Almost Couldn't Beat Him
Russell was completely dumbfounded. If he had known that Sterilizing Soap was such a rip-off, he would never have used it.
However, it was too late. Saruman raised his hand and the staff landed steadily in his palm, flames clinging to the tip. He then slashed down at Russell.
Boom!
The flames surged, Gandalf arrived just in time. The fireball slammed into Saruman, sending him crashing into the Orthanc.
"Russell, are you alright?" Gandalf asked with concern, keeping a distance of ten meters from Russell, not daring to approach.
Russell: "..."
He discovered that the lousy Sterilizing Soap not only killed both enemies and humans, but after using it twice, it shrank a size, which is actually quite close to reality!
On the other side, Saruman stood up, leaning against the wall. Apart from the charred edges of his gold-embroidered white robe, there was not a single scratch on his body. Like Gandalf, Saruman immediately moved ten meters away from Russell after getting up, too apprehensive to approach him.
At this moment, the two white-robed monks remained motionless, too afraid to move. They were both astute individuals who had seen the terrifying power of the Sterilizing Soap and feared that being affected would ruin their lifelong reputation.
The two monks dared not move, Russell dared not drop it either. The Sterilizing Soap was a strategic weapon; only by holding it in hand could it have a deterrent effect.
Learn from past mistakes and be extremely cautious when using it!
"Russell, throw him!" Gandalf shouted.
"Don't throw it away, I'll tell you all of Sauron's plans." Saruman's expression changed drastically.
"Russell, don't believe him, Saruman is lying to you, throw him away!"
"Gandalf, shut up!"
Saruman shuddered, angrily cursing Gandalf, then turned to Russell and said rapidly, "I'm not lying to you, I'll tell you Sauron's plan now."
"The Ringwraiths have brought news of the Battle of Helm's Deep back to Mordor. Next, Sauron's Orcs army will launch a full-scale attack on Gondor, targeting the royal capital Minas Tirith. Sauron intends to annihilate humanity in one fell swoop, giving them no chance to unite..."
At this point, Saruman's expression changed drastically, and he roared angrily, "Gandalf, you despicable Grey Robe, how dare you try to trick me into revealing information?"
When did I try to trick you into revealing information?
Gandalf felt wronged, but being a mature Maiar, he snorted and said, "That's right, I was trying to trick you into revealing information. Thanks for your cooperation."
"Court death!"
Saruman swung his staff, unleashing a large fireball, then combined his staff and sword to fight Gandalf.
It's a draw; at least three to five hundred moves later, it's impossible to determine a winner.
Russell's eyes Gollum around, and he shouted, "Saruman, look at the soap!"
Saruman was terrified upon hearing the sound. He caught a glimpse of a white figure approaching out of the corner of his eye. He took a blow to the chest from Gandalf and retreated rapidly.
Snap!
A piece of ice fell to the ground, slid for more than ten meters, and came to a stop at Saruman's feet.
"Hateful!"
Saruman's face contorted with rage, trembling with fury. Gandalf thrust his sword and staff at him, but Saruman had no time for harsh words and hastily parried and engaged in battle.
"Look at the soap!"
A white object came flying at him, and Saruman dodged again, only to be struck in the chest by another sword.
It's still a piece of crushed ice!
"Hateful!"
"Look at the soap!"
"Look at the soap!"
After seven or eight rounds, Saruman's white robes were stained with blood, he was covered in wounds, his hair was disheveled and he was in a terrible state. His staff had been knocked to the ground, and he only had a longsword in his hand.
"Damn it, you're really shameless!"
Saruman's face showed grief and indignation. He knew Russell was lying, but he was still fooled by it. After all, he was a Maiar skilled in hand-to-hand combat, with nerves reacting faster than his thoughts. He was exceptionally sensitive to flying devices, and often his body moved before his mind could even give the command.
"Look at the soap!"
Here we go again!
Saruman was furious. He subconsciously shifted his feet, forcibly changing his center of gravity, and refused to retreat an inch.
Seeing that Saruman did not move, Gandalf was overjoyed, thinking that he could not miss the opportunity. Taking advantage of Saruman's balance, he swung his staff down on Saruman's head.
The next second, the two old men lay down on the ground, each holding onto the Sterilizing Soap and refusing to let go.
Gandalf: "..."
Holy crap, this time they're serious!
Sterilizing Soap is a real rip-off. If you pick it up, you might lose it this round; if you don't, you'll lose it next round. The worst part is that you don't have the final say whether to pick it up or not—it's like killing a thousand enemies while losing a thousand of your own.
Finally, after a fierce struggle, Gandalf managed to snatch the Sterilizing Soap first. Taking something from Saruman would have been a dream come true in the past, but this time...
"Hahaha, Gandalf, prepare to die!"
Saruman grinned, longsword in hand, and charged toward Gandalf.
In a life-or-death situation, Gandalf hurriedly called for help, but he could not see Russell anywhere in sight, and there was a crater where he had been standing.
Click!
Saruman quickened his pace, and just as he was about to leap, he exerted too much force, causing the ice beneath his feet to collapse, burying him from the waist down.
Digging Holes!
Russell used his newly learned permanent skill, leaping out of the ice and thrusting his Adamantium Blade straight at Saruman's face. Saruman's eyes narrowed, and he bit down on the blade tip, preventing it from advancing an inch.
Russell was completely dumbfounded. The indestructible Adamantium Blade couldn't even break Saruman's old teeth. What kind of creature is the Maiar?
"Look at the soap!"
A sharp shout rang out behind him, and Russell shuddered. He instinctively tried to dig a hole to escape, but it was too late, and he and Saruman fell to the ground together.
Gandalf could go toe-to-toe with Saruman, but if it were Russell, he would have been slapped away with a single blow, spinning 3,600 degrees in the air before crashing into the pit he dug himself.
Saruman: "..."
Having found the Sterilizing Soap, Saruman thought he was doomed. And just as he had imagined, he was first struck on the head by Gandalf's staff, leaving him bleeding profusely, and then stabbed in the chest with a longsword.
He's lost more than half his life!
"Hehehe, Gandalf, it's your turn now..." Saruman, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, threw the Sterilizing Soap on the ground with a "biu," then gripped his sword with both hands, ready to behead someone.
This time it was Gandalf's turn to be unlucky. His face turned pale. He knew that picking it up would mean being stabbed, but his body was out of his control. His eyes followed the Sterilizing Soap as he made a move to pounce.
Click!
The ice broke open, Russell reached out and caught the Sterilizing Soap.
Saruman: "..."
Pfft!
Gandalf swept his sword across Saruman's neck, slicing him open. The legendary wizard died with resentment and frustration in his eyes, his death far from peaceful.
This is not the way he wants to die. Even if he, the White-Robed Saruman, dies, he should die in a spectacular way!
A moment later, Russell climbed out from under the ice. The powerful weapon was stored in his Space Ring and sealed away. He would never take it out to fight again unless absolutely necessary.
"Saruman, a formidable opponent!" Gandalf's face was solemn as he swung his staff repeatedly, bombarding Isengard relentlessly.
Russell narrowed his eyes, understood immediately, drew his two pistols and fired in quick succession, joining in the destruction.
The bombing lasted for a full five minutes, leaving the ice field in ruins and filled with smoke.
"Saruman is truly amazing!" Gandalf exclaimed in admiration.
Russell nodded in agreement. "Yes, look at his magic, its destructive power is so amazing, we almost couldn't beat him!"