Chapter 41: Perilous Situation

"Boom!"

Finally, with a tremendous roar, the lake monster could no longer support its body and collapsed heavily onto the ground.

Lu Jing promptly pulled his feet out; he did not want to get stuck in all this blood on the ground.

"It just collapsed, and my burning power hasn't reached its time yet."

Lu Jing shrugged; he stopped not due to lack of stamina, but because the lake monster's body had reached its limit.

Even though it had terrifying defense and could absorb blood to heal itself, it ultimately had a limit and could not withstand Lu Jing's desperate attacks.

"That round felt great; it's a qualified target."

Lu Jing gestured, and the scattered fragments of the Thousand-Blade Demon Sword on the ground instantly flashed with a dark purple glow.

In the next moment, countless blades flew back and reassembled into a whole in Lu Jing's hand.

At this moment, the lake monster lay paralyzed on the ground, motionless, unknown whether it was dead.

Jiang Fenxin shouted from above: "Lu Jing, did you beat it to death?"

"Probably not," Lu Jing shook his head, "I feel this isn't its true body; the real body should be hidden inside this skin."

When Lu Jing just threw his punch, he sent his mental power deep into the lake monster's body.

He discovered that inside there was a humanoid monster, the tumor merely being the clothing it wore.

"What should we do? How can we completely kill this thing?"

Jiang Fenxin tried to nock an arrow and shoot, firing the last few arrows into the lake monster's body.

However, the lake monster remained motionless, and its withered tumor actually began to dissolve.

"It's about to reveal its true form."

As the tumor dissolved, streams of fresh blood spurted out; the bloodwater surged, and soon it had submerged Lu Jing's knees.

Lu Jing frowned slightly, not expecting the monster to have a second form.

The lake monster's body gradually submerged in blood, and only a mass of flesh could be seen darting out from within, swiftly moving in the blood pool.

"Lu Jing, watch out underwater!"

Jiang Fenxin could only anxiously wait above; her bow and arrows were exhausted.

"It's fine, I'll handle it!"

Lu Jing took up the Thousand-Blade Demon Sword and went forward, bloodwater splashing beneath his feet.

Just as he was about to rush up to the lake monster, that mass of flesh proactively surged out of the bloodwater, forming a large net in the air that lunged at Lu Jing.

The monster actually wanted to press him into the bloodwater!

Lu Jing halted his steps, slashing forward with his long blade, and leapt backward following the motion.

"Pfft!"

The long blade cut through the flesh net, revealing the tangled flesh threads inside.

"Has the defense dropped?"

This strike succeeded, and Lu Jing's eyes lit up.

Attacks that previously could not break through defense now could directly inflict damage.

This is undoubtedly good news.

"Plop!"

The flesh net lunged at nothing, sending up a large spray of bloodwater.

Only to see it, as it trembled, transform into a humanoid form, its face consisting solely of a huge bloody mouth filled with sawtooth-like sharp teeth.

Only to see the lake monster retch, spitting out a large clot of pus and blood from its mouth.

The pus and blood emitted greenish thick smoke, appearing highly toxic.

Taking advantage of the opening while the lake monster expelled pus and blood, Lu Jing flashed to its rear and delivered a diagonal slash, severing one of its arms.

The lake monster winced in pain, turned, and spat pus and blood toward Lu Jing.

However, Lu Jing stepped on the lake monster's back and, using the recoil, nimbly dodged.

Having lost its hard shell, killing this monster is merely a matter of time.

The lake monster, being beaten unilaterally, grew enraged, dove into the bloodwater, and lunged at Lu Jing again.

This move works well on others, because moving in the bloodwater leaves no trace, making it easy to succeed.

But Lu Jing had mental power at his side, leaving the lake monster in the bloodwater nowhere to hide.

Having anticipated the lake monster's attack in advance, Lu Jing easily dodged again.

In the moment of sidestepping, he also seized the opportunity to leave several piercing wounds on the monster.

"Keke~"

The lake monster suddenly stopped, grinning hideously with its sharp teeth.

In the next moment, it slowly crouched down and completely submerged into the bloodwater.

For some reason, seeing this, Lu Jing felt a sense of danger, and the hairs on his back stood on end.

In the next moment, the lake monster in the bloodwater actually blew off its own right leg and lunged at Lu Jing once more.

This time was different from before; its speed was extremely fast, like a shell fired from a cannon.

Even the tense Lu Jing was startled.

"Swish!"

Lu Jing stepped on the ground and flashed to the side.

He barely dodged the lake monster's lunge this time, but was still overturned by the strong wind, falling face-up into the bloodwater.

"Pupu pu!"

Seeing Lu Jing fall, the lake monster spat out several more mouthfuls of pus and blood.

Lu Jing hadn't had time to steady himself when he saw a sky filled with pus‑blood shells.

He wielded the Thousand‑Blade Demon Sword, forming a blade net in front of him, ready to hard‑resist the barrage of pus‑blood.

"Bang bang bang!"

The explosions rang out, and Lu Jing's vision turned red, blood and water everywhere.

With his spiritual power released, he saw the lake monster nearby lunge again.

He couldn't dodge and was knocked straight out.

A sharp pain shot through his body; Lu Jing rolled in the air and slammed into a distant cliff face.

When he came to, his whole body felt as if it were falling apart, aching terribly.

Lying in the blood‑stained water, Lu Jing stuck his head above the surface, not wanting the liquid to flood his mouth and nose.

"I have to find a way to counterattack; this thing shed its shell and changed so drastically, from defense to offense... I've never feared anyone in a head‑on clash!"

Lu Jing thought it over, just as he was about to stand, he saw the lake monster charging.

He punched the ground, splashing a huge spray of blood‑water; using the impact, Lu Jing leapt two meters high.

The lake monster's attack brushed past his feet, a close call.

The missed lake monster slammed its head against the cavern wall, shaking its head repeatedly.

Seizing the chance, Lu Jing straightened up, and the Thousand‑Blade Demon Sword re‑formed in his hand.

This time he rushed toward the lake monster; to kill it he must seize the initiative of the attack!

"Clang!"

The long blade sang lightly, a blade flash slashing toward the lake monster's neck.

The shell‑less lake monster dared not meet it head‑on, extending its only remaining hand to block.

Yet Lu Jing kept his forward charge, only releasing his grip on the Thousand‑Blade Demon Sword.

He used his spiritual power to swing the sword horizontally, circling around the lake monster's hand.

The next moment.

The Thousand‑Blade Demon Sword swung to the lake monster's neck, spinning rapidly.

Lu Jing brushed past it, arriving at the lake monster's side.

He grabbed the sword's hilt with his other hand and slashed fiercely!

"Ssshh!"

As man and monster passed each other, both froze completely.

Only the lake monster's head shot skyward.

The lake monster's mouth gaped, as if it didn't understand why it was flying.

Lu Jing, struck by a sudden idea, sliced off its head in one move.

The technique was executed in one breath, very fast.

In an instant, the lake monster hadn't even reacted.

Immediately, Lu Jing halted, his long blade swinging continuously.

He cleaved the headless corpse of the lake monster into fragments.

"This time, let's see how you survive!"