"Two!" Zheng Zha felt the pushing force on him slowly wane, and then he plummeted downward, his speed accelerating rapidly. In a short time, he had dropped from the rooftop to the floor below, while the air cannon was still charging.

"One!" Zheng Zha’s descent quickened. One hand gripped the air cannon, the other clutched the high-vibration particle cutting dagger. Before he could regain his bearings, a massive recoil jolted from the air cannon in his left hand, slamming him toward the glass wall of the broadcasting building. Zheng Zha fought desperately; without hesitating, he drove the dagger straight into the glass facade. Using this momentum, he activated his Qinggong and began to ascend.

Upon embedding the dagger for the third time, the section of glass unexpectedly slipped, as if improperly fitted during installation. Worse still, the high-vibration particle cutting dagger, now lodged in the glass, violently dragged Zheng Zha down several meters. For some inexplicable reason, the dagger seemed gripped by the glass, leaving him stuck mid-air where leverage was impossible, unable to withdraw the weapon.

"Damn it, even the Grim Reaper is joining the party!" Zheng Zha snarled under his breath. He suddenly bent down, positioning himself on the segment of glass that was falling downwards. Then, with a powerful surge, he launched himself upward several meters, simultaneously punching a section of the glass wall, clinging to it with his palm.

He jumped again, pushing higher. It was fortunate he had exchanged for the Qinggong skill in the previous ‘Main God’ space; otherwise, he would surely be dead now, or at the very least, too late to challenge Zhang Jie while Zhan Lan’s life hung in the balance. He had to eliminate Zhang Jie before Zhao Yingkong caught up to Zhan Lan.

After several punches, Zheng Zha’s hand was already embedded with glass shards, his entire hand a bloody crimson, yet he did not cease, relentlessly battering the glass wall.

He simultaneously activated his Qinggong, continually leaping upward. Approaching the top floor within a few meters, he pressed the trigger on the air cannon with his free hand.

"Two!" Zheng Zha vaulted up violently from the floor below. The instant he saw Zhang Jie, he charged, aiming the air cannon squarely at Zhang Jie’s position.

They were separated by barely ten meters; at Zheng Zha’s speed, it was instantaneous. But before he could cover much distance, a huge force grabbed his hand, forcing it upward.

"One!" Zheng Zha concentrated all his strength into his arm, desperately trying to pull it down. But before the tension in his muscles could reach its peak, the air cannon fired upward. The immense shockwave pressed down, slamming Zheng Zha onto his knees, while Zhang Jie stood calmly just ahead and below him.

"My real name is Zhang Jie. In that horror movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street, I unlocked the Genetic Lock, the first in the Central Team to reach that state. According to protocol, I—as a Class-tier—tested my former self. I passed the trial successfully. The next step was that once I fully integrated with the Guide, this horror film could have concluded immediately according to the ‘Main God’s’ related regulations. But halfway through my integration..." Zhang Jie pulled out a cigarette from his coat, took a drag, and spoke quietly. Simultaneously, the immense pressure pinning Zheng Zha’s arm began to slowly hoist him upward. This force was overwhelming; even with Zheng Zha’s strength several times that of a normal person, he couldn't muster any resistance. The moment he was lifted, his stomach took a savage blow, as if the force intended to split him in two.

"When I was halfway integrated, the main boss from A Nightmare on Elm Street breached from the dreamscape. He killed my main body while I was integrating, resulting in a semi-failed integration. Yet, adhering to the 'Main God's' logic, I returned to the ‘Main God’ space from the film. This partial integration left me with the memories of both the Guide and Zhang Jie, though the Guide component predominated, since Zhang Jie had already perished in A Nightmare on Elm Street..." Zheng Zha roared. The muscles in his arm rapidly swelled, and the strength in his limb gradually overcame the ethereal giant force. Inch by inch, he wrenched his arm free from the suspension. This was the second stage of unlocking the Genetic Lock.

