Jonathan immediately plastered on a smile and said, "What are we talking about between us? What's yours isn't mine, right? In short, I'll help you keep those gold and jewels you won't be using." Zheng Zha couldn't be bothered with him and walked alone into the pyramid first. However, once inside, he suddenly felt his body become drastically heavy, as if something vital had vanished from him, leaving him feeling weighed down and extremely uncomfortable. Not only that, when he looked back, he was stunned to see everyone stuck just outside the pyramid entrance, unable to enter. He reached out to touch the barrier and immediately found a strange, transparent shield separating him from the others; neither side could cross it. "The Scorpion King is resurrected. Challenge: Stripped of enhanced attributes and skills. Kill the Scorpion King. Simultaneously, the Death God Army activates, eliminating everything within a fifty-kilometer radius of the pyramid until the Scorpion King is slain." The voice of the "Main God" instantly appeared in Zheng Zha’s consciousness. He only had time to see Chu Xuan indeed drawing his heavy-barreled pistol, while the others, with their backs to the pyramid, readied their respective weapons, as the ground before them was slowly rising.

Monsters of the Death God Army ceaselessly materialized before them. Zheng Zha roared. Only now did he completely grasp the Main God’s meaning: challenging the Scorpion King with the strength of an ordinary person meant his Spear of Judgment would be unable to unleash its terrifying power, limited only to a common throw, without the aid of Qinggong, without the Crimson Flame, and with his companions held hostage, even if they possessed ranged weapons to fight the Death God Army's horde.

But given the sheer disparity in numbers, he could already envision his companions being crushed into pulp. Not only could the story characters not be revived upon death, but Chu Xuan, who had only just been resurrected, would be permanently lost if killed! Zheng Zha roared frantically, sprinting toward the interior of the pyramid. Gunfire was already erupting behind him. He absolutely refused to let his comrades meet a violent end, especially these people he had come to accept—he did not want them to die! Without Qinggong.

This was unsettling for someone so accustomed to running with the aid of that agility technique. His first few steps were even slightly unsteady; the hollow feeling inside his body was intensely distressing. What brought a sliver of unexpected joy, however, was that a minuscule amount of his Bloodline energy and internal Neili remained. This residual energy might no longer count as enhancement but rather as power he had cultivated himself. Though these two forces were incredibly weak, for someone now possessing nothing, they felt like a lifeline.

Running, Zheng Zha meticulously reviewed his available weapons and skills. The Gatling cannon seemed unusable; his strength had reverted to that of a normal person—or perhaps, after reaching the second stage of unlocking the Gene Lock, he might just manage it, capable of enduring the immense recoil if he fully enhanced his muscles. With that thought, Zheng Zha hastily entered the Gene Lock Unlocked state. Fortunately, accessing this state had not vanished. He smoothly entered the first stage, confirming with certainty that the "Main God" had only stripped him of the enhanced portions of his power and attributes. His own comprehension remained intact; his self-cultivated Neili and Bloodline energy had not disappeared. In other words, the "Explosion" skill should also be usable.

This realization brought a degree of calm. He maintained the Gene Lock Unlocked state and continued to sprint forward. Simultaneously, he suddenly heard the sound of a gong resonating from deep within the pyramid. Judging by the original movie plot, this must be the Priest Imhotep summoning the Scorpion King, meaning the battle arena couldn't be too far from his current location.

Zheng Zha dashed forward a few steps. His current speed was finite. Without physical enhancement, without the boost from his Bloodline or Neili, and lacking the Qinggong skill, he was barely stronger than an ordinary person now—no, in terms of sheer physical capability, perhaps even inferior to an athlete in the normal world.

Meanwhile, outside the pyramid, the others had engaged the Death God Army monsters. Fortunately, their defensive position was excellent: a narrow corridor leading into the pyramid. They only needed to defend the front; behind them was the impassable shield. Armed with firearms, the Death God Army monsters could not approach them, only surge forward relentlessly in waves. However, their numbers were terrifying, and ammunition was spent like water. If this continued, they would be trampled into pulp in a matter of minutes.

Chu Xuan’s twin heavy pistols were immensely powerful; he was the one laying down the heaviest suppressive fire. But even as he shot continuously, he kept glancing around, particularly examining the length of the narrow corridor. Without another word, he snatched several sticks of dynamite tied to O'Connell’s waist. He then stated coolly, "Find cover," as he ignited the fuses of several sticks simultaneously. Holding the lit dynamite, he waited until the fuses were almost entirely burned down before hurling them toward the end of the corridor. He then immediately dropped to the ground, covering his head.

Several explosions rocked the corridor. Just as the horde of Death God Army monsters charged forward, the entire passage collapsed. Stone walls and pillars overlapped, sealing off the entrance to the corridor. The group remained unharmed; the small area where they stood was isolated from the outside by the fallen masonry, temporarily blocking any immediate advance by the monsters.

The group stood up, taking deep breaths, looking at Chu Xuan with grudging admiration. But just then, everyone heard the sound of stone fracturing, like someone methodically hammering chunks of rock. The dense, clanging noise sounded profoundly eerie, and a collective sense of dread bloomed in their minds.

"It's certain. Those Anubis soldiers are hacking through the outer walls and pillars. Based on what we saw, the stone here is about two to three meters thick. Calculating their numbers and strength, it will take them six to seven minutes to dig through. Coupled with our ammunition supply, we can hold out for perhaps eight to nine minutes. Let's pray Zheng Zha can dispatch the Scorpion King within that timeframe."

Zheng Zha was oblivious to the situation outside; he was focused only on pushing forward. Following the sound of metal striking stone deeper inside, after navigating a tight passage, he finally reached a vast chamber illuminated by braziers lining all four walls. In the center stood an iron gong, which the Priest Imhotep was painstakingly striking. Standing beside the bald heartthrob was a beautiful, long-haired woman.

According to the plot, Imhotep’s magic should also be suppressed in this space. Otherwise, he wouldn't be struggling to strike the gong himself. Thus, Zheng Zha felt no fear of him, simply retrieving the Zaku Lightning Axe from his storage ring. However, the mere act of drawing the item consumed nearly one-fifth of his remaining Neili, frightening him into abandoning any further urge to retrieve items. He proceeded toward Imhotep, gripping the massive axe.

Imhotep had clearly spotted Zheng Zha's arrival. He laughed heartily, "You've been stripped of your power too, I see? The great power of Death permeates this space. Both you and I are merely ordinary humans now. I no longer need to fear your terrifying strength and speed, and you don't need to dread my sorcery or my immortality. Let’s settle this here!" With that, he tossed aside the mallet and retrieved a strangely shaped, long saber from the wall.

Zheng Zha took a breath. "Imhotep, I don't have much time for games. So I will ask you only one question: Are you willing to give up on killing the Scorpion King? I won't kill you either; I’ll let you and your woman go free. Don't refuse me, or I will show neither of you mercy."

The bald Imhotep froze, then burst into laughter. "Do I need your mercy? Now that you’ve lost that fearsome strength—though I don't know where you got it—in a contest between ordinary humans, can you fight two against one? You might not know, but Anck-su-namun is the strongest female warrior in Egypt, and I, the High Priest Imhotep, am renowned for my valor! You dare challenge us both? Hahahaha!" Zheng Zha took a deep breath, said nothing more, and charged toward the pair with the Lightning Axe in hand. At the same instant, the massive door to the great chamber at the front of the hall burst open, bathing the area in light from two intense beams.

For more novels, visit storyread.net.