When that wave of energy completely dissipated, Zheng Zha remained standing unharmed where he was. The entire ground had been vitrified; the intense heat had instantly melted and solidified the earth, turning it into a glass-like substance. Seeing Zheng Zha intact, everyone else let out a sigh of relief, realizing the energy attack hadn't been overly potent after all.

However, Zheng Zha’s heart hammered in his chest. When the explosion struck him just moments ago, a protective shield had materialized around his body—it seemed the Dragon Crystal Necklace had activated. This energy assault felt like an attack from a high-tech weapon. As soon as the energy finished its bombardment, Zheng Zha instinctively reached for the Dragon Crystal Necklace, only to pull his hand back covered in crystalline dust… the sheer pressure of that single blow had shattered the necklace. In other words, even if it was a high-tech weapon, this was undeniably a terrifying one.

“Chu Xuan! Hurry and find a way! That last strike shattered my Dragon Crystal Necklace; this power is too horrifying!” Zheng Zha roared, desperately pouring his internal energy and vampiric power forward. His speed increased severalfold from his previous measured pace, but even so, deep unease gnawed at him.

If that Evangelion—Shogouki—attacked again, he would immediately trigger his "Explosion" state, even risking "Annihilation" without hesitation! The general appearance of the Shogouki resembled a vastly enlarged human, but its outer shell was composed entirely of a purple, horny cuticle, conveying an immediate sense of impenetrable hardness. At the very center of its chest was that glowing crystal sphere. If one hadn't known beforehand that this colossal "Shogouki" was biological, they might easily have mistaken it for a robot. Moreover, judging by its size, it was significantly larger than the robots encountered in Transformers. If one had to draw a comparison, the Shogouki bore a striking resemblance to those Evas from Neon Genesis Evangelion. Zheng Zha thought this constantly while running, though he couldn't pinpoint why.

Luo Gandao’s shadow flashed across his mind… If it were him, upon hearing about an overpowered mech series like the Evas, he would undoubtedly fight desperately to acquire one. A S-branch storyline item, a supremely powerful weapon—if one truly had the spare funds, wouldn't it be better invested in obtaining cultivation techniques?

“Damn it… now is not the time to mourn the dead! I might die here too!” Zheng Zha bellowed, as he once again saw the light in the Shogouki’s chest flicker violently. Just as the oppressive force washed over him, he abruptly activated his instantaneous "Annihilation" state. In the blink of an eye,

His "Shave" carried him over a hundred meters away, but where he had just stood, a massive explosion erupted. A shockwave followed him, trailing almost directly against his body.

Only after Zheng Zha had bolted several hundred meters did this shockwave gradually weaken. A searing pain flared across his back—a testament to his superior physical conditioning. A normal person would have been torn to shreds the moment that impact wave made contact.

(What to do? It’s too strong! This destructive power is practically unmatched! And the attack frequency is ridiculously fast… it attacks again roughly every five seconds. That means I only have five seconds to move. From here to its front is still several kilometers away. Damn it, how am I supposed to fight this battle!) “Zero Point! Support me!” Zheng Zha roared again. It was only now that he truly felt the unfamiliarity of fighting without a controller guiding his mind. Shouting like this required time for the other party to think and react, time for sound to travel, and risked alerting the enemy to his position. If their thoughts could communicate instantly, how advantageous would coordinated combat be!

Fortunately, Zero Point reacted in an extremely short time. He locked his Gauss Sniper Rifle directly onto the Shogouki’s chest. Although he had already used the Arc-Line Demon Eye skill once, his growing familiarity with the technique, coupled with his improved physical fitness, meant that a single use no longer resulted in him fainting. At this moment, he remained completely focused on the rifle in his hands, his eyes locked onto the distant chest of the Shogouki.

When the Shogouki’s chest began to glow once more, Zero Point yanked the trigger of the sniper rifle. The Gauss sniper round arrived just an instant after the trigger was pulled, striking just outside the Shogouki’s chest—precisely where Zero Point had seen the lines from the Arc-Line Demon Eye converge. Under normal circumstances, hitting that exact line, even with a defensive shield in place, should have been a guaranteed one-hit kill. Zero Point had used this very skill to instantly kill the cultivator Luo Yinglong; otherwise, Zheng Zha would certainly have died then, and the Central Continent team might never have recovered, instead being wiped out in the Lord of the Rings scenario.