"Therefore, because the Guide component was stronger, I was also subject to the ‘Main God’s’ constraints. While I could obtain Reward Points and exchanges like you, and utilize my enhanced attributes to their full potential, I could not reveal that I was a Guide. However, unlike a Guide, I cannot die and be resurrected. In essence, I am both a Guide and the former captain of the Central Team. As soon as someone in the team unlocked the Genetic Lock, the ‘Main God’ constantly urged me to conduct your trial, or I would be erased. It was only in the last horror film, when I attacked non-trial members, that the ‘Main God’ issued the final command. This current film dictates our fate: either you die, failing the trial, and I continue to live, or I die, and you inherit the position of Captain for the Central Team!"

Zheng Zha had barely managed to retract his arm when the immense force did not relent. Instead, it channeled him, throwing him towards the ground. With a dull thud, he slammed onto the surface, a deep gash instantly opening on his face. The force showed no mercy, relentlessly driving him into the floor. A pool of blood began to form beneath him, its size steadily growing.

"No fighting spirit? Or do you truly believe I won’t kill you?" Zhang Jie sneered, slightly raising one hand, lifting the blood-soaked Zheng Zha from the ground.

This invisible great force moved with uncanny agility, like the fingers of Zhang Jie. As Zheng Zha was lifted, the communicator in his pocket was also drawn out by the unseen power. Zhang Jie caught it, saying, "Want to hear Zhan Lan's voice right now? I can grant you that wish."

With that, Zhang Jie activated the communicator.

Zhan Lan’s frantic voice spilled out: "Is that Zheng Zha? Don't worry, Zhao Yingkong is still far away. Don’t worry about me; fight with confidence!" Zhang Jie cut the transmission as soon as he heard this and burst into laughter. "What do you think? A good woman, isn't she? Even at this juncture, she’s worried about you. Do you know how far Zhao Yingkong is from her now? Maybe only a minute or two away, and then—hahaha—you know the assassin’s strike, right? Against any enemy, it ultimately takes only one blow!" Zheng Zha gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing red, stained by blood, and he roared softly, "Zhang Jie, do you really want to die? Why? Why must it come to this?" Zhang Jie laughed coldly, "No reason. I am the Guide, you are the one being tested. Either you pass, and I vanish, or you fail, and I continue to live while you accept death as failure!"

Saying this, Zhang Jie stomped the communicator into shards. "She's almost there. You have only yourself to blame. If you hadn't rescued Zhan Lan, she wouldn't be hunted, and you would only need to face the trial alone. So, this is all your fault—"

Zheng Zha couldn't listen anymore. He struggled fiercely, his muscles swelling to more than double their normal size, using sheer power to contest the formless, tremendous force. Just as Zhang Jie was about to raise his hand to slam him into the ground again, Zheng Zha suddenly burst forward, straining with all his might. In that instant, he violently broke free from the invisible restraint. He stamped his foot and leaped directly at Zhang Jie. Before the next wave of invisible force could strike, his fist slammed heavily into Zhang Jie's abdomen.

Zhang Jie’s own strength and speed were naturally no match for Zheng Zha’s sudden explosion. Under the impact of the punch, he was instantly blasted away. But Zheng Zha’s reaction speed was significantly faster; before Zhang Jie could fully fly away, Zheng Zha grabbed his arm again and violently slammed him into the ground, then unleashed a barrage of upward-pounding fists. Within seconds, Zhang Jie’s mouth and nose were gushing blood, yet his face maintained a strange smile, as if he were not the one being beaten.

Zheng Zha hauled Zhang Jie up from the ground, locking one hand around his throat while clenching his other fist, poised to deliver a final blow to Zhang Jie’s head. He ground out through clenched teeth, "Tell me, is there any way to stop Zhao Yingkong?" Zhang Jie smiled faintly, "Kill me!" "Fine! Then die!" Zheng Zha, enraged, brought his fist down. The power of this single punch was immense; Zhang Jie was blasted nearly ten meters away, slamming against a wall and slumping against it, leaning against the concrete floor.

Zheng Zha walked toward Zhang Jie step by step. From the first time he met him—the man handing out cigarettes, the man laughing heartily, the man who saved him in Alien, the man they had faced the horror films with, fighting side by side—had all that truly passed? As Zheng Zha drew closer, Zhang Jie slowly took out a pack of cigarettes from his coat. Trembling slightly, he placed one between his lips, then chuckled, "Zhao Yingkong’s hypnosis was lifted the moment you started fighting me. Zhan Lan was telling the truth, good brother. Have a smoke with me."