I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 148: Showdown with the Four Supreme Masters – The Four Soul Jade Has a Major Problem!

Lord Jin Guang!?
Shen Baishan felt a chill run down his spine and his heart skipped a beat. But he was no ordinary person, and he quickly suppressed his panic, becoming somewhat excited instead, and reached into the inner pocket of his sleeve.

He dared to bring men here to monitor Tang Xianhe and Master Jinguang's meeting, so he must have made two preparations:

Firstly, there were more than one group of disguised disciples lying in ambush; every household in the ancient village had its own people. Even if Master Jinguang silently killed the disciple in the red-tiled house, the disguised disciples in the surrounding houses would still be there, and they would immediately set off signal flares to send a message. Once the message was relayed, Master Jinguang would have nowhere to run.

Secondly, Shen Baishan possesses Shen Wudao's life puppet. By simply crushing the puppet, Shen Wudao can immediately attach himself to him using the Spirit Preservation Technique. Once Shen Wudao learns of this, the entire Shen family will be mobilized.

Therefore, Shen Baishan was not too panicked, and immediately crushed the life puppet.

Then, wielding the knife in one hand, his aristocratic bloodline surged inch by inch, unleashing a terrifying energy storm that shattered the desk beside him into dust.

"I, Shen Baishan, have been waiting here for half a month, just waiting for you to come and meet Tang Xianhe. I never expected that you would finally come! Now that you're here, there's no way you can escape..."

Chen Mo glanced at Shen Baishan's hand tucked into his inner pocket and said coldly, "Did you crush some kind of life puppet or something, trying to make Shen Wudao and Shen Zishan's spirits attach themselves to you?"

Chen Mo had seen this kind of method when he was in Honghe County, so he didn't find it anything new.

Shen Qianshui had also tried to use a similar Blood Illumination Divine Power, but... he failed.

"Hehe~"

Seeing that his thoughts had been exposed, Shen Baishan didn't hide anything and withdrew his hand. "You do have some insight. But it's too late. I've already crushed the life puppet. In no time, Shen Wudao's spirit will descend upon me."

Chen Mo nodded, but didn't rush to make a move. Instead, he pulled out a drum stool and sat down with an air of authority. "Then I'll wait for you for a moment."

Seeing the man in the straw hat so calmly, Shen Baishan felt a strange unease.

So confident?

Is it strong enough?

still is……

You must understand, Shen Wudao is one of the four newly emerging masters of Nanyang Prefecture. That's universally acknowledged... Who would dare to lightly face the four masters?
are you crazy?
However, a short while passed... even several moments passed.

The spirit within Shen Baishan's body did not react.

He realized something was wrong.

Several more breaths passed, but there was still no response.

Shen Baishan panicked. "What...what did you do?"

Chen Mo said coldly, "I didn't do anything. I just raised a little ghost. It happens to be your Shen family's Ghost Array Shadow Puppet. It's proficient in your Shen family's Life Puppet Technique. Just now, I set up an invisible Life Puppet Array outside to cut off the communication between the Shen family and the outside world. Oh, by the way, you've arranged disguised disciples in various surrounding families, and my little ghost has already gone to find them one by one. If nothing unexpected happens, they should be almost completely wiped out."

hiss!
Shen Baishan gasped, not expecting that this Master Jin Guang would be so ruthless and meticulous.

They completely denied any possibility of sending messages.

The two backup plans I arranged have been... blocked just like that?

But Shen Baishan still harbored a glimmer of hope.

He had arranged forty-two skilled members of the Shen family throughout the ancient village, who were scattered and disguised in various households. Apart from the six experts in the red-tiled house here, there were thirty-six more outside.

He didn't quite believe that Chen Mo's little devils could be completely eliminated in one go.

Someone will eventually notice something is wrong and spread the word.

Just then, a light footstep sounded outside the door. As the sound approached, a young girl skipped in. "Young master, there were thirty-six spies hiding outside the red-tiled house. I've taken them all out."

what?
Shen Baishan panicked and stumbled back several steps until he was backed against the wall and could go no further. Large beads of sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking his clothes completely.

The hand gripping the knife hilt was trembling involuntarily.

He secretly gave A-Lian, who was beneath the mountain's corpse, a look, then pretended to be nonchalant and asked the man in the straw hat, "What... what do you want to do?"

Chen Mo sat on the drum stool and spoke in a sinister tone: "It's nothing, just asking you a few questions..."

