"Luo, Luo Yinglong?!" Wang Xia's eyes were sharp; he spotted Luo Yinglong immediately. Among the intelligence Chu Xuan had gathered on the powerhouses of the Samsara World, this cultivator was the most significant, a core pillar of the Heavenly God Squad's main fighting force. Seeing him now, speeding toward them on a flying sword, he instinctively thought Luo Yinglong had come seeking vengeance for Adam.

Luo Yinglong quickly saw Wang Xia producing several bombs, and he immediately shouted from a distance, "Don't, don't! I've already left the Heavenly God Squad and joined the Central Continent Squad. I met up with Zheng Zha and the others before. I’ve completely joined the Central Continent Squad… Hey! You’re still throwing!" As he spoke, a miniature nuclear bomb detonated not far from him.

The massive shockwave easily breached the hasty shield he threw up, but that was all. A flash of cyan energy flickered across Luo Yinglong’s body, and the violent explosion was instantly enveloped by this green light.

When Wang Xia and the others recovered their senses, Luo Yinglong was standing before them, unharmed.

"Hey! I'm telling the truth, I really joined the Central Continent Squad! And ahead is where Zheng Zha and the cloned Zheng Zha are fighting! I was planning to help Zheng Zha!" Luo Yinglong looked at the four before him. He couldn't fight them, nor could he kill them, so he could only helplessly continue to explain.

"...I believe you. If you were an enemy, we would already be dead by your hand."

Wang Xia nodded. After a brief moment of thought, he realized the truth: Luo Yinglong was originally from the Heavenly God Squad, meaning he was also an archenemy of the Demon Squad, so it was impossible for him to use the four of them to blackmail Zheng Zha. As for blackmailing the cloned Zheng Zha, that was even more out of the question. Would that ultimate man abandon a battle for four inconsequential people? The answer was certainly no—that was the first point. As for the second point, it was even clearer. If Luo Yinglong had come for revenge for the Heavenly God Squad or Adam, he would have simply killed the four of them upon arrival. Why would he bother facing the battle between the two Zhas? Did he perhaps intend to reap the benefits by killing both Zhas? Even if he were a cultivator, given his current strength, it was basically impossible. Therefore, the fact that he neither killed the four of them nor fled from the confrontation with the Zhas basically ruled out any premeditation or conspiracy. In fact, Wang Xia realized one more crucial reason... The mastermind of the Heavenly God Squad was Adam, and Adam was dead. Could a reckless youth like Luo Yinglong possibly comprehend pre-planning or conspiracy?

"...Even though I don't know what you're thinking, I suddenly feel very irritated..." Luo Yinglong rubbed his temples. His appearance was anything but handsome or elegant; his clothes were reduced to tatters, clearly indicating he had just fought a bitter battle. Moreover, the profound and distant expression he wore earlier was gone. Now, he truly looked like a headstrong youth, so Wang Xia's assessment wasn't entirely wrong.

Lin Lei said, "Let's treat this woman first. Judging by her look, she's about to run out of breath."

It was then Luo Yinglong properly noticed Ming Wei, whom Wang Xia was holding. The woman was indeed gravely wounded. Although the bleeding had stopped, her internal injuries were severe, extending deep into her organs. Stopping the blood wouldn't be enough to keep her alive. After flying for so long, she was clearly on the verge of death, and Luo Yinglong’s appearance at this moment had to be called a coincidence.

"Is it really a coincidence?" Luo Yinglong looked at the emotional expressions of Wang Xia and the others, sneering as he spoke, "She is Zhang Heng’s woman, and that man skilled with a bow is also one of the powerhouses in your Central Continent Squad, right? And one of the truly strong ones. In other words, her story arc isn't finished; he won't let her die. My appearance is precisely the guarantee that she won't die—no, perhaps it’s double insurance. If my appearance were to fail, you might encounter Cheng Xiao somewhere ahead, your Central Continent Squad’s doctor..."

