Chapter 228: Lu Jingyu, Wake Up
Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Lu Jingyu, Wake Up
"ROAR!" Facing Lu Jingyu, the Mutated Mermaid opened its bloodthirsty maw again and let out a deafening bellow.
A thick, putrid stench spread for miles, but Lu Jingyu stood entirely unfazed, gripping Tan Lang tightly. His gaze remained fixed on Xu Qingsui. Right now, her eyes were vacant, and her chest rose and fell slightly. It seemed she had only been subjected to the Mutated Mermaid’s Spiritual Attack. Just like the team members before her, her spirit body had fallen into a deep slumber. The only difference was that Xu Qingsui hadn’t gone berserk like the others. By the looks of it, the Mutated Mermaid actually wanted to take her away!
He had already failed once, allowing Xu Qingsui to be attacked. He would absolutely not fail a second time and let this monster take her. Without hesitation, Lu Jingyu swung Tan Lang. A surge of intertwined red and black sword light shot forward. However, because Xu Qingsui was in the Mutated Mermaid’s grasp, the strike only grazed past the creature’s side—serving as a mere warning.
"Let her go!" The low growl tore from Lu Jingyu’s throat, carrying a terrifying, bone-chilling threat.
But the creature before him was a Mutated Mermaid. Its attention was entirely focused on its arm, where a chunk of flesh had just been shaved off by Tan Lang. Watching its fluorescent blue blood ooze out, the Mutated Mermaid abruptly snapped its gaze to Lu Jingyu. It threw its maw wide open and unleashed another furious roar. Unlike before, it stretched its neck forward, its jaw unhinging several times wider as if trying to swallow Lu Jingyu whole.
Lu Jingyu paid it no mind, assuming the creature was merely enraged and showing off its dominance. But suddenly, a thick plume of smoke blasted out from the depths of the Mutated Mermaid’s throat. Caught entirely off guard, Lu Jingyu took the dense smoke straight to the face. In an instant, it felt as though a bomb had detonated inside his head, blowing away all his thoughts and leaving behind a sheer, echoing emptiness.
Immediately after, a melodious song drilled into his mind. In his dazed state, he found himself swaying his head, trying to seek out the source of the singing echoing from the depths of his consciousness. Gradually, a layer of white mist crept over his deep black pupils. When the mist completely covered them, it looked as though he possessed a pair of freakish eyes born with only the sclera.
The next second, Lu Jingyu abruptly raised Tan Lang and thrust it mercilessly toward his own chest. The very moment the sword touched his clothing, the fabric shredded to pieces. It would only take one thrust for Tan Lang to pierce his heart and end his life. But just as the worst was about to happen, a sharp, commanding shout rang out in his mind.
"Lu Jingyu! Wake up!"
Xu Qingsui’s voice exploded in his head like a crack of thunder. The sonic shockwave jolted his brain, entirely drowning out the singing and dispelling the chaotic fog within his mind. The white mist over Lu Jingyu’s pupils vanished instantly. Upon realizing what had just transpired, his eyes flared crimson in sheer fury. He realized this Mutated Mermaid couldn’t just launch a Spiritual Attack to drive someone insane; it could actually mind-control its victim into committing suicide! And he had nearly fallen for it.
Glancing at the shredded clothes over his chest, a chill ran down Lu Jingyu’s spine. Thanks to Xu Qingsui waking him up, he was alive. Otherwise, he would have been beyond saving.
Suddenly remembering her, Lu Jingyu hurriedly looked over at the Mutated Mermaid’s shoulder. Xu Qingsui was still slung over the creature’s back, her eyes entirely lifeless. Lu Jingyu frowned deeply. He knew he hadn’t misheard; that voice just now definitely belonged to her. But she was currently under the monster’s spell herself, so what exactly had just happened?
Despite his confusion, seeing Xu Qingsui still trapped prompted him to raise Tan Lang once more. Regardless of whatever mysteries were at play, rescuing her was his absolute top priority. The Mutated Mermaid’s attack was as good as its answer. Wasting no more time, Lu Jingyu charged forward, swinging his blade.
Because of Xu Qingsui’s presence, Lu Jingyu held back during his assault, terrified of accidentally injuring her. Yet, while he restrained his strength, he couldn’t guard against the creature’s underhanded tricks. As if sensing Lu Jingyu cared deeply for the person on its shoulder, and having witnessed Tan Lang’s destructive power, the Mutated Mermaid had no intention of clashing head-on. Just as Lu Jingyu lunged with his sword, the monster cruelly shoved Xu Qingsui horizontally across its chest, using her as a human shield.
Seeing this, Lu Jingyu forcefully halted the momentum of his strike. The severe backlash sent him flying backward. When he landed, his heels dug deep into the earth, leaving a long, dragging trench in his wake.
He thought, "This beast! It truly is a Spiritual Mutation. It actually figured out how important Xu Qingsui is to me and used her as a shield!"
Cursing inwardly, Lu Jingyu glared at the Mutated Mermaid, calculating how he could safely rescue her. Seeing that its despicable tactic had worked, the creature split its jaw in a hideous, mocking grin. It even went so far as to wave a hand at Lu Jingyu, taunting him.
Lu Jingyu’s face darkened into a stormy scowl. His knuckles turned stark white as he gripped Tan Lang, his arm trembling slightly. The overwhelming urge to strike out and slaughter the Mutated Mermaid was becoming impossible to suppress, but his fear for Xu Qingsui’s safety held him firmly in check. For a moment, the man and the Mutant remained in a tense standoff, each waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
Meanwhile, Xu Qingsui had long since entered the Mutated Mermaid’s Sea of Consciousness.
The moment the putrid stench permeated the air, she guessed that the creature was about to appear, and she had already prepared her defenses. When the Mutated Mermaid abruptly showed itself, its horrifying appearance admittedly gave her quite a fright. The singing in her head did affect her slightly, but she had only feigned being fully controlled to make the mermaid drop its guard. At the very last moment, she projected her spirit body directly into the creature’s Sea of Consciousness.
This was a spatial dimension utterly saturated with singing. Upon first entering, Xu Qingsui worried that the song here would compromise her spirit body. She listened tentatively for a moment. Only after confirming she remained unaffected did she slowly release her hands from her ears.
But right then, her heart suddenly began to hammer violently in her chest. She realized something must have gone terribly wrong outside. At that exact moment, the Golden Octopus appeared, warning her that Lu Jingyu had fallen under the Mutated Mermaid’s influence while trying to save her.
Xu Qingsui was burning with anxiety. She was currently trapped inside the Mutated Mermaid’s Sea of Consciousness—how was she supposed to save Lu Jingyu? With her current abilities, even if she left this mental space, she wouldn’t have the physical strength to knock him out. Since that path was a dead end, her only hope was to eliminate the Mutated Mermaid from within.
Just then, a projection of the outside world materialized before her eyes. She watched helplessly as Lu Jingyu raised Tan Lang and aimed it squarely at his own chest. Seeing the blade on the verge of plunging downward, Xu Qingsui’s pupils violently contracted. Unlike the other team members who had merely fallen into a coma after being attacked, if Lu Jingyu followed through with this strike, he would die right then and there.