Before he could finish speaking, a silver light flashed by. It was Ah Lian, who had been pressed down by the mountain, who suddenly sprang up, holding a dagger and unleashing the true energy of a ninth-level martial artist, stabbing it towards Chen Mo's back.

This raid was incredibly fast.

However, a petite figure was faster, appearing directly in front of Chen Mo, stopping A-Lian, and even grabbing A-Lian's dagger. No matter how hard A-Lian tried, she couldn't stab her.

Then, Ah Lian saw Juan'er's gaze, which seemed to be possessed, and felt extreme fear.

The power of awareness.

No one knows what terrifying thing Ah Lian sensed, but she suddenly began to roar and scream madly, and then... she picked up a dagger and plunged it into her own forehead. Suddenly, with a "thud," her head was pierced through, and hot blood spurted out. She collapsed to the ground with a thud.

brush!
Juan'er glanced at Xiaoyu on the bed and saw that Xiaoyu had taken out a dagger. She jumped on Xiaoyu and said, "You also have no good intentions towards the young master."

"what!!"

When Xiaoyu saw Juan'er's eyes, it was as if she had seen a terrifying being. Under the influence of extremely strong perception, she went mad and stabbed herself to death.

Having finished all this, Juan'er clapped her little hands and skipped out of the room. "Young master, I'm going out to keep watch now."

Juan'er is gone.

Shen Baishan felt a chill run down his spine.

His cultivation was considerable, and he could naturally see that although the little girl was in human form, he couldn't sense any ghostly aura. However, when she unleashed her power just now... Shen Baishan sensed that Juan'er was a powerful ghost.

Through the interference of the power of awareness, they created panic-inducing illusions for A-Lian and Xiao-Yu, causing them to go insane and commit suicide.

Based on preliminary estimates, this little girl is at least an Eight-Burnt Yellow Page Ghost.

While some members of aristocratic families may wield the power of ghosts, most dare not use overly powerful ones, as ghosts possess a strong corrosive quality. The stronger the ghost, the stronger the corrosive effect.

Even a master like Shen Qianshui, who had entered the Blood Illumination Divine Power, only dared to use ghosts that had just entered the eighth level of cultivation. This is the reason.

This old man with the golden light in front of me... actually raised a little ghost with the cultivation of eight shards of immortality. No wonder he was able to kill Shen Qianshui.

Gulu.

Shen Baishan swallowed hard and forced a smile. "Master Jin Guang... what do you want to ask?"

Chen Mo said coldly, "What are you doing here?"

Shen Baishan recounted everything in detail.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo was taken aback... He looked out the window and, through the half-open window, saw the torrential rain... He could vaguely make out the old house not far away.

Did Tang Xianhe stay at the old house for half a month?
Shen Baishan thought that Tang Xianhe came to the old house to meet with Master Jin Guang... but Chen Mo knew... that was not the case.

Chen Mo knew that Tang Xianhe's time was running out and he didn't have much time left to live. He spent most of his time in the Jingsi Garden of Tang Family Fortress. The last time he showed up was because he had been attacked by zombies.

It's simply because they value their own talent and potential, and want to create a possibility for the future of Tangjiabao.

This time, he came out again and stayed in the old house for half a month.

It's clear that this is for something bigger.

However, Chen Mo didn't know what it was, so he focused his mind and continued to ask, "Let me ask you, what is the strength of your brother Shen Qianshui?"

Shen Baishan said, "I have just entered the first level of Blood Illumination."

"First level of Blood Illumination? Tell me more." Chen Mo didn't really know much about the first level of Blood Illumination. It seemed to be a level that only top experts from aristocratic families could reach.

Shen Baishan truthfully stated, "Blood Illumination is divided into nine levels. Reaching the ninth level allows one to unleash the full power of the accompanying bloodline. With the blessing of the main bloodline, one begins to advance towards the main bloodline. If one can obtain the blessing of the Four Soul Jade, one can break free from the level of the accompanying bloodline and step into the realm of transcendence. This is equivalent to a Yellow Page Ghost stepping into a Shadow Ghost. However, it is extremely difficult for humans to complete this step. It is much more difficult than for ghosts. None of the Four Great Masters of Nanyang have been able to complete this step. Of course, I don't know whether the Prefect, the leader of the Four Great Masters, has stepped into the realm of transcendence. Shen Wudao is only at the fourth level of Illumination."

I see……

Shen Qianshui's first resurrection was already quite terrifying.

