Even though Julian had not yet reached the Fourth Order, he possessed the Light of the Mind, and moreover, it was a Light of the Mind belonging to the psychic system. This was far too dangerous; if he got close to the rest of the Central Continent team, the result would inevitably be heavy casualties. Thus, Zheng Zha immediately resorted to the most direct and violent means, even deploying the Hu Po Blade. He used the exact same method as when he shattered the AT Field of the First God—channeling demonic energy for a single decisive slash. Although that white light possessed astonishing tenacity, even the Hu Po Blade infused with demonic energy required considerable effort to sever it, but ultimately, the white light was cleaved apart. Zheng Zha knew those two were definitely doomed.

Julian, however, was completely stunned by the shock. He had never imagined that this "Ideal Sanctuary Far From Everything" could ever be breached. This sensation instantly halted his train of thought. Based on what he knew, this "Ideal Sanctuary Far From Everything" was practically an impenetrable defense, as it wasn't merely an energy shield, but a defensive layer generated by the distortion of space itself—a domain nearing that of a "God." Spatial manipulation and distortion techniques were attributes only found in defensive artifacts of SS-rank or higher!

"Dodge! Get away, quickly!" Julian snapped out of his stupor only when he saw Zheng Zha raising the Hu Po Blade once more, but his shout was clearly slower than the blade's swift descent. A faint crimson flash streaked by, and most of the tendrils outside the monstrous body vanished. The destructive power of the Hu Po Blade's aura was immense; the mist-like blade light swept past, reducing the metallic ground within a ten-meter radius centered on Zheng Zha and the monster to fine powder. Yet, the white light enveloping the creature remained stubbornly resilient.

(Is that so? The white light cannot be broken without condensing demonic energy... This defense is truly formidable. I fear it has already surpassed the maximum defense level possessed by the First God, perhaps?) Zheng Zha mused inwardly, though his actions never ceased. The crimson blade aura layered upon itself, pressing the monster into its embrace. Because the monster had begun to evade, abandoning its previous complete disregard for Zheng Zha’s attacks, its movements in flight were now exceptionally agile. Zheng Zha, having lost direct sensory input, was slightly sluggish in his movements. Out of necessity, he could only use brute force to suppress movement, forcibly pinning the creature within the blade’s aura.

After shouting that warning, Julian stopped paying attention to the unfolding battle, dedicating his entire focus to deciphering how to resolve the current predicament. This was his masterpiece; trapping Zheng Zha, the strongest combatant, here meant victory, surrender, or anything in between was possible. This was his most prized strategy, yet the situation had suddenly reversed. In moments, Zheng Zha would annihilate everything before him. This siege had transformed from a difficult predicament into a desperate endgame, and one aimed directly at Julian himself! (...Has his power surpassed the limitations of wisdom, reaching the stage where brute force conquers finesse? No matter how exquisite my layout, if he simply draws his blade and fights head-on, I truly have no way to kill someone this powerful... Indeed, once power reaches a certain threshold, wisdom is insufficient to harm such strength, or perhaps my wisdom simply isn't enough?) Julian mused with a wry smile. While he thought, the monster before him was already cleaved in two by a single stroke from Zheng Zha. The protective white light offered no resistance to the Hu Po Blade infused with demonic energy; it dissolved instantly, much like snow meeting the blazing sun. Although only the fighting Zheng Zha knew the true sensation of this, judging by the combat display, that protective white light was surprisingly fragile. And so, Julian finally made a firm resolution.

(Forget it! Preserving my life is paramount; nothing surpasses my own life...) Without another word, Julian connected his consciousness to Zheng Zha’s using his psychic energy while simultaneously activating a psychic scan. The target location for this scan was the distant Reinhard battlefield, where Zheng Zha's companions were already on the brink of annihilation. Reinhard, who was nearly immortal, had not been killed, but several members of the Central Continent team had been drained entirely of their energy. Although another large contingent of the Central Continent team was currently approaching that location, those unaware of the full details likely couldn't prevent Reinhard from slaughtering two or three of the Central Continent members. This was the general situation on that other front.