As he spoke, Luo Yinglong took Ming Wei, gently laying her flat on the ground. He then activated his True Essence Power and slowly channeled it into her body. Almost visibly, the wounds on Ming Wei's surface began to slowly writhe and heal. Although she hadn't woken up, her complexion was much better than the previous ashen gray, and her life was likely saved.

"Internal Force already possesses healing capabilities. If Zheng Zha gave you guys his Internal Force, it could temporarily suppress the injuries. But True Essence Power is an energy completely different from Internal Force—it’s a qualitative leap. The healing ability of True Essence Power is almost like the materialized life force of the Light of the Mind, the absolute top-tier healing energy... it’s just that healing with it is exhausting."

Luo Yinglong exhaled, retracting his arm as he spoke.

Wang Xia quickly moved to Ming Wei's side, checking her over carefully before relaxing. He turned to Luo Yinglong, "What are your plans now? Are you coming with us to help Zheng Zha?"

"...No, not with you guys, but I'm going alone. Your strengths are too weak. If you recklessly rush into the battle between those two, you will definitely die... To intervene in their fight, you need to reach at least Zhang Heng’s level of strength. Being weaker will actually hinder the Zheng Zha you are trying to help. You must understand, their battle... is a top-tier confrontation that even I cannot fully insert myself into."

Luo Yinglong shook his head. He paused before continuing, "Chu Xuan’s mission for you was probably to defeat the Heavenly God Squad, or to kill Adam, right? You absolutely should not rashly disturb the fight between the two Zhas next. You should wait here, wait for the rest of the Central Continent Squad members to arrive, or for the rest of the Demon Squad members to arrive. Guarding is your most important task. Do not let any enemy disturb their battle until you possess sufficient strength to intervene. Only then can you step in... Do you understand?"

This was precisely the tactic of 'King against King, Soldier against Soldier.' A King can single-handedly defeat most Soldiers, and the strength of King versus King is nearly equal. Therefore, once the King-versus-King stalemate begins, whoever wins the battle among the Soldiers and gains the ability to influence the duel between the Kings will win... The prerequisite, however, is having enough power to influence the King-versus-King fight. One or two mere Soldiers absolutely cannot accomplish this. This was Luo Yinglong’s intention.

If one were to explain the Central Continent Squad and the Demon Squad using chess pieces, the King versus King was the battle between the two Zhas. The two Chus Xuan could be considered the strongest pieces aside from the Kings, roughly equivalent to several regular Soldiers. Following this pattern would be Zhao Yingkong, Zhao Zhuikong, and others, whose strength was only slightly less, comparable to two or three Soldiers. As for the lowest tier, like Lin Juntian and the others, they were practically negligible except for fighting other low-tier Soldiers. Thus, the 'King against King, Soldier against Soldier' tactic, as the cloned Chu Xuan mentioned, was a gamble based on probability. The Central Continent Squad, which was slightly weaker in overall strength, managed to level the playing field with the Demon Squad by employing this plan. As for the outcome of the battle, it only depended on which side had more remaining power.

Luo Yinglong's sudden appearance among the Central Continent Squad was a variable. Similarly, to balance the power between the Demon Squad and the Central Continent Squad, Luo Gandao also appeared as a variable... Heaven's will is unpredictable, Luo Yinglong sighed inwardly, deeply moved.

After carefully warning Wang Xia and the others to be wary of Luo Gandao, Luo Yinglong stepped onto his flying sword and shot forward at high speed. Within moments, a vast expanse of pitch-black flames appeared ahead. The small mountain at the center of that battlefield wasn't very large, perhaps only a few hundred meters high, but now, amidst the fierce collision of the black flames and 'explosions' and 'instant annihilation,' the entire mountain had been completely pulverized. The extreme heat had turned the rock into lava or glaze, and then the massive impact forces easily shattered everything. The shockwaves alone from the collision were enough to kill an ordinary person a hundred meters away—one could imagine the destruction caused by two such monsters fighting... And this was only the result of the two not using their full power. What if the range or temperature of the black flames were higher, or if they entered true annihilation mode, or unleashed the Primordial Chaos capable of overturning the world and splitting the heavens?