Shen Wudao has reached the fourth level of the Illumination Realm, making him a formidable opponent. Even with Chen Mo's current strength, he cannot underestimate Shen Wudao.

Chen Mo continued, "Does your Shen family possess a Shikon Jewel?"

"Of course there is."

"In whose hands?"

"It's under my father's control. Shen Wudao is only temporarily in charge of the Shen family now. It will take another two years before my father completely relinquishes control. As for whether my father will hand over the Four Souls Jade to Shen Wudao at that time, I don't know."

Chen Mo nodded. "How powerful is your father?"

Shen Baishan said, "My father's strength is naturally above Shen Wudao's. He is at least at the sixth level of the Illumination Realm."

Chen Mo frowned slightly, thinking to himself: This Shen family is indeed extraordinary.

Logically, the Blood Illumination level of a noble family corresponds to the strength of a Nine-Chapter Yellow Page Ghost. A sixth-level Blood Illumination should be quite extraordinary. In addition, one can use Blood Illumination supernatural powers; the inner illumination allows one to use the power of the main body of the accompanying blood, while the outer illumination can directly bring out the deity behind it.

This is not something Chen Mo can handle right now.

The deities worshipped by the Shen and Tang families are likely even more powerful. They might even have reached the level of the Shadow Demon.

If it weren't for the Blood Illumination Divine Power, Chen Mo felt he could have exchanged blows with Shen Wudao.

Blood Illumination Divine Power... what a troublesome thing.

Seeing that Chen Mo hadn't spoken for a while, Shen Baishan asked, "Does Master Jin Guang have any more questions?"

Chen Mo came to his senses and said, "It's gone."

puff.

Shen Baishan was a sensible man, and immediately knelt on the ground: "Please forgive me, Master Jin Guang. When I get back, I will definitely not say that I met Master Jin Guang today. I will not lay a hand on Master Jin Guang again, and I will also persuade my father to give up on dealing with Master Jin Guang."

Chen Mo shook his head.

Shen Baishan exclaimed, "Having another life will be of great use to the master!"

Chen Mo said coldly, "I have other plans for you."

Shen Baishan suddenly looked up, utterly alarmed: "What..."

boom!
Before Shen Baishan could finish speaking, Chen Mo suddenly appeared in front of him, ignoring all of Shen Baishan's resistance, grabbed his head and slammed it hard into the ground, creating a half-meter-deep crater.

Half of the roof beam collapsed with a loud crash.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Mo swung Shen Baishan like a sledgehammer and slammed him hard into the ground.

Before long, Shen Baishan's bones were shattered and his muscles and bones were cracked.

Shen Baishan was truly astonished by the incredible power Chen Mo unleashed. He clearly felt as weak as an ant before this fiend, utterly powerless. Just when he thought he was about to be smashed into a pulp, Chen Mo suddenly stopped.

Click!

Chen Mo flicked his sharp nails, slicing open Shen Baishan's abdominal skin and injecting blood curses resembling flower buds. He then withdrew his hand, briefly assessing the situation. Finding he could completely control Shen Baishan, he stopped.

Shen Baishan suddenly realized that his body and mind were being controlled, and he was immediately terrified: "You, what have you done to me?"

Chen Mo stood up and walked step by step out of the room: "You've been cursed by my ghost and are under my control. If you dare to disobey my will, you will die instantly. From now on, you will be my pawn in the Shen family. Go and find out the whereabouts of the Shikon Jewel in your father's possession. I will tell you what to do when necessary."

The man in the straw hat left.

But those last words still lingered in the room.

After a long while, Shen Baishan finally came to his senses. He immediately sat cross-legged on the spot and frantically circulated the power of his aristocratic bloodline, trying to resist the ghostly curse within his body. He discovered, however, that the more he resisted, the stronger the blood curse's control became, and the more violently it erupted. It seemed as if it could end his life at any moment.

Shen Baishan was afraid of death, so he didn't dare to fight back and withdrew his attack.

I'm so frustrated.

"Aaaaaah! Damn it! How did I get controlled like this... Pfft!"

A mouthful of blood spurted out.

After numerous unsuccessful attempts, Shen Baishan had no choice but to adjust his mindset and begin to accept his current situation.

He didn't want to die; he just wanted to live.

Then the problem is coming.

Everyone here is dead. How am I supposed to explain this when I get back? What if my father is furious? What if Shen Wudao uses this as an excuse to make trouble for me...?

Soon, Shen Baishan saw the wounds all over his body and immediately understood: his father would be concerned when he saw how badly he was injured and would not blame him. On the contrary, he would praise him for his bravery.

