"Did that man run this way? Why isn't there even a trace of his presence left?" Imhotep redirected his attention from the distant explosion. He had been chasing one person to these streets, though he knew nothing about their strength. Anyone close enough to stay with the copy of Chuxuan at such a time must be formidable. So he decided to single out this individual and ignore others - after all, his spells worked best in wide-area attacks anyway. Having teammates would only limit his effectiveness whether he was transforming into sand or casting spells.

(Not sure how Anson is doing. Her strength is really weak in the reincarnation world... And I'm not by her side... Better finish this guy off quickly and go help them.) Imhotep's thoughts churned when suddenly an invisible pressure crashed down from above. The rooftop he stood on crumbled several meters around him, crushing both brickwork and himself into dust. This wasn't all - the pressure intensified further, expanding across the roof until a small whirlwind erupted where Imhotep had been crushed.

"Imhotep?" A young East Asian man stood far away on the street, none other than Haotian who used to be in the Central China team. He wore an ironic smile as he said: "Know why I led you so far? Because that was the battlefield of two Chuxuans. I've studied your file - aren't you the immortal priest from Legend of the Gods? You might survive, but I'd definitely die there..." Imhotep felt a chill. Right, one Chuxuan was already enough to drive people mad; having two fighting...

"Though I can become sand, who knows if that monster Chuxuan has special moves like the Mobile Cannon?" The sand-formed face spoke these words before inhaling all the crushed dust from the rooftop in seconds. When it exhaled, countless sands raged forward as a storm toward Haotian.

"Oh wow, just like movie scenes..." Haotian seemed naturally relaxed even when facing death by Chuxuan back then. Now seeing the sandstorm approach, he chuckled and sprinted up the building wall against gravity at incredible speed before the storm could reach him.

"Such a hassle... Why did I get stuck with an ideational shapeshifter? Pure physical attacks are useless, psychic ones only half effective - only energy blasts or soulfire have any effect. What a pity! unlocked 4th-tier soulfire through my gene lock yet immediately met this monster..." Haotian muttered bitterly as the sandstorm again formed a face.

"Run? Where to run? Just let me kill you!" The sand face roared furiously, "Of course, I need to escape from where those two Chuxuans are fighting - and also avoid that other mad Vang Zheta..."

The sand face stopped mid-sentence as Haotian suddenly shot a blinding golden light. The sand form shattered instantly before reforming dozens of meters away in the sky.

"Really frustrating... I thought my soulfire attacks were cheap and convenient, but it turns out this is its advanced form. Though more powerful, it's exhausting - before reaching mid-4th tier I can't use it fully..." Haotian spread his arms wide as a golden aura erupted like a protective barrier around him. He slowly floated upward into the air.

"Go!" With one hand raised, he conjured a golden sphere which he casually tossed toward the sand face while kicking it with his foot. The sphere exploded mid-air in blinding gold light that made eyes water. A muffled roar echoed before the sand face vanished entirely.

"I know you're fine, Imhotep. I've encountered similar lifeforms in the Demon team - they're all ancient sages' modified weapons of medium quality, only possessing ideational powers or soulfire with minimal physical constraints. That last attack barely damaged your core..." Haotian shouted without hesitation.

In a corner of the rubble...

Imhotep leaned against broken walls with an ashen face. He was furious - earlier he had been demanding battle, yet now he was hiding! The golden light did serious damage; for a moment it felt like his soul itself was being struck. Hadn't transformed into sand in time to escape here...

"No choice... Must fight to the death!" If anyone could be considered powerful immediately upon entering the reincarnation world, it would be Imhotep. After all, he was a movie character unlike ordinary humans. Though most rewards went to Anson's enhancements during his Central China team days, he had still found suitable techniques for himself.

"Sand Sand Fruit..." Just as Imhotep prepared for final battle, Cheng Xiao was joyfully fleeing another way...

Across town...

A dressed-up girl in flowing robes skipped across buildings with lithe grace. Though petite, her childish beauty made her seem like a sweet Lolita transitioning into womanhood.

"Fight me already! Why run so fast?" The robed girl gracefully leaped from building to building with effortless 100-meter bounds while Cheng Xiao's face darkened as he sprinted forward.

"Hey! Don't you talk? Deaf and mute too?" Finally fed up, the girl jumped in front of him. "What's wrong if I kill you here?"

"I, Cheng Xiao vowed never to hit women!"

"Never hit women? Haha, then come let me kill you instead!" The girl giggled while raising her hand.

"No... Wait! I won't fight anything outside human gender..." Cheng Xiao hastily backtracked before muttering: "Dammit, will never fight with heshens!"

The girl shuddered violently as tears welled in her eyes. She looked down dejectedly: "But my heart is female... You can't just mock me like this! How did you even realize?"

Casting aside the absurdity of such a question, Cheng Xiao pointed at what appeared to be a teenage boy: "What kind of man are you? From 8 to 80 years old I can instantly detect true gender by sight and sound alone. That's called being a pervert!"

The girl froze like a crashed computer before collapsing into silent muttering: "Impossible... Impossible..."

"Wahaha! Understand now? My pride as a pervert won't let me fight with heshens! So scram!" Cheng Xiao cackled while sprinting away.

After long silence, the girl suddenly screamed: "You dead pervert! I said my heart is female! Killing you erases evidence of detection! Giggles..." She resumed pursuit, catching up a kilometer later before conjuring an invisible wind blade. This-meter slash destroyed buildings in its path without weakening at all. Just as it was about to cleave Cheng Xiao...

The man suddenly twisted mid-air into impossible angles, landing just after the slash passed his original position.

"Oh? So you're not ordinary either! I knew Central China team members could rival our Demon team..." The girl giggled while twirling her hair provocatively enough to mesmerize any unaware viewer.

Ccheng Xiao watched silently as his earlier attraction faded into reluctant respect - though not out of chivalry, but subconscious aversion toward hurting beauty.

"Looking so directly... Appreciating my legs again? I'm wearing garters and sexy undergarments inside..." The girl lifted her skirt slightly to reveal slender perfect legs.

"Damn heshen! Leave you half-dead, isn't that not fighting a heshen?" Cheng Xiao roared while approaching, unlocking his gene lock as he focused on the beautiful yet problematic opponent.

The girl smiled again before floating via swirling mini-tornadoes around her body. Her short skirt fluttered to reveal see-through lace underpants with black garters - if only she weren't biologically male...

Cheng Xiao exploded in anger: "Don't mock my sacred underwear and garters! Damn heshen, wait for me!"

Without another word, the girl raised one hand from her 7-meter height and unleashed another wind blade. But Cheng Xiao again twisted past it like waterfowl gliding on water.

"Cool move!" The girl's eyes sparkled with admiration.

"I'm the master of wind! My Southern Dipper Waterbird technique..." Cheng Xiao sneered before realizing what he said, "No more talking - fight me or get blasted!"

The girl pouted: "So boring... Wanted to tease you longer. Haven't met such fun people in ages. Better hurry up though - that mad Chuxuan's battlefield will be here soon..."

"Mad Chuxuan..." Cheng Xiao instantly understood. Part of his desperate fleeing was indeed avoiding two Chuxuans fighting nearby with potential disasters like mobile cannons or planet-busting bombs. His nickname "Chubby Ding" wasn't without reason - when two Chuxuans collide, it's not 1+1=2 but 100^100!

"Ready for full power? I have Wind-Wind Fruit ability plus energy crystal bracelet from Chuxuan..."

"Full power attack? Perfect! Let's end this quickly!" Cheng Xiao breathed deeply while pulling out the special glove from his pocket...