Zheng Zha was utterly oblivious that he had just skirted the edge of death, a close shave averted only because of Zhao Yingkong's presence, which had persuaded Zhao Zhuikong to abandon his planned sneak attack against their group. Given Zheng Zha's current physical condition, even forcing himself into the "Destruction" state would likely not be enough against Zhao Zhuikong, who had unlocked the Fourth Stage of the Genetic Lock—and this was a sneak attack. It wasn't just Zheng Zha; perhaps no one could withstand Zhao Zhuikong's assassination methods...

Fortunately, Zheng Zha remained ignorant of everything that had transpired. Relying on Zhan Lan’s psychic scanning map, the surrounding situation was completely under his control. First, Chu Xuan’s consciousness had linked with his. While they couldn't engage in lengthy, detailed discussion immediately, Zheng Zha had already "kindly" informed Chu Xuan that he was going to be beaten half to death.

“Even now, I don’t know exactly what you did or what you plan to do, but I can tell you one thing with certainty! Kid! When we get back to the ‘Main God’ space, you’ll have some explaining to do.” Zheng Zha didn't speak menacingly; on the contrary, his tone was quite gentle, yet the implication carried a murderous weight, making the whole effect rather eerie.

Chu Xuan responded with a soft "Oh," seemingly unconcerned by the threat in Zheng Zha’s voice. He got straight to the point: “I have two things to remind you of right now. The first is the matter of Sauron’s death. If possible, it would be best if our team secured the reward points from it. The second issue is timing. The countdown begins once all five teams are gathered in Mordor. Four teams have already appeared; the Northern Ice Continent team is likely wiped out... Therefore, in this final stretch, you must secure the One Ring.”

Zheng Zha grew serious. “As for Sauron... that will be difficult. While I don't know his exact strength, he certainly won't be weaker than those nine Ringwraiths combined, will he? Dealing with those Ringwraiths already strained me to my limits. Right now, I can barely move. If Sauron appears... honestly, I’m not confident I can take him down.”

Chu Xuan stated calmly, “Let Zhang Heng and Zhao Yingkong attack... You always rely too heavily on your own strength, but you are only one member of the Central Continent Team. While you worry about your teammates' safety, you must also trust their capabilities. Once Zhao Yingkong returns, begin the assault on Sauron.”

In fact, just before Chu Xuan spoke those words, the overwhelming power of the Death God Legion’s monsters had caused an extremely rare sight during the battle of Mordor: the vast Orc armies of Mordor were actually being pushed back, relentlessly chased by tens of thousands of undead legion monsters. The Human Alliance was reduced to playing the role of reserves, trailing closely behind the Death God Legion monsters, constantly moving in to finish off the groaning Orcs littering the ground.

The undead legion monsters were tireless, felt no pain, and knew no casualties; their sole objective was to surge forward, constantly hacking and slashing at every living thing before them. Gradually, the Orc armies of Mordor were driven far, far away from the Black Gate. Just as they seemed on the verge of collapse, a colossal armored figure stepped out among the retreating Orc ranks.

This armor stood seven or eight meters tall. In one hand, it wielded a massive sledgehammer, and black mist billowed off its entire frame. On the index finger of its left hand shone a ring radiating dark light. This massive armor was the Dark Lord Sauron himself!

Facing the countless charging monsters of the Death God Legion, Sauron swung his gigantic sledgehammer mightily. A black hurricane roared forward. The Death God Legion monsters struck by this tempest were instantly corroded away. Yes, even the monsters composed entirely of sand and rock were dissolved in an instant, along with the corpses of the Orc soldiers they had slain. The ground was suddenly bare; in that single strike, Sauron had annihilated thousands of the undead legion.

“This scene... this scene is unfolding again!”

Gandalf gazed at the dark, corrosive swath in the distance and murmured with awe, “History records that in the ancient wars, the combined forces of all Elves and Men stood together, and three Elven Kings bearing rings participated in that conflict. Yet... Sauron, by himself, single-handedly held back the Elven and Human armies, even pushing them to the brink of annihilation... Had the Holy Sword not severed the finger bearing the One Ring from him, perhaps Men and Elves would have been wiped out by now.”