Upon further reflection, I realized that my injuries were something that Master Jin Guang had deliberately left for me to deal with.

hiss!
Shen Baishan took a deep breath and felt a chill run down his spine.

……

An abandoned old house not far from the red-tiled house.

The second floor.

Tang Xianhe and Tang Feifei stood by the window, quietly watching the situation of the red-tiled house.

Although it was pouring rain at night, and the surrounding villagers had all taken shelter in their houses with their doors tightly shut, Tang Xianhe and Tang Feifei, with their exceptional eyesight, were able to see the situation around the red-tiled house clearly.

Tang Feifei's face turned ashen: "Father, a white figure whose face was obscured was dragging out and killing all of the Shen family's sentries around here. It also set up an invisible magic array."

Before long, the man in the straw hat came out of the red-tiled house and, following the rain, came to a large camphor tree not far from the old house to look at it.

Tang Feifei then said, "The man in the bamboo hat has come out, which means Shen Baishan may have suffered some misfortune."

Tang Xianhe nodded noncommittally, a hint of surprise in his eyes, "That's most likely the case."

Tang Feifei said, "This man in the straw hat has been looking outside the old house for a long time. Could it be that he wants to come in? Is he also looking for the thing that Father is looking for?"

Tang Xianhe also had some doubts.

Logically, this is unlikely.

The location of this old house was provided by the shadowy figure at the ancestral hall. Logically, outsiders shouldn't know it. Why then did this man in the straw hat also set his sights on the old house?

With this in mind, Tang Xianhe became more wary.

Not long after, there was another commotion at the entrance of the red-tiled house. Shen Baishan emerged, covered in blood, and stumbled toward the edge of the ancient village. Perhaps due to the severity of his injuries, Shen Baishan fell to the ground every two steps, crawled a few steps, and then climbed up using the trees by the roadside to continue forward.

They looked so pitiful.

Tang Feifei was extremely surprised: "Huh? This man in the straw hat didn't kill Shen Baishan, and even let him escape? What's the reason for that?"

Tang Xianhe frowned and shook his head: "This man in the bamboo hat is very strange. He's coming towards our old house right now."

brush!
Tang Feifei immediately clenched her fists: "Father, this person may really be coming to take that thing from you. We must not let him off lightly."

Tang Xianhe also considered taking action, but quickly came up with a better plan, saying, "Since this person was able to find this place, he must be related to the Zhong family. I've been searching for more than half a month without success, so why not let him come in and look for something? If he finds anything, we can just take it from him. Let's leave this old house first and see what he intends to do from the side."

Tang Feifei understood Tang Xianhe's intention. "Father's thinking is indeed thorough. This plan is brilliant."

With that, the two disappeared into the darkness.

……

Meanwhile, Wei Ge and Monkey hid behind the wall of a house not far from the red-tiled house, waiting for a very long time. They didn't hear any sounds of fighting coming from the red-tiled house, and they began to get anxious.

Wei Ge had a strange thought and said, "Monkey, could this man in the straw hat be in cahoots with Shen Baishan? If so, it would be too dangerous for us to stay here."

The monkey was startled by these words and immediately said, "If they were in cahoots, how could the man in the straw hat kill Shen Baishan's gatekeeper?"

Wei said, "It's common for some business partners to kill a few of their subordinates to establish their authority."

The monkey was quite frightened upon hearing this. Just as it was wondering whether it should leave, it saw the bloodied and mangled Shen Baishan stumble out of the red-tiled house, half walking and half crawling along the way.

hiss!
Both of them gasped simultaneously, their eyes widening in disbelief.

Wei Ge clicked his tongue repeatedly: "Wow, this man in the straw hat actually beat Shen Baishan up like this... that's too abnormal."

The monkey wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Luckily, we didn't offend that swordsman in the bamboo hat, otherwise we would be dead by now."

"Absolutely! That was too dangerous! Shen Baishan is on the verge of death, looks like he could die at any moment. Why don't we go up and finish him off, sending him straight to meet the King of Hell? Let's vent our anger!"

“Absolutely not! Even with Shen Baishan injured like this, he might still have the strength to kill both of us instantly. Besides, the man in the bamboo hat didn't kill Shen Baishan, which means he had a plan to spare his life. If we kill Shen Baishan, wouldn't we be ruining the man in the bamboo hat's plans? He will definitely come after us then.”

