Godlike: Double Penetration of the Starry Sky! A brutal beating of Ge Xiaolun at the start.

Zhou Li assisted her with all her might, her spear moving like a dragon, deflecting approaching dangers and weaving nimbly between attacks. But as time went on, she also began to feel the strain, the speed of her spear movements slowing slightly, and a hint of fatigue showing in her eyes.

"This can't go on, Long Wen, we can't hold on much longer!" Zhou Li shouted anxiously, her voice carrying a rare hint of panic.

Long Wen gritted his teeth, his heart filled with resentment: Was he really going to stop here? No, absolutely not! He stared at the radiant core, a resolute glint in his eyes.

Just as Long Wen was feeling desperate, his gaze inadvertently swept over the elemental runes on the ground, and a sudden flash of inspiration struck him. The attack rhythm of these mechanisms and the alternation of elemental attributes seemed to have some subtle connection with the elemental cycle. Without time to think it through, relying on his deep understanding and research of the elements, he quickly came up with a bold plan.

"Zhou Li, cover me!" Long Wen shouted, his voice filled with a do-or-die spirit.

Although Zhou Li didn't understand, she replied without hesitation, "Okay, be careful!" With that, she roused herself and wielded her spear with great force, drawing most of the attacks towards herself and creating an opportunity for Long Wen.

Long Wen took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and immersed himself completely in the perception of the elements. He mobilized all the elemental power within him—fire, water, ice, lightning, earth, and wind—and the six elemental lights lit up around him in turn, intertwining and merging. The surrounding air vibrated violently due to the turmoil of the elements, and the light became increasingly dazzling, making it impossible to open one's eyes.

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"Break!" Long Wen suddenly opened his eyes and roared, thrusting his hands forward. A huge, multicolored energy wave swept forward like a surging tide. Wherever the energy wave reached, mechanisms were reduced to dust under the violent elemental power, hidden arrow slits were collapsed, boulder launching devices were crushed, and magic rune arrays vanished without a trace.

....... ....

The energy wave, undiminished in its force, surged straight towards the central core. The core trembled violently under the impact, flashed a few times, and then shattered with a deafening roar. In an instant, the entire ruins shook, stones raining down as if on the verge of collapse.

"Quick, let's go!" Long Wen grabbed Zhou Li and sprinted towards the exit. Boulders tumbled down behind them, dust billowed, and the two weaved through dangerous gaps. Zhou Li stumbled, nearly falling, but Long Wen reacted quickly, pulling her into his arms and speeding away with her.

Chapter 116 Really Amazing

Finally, at the last possible moment, they broke through the ruins. Sunlight shone on them, bringing a long-lost warmth and peace of mind. The two collapsed onto the grass, panting heavily, and smiled at each other, their joy and sense of accomplishment over surviving the ordeal overflowing.

Back in Liyue Harbor, the news spread like wildfire. Citizens flocked to the streets, eager to catch a glimpse of the hero who had triumphed over the Ruins. Long Wen and Zhou Li walked side by side; "647," though exhausted, still stood tall and straight.

"Look, that's Lord Longwen! He's really amazing; he actually conquered that mysterious ruin!"

"And Miss Zhou Li, as expected of a descendant of the prestigious Liyue family, she is truly a woman of great talent!"

Praises poured in like a tide, and a warm feeling welled up in Longwen's heart. He knew that his hard work and efforts along the way had not been in vain; now, he had finally gained a foothold in Liyue Harbor and earned everyone's respect and recognition.

Zhou Li looked at Long Wen, her eyes filled with pride and tenderness. "You did it, Long Wen. I knew you could do it," she said softly, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze.

Long Wen turned to look at her, a bright smile spreading across his face. "Thanks to you all along. Without your companionship and assistance, I wouldn't have made it this far on my own." With that, he gently took Zhou Li's hand, their eyes meeting, a sweet atmosphere filling the air.

Just then, an envoy dressed in magnificent attire hurried over, bowed to Long Wen, and said respectfully, "Lord Long Wen, congratulations on your triumphant return. The elders in the port, having heard of your great achievements, have specially sent me to invite you to a banquet to celebrate."

Long Wen nodded slightly, "Thank you for your kindness, elders. I will certainly attend the banquet."

The messenger handed over another letter, "There is one more thing. This is a notice about the Elemental Trial. We have heard that you, my lord, have demonstrated extraordinary elemental manipulation skills in the ruins, and therefore recommend this trial for you. If you pass, my lord will surely become famous throughout Liyue."