The several main story characters turned back towards Zheng Zha with expressions of helplessness. Their predetermined trump card for the finale had been Zheng Zha. In the battle against the Balrog and the Battle of Helm's Deep, Zheng Zha’s power had been undeniable, exceeding the imaginations of these plot characters. Thus, their initial plan centered on using Zheng Zha as the main spearhead; even if Sauron resurrected, they believed he still stood a chance.

But who could have predicted that Zheng Zha would be so severely wounded in the very first engagement? Now, they could no longer rely on him. And Sauron’s terrifying power was enough to chill the bravest heart. After much deliberation, the main characters could find no way to defeat him.

“If there is truly no other way…” Aragorn sighed, “Then I must make the attack. The Holy Sword was able to counter Sauron before; it can restrain him now! All we need to do is sever the One Ring from his finger. But that black miasma is too corrosive; I fear I won't even be able to approach him before being...”

Gandalf gripped his staff firmly. “I can provide you with a protective layer that will ward off the corrosive aura for a short time, but this shield cannot withstand Sauron’s direct attack...”

The main characters exchanged glances. Gimli boomed, “Don’t worry! We will all advance right behind you!”

Legolas nodded in agreement. “From Rivendell until now, what have we strived for? Is it not to bury the Dark Lord... Since we have reached the final step, we will fight until death!”

Gimli sighed softly. “But isn't it ironic, that a Dwarf might fall fighting side-by-side with an Elf...”

Legolas merely smiled. “Then... shall we fall together as friends?”

“Friends...” Gimli’s eyes seemed distant for a moment, then he nodded emphatically. “Yes! We will fall together as friends!”

While the main characters were speaking, the Death God Legion monsters were almost entirely destroyed. After slaughtering countless Orcs, the formidable Death God Legion monsters had lost more than half their number. Now, with Sauron displaying his full might, the remaining undead monsters were quickly corroded away. At this point, perhaps tens of thousands of Orcs remained, but they were trembling with fear. They hadn't broken ranks only due to Sauron’s overwhelming presence; their fighting spirit was essentially gone. Only Sauron looked truly formidable, the colossal armor taking step after deliberate step forward, each footfall carrying immense weight. The sheer pressure forced the charging Human armies to fall back step by step. These human soldiers had witnessed precisely how the Death God Legion had been annihilated earlier.

Aragorn watched the human army slowly retreat, while the Ents remained outside the Black Gate. If this continued, once morale was lost, the war would essentially be over... As long as Sauron remained undefeated and his power recovered, Men were destined to be destroyed eventually!

“Fight! For survival...” Aragorn drew the Holy Sword, and a dazzling silver light illuminated the battlefield. He shouted, pulling hard on his horse's reins, and charged toward Sauron.

“For the battle!” The Dwarf Gimli roared and charged forth as well, though he was not mounted; he simply ran across the ground.

“For freedom!” Legolas took a deep breath, nocked three arrows onto his bowstring, and aimed them precisely at the center of Sauron’s head.

“To bring death to the enemy!” King Théoden of Rohan was the most ferocious. He snatched a Dragon Lance—an infantry spear three to four meters long—from a nearby soldier, then urged his horse forward against Sauron.

The first to reach Sauron was Aragorn’s Holy Sword. Its silver radiance seemed to repel the black mist. The highly corrosive vapor did not harm Aragorn, and Gandalf instantly cast a protective layer over him. Then, Aragorn brought his sword down viciously toward the arm bearing the ring on Sauron’s hand.

...It has been too long, bloodline of the Kings of Men! Do you think you can bury me once more?” Sauron’s deep, resonant voice echoed from within the armor. His sledgehammer was at least five meters long and swung with terrifying speed. Just as the silver Holy Sword was about to strike, the massive hammer swept toward Aragorn. A deafening clang of metal against metal rang out. Aragorn felt a tremendous force surge up his arm; his Dou Qi was utterly incapable of resisting this impact. He was instantly sent flying backward, thrown from his mount and collapsing to the ground, spitting blood—killed by a single blow.

