Gandalf shook his head. "The Ents are the race most devoted to tranquility. They can stand rooted in the earth motionless for ten years, or converse for days and nights over a single matter. In short, unless provoked by an outside enemy, they will not leave the forest to fight of their own accord. Though they are an immensely powerful race, this characteristic has kept them largely unknown throughout Middle-earth."

As they spoke, the group moved from the dense woods to the forest's edge. There, Gandalf suddenly let out a piercing whistle directed toward the open expanse. The sharp sound carried far; unknowingly, Gandalf had employed a sound-amplifying magic.

The others stopped alongside Gandalf. Chu Xuan produced a few more Snow Berries from some unseen pocket. The man showed no sign of boredom, munching on the berries while observing Gandalf’s staff. The staff of the now White Wizard had been replaced by one of white jade, intricately covered with dense ancient script and strange diagrams, which Chu Xuan intently watched while eating.

"Chu Xuan," Zheng Zha called from atop a large tree trunk he was carrying. He held the reins of the warhorse obtained from the Rohirrim cavalry, while the skeletal steed followed faithfully beside him without needing guidance.

Chu Xuan replied flatly without turning around. Zheng Zha sighed, then asked on his own, "Why do you always have something in your hand to eat? You never seem to eat much during actual meals, but you constantly carry fruits or brightly colored things to nibble on."

Chu Xuan still looked away as he spoke, "Thinking demands vast amounts of energy, consuming even more than physical exertion. Therefore, one must consume things regularly to maintain mental agility. In this regard, Neos's situation is quite representative, though he was too extreme. If you have the time to consider such trivial matters, I actually have a question for you."

The primary subordinate instantly grew curious and quickly replied, "Ah, ask whatever you like. I won't hide anything from you."

"Very well, you are suppressing your power, aren't you?" Chu Xuan turned his head as he posed the question.

However, he only glanced at Zheng Zha before refocusing his gaze on Gandalf’s staff.

"I deduced this from something Zhao Yingkong casually mentioned—the time we returned to Resident Evil to retrieve the T-Virus solution. She mentioned you single-handedly slaughtered several hundred gigantic Lickers in the base, right? While the Killing Intent is a valuable trait, that isn't the main point. Those hundreds of giant Lickers were certainly not simple creatures. Zhao Yingkong stated that at her peak strength, she could only manage to kill one giant Licker; any more would mean her death. I can estimate your power level too. Even if you utilized 'Blast' and 'Destruction,' you shouldn't have sustained such minor injuries. Therefore, I can only reach one conclusion: something happened when you killed those large numbers of giant Lickers, something Zhao Yingkong did not witness. What was it? I am curious what move or power you would hide from us—it's unlike your character," Chu Xuan stated calmly.

"After that, in the Lord of the Rings world, facing the Ringwraiths, and when we entered the caverns, your performance can be summed up in one phrase: by the book. It was remarkably consistent with the gap between your usual strength and your capabilities. But this is the most perplexing part: you may not believe it, but your potential is higher than Zhang Heng’s within our team. After the two major battles—returning to Resident Evil and the earlier Starship Troopers—your displayed strength hasn't shifted much. Why? There is only one explanation: you are deliberately manufacturing a range for your strength fluctuations. Why?" Chu Xuan finished the last Snow Berry in his hand, then turned to face him fully. "Are you afraid of something, or perhaps this power makes you extremely wary? Is that it? While I cannot offer advice on that front—you must slowly grasp and comprehend it yourself—I only want to tell you one thing: strategy has its limits, and that limit is defined by the balance of power. When strength surpasses the capacity that strategy can accommodate, strategy becomes mere laughable play. For example, back in Starship Troopers, when the Southern Continent team shattered the battleship with one punch, no matter what tactics we used, we were still the ones who died." Zheng Zha’s expression became slightly flustered. He hesitated several times before finally saying in a low voice, "Give me some time. Trust me, I would never harm my comrades." Chu Xuan said no more, waving a dismissive hand, and returned his attention to Gandalf’s staff. It was only then, from an unseen direction, that a loud neigh echoed out. As this horse cry sounded, the seven warhorses beside the group grew instantly agitated, snorting nervously.