Wei Ge immediately broke out in a cold sweat: "Monkey really thought of everything. It's just a pity for that scoundrel Shen Baishan, he got lucky and escaped with his life, what a pity... But seeing him beaten up like this, I feel so good, hehe..."

……

When Chen Mo walked out of the red-tiled house, it was already very late at night.

The rain was pouring down, and visibility was poor.

Chen Mo walked to the large camphor tree outside the old house and paused for a moment, gazing deeply at the old house.

Even though he knew what big things Tang Xianhe was up to inside, Chen Mo still planned to go in and take a look. Mainly, the old house gave Chen Mo a very familiar feeling.

Chen Mo couldn't quite put his finger on how he became familiar with the place.

Then he wondered if it was related to Zhong Xu's memories?

"Perfect timing. Let's go in and chat with Tang Xianhe, and ask about the Shikon Jewel. So many members of the Shen family died here today; Shen Wudao and his men will probably be here soon. Now's a good time to go in and take a look."

With this in mind, Chen Mo no longer hesitated. He instructed Juan'er to hide and not show herself, and then pushed open the door of the old house.

The old house was quiet, the courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and many young plants had collapsed from the heavy rain. The air was thick with the smell of mildew.

Chen Mo searched the house thoroughly but couldn't find Tang Xianhe. However, there were clear signs that someone had lived there, proving that Shen Baishan wasn't lying.

Chen Mo didn't think much of it and followed the familiar feeling to a large jujube tree in the backyard.

There are a few other jujube trees around, but none are as lush as the one in front of you.

Chen Mo's intuition told him that there was something under the jujube tree.

Chen Mo immediately went to the room to get a hoe. The hoe's target was already rotten, so Chen Mo had to do it himself. He broke off a large tree branch and used it to make the target on the hoe.

Bang.

Excavation.

After a series of operations, they actually dug out a coffin under the tree.

Upon opening the coffin, they found several pieces of rotten bones inside. Beside the bones lay a black brocade box. The box was made of good wood; despite the many years that had passed, it hadn't decayed.

Chen Mo took out the golden box, brushed off the dirt and dust, and then went back to the eaves to open it, finding a very old book inside.

Although it is old, it is very well preserved.

The cover prominently displays two large characters: "Hair and Beard".

The handwriting is similar to that of the four memorial tablets I saw at the Huangmei Opera troupe.

"Judging from the handwriting... it should be from the same person. These remains should be those left by Zhong Xu."

"Beard and hair? What does that mean?"

Chen Mo turned to the first page with curiosity.

Above it was a small image of the Shikon Jewel, depicting two thick, eight-shaped whiskers. These whiskers were unlike human hair.

"Could this be the original form of the Shikon Jewel from the Zhong family? Two whiskers? It just turned into hair because Zhong Xu encountered a problem while using it?"

Beard and hair... they're the same type.

Chen Mo continued reading.

The discovery was made in the form of a diary.

[After I, Zhong Xu, used the Shikon Jewel, I began to lose my mind. I frequently suffer from amnesia, always forgetting what happened yesterday and the people I met yesterday. In order to preserve my memory, I can only record what I see and hear each day in the form of a diary. This is to facilitate my memory.]

At first, I didn't know what the two tendrils on the Shikon Jewel were; I thought they were human beards, so I used them on myself. As a result, my beard and hair grew wildly and frantically absorbed my life essence. While they were making me evolve and transform, my mind gradually spiraled out of control.

Later, I went to Zhou Ru to inquire about the Shikon Jewel from the Zhou family. To my astonishment, I discovered that the Zhou family's Shikon Jewel had a python pattern on it…

Zhong Jiaxu?
Zhou Jiamang?
And I am a snake zombie...

Chen Mo vaguely realized that all this information was not chaotic, but rather pointed to a terrifying truth.

And this terrifying truth might very well be related to Jiang Hongyue.

Wow.

Chen Mo turned the page again, intending to read on.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind me, accompanied by a strong sense of threat.

Ok?
Chen Mo immediately closed the book and tucked it into his pocket. He turned around abruptly and was shocked to see Tang Xianhe and Tang Feifei standing on the left side of the courtyard.

Tang Feifei drew her sword with a clang, pointing the blade at Chen Mo. "You've been lurking around here suspiciously, so you're looking for this booklet. Hand it over, and I'll spare your life."

Chen Mo chose to ignore Tang Feifei and turned to look at Tang Xianhe.

Da da da.