Long Wen clutched the trial notification sealed with mysterious runes, his heart filled with mixed emotions. For some time now, he had been stuck at a bottleneck in advancing his adventurer rank, unable to break through, like a bird trapped in a cage, yearning to soar but unable to find a way out. Now, this opportunity in the elemental trial was like a ray of dawn, rekindling his hope, yet the tension in his heart remained ever-present, like fine spider silk, slowly coiling around him…

The outline of Cuijue Slope gradually became clear in the morning light. Ancient boulders stood scattered like giant beasts that had slumbered for millennia, exuding a mysterious and majestic aura. A gentle breeze swept by, stirring up dust from the ground, which swirled in the air, as if whispering secrets of the past. Long Wen's steps unconsciously slowed. He looked up at the top of the slope, where clouds and mist swirled, faintly revealing an unknown power that sent a chill down his spine.

"Hey, Longwen!" A shout broke the silence. Longwen turned his head and saw Bennett jogging over. His signature fiery red hair was particularly dazzling in the sunlight. Although his clothes were a bit worn and had a few patches, his face was full of bright smiles. "I knew you would come. This trial is not easy. We have to look out for each other."

Long Wen nodded slightly, a grateful smile appearing on his face. "With you here, I feel much more at ease, Bennett. This Emerald Slope doesn't look simple; we need to be extra careful."

Chapter 117 This Empress Shows Great Mercy

The two walked side by side, and before they had gone far, they heard a clear, yet somewhat arrogant laugh. "Hmph, look who these are! Two ignorant fools, daring to challenge the elemental trials of Emerald Slope." Fischl appeared with elegant steps, dressed in magnificent attire, her purple skirt billowing in the wind, like a noble princess who had traveled from another world, holding a beautifully decorated bow in her hand. "However, this princess is merciful and will allow you to follow behind me and share in my glory."

Long Wen's lips twitched slightly, thinking to himself that Fischl's chuunibyou had struck again, but he didn't say much at the moment. He simply cupped his hands and said, "Then thank you very much, Your Highness. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to give me your guidance."

Fischl raised her chin. "Hmph, of course. You'd better learn from 24."

As the three approached the entrance to the trial grounds, Long Wen felt an invisible pressure bearing down on him. He took a deep breath and was about to step in when suddenly, the ground beneath his feet began to shift without warning. "Not good!" he cried out. Instantly, quicksand surged in from all directions like a raging tide, quickly covering his ankles and continuing to rise, threatening to engulf him entirely.

Bennett's expression changed drastically upon seeing this, and he hurriedly reached out to pull Longwen, "Longwen, grab my hand!" But the suction of the quicksand was too strong, and he himself was almost dragged down, so he could only anxiously shout, "Hold on!"

Fischl's eyes widened, her grip on the bow tightening unconsciously. A flicker of panic crossed her face, but she quickly regained her haughty demeanor. "Hmph, if you can't even handle this little trouble, how are you going to participate in the trial?" Despite her words, she didn't move an inch.

Long Wen gritted his teeth and frantically scrambled his hands through the quicksand, trying to find a foothold to break free, but with each effort, he sank deeper. Sweat streamed down his forehead, blurring his vision. He was frantic, thinking to himself, "Am I going to fail so soon? No, I can't give up!"

Just then, a shrill laugh rang out. "Hey, isn't this Long Wen? He's always so high and mighty, how come he's stuck in this quicksand trap now? Hahaha." Several adventurers appeared from not far away, their eyes filled with jealousy and schadenfreude, their lips curled into malicious smiles. They were the same group who couldn't stand Long Wen's overbearing status.

"That's right, this guy just got lucky and stole our thunder. Let's see how he gets out of this mess." Another person chimed in, deliberately throwing a few stones into the quicksand trap, the splashing sand hitting Long Wen's face.

Long Wen was burning with rage, his eyes instantly becoming bloodshot. He abruptly raised his head, glaring at them with eyes as sharp as blades, and roared, "Don't go too far!" His voice, filled with boundless anger and authority, caused several adventurers to unconsciously take a step back.

However, anger wouldn't solve the problem. The quicksand was already almost up to his waist, and Long Wen felt his body growing heavier and heavier. He forced himself to calm down, his mind racing. Suddenly, he remembered his special ability to manipulate elements. "That's it, earth element!" A thought flashed through his mind, and he quickly closed his eyes, concentrating his mind to sense the earth elemental power around him.

At first, the elemental power within his body was somewhat sluggish, as if resisting his call. Long Wen's forehead veins bulged, sweat poured down his face, and he kept changing hand gestures in front of his chest while chanting incantations.

Chapter 118 Pretending

Seeing this, the mischievous adventurers laughed even louder, "Just putting on an act, let's see what other tricks he can pull."

