Chapter 43: Dark Schemes and Fangs

Han Li lowered his head in thought. It seemed impossible to avoid letting the other party test his cultivation.

The other party had given him the antidote for the "Corpse Worm Pill" without hesitation, already showing some sincerity. If he continued to procrastinate, it would only cause the other party to become suspicious, believing he hadn't actually cultivated the fourth level of the Evergreen Arts but was deceiving them. This would lead the situation in a negative direction, potentially causing new, unexpected complications.

Furthermore, he had anticipated this step and made some preparations beforehand. Even if the other party turned hostile immediately after taking his pulse, he had a plan to escape.

Thinking this, Han Li looked up, meeting Doctor Mo's eyes directly. He slowly spoke, "Elder Mo, given your straightforwardness in providing the antidote, this is the last time I will trust you. I hope you won't disappoint me."

With that, he extended his right wrist, carefully observing the other's reaction. Should anything seem amiss, he would immediately pull it back.

Unfortunately, Doctor Mo maintained his fake smile, showing no discernible change. Only after hearing Han Li's agreement did his eyebrows twitch slightly, but they immediately returned to normal. It seemed he had long anticipated Han Li's answer.

Without another word, he extended his dry left hand and gently placed it on Han Li's wrist. His smile slowly faded, replaced by a solemn and grave expression, as if he were performing an incredibly sacred act.

Han Li secretly maintained his fourth-level cultivation. Seeing Doctor Mo's expression, he felt a flicker of unease. His vigilance instantly rose to its highest level. His left hand subtly moved towards his waist, where a custom-made, sheathed short sword was hidden.

Slowly, an expression of surprise and delight appeared on Doctor Mo's face. He had sensed the continuous, peculiar energy flowing through Han Li's meridians. The intensity of this energy stream far exceeded his minimum expectations.

Even with his deep cunning and meticulous planning, seeing his long-schemed major undertaking finally within reach, a genuine smile blossomed uncontrollably on his face. Unlike his previous forced, fake smile, this joy radiated from within.

"Excellent! It truly is the fourth level of the Evergreen Arts! Haha! Haha! This is truly wonderful! Hahaha! Hahaha!..." Doctor Mo laughed heartily and without restraint in front of Han Li, his laughter echoing loudly through the room. However, his hand remained firmly clamped on Han Li's wrist, never letting go.

"Elder Mo, what are you doing? Shouldn't you let go?" Han Li's expression darkened. He already knew things were going wrong and tried to pull his right hand back with force, but it was held firmly, unable to move.

"Let go? Very well, I'll let go!" Doctor Mo's laughter ceased, replaced by a sinister grimace.

He suddenly let out a sharp bellow, "Hmph!"

Han Li felt a booming sensation in his ears, his vision blurred, and the world seemed to darken. He lost his balance, unable to stand, and collapsed weakly onto the ground. His left hand, which had been resting on the sword hilt, also slipped away powerlessly.

"This is bad!" Although Han Li's body wouldn't obey him, his mind was clear. He realized he had been somewhat careless, allowing the other party to strike first with a ruthless move. For a moment, he could only wait helplessly for his fate.

"Boy, you're still a bit too green. Now you can't pull any tricks, can you?" Doctor Mo felt a surge of triumph, seeing his plan succeed with a single move, just as he had anticipated.

"Come here!" Doctor Mo pulled vigorously with his left hand, dragging Han Li directly from the ground to his feet. He then bent down and extended his right index finger, pointing it straight towards a pressure point on Han Li's chest.

With a "thud!" Doctor Mo's finger felt as if it had struck an iron plate, emitting a dull impact sound. The tip of his finger throbbed from the rebound, and his pressure point attack naturally failed.

"What's going on?!" Doctor Mo was momentarily stunned by this unexpected turn, a shock rippling through him.

"Could he be wearing iron armor beneath his clothes?!" he thought in surprise.

His gaze instinctively swept over Han Li's clothing, but its thin appearance certainly didn't suggest hidden armor underneath. This confused him.

In that fleeting moment of Doctor Mo's distraction, Han Li regained control of his body. His recovery ability was far stronger than Doctor Mo had anticipated.

After all, Han Li's sixth-level Evergreen Arts had not been cultivated in vain. His ability to recover from abnormal states far surpassed ordinary people's imagination, a fact even Han Li himself hadn't fully realized.

At this moment, Doctor Mo decisively discarded his doubts and decided to try another method to subdue Han Li. However, he suddenly felt the wrist he had been gripping tightly become incredibly slippery and supple, impossible to hold onto firmly anymore.

Startled, he applied a little more force, but with a "whoosh," the other party's hand, like a loach, slipped away between his fingers. Doctor Mo was truly astonished now.

Regardless of Doctor Mo's surprise, Han Li, with an unexpected somersault, quickly rolled to a corner of the room. Only when he was well away from Doctor Mo did he slowly stand up.

Han Li, now expressionless, looked coldly at Doctor Mo.

He no longer spoke any unnecessary words. Although he didn't know why the other party wanted to capture him, it was clear that Doctor Mo had malicious intentions.

It seemed that everything Doctor Mo had said previously about using Han Li's Evergreen Arts to stimulate secret acupoints was a colossal lie, utterly untrustworthy.

For his own sake, and for the safety of his family, Han Li slowly drew the short sword from his waist with his left hand. The sword, only about a foot long, gleamed with a faint blue light, appearing incredibly sharp and clearly a high-quality blade.

"Today, either you die or I die. Only one of us will walk out of this room alive." Han Li's voice was icy cold. For the first time in front of Doctor Mo, he bared his fangs.