Looking at the pale face of the woman before him, a question arose in Gu Qingfeng's mind: Why have you lost so much hair and yet are still not bald?
How do you expect those poor bald souls to feel?
Gu Qingfeng stared at the countless, densely packed strands of hair that twisted like black snakes, radiating from her face and writhing in all directions. It was as if a web of black threads had been woven or a dark, abyssal black hole had formed.
At that moment, he really wanted to quip, "Damn, I’m so jealous of your hair volume—you could knit a sweater with it."
However, as a professional actor, Gu Qingfeng resisted the urge to comment and instead pretended to panic, swimming upwards.
Having dealt with demons and monsters multiple times, he had learned a valuable lesson: never appear too strong at the outset, or you’ll miss out on gaining more attributes.
The Shadow Demon from last time was a perfect example. If he hadn’t been so greedy and had played the coward from the start, he might have gained more than just the "Shape-Shifting" skill. Ah, what a waste of his acting skills back then.
So this time, Gu Qingfeng decided to act from the very beginning.
He played the part of a drowning traveler, thrashing wildly in an attempt to escape.
The Water Ghost fell for it!
Her hair seemed to come alive, with one strand rapidly elongating like a water snake, swiftly darting toward Gu Qingfeng.
Seeing this, Gu Qingfeng was thrilled and struggled even more desperately. But if the Water Ghost had paid closer attention, she would have noticed that the more he struggled, the slower he actually swam.
The next moment, a strand of hair wrapped tightly around Gu Qingfeng’s ankle. The skin there could feel the cold, slippery sensation, reminiscent of a snake.
Ding!
Host attacked by Water Ghost.
Water Attribute +1
Hearing the system’s prompt, Gu Qingfeng was momentarily stunned. +1? What kind of weakling is this?
He immediately toned down his struggles, afraid he might accidentally snap the hair and scare the Water Ghost away.
Seeing that Gu Qingfeng couldn’t break free, the Water Ghost wasn’t in a hurry. She slowly pulled him along, as if flying a kite, seemingly intent on drowning him gradually.
Time passed, minute by minute. After half an incense stick’s worth of time, even with his strong physique, Gu Qingfeng began to feel the effects of oxygen deprivation.
Just as this feeling of suffocation set in, the system’s prompt sounded again.
Ding!
Host attacked by Water Ghost.
Water Attribute +1
With this slight increase in water attribute, Gu Qingfeng felt the suffocation dissipate instantly.
Another incense stick’s worth of time passed.
Gu Qingfeng only began to feel the suffocation again.
Ding!
Host attacked by Water Ghost.
Water Attribute +1
This time, Gu Qingfeng was revitalized once more.
However, the Water Ghost was starting to get confused. Why hadn’t this person drowned yet?
A look of human-like puzzlement appeared on her bloated face.
After a moment of confusion, the Water Ghost seemed to grow impatient. She began to whip her hair around wildly in the water, spinning Gu Qingfeng in circles like a windmill, as if trying to speed up his death.
Ding!
You have been attacked by the Water Ghost.
Water Attribute +5
Congratulations, host. Your Water Attribute has reached its limit. You have acquired the Underwater Breathing Technique.
As the prompt sounded, Gu Qingfeng no longer felt any sense of breathlessness. While ordinary people needed to hold their breath underwater, Gu Qingfeng now felt as though he could breathe freely, just as he would on land.
Not only that, but he also clearly sensed a subtle change in his body. It was as if a strange, warm current flowed through him, transforming his body. The resistance and pressure of the water almost completely vanished, leaving him feeling as though he were one with the water.
It was a sensation akin to being a fish in water.
This feeling filled Gu Qingfeng with delight.
In contrast to Gu Qingfeng’s joy, the Water Ghost grew increasingly puzzled and even began to show signs of frustration.
Why isn’t he drowning!?
The Water Ghost stopped whipping her hair and instead directed her snake-like black strands toward Gu Qingfeng’s neck, wrapping around it tightly in an attempt to strangle him.
And Gu Qingfeng?
His neck had always been a sensitive area. As the hair coiled around it, he felt an intense itch and instinctively moved.
To his surprise, his body slipped out of the hair’s grasp as smoothly as a fish.
Gu Qingfeng was stunned. He hadn’t expected the Underwater Breathing Technique to not only allow him to breathe freely but also grant him this fish-like smoothness, effectively nullifying the water’s resistance and even using it as a lubricant.
The Water Ghost was equally stunned. She stared blankly at Gu Qingfeng, as if unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Gu Qingfeng glanced at the Water Ghost and thought, "I’ve just gained a new skill—I can’t give up now."
So, pretending as if nothing had happened, he subtly extended his foot back into the Water Ghost’s hair.
He then twisted his feet slightly, creating the illusion that the hair had ensnared him again.
He even casually wrapped a strand around his neck, letting her continue to strangle him.
It was as if the two of them were back to their previous positions.
The Water Ghost remained silent, simply watching Gu Qingfeng’s antics.
~Stare!
Feeling the Water Ghost’s gaze, Gu Qingfeng felt a bit awkward. He admitted his acting wasn’t the best today, but for the sake of gaining attributes, he stubbornly continued to play the role of the captive.
The Water Ghost gave Gu Qingfeng a deep look.
Though she was a Water Ghost, she wasn’t stupid.
So...
Whoosh!
The countless black snake-like strands of hair retracted instantly, and she turned to swim away.
Gu Qingfeng was momentarily stunned, then furious. "The Shadow Demon ignored my acting, fine. But you, a mere Water Ghost, dare to do the same?
Today, I won’t let you leave until I’ve drained every last drop of your water attributes!"
With that, Gu Qingfeng’s limbs surged with power, propelling him forward like an arrow, shooting straight toward the Water Ghost.
The Water Ghost was shocked. How could this person swim faster than her?
Who’s the real Water Ghost here?
Instinctively, she tried to swim away faster, but before she could, she felt a tight grip around her waist.
Looking down, she saw that Gu Qingfeng had already wrapped himself around her like an octopus, his arms encircling her waist and his legs locking around hers.