As the crowd gazed upon the beautiful luminescence before them, a chilling breath swept from behind, stirring up a host of fallen leaves from the ground, amidst which the faint sound of horses neighing could be heard. A grim realization settled upon them; the Ringwraiths had come startlingly fast. It had barely been thirty seconds. Could those Death Knight-like Wraiths already be upon them? “Everyone, rest assured, the Ringwraiths are at least several minutes away from us…” Zhan Lan shouted back to the others while running. “While the psychic scan can’t detect the Wraiths, it can spot the continuously dying vegetation. That trail of withered plants is closing in on us. Hurry up, everyone!” Hearing this, the group immediately quickened their pace. About ten seconds later, the Elven contingent appeared before them—a band of two to three hundred elves. They stared dumbly as the forty-odd people rushed towards them. However, the Elves were a race that bred warriors, and instantly, nearly a hundred bows were drawn from their ranks, causing Zheng Zha and the others to halt, daring no further movement.

Zheng Zha stepped forward and called out loudly, “There are evil creatures pursuing us from behind. Didn't the rumors say the Elves are a benevolent race? Help us fight them off!” The crowd of Elves immediately erupted in clamor. It was clear they were divided: one faction advocated helping Zheng Zha’s group, while the other felt it best not to meddle in this dangerous affair.

The two sides argued fiercely, and the chilling presence behind Zheng Zha and his company was drawing ever nearer.

“Stop arguing! Have you forgotten the destination of our journey?” A young man suddenly emerged from the midst of the Elves. He possessed long, golden hair.

His face was handsome enough to rival a major movie star, complemented by a pair of pointed ears, all confirming his Elven heritage. As his voice boomed out, the surrounding Elves instantly fell silent. He then walked a few steps toward Zheng Zha and his group.

He spoke next, “Forgive us, strangers. We are the destined forgotten. About to depart the Middle-earth, we have severed all ties with this world. Whether this world is evil or good, we are merely passersby. I am deeply sorry; we cannot assist you…” “The ones chasing us are the Ringwraiths. As allies who once fought side-by-side in the ancient ages, our ancestors battled alongside yours. For the sake of that alliance, please help the descendants of your comrades! We are allies too!” Before Zheng Zha could speak, someone behind him suddenly cried out.

It was a newcomer from the South Flame Continent team, a sharp-looking young man in a suit, appearing to be in his mid-to-late twenties. Zheng Zha recalled this person’s profession; he seemed to have been a lawyer before entering the reincarnation world—no wonder he was so eloquent.

As soon as the young man uttered those words, the crowd of Elves fell into complete silence. Even the Elven leader could only sigh softly. To the Elves, the term ‘allies who fought side-by-side’ was sacred and inviolable. Furthermore, the mention of the Ringwraiths struck a chord of dread in their hearts. Possessing eternal life, they were naturally aware of the earth-shattering War of the Ring. The sudden reappearance of the Wraiths, about whom they hadn't heard news for so many years, instantly sparked suspicion in several Elven minds.

“The Ringwraiths… Indeed, eight evil entities radiating terrifying dark power—a power unique to the Wraiths—are rapidly approaching from that direction. But to have eight Wraiths appear near the Shire…” The Elven leader closed his eyes, turning toward Zheng Zha’s direction. After a long pause, he murmured, “Could it be… that you possess the One Ring?” As he spoke the final words, the Elven leader’s eyes snapped open.

Zheng Zha quickly stepped forward. “That is correct. We are escorting the Ring to the Elven capital, but we were discovered by the Ringwraiths immediately upon leaving the Shire. We lack the strength to fully protect these four little ones, which is why we need your strength. If you could only hold off the Wraiths for a while, we will hurry to the Bucklebury Ferry. The Wraiths cannot cross water. Once there, we will depart for Bree-village…” The Elven leader sighed deeply. He studied the four Hobbits intently, then turned and shouted to the Elves behind him, “Tell the humans… our Elven folk have never abandoned our allies! We haven't before, we won't now, and we never shall!” As he roared, he took a bow made of green wood from a serving maiden behind him.

Zheng Zha took several deep breaths, then turned and bellowed at the members of the three teams, “All rookies, flee into the forest behind the Elves! We will return on the aircraft after reaching the ferry to find you. Do not wander off; it’s best if the rookies stick together in groups of a few… Chu Xuan, Zhao Yingkong, that Druid strengthener, Richard, Cheng Xiao—you five, once you see us engaging the Wraiths, immediately set off for the Bucklebury Ferry. Have those four board the boat there, and then wait for us. I will have Zhan Lan support you with a Soul Chain! The rest of the veterans will assist the Elves in the assault! You must keep all the Ringwraiths here!” Neos and Gahnir exchanged a cold glance and a sneer, but they said nothing, simply taking their positions as ordered. The rookies from the three teams, however, disregarded everything else. Having witnessed the Wraiths’ devastatingly sharp attacks, they had already bolted into the forest behind the Elves. Within ten seconds, the group of newcomers had vanished without a trace.

The Elves showed no reaction. At least a hundred of them were elite longbowmen, wielding hardwood longbows nearly two meters in length. Since Elves are generally tall and slender, averaging at least 1.78 meters, with a third approaching 1.90 meters, this height was necessary to wield those specially crafted hardwood longbows. The arrows shot from such bows possessed formidable power.