“Boom!” The sound of the Gauss Sniper Rifle finally echoed. The Shogouki’s explosive ability was indeed neutralized. Between the Gauss round and its body, a large amount of water-like ripples emerged. As these ripples spread, the light in its chest visibly dimmed. The destructive power of the Arc-Line Demon Eye was not something easily negated. The instantaneous, ultra-high energy output rate had disabled its ability to attack for the moment. Taking advantage of this opening, Zheng Zha activated his "Annihilation" state and sprinted toward the target.

The continuous stream of watery ripples absorbed the extreme destructive force of the Arc-Line Demon Eye. Nearly ten seconds had passed. Zheng Zha finally closed the distance to less than a hundred meters from the Shogouki. In the next instant, he would engage in close-quarters combat. As he ran, he channeled his True Essence into the Tiger Soul Blade, ready to cleave as soon as he closed the gap.

“Bang!” The Shogouki completely ignored the charging Zheng Zha. It stomped both feet forcefully onto the ground and leaped toward the plaza where Chu Xuan and the others were standing. The immense force channeled from its body into the ground resulted in a massive sound, akin to a small missile impacting the earth. The spot where it stood collapsed entirely, sinking into a funnel shape across a radius of two hundred meters. The Shogouki was already airborne, soaring five to six hundred meters high, leaping toward Chu Xuan and the others far away.

“No!” Zheng Zha shouted, moving too fast to stop completely. He could only watch helplessly as the Shogouki sailed over his head. The force of the Shogouki’s stomp instantly impacted him. As the ground collapsed, he was swept up by this force, rendering it impossible to jump under such pressure. By the time the ground stopped sinking, the Shogouki was already a thousand meters away.

(What exaggerated power! Right, it contains energy more terrifying than an atomic bomb within its core. Converting that energy into physical force must result in such horror! Damn it… this battle is far more perilous than I imagined!) Zheng Zha didn't hesitate. He pushed off the ground and chased after the Shogouki, screaming frantically, “Everyone, scatter! Do not engage it at close range! This monster’s strength is far more terrifying than we imagined!” In the plaza, seeing the Shogouki leaping closer, Imhotep reacted the fastest, transforming into a whirlwind to sweep up Anck-Su-Namun and Jonathan. Meanwhile, Cheng Xiao, Qi Tengyi, Liu Yu, and Ming Yanwei, carrying the sleeping team members, dashed backward, leaving only Chu Xuan and the primary combat personnel in the field.

Zero Point was already swaying precariously. After using the Arc-Line Demon Eye twice in succession, his spiritual power and stamina were utterly depleted. The only reason he hadn't fainted was the extreme urgency of the situation; he was holding on purely by force of will. Just as he prepared to raise his rifle to shoot again, Zhang Heng delivered a sharp blow to the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. Zhang Heng then tossed him far over to Cheng Xiao.

“You’ve done enough. Leave the rest to us!” As Zhang Heng said this, he gave Ming Yanwei, who was looking his way, a deep glance before turning his head back, focusing intently on the rapidly approaching Shogouki. The man slowly raised the silver metal bow in his hands.

“If the Arc-Line Demon Eye is a long-range attack causing overall systemic collapse, then the Arrow of Electricity is a single-point powerful striking arrow technique… I only recently gained a clearer understanding of my archery skills. I hope this first use is successful…” In the previous horror movie world, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Zhang Heng had gained a deeper insight into his Elven bloodline. Arrow techniques like the Arrow of Electricity rely on the energy within his body to generate power. In that prior film, he learned to use that energy in installments rather than releasing it all at once. Following that, he had some new ideas, such as infusing arrows with this energy and then employing techniques like the Exploding Arrow… “Exploding Arrow of Electricity!” Infusing the power of the Arrow of Electricity into the Exploding Arrow—even if it was only a three-arrow volley, the resulting power increase, when combined with the Arrow of Electricity, would multiply exponentially! The three arrows collided and shattered in the air at speeds invisible to the naked eye, until the final arrow shot out like a bolt of lightning toward the Shogouki’s chest. It directly impacted the suddenly emerging water ripples, piercing through them and embedding itself into the Shogouki’s flesh on its chest… leaping to

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