Zheng Zha didn't know whether to be happy or worried. Logically, Chu Xuan being able to say such things meant that he did possess emotions, he just didn't know how to experience or express them. However, the content of his words was deeply concerning—Chu Xuan had mentioned his own death. (His death? Zha could only hope this was his own delusion. For someone who had always been so rational, dealing only in data and materialistic probabilities, to suddenly mention a premonition—that alone was an ominous sign. But Chu Xuan dying? That was a scenario he had never even conceived of.) As Aragorn pressed forward, searching for signs of Men, Zheng Zha remained unsettled by Chu Xuan's foreboding words. He resignedly began to simulate Xiao Honglu's thought process, trying to decipher the meaning behind Chu Xuan’s statement.

(Fundamentally, Chu Xuan is the safest among us, his safety rating nearly identical to Zhan Lan's. I have taken extreme care to protect both of them; they are vital cores of the team. Without them, our combat strength and survival capability would plummet by more than half. Therefore, if even Chu Xuan is slated to die, then hardly anyone from the Middle Continent team will survive, and we might even face total annihilation again.) Zheng Zha pondered his doubts as they walked, completely unaware of how serious the expressions of Aragorn and the other two had become.

Aragorn glanced at the distracted Zheng Zha and grunted quietly, “Zheng Zha! Be careful, don’t let distractions pull your focus. Legolas heard something from these trees.” The Elven Prince, Legolas, frowned and stated, “Yes, they are speaking of the arrival of the White Wizard. It’s true, the White Wizard is here! Saruman has arrived!” The three figures from the story immediately tensed up. They had all heard that only a Wizard could counter a Wizard, and Saruman had once wielded a lightning spell whose sheer might was deeply etched in their memories. This was why they were so nervous now.

The six members of the Middle Continent team, however, knew the White Wizard arriving was Gandalf, resurrected as he was in the film's narrative. Despite everything that had transpired, it seemed everything had reset once more. Gandalf had finally returned from the dead as the White Wizard, and now he was meeting them here.

Indeed, as Legolas spoke, a pale white light slowly emanated from the depths of the forest. Aragorn looked intently at Zheng Zha. “Zheng Zha, you are the strongest among us. When Saruman begins his attack, only your counterattack can wound or kill him. So, you must strike him immediately, otherwise, once he chants his spells, we will all be killed.”

Zheng Zha nodded subtly. As the white light drew nearer, the three story characters instantly drew their weapons. Legolas even nocked three arrows onto his fingers, ready to unleash his Triple-Shot Volley the moment the light approached. Though the members of the Middle Continent team were reluctant to draw theirs, doing so would imply they were abandoning their companions. So, having no choice, everyone brought their weapons into hand and waited silently behind their backs, facing the encroaching light.

When the light was almost upon them, Jin Pi was the first to roar, spinning and hurling a small axe. Simultaneously, Legolas's Triple-Shot Volley flew forth. Following them, Zheng Zha and Aragorn charged forward together, both brandishing weapons as if to strike—though Zheng Zha’s movement was merely an affectation.

With several sharp clangs, the axe and the arrows of the Triple-Shot Volley slammed into a translucent protective shield.

The shield was incredibly resilient; it shattered the axe while completely deflecting the arrows. Zheng Zha and Aragorn brought their blades down upon the shield in unison, yet they failed to breach it, succeeding only in producing a few clear, resonant sounds.

“Are you looking for a group of Men and a Hobbit? They have met some unexpected benefactors. If you are their friends, then you need not worry about them.”

An old man’s voice spoke slowly.

The voice was startlingly familiar. Aragorn looked utterly perplexed. He shouted loudly, “Who are you? Remove that light!” The old man was radiating an intense white luminescence that made it impossible to look upon him directly. When Aragorn yelled, the intense light around the old man gradually receded, and within the glow, the figure of Gandalf, clad in white robes, appeared, smiling calmly at them.

