Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [136] [DDD!]

December Double Drop!

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When everyone who could pass through the invisible barrier had entered the tower, Gu Sanqiu noticed a foggy swirl of wind elements surrounding him.

When the mist dissipated, he looked around, realizing he was alone in the vast, empty hall.

"Interesting. A solo trial, huh?"

He scanned the small area he was in, noting the opponent in front of him—an enemy already poised for battle, gripping a large sword.

Boom!

With a single thrust, Gu Sanqiu's spear punched through the enemy's chest, the massive force turning its upper half into a splatter of elemental residue. The flesh and remnants disintegrated into wisps of wind.

He used his free hand to scratch his ear.

"If you're really testing our strength, could you at least send in someone who's actually a challenge?"

Swaggering defiance: Activated.

Second enemy, a warrior wielding a short sword and round shield.

Gu Sanqiu snapped his fingers. A bolt of lightning crashed down from above, reducing the foe to ash.

Third trial: a group of five mages accompanied by two shield-wielding guards, each one reinforced by crystallized shields.

One earth-shaking spell took care of them all.

"Not one worthy opponent in the lot. Can I move on to the next stage already? If we keep this up, I'll miss happy hour at Angel's Share."

With a groan, a door creaked open on the other side of the room, but Gu Sanqiu simply stood there, leaning on his spear as he peered through it.

"I already said I'm not interested in these 'trials.' Just let me get a look at you, 'Great Tower Master.' You can hear me, right?"

"A mortal does not gaze upon the divine without reverence. Only by advancing step by step may you behold the god's countenance!"

A spark flickered in Gu Sanqiu's eyes, followed by a smug grin.

"Ah, so you can hear me. Great, here's a suggestion: how about you release all your challenges in one go? Makes things easier for both of us."

Swaggering defiance: Still fully activated.

"Hmph. Proceed, mortal."

Having gotten the response he wanted, Gu Sanqiu slung his spear over his shoulder and stepped into the next room.

Inside, oversized Lamp Grass, Windwheel Asters, and Sunsettia dangled ominously. If these plants had faces, he'd bet they'd all be smirking with ill intentions.

"Really? You think switching up the enemy type means I can't handle it?"

Gu Sanqiu stowed his spear and pulled out his dragonscale shield, charging it with geo energy.

Roar!

A dragon's cry reverberated as all the plants deflated like popped balloons, collapsing to the ground. He plucked a sample to examine later.

"As expected, everything in this tower has a touch of sentience—seems like it meets your little standard. Are these 'divine constructs' you've got here?"

"No, wait…'god-made constructs.'"

The second door opened, but when he entered, he found it completely empty.

"Hey, even if I passed this test, could you set up a rest area here? Maybe with some juice or a couch?"

Perhaps perturbed by Gu Sanqiu's bizarre request, the tower master kept silent, acting as if the man below him didn't exist at all.

About half an hour later, a familiar figure came stumbling in from the other side—Bennett.

"As expected, the bad luck."

Bennett fell to one knee, gripping his Traveler's Blade as a crutch, his whole body nearly covered in blood.

"Damn."

Gu Sanqiu raised an eyebrow. Next time, could you pick a phrase that doesn't sound so final? For a second, I thought our six-star Pyro boy had met his end here.

"Huh? Mr. Gu, why are you here?"

Bennett asked, eyes full of confusion.

"No, no, this is an illusion… it has to be!"

He raised his blade, flames flickering to life as he spoke.

"Bring it on! I can do this! The third trial… here I come!"

"Alright, alright, don't push yourself too hard. Remember I told you back at the tavern to find us if you needed backup? It's not like an illusion would know that."

"If you think I'm just some psychic projection, here's another tidbit—every time Barbara heals you, you blush like a tomato…"

Sputter!

Blood surged from Bennett's wounds, and his face flushed red with embarrassment as his blade clattered to the ground.

"Y-You really are Mr. Gu…"

"Of course it's me. Who else?"

Gu Sanqiu walked over. "Forget the small talk; let's patch you up first, then we can think about what comes next."

"To move forward, only the victor may proceed to the next trial!"

"I had a feeling this wouldn't be that easy."

Gu Sanqiu rolled his eyes. He'd thought the trials would be a 'well-rounded challenge,' with tests of courage, intellect, endurance, and skill. But after two trials, he realized something was off.

If these trials were just random low-level mobs, why go to the trouble of setting up this entire tower?

To make some kind of grand, unmatched statement?

Hmm, not entirely out of the question.

"A knockout round, is it? Well, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not really into that."

Still, the way these tests were presented seemed haphazard.

Since Bennett was in the tower, he'd already passed the tower master's evaluation, making this arena-style battle feel like an afterthought.

Gu Sanqiu pulled out some bandages and began wrapping Bennett's wounds, shoving a handful of pills into his mouth.

From the amount of blood loss, it was clear Bennett had exhausted himself. That, or he'd had another bad-luck mishap and barely survived. The fact that he was here at all was something of a miracle.

Still, with a little tweaking, these bandages might just give the tower master a taste of his own medicine.

Item: Agonizing Bandages

Source: A battlefield in a distant nation

Description: "The only effect of this bandage is healing, everything else is hogwash!"—or so claimed the army's officials. Sure, they heal well, but they make the patient feel pain like nothing else.

"Brace yourself. Don't scream too loud, and don't embarrass Mondstadt."

"It's fine, Mr. Gu! What's a little injury? I'm used to… Ahh!"

The second Gu Sanqiu secured the final knot, the bandages fused tightly to Bennett's skin. The hidden medicinal powder began to take effect.

"Oww! Ugh, someone help me…!"

Bennett's body went stiff, his muscles spasming as he fell back, writhing in pain.

"You… are you torturing your own teammate?"

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Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!

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