Chapter 62 Counterattack

The shattered ice blocks gradually sank to the bottom of the lake, while the bone sphere sprouted sharp spikes outward, radiating an unstoppable and razor-sharp aura.

Lu Qingyu, floating nearby, felt a flicker of surprise. He had not expected his opponent to shatter the ice sheet he had set up with such ease. He had initially thought he could seal the bone sphere's movements with the sheer weight of the ice, yet he never anticipated that the bone sphere not only possessed formidable defense but also harbored an explosive force that could not be underestimated.

Having broken free from the ice, this time the bone sphere did not retract its outer spikes as it had done previously; instead, it continued to spin relentlessly. With several whistling sounds, countless bone spikes shot out wildly in all directions. Although it was clearly a blind, indiscriminate barrage, its vast coverage made it terrifyingly effective. Since Lu Qingyu was positioned close by, several bone spikes instantly hurtled toward him, threatening to strike him down in a matter of moments.

Lu Qingyu instinctively thought of using the Night-Wandering Monkey to parry the attack, but before he could make a move, he suddenly stopped himself.

No! If he allowed the Night-Wandering Monkey to fend off the onslaught, his exact location would be instantly exposed.

The bone sphere's purpose in launching the bone spikes was not merely to attack; it was also a probing maneuver. The opponent had evidently guessed that his hiding spot was close by, and from that vantage point, he would undoubtedly be able to perceive the trajectories of all the fired bone spikes.

Once he intercepted the bone spikes, the enemy would immediately notice that the projectiles in this specific direction had suddenly halted, and Lu Qingyu's whereabouts would be compromised without delay.

Engaging the bone sphere in close quarters and meeting it head-on was by no means a wise strategy. Lu Qingyu understood that if he wished to emerge victorious, he must not reveal his current position until the opponent was thoroughly defeated. As long as the enemy remained blind to his location, he would retain the upper hand.

Parrying was out of the question as a matter of utmost urgency, yet he could not afford to execute any large-scale evasive maneuvers either. Watching as the bone spikes closed the distance to mere meters away, threatening to skewer him instantly!

From afar, Qin Changsheng, who was observing everything through Mo Mo's insight, also perceived the crisis facing Lu Qingyu and hurriedly sent him a warning: "Stop standing there like a fool! Run!"

No!

Lu Qingyu flatly refused. Once he fled, all the efforts he had expended up to this point would be completely wasted. Having reached this stage, he could not afford to retreat; he had to breathe life into a chess game that had seemingly fallen into a dead end!

"I have poured so much effort into reaching this point, not because I trusted you, but because I trusted myself!"

Facing the bone spikes about to pierce his flesh, Lu Qingyu wore a calm and serene smile: "The hardships I encounter now are merely a trial to me. Only by passing through trials can a person grow stronger."

"I said I would win, and my victory is already certain!"

The bone spikes rushed right in front of Lu Qingyu, their sharp tips pressing directly against the tip of his nose. No matter how hard he tried, Qin Changsheng could not fathom what other methods he had left to break this predicament.

Not only would he die this time, but Wu Yutong would also be dragged down to perish along with him!

However, just as the bone spike touched the tip of Lu Qingyu's nose, that very nose abruptly shrank backward, widening the distance between it and the bone spike once again.

Upon closer inspection, it was not just the nose that had retreated; Lu Qingyu's entire body was visibly shrinking and deflating inwards, resembling a deflated balloon.

In a single instant, Lu Qingyu transformed into a sheet of paper-thin skin. All the bone spikes hurtling toward him swerved past harmlessly, and not a single one managed to strike him.

Lu Qingyu drifted in the water like a discarded plastic bag. The momentum of the incoming bone spikes stirred the water currents, which naturally pushed him aside, miraculously failing to pierce him even once.

A triumphant smile appeared on his paper-thin face as Lu Qingyu knew he had narrowly escaped disaster. He owed this entirely to the special ability of his Mythical Sea Beast, the Night-Wandering Monkey.

"Six Teas: Yellow."

A yellow camellia flower detached from the branches atop the Night-Wandering Monkey's head, dissolving seamlessly into the surrounding water. The moment Lu Qingyu came into contact with the yellow tea, his body fat percentage dropped to the absolute minimum in a split second, causing his physical form to shrink into its current emaciated state.

The Night-Wandering Monkey's abilities had never been limited to mere freezing. Lu Qingyu had consistently concealed his other powers precisely so that he could catch his opponent off guard during such a critical juncture.

The bone sphere before him kept frantically hurling bone spikes in all directions, yet it struck nothing while its own volume continued to shrink rapidly. Realizing that things were going awry, the bone sphere promptly ceased its barrage, retracted its bone spikes, and reverted to its initial, motionless state.

It appeared that the bone spikes launched by the bone sphere originated from its own mass; the more it fired outward, the less substance it retained for its own defense.

Lu Qingyu finally understood why the bone sphere had only fired one or two projectiles during its previous attacks. Once it engaged in such indiscriminate, large-scale firing as it had just done, its own volume would rapidly deplete, and its defensive capabilities would quickly collapse.

That last move had been unleashed because the enemy knew Lu Qingyu was nearby and attempted to obliterate him directly with a widespread assault. Yet, he never expected that Lu Qingyu still had a trump card hidden up his sleeve, evading every single bone spike—a tactical move that vastly exceeded the enemy's expectations.

Fortunately, the bone sphere's stamina was limited. One had to realize that Lu Qingyu's technique of turning himself into the thickness of a sheet of paper to evade attacks was fundamentally achieved by instantly draining all of his body fat. If such a maneuver were sustained for too long, human physiological functions would fail to keep pace, ultimately proving fatal to him.

Had the bone sphere's indiscriminate barrage lasted even longer, Lu Qingyu might have ended up killing himself. However, he had deduced from the subtle changes in the bone sphere's volume during its previous attacks that firing the spikes exacted a toll on its own body, which was why he had deliberately taken this gamble.

Fortunately, he had won the bet. Taking advantage of the bone sphere's pause in its offensive, Lu Qingyu rapidly restored his original body fat percentage, expanding back into his normal human shape.

The bone sphere remained trapped in bewilderment after its frantic barrage failed to connect with anything. According to the enemy's calculations, that recent wave of attacks should have inevitably struck at least one target, especially since he was well aware that Lu Qingyu was lingering nearby.

Yet, in the span of a single breath, Lu Qingyu's presence seemed to have vanished into thin air. All of his attacks had missed completely, leaving him entirely unable to detect any traces of the opponent moving away. What on earth was happening? Could it be that his judgment had been flawed?

As the bone sphere sank into confusion, Lu Qingyu seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack. He intended to strike before the enemy could react to anything, subduing him completely in one fell swoop.

At this point, the bone sphere had already expended a vast quantity of bone spikes. Although its exterior still appeared remarkably sturdy, its overall thickness had diminished significantly compared to moments ago.

Under these current conditions, Lu Qingyu had already formulated his next step.

He extended his hand, aimed it at the bone sphere, and issued another command to the Night-Wandering Monkey.

"Six Teas: Red!"

This time, the branches atop the Night-Wandering Monkey's head sprouted crimson camellias. As the petals and leaves withered and fell, a stream of hot red tea spread toward the location of the bone sphere.

Unlike the previous freezing effect, wherever the red tea flowed, the water gradually began to boil, churning up countless bubbles.

This was the Night-Wandering Monkey's third ability: high-temperature boiling.

Watching the bone sphere engulfed by the boiling water, Lu Qingyu smiled faintly.

If I cannot freeze you to death, then I shall boil you to death!