The three story figures were completely stunned. Only Zheng Zha and the other five maintained composed expressions. Gandalf smiled and spoke, “At that time, my life force fell with that Balrog into the abyss of Moria. I attempted to seal that ancient undead demon using Holy Silver Fire, but I never expected the Balrog to be so resolute. Realizing resurrection was hopeless, it detonated its very essence. Even I was engulfed in the flames…”

“In the chaos of time and space, I seemed to witness the birth and rebirth of the universe. It was then I finally touched the will of God. Thus, I was resurrected, imbued with a divine mission. Simultaneously, I also saw obstacles that might prevent me from completing this mission,” Gandalf stated calmly.

Aragorn and the two others collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Aragorn stepped to Gandalf’s side, saying gratefully, “Gandalf, it is wonderful that you have returned.”

“Gandalf?” Gandalf murmured the name with deep confusion for a moment, then realization dawned. “Yes, my name is Gandalf. That is indeed my former name—Gandalf the Grey, heh. Now, I am Gandalf the White.”

Having said this, Gandalf turned directly to Zheng Zha and the others. “Zheng Zha, I also saw your origins under the gaze of God. Although you are not native to this world, I believe you will assist me in fulfilling my mission. Is that not so? Warriors.”

The six of them were momentarily taken aback. After exchanging glances, Zheng Zha curiously inquired, “You saw our origins? Do you mean the other world we come from? And what exactly is your mission?” He chuckled. “Of course, it is to destroy Sauron.”

Chu Xuan suddenly interjected, “Just destroying Sauron? Not the One Ring?” Gandalf laughed mysteriously. “The eyes of God see all things. This Ring will vanish from Middle-earth, but it will not be destroyed. God’s prophecy tells me that even if you do not take the Ring, it will be seized by another group in Mordor. Sauron will vanish, but the One Ring will remain, and the power of the three Elven Rings will also be preserved. This is part of the prophecy and mission left to me: to allow the Elves to remain in their homelands, free from sorrow over leaving their native soil, and for the three Elven Rings to be kept safe. That is what I saw.”

“The rest of the prophecy speaks of a group of people also from another world—they originate from the same place as you, but they bear intense hostility towards you. God informed me that you must defeat them, or one among them will help Sauron reclaim the One Ring. If the Dark Lord regains the Ring, countless warriors will perish, and my mission might very well fail.”

While Zheng Zha and the others were still perplexed, Gandalf had already started walking toward the edge of the forest. As he walked, he said, “Thinking too much about it now is useless. We must reach Minas Tirith, the capital of Rohan, immediately. Saruman’s armies are preparing to attack there. That is our first battle: defeating Saruman’s forces. The prophecy of God is perfectly clear: until we have utterly defeated the armies of Mordor and its allies, the One Ring will remain safe. So, there is no time to dwell on hypotheticals now; we must hurry to Minas Tirith!”

Zheng Zha walked alongside him, asking Chu Xuan in a low voice, curious, “Is his word trustworthy? Should we really listen to a prophecy that claims to know our safety or future?” Chu Xuan replied calmly, “This world has beings called ‘God.’ We can generally assume such beings possess extremely powerful legendary or magical abilities. At the very least, they can observe most regions and figures in this world. Therefore, when intelligence is one hundred percent available, analyzing all this is not difficult. For instance, do you think my schemes are mere prophecies?”

Zheng Zha paused before replying, “Well, your schemes often feel like prophecy, as if you know exactly how things will unfold.”

Chu Xuan nodded. “Precisely. In reality, I don’t see how things will unfold; I merely deduce and analyze based on intelligence and personality profiling. Take, for example, knowing that Hao Tian would inevitably find a loophole in my scheme, allowing me to mend it and execute it, and knowing that the other four team members would certainly conflict with him, leading them to join him in implementing the plan. It sounds like prophecy, but if you analyze the specific details—like the Tracker Virus, Hao Da's strength and intellect, or their current circumstances versus the size of the Uruk-hai legions—then reaching that conclusion becomes entirely logical.”

“Similarly, if ‘God’ observes that the East Coast team and the Celestial Team are powerful, and that they will at some point display hostility toward us or Hao Tian’s group, then they can arrive at the conclusion Gandalf knows: the East Coast team and the Celestial Team must have been near us and possibly attempted to attack us. Therefore, we should also prepare ourselves to welcome their assault.”