Chapter 44: Breaking Chest Sword

Doctor Mo glanced at his left hand, slightly surprised, before turning his gaze to Han Li. He spoke dismissively: "Interesting. It seems you haven't been idle this past year, actually developing such strange techniques. But do you really think these paltry skills are enough to be my opponent?"

"It seems I haven't fought in quite some time. It's not a bad idea to stretch my limbs personally. Go on, you make the first move!"

Han Li ignored the verbal taunts. He had already decided to seize the initiative, striking first to gain an advantage.

He held the short sword horizontally in front of him with his left hand, drawing his opponent's gaze. Meanwhile, a small white paper packet silently slipped from his right sleeve into his palm. He then raised his hand and flung out a large cloud of white powder from the packet. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a dense white smoke, enveloping Han Li's entire body, making his figure indistinct and elusive. The smoke quickly spread throughout the room, turning it into a hazy white expanse where one couldn't see their own hand. Han Li mysteriously vanished within the mist.

Doctor Mo frowned slightly. Han Li's action was unexpected, but he remained unimpressed. With his vast experience, he knew plenty of ways to counter such low-level tricks. However, fearing the smoke might be tainted, he held his breath. Given his profound internal energy, not breathing for a significant period was no issue for him.

"Hmph, mere parlor tricks, daring to show off in front of me!" Doctor Mo sneered, suddenly striking an empty palm into the smoke with his right hand. The white mist in front of him immediately churned as if stirred by a giant club, revealing a clear, large hole.

Seeing no sign of Han Li, Doctor Mo didn't stop. He struck with both hands, unleashing a dozen consecutive 'empty palm' strikes that completely dispersed the smoke in the room towards the main door. The room returned to normal, except for the absence of Han Li.

"Strange, this boy actually has some skill. He truly made himself vanish right in front of me." Doctor Mo was somewhat surprised but not at all flustered. He knew that he had been guarding near the door; not even a fly could escape his notice.

He carefully scanned the entire room: numerous bookshelves, a desk, and an armchair. Everything was as it should be, with nothing out of place. Yet, how could Han Li, a living person, have vanished in such a confined space?

Doctor Mo's expression remained unchanged, though he harbored some doubts. But being skilled and bold, he coughed a few times and then steadily walked towards the corner where Han Li had vanished, intending to investigate further.

When he was about ten feet from the corner, he stopped and squinted his eyes. He had sensed a faint, almost imperceptible killing intent permeating the vicinity, directed at him and poised to strike.

A sharp glint appeared in Doctor Mo's eyes. He meticulously scanned left and right, but still found nothing amiss. Frustration began to brew in his heart. There was no one around; could the boy have ascended to heaven or burrowed into the earth?

"Ascended to heaven or burrowed into the earth…" A thought sparked in his mind; he felt as if he had grasped something crucial. Just as he was about to ponder it further, he suddenly heard a "clang" sound from above.

"Not good!" Doctor Mo suddenly realized, comprehending that his opponent was hidden on the rafters above. Without even looking up, he swiftly swung his hand upwards, unleashing a fierce 'empty palm' strike, intending to disorient and knock down the individual hiding above and attempting to harm him.

A rumbling sound followed the release of the palm strike, accompanied by several crisp "ding-dong" sounds.

Doctor Mo was puzzled. He quickly looked up for a closer inspection, but froze in astonishment. The space above was empty; there wasn't a soul to be seen. Only a black iron bell hung from the roof beam, swaying ceaselessly from the force of his palm strike, its "ding-dong" sounds echoing. There was no sign of Han Li whatsoever!

As Doctor Mo looked up, a sliver of cold light, with lightning speed, stealthily shot out from beneath his feet, swiftly thrusting towards his lower abdomen. Its speed was so astonishing that describing it as 'flash of lightning' would be no exaggeration. Doctor Mo only realized it with a jolt when the light was about to touch his clothes.

Doctor Mo paled with fright. In his haste, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and executed a 'stone bridge' maneuver, bending his entire body backward from the waist as if devoid of a spine. He narrowly dodged the sword, which grazed his belly, slicing a long, thin opening in his clothes and almost disemboweling him.

After dodging the sword, Doctor Mo dared not relax. As if spring-loaded, his body, without apparent movement, automatically slid back several tens of feet. Only then did he dare to straighten up, looking with a mix of shock and anger towards where the sword light had originated.

He saw a section of the ground near where he had just stood slowly bulge upwards, growing higher and higher until it finally formed a yellow, human-like shape. It was Han Li, who had combined his 'soft bone technique,' 'breath control technique,' and 'concealment art' into his movements.

At this moment, he was wearing an earth-yellow outfit that perfectly matched the floor. In his left hand, he held the short sword that had nearly succeeded. A look of vexation was evident in his eyes; it seemed Han Li felt great regret over that last sword strike.

Doctor Mo's originally sallow face was now tinged with green. His heart was still pounding from the terrifying closeness of that last sword strike, and he was consumed by lingering fear. He was no inexperienced newcomer to the martial world; he had faced dangers before. Yet, to be so close to death had happened only a few times in his life, and never at the hands of someone he had always underestimated like Han Li.

He took a deep breath, his expression finally returning to calm. His voice was a little hoarse as he said: "It seems I truly underestimated you, my dear apprentice! That move of yours was quite good, and it certainly warrants my serious attention."

After uttering this intimidating remark, Doctor Mo slowly raised his hands and placed them before his eyes, gazing tenderly at them without a word. He was as engrossed as a lover admiring their beloved, seemingly having completely forgotten about Han Li.

Han Li raised an eyebrow and let out a cold laugh. He gripped the short sword tightly with one hand and took small, deliberate steps, slowly approaching Doctor Mo.