Chapter 184: Chapter 184: The Power of Imitation (Request for Full Subscription)
What Bai Yuetong didn’t know was that what she called a tongue was merely Lu Luo’s Devourer tentacle.
If it weren’t for the Devourer filtering out the Dark Energy, she would have been eroded by it long ago, and Lu Luo wouldn’t have been able to save her.
Seeing Lu Luo still silent, Bai Yuetong suddenly grew displeased.
"Hey, why aren’t you talking after kissing me? Are you just going to take advantage of me like that for free?"
However, at that moment, Lu Luo had no mind to discuss such things with Bai Yuetong.
Behind him surged a monstrous, towering wave.
If it were just the wave, it would be one thing, but within the deep blue seawater, dark shadows kept appearing, and the Observer’s prompts were incessant.
[Fourth Tier unknown aquatic Exotic Species roaming. Please maintain vigilance.]
[Fourth Tier unknown aquatic Exotic Species roaming. Please maintain vigilance.]
[Fifth Tier unknown aquatic Exotic Species roaming. Please maintain vigilance.]
"Shut up, idiot! You would have died if I hadn’t kissed you just now."
Lu Luo was so harsh, not gentle at all, which made Bai Yuetong, whom he had just forcefully kissed, feel like crying.
He just kissed me, why is he acting like this!
But she couldn’t cry for long; her eyes weren’t blind, and she soon sensed something was amiss.
"Lu Luo, the water is turning black!"
"It’s not the water turning black; something is approaching us."
BANG!
A giant, tiger-headed monster fish leaped from the water, sending Lu Luo flying.
Clutching Bai Yuetong tightly, Lu Luo used his body and Qi He to cushion the impact, doing his utmost to prevent her from getting injured.
After all, she was an ordinary person. Lu Luo couldn’t treat Bai Yuetong the same way he treated Qi Xinzhu, but her identity and role were exceptionally important, which made things troublesome.
The two soared into the sky. Mid-air, Lu Luo immediately activated his Steam Form, using its jets to forcibly adjust his position.
Just then, a second tiger-headed monster fish burst from the water, snapping at them.
"Wow, Lu Luo, what a huge monster! I’ve never seen this species before!"
"Just be quiet!"
Lacking a weapon, Lu Luo didn’t panic. Mid-air, he suddenly jetted, swerving to avoid the massive fish.
But it wasn’t over; his Deliberate Bombardment Fist instantly erupted.
BOOM!
The monster fish’s eyeball exploded, splattering a mass of fluid into the sea. Though the blow didn’t kill it, it terrified the creature into retreating.
Watching Lu Luo repel the enemy with a single strike, tiny stars began to glitter in Bai Yuetong’s eyes.
Thanks to the sea breeze and the heat from Lu Luo’s body, her hair had mostly dried.
That tuft of Dumb Hair perked right up.
[This woman’s body temperature is rising, her heartbeat is quickening. She’s definitely having wild thoughts again, just like Qi Xinzhu often does when she’s beside you.]
Lu Luo subconsciously glanced at Bai Yuetong. When their eyes met, she immediately looked away.
"What are you looking at!"
"’Ahem! We should hurry and run!’"
SPLASH!
The two submerged in the water again. Looking at the crowd, Lu Luo knew he had fallen to the back of the group.
Apart from a few like Bai Yuetong, who had no means of resistance, the main group had already begun swimming towards the shore.
Only when the colossal wave drew near did Lu Luo realize its true size!
Forget people; it could probably smash buildings to pieces.
Moreover, the dark shapes within the giant wave grew increasingly distinct.
[Fifth Tier Exotic Species approaching. Not Lord level, but still very strong.]
"’There’s no other choice!’"
Lu Luo kissed Bai Yuetong again, frightening her into clinging to him once more.
Then, Lu Luo dove deeper. His legs formed two rotating Qi He jets, like propellers, and he began to swiftly navigate the waters ten meters below the surface.
CRUNCH!
A bite, powerful enough to make a mountain collapse, snapped shut behind Lu Luo. Huge teeth grazed his calf, and blood gushed out.
But the acceleration from the propellers allowed them to narrowly escape the attack range of the unknown Fifth Tier Exotic Species.
