He Shi looked at her new body, which was no different from before. The two men in black also left the room, and she thought the nightmare was over.
Little did she know, a man in white ancient attire walked in, holding a fist-sized white crystal.
The man placed the crystal in his hand on her forehead and then made complex hand gestures around her.
He Shi felt her consciousness being drawn away, gradually blurring. When she regained clarity,
She was horrified to find herself looking down at her own body, as if her soul had left it.
She saw her hands and feet, her torso, and her head placed by the bedside.
He Shi didn't know what was happening. One bizarre event after another, all beyond her comprehension and unexplainable by science.
However, before she could react, her perspective shifted, and she saw the white-robed man again.
He leaned over her, his hands manipulating something at her neck. He Shi felt nothing.
But her peripheral vision caught sight of her head still resting by the bed, and she understood.
They had replaced her head too. This meant that apart from her thoughts, nothing else in her body was hers anymore.
She didn't know if she was dead or alive.
She couldn't even be considered human anymore, just a piece of metal with consciousness.
That's why Ming Yue's endless sea of clouds couldn't detect her, wouldn't warn her, and wouldn't attack her.
Because in the sea of clouds' perception, she was just a lifeless lump of iron, not a living being.
In the days that followed, He Shi's sole focus was adapting to her new body.
The advantages of this body were its quick reflexes and incredible speed.
As long as she willed it, any part of her body could transform into a deadly weapon at any moment.
Furthermore, the body's defense was formidable, rendering it immune to ability attacks.
In other words, she was a steel fortress, and during the reconstruction, toxins were added to the metal.
Anyone she pierced would temporarily lose their abilities, become weak and limp, and be worse off than an ordinary person.
Just now, she had seized the opportunity when Bu Zhi was helping her up, transforming her fingernails into steel needles and piercing his skin, subduing him.
He Shi gradually began to like her new body and her newfound strength.
She felt it was time to bid farewell to her former self. Her current self was like a rebirth.
It was time for a new beginning. Everything felt dreamlike and illusory, and she had to part with the past again, so she renamed herself Huan Li.
Yet, she couldn't truly escape the past. Whenever the night was deep and she was in the midst of dreams, those terrifying experiences would still haunt her.
That was why she had acted like a madwoman in front of Ming Yue, losing control of her emotions.
"Are you trying to kill Bu Zhi, or are you trying to kill me? Your threats and blackmail are so unprofessional.
My sister isn't in your hands, so why all the shouting and killing? Can you get the Water of Life and the method to improve the land this way?
You're so stupid. Also, no one told you that you're incredibly noisy, like a lunatic."
Ming Yue, fearing Huan Li would harm Bu Zhi, remained silent, but Bao Bao couldn't stand it.
"Ugly clown, go away. You have no right to speak here. Haven't you heard the saying?
Being ugly isn't your fault, but it's wrong for you to come out and scare people."
Being called a lunatic by a three or four-year-old child, Huan Li was furious and attacked Bao Bao with the most venomous words.
"You dare call me ugly? You're infuriating me!"
Bao Bao's sensitive point was being called ugly. In the past, she had to endure it because they were all family, and she couldn't act out.
Now that Huan Li called her ugly, it was unbearable. Uncle and aunt wouldn't tolerate it either.
With a slight opening of her small mouth, she spat out a wisp of golden flame that flew directly towards Huan Li.
"Ugly clown, do you even have a Level 1 fire ability? Trying to act like an ability user here?
Let me tell you, my body is made of bronze skin and iron bones, immune to ability attacks.
Don't talk about your little flame; even a Level 10 fire dragon couldn't burn a single strand of my hair."
Seeing a three or four-year-old girl shooting a wisp of flame at her, no bigger than a lighter's flame, something she could blow out with a single breath, Huan Li mocked her. She didn't dodge, allowing the flame to land on her.
"No!"
"Bao Bao, are you trying to burn me to death too?"
Seeing Bao Bao's flame land on Huan Li, Ming Yue and Bu Zhi both cried out.
They knew how powerful Bao Bao's flames were; they could burn the heavens and earth, and even Ming Yue was wary of them.
They were nothing like the flames of ordinary ability users. However, Bao Bao, enraged by Huan Li, had lost her reason.
Seeing the flame attach itself to Huan Li, she puffed out her cheeks and blew a breath onto the flame, looking incredibly cute.
"Oh, be careful, don't blow it out. I'm so scared!"
Seeing Ming Yue and Bu Zhi's astonished expressions, Huan Li put on an even more exaggerated act. Today, she wanted to show Ming Yue how powerful she had become.
So she cried out dramatically, but she didn't forget her hostage, holding Bu Zhi tightly.
To her surprise, the flame, which seemed like it would be extinguished with a puff, suddenly blazed fiercely.
It transformed into a golden sea of fire, engulfing her and Bu Zhi. The most terrifying thing was that she felt her body softening. Huan Li's heart sank.
"Quickly take the flames back, or I'll kill him."
Amidst Bu Zhi's cries, Huan Li brought the dagger-like hand closer to Bu Zhi's neck, threatening Bao Bao.
"I'm going to be burned to death! It hurts so much!"
Bu Zhi also cried out, feeling his chest already burning.
"Silly, why are you shouting? Come here. You were burned by her, not by the fire."
Bao Bao said with a look of disdain, ignoring Huan Li's threat and patiently speaking to Bu Zhi.
Bu Zhi looked down and indeed, the pain he felt wasn't from burning.
Huan Li's right hand, which was across his neck, had melted, and molten iron was dripping onto his chest, burning holes in his clothes.
Otherwise, why would he only feel the stinging pain on his chest?
He hadn't felt it anywhere else, and his clothes weren't even burned. Bu Zhi dared not reach out to push Huan Li away.
Because Huan Li's body had turned red-hot, and he could see the metal organs inside.
He was afraid his hands would be burned, so he could only take a step back, breaking free from Huan Li's control.
Then he quickly ran out of the sea of fire and joined Ming Yue and the other two, collapsing onto the ground with a thud. His poison hadn't been neutralized yet.
Ming Yue gently stroked his head and used witchcraft to dispel the poison. He felt lighter, and his abilities recovered.
"Sister Bao Bao, your fire control is amazing!
Please accept my admiration. From now on, I'll be your subordinate, and you'll be my big sister.
If you need anything, just command me. I promise I'll never argue with you again."
Bu Zhi gave Bao Bao a thumbs-up. Being able to control the flames within the same sea of fire, making them harm the enemy but not allies, had completely convinced and impressed him.
Huan Li, within the golden sea of fire, quickly melted into a pool of molten iron, which was then vaporized.
Bao Bao extinguished the flames, and the four returned to Yunmeng Mountain. After they left, an off-road vehicle appeared, driven by Zhao Wumian and Yue You.