"Could it be because I joined this realm that Sister Liuli's difficulty doubled? What is the Venerable Spirit trying to do?"
Yi Tianyun frowned. Originally, he'd planned not to interfere. But now, if he did nothing, Domain Lord Liuli would face ever-increasing danger, until, like the other challengers, she was crushed to death by these metal statues.
Her attacks were formidable, but the metal figures seemed immortal. She couldn't hold out forever, especially with several gigantic metal figures looming over the area. Their towering frames covered huge swaths of land with a single swipe, making it impossible to dodge with ease.
Under the mounting pressure, Domain Lord Liuli found herself on the brink, narrowly avoiding blows.
Boom!
While Yi Tianyun hesitated, one of the metal giants unleashed a powerful punch. Although it didn't land a direct hit, the shockwave sent Domain Lord Liuli flying. She wasn't struck outright, but the violent impact still left her vulnerable, blood trickling from her lips, a light injury, yet a sign she was losing ground.
"So I guess I'll have to fight after all…"
She wiped the blood from her mouth, blue light flickering in her eyes as she prepared for an all-out eruption of power. Going full throttle would surely strain her, but she had no choice.
In a flash, her entire body radiated dazzling blue, morphing into a Water Goddess, similar to before. With the oceanic might surging in her hand, the once-ribbon became a massive tidal wave, crashing out in successive blasts, its force magnified several times over.
Her frenzied strikes repelled the swarming metal men, buying her a momentary gap. Domain Lord Liuli capitalized on this window, swiftly retreating away from the encirclement.
Though her offensive capabilities were high, these metal men were effectively immortal, making it impossible to keep them at bay for long. Particularly, the colossal figures towering above defied quick kills. Unable to truly destroy them, the best she could do was survive. And given the trial's requirement was only to endure for one month, destroying the metal men wasn't even the goal, merely lasting was.
Rumble…
Suddenly, part of a golden mountain split away, forming yet more hulking statues to cut off her escape route. Combined with pursuers from behind, Domain Lord Liuli was now trapped, no path to flee, front or rear.
"No choice but to go all out, then…"
She remained oblivious to the deeper cause, only sensing the difficulty escalating. This test offered no surrender: you either passed or died trying.
Just when she was about to make a desperate stand, a streak of light hurtled in, puncturing one of the giant metal figures with a thunderous impact. The figure's chest was bored through, then it was flung aside. Though not destroyed, it was at least disabled for a time.
"Sister Liuli, let me help!"
The newcomer was, of course, Yi Tianyun. He had no choice but to intervene now. True, she could still fight, but if he waited until she was completely exhausted, it might be too late.
She looked stunned. "How did you get in here? I thought that was impossible!"
"Long story. We need to run!"
Yi Tianyun scooped Domain Lord Liuli into his arms. Fueling both his Kunpeng Bloodline and Phoenix Bloodline simultaneously, he erupted into an intense burst of speed, vanishing from the spot and leaving the metal men far behind.
With both speed bloodlines stacked, not even these metal statues could keep up; their attacks became futile. Domain Lord Liuli alone didn't have enough swiftness to simply outrun them, but with Yi Tianyun's help, dodging was effortless.
Far off, the Venerable Spirit hovered in the air, watching them intently.
"He's finally involved. Let's see how high his potential truly is. The greater the potential…the more valuable he is…"
Everything was orchestrated by him; Yi Tianyun's suspicions were correct. It was no coincidence that Domain Lord Liuli had been overwhelmed by a sudden spike in danger. Only in her case was the challenge so drastically amplified.
Now, even with Yi Tianyun rescuing her, it wasn't over. Before long, the situation became more horrifying, everything in the surroundings began to stir. It was no longer limited to a certain batch of metal men; the entire area teemed with them, swarming relentlessly in all directions.
"They just keep coming… the Venerable Spirit really wants us dead!" Yi Tianyun snarled. If only he could bring her into the void with him, they could escape instantly. But he could only shift himself.
"Wants us dead? You mean the Venerable Spirit upped the difficulty?" Domain Lord Liuli was baffled.
"Yes. I used a void-travel ability to get in here, bypassing the seal. I can see plenty of challengers going through normal trials; no one else has this kind of onslaught, just you. He's obviously making it harder for us."
He sighed bitterly. "So it's my fault…"
"It is your fault," she teased, "but no big deal. I'll punish you by having you help me last this month!" Domain Lord Liuli wasn't angry. She understood that he came with good intentions, and it was the Venerable Spirit who'd gone back on his word. Even without Yi Tianyun striking first, the Venerable Spirit had raised the stakes, plainly forcing him into battle!