Moreover, this Fifth Tier creature wasn’t fast enough. After its one attack, Lu Luo had completely shaken it off, finally allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.
But this ’ocean wave game’ wouldn’t end with just one attack.
Bai Yuetong quietly opened her eyes. With Lu Luo on top and her below, and the seawater being crystal clear, the massive waves were starkly visible.
Therefore, at this moment, she could clearly see the shadow above her. As the shadow grew larger, Bai Yuetong quickly pounded Lu Luo’s shoulder with her small fist, signaling that something was behind him!
First came the huge wave, but it carried something else within it.
Fish! Countless fish!
Such creatures, almost never seen in the Wasteland Alliance, were incredibly abundant here.
These fish were about two to three meters long, far less terrifying than the monstrous fish Lu Luo had sent flying earlier.
But their numbers were what made them truly terrifying.
The dense school of fish moved like a carnivorous tide. As they passed the larger monster fish, they shredded the Fourth Tier Exotic Species to pieces almost instantaneously.
These fish, called Bone Eroding Fish, were like giant piranhas with horrifyingly sharp teeth, capable of crushing even the bones of a Fourth Tier Exotic Species.
"’I know. Don’t panic, hold on tight!’"
Although it was unclear how Lu Luo could speak underwater, Bai Yuetong calmed down after hearing his reassuring voice.
She clung tightly to Lu Luo, forcing herself to overcome her fear of the fish school, waiting for him to act.
"’Enter overfrequency mode.’"
[Entering overfrequency mode.]
"’Use overfrequency mode state 2. Technique Duplication. Ability: Requiem of the Soul.’"
[Using Duplication Technique: Unknown Fourth Tier Humanoid Technique, Requiem of the Soul.]
[Shadow Overlord Sequence required. Host lacks Shadow Overlord Sequence. Fusioner expending 398 energy to compensate.]
[Requiem of the Soul ready.]
BOOM!
The huge wave crashed down. Some First Tier Transcendents were instantly smashed into pulp.
Fortunately, Qi Xinzhu and the other two were prepared and had dived underwater, narrowly avoiding the staggering blow.
Seeing Lu Luo and Bai Yuetong behind her, Qi Xinzhu couldn’t suppress the urge to help them and was about to turn back.
But this time, Gu Fangyi and Zhou Kai both grabbed her.
"’Boss, trust Lu Luo!’"
Qi Xinzhu struggled to calm her emotions, but eventually, she suppressed them and once again led the two towards the shore.
Lu Luo and Bai Yuetong, thanks to the propulsion of his Qi He, had caught up to the tail end of the main group.
But to fully catch up and merge with the main force, he needed to launch a counterattack.
Because the school of fish behind them had arrived!
The blood from Lu Luo’s leg was the perfect lure for them; they swam frantically towards him, eager to tear him to shreds!
However, Lu Luo had already prepared a countermeasure: Li Qingshu’s signature technique.
Technique Duplication: Requiem of the Soul.
Black soul shadows began to emanate ceaselessly from Lu Luo’s body, making him resemble a shadow demon.
Bai Yuetong was panic-stricken. Naturally, Lu Luo could see her current terror.
However, letting go now meant certain death. Lu Luo tightened his grip on her arm, not allowing her to break free.
HAH!
Countless soul shadows erupted from Lu Luo’s body, filling the sky like an apocalyptic omen.
These soul shadows continuously bored into the bodies of the Bone Eroding Fish.
Each fish infiltrated by a soul shadow would explode in a bloody burst three to five seconds later.
The soul shadow would then exit and enter the next Bone Eroding Fish.
In this way, the several hundred soul shadows Lu Luo released killed over a thousand Bone Eroding Fish Exotic Species, finally alleviating the pressure the fish school exerted on all the game players.
Lu Luo seized the opportunity to escape, propelling himself with his Qi He through the crowd to catch up with Qi Xinzhu and her companions.
Once they resurfaced, Bai Yuetong timidly parted her lips from his.
PANT, PANT!
Feeling the heat from Lu Luo’s body up close and seeing his somewhat stern expression, Bai Yuetong dared not speak.
What puzzled her, however, was why she hadn’t felt out of breath when kissing Lu Luo underwater. They had been submerged for quite some time; could Lu Luo also generate oxygen? It was baffling!
