Adam was direct. When Chu Xuan said that, he immediately removed a ring from his finger: "A storage ring. Your captain should be able to use it, right? Besides energy stones, there are a few other small things inside, worth about an S-class side plot."

Both sides understood each other's intentions, as each was wary. Thus, they kept shifting the pressure onto the other. In truth, neither wanted to die; Adam didn't, and neither did Chu Xuan at this moment.

However, the advantage currently lay with the Central Continent Team. As long as Adam’s life wasn't threatened, he likely wouldn't commit suicide even if the two people beside him were killed. But this outcome didn't align with the balance in Chu Xuan's mind, nor did it account for the presence of another person—Zhao Zhuikong was no saint. If Chu Xuan guessed correctly, Zhao Zhuikong was already heading in that direction, and his goal was certainly, "Leaving them might be an opportunity." Chu Xuan wasted no more words. He ordered a Tracker forward to take the ring, then immediately tossed it to Haotian. At that very moment, he, along with the Overlord, Wang Xia, and the others present, heard four consecutive 'Main God' notifications: the rookies had been killed. The perpetrator could only be Zhao Zhuikong, who had just departed. When the death notices of these rookies reached Zheng Zha's ears while he was using Feiku, he was startled. Although the unexpected war had indeed been won, clearing the battlefield and saving the wounded required far more time. Zheng Zha was among the severely wounded; not an inch of him was intact. Even sticking on the Three Purity Dao Talismans hadn't helped much. It seemed such severe injuries could only be treated after returning to the 'Main God' space.

Zero Point was also located by Zhan Lan’s psychic scan, and Zhao Zhuikong subsequently rescued the now-unconscious Zero Point from a mountain peak. After Zheng Zha channeled internal energy into Zero Point, he awoke. Only then did Zheng Zha learn from Zero Point that Chu Xuan was not dead and also learned of Chu Xuan's movements all this time.

"Not dead, rest assured. Nearly dead. When we return to the 'Main God' space, I will certainly beat him half to death, or maybe just kill him outright. What do you all think?" Zheng Zha chuckled, saying no more, just silently clenching his fists.

Before he finished speaking, the 'Main God' notification suddenly sounded. The death alerts for four individuals made the few Central Continent Team members present freeze in their tracks. Then, Zhang Heng suddenly leaped up from the ground and roared, "Four, four people! Chu Xuan, Overlord, Wang Xia, Luo Gandao—four, four people! Did they kill them?" Zheng Zha took a deep breath and said, "Not necessarily. Perhaps the rookies were killed. After all, Chu Xuan has a whole squad of Trackers with him." Zhang Heng still hesitated, saying, "But isn't Haotian the controller of those Trackers? What if Haotian managed to break free from Chu Xuan's control? Wouldn't the result be disastrous?" Zheng Zha glared fiercely at Zhang Heng. This guy couldn't say anything nice, always predicting misfortune as if Chu Xuan and the others were doomed. Zhang Heng himself felt he sounded too pessimistic, managing an awkward laugh before lowering his head and falling silent.

Zero Point remained the calmest. He silently pulled out a metal chip from his pocket. Everyone watched as he opened the chip, then closed his eyes, touching it silently. After a long while, he opened his eyes and let out a sigh of relief, "It’s fine. Chu Xuan and the others aren't dead; it seems the rookies were ambushed. As for their group, they are alright and said they are waiting for us in Mordor."

Instantly, Zheng Zha and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief. Then Zheng Zha spoke fiercely again, "Damn it, these guys make us worry too much. When I see them next, when I see them next..." As he spoke, Zheng Zha could only heave a heavy sigh, unable to continue.

The battle was finally over. After rescuing a large number of wounded soldiers, Aragorn led his army of the dead to the very summit of Minas Tirith. There, the Steward, who had been frightened into a stupor, was kneeling on the ground. His performance in this war was evident to all. Once this spectral army confirmed that Aragorn was the last royal bloodline of Gondor, the Steward was immediately stripped of his office by Aragorn. Then, Aragorn issued his first command: to gather all troops and march on Mordor together.

It was a great pity that the nearly invincible army of the dead did not follow. Having fulfilled their oath, they vanished with the wind. Otherwise, with this spectral host, no matter how many soldiers Mordor had, it would have been useless; even Sauron might not have been able to contend with that army.

"The final war—the Battle of the Black Gate—is in two days. Gather the grain supplies and the infantry from the other strongholds of Gondor, along with the cavalry from Rohan. We can field a force of fifteen thousand troops in total. That will be the time we attack Mordor!" In the council hall atop the capital, Aragorn sat on the throne discussing the next strategy with the others. Gimli, hearing this, asked curiously, "How many troops does Mordor still have? They lost a hundred thousand troops here; it should be easy to take over there, shouldn't it?" Aragorn exchanged a look with Gandalf; both managed wry smiles. Gandalf coughed, "The number of troops Mordor still has... well, roughly two hundred thousand, that's a conservative estimate, given the terrifying fertility rate of the Orcs. I can't estimate how large an army Sauron has accumulated over the years. Since he didn't join the battle this time, it must mean the majority of Mordor's forces are guarding him. After all, he has only just recovered the One Ring. When the power of the One Ring strengthens, the power of the Three Elven Rings weakens, and he will surely return to his peak strength, at which point he will begin conquering the entire Western Continent." Gimli mumbled softly, "You mean we only have this one chance?" Aragorn affirmed, "Exactly. Although our troops are weary and our horses exhausted, we must defeat him before Sauron fully recovers his strength and then destroy the Ring completely. King of Rohan, do your troops need replenishment for their weapons? The cavalry's gear must be severely damaged after the battle, right?" Théoden nodded slightly and then said, "We will see once the remaining cavalry numbers are tallied, and Gondor can arrange the replacements. Two days is enough time for the horses and warriors to rest." Seeing that everyone looked somewhat dejected from the strain of the preceding events, Gandalf immediately said, "Everyone, don't despair so much. The Ents have agreed to accompany us to the Black Gate of Mordor. While they cannot enter the fiery regions of Mordor, they can smash the Black Gate open with stones, which will make our assault much easier. Moreover, their life energy can be concentrated to form a protective layer for our warriors, which greatly increases our chances of victory. It's a shame Zheng Zha is so severely injured, otherwise, he would be the prime candidate to confront Sauron."

The few plot-critical characters all nodded. After such a long period of interaction, they were well aware of Zheng Zha's strength, especially Gandalf, who had been deeply impressed after witnessing his world-shattering battle with Luo Yinglong.

Zheng Zha, however, was thinking of something else. At the moment, his entire body was wrapped in heavy-duty bandages, making him look like a mummy; he could barely move his limbs. He could only nod toward Gandalf before saying, "Concentrate all the trees' power into one point? If it's possible to summon Gandalf, after this meeting concludes, can you take me to see those Ents?" Gandalf looked at him strangely but still nodded without further comment.

The meeting then continued with discussions about the battle details until dusk. Only then did everyone leave the council hall. The two kings stayed behind to exchange whispered words, while Gandalf pushed Zheng Zha forward (who was currently sitting in a simple wheeled chair, crudely made by Zhang Heng). Soon, the two left the city and headed toward the nearby forest.

The Ents, naturally, could not reside within the city, regardless of the size of their frames. These tree-folk disliked stone intensely; they preferred trees, damp earth, and streams. "Can you try inputting energy into my body? I will control that portion of energy for use. Please do not worry."

As Zheng Zha spoke, he entered the fourth stage of unlocking the gene lock, and simultaneously, he took out the Shinigami Bracelet from his storage ring and leaped towards...