Although Tang Xianhe was old and not tall, his approaching steps made Chen Mo feel as if a mountain was approaching him, and the oppressive feeling he brought made Chen Mo's heart tremble.

He is indeed the oldest of the Four Great Masters.

Tang Xianhe remained calm and expressionless, saying indifferently, "I've searched here for half a month and still haven't found any items left behind by the Zhong family, but you found them as soon as you arrived. Who are you to Zhong Xu?"

Before Chen Mo transformed into a zombie, he had left Tang Family Fortress and the Green Wolf Gang to go into seclusion. Now, his aura and strength have undergone tremendous changes. Coupled with the bamboo hat he wears, he gives off a sinister feeling.

Tang Xianhe naturally couldn't tell the difference.

Chen Mo had originally planned to come here to talk to Tang Xianhe and ask about the Shikon Jewel. But now that he knew it involved the Zhong family's secrets, he figured Tang Xianhe was here to find the Zhong family's Shikon Jewel.

This is a very serious matter.

For a single Shikon Jewel, powerful families would fight each other without hesitation.

Moreover, I am an outsider.

Tang Xianhe is not Tang Binghu after all.

Chen Mo was unsure whether Tang Xianhe would continue to attack him in order to seize the Four Souls Jade if his identity was exposed.

Having lived two lives, Chen Mo naturally knew that... one should never underestimate the evil of human greed.

We're always on good terms, it's just a matter of not having enough benefits and price to pay.

If you are too naive, you will ultimately be the one who suffers.

Without a word, Chen Mo turned and fled. He transformed into a streak of light and leaped out of the courtyard.

But the next moment-

boom!
An extremely powerful force, like a dragon or a tiger, slammed towards him. Chen Mo blocked it with his backhand, immediately activating the unparalleled power of the Nine-Striped Zombie to resist. Suddenly, a deafening "boom" resounded, the earth cracked, and the courtyard wall collapsed.

Chen Mo was sent flying more than ten meters away, his body slamming heavily to the ground, rolling backward for more than ten meters before he stood up.

Without a second thought, Chen Mo took advantage of the momentum and ran wildly away, thinking to himself: This Tang Xianhe looks young, but he is so monstrous! He can crush me with his strength without even using the Blood Illumination Divine Power. If I were to let him unleash the Blood Illumination Divine Power, what would become of him?
"Don't run!"

Tang Xianhe stepped on the ground, covering more than ten meters in a single step, quickly closing the distance to Chen Mo. He raised his right hand again, clenched it into a fist, and threw a powerful punch.

Boom!

With a punch that seemed to cleave mountains and rivers, Chen Mo was sent flying once more.

In an instant, Chen Mo felt as if all the bones in his body had shattered, and he experienced a brief vacuum of perception. He coughed up blood with a "pfft".

So perverted!
Is this the strength of the Four Great Masters?

If I hadn't become a nine-striped zombie, those two punches would probably have killed me.

Chen Mo dared not linger any longer. He immediately endured the pain and rushed out of the ancient village, running wildly towards the nearby Huai River.

Underwater is where I truly shine.

During the frantic run, Chen Mo was punched twice more by Tang Xianhe, causing him to vomit blood repeatedly.

Ghostly Appearance!

Fortunately, half of the ghostly figure had grown back. Chen Mo immediately activated the ghostly figure and quietly appeared beside Tang Xianhe, grabbing Tang Xianhe's fist.

The sudden change greatly surprised Tang Xianhe, and his punch was disrupted.

Chen Mo was able to take the opportunity to create distance and run to the banks of the Huai River.

"A ghost? Die!"

Tang Xianhe let out a soft snort, rubbed his hands together, and exerted force in the air. He forcefully killed Chen Mo's ghostly figure...

puff!
Chen Mo coughed up blood again. When he reached the riverbank, he jumped into the river and ran across the water towards the other side.

However, Tang Xianhe was too fast. He appeared in front of her in one step and threw a fierce punch.

What kind of fist is that?
It was clearly a small mountain, completely overwhelming Chen Mo's zombie power. Chen Mo didn't want to use the Dragon Elephant Technique to avoid revealing his identity; he just wanted to escape. So he dove underwater.

The amphibious snake zombies took advantage of their speed, dashing more than ten meters underwater in a flash, as fast as a streak of light.

"A snake-like zombie? You're quite a troublesome fellow. But since you've met me, you'll stay!"

