The Immortal Ascension

Chapter 32: A Bold Spirit

Han Li turned and walked toward the door. Just as he reached the threshold, he suddenly turned back and asked another question:

"Brother standing behind Old Mo, you’ve remained silent all this time. May I ask what your background is?"

Upon hearing Han Li’s sudden question, Doctor Mo smiled slightly and evaded the question with a cunning reply:

"You’re so clever. Why don’t you guess? I’m sure you’ll figure it out."

Han Li shook his head and walked out of Doctor Mo’s room without hesitation. It was unclear whether he couldn’t guess or simply didn’t want to bother.

Once outside, Han Li’s expression darkened.

"In this confrontation with Doctor Mo, I was completely powerless and easily subdued. It shows how naive I was to think I could outwit him with mere cleverness. The Five Venoms water I painstakingly prepared didn’t even get a chance to be used before it was confiscated. I need to go back and think carefully about how to strengthen my own abilities."

With this thought, he strode toward his own residence. It was clear he wasn’t willing to remain under Doctor Mo’s control.

Inside the room, Doctor Mo stared in shock at the wooden floor, where a blackened hole the size of a bowl had appeared. Just moments ago, he had casually tested the contents of the iron tube, and the venom that sprayed out had effortlessly corroded the floor. Seeing the eerie toxicity of the venom, Doctor Mo could no longer suppress his fear. He jumped to his feet and cursed loudly:

"That little brat! When did he learn to make such poison? I never taught him anything like this. I thought it was just ordinary knockout powder. That kid is truly ruthless and heartless."

Unaware that he had already frightened Doctor Mo, Han Li returned to his room and immediately collapsed onto his bed, falling into a deep sleep. He had experienced such a drastic change today, and both his body and mind were exhausted. He desperately needed rest to recover his strength.

After a full night’s sleep, Han Li slowly woke up. He sat up and glanced at the sky, noticing a faint light in the east. It seemed he had slept until the next morning—this was indeed a long rest.

Sitting upright, Han Li didn’t get out of bed. Instead, he propped his chin on his hands, resting his elbows on his knees, and began to ponder how to escape Doctor Mo’s control.

It was clear that he would be safe for the next year. For the sake of his own life, Doctor Mo wouldn’t harm him and would instead do everything to protect him. But whether he would remain safe after a year was uncertain.

Han Li wasn’t worried about the "Eternal Spring Art." He had already reached the fourth layer a few days ago, and by the end of the year, the fifth layer would surely be within his grasp. He didn’t need to worry about that.

The issue of the "Corpse Worm Pill" was also manageable. When the time came, he could simply show his progress in cultivation and threaten to demand the antidote before agreeing to treatment. Doctor Mo likely wouldn’t risk offending him over this.

Suddenly, Han Li remembered something. He reached into his clothes and pulled out a small bottle, from which he poured out a single emerald-green pill. He tilted his head back and swallowed the pill. After a while, as the effects took hold, he began to quietly focus inward, observing his internal state."Cough! That old ghost Mo really didn’t lie to me about the Corpse Insect Pill. The Qingling Powder, which can supposedly cure all poisons, had absolutely no effect on this pill. It seems I’ll really have to wait a year to get the antidote," Han Li muttered in frustration under his breath.

After tucking the medicine bottle back into his robe, he got up from the bed and stepped onto the floor.

He began pacing around the only table in the room.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked slowly, continuing to ponder the various issues in his mind.

To be honest, Han Li didn’t fully believe what Doctor Mo had told him. He knew there were many falsehoods in the man’s words. Unfortunately, even though he was aware of this, he couldn’t resist because his family had been threatened.

Han Li was deeply skeptical about whether Doctor Mo would truly keep his promise after a year. If it were as simple as the man had claimed, it would be easy—there would be no need for him to resist. But he feared that Doctor Mo had concealed some unfavorable details, and if the man turned hostile and struck, Han Li would have no room to fight back if he wasn’t prepared.

Han Li turned the matter over in his mind several times but couldn’t come up with a good solution.

Right now, both he and Doctor Mo were wary of each other. Doctor Mo feared that Han Li wouldn’t cultivate diligently, thus jeopardizing his own life, while Han Li worried that once Doctor Mo had no more concerns, he would strike ruthlessly.

Originally, Han Li could have used this to threaten Doctor Mo a bit, making the man think twice before acting. But now that his family had been targeted, he could only tread carefully and reluctantly compromise.

"Am I really going to entrust my life to his hands and hope he’ll show mercy when the time comes?" Han Li felt somewhat disheartened.

"No, I can’t do that. My fate must not be left to someone else’s whim. Handing over control of my life to another is the most foolish idea," he immediately dismissed the thought.

After racking his brains, Han Li finally came up with a less-than-ideal solution.

He decided to strengthen his own abilities in multiple ways, doing everything he could to increase his own leverage to intimidate Doctor Mo. Even if the man really intended to strike, Han Li would at least have some means to protect himself.

It was indeed a clumsy plan—a passive defense, allowing the other side to strike first. But for now, it was the only feasible and relatively comprehensive approach.

Having made up his mind, Han Li decided to take a walk outside. He pushed open the door and stepped into the open space outside the house, lazily stretching his arms and yawning.

Facing the biting morning breeze, he gazed at the half-risen red sun and felt a surge of determination:

"My fate can only be in my own hands. I will never let others control it."

(End of Chapter)