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

"Hmph, trying to hit '697' on me? Not so easy!" Long Wen sneered. Taking advantage of the gap in his dodge, he quickly gathered water element in his hand, forming an ice shard in his palm. He flicked it forcefully, and the ice shard shot towards the monster's eye like a sharp arrow. The monster felt the pain, its head snapped back, and it swung its giant claws again, attacking Long Wen frantically. For a moment, Long Wen was overwhelmed and could only dodge left and right.

Seeing this, Thomas shouted, "Brother Longwen, I'm here to help you!" With that, he charged at the monster with his spear, the spear flashing through the air as it aimed straight for the monster's abdomen. However, the monster's hide was thick and tough, and Thomas's spear only managed to graze a few sparks on its scales. The monster swung its tail, and the immense force sent Thomas flying. He arced through the air and crashed heavily onto the grass several meters away, spitting out a mouthful of blood with a "pfft."

"Toma!" Zhou Li exclaimed, wanting to rush over to check, but Long Wen grabbed her arm.

"Don't go over there, it's dangerous!" Long Wen shouted, looking anxiously at Thomas. Seeing him struggle to get up, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

At this moment, while dodging the monster's attacks, Long Wen suddenly noticed that after each claw strike, the scales on the monster's neck would briefly open, revealing slightly reddish flesh underneath, which seemed to be a weak point. An idea struck him, and taking advantage of the monster's missed attack, he instantly unleashed his elemental power, empowering his legs with wind, and charged towards the monster like lightning.

"Zhou Li, watch closely!" Long Wen roared, waving his hands. Fire elements blazed fiercely, and the surrounding rocks were heated to a bright red and began to crack.

Zhou Li stared wide-eyed at Long Wen, her eyes filled with anticipation and worry.

Caught off guard by Long Wen's sudden counterattack, the monster tried to block with its giant claws, but missed due to Long Wen's speed. Long Wen seized the opportunity, leaping into the air, his hand glowing with the dazzling light of water, fire, and wind elements, and slammed it down on the monster's weak spot on its neck...

"Agh!" The monster let out a miserable cry, staggered back a few steps, and the ground around it shook violently as it stomped on it.

"Well done, Brother Longwen!" Thomas wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, gripped his spear tightly again, and looked at him with admiration.

Zhou Li's eyes were filled with surprise, "Long Wen, you've found its weakness!"

Long Wen landed firmly and grinned, "It's not over yet!" With that, he once again mobilized his elemental power, his whole body shining brightly, as if a war god had descended.

The monster seemed utterly enraged. Ignoring its injuries, it charged again, its 3.5-inch maw spewing out a blast of icy air that instantly froze the ground in its wake. Long Wen dodged the attack, but slipped and nearly fell.

"Watch out!" Seeing this, Zhou Li was extremely anxious. She swung her long whip, the tip of which wrapped around Long Wen's arm. With a strong pull, she dragged him back to safety.

"Thank you, Zhou Li." Long Wen looked at her gratefully, his gaze growing even more determined.

Chapter 157 It's finally over.

Long Wen took a deep breath, adjusted his state, and decided to finish the battle quickly. He gathered all his elemental power in his palms, and the light in his palms became increasingly dazzling, blinding people. "Die!" Long Wen roared, and pushed his hands out forcefully. A beam of intense light, like a surging torrent, rushed straight towards the monster's vitals.

The monster's eyes widened in terror as it tried to dodge, but it was too late. The instant the blinding light struck it, its body exploded into a pile of ashes, which scattered in the wind.

"Phew... Finally, 24 is over." Long Wen let out a long sigh of relief, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt down. The fierce battle just now had exhausted most of his strength.

Zhou Li rushed over and helped Long Wen up, her eyes filled with admiration and heartache. "Long Wen, you're amazing." Her voice was soft, with a touch of tenderness and concern.

Long Wen smiled slightly and gently patted Zhou Li's hand, "Are you alright?"

Zhou Li shook her head, "I'm fine, all thanks to you."