Tang Xianhe's punch missed, but he immediately enveloped himself in his bloodline power and dove underwater, moving even faster than Chen Mo. In just a few moments, he reached the surface. His punch created underwater currents and rippled through the water, slamming into Chen Mo.

boom!
Like a hammer striking a boulder, Chen Mo was slammed into the water and crashed into the rocks at the bottom.

As the stone shattered, his skin was also torn and bleeding. Fortunately, Chen Mo's regenerative abilities were astonishing, and the wounds healed immediately.

Click!

Chen Mo clasped his hands together, and suddenly a large number of snakes appeared in the water, densely packed together, attacking and biting Tang Xianhe.

Logically, Tang Xianhe should be protected by the power of a powerful family, which should isolate him from the water flow. Moreover, his aura is extremely strong, and ordinary snakes would not dare to approach him at all. However, these snakes are now acting like madmen, tearing at him without regard for their own lives.

Although a large number of snakes were burned to death by the power of the Hui family when they approached Tang Xianhe, their sheer number drew Tang Xianhe's attention and blocked his view.

Chen Mo used this opportunity to quickly create distance, merge into the school of fish ahead, and disappear in a flash.

boom!
Tang Xianhe used his fist to suppress the demon, breaking through countless snakes. When he rushed forward to look again, he could no longer see the man in the bamboo hat.

Only a tattered straw hat remained, floating on the surface of the water.

"That bastard actually got away!?"

Tang Xianhe was extremely unwilling and ran forward for hundreds of meters, but did not see a single person. He had no choice but to return to the water and look around. The lake was empty, and there was no one there.

Tang Feifei was searching along the shore when she saw her father emerge from the water. She ran over and asked, "Father, where is that person?"

Pooh.

Tang Xianhe spat out, "He got away."

Tang Feifei was greatly surprised.

In his mind, when his father made a move... unless it was someone at the pinnacle of the Four Great Masters, no one else had ever escaped.

This man in the straw hat actually... escaped from his father's grasp?

It's really an exaggeration.

"Father, what should we do now? Should we send people to search along the shore?"

Eh.

Tang Xianhe sighed, "This person is a snake-type zombie who has reached the ninth level of the Bloodstained Realm. Ordinary people are no match for him at all. He's gone now, so be it. We can't find him now. However, he was hit by my True Intent Fist several times, which contained the power of Bloodstained Realm. He may not survive."

Tang Feifei finally breathed a sigh of relief and said a few words.

Tang Xianhe shook his head: "This fiend has astonishing abilities and is proficient in the methods of ghosts and zombies. He can even command thousands of giant snakes to attack me underwater. He's truly monstrous. I really don't know when Nanyang Prefecture produced such a terrifying figure. Could he be a descendant of Zhong Xu?"

Thinking of this, Tang Xianhe felt extremely heartbroken.

You see, Tang Xianhe risked his life, nearing its end, to come to the ancient village in search of the Zhong family's Shikon Jewel, hoping to provide some protection for Tang Family Fortress. Fortunately, after his death, he wouldn't be wiped out by the Shen family.

Unexpectedly, after spending half a month... I got nothing.

The appearance of this mysterious person originally brought Tang Xianhe a glimmer of hope.

Now this person has escaped.

After gazing at the river for a long time, Tang Xianhe finally looked away, appearing listless and aged considerably. "Let's go back to Tangjiabao. It seems that fate is against Tangjiabao."

Having said that, Tang Xianhe ignored Tang Feifei and walked step by step across the water toward the shore. His desolate figure carried endless bleakness and sorrow.

Tang Feifei watched her father's retreating figure for a long time, her heart aching. She murmured, "Father has devoted his entire life to Tangjiabao. Now he's old and nearing his end, yet he's still working tirelessly for Tangjiabao. It's all because of us children, who are so disappointing..."

……

Forty miles downstream of the Huai River.

A shallow beach.

On both sides are towering mountains.

A figure emerged from the water, climbed onto the rocks on the shore, and then rolled over. Lying on a rock, it gasped for breath, letting the torrential rain drench its body.

"This Tang Xianhe is simply too monstrous. Even though I have just stepped into the Nine-Patterned Corpse Demon realm, I am still no match for him. Even with the Dragon Elephant Technique, it is still difficult to contend with him."

Chen Mo spat out a mouthful of blood.

Soon, Chen Mo felt excited.

"Jie Jie Jie~"

"So this is the strength of the four masters of Nanyang... Although I can't beat them, they don't seem particularly suffocating. Give me some more time, and I might be able to spar with experts of this level."