Once Zheng Zha had largely assigned his teams, the Elves had also prepared for battle. Over two-thirds of them retreated into the rear forest—those lacking combat capability. The remainder were elite warriors, armed with hardwood longbows, quivers strapped to their waists, and long swords at the other hip. Judging by their fierce bearing, they hardly resembled the gentle and refined Elves; they looked more like battle-hardened human elite soldiers.

“Ready!” the Elven leader bellowed. As his shout echoed, Zheng Zha and the others felt the approaching cold aura becoming increasingly sharp.

Just as the Elven leader roared the command to fire, a Ringwraith, cloaked in an aura of black death, burst forth from the top of a tree, its appearance indeed strikingly similar to a Death Knight. This Wraith also rode a black skeletal steed, though this mount was larger and significantly faster than the previous one. Its eyes no longer merely glowed red; they seemed to project actual crimson flames outward. Moreover, this Wraith's gear appeared much superior to the last one; besides the black greatsword, it also carried a black heavy shield in its other hand.

The Elves loosed over a hundred arrows. These arrows carried faint traces of green light, but upon striking the Wraith's shield, they only produced metallic clang sounds, their power quickly dissipated and corrupted by the encroaching black aura. These hundred-plus arrows failed utterly to impede the Wraith’s advance.

The Wraith was incredibly swift. When it entered their field of vision, it was still about three hundred meters away. By the time the arrows were spent, it was barely over two hundred meters from them. At this moment, an arrow of white light and one of green suddenly shot toward the Wraith’s head. However, the Wraith reacted with extreme speed; two more loud impacts sounded as both arrows struck the heavy shield almost simultaneously. Zhang Heng and the woman with the crossbow had fired their respective shafts. It was evident both were using +3 Enchanted Arrows, though the difference in the bow and crossbow properties resulted in varied hues of light. Yet, the power delivered was far greater than the arrows loosed by the Elves.

The Elven leader glanced quickly at the pair, then drew his hardwood longbow. In his fingers, however, rested two arrows. He bent low, drawing the bow to its fullest tension. When the Wraith was about a hundred meters away, he loosed both arrows in quick succession. The second arrow struck the tail end of the first, causing an immediate explosion. The first arrow accelerated like a streak of green light, and with a sharp crack, the immensely thick shield shattered under its impact.

The woman with the crossbow was momentarily stunned into silence. She stared blankly at the Elven leader’s hardwood longbow, then looked back at her own crossbow in disbelief. Lost in her reverie, she watched as Zhang Heng also nocked two arrows. Zhang Heng bent low, drawing his bow to its limit. Though he no longer wielded the Wolf-Shooter of old, Zhang Heng was utterly focused now; not a trace of timidity showed in his eyes. In that moment, he appeared magnificent.

The Burst Arrow was loosed again, and Zhang Heng's archery technique proved even superior to the Elven leader's. Considering the speed, the resulting explosive force of the Burst Arrow, and the added power of his metal bow combined with the +3 Enchanted Arrows, the onlookers hadn't even registered the trajectory before the arrow pierced the Wraith's head, causing the entire skull to explode.

(He is still this powerful. If this man were free of that fatal flaw of cowardice, his potential would be limitless. Perhaps only a ‘Destruction’ state could evade this power. What if he had used the 'Wind Arrow' skill?) Zheng Zha mused inwardly. It had been a long time since he had witnessed Zhang Heng’s supreme archery skills; the sheer power was enough to awe any foe. In fact, after Zhang Heng’s shot, the people from the other two teams stared dumbfounded. As seasoned fighters, their physical prowess allowed them to witness the "tail-chasing explosion" of the two arrows. That archery technique was simply unparalleled.

The Elven leader was clearly also frozen in shock. He stared at Zhang Heng for a moment before roaring, “Focus! Every Wraith killed makes the remaining ones stronger! There are seven left, and they will only grow more powerful!” Zheng Zha and the others paused, a bitter taste filling their mouths. This news was tantamount to telling them they were in a desperate trap. If the Wraiths were this formidable in their base state, how much worse would they be when empowered? At that very instant, another Wraith charged out from a withered treetop, its speed noticeably increased. Following close behind it, three more Wraiths burst forth in succession. All four were equipped with heavy shields, and they were no longer just charging blindly. Utilizing their ability to ignore gravity, they began circling the trees ceaselessly, making it impossible for the Elven archers to aim.

“Fight! Everyone, fight with all you have, or none of us will survive!” Zheng Zha howled, raising his Hubo and slashing it toward a large tree in front of him. With a sharp crack, the tree split in two.

The others snapped back to reality and began frantically hacking at the trees surrounding them. The Wraiths ignored gravity; the more complex the terrain, the stronger their fighting advantage. Battling them in such an environment meant certain defeat. Thus, everyone attacked with savage fervor.

The Elves frowned, but with the formidable enemy upon them, they could hardly interject. Just as Zheng Zha’s group cleared a seven or eight-meter radius of trees, the first Wraith charged to their position. It landed surprisingly by stepping onto a large leaf, immediately bringing its sword down in a lethal arc toward Zheng Zha’s head. The black aura carried a fierce wind, threatening to cleave Zheng Zha in two.

Zheng Zha reacted with lightning speed. Among the three teams, he possessed the strongest melee capabilities. His Hubo rose to intercept with a clang. Zheng Zha was driven several inches into the soil, but the Wraith was actually flung several meters into the air! Zheng Zha did not pause; he stomped down, brought his blade across the Wraith’s left side, slicing off half its shoulder along with its heavy shield, while shouting, “Chu Xuan, I’m leaving that flank to you! Get them out of here!” He leaped towards...