"Bai Yuetong, we’re close to the shore. Just hold on a little longer."
Lu Luo didn’t know what Bai Yuetong was thinking.
He merely thought that an ordinary person like her, even without being corroded or invaded by Dark Energy, probably couldn’t withstand the frigid seawater for too long, so he offered comfort.
"’It’s okay, I’m fine,’" Bai Yuetong whispered softly.
Soon, Lu Luo caught up with Qi Xinzhu’s trio.
"’Don’t look at me, you three! Keep moving!’"
"’Let’s go.’"
After regrouping, the five of them swam towards the shore with concerted effort.
"’Phew, finally saved.’" Zhou Kai lay directly on the beach, while Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi silently emerged from the water.
On Lu Luo’s side, he had let go, but Bai Yuetong hadn’t released her grip and was still holding on to him tightly.
Not until Qi Xinzhu glared at her, making her squirm uncomfortably.
"Why are you staring at me? He was the one taking initiative the whole time! I feel like I got the short end of the stick!"
At times, Qi Xinzhu possessed a formidable verbal combat prowess, like when she had confronted Gu Wanyun, and just like now.
"’I didn’t say anything, so why are you getting so worked up? If you weren’t feeling guilty, there’d be no need to explain.’"
"’However, you did seem quite enraptured just now. How did it feel?’"
This was Qi Xinzhu’s pyrrhic style of argument; she was clearly disgruntled with herself too, but there was nothing she could do now.
Bai Yuetong wasn’t the type to stay silent when provoked; naturally, she fought back.
"’Hmph, are you jealous? Let me tell you, Lu Luo’s tongue—MMPH! MMPH!’"
Lu Luo quickly covered her mouth, urging her to stop. There were others on the beach; if she continued, the Devourer would be exposed.
[Didn’t you notice something off about their clothes?]
With a friendly hint from the Observer, Lu Luo, standing beside the two women, finally noticed something worth his gaze.
Their soaked clothes clung tightly to their bodies in a most revealing manner, darkened by the water and accentuating their forms.
Well! If there weren’t other people around, Lu Luo would certainly wish to stay here longer.
"’Ahem, let’s go!’" Lu Luo turned to glance at the waves behind him and urged them on.
As they walked forward, five doors suddenly materialized in the air before them.
After considering the possibility of all five people entering one door, Lu Luo abandoned the idea.
"’Let’s each enter our own.’"
"’Alright.’"
Upon opening the doors, everyone finally returned to the game lobby.
"’Bro Luo, the coins!’" Zhou Kai stretched out his hand, holding a 10-point coin. Gu Fangyi and Qi Xinzhu had the same, 10 points each.
Bai Yuetong looked at the three with some smugness and said with a smile, "’It turns out you’re not even as good as me! I got 20.’"
In Bai Yuetong’s palm lay a 20-point coin.
Does this mean Bai Yuetong’s game experience just now earned her 20 points?
This girl was clearly carried the whole time, so frustrating.
Although Qi Xinzhu felt a bit sour, her attention was primarily on Lu Luo.
"’Lu Luo, how many did you get?’"
"’Look at the screen.’"
"’Huh?’"
The group looked towards the large screen. Lu Luo couldn’t possibly be referring to the image of Qiao Xiao Mi snacking, but rather the subtitles below.
[This Team Game: Surfing—Difficulty 5.]
[Game Objective: 27 Completed, 22 Died.]
[First Place: Lu Luo, 151 points]
[Second Place: Luo Shan, 53 points]
[Third Place: Gu Wanyun, 35 points.]
Truthfully, it might have been better if the scores weren’t displayed. Showing them like this made Lu Luo’s ranking stand out starkly.
However, it was fine, as most people didn’t know who Lu Luo was.
Just when Lu Luo thought he could continue to keep a low profile and bide his time, the lights in the game center suddenly dimmed.
A theatrical spotlight suddenly illuminated Lu Luo.
A somewhat strange and rapid voice echoed in everyone’s ears.
"’TA-DA! This gentleman here is the winner of our team game this time, Mr. Lu Luo!’"
"’In the recent surfing game, he not only performed a heroic rescue of a beauty but also killed thousands of Bone Eroding Fish! Truly impressive!’"
