They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 522 Results and Next Steps
After the battle ended, Zhang Qi didn't linger. With a few flashes, he disappeared into the night.

A moment later, he found Zheng Zha.

Zheng Zha sat cross-legged on a broken section of underground pipe, his eyes closed, his face sometimes flushed red and sometimes deathly pale.

Two completely different auras swirled around him: one was the cold and bloodthirsty energy of the vampires, and the other was the fierce and scorching internal force. The two forces clashed and tore at each other within his body, as if trying to completely rip his body apart from the inside out.

Zhang Qi did not disturb him, but simply stood quietly to the side.

He hadn't expected that Zheng Zha would comprehend the concept of destruction from the original story under such circumstances...

After an unknown amount of time, the roar of military truck engines and the increasingly close sound of helicopter rotors could be heard in the distance.

The army finally realized what was happening.

The group could no longer stay here.

In an abandoned warehouse far from the hustle and bustle of the city, the group was finally able to catch their breath briefly.

Li Shuaixi used a simple spell to clean away the dust, while Zhan Lan opened a mental barrier to block out all outside prying eyes.

In the center of the warehouse, a campfire crackled, and the flickering flames reflected on everyone's faces, revealing a variety of expressions.

“I dug something out of that doctor’s head.”

Zhang Jie was the first to break the silence.

For someone with enhanced mental strength like him, peering into the memories of a mentally resilient member of the Reincarnation Squad is not difficult.

"Chu Xuan and Zhang Qi's previous guesses were correct; the Indian team did indeed obtain the 'True Scripture of the Sun'."

He used this scripture as leverage, demanding that Imhotep fight us to the death…

Where are the scriptures now?

Chu Xuan pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the firelight, obscuring the expression in his eyes, but he calmly asked.

"In the hands of a senior named Lamb."

Based on the fragmented information pieced together from the doctor's memories, this Lamb... should be with the remaining rookies of the Indian team right now.

Zhang Jie replied.

This news cheered everyone up.

"And this time, we really crippled them."

Zhang Jie's tone carried a hint of relief after confirmation.
"We've eliminated all three of our main combat forces: that muscular man, the cyborg Yorif, and the doctor Arot."

Adding to the mental controller who was previously sniped... the core strength of the Indian team is no longer there.

The fruits of victory were so plentiful, but Zheng Zha's face showed little joy.

He had barely managed to suppress the rampaging energy within his body, but that battle was just too bizarre.

"That little monk... what exactly is that golden mask he's wearing?"

The moment this question was raised, the atmosphere in the warehouse instantly became tense.

Zhang Jie's expression became more serious than ever before, as if he was organizing his thoughts.

"That thing... according to Arot's memory, they found it in an ancient, unknown pyramid while doing the Scorpion King's side quest."

Zhang Jie's voice lowered.
"This thing has a similar effect to the Stone Mask. Wear it and activate it with blood, and the bone needles on the back of the mask will pierce the brain, turning the wearer into a... vampire-like creature."

"Uh... vampire? You're not kidding, are you?"

Zheng Zha was taken aback and asked Zhang Jie with some suspicion.

Is this description really not copied from "JoJo"?
"The vampire transformation is indeed similar to that in the 'JoJo' series. The wearer will be able to control every cell in their body at will, regenerate at super-fast speed, change their body structure, and even... transform other creatures into zombies under their control. Strength, speed, and vitality will all experience explosive growth."

Zhang Jie shook his head and replied.

"However, the price is equally high. First, you will acquire the common weakness of all vampires: an extreme fear of sunlight. Once exposed to sunlight, your body will instantly collapse and disintegrate. Second..."

"The wearer's own cells will gain 'life'."

They possess the instincts to eat and reproduce.

In other words, the wearer must constantly use their mental power to suppress and control all the cells in their body; otherwise, they will be completely devoured from the inside by their own wildly proliferating flesh and blood. In Arot's memory, they had used this thing to experiment on ordinary people…

These words sent chills down everyone's spines.

"but……"

Zheng Zha frowned. If that were all, the little monk shouldn't have put this kind of pressure on him.

"If I guess correctly..."

"The true purpose of this item is to force the user into the fourth stage of the gene lock after paying a huge price."

Zhang Jie took a deep breath and uttered his final, and most astonishing, conclusion.
"A fourth-order gene lock?"

Zheng Zha muttered to himself, completely stunned.

He recalled the moment he fought the masked little monk.

The opponent's palm caught the Tiger Soul, which was infused with internal energy and blood flames, with ease; it was not just simple strength.

The little monk used far less energy than him; the difference lay in the degree of condensation. It was like cotton and iron of the same weight—the latter would definitely be far more durable than the former.

The density difference caused by absolute condensation should be the reason why the little monk blocked his attack.

So... that was the fourth stage?
Just as everyone was deeply shaken by this conclusion, an untimely chuckle rang out.

"Heh...this is really interesting."

Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses, but his eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Ancient civilizations... actually possessed artifacts that could directly unlock the fourth level of the gene lock."

In ancient times, this world did indeed possess a super civilization beyond our comprehension; perhaps, those were the relics of 'sages'...

"not that simple."

Zhang Jie immediately poured cold water on his enthusiasm, pointing to his temple.

"If this thing were really that useful, the entire Indian team would have unlocked their fourth-order gene locks long ago."

Because the side effects are so terrifying, requiring constant resistance to the backlash from the body's instincts, they treat it as their last resort for mutual destruction.

That little monk only made up his mind to use it after Zheng Zha had driven him into a corner.

Chu Xuan's excitement subsided slightly, and he nodded, falling into deeper thought.

"All right."

Zhang Qi's voice rang out at the right moment, pulling everyone's thoughts back from the shock and reverie surrounding the Stone Demon Mask.

"In short, what we need to do right now is very clear."

He held out two fingers.

"First, find the location of the Book of the Sun. That book is the key to restraining Imhotep, and we must have it in our hands no matter what."

"Second, find that escaped young monk. He is now the only survivor of the Indian team, and he also possesses the dangerous Stone Mask. He must be dealt with."

Zhang Qi's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Chu Xuan.

"Once we win this team fight decisively, we'll have plenty of time to study these things."

"Um……"

Chu Xuan nodded, suppressing the surging desire to explore within him.

He understood Zhang Qi's meaning; now was not the time to satisfy personal curiosity.

After Zhang Qi's words, everyone's hearts were calmed down again.

The intelligence obtained from the Indian team clearly pointed out the restraining effect of the "Sun Scripture" on Imhotep.

Now that the Indian team's mental controller is dead, they can no longer conduct efficient battlefield coordination and intelligence sharing through mental links, making them essentially blind and deaf.

Judging from the cards on the table, the balance of this team battle has completely tilted in favor of the Zhongzhou team...

(End of this chapter)