But in the next second, Long Wen suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes shining brightly. He slammed his hands on the ground and shouted, "Condense!" In an instant, a powerful earth elemental force erupted from him. The originally surging quicksand seemed to be frozen in place, quickly solidifying into solid sand.

Using the momentum, Long Wen leaped and landed steadily to the side. He was panting heavily, his hair disheveled, and his clothes tattered, but his eyes shone with unwavering determination and confidence. In contrast, the smiles on the faces of the adventurers froze instantly, their mouths agape, their eyes filled with astonishment, as if they had witnessed something unbelievable.

Fischl nodded slightly, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes. "Hmph, you do have some skill. You didn't embarrass this princess."

Bennett rushed over excitedly and gave Longwen a big hug. "I knew you could do it! You're amazing, Longwen!"

Long Wen's lips curled into a carefree smile. "Trying to trap me won't be that easy." With that, he patted Bennett on the shoulder and cast his gaze into the depths of the trial grounds, where mist shrouded the area, adding to its mystique and danger.

He didn't linger, striding forward. Bennett and Fischer exchanged a glance and quickly followed. As they ventured deeper, the temperature seemed to plummet, a chilling wind howling past, sending shivers down their spines. The ground trembled slightly from time to time, as if some enormous monster were turning over in its slumber.

Suddenly, several eerie black shadows flashed through the mist ahead, accompanied by low roars. Long Wen instantly became alert, drawing his sword, which hummed as it was drawn. Bennett also gripped his sword tightly, while Fischl drew his bow and nocked an arrow. The three of them formed a triangle, back to back, vigilantly watching their surroundings.

"It seems the trials at Cuijue Slope have only just begun..." Long Wen murmured to himself, his eyes burning with fighting spirit as he prepared to face the unknown challenges to come. At this moment, they were in the mysterious and unpredictable Cuijue Slope, every step teetering on the edge of danger, but Long Wen knew that only by forging ahead could they break through the predicament and reach a new peak.

The setting sun, like blood, cast its last rays upon the entrance to Wuwang Slope, adding an even more eerie atmosphere to this already gloomy place. Long Wen took a deep breath, adjusted his backpack, and gazed resolutely into the dark depths. He was currently at a bottleneck in his adventurer rank advancement, and this elemental trial at Wuwang Slope was both a crisis and an opportunity for him to break through.

"I must succeed..." Long Wen muttered to himself, cautiously stepping onto Wuwang Slope. The moment he entered, a chill swept over him, and the wind seemed to carry eerie, almost imperceptible sounds, like whispers from the underworld. He tensed, all his senses heightened, each step landing softly, as if afraid to disturb the "sleeping" danger.

Suddenly, a sharp mechanical grinding sound broke the silence, echoing across the open slope and making Long Wen's eardrums ache. He looked up abruptly and saw huge stone pillars slowly rising from the ground around him, covered with rapidly spinning spikes that gleamed with a chilling light in the dim light.

"Damn it!" Long Wen cursed under his breath, his body instantly springing up. He dodged to the side, avoiding a sharp spike aimed at his throat, and then rolled, narrowly escaping between two stone pillars.

Chapter 119 Blood Splattered on the Spot

At this moment, his heart was pounding rapidly, like a rapid drumbeat, pounding against his chest. Cold sweat poured from his forehead, and his clothes on the back were already soaked.

"Huff...huff..." Long Wen panted heavily, his eyes fixed on the constantly shifting spikes, his brain racing, trying to find a way to break them. He moved cautiously around the stone pillar, his toes lightly touching the ground, calculating the distance to the spikes with each step. The slightest mistake could result in bloodshed.

Meanwhile, at the foot of Wuwang Slope, a graceful figure was anxiously hurrying up the mountain. Zhou Li, a descendant of the prestigious Liyue family, was usually aloof and unapproachable, but now her face was full of worry, and her steps were hurried. Since her relationship with Long Wen had gradually improved, she had a new concern in her heart. Hearing that Long Wen had come here for the trial alone, she was still worried.

"Long Wen, you absolutely cannot be hurt..." Zhou Li bit her lower lip and murmured to herself. She moved lightly, as if walking on flat ground on the rugged mountain path, and soon approached the trial area.

When Zhou Li arrived, she was met with the terrifying scene of Long Wen being surrounded by spiked traps. Her heart clenched, her beautiful eyes widened, and she blurted out, "Long Wen!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Long Wen turned around and saw Zhou Li. His heart warmed instantly. That warmth was like a ray of light, dispelling some of the surrounding chill. "Zhou Li, what are you doing here? It's dangerous here, let's go!" he shouted as he desperately dodged the spikes towards Zhou Li, trying to protect her as quickly as possible.

