed nine more gold ornaments in one go, including bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, and so on. Six of them were extraordinary items, ranging from the fourth to the ninth rank. Adding to the previous one, that means that seven out of ten items were extraordinary items.

In the past, he could use the "Crystal Vein Armor" to condense gold ornaments, but at most one or two out of ten would be extraordinary items, and sometimes none at all. Now, his success rate is naturally extremely satisfactory.

Li Xiang has been indulging himself lately and often feels guilty, thinking he's been too much of a jerk. But now he realizes that he's not just a jerk; this dual cultivation really does have immense benefits.

Leaving aside the other girls, their strength has risen several levels, while his own spiritual body and supernatural abilities are also constantly being improved and enhanced.

Compared to the gains in strength and the enhancement of skills, Li Xiang felt that being a bit of a jerk wasn't so unacceptable.

After helping Eileen consolidate her cultivation level, Li Xiang continued to plunder Europe.

They not only plundered Europe's abundant resources, but also looted several US military bases in Europe (including some naval bases in the Mediterranean), acquiring all sorts of weapons.

Just then, a Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier happened to be passing through the Mediterranean Sea and was spotted by Li Xiang. As a result, the carrier changed hands. It included an A1B nuclear reactor, F-35C carrier-based fighter jets, equipped with AN/APG-81 radar and Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, 3 E-2D early warning aircraft, as well as some frigates, destroyers, supply ships, and various air defense and land attack missiles.

Although many of the weapons in Great America are no longer the most advanced on this planet, they are still among the best, and are quite useful as disposable resources. For example, later, Jiang Cai'er could infiltrate all these ships, radars, missiles, and fighter jets, turning them into loyal unmanned equipment to defend against the invasion of space monsters, at least enough to wipe out a portion of them.

These items were stored separately in a designated area of ​​Li Xiang's warehouse. Although the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier had a nuclear reactor, it was heavily protected and would not expose other materials in the warehouse to radiation.

Moreover, this warehouse is somewhat special; it remains exactly as it was when you leave it, and its fuel won't run out even after seven or eight years inside.

The world was once again in uproar, because this was the second aircraft carrier that the great United States had lost, and both were the most advanced aircraft carriers.

Some people joked: "The selection of the mysterious armored warriors is indeed focused on the best. The USS Eisenhower, which is deployed in the Red Sea, is not far away. With the speed of the armored warriors, they can arrive in an instant, but the armored warriors just don't like them."

Someone said, "Of course! The USS Eisenhower is just a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and it was commissioned in 1977. How could such an old relic, such junk, possibly catch the eye of Armor Man?"

Many people in Europe secretly gloated.

"Those who said they would treat Europe like a fat sheep to be slaughtered, aren't they getting their comeuppance now?"

“Well, although Europe has also been looted, looting goods is now considered an ‘honor,’ while looting military bases is a disgrace.”

The United States quickly denied the rumors: "We were not looted, our aircraft carrier is still in good condition. Please watch the video if you don't believe me."

So the captain of that aircraft carrier posted a video on his personal social media account showing carrier-based aircraft being catapulted into flight.

The Baltic Three Idiots also spoke out in protest, especially the eldest of them. After hearing that the mysterious armored man was causing trouble in Europe again, his spokesperson dismissed it with disdain and publicly gave the middle finger to express strong mockery.

"Are you kidding me? How could a Ford-class aircraft carrier be looted? That's the most powerful military force in the world!"

"Don't exaggerate the mysterious armored man's abilities. He may have some extraordinary power, but he is no match for modern high-end weapons."

"The mysterious armored man would never dare to come to our country. If he does, we will definitely use our most powerful fighter jets and the most formidable armored forces to surround and annihilate him, ensuring he cannot leave alive."

With the Baltic Three Idiots cheering and waving flags on the sidelines, and the video released by the US Navy captain being extremely realistic, vivid, and detailed, it did initially fool people.

However, it was soon revealed that this video was from before Christmas last year. This is because a Chinese netizen had posted the video eight months earlier, and it had already garnered considerable traffic at the time.

Global netizens were in an uproar: "..."

Then, another video leaked from a mysterious source. It was taken by a high-definition satellite from the sky. It was because Li Xiang encountered the aircraft carrier in broad daylight, and they made their move when they met face to face.

Although the high-resolution satellite images aren't particularly clear—after all, they're taken from the air, making the aircraft carrier look tiny—the scene of the mysterious armored figures invading and throwing everyone on board into the sea like dumplings still leaves a lasting impression.

Finally, the entire aircraft carrier fleet disappeared, and the mysterious armored man vanished in a flash.

The same account also revealed that the mysterious armored man's speed has apparently exceeded Mach 20.

The top brass of Great America was naturally furious, but they could only be furious and had to suppress their anger.

(End of this chapter)