This situation was one that even Zheng Zha could not fully defend against. After all, the city was massive; though built leaning against a mountain, unlike the square or polygonal layouts of ancient Chinese cities that limited attacks to the front, this city was completely different from the smaller fortresses of the Kingdom of Rohan or Helm’s Deep. This was a genuine metropolis, towering more than ten stories high and spanning hundreds of meters across its base. How could Zheng Zha possibly watch over it all by himself? (If he used the fourth stage of unlocking the Gene Lock, he would only need to charge into the Orc masses below.) Zheng Zha and Gandalf, among others, stood on the middle tier of Minas Tirith. From here, they could clearly observe the changing dynamics of the entire battlefield. Several times, seeing massive stones hurtling towards the ramparts, Zheng Zha desperately wanted to rush to the defense, but Gandalf always held him back.

“Don’t be rash. The Nine Ringwraiths have arrived, and their unified strength is immense. Although we don't know why the Dark Lord Sauron hasn't come, this single Nazgûl alone is enough to inflict heavy casualties upon us. You are the strongest in close combat among us; you must completely tie down that one Ringwraith.”

Gandalf spoke seriously.

(Not only that one Nazgûl, but there are three figures watching from the surrounding mountains—two men and one woman. One is Luo Yinglong; the other two are unknown, but they must also be members of the Heavenly God Squad. How arrogant! They completely disregard whether our psychic controller will detect them, or perhaps their power has reached a level where they utterly ignore my fourth-stage unlocked Gene Lock?) Although Zheng Zha was reluctant to enter this state for fear of losing his humanity, he was still immensely proud to have comprehended the fourth stage of the Gene Lock. His ranking among all the Reincarnation Squads would certainly place him near the very top; at the very least, his strength would not fall below the top five.

However, could this level of strength contend with the unified power of the Nine Ringwraiths and those three members of the Heavenly God Squad? As stones rained down on the walls with increasing density, countless soldiers were crushed atop the battlements. The incredibly thick walls began to show numerous cracks and even breaches. Yet, because the walls were so immense, these gaps did not allow the Orcs to climb over.

“There are only three thousand soldiers left inside the city. The armies mobilized from the various regions were never gathered. That fool who took command is an idiot; he has no idea what kind of behemoth he is facing!” Gandalf cursed viciously.

Zheng Zha offered a wry smile and shrugged. If things continued like this, the fall of the city was only a matter of time. He also noticed captains among both the enemy and friendly soldiers utilizing Dou Qi, and a small minority could even deploy Explosive Arrows. When had such a devastating arrow skill become so commonplace? Although it was only a small percentage of the archers, given the sheer size of the Mordor legions, even firing a hundred Explosive Arrows at the city would be terrifying. At least, Zheng Zha didn't dare meet such an attack head-on.

“No, waiting here and watching is not an option! Gandalf, I must go down and help defend. I don’t know when the cavalry of Rohan will arrive, but this city absolutely cannot fall before then!” Zheng Zha ignored the three Heavenly God Squad members spying nearby. He briefly instructed Zhan Lan to be careful and urged Gandalf to protect her well.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zheng Zha vaulted onto his Skeletal Warhorse and tumbled directly down the side of the wall.

The city was built clinging to the mountain, and its streets spiraled upwards, meaning travel usually took a great deal of time. However, the Skeletal Warhorse ignored gravity, so its downward speed was breakneck. Within ten seconds, Zheng Zha landed atop the city wall.

The moment he stood on the rampart, a barrage of arrows—countless sounds of pa-pa—slammed into him. Zheng Zha didn't hesitate; pulling the reins of the Skeletal Warhorse, he leaped clear of the wall. With a heavy thud, the massive frame of the warhorse crushed innumerable Orcs and Uruks beneath its hooves.

Zheng Zha knew the power of the Explosive Arrows was immense, and his protective blade aura couldn't fully shield him. Therefore, instead of frantically trying to defend or dodge, he decided it was better to charge directly into the fray. Once inside the enemy ranks, ordinary Dou Qi and attacks couldn't penetrate his blade aura’s protective layer. At that point, the enemy wouldn't be able to fire Explosive Arrows at him amidst the chaos. He would be a tiger among sheep! His first downward strike cleaved a semi-circle spanning more than ten meters in front of him, slicing every Orc and Uruk in that arc in half. The power of the Tiger Soul Blade was certainly not small; any Orc or Uruk without Dou Qi protection would be bisected by a single swing.