However, the traps wouldn't give him a chance to catch his breath. In a hasty dodge, Long Wen suddenly tripped over a protruding rock and fell forward.

"Watch out!" Zhou Li exclaimed, rushing forward without hesitation and grabbing Long Wen's arm tightly. Long Wen used the leverage to steady himself, and when he looked up, their eyes met. For a moment, everything around them seemed to freeze; the piercing whistling and the sound of the wind became blurred background noise. Zhou Li's eyes reflected Long Wen's slightly disheveled yet still resolute face, while Long Wen saw undisguised worry and concern in those beautiful eyes.

They were so close they could feel each other's breath. Zhou Li's cheeks flushed instantly, and she lowered her head in a fluster, her heart pounding like a deer's. Long Wen also turned his head away somewhat awkwardly, coughing lightly to hide the inexplicable feelings welling up inside him: "Th...thank you, Zhou Li, I'm fine."

Just as the ambiguous atmosphere was heating up, a malicious laugh shattered the tranquility. "Oh, look at this young couple, so deeply in love!"

Long Wen's eyes turned cold as he turned to look, only to see several familiar figures emerge from the shadows. These were the adventurers who were jealous of his repeated successes in arduous missions and his growing reputation. Leading them was a burly man with a face full of scars, his eyes filled with ruthlessness and greed.

"Hmph, what do you want?" Long Wen shielded Zhou Li behind him, his muscles tense, like a cheetah poised to pounce, his eyes so cold they seemed to freeze the air.

"What for? Of course, I'm letting you know that this Wuwang Slope isn't a place where you can claim all the credit!" The burly man sneered, and with a wave of his hand, the adventurers behind him drew their weapons and assumed an attack formation.

Chapter 120 That Unyielding Spirit

Long Wen inwardly groaned. These guys in front of him were already troublesome, and now they were in this dangerous trial ground, and he also had to protect Zhou Li. The situation was extremely dire. But his indomitable spirit made him show no sign of backing down.

He took a deep breath and quickly mobilized the elemental power within his body. His hands moved rapidly in front of him, water element slowly gathering between his palms, transforming into a ball of azure light; simultaneously, lightning element flickered and crackled at his fingertips, emitting a crackling sound. Long Wen's eyes blazed, and he shouted, "Water and Lightning Combined Attack!"

In an instant, the elements of water and lightning merged, and a dazzling bolt of electricity formed in his hand, roaring towards the adventurers like an angry dragon. Wherever the electricity passed, the air was ionized, emitting a pungent odor.

"Ah!" The adventurers screamed in terror, trying to dodge, but it was too late. A powerful electric current struck them instantly, their bodies convulsing uncontrollably, their weapons falling from their hands, and soon they were battered and bruised, covered in soot.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Seeing that the situation was not good, the burly man in the lead shouted and led his men to scramble away from the scene.

Long Wen watched their retreating figures, and his tense body finally relaxed slightly. He turned around and looked at Zhou Li, only to see her eyes filled with admiration and joy.

"Long Wen, you were amazing just now!" Zhou Li said excitedly, her cheeks slightly flushed with excitement.

Long Wen scratched his head and smiled somewhat embarrassedly: "It's alright, thanks to your timely appearance, you gave me the power."

The two men smiled at each other, and the atmosphere around them was filled with the joy of victory. Despite being on the gloomy, desolate Wuwang Slope, their hearts felt as if bathed in warm sunshine.

After a short rest, Long Wen knew that the trial was far from over, and many more difficult challenges awaited them. He stepped forward, gently took Zhou Li's hand, and said softly, "Let's go, together."

Zhou Li nodded slightly, a blush rising on her cheeks. She let Long Wen lead her, and the two walked side by side toward the depths of Wuwang Slope.

Mount Aozang, shrouded in mist and clouds, seemed isolated from the world. The mountain wind howled past, as if whispering the fierce competition that was about to unfold. Long Wen and Zhou Li stood side by side at the edge of the open area chosen as the trial grounds. Their figures appeared small in the biting mountain wind, yet they exuded an indomitable spirit.

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Long Wen raised his eyes and looked at the huge energy sphere in the center of the arena, which was radiating a dazzling light. It hovered in mid-air, like an ancient star that had been sealed away, mysterious and full of pressure. Around the sphere, intricate mechanisms were faintly visible, and the cold light of metal shimmered in the gaps in the sunlight that pierced through the clouds, like a lurking beast, just waiting for its prey to step into the trap.

....... ....

"This is it, Long Wen. This is the crucial battle for you to break through your bottleneck. Be extremely careful." Zhou Li glanced at Long Wen with concern. Although her voice was somewhat broken by the mountain wind, every word clearly reached Long Wen's ears.