Thomas limped over, a relieved smile on his face. "Brother Longwen, Miss Zhou Li, this was truly a near-death experience, but thankfully we won."

Just as Long Wen was about to speak, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a faint light flickering where the monster had disappeared. He released Zhou Li, walked over, and crouched down, discovering a stone slab inscribed with ancient characters, half-buried in the ground. The characters on the slab were mysterious and ancient, exuding an ancient aura, seemingly telling the story of the ruins' past.

"This should be some clue to the ruins," Long Wen muttered to himself, reaching out to gently brush the dust off the stone slab, wanting to examine it carefully.

Just then, the surrounding environment suddenly turned pitch black, as if an invisible hand had swallowed up all the light. A chilling wind howled past, making the clothes of the three of them flutter. Zhou Li subconsciously moved closer to Long Wen, while Thomas gripped his spear tightly and looked around warily.

"What's going on? This darkness is too strange." Long Wen frowned, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

Zhou Li gripped Long Wen's hand tightly, her voice tinged with fear, "Long Wen, I'm scared..."

Thomas tried to remain calm, "Don't be afraid, I'm here! Let's be careful."

Long Wen, Zhou Li, and Thomas, carrying lighting equipment, carefully traversed the bottomless valley ruins. The surrounding area was filled with jagged rocks, eerily quiet, with only their soft footsteps and slightly hurried breathing echoing in the empty valley.

"Everyone be careful, this place is strange, it feels like danger could strike at any moment," Long Wen said in a low voice, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. He instinctively shielded Zhou Li and Thomas behind him, his right hand gripping his weapon tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Zhou Li nodded slightly, her short sword already drawn, its cold light flashing. She stood gracefully beside Long Wen, her cold and beautiful face now filled with murderous intent, and replied in a low voice, "Don't worry, with you here, I'm not afraid."

Thomas gripped his long-handled weapon tightly, his gaze resolute. As a retainer of the Inatsuma Shrine, he was used to handling all sorts of affairs, but now, in this unknown and dangerous situation, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous: "We have to be on high alert and not let those guys in the shadows take advantage of us."

Just then, a soft footstep broke the silence from the depths of the darkness. The three instantly became alert, forming a circle back to back, warily watching the direction from which the sound came.

Chapter 158 Hiding in the Shadows

In the darkness, the figures of the mysterious force gradually emerged. They were all dressed in black robes, the wide robes fluttering in the wind, as if they had become one with the darkness. Their faces were not visible, only their pairs of eyes, which emitted a ghostly light, revealed a dangerous aura.

Long Wen's heart tightened, and he pulled Zhou Li and Thomas behind him to block them further, shouting loudly, "Who are you people? Why are you sneaking around in the shadows?" His voice echoed through the valley, carrying a hint of authority and accusation.

The mysterious force remained silent, simply standing there, the air thick with a tense, almost palpable, atmosphere, as if it could freeze instantly.

Suddenly, a mysterious figure in black robes moved. His movements were as swift as a ghost, charging towards Long Wen and his companions. A sharp blade gleamed in his hand, aimed directly at Long Wen's throat. Long Wen dodged the fierce attack, sidestepping to the side, and swung his weapon in response, aiming for the black-robed figure's waist. The black-robed figure leaned back, easily avoiding the blow, and then kicked Long Wen in the abdomen. Long Wen crossed his arms to block, but the kick sent him staggering back several steps, his arms going numb.

"Hmph, you've got some skill!" Long Wen snorted coldly, his eyes growing increasingly stern, and the elemental power within his body began to surge.

At the same time, the other black-robed figures also attacked, and for a moment, swords flashed in the darkness. Zhou Li wielded her short sword with agile movements, each strike aimed at the enemy's vitals, forcing the black-robed figures who approached her to retreat repeatedly. While fighting, she shouted, "Long Wen, watch out for the left!"

Thomas fully utilized his defensive skills, wielding his long-handled weapon with impenetrable precision, forming a defensive barrier to shield Long Wen and Zhou Li from attacks from behind. He shouted, "I'll hold them off! You guys find an opportunity to counterattack!"

