Yes, the Ringwraiths were the nine kings of men who originally sought the Nine Rings, later transformed by Sauron through a specific ritual into these unliving, undead beings. Although they lost their freedom and fell into evil, they at least had eight others exactly like themselves. The saying "when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves" is certainly not without reason; even the most wicked person cannot bear the crushing loneliness of suffering entirely alone. Thus, this particular Ringwraith harbored deep hatred for Zheng Zha and his group.

When Zheng Zha appeared riding his skeletal steed, the Ringwraith let out another burst of frenzied shrieking. The sound stabbed Zheng Zha’s ears with sharp pain, but that was not all. The Ringwraith stomped its foot and lunged toward him, possessing immense speed and power. This single thrust cracked the ground open, and in less than a second, the Wraith had covered dozens of meters to stand before Zheng Zha, raising its massive flail to smash down upon him and the skeletal horse.

Zheng Zha felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on him, so immense it made him choke. Startled, he hastily blocked horizontally with his Hupo Saber. A layer of saber light protected his body at that moment, and the two layers of light met the flail with two sharp cracks. Both layers of light shattered like glass under an iron bullet, easily pulverized. However, they managed to briefly impede the flail’s momentum, pushing Zheng Zha and his skeletal steed back over ten meters.

Zheng Zha and the skeletal horse were knocked straight off the wall, landing near the lowest level of the besieged city, which was currently crawling with troops desperately defending the ramparts. If the Ringwraith reached that lowest tier, it would only need one sweeping blow with its flail; the city walls absolutely could not withstand such colossal force. Therefore, Zheng Zha ignored the fate of his steed. Before the skeletal horse even hit the ground, he planted his feet on the saddle and then used the stirrups to leap toward the wall itself.

Zheng Zha activated his Qinggong, tapping the city wall several times with his feet, launching himself dozens of meters into the air. Just as the skeletal horse landed, he cleared the obstacle and jumped onto the second tier. The Ringwraith, which had been preparing to jump down, let out another roar when it saw Zheng Zha ascend.

Piercing and grating, it lunged at Zheng Zha amidst that harsh cry.

(Good heavens, it even uses such methods to disrupt the enemy. Does it intend to break my focus before attacking?) Zheng Zha dared not be careless. He instantly engaged the second stage of unlocking his Gene Lock, simultaneously activating his "Explosion" state. His speed and power increased by several times over. As the Ringwraith’s black-bladed sword swung toward him, he evaded while simultaneously counter-slashing with a Hupo strike.

Several crisp sounds of metal clashing rang out. The Hupo saber light could not cut through the Ringwraith’s dark, gleaming longsword, yet the corrosion inherent in the black light could not penetrate the Hupo saber light either. After several exchanges where they met force with force, Zheng Zha was driven back several steps. Even the power generated by his "Explosion" state was insufficient to match the Ringwraith’s brute strength.

Furthermore, his speed was considerably slower than the Ringwraith’s. If not for his greatly enhanced reaction speed, those few initial exchanges alone would have cleaved him in two.

The Ringwraith’s initial full-force assault yielded no success, so it immediately began swinging its meteor hammer. The immense pressure crashed down once more. Zheng Zha dared not try to block the terrifying might this time. The flail slammed into the ground with a thunderous boom. The earth around Zheng Zha violently fractured, and a massive section of rock, approximately ten cubic meters in volume, was smashed out of the wall structure, falling directly toward the lowest level.

Zheng Zha heard screams from below. Few soldiers were left there to begin with; who knew how many remained after such a blow? The destructive power of this Ringwraith was truly astonishing. If it could not be eliminated, the destruction of the entire city was only a matter of time.

“Mankind has no hope left; you are about to be annihilated,” a voice issued from within the Ringwraith’s armor, deep and gloomy, as if dredged up from the Yellow Springs beneath the Nine Hells. As it spoke, it swung its flail toward Zheng Zha again.

(I must resolve this quickly! Activating 'Destruction' state and unlocking the fourth stage of the Gene Lock!) Zheng Zha made an immediate decision. The situation was extremely critical: the Ringwraith was wrecking the city, the outside army of a hundred thousand was relentlessly attacking, and three members of the Celestial Team were lurking in the shadows. Every second Zheng Zha wasted entangled with the Ringwraith increased their probability of defeat. This was his last resort: use maximum power to eliminate the Ringwraith in the shortest possible time! Unlocking the fourth stage of the Gene Lock was a profoundly mysterious process, impossible to describe in words. Once entering this stage, any deficiency—be it in power, reaction time, speed, or combat calculation—would be perfected within his own genes. Simultaneously, the dormant savagery hidden within his sleeping genetic code would be awakened.

