After I stopped trying, a rich woman trained me into a demon emperor.

Zhou Ran didn't answer the walkie-talkie. He walked straight to the ship's side, his gaze passing over the churning waves and landing on the bridge of the patrol ship on the left. A middle-aged white man in military uniform was looking down at them, the white tower badge on his chest reflecting the light of the searchlight.

On the enemy's deck, eight superhumans dressed in combat suits were already lined up, their bodies radiating the unique eerie blue light of the Void Realm chips.

Over the communication channel, the commander continued in a dismissive tone:

"Please note that this is international waters, and the White Tower Autonomy Treaty is recognized by twenty-seven countries. Mr. Zhou Ran, once you leave Jiangcheng's grand formation, you are merely a Nascent Soul cultivator. The eight people on board my ship are more than enough to take you all down. Please cooperate."

Chen Ya stepped out of the cabin and stood beside Zhou Ran.

"Ignore him," she said to Qin San.

Qin San took a folder out of the inner pocket of his down jacket, walked to the side of the ship, and waved it at the patrol ship opposite him across the twenty-meter-wide sea.

"What is this?" The commander frowned.

Qin San opened the folder.

"Insurance list for the three patrol vessels of the White Tower Fleet, insured by Zurich Global Insurance and Lloyd's of London."

The commander tightened his grip on the walkie-talkie.

Qin San continued reading: "Ten minutes ago, evidence that these three ships were suspected of transporting prohibited human experimental materials was simultaneously sent to the insurer's compliance review department, the International Maritime Arbitration Tribunal, and the regulatory agencies of the four port states."

He turned to the second page.

"Your ship insurance was frozen three minutes ago."

Page 3.

"Your fuel supply account has been locked."

The sea breeze made the documents rustle.

A piercing alarm and frantic reports from his subordinates blared from the commander's walkie-talkie. He glanced down at his personal terminal, the veins on the back of his hand gripping the walkie-talkie bulging.

Chen Ya's voice cut through the wind, each word striking the enemy's bridge.

"The first lesson in business warfare."

She looked at the man on the bridge of the opposite ship.

"Just because a boat can sail doesn't mean it can dock."

The commander looked up, his face twitching. He stopped talking, gripped the walkie-talkie tightly, and his voice was icy cold.

"You think freezing a few accounts will stop the White Tower?"

He waved his hand!

The eight superhumans immediately leaped from the bow of the ship, their virtual dimension chips activating at full power and emitting a bright blue light!

Six people stepped on the waves, leaving six white lines on the sea!

The other two swooped down from the sky, creating a sharp gust of wind!

Zhou Ran didn't move.

Xu Youwei walked out from behind him.

She raised her right hand, her movement slow but resolute.

The bandage was torn apart by the wind, revealing the broken hairpin piercing through flesh in his palm.

Beneath the broken hairpin were tightly closed silver eyes.

She did not pull out the broken hairpin.

It only loosened the pressure slightly.

The silver eye opened a crack in her palm.

The slit of that silver eye swept over the six charging ability users, instantly piercing through the structure, power supply path, and core nodes of the virtual chip in their chests.

The information was transmitted directly to Xiaorou's ears.

Xiao Rou lifted her trench coat, and six Gu worms flew out from the lining.

They are tiny, with almost transparent wings, and move so fast that they leave afterimages.

Each one burrowed precisely into the seam of a superhuman's chest chip.

Six crisp cracking sounds.

The six virtual crystal chips shattered simultaneously.

The blue light on the six superhumans immediately went out, and their bodies plummeted straight down from the sea, crashing into the water with barely a splash.

Before the two people in the air could react, Gu Li's figure had already appeared above their heads.

His suit was so tight it looked like it was about to burst, but his hands gripped the back of both of their necks perfectly.

He didn't use any magic, only brute force.

The two superhumans were lifted up by him, like two dead fish out of water; their bodies went limp and they became still.