However, the members of the mysterious force coordinated seamlessly, employing a variety of attack methods, sometimes launching sneak attacks with hidden weapons, and sometimes launching attacks from multiple opponents. Long Wen and his companions gradually found themselves struggling to cope. Long Wen had several wounds on his body, and blood stained his clothes; Zhou Li's hair was disheveled, sweat streamed down her face, and her short sword was covered in blood; Thomas's defenses also began to show weaknesses, and a cut on his arm made him gasp in pain.

Long Wen was extremely anxious. He knew that the stone slab in his hand was of utmost importance and he absolutely could not let it be taken away. His gaze swept across the battlefield, and suddenly an idea came to him. He deliberately exposed an opening while defending against the attack, pretending to be exhausted and staggering.

The mysterious force seemed to have noticed Long Wen's unusual behavior and thought victory was assured. The leader of the black-robed men had a smug look in his eyes and rushed towards Long Wen's weakness, wanting to defeat him in one fell swoop.

Just as the black-robed leader approached, a glint flashed in Long Wen's eyes, and he suddenly activated his special elemental manipulation ability. A brilliant light shone from his palm, and a powerful force spread outwards like surging waves, directly forcing the leader back several steps. The leader staggered to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood; he was clearly seriously injured.

When the other members in black robes saw their leader injured, they immediately lost their composure, stopped attacking, and looked on in astonishment.

Taking the opportunity to catch his breath, Long Wen straightened his back, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said loudly, "Listen up, this stone slab is crucial for my search for treasure and for leaving this deep valley. If you dare to make any further moves, don't blame me for being impolite!" His voice was full of intimidation, and his eyes met the black-robed group with firmness.

The mysterious group hesitated for a moment, exchanging glances as if weighing the pros and cons. Finally, the leader in black robes raised his hand, signaling them to retreat temporarily, and they quickly disappeared into the darkness.

Chapter 159 Thankfully, this trick worked!

Seeing them leave, Long Wen finally breathed a sigh of relief, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground. Zhou Li reacted quickly and caught him, asking with concern, "Are you alright?" Her voice trembled slightly as she gently touched Long Wen's wound, her eyes filled with heartache.

Long Wen shook his head slightly and gave her a reassuring smile: "I'm fine, thanks to this trick that worked."

Thomas stepped forward and patted Long Wen on the shoulder: "Brother, well done! That was really close."

Long Wen stood up, and the three of them sat together to examine the stone slab. In the dim light, they noticed that the writing on the slab seemed to shimmer faintly in the darkness. Upon closer inspection, the writing appeared to point to a hidden location in the deep valley.

"Could the place mentioned here be the key we're looking for?" Zhou Li asked, frowning.

Long Wen pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Very likely. In any case, we have to go and investigate."

Thomas gripped his weapon and stood up: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go. I want to see what secrets this deep valley holds."

After a short rest, the three continued their journey following the directions indicated by the inscriptions on the stone slab. Along the way, the fog in the valley grew increasingly thick, obstructing visibility, forcing them to rely solely on their senses and the occasional glimpses of light filtering through the fog to navigate.

"Everyone stay close, the fog is too thick, don't get separated," Long Wen whispered to him.

Zhou Li and Thomas responded and followed closely behind Long Wen.

As they walked, a deep rumbling sound suddenly came from ahead, and the ground trembled slightly. Long Wen's expression changed: "Something's wrong ahead!"

Zhou Li gripped her short sword tightly, watching the area ahead warily: "Let's go, let's go take a look!"

The three quickened their pace, parting the thick fog to reveal a vast, deep pool ahead. The water was as black as ink, exuding a mysterious and eerie aura. In the center of the pool, a stone platform was faintly visible, upon which something seemed to rest, emitting a dim light.

"Could that be the treasure we're looking for?" Thomas asked excitedly.

