The Immortal Ascension

Chapter 49: Trap Within a Trap

Just as the two sides were about to clash, Han Li subtly twisted the blade in his hand, tilting it ever so slightly. It was just a minor adjustment, but in Doctor Mo's eyes, it triggered a dramatic and overwhelming change.

Doctor Mo suddenly felt a blinding flash as over a dozen dazzling white lights erupted before him. The brilliance was so intense and unshielded that it directly struck his eyes.

Realizing the danger, he quickly retreated and shut his eyelids, but it was too late. The white light had already penetrated his vision, leaving him no time to react.

Instantly, Doctor Mo felt a burning sensation in his eyes, followed by intense soreness. Tears streamed down uncontrollably, but he had no time to wipe them away. Forcing his eyes open despite the discomfort, he could only see a vast expanse of white. Not only were objects indistinct, but even their outlines had become hazy and blurred.

Shocked and furious, Doctor Mo deeply regretted falling into his opponent's cunning trap once again.

However, having roamed the Jianghu for many years, Doctor Mo was no stranger to handling danger. While continuously retreating to create distance and buy time, he also retracted his palms and began waving them frantically in front of him. Relying on his impervious Demon Silver Hands, he shielded the vital areas of his upper body.

He had already decided not to take the initiative until his vision returned to normal. All attacks would have to wait until he could see clearly again, lest he fall into the crafty brat's snare once more.

By now, Doctor Mo had completely abandoned his earlier underestimation of Han Li. The danger of this confrontation was no less than the life-and-death struggles he had faced with formidable foes in his younger days.

Though unable to see Han Li's movements, Doctor Mo pricked up his ears, listening intently to discern his opponent's next move.

He vaguely sensed a figure swaying in front of him, followed by a sharp sound accompanied by a chilling breeze rushing toward him from the front.

Far from panicking at Han Li's assassination attempt, Doctor Mo actually felt a surge of joy.

His opponent's methods were still somewhat naive. If Han Li had silently ambushed him from the side, Doctor Mo might have been genuinely worried. But such a brazen frontal assault was nothing to fear. After all, his ability to discern movements by sound was second to none. Whether it was a direct thrust of a short sword or the flight of a slender embroidery needle, he could hear it with crystal clarity.

Doctor Mo listened carefully but deliberately slowed his hand movements, leaving a small opening in his defense. As expected, the sound of the attack immediately shifted, slipping through the gap and heading straight for his throat.

A sinister smile spread across Doctor Mo's face. His right hand, which had been waiting for this moment, suddenly shot out like lightning, firmly grasping the blade. He held it tightly, unafraid of the sharp edge of the short sword.

Realizing the dire situation, Han Li desperately tried to pull the sword back with all his might. However, under the control of the Demon Silver Hands, the blade didn't budge an inch. His efforts were in vain.Doctor Mo felt a surge of pride, but he dared not let his guard down. Fearing that Han Li might come to his senses and escape, he didn't wait for his vision to fully recover. With a sudden burst of effort, he yanked the short sword towards himself, intending to pull Han Li over and subdue him personally. However, he felt an unexpected lightness in his hand, as if he were holding nothing at all.

He was startled. He had clearly been gripping the blade, so how could it suddenly feel so weightless? Even if Han Li had let go, it shouldn't have felt this light.

Before Doctor Mo could figure out what was happening, he heard a sharp, air-rending sound just inches from his throat. It seemed as if a thin, pointed object was hurtling towards him at an extraordinary speed. The force of the approaching object caused a slight stinging sensation at his Adam's apple.

Without a second thought, his body instinctively reacted. His head jerked to one side, twisting his neck at an almost impossible angle in a desperate attempt to avoid the fatal strike.

Years of rigorous training paid off at this critical moment. Doctor Mo felt a cool sensation on his neck as the sharp object grazed past, leaving only a minor scratch and no serious injury.

After narrowly avoiding the attack, Doctor Mo feared that Han Li might have more tricks up his sleeve. Without hesitation, he imitated Han Li's earlier escape tactic, throwing himself to the ground and rolling away like a lazy donkey. Only when he was a safe distance from Han Li did he dare to stand up again.

Once upright, Doctor Mo felt a burning pain on his neck. He touched the wound and found his hand wet with blood.

He quickly pressed two fingers against the nearby blood vessels to stop the bleeding.

Only then did the fear set in. He realized that he shouldn't have been able to dodge that strike, yet his body's instincts had somehow saved him.

As he thought this, Doctor Mo glanced up at Han Li, noticing that his vision had fully recovered and everything was now clear.

Han Li stood there, glaring at Doctor Mo with obvious frustration, clearly unhappy that his opponent had once again escaped unscathed.

In Han Li's hand was a strange, inch-long pointed weapon. It resembled an unusually short awl, but the handle was still that of a sword. The overall appearance was peculiar, and it was stained with blood—the very weapon that had injured Doctor Mo.

Doctor Mo's expression turned cold, his eyes filled with rage. He was furious at how close he had come to death multiple times and was about to unleash his anger when he suddenly noticed that his right hand was still clutching something.

He looked down and saw a blade without a handle, light and seemingly weightless. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the blade was hollow. The size and shape of the cavity matched the awl, revealing that the blade was merely a sheath designed to conceal the true weapon.

In an instant, his boiling rage was extinguished by this unexpected discovery.

(End of Chapter)