Gu Li flew back to the deck, dropped the two of them on the ground, and then tugged at his collar.

"My lord, this garment is indeed in the way."

Zhou Ran replied, "It's alright, no cracks."

Gu Li looked down and saw that the embroidered words "Qinghui Medical Trust Security Department" on the cuff were intact.

He frowned slightly and remained silent.

The commander stood on the bridge, watching helplessly as his eight superhumans were wiped out in ten seconds, his lower lip twitching uncontrollably.

Zhou Ran's voice came through the communication channel.

"I'm here to discuss business; I didn't bring any weapons."

He patted the Taihuang Black Blade wrapped in black cloth on his back.

"These are hiking poles."

The commander opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Chen Ya reconnected to the communication.

"Three minutes, clear the way."

Otherwise, if the insurance is frozen, it will be permanently cancelled.

These three ships cost $180 million to build; you can watch it go to zero.

As soon as she finished speaking, she added another sentence.

"This doesn't count as negotiation; it's more like a notification."

The sea was quiet for seventeen seconds.

The engines of the three patrol ships simultaneously changed direction, slowed down, and made way for each other.

Ahead, the thick fog that had been shrouding the sea began to dissipate.

A black island emerged from the fog.

In the very center of the island, a tall, windowless black tower pierces the sky.

The Imperial Bone Evidence Box vibrated in the cabin.

The three words "wait, trial, kill" lit up simultaneously.

As soon as everyone looked toward the black tower, the island's broadcasting system was activated.

A flat-panel electronic synthesizer sound echoed across the sea.

"Imperial Son Sample No. 1, current awakening progress: 30%"

"Welcome back to your key."

"Welcome, Ms. Chen Ya, to reclaim the estate."

Chen Ya tightened her grip on the briefcase handle.

She didn't turn around.

Zhou Ran glanced at her.

"nervous?"

Chen Ya loosened her fingers.

"No."

She picked up the briefcase.

"It told me to reclaim the inheritance. So I went to check the ledger of this inheritance and see how many IOUs there were."

The bow of the ship cut through the waves and headed straight for the Black Tower.

When the boat docked, it was still dark.

White Tower Island has no port.

A steel pontoon bridge extends from the shore to the sea, with a white guide light at the end of the bridge, its light as cold as the operating room lamp.

Zhou Ran was the first to step onto the pontoon bridge.

A slight vibration came from the soles of his feet, not from machinery; a probing force was brushing over his entire body.

He didn't stop walking.

Chen Ya followed behind. Qin San walked half a step to her right. Xiao Rou and Xu Youwei walked side by side. Two demon dukes brought up the rear.

There are no guardrails on either side of the pontoon bridge.

Black seawater surged beneath my feet, with occasional silver glints flashing beneath the surface.

Xiao Rou whispered, "There's something underwater, some kind of biological sensory network."

Zhou Ran said, "Don't worry about it. It just watches, it doesn't do anything."

At the end of the pontoon bridge is a three-meter-high metal gate with no markings on the frame, only a row of fine sensors embedded in it.

The door opened silently.

There were twelve people standing behind the door.

Six security guards in white uniforms, with unconventional weapons at their waists; four lawyers in gray suits, each with a tablet computer; and one medical worker in a white coat.

There was also a young woman wearing a black turtleneck sweater.

The young woman wore a professional smile.

"Welcome to White Pagoda Island, Qinghui Delegation."

I'm the reception supervisor, codename Owl.

She glanced at Chen Ya, her gaze lingered briefly on Zhou Ran, then looked away.

"According to Article 17 of the White Pagoda Island Autonomous Regulations, all visitors must pass through the purification channel to complete the registration of biological samples, the reading of causal relationships, and the handover of ritual implements."

She turned to the side and gestured for them to proceed.

Behind her, a two-meter-wide white corridor lit up, its walls densely covered with runes.

Zhou Ran recognized it; it was an imperial bone pattern.