Before Long Wen could answer, suddenly, the pool water churned violently, and a huge water beast burst from the water, baring its fangs and claws as it pounced on them. The water beast was as large as a mountain, its entire body covered in hard scales, each scale gleaming coldly in the moonlight, and it spewed out jets of high-pressure water from its mouth.

"Watch out!" Long Wen shouted, quickly gathering elemental power in his hands to create a wall of fire in front of him, attempting to block the water jets spewed by the water beast.

Taking advantage of this moment, Zhou Li drew her bow, aimed at the water beast's eye, and fired an arrow. Unfortunately, the water beast reacted quickly, merely tilting its head slightly to dodge the arrow.

Seeing this, Thomas rushed forward and slammed his long-handled weapon into the water beast's head. But with a clang, the weapon struck the scales, sending sparks flying, and the water beast remained motionless.

"This thing has incredibly thick skin!" Thomas exclaimed.

Long Wen was extremely anxious, constantly switching elements. Sometimes he used water element to condense an ice shield to resist the impact of the water beast's tail swing; other times he used wind element to disperse the water vapor spewed by the water beast, creating a better shooting environment for Zhou Li.

Zhou Li's arrows never missed, each one carrying immense force, but the water beast's defenses were simply too strong; her arrows could only leave shallow marks on its scales.

Chapter 160 Attack its lower abdomen!

"This won't do, we have to find a way to attack its weaknesses!" Long Wen shouted.

He looked around and noticed that each time the water beast attacked, a soft, unscaled area would briefly appear under its belly. "Zhou Li, Thomas, attack its underside!" Long Wen shouted.

The three worked together. Zhou Li and Thomas drew the water beast's attention, while Long Wen seized the opportunity. When the water beast raised its front paws to attack again, he leaped high into the air, gathered fire elements in his hands, and slammed them down hard on the water beast's lower abdomen.

The water beast, in pain, let out a deafening roar and struggled frantically, its massive body creating towering waves in the pool. Zhou Li and Thomas seized the opportunity to intensify their attacks. The water beast gradually became overwhelmed and eventually sank to the bottom of the pool, disappearing from sight.

Exhausted after defeating the water beast, the three knew the treasure was right before them. Long Wen used wind element to slowly fly Zhou Li and Thomas onto the stone platform.

On the stone platform sat an ancient treasure chest, its surface covered with strange runes that seemed to have some connection to the inscriptions on the stone slab. Long Wen stepped forward, took a deep breath, and reached out to open the chest.

Inside the treasure chest, a brilliant light shone forth, revealing a gem radiating a mysterious glow. Rings of light surrounded the gem, as if it contained boundless power.

"Is this the treasure we've been looking for?" Zhou Li asked in surprise.

Long Wen picked up the gem and examined it closely, a strange sense of familiarity welling up inside him: "It should be right, but this gem doesn't look simple. We need to be careful."

Just then, the mysterious force that had retreated earlier reappeared. They had clearly seen Long Wen and his companions obtain the treasure and were now eager to seize it again. The leader, a man in black robes, sneered, "Hmph, hand over the gems, or you won't leave here alive!"

Long Wen handed the gem to Zhou Li and whispered, "Protect the gem. I'll deal with them." With that, he gripped his weapon and assumed a fighting stance once more.

Long Wen, Zhou Li, and their newly acquainted friend Thomas, after overcoming numerous hardships, deciphered the mysterious guidance on the stone slab and rushed tirelessly towards the hidden location in the deep valley. The ancient patterns on the stone slab seemed to possess endless allure, drawing them closer and closer to the legendary treasure, while simultaneously leading them into unknown dangers. Now, they stood at the edge of the deep valley, looking down. A hazy mist shrouded the valley floor, with only a faint, strange light revealing the location of the hidden place.

·· ····Request flowers··· ·····

Long Wen took a deep breath, tightened his grip on his longsword, and turned to look at Zhou Li and Thomas, his eyes filled with determination and caution: "This is it. Everyone, be careful. This place looks very eerie." With that, he took the lead and slowly walked down the steep mountain path.