(These Orcs and Uruks are significantly weaker than the Uruk-hai. Fewer soldiers possess Dou Qi, fewer have skills like Explosive Arrows, and some even have physical stats inferior to human soldiers. Their only regrettable quality is their number—a hundred thousand strong! Clean your necks, I’m coming to slaughter you. I wonder how long it will take.) Though a thousand thoughts raced through Zheng Zha’s mind, he charged forward resolutely. Along the way, he cut down countless Orcs and Uruks. Even the several-meter-tall Ogre, despite its immense strength, lacked Dou Qi; upon encountering the blade aura, it was instantly sliced into two pieces. Zheng Zha charged relentlessly. Under his repeated onslaught, the Orc army near the wall began to show signs of disarray.

Seeing this scene, the three figures on the distant mountain peaks were ready to move several times, but Luo Yinglong firmly held them back. The normally impulsive Luo Yinglong was displaying remarkable composure. He watched the Zheng Zha in the field and said, “It’s too early to strike now. His strength is unfathomable. Even if he isn't as powerful as a demon, he is still the demon’s essence. Let him exhaust some more stamina. Furthermore, that Nazgûl is about to arrive. When they have both injured each other, then we shall deal with him!” Zheng Zha was also constantly monitoring these three. Zhan Lan’s psychic probes were tailored to their desires, virtually monitoring everything around them at all times. As long as the slightest abnormality appeared nearby, he would know instantly. Because of this, he felt confident charging through the battlefield, buying as much time as he could.

However, before he could break through the line of enemies before the wall, a piercing shriek suddenly echoed from above the clouds. The sound seemed to stab directly into the depths of everyone’s soul, as painful as fingernails scraping against an eardrum. Most soldiers on the wall clapped their hands over their ears. Worse still, many began to scatter aimlessly. For a moment, the rain of arrows shooting down from the ramparts ceased, and the Orcs, who should have been collapsing, were suddenly invigorated. The piercing sound seemed to have no effect on them.

“The Nazgûl! That’s a Nazgûl!” some soldiers on the wall cried out. Zheng Zha had already seen the scene through his mental scan: a warrior clad entirely in black heavy armor, seated atop a ten-meter-long, short, dragon-like creature—a Western, winged dragon, though much smaller than the fire-breathing giant dragon Zheng Zha had once faced. Its flight speed, however, was not slow. In the blink of an eye, the Fellbeast burst out of the dark, heavy mist and swooped directly towards the city center.

Things had reached this point, but what happened next deviated completely from the movie’s plot. Gandalf’s deep chanting seemed to reverberate throughout the entire city. As this sound arose, a semi-transparent protective barrier materialized directly in the path of the flying creature. With a loud peng, the Fellbeast slammed head-on into the barrier and then plummeted violently toward the ground.

Zheng Zha stared dumbfounded because this scene had never appeared in the original movie plot. In the original movie, Gandalf was less like a wizard and more like a warrior wielding a staff; he never used any powerful magic. Unexpectedly, he stole the show this time, knocking down the Nazgûl with a single blow.

Just as Zheng Zha was thinking this, the section of the wall where the Fellbeast crashed exploded outward. A large group of personnel was thrown clear over the ramparts, certainly facing certain death. On the ground where the Fellbeast landed, the Ringwraith stood up completely unharmed. In one hand, it held a long sword radiating black light; in the other, it gripped a massive flail. It swung the flail towards a nearby building. With a dull thud, that building, along with the one next to it, was pulverized. A cloud of stone dust and debris erupted, and that entire section of the city collapsed.

(Such terrifying power!) A wave of shock washed over Zheng Zha. Without thinking, he urged his horse upward toward the top of the wall. While the Nazgûl’s strength wasn't as horrifying as his own in his Destruction state, it was terrifyingly close. If he didn't stop this monster, the Nazgûl would destroy the entire city long before the Orcs broke down the walls and gates. “Zhan Lan! Those Heavenly God Squad members are about to attack. Stay by Gandalf and do not leave! Otherwise, I won't be able to guarantee your safety!” Zheng Zha communicated to Zhan Lan mentally. As he spoke, the Skeletal Warhorse leaped onto the rampart and galloped upward, only a few dozen meters from the Ringwraith.

Leaping to the...