"Zheng Zha, I am right here, you can kill me anytime, but I have never held any malice toward you... Over there, your comrades are facing mortal peril. If you agree not to kill me and allow me to leave this place, I will stop Reinhard and save your companions. How about it? Let me go!" As Zheng Zha cleaved the monster apart with one strike, the Hu Po Blade flashed again, relentlessly chopping the remains into pulp. Simultaneously, images were transmitted directly into his consciousness via psychic linkage. In those visions, Zhang Heng, Wang Xia, Cheng Xiao, and Imhotep had all been drained of their power, now lying listlessly on the ground, while Reinhard was enveloped in a terrifying aura of blood-red light, his bat wings growing larger and displaying strange, crimson runes. This bat appeared to be evolving, which was why it had neglected the fallen members of the Central Continent team; otherwise, they would likely have been killed with a casual gesture.

"Reinhard possesses absorption capabilities, so he will only grow stronger in the Reincarnation Wars until he inevitably surpasses everyone in the Reincarnation Squad. That is precisely why I chose him initially... Z-Zheng Zha?" Julian had been speaking to himself, but he suddenly noticed Zheng Zha shuddering violently. Then, a pair of draconic wings violently pierced out from his back. As the wings erupted, Zheng Zha's body began to swell and enlarge rapidly. Before Julian could react, he felt an unknown, fierce aura hurtling towards him, instantly enveloping his position. The next second, a massive hand clamped around his neck, hoisting him up.

"Lead the way... or die!" Julian felt as if a giant vice had clamped around his throat. Forget breathing; with his carotid arteries crushed, his head instantly began to swim with dizziness. Fortunately, his reaction speed was swift; his psychic energy instantly conveyed his agreement to Zheng Zha. Immediately, the pressure on his neck eased, and the man gasped and coughed deeply.

Julian was truly decisive now that he had zero bargaining chips left. He promptly deactivated the sensory erasure field he had placed on Zheng Zha, restoring his sight, hearing, and touch. Furthermore, he closed his eyes again, doing nothing except retrieving a sword sheath from the debris of the slain monster. Because of this compliance, Zheng Zha allowed him to take the sheath.

"Fine, I more or less understand your capabilities now... This power is beyond what we can currently comprehend. Perhaps only those few members of the Celestial Team, or your cloned counterpart from the legendary Demon Reincarnation Squad, could stand against you. I have no doubt about your strength... But how will you reach them? Even at your previous speed, it would take over a minute to travel there. Your teammates are likely already..." Julian clutched the sword sheath, feeling slightly more secure, before speaking to Zheng Zha.

"Do you know why I let you take the sheath back? This excellent item is no less valuable than an SS-rank defensive artifact. Do you know why I let you take it?" Zheng Zha asked coldly. "It’s not because I'm confident I can easily kill you—even if I had that confidence, I wouldn't bother letting you take the sheath before killing you, because you’ll need this sheath next... Didn't I tell you before? Who do you think I am? I am Zheng Zha! If you want to fight me, please call upon the entire Reincarnation Squad or an entire army! Do you understand?" As he spoke, Zheng Zha roared wildly. Vampire energy surged down from his head, while inner force erupted upwards from his dantian. The two forces clashed violently at his heart, an interaction like water meeting rolling oil, exploding outward in a furious torrent that rushed towards the space around his body. For an ordinary person, this force would instantly cause a fatal backlash, but only Zheng Zha’s powerful physique from the Latent Dragon Transformation could contain it, allowing the power to constantly impact and detonate within his body.

"This is 'Destruction'!" Zheng Zha roared, dragging Julian with one hand toward a section of the wall. A crimson blade aura flashed, slicing through the alloy wall as if it were soft tofu, and Zheng Zha kicked off the ground, lunging into the breach.

Julian clutched the sword sheath with a bitter smile, enveloped by a cocoon of white light. Shrapnel and high winds constantly buffeted him; given his physical conditioning, he truly couldn't withstand this level of assault. It was no wonder Zheng Zha had returned the sheath to him. Had he known Zheng Zha possessed this degree of terrifying power earlier, he would certainly have chosen his method of engagement much more cautiously.

"But even with this level of power, you can't reach Reinhard quickly, can you? Do you need my help?" Julian asked curiously.

"...Scan me the terrain map from our location to theirs, and then... What is this..." Zheng Zha’s body suddenly sank. Two forces, long dormant within him, stirred, and then, as if the vampire energy and inner force were colliding, they smashed together at the center of his heart... "This is... the Primordial Era! The Sundering of Heaven and Earth!" Leaping up—