"Heavens, that is Mearas, the king of horses! That is the legendary Horse-lord, capable of covering a thousand leagues in a single day!" The Elf Prince, with the sharpest eyes, spotted a massive white horse galloping toward them from afar; its speed was not inferior to that of Zheng Zha’s skeletal charger.

As the majestic white horse drew nearer, the group realized its sheer size. It stood at least a quarter taller than a normal warhorse, matching the skeletal steed in height. This white horse was also remarkably intelligent; upon reaching Gandalf, it bowed its neck and gently rubbed against him, while Gandalf smiled and stroked its white mane.

"His name is Shadowfax. He is the Lord of Horses and has accompanied me through many moments of peril. Come, let us go to Edoras, the capital of Rohan!" Led by Gandalf, the company advanced toward the capital of the kingdom of riders, Rohan. Along the way, the four plot characters were visibly cheered up, especially the trio of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. They had borne the pain of fallen companions and the failure of the Fellowship's quest, and only Gandalf’s return offered a glimmer of hope. Furthermore, Gandalf’s power seemed noticeably enhanced after his resurrection, and his bearing radiated confidence.

In contrast, among the six team members, Chu Xuan remained impassive toward every situation, his demeanor unchanged. Zhan Lan acted normally, though she often stole glances at Zheng Zha. Cheng Xiaogang was the eternal optimist, seemingly untroubled by worries, constantly joking with Zhan Lan and Zhao Zhuikong, often bursting into hearty laughter at his own jokes.

Zhang Heng displayed the most effort since entering the horror movie reincarnation cycles. He continuously pressed the Elf Prince Legolas for instruction on using the 'Arrow Burst' technique, and he frequently took his three arrows to practice shooting at distant stones. Indeed, Zhang Heng was the most spirited of the group.

The remaining two were Zhao Yingkong and Zheng Zha. Their situations were quite similar: both appeared deeply preoccupied, barely responding even when others spoke to them. In this state of unrest, the six members of the Central Continent team and the four plot characters arrived at Edoras, the capital of Rohan, after several days of hard riding.

It was a rudimentary city built upon a small grassy hill. From the conversations among Aragorn and the others, they learned that Rohan was still fundamentally a nomadic people, retaining many of their ancient customs even after settling down. This is why it was called the Kingdom of the Horse Lords—a powerful military state built upon the saddle. However, in terms of architecture and civilian welfare, it lagged far behind Gondor, the greatest kingdom of Men.

The group rode toward the city gates, following the wooden palisade walls as they approached the outskirts of Edoras. After Gandalf and Aragorn announced their names, the small gate—barely wide enough for two horses—was opened, and the company rode into the city. The skeletal steed, dragging the frozen humanoid figure, immediately caused gasps of alarm among the common folk.

Despite this, the city’s population was strikingly sparse. Compared to the density of Hobbits Zheng Zha and the others had witnessed in the Shire, or the Elven populations in the two Elven cities they visited, the population here could only be described as scattered. As soon as Jin Pi entered the city, he couldn't help but remark, "This place is worse than a graveyard."

Gandalf and the others sighed quietly. Then, the group followed Gandalf up toward the King’s Hall at the top of the hill. After a brief, uncomplicated announcement of names, a slightly stout, sturdy officer emerged and announced loudly, "King Théoden wishes to see you, Gandalf the Grey, but you cannot bring weapons—that is the Steward’s decree!" Having shed his forest attire, Gandalf indeed wore a grey cloak, making him appear every bit the Grey Wizard. He nodded to those around him. Aragorn and the others drew their weapons, and Zheng Zha’s group handed over their Elven weaponry. Only when the officer reached for Gandalf’s staff did the wizard interject, "Surely you don't intend to take an old man's walking stick?" The officer started to retort, but another officer nearby gently tugged his sleeve. The portly officer immediately understood, gave Gandalf a meaningful look, and then strode into the royal hall, with Gandalf and the others following closely behind.