Aragorn was flung five or six meters away. By this time, Gimli had reached Sauron. The sledgehammer had not yet been withdrawn. Gimli, quick-witted, bypassed Sauron’s arm and instead ducked low, hacking with all his might at a joint in Sauron’s armor. A sound of metal clashing against metal followed. Gimli, being a powerful Dwarf warrior enhanced by Dou Qi, possessed strength greater than any human strongman. This single axe blow managed only to leave a small scratch on the black armor, perhaps only a few centimeters deep, but the full-force strike cracked the skin on the back of his hand.

“What a hard shell!” Gimli exclaimed, but before he could say more, he was kicked squarely in the stomach by Sauron. This massive force first shattered the protective layer Gandalf had cast, then slammed into his abdomen. Fortunately, the power had been somewhat reduced, sending him flying only ten meters or so—otherwise, this kick would have removed one of the main story characters from the line-up.

In less than a few seconds of engagement, the vanguard, Aragorn and Gimli, were both injured under Sauron’s assault, and they had inflicted no meaningful damage in return. Seeing Sauron take two strides and arrive at the spot where Aragorn had fallen, before the armor could launch another attack, the three-part explosive arrow from Legolas’s bow shot toward Sauron’s head.

The three arrows burst in sequence. The power of the first arrow surged exponentially, its speed already exceeding the limit of human sight. Whump! It pierced Sauron’s helmet, flying straight out the darkness. However, the helmet seemed made of an unknown material, as it did not shatter despite absorbing the force of the powerful Three-Shot Burst Arrow; it merely sustained a distinct puncture mark.

Sauron appeared unharmed. The arrow through his head didn’t even make him hesitate. He lifted the sledgehammer and brought it crashing down onto the ground. Aragorn, who was directly in the path, saw himself about to be mashed into paste. With surprising agility in that deadly moment, he rolled aside. A deep crater appeared where he had just lain. Had that blow landed true, Aragorn would surely have been killed.

King Théoden of Rohan also rushed up to Sauron. His Dou Qi burst forth fiercely, and the Dragon Lance stabbed directly into Sauron’s back. Enhanced by the Dou Qi, the spear actually pierced Sauron’s chest and emerged from the other side. Théoden did not stop; he drew his longsword and slashed toward Sauron’s arm. However, Sauron’s speed was incredible. Before his longsword could connect with the armored arm, Sauron spun around and smashed with the hammer. Théoden’s sword instantly shattered into fragments, and he, like Aragorn, was flung a great distance—though unlike Aragorn, who tried to block with his sword, Théoden took the full force head-on... It seemed he would not survive.

“Agh!”

Several main characters and the massed cavalry behind them cried out. Aragorn, his face covered in blood, struggled up from the ground and shouted, charging toward Sauron once more. Far away, Gimli coughed up several mouthfuls of blood before grabbing his axe and following behind him. Legolas pulled out three more arrows, nocked them onto his bowstring, and prepared to fire...

“Zhan Lan, give us a psychic scan... Zhang Heng, Zhao Yingkong, do you see the Dark Lord Sauron of Mordor? Kill him!”

Zheng Zha’s roar echoed from the center of their formation. Although he was incapacitated, as the captain of the Central Continent Team, he could still direct the battle, especially coordinating team members.

As his voice faded, Zhang Heng took a deep breath and pulled back the silver metal bow with immense force. He nocked only one arrow, but the sheer aura emanating from it surpassed Legolas’s Three-Shot Burst Arrow. The Wind Arrow was ready...

Simultaneously, Zhao Yingkong’s silhouette appeared just behind Sauron. Moving with uncanny, nearly silent footwork, she glided toward the Dark Lord... Leaping toward...

For more novels, visit storyread.net.