Lu Zhaoming was practically cursing. This dilapidated ruin was collapsing even faster than the unfinished buildings he had seen before he transmigrated!

He endured the throbbing sensation that felt like his internal organs were about to shift, and forced himself to charge forward.

Besides the deafening crashing sounds, there were also all sorts of strange metallic scraping noises in his ears, making his head buzz.

It felt like he was walking on plum blossom stakes, with gravel falling down like it was free. One wrong step and he would fall into an abyss with no end in sight.

The air was thick with dust and a strange metallic smell, which made him cough and feel like his lungs were about to explode.

"System, give me the cheat code!" Lu Zhaoming roared in his mind and brought up the system interface.

On the interface, an icon lit up—it was the time delay feature he had been longing for!

"Hehe, a pillow delivered just when you're sleepy, this feels amazing!" Lu Zhaoming's lips curled into a smug smile as he muttered to himself, "Finally, it's your turn to come in handy, time stop! No, time delay!"

As the skill was activated, everything around seemed to slow down.

The rocks that were originally hurtling down are now falling slowly, like a special effect in a slow-motion movie.

Those originally menacing mechanical tentacles became sluggish, like a drunken octopus, moving slowly.

Lu Zhaoming felt as if he had become the protagonist of a movie, the kind with its own background music.

He took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing, and began to traverse the world of "slow motion".

He moved with the agility of a monkey, dodging left and right, precisely avoiding the collapsing stone pillars and the teetering mechanical tentacles.

The time delay brings not only a speed advantage, but also the ability to anticipate danger.

He can clearly see which areas are about to collapse and which areas pose potential threats, and then react in advance.

One step, two steps, three steps... He felt himself getting closer and closer to Su Li and the others.

However, just as he was about to catch up with the group, a burst of gunfire suddenly rang out from ahead, shattering the eerie "slow-motion" atmosphere.

"Rat-a-tat-tat..." The bullets pierced the air, emitting a piercing whistle that sounded particularly clear in the silent ruins.

Lu Zhaoming's expression changed, and he immediately stopped and hid behind a stone pillar.

He peeked out and saw that at the exit of the passage, Shi Hu was leading a team of fully armed elite Poison Scorpion soldiers, blocking their way.

Shi Hu held an exaggeratedly designed assault rifle in his hand, a sinister smile on his face, and his eyes were as cold as a venomous snake.

"Lu Zhaoming, I thought you were dead. I didn't expect you to be so tough." Shi Hu's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the empty ruins, carrying a chilling sense of oppression.

Lu Zhaoming's eyes narrowed as he quickly analyzed the situation.

He was still some distance from Shi Hu and his men, and the passage was narrow, offering no space to hide.

If it comes down to a direct confrontation, he has absolutely no chance of winning.

"This is getting a bit troublesome..." Lu Zhaoming cursed inwardly.

However, he did not panic. He quickly calmed down and began to look for a breakthrough.

His gaze swept across both sides of the passageway and he suddenly noticed some strange devices.

Those were metal pipes and wires hidden in the walls, looking very old, yet exuding a mysterious aura.

“This is…” Lu Zhaoming’s heart stirred, and he immediately remembered the relic defense system that Professor Lin had mentioned before.

"Could these be the legendary mechanisms?" Lu Zhaoming's eyes lit up, and a bold plan emerged in his mind.

A slight, almost imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Since we can't win in a direct confrontation, we'll have to resort to underhanded tactics!"

Lu Zhaoming took a deep breath and deliberately revealed a flaw.

He pretended to be physically exhausted, stumbled, and fell to the ground.

"Ouch..." he groaned in pain, looking utterly disheveled.

Seeing this, Shi Hu revealed an even more smug smile.

"Hmph, I thought you were something special, but you're nothing special after all," Shi Hu said disdainfully, waving his hand and ordering, "Attack! Take him down!"

The Scorpion soldiers immediately raised their guns and surrounded Lu Zhaoming.

However, just as they were about to get close, Lu Zhaoming suddenly got up from the ground with a strange smile on his face.

At the same time, he quietly pressed a signal transmitter on his waist.

This signal transmitter was a pre-arranged code between him and Afu, used to activate the mechanisms of the ruins.

"Hehe, the show is about to begin!" Lu Zhaoming thought to himself with a chuckle.

Shi Hu felt a sense of unease when he saw Lu Zhaoming suddenly stand up.

He tried to stop it, but it was too late.

Just then, a series of "click-clack" sounds suddenly came from above the passage.

Immediately afterwards, a huge metal fence descended from the sky and slammed heavily to the ground, separating the Scorpion Squad.

"What?!" Shi Hu's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in surprise.

The Scorpion soldiers were in chaos, firing their guns at the fence, but the bullets only left shallow marks.

Taking advantage of the enemy's confusion, Lu Zhaoming activated the time delay function again, his figure moving like a ghost through the dangerous area.

With his familiarity with the terrain and knowledge of the mechanisms, he successfully circled around to the back of Shi Hu.

"Die!" Lu Zhaoming shouted, and a gleaming dagger suddenly appeared in his hand, the new form of the Blade of Judgment.

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