“Destruction!” “Unlock Gene Lock Stage Four!” As Zheng Zha entered this state, he took two powerful strides forward. He did not evade the flail’s attack; instead, he used the momentum of its downward strike to angle his Hupo Saber against the connection point of the meteor hammer. Because the center of gravity at the chain link shifted, the trajectory of the massive iron meteor at the head of the flail also changed direction. In the instant that direction shifted, Zheng Zha pressed his fingers against the surface of the iron meteor. Then, inexplicably, the iron meteor swung violently back, slamming into the Ringwraith. With a deafening clang, a deep dent appeared in the armor plating over the Wraith’s chest, driving the creature violently into the rock face, smashing the surrounding buildings into debris.

(Fracture of the distal phalanges—will heal completely in three minutes. Hand dexterity reduced by twenty percent for the next three minutes. Eliminate the Ringwraith in three seconds, then deactivate the 'Destruction' state. Body damage sustained is approximately thirty percent, recoverable within five minutes.) Just as Zheng Zha entered the fourth stage of the Gene Lock and counter-attacked the flail in that mystical manner, Luo Yinglong, who had been sitting on a nearby rock, suddenly sprang up. He couldn't help but shout loudly, “Unlocking Gene Lock Stage Four! Micro-control? Impossible! Has his strength reached this level?” The faces of the other two looked decidedly grim. The white woman suddenly asked, “In this situation, perhaps the three of us intervening might not be enough?” The large Black man immediately nodded in agreement. Luo Yinglong’s face flushed slightly green, but he still nodded fiercely, “No problem. He hasn’t been in this stage for long, and he barely has any self-created skills yet. Fighting him now is best; if we let him fully familiarize himself with this realm, and if he exchanges for skills that can suppress the killing intent of this world’s boundaries, then killing him will become impossible! We must eliminate him today!” The large Black man hesitated, “But if today is so crucial, why didn’t Song Tian come? Could there be unforeseen danger in today’s operation?” Luo Yinglong seemed equally agitated, shouting, “How would I know why that guy isn’t here? Has his martial practice hit a snag, or does Adam have a new mission for him? Damn it, regardless, I am here. Even though my realm hasn't reached his level, my actual combat strength is far superior to his. Later, you two just need to hold him off; I will be the main attacker!” The large Black man and the white woman exchanged glances; they could only nod resignedly. As they nodded, Luo Yinglong was already leaping forward from the rock. A streak of azure light flashed, and a long, sharp azure sword materialized beneath his feet. Luo Yinglong then shot toward Minas Tirith at an incredible speed.

With a subtle movement, Zheng Zha had slammed the Ringwraith into the wall. He dared not waste any more time in his current "Destruction" state. He stomped off and charged into the cavity, his Hupo Saber swinging without any surrounding saber light, aiming for a direct, hard clash against the creature. The center of the Ringwraith’s armor was deeply caved in, but it seemed unaffected. It raised its heavy black sword to meet the Hupo Saber, and simultaneously, a circle of black mist appeared around its hand. As the blades clashed, it flung the black mist toward Zheng Zha.

Zheng Zha shifted slightly to the side, planting his foot against the hand holding the heavy black sword. With a muffled thud, Zheng Zha’s powerful kick, amplified by his "Destruction" state, completely shattered the Ringwraith’s arm. Without hesitation, he raised his saber to cleave toward the Ringwraith’s head.

(Danger! Dodge five meters to the left!) Zheng Zha didn't hesitate to analyze; as the premonition of danger erupted in his consciousness, he immediately leaped back, propelling himself backward, effectively dodging five meters to the left. A streak of azure sword energy shot past the spot where he had just stood. The Ringwraith, taking the direct hit, made no sound as the helmet was pierced through. This fused entity of the nine Ringwraiths, said to be infinitely powerful and the cause of deep terror among the characters of Middle-earth, was defeated so easily? The fortunes of life are strange indeed. The azure sword light gradually faded, revealing Luo Yinglong standing atop his azure longsword. He ignored the fallen Ringwraith and smiled toward Zheng Zha, saying, “You don’t mind if I finish this one off, do you? The nine-in-one Ringwraith—the reward points and the side mission reward are certainly substantial. Although I don't often use them, they are excellent for exchanging for items and materials. Zheng Zha! You’ve unlocked Gene Lock Stage Four; I certainly don’t wish to fight a mindless beast!” He leaped toward him.