Several months ago, when Chen Mo first arrived in Nanyang Prefecture, he heard about the existence of the Four Great Masters of Nanyang.

Chen Mo had always regarded the Four Supreme Masters as unattainable figures, figures he could only look up to…

Having exchanged a few blows with Tang Xianhe, I've had a taste of the prowess of one of the Four Great Masters.

Very strong!

But with a little effort, it can be achieved.

That's really exciting.

Chen Mo was full of anticipation for the development that was to come.

"I will continue to lie low outside for a while, until I reach the level of Shadow Ghost and Black Zombie. Not only will my appearance be restored to its original state, but I will also no longer need to fear the Four Supreme Masters. The former Nanyang Prefecture was the domain of the Four Supreme Masters. Who will rule in the future... that remains to be seen."

Whoohoo!
Chen Mo took a few deep breaths, cut off several pieces of flesh that had been punched by the other party, and let the flesh grow back before he could relax.

"This old man's fist has an extremely strong corrosive effect, which even my zombie immortality can hardly resist. I guess there is a ghost inside this old man. And this ghost is no ordinary one."

After resting for a while, Chen Mo felt energetic and vigorous.

If Tang Xianhe were here to see this scene, he would probably be shocked. He originally thought that Chen Mo had been hit by the True Intent Fist and would have a hard time surviving even if he escaped.

Unexpectedly, Chen Mo was fully recovered in less than a quarter of an hour.

This zombie... is really too grotesque.

Wow!

Chen Mo strode forward, crossing large rocks one after another, and finally reached the top of the mountain.

In the mountains and forests, the rain was pouring down, and there wasn't even a place to shelter.

Before long, a familiar voice came from ahead.

"Son."

Juan'er rushed over, very worried: "Are you alright?"

Before heading to the old house, Chen Mo, fearing Tang Xianhe would recognize Juan'er, had her hide. Juan'er remained hidden the entire way, watching helplessly as her young master was beaten mercilessly, coughing up blood, and she was deeply worried.

Chen Mo shook his head: "I'm fine. Just some minor cuts and bruises."

Juan'er breathed a sigh of relief, then clenched her fists and said fiercely, "This old man is no good. Young Master, you mustn't let him get away with this later."

Chen Mo laughed and said, "Don't judge a person simply by good or bad. Tang Xianhe didn't know my identity, so it's reasonable for him to take action. Besides, even if he knew my identity, he would still take action. It's just for the benefit of each party, so there's no need to judge it as good or bad. Go and get some wood to build a simple shelter from the rain. We'll spend the night in the mountains."

Juan'er nodded in agreement. She was quite skillful and immediately found some wood to build a wooden shed. It was drafty on all sides, but it kept out of the rain.

Chen Mo then used a real fire to dry his soaking wet clothes, and then sat cross-legged in the wooden shed, opened the book left by Zhong Xu, and continued reading.

After reading through the text, Chen Mo roughly understood what had happened:

The Zhong family's Four Souls Jewel pattern is a beard.

The Zhou family's is a python.

Finally, Zhong Xu wrote in his diary that if he cultivated to the end and became a companion entity, he would transform into a beard.

Zhong Xu also speculated that if the Zhou family's Four Soul Jade were to be cultivated to the point of becoming a companion entity, it would become a python.

That's about all the information we have.

Chen Mo fell into a long silence after reading it.

“Zhong Xu’s research should be correct. Zhong Lihong died by self-immolation after her hair was removed. Hair and beard can exist autonomously.”

Thinking of this, Chen Mo touched the lush, green hair on his head. "Now that this mustache has grown on my head, will I eventually become a mustache? Or a woman?"

"Because I absorbed a wisp of red moonlight from the Red Lantern Goddess, coupled with the stiff energy of the Yin Water Corpse Demon, and perhaps also the ghost bones in my body, I became a snake-like zombie."

"Zhong Jiaxu, Zhou Jiamang... what exactly is Jiang Hongyue doing? Why did she divide a complete Four Souls Jade into four pieces and give them to the four families?"

"I wonder what the Tang and Shen families' Shikon Jewels are..."

Chen Mo felt that he was getting closer and closer to figuring out Jiang Hongyue's identity and purpose.

"If we could figure out the Shikon Jewel patterns of the Shen and Tang families, we might know what Jiang Hongyue is up to... But these two Shikon Jewels are not easy to obtain. And the Zhou family's Shikon Jewel... I wonder where it went."

(End of this chapter)