As the voice spoke, the screen showed the scene where Lu Luo released Requiem of the Soul, killing a large number of Bone Eroding Fish.
Not only that, but the footage of him and Bai Yuetong kissing to share breath was also broadcast!
With such footage being shown so publicly, even Bai Yuetong felt somewhat embarrassed.
At this moment, Bai Yuetong’s brother, Luo Shan, also turned his gaze towards them.
It wasn’t just him; Jin Chen, the sycophant, was already glaring at Lu Luo with murderous intent. Had Bai Yuetong...
All eyes were on Lu Luo, but Gu Wanyun, beside them, was more composed.
"’Luo Shan, there’s something odd about this Lu Luo. You’d better take a look at the move he used.’"
Luo Shan withdrew his gaze and looked at the screen again.
"’This move... it’s Li Qingshu’s Requiem of the Soul!’"
The three of them were originally here to handle matters for Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals, and Li Qingshu’s disappearance was naturally part of their investigation.
Although Sequences could theoretically repeat, the likelihood of a Grade A Sequence like the Shadow Overlord Sequence appearing twice was incredibly small.
The probability of someone possessing the Shadow Overlord Sequence and also creating a move like Requiem of the Soul was even smaller.
So, this Lu Luo before them had to have some connection to Li Qingshu.
"’Should we approach this Lu Luo now? About Li Qingshu’s matter...’"
"’He’s very strong. Now’s not the time. Let’s wait until we get out.’"
Luo Shan and Gu Wanyun’s goals weren’t completely aligned. Although Lu Luo was very likely Li Qingshu’s killer, Lu Luo himself also showed great potential. Furthermore, from what they had just witnessed, his relationship with Bai Yuetong was very close.
In that seawater saturated with Dark Energy, Bai Yuetong should have found it incredibly difficult to survive. Lu Luo must have been protecting her relentlessly.
Such behavior inevitably held a different meaning in Luo Shan’s eyes.
Great potential, a clean background, and a very close relationship with his sister.
He just couldn’t be the murderer. No, Lu Luo definitely couldn’t be the killer.
To harm such an outstanding individual, a potential future brother-in-law, over a dead man like Li Qingshu? Wouldn’t that be idiotic?
Gu Wanyun, standing by, noticed Luo Shan’s perfunctory attitude. Her expression flickered, but she said nothing more.
"’I understand. You’re right. Let’s discuss it after we leave.’"
The footage of Lu Luo fighting played three times in total before disappearing.
This move by the game center undoubtedly exposed some of Lu Luo’s abilities and made him memorable to everyone present.
If anyone encountered Lu Luo in subsequent games, they would likely harbor hostility towards him.
Even if not hostile, they would at least be on high alert.
After all, the power Lu Luo had displayed was too formidable, which in itself was a matter of concern.
The lights came back on, and a clown appeared atop one of the light poles. He bowed to everyone before starting his introduction.
"’Hello everyone! I am your game host, Clown! You can also call me Zhou Ke’er!’"
Lu Luo looked at the clown, who wore a different outfit.
But from the voice and build, he could confirm that this was the same clown he had encountered before.
[Clown, Third Tier Humanoid Species, Abilities: Unknown.]
[Attributes: Strength 30, Constitution 50, Agility 95]
Lu Luo was slightly surprised looking at the clown’s attributes. For a creature of the same tier, its Agility was even higher than his own.
Although his own attributes hadn’t reached their maximum potential, achieving such limits was supposed to be incredibly difficult.
Even top-tier Exotic Species, like Ganmu, typically only reached Fourth Tier attribute limits despite being Fifth Tier.
Ganmu’s Constitution was 200, which, according to advancement standards, was merely the Fourth Tier limit.
But as a Fifth Tier Lord, Ganmu’s strength was unquestionable.
This clown’s Agility of 95 nearly reached the limit for a Third Tier being, which was quite impressive.
At that moment, Zhou Ke’er turned to make eye contact with Lu Luo.
"’After completing the game, it’s time for the reward exchange segment, of course!’"
"’In addition to the usual keys and items, we’ve added some special rewards this time!’"
"’For example, the young lady munching on snacks on the big screen, Qiao Xiao Mi!’"
"’Her exchange price is 500 tokens!’"