Luo Yinglong shook his head. He had already thought enough on his journey here. Since his fatal tribulation was unavoidable, what he needed to do now was to maximize the chances for the true body of Zheng Zha to secure the protagonist status, thereby allowing him to be resurrected through the protagonist's luck. Therefore, no matter what, he could not let Luo Gandao disrupt their battle... Even if he failed to stop Luo Gandao, there needed to be something to stop him from interfering until the two determined a victor, or until the Central Continent Squad gathered substantial strength.

"Halt! Both of you, stop for a moment, I have something to say!" Luo Yinglong was quite bold; he directly flew his sword to within ten meters outside the range of their battle—the closest he dared to stop. It wasn't fear of Zheng Zha, but fear that the cloned Zheng Zha might suddenly attack and eliminate him.

With a deafening crash, the Tiger Soul Blade and the Black Flame Greatsword collided violently, immediately carving a rift dozens of meters wide in the ground. Zheng Zha and the cloned Zheng Zha were successfully separated, and both turned their attention to Luo Yinglong.

"Luo Yinglong? Have you decided the outcome?" This was Zheng Zha speaking.

"...Luo Yinglong? You dare to interfere in this fight? Aren't you afraid of death?" The cloned Zheng Zha sneered, ceasing his attack to speak.

(This sentence... doesn't sound like something the cloned Zheng Zha would say. He is too powerful, stands too high; his arrogant nature is not one that threatens others. Thus, one thing is certain: he has also sensed 'Him'...) Luo Yinglong smiled wryly, waving his hand, "I have no interest in interfering in your fight. Who would be bored enough to choose to fight monsters? I came specifically because I was worried someone else might interrupt your battle, so I came to ask you both... Do you need a battlefield?"

"A battlefield?" Zheng Zha asked, bewildered. Only then did he carefully examine his surroundings. Indeed, the destructive power of their fight was so great that the entire small mountain had collapsed without them noticing. This was only using a fraction of their power; if they fought at full strength, it could easily affect the underground laboratory or even farther areas. This battlefield was certainly not resilient enough.

"It's like this: I am about to face a life-or-death battle, one where I am almost certain to lose, but I am unwilling to go down without a fight. So let's make a mutually beneficial exchange. I will set up a Ten Directions Reincarnation Formation here, which can absorb some of the overflowing energy. Besides strengthening the battlefield itself so it won't easily shatter from your collisions, it also allows me to borrow this portion of energy to face my upcoming fight. What do you think? A very good proposal, right?" Luo Yinglong said with a smile.

Zheng Zha and the cloned Zheng Zha both frowned, though their thoughts differed. One was puzzled by the battle Luo Yinglong mentioned, while the other pondered how much Luo Yinglong truly knew.

A moment later, Zheng Zha spoke directly, "I don't care. If he intends to attack you while you are setting up the formation, I will be responsible for delaying him... though I can’t guarantee success."

"No need... You set it up. I also want to see if so-called divine abilities can stand against the mandate of Heaven..." The cloned Zheng Zha said no more. After speaking, he actually sat down on the ground, allowing the black flames outside his body to burn autonomously. After a few seconds, he even closed his eyes.

(Thank you, both Zhas... I owe each of you a favor. If I can still be resurrected, I will repay you when I face 'Him' later...) Luo Yinglong breathed out, pulling a square piece of jade from his (bosom/sleeve). The jade was about the size of a palm, covered in layers of misty, pale cyan smoke, layered like clouds. As he produced this square jade, Luo Yinglong’s expression shifted from his playful smile to one of seriousness, and then to profound depth...

"Borrowing power from Heaven and Earth, the Heavenly Way takes form... Ten Directions Reincarnation Formation! Establish!" He leaped toward...