The Immortal Ascension

Chapter 45: Ambush and Fangs

Han Li lowered his head in contemplation. It seemed that there was no other way but to let the other party test his cultivation level.

The other party had given him the antidote for the "Corpse Insect Pill" without hesitation, which had already shown some sincerity. If he continued to make excuses, it would only arouse unnecessary suspicion, making the other party think that he hadn’t actually mastered the fourth layer of the Eternal Spring Art and was lying to deceive him. This would lead the situation in a bad direction, and unexpected complications might arise.

Moreover, he had anticipated this step and had made some preparations in advance. Even if the other party turned hostile immediately after checking his pulse, he still had a way to escape.

With this in mind, Han Li raised his head and looked directly into Doctor Mo’s eyes, speaking slowly, "Old Mo, considering that you gave me the antidote so readily, this will be the last time I trust you. I hope you won’t disappoint me."

After saying this, he extended his right wrist, carefully observing the other party’s reaction. If anything seemed amiss, he would immediately pull his hand back.

Unfortunately, Doctor Mo maintained his fake smile, showing no noticeable change in expression. Only when he heard Han Li’s agreement did his eyebrows twitch slightly, but they quickly returned to normal. It seemed he had already been confident in Han Li’s response.

Without saying another word, Doctor Mo extended his withered left hand and gently placed it on Han Li’s wrist. His smile gradually faded, replaced by a solemn and serious expression, as if he were performing a sacred task.

Han Li secretly maintained the fourth layer of his cultivation. Seeing Doctor Mo’s expression, he felt uneasy and immediately heightened his vigilance. His left hand quietly moved toward his waist, where a custom-made sheathed short sword was hidden.

Slowly, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on Doctor Mo’s face. He had detected the continuous flow of strange energy within Han Li’s meridians. The intensity of this energy far exceeded the minimum requirement he had in mind.

Even though he was a cunning and scheming man, he couldn’t help but let his joy show when he realized that the long-planned event was finally within reach. The fake smile he had forced earlier was now replaced by genuine delight that radiated from within.

"Excellent! It truly is the fourth layer of the Eternal Spring Art! Ha! Ha! This is truly excellent! Ha! Ha! Ha!..." Doctor Mo laughed heartily in front of Han Li, his laughter resonating throughout the room. However, his hand never left Han Li’s wrist, gripping it tightly without letting go.

"Old Mo, what are you doing? Shouldn’t you let go now?" Han Li’s expression darkened. He already knew that something was wrong and tried to pull his right hand back with force, but the other party’s grip was unyielding, and his hand remained firmly in place.

"Let go? Fine, I’ll let go!" Doctor Mo’s laughter had ceased, and his face now wore a sinister expression.

Suddenly, he let out a fierce roar, "Hah!"

Han Li felt a "boom" in his ears, his vision went dark, and the world seemed to spin. He lost his balance and collapsed to the ground, unable to stand. His left hand, which had been on the hilt of his sword, slipped away weakly.

"This is bad!" Although Han Li’s body was unresponsive, his mind remained clear. He realized that he had been careless and had allowed the other party to strike first. For the moment, he could only wait helplessly for his fate."Kid, you're still too green. Now you can't pull any tricks, can you?" Doctor Mo, seeing that things had gone as he expected and he had succeeded in one move, couldn't help but feel a bit smug.

"Come here!" Doctor Mo yanked hard with his left hand, pulling Han Li from the ground directly to his feet. Then he bent down, extending the index finger of his right hand, aiming straight for the numbing acupoint on Han Li's chest.

"Thud!" Doctor Mo's finger seemed to hit an iron plate, emitting a dull thud. The front half of his finger was painfully rebounded, and the acupoint strike naturally failed.

"What's going on here!" Doctor Mo was momentarily stunned by this unexpected turn of events, his heart skipping a beat.

"Could he be wearing a layer of armor under his clothes?" he couldn't help but think in surprise.

His gaze involuntarily swept over Han Li's clothes, but their thin appearance didn't seem like they concealed any hidden armor, which left him somewhat confused.

In the moment Doctor Mo was distracted, Han Li regained control of his body. His recovery ability was much stronger than Doctor Mo had anticipated.

Han Li's sixth level of the Eternal Spring Art had not been cultivated in vain. His ability to resist abnormalities far exceeded ordinary imagination, something even Han Li himself hadn't expected.

Doctor Mo, decisively setting aside the questions in his mind, wanted to try another method to subdue Han Li. But suddenly, he felt the wrist he had tightly grasped become incredibly slippery and flexible, making it impossible to maintain a firm hold.

In his astonishment, he slightly increased his grip, but "whoosh," the other's hand slipped out from between his fingers like an eel. This time, Doctor Mo was truly dumbfounded.

Regardless of the other's surprise, Han Li unexpectedly performed a donkey roll, swiftly rolling away from Doctor Mo to a corner of the room. Only after putting a considerable distance between them did he dare to slowly stand up.

At this moment, Han Li's face was expressionless, his eyes coldly fixed on Doctor Mo.

He no longer wasted words. Although he didn't know the reason Doctor Mo wanted to capture him, it was certain that the man harbored no good intentions towards him.

It seemed that what Doctor Mo had previously said about stimulating secret acupoints with his Eternal Spring Art was a blatant lie, utterly untrustworthy.

For his own sake and the safety of his family, Han Li slowly drew a short sword from his waist with his left hand. The sword was only about a foot long, gleaming with a cold light, appearing incredibly sharp—a fine blade indeed.

"Today, it's either you die or I perish. Only one of us will walk out of this room alive." Han Li's words were icy, revealing his fangs to Doctor Mo for the first time.

(End of Chapter)