A stranger's face in the mirror.

  "My god!" Zuo Mo jumped in fright, then became somewhat curious and touched his face again and again, looking at himself in the mirror for a long time before finally coming to a conclusion: "Not bad, I look much better than before!"

  He felt slightly relieved, a stone in his heart fell to the ground. This face couldn't be described as handsome or dashing, but at least the nose was still a nose and the mouth was still a mouth.

  To be honest, this face is actually quite ordinary, even a bit childish, with a shaved head, thick eyebrows, and plump lips. The body has also become much thicker and more robust than before, looking like an honest and simple-minded child.

  Is this really his original appearance? He was a bit puzzled, and then he saw the puzzled expression on the face in the water mirror. He felt a little unnatural, as over the years, he had become accustomed to that expressionless zombie face, and also accustomed to hiding his thoughts under that zombie face. Now that his expressions suddenly became rich, the joys and sorrows in his heart naturally appeared on his face, and he felt quite strange.

  Staring curiously and freshly at the unfamiliar yet vivid face in the water mirror.

  Is this face his true appearance? He decided to ask Pu Yao, and this question was very important to him.

  Gongsun Cha took a glance at Zuo Mo's hand and saw the several Nether Ghostfire rings on his fingers. He immediately felt relieved. It was indeed his Shixiong! Seeing his Shixiong in this state, he also knew that something must have happened. At this time, his Shixiong needed quiet, so he quietly made a gesture and led everyone out. Changing one's appearance was not an uncommon thing for cultivators.

  As soon as everyone left, Zuo Mo entered the Sea of Consciousness and found Pu Yao.

  "What's going on? How did I end up like this?"

  Pao Yao glanced at him and sneered: "You don't need to pretend to be confused in front of me, I didn't expect you two to team up and plot against me."

  "Partners? What's going on?" Zuo Mo was confused.

  "I must say I admire you, your courage is quite impressive. To reform the body, even those powerful demons wouldn't dare to try, yet you have the guts to do it. I really underestimated you before."

  "Remold the physique?" Zu Mo's confusion deepened.

  "I had been wondering, with your personality, how you could so easily agree to absorb the earth's energy." The Pú Yāo narrowed its blood-red eyes and said to itself: "I should have thought of that earlier. How could you not know that my injuries require the earth's energy? I've been waiting for this moment all along. You're still as clueless as ever!"

  Zuo Mo couldn't hear it clearly, but the last two sentences of Pu Yao's murmurs were obviously not directed at him.

  He wasn't stupid either, and when Pu Yao said this, he roughly understood. The "you" that Pu Yao mentioned should be the tombstone. The more he listened, the colder his heart became, and he suddenly remembered the line "Agree with him" that had appeared on the tombstone before. He vaguely felt that Pu Yao's speculation was not unfounded.

  This demon and this stele are not good omens!

  But thinking again, he soon let it go. If there wasn't this demon stele, he wouldn't have been able to get to where he is today, and probably wouldn't even have been able to succeed in building his foundation. It's just like doing business - each takes what they need, and even the smallest benefits don't fall from the sky for free. As for risks, which business doesn't have risks?

  "I roughly understand what 'reforming the physical body' means." Zuo Mo continued to ask: "Is this my original appearance?"

  His words did not have the expected effect, and Pu Yao was taken aback for a moment. Isn't this guy the one who hates being used by others the most? However, he didn't continue to dwell on this issue, as saying too much would only be counterproductive.

  "Of course not." The Pú Yāo replied very affirmatively: "After reshaping the body, it will definitely be completely different. This type of demonic technique is so dangerous mainly because your entire skeleton and flesh will be shattered, then after refinement and reorganization, supplementing the innate, a stronger body will be generated."

  Zuo Mo pointed at his own face and said: "In other words, this face now has nothing to do with the Half Moon Crystal that I had before?"

  "That's right." The Pú Yāo said with some schadenfreude: "Not only is there not a single connection, but your body has been completely shattered, and all the previous clues have disappeared. In other words, the previous leads are now gone too."

  Zuo Mo was stunned.

  "You originally had three clues in your hand. After altering your appearance, two clues will be left behind, one on your face and the other in your consciousness. The remaining one is the Five Elements Luminous Pearl inside your body. Hmm, now you only have two clues left in your hand."

  Zuo Mo's expression was very strange and completely different from what Pu Yao had expected, he couldn't help but ask: "A clue is missing, aren't you feeling sad?"

  "It's okay." Zuo Mo's tone was somewhat complicated as he shrugged: "At least I'm still alive, saved my life, this business isn't a loss."

  The reeds were whispering quietly.

  "What's good about this body?" Zuo Mo quickly struggled out of his emotions, asking with some anticipation, having heard Pu Yao's previous words, the new physical body seemed to be quite formidable.

  The Pao demon's expression stagnated for a moment, and he couldn't help but throw down a sentence: "It's not like I'm the one who messed it up, what does it have to do with me?!" He turned around and left.

  Zuo Mo was taken aback, then burst out laughing. Being able to make Pu Yao eat his words made him feel extremely relieved, and the last bit of gloom in his heart disappeared.

  He suddenly thought of Zongru after leaving the sea of consciousness with a great mood. He remembered that Zongru had blocked one for himself last time, if not for that block, he might have been seriously injured on the spot.

  He hastily found his fellow disciple Gong Sun and inquired about Zong Ru's injuries before rushing over in a flurry.

  Zongru sat cross-legged, his complexion as pale as paper, and his energy extremely poor. Leipeng and Nianglv were guarding him with worried faces, when they saw Zuomo arrive, the two quickly stood up.

  "How's your injury?" Zuo Mo asked as soon as he entered.

