The Immortal Ascension

Chapter 46: The Piercing Sword Strike

Doctor Mo glanced slightly surprised at his left hand before turning his gaze to Han Li, speaking with a tone of disdain:

"Interesting. It seems you haven't been idle this past year, actually managing to cultivate such a peculiar skill. But do you really think that with these amateurish tricks, you can be a match for me?"

"It appears I haven't moved for quite some time. It might be good to stretch my limbs a bit. I'll let you make the first move!"

Han Li ignored the verbal jab from his opponent. He had already decided to strike first, seizing the initiative.

He held a short sword in his left hand horizontally in front of him, drawing the other's attention. Meanwhile, a small white packet slid silently from his right sleeve into his palm. With a swift motion, he flung it, releasing a cloud of white powder that instantly transformed into a thick, enveloping smoke, obscuring Han Li's figure and quickly filling the entire room. The dense fog made it impossible to see even a hand in front of one's face, and Han Li mysteriously vanished within the mist.

Doctor Mo frowned, somewhat taken aback by Han Li's move, but he remained unimpressed. With his vast experience, he had plenty of ways to counter such low-level tactics. To avoid any potential tampering with the smoke, he held his breath. Given his profound cultivation, he could easily go without breathing for several moments.

"Hmph, such petty tricks, daring to show off in front of me!" Doctor Mo snorted coldly. With a sudden motion, he struck the smoke with a palm strike, causing the white mist to churn violently as if stirred by a giant rod, revealing a clear hole.

Not seeing Han Li, Doctor Mo didn't stop. He continued to strike left and right with a series of palm strikes, dispersing the smoke from the room through the doorway. The room returned to normal, except for the absence of Han Li.

"Strange, this kid really has some tricks up his sleeve, managing to disappear right in front of me," Doctor Mo muttered in surprise, though he remained calm. After all, he had been guarding near the doorway; even a fly wouldn't escape his notice.

He carefully scanned the room: the numerous bookshelves, a desk, and an armchair—everything was as usual, with nothing out of place. Yet, how could a living person like Han Li vanish in such a confined space?

Doctor Mo's expression remained unchanged, but he felt a twinge of doubt. However, confident in his skills, he coughed a few times and shakily walked towards the corner where Han Li had disappeared, intending to investigate further.

When he was about a zhang away from the corner, he stopped, narrowing his eyes. He sensed a faint but unmistakable killing intent lingering nearby, directed at him, ready to strike.

Doctor Mo's eyes gleamed sharply as he scanned the area repeatedly, yet he found nothing unusual. He began to feel irritated. There was no one around; had Han Li ascended to the heavens or descended into the earth?

"Ascended to the heavens or descended into the earth," he thought, feeling as if he had grasped something crucial. Just as he was about to ponder further, he suddenly heard a "clang" from above."Not good!" Doctor Mo suddenly realized that his opponent was hiding on the eaves. Without looking up, he swiftly raised his hand and unleashed a fierce palm strike upwards, intending to knock down the person hiding above who was attempting to harm him.

A rumbling sound followed the release of the palm strike, accompanied by a few crisp "ding-dang" noises.

Doctor Mo was puzzled and quickly looked up, only to be stunned. The space above him was completely empty, with not a single shadow in sight. Only a black iron bell hung from the beam, swaying from the force of his palm strike. The "ding-dang" sounds were coming from it, and there was no trace of Han Li anywhere!

Just as Doctor Mo was looking up, a cold glint of light shot out from beneath his feet with lightning speed, silently and swiftly aiming for his abdomen. The speed was so fast that it could only be described as a flash of lightning. It wasn't until the light was about to touch his clothes that Doctor Mo suddenly noticed it.

Doctor Mo was horrified. In a moment of desperation, he quickly performed an iron bridge maneuver, bending his body backward as if he had no spine, narrowly avoiding the sword. The short sword grazed his belly, cutting a long slit in his clothes and nearly disemboweling him.

After dodging the sword, Doctor Mo still didn't dare to relax. His feet seemed to have springs as he slid backward several meters without moving his body. Only then did he dare to straighten up, looking both shocked and furious in the direction from which the sword had come.

Near where he had been standing, the ground slowly bulged upward, growing higher and higher until it formed a yellow humanoid figure. It was Han Li, who had combined the skills of soft bone technique, breath concealment, and disguise.

At this moment, Han Li was wearing a dirt-yellow outfit that perfectly matched the floor. In his left hand, he held the short sword that had nearly succeeded, and his eyes showed a look of regret. It seemed he was deeply disappointed that the sword strike hadn't hit its mark.

Meanwhile, Doctor Mo's originally sallow complexion had turned somewhat pale. His heart was still pounding from the close call with the sword, and he couldn't stop feeling a lingering fear. He was no stranger to danger in the Jianghu, but being so close to death was something that had only happened a handful of times in his life. Moreover, it was Han Li, whom he had always looked down upon, who had brought him to this point.

He took a deep breath, and his expression finally calmed down. His voice was slightly hoarse as he spoke:

"It seems I've truly underestimated you, my dear disciple! That move of yours was quite impressive, and it's worth my serious attention."

After delivering this warning, Doctor Mo slowly raised his hands and placed them in front of his eyes, gazing at them tenderly and silently, as if he were looking at a lover in the throes of passion. It seemed as though he had completely forgotten about Han Li.

Han Li raised an eyebrow and sneered. Gripping the short sword with one hand, he took small, deliberate steps, slowly closing the distance to Doctor Mo.

(End of Chapter)