  Nian Lü's bitter smile: "The injury has affected the meridians, it will take some time to recuperate quietly."

  "Treating the meridians, this is San Pin Chun Lu Dan, specifically for treating damaged meridians. Hmm, San Pin Yuan Qi Dan has a good effect on restoring yuan qi. San Pin Pei Yuan Dan, solidifying and nourishing the foundation..."

  Lei Peng and Nian Lv stared at the pile of spiritual pills in front of them, their eyes wide with shock.

  After watching Zongru, Zuomoxiang suddenly remembered the rainbow butterfly that he had forgotten in the mountain valley. His heart moved, and he called out to the rainbow butterfly through the beast card. But what made him disappointed was that the rainbow butterfly did not respond, if it weren't for the rainbow butterfly's breath still being there, he would have thought that the rainbow butterfly had been poisoned to death.

  Since the rainbow butterfly was still alive, he felt slightly at ease. Without the colorful pupils, the dark toxic fog in the valley was enough to take his life, and he immediately dispelled the idea of going to the valley to check.

  He simply plunged into the room and began to explore this brand new body.

  There was a question that had always puzzled Gong Sun, and that was the appearance of fifth-grade spiritual beasts in the hands of two Condensation Period cultivators. To know that fifth-grade spiritual beasts had already begun to enter the ranks of high-grade spiritual beasts, they were far from being controlled by Condensation Period cultivators, yet now they appeared in the hands of two Condensation Period cultivators, how could it not make people feel incredulous?

  He carefully thought it over and called Yan Lü and Lei Peng to meticulously examine every detail.

  "They are the Kong brothers." Fortunately, there was a Xie Shan beside him who was not unfamiliar with the power of the Red Venerable. He explained: "The Kong brothers somehow obtained a secret technique, and when they joined forces, they could summon a fifth-grade Blood Horned Python, which was invincible wherever it went. It is one of the most powerful generals under the Red Venerable. However, it is said that this secret technique was not fully acquired by them, and the summoned Blood Horned Python cannot be considered a true fifth grade, but only half of a fifth grade. As for the loss of control of the Blood Horned Python, I suppose it has something to do with Kong Da being killed by us."

  Even Lian Xieshan himself did not expect that his conjecture almost completely coincided with the facts.

  Gongsun Cha thought it made a lot of sense. To put it simply, the combat power of one fifth-grade spiritual beast was absolutely stronger than that of three Condensation Realm cultivators. If this secret technique didn't have any flaws, then everyone would be done for.

  Suddenly, someone rushed in hastily: "Boss! Boss!"

  The craftsmen under his command called Gong Sun as "Lao Da" and Zuo Mo as "Boss".

  "What's wrong?" Gong Sun Chi asked, thinking secretly, could something have happened again?

  A nun was drifting in the river and was rescued by some brothers.

  "A female cultivator?" Gong Sun Chi was taken aback, and it took him a while to react. Ever since he left Wu Kong Mountain, he hadn't met another female cultivator again.

  In the matter of cultivating truth, there is no difference between men and women. Many sects only accept female disciples. The only exception where there are fewer female cultivators is probably in body refinement meditation. Women love beauty and adore skin as white as snow, but have zero interest in copper skin and iron bones. In Xiaoshan Boundary, it's said that there is also a powerful female cultivator force with quite a number of people.

  "Go and take a look." Gong Sun Chi said without hesitation.

  When Gong Sun Zan arrived at the camp, he soon saw this female Taoist, to be precise, a wounded female Taoist.

  "I said, isn't it a bit ugly?" Gong Sun Cha didn't realize at all that what he said was vicious and asked in surprise.

  "Not necessarily." Xie Shan nodded in deep agreement, his heart filled with a sense of unease.

  The woman's body was badly injured, her hair disheveled and dirty, emitting a foul odor, her face covered in scabs, wearing tattered and worn-out white clothes, no different from a beggar, barefoot, with large areas of bruising on her legs.

  Zuo Mo also heard the news and rushed over, his face grave because of Pu Yao's one sentence.

  "She was poisoned by the demon."

  "Yao poison?" Zuo Mo's expression turned somewhat unsightly: "You're saying she was injured by a Yao?"

  "That's right." Recently, Pu Yao, who has been deeply feeling threatened, no longer dares to hide and is always eager to show off: "This is a very common demon poison, made from the Qingji Teng. It was used over a thousand years ago, I didn't think it would still be in use now." In the end, he can't help but habitually evaluate: "These guys, have they been living for a thousand years for nothing?"

  Zuo Mo suddenly lifted his head: "Where did she drift from?"

  Xie Shan was taken aback and hurriedly ran to ask the first cultivator who discovered it. After a while, he came running back, pointing along the river and said: "It drifted from that direction."

  Gongsun Cha also reacted and the two of them couldn't help but exchange a glance, Tianyue Boundary!

  That direction is exactly the direction of the border river!

  This female cultivator unexpectedly turned out to be an escapee from the Tianyue Realm, and the two of them were greatly astonished. Their current location was not far from the Boundary River, and during this period, this female cultivator was the first person they had seen who had escaped from the Tianyue Realm. Without a doubt, the demon army must have blockaded the Boundary River; it wasn't difficult to do so - all they needed to do was dispatch a troop to occupy Huangmu Jiao, and they would be able to firmly guard the Boundary River.

  This nun is really powerful!

  Zuo Mo and Gong Sun Zan exchanged a glance, instantly sizing each other up. To say nothing of anything else, the fact that this female cultivator could break through the encirclement alone was enough to show that her strength was far from ordinary. Moreover, since they all came from Tian Yuan World, it also made the two feel somewhat familiar with each other.

  Lu Mo, who had made up his mind, asked Pu Yao: "How can this poisonous curse be lifted?"