Chapter 52: Seven Ghosts Devouring the Soul

Han Li's face began to turn green as he watched Doctor Mo raise the strange blade high.

Under the sunlight, the blade edge flashed, making it appear even more incredibly sharp.

He couldn't help but feel a bit of panic in his heart, but his reason told him that the opponent had gone to such great lengths to capture him alive, so he would absolutely not take his life without a word. The opponent was just intimidating him.

Therefore, seeing the sharp blade slowly descend from high in the air, stabbing straight toward his body, he remained silent, barely maintaining a look of composure.

Not until the blade's edge was only half an inch away from his head, and the tips of his hair already felt the chill, did he slowly close his eyes. A trace of regret flashed vaguely through his mind.

"Is the opponent really going to strike a lethal blow? If I had known this, I might as well have begged for mercy; perhaps there would still be a glimmer of life to preserve. I am still very young; I really don't want to die like this. If my parents at home knew of my death, would they be sad? Would they regret sending me to the Seven Mysteries Sect..."

Facing this life-and-death moment, miscellaneous thoughts arose in Han Li's heart. Various thoughts surged into his mind; it seemed that in this instant, he had experienced the joys and sorrows of life, gaining great insight into life and death.

"Puchi!" The sound of a sharp blade piercing a human body came.

Han Li's body trembled slightly, but he was immediately surprised. He didn't feel any pain.

"What's going on?" He opened his eyes in astonishment.

As soon as he opened his eyes, Han Li was stunned.

He unexpectedly saw that the strange blade had actually stabbed into Doctor Mo's own shoulder, sinking deep into his body, leaving only the handle exposed, trembling slightly. Perhaps because it was too sharp, not a single drop of fresh blood leaked out, appearing extremely eerie.

Han Li was staring in dumbfounded silence when Doctor Mo, contrary to his usual state, began to praise him.

"Tsk tsk! Brat, you really have some guts. Even with a blade at your throat, you still don't beg for mercy. You really have something!"

"When I was wandering the Jianghu back then, I saw many heroes who claimed not to fear death in front of others. But once they fell into my hands, with a little threat, they all turned into cowards, kneeling and begging for mercy, looking like they were afraid of death."

Han Li was stunned, mouth agape, not knowing how to respond.

Actually, he had nearly made a fool of himself just now, but he had been holding on hard from the beginning. By the end, he still had a glimmer of luck in his heart, thinking the opponent couldn't really strike at him, which allowed him to muddle through. Moreover, his skin was too thin; he was embarrassed to change his face and beg for mercy.

Now, facing Doctor Mo's repeated praise, Han Li naturally wouldn't go out of his way to explain, but a hundred flavors arose in his heart. Should he be happy or depressed?

Just as Han Li was lost in thought, Doctor Mo had already swiftly inserted the remaining strange blades all over his body, all leaving only the ghost-headed handles exposed.

By the time Han Li came to his senses, he was horrified to find that a total of seven sharp blades had been inserted into Doctor Mo's shoulders, legs, lower abdomen, chest, and other parts. Viewed from afar, it looked like he had been dismembered by a thousand cuts.

After seeing this, Han Li found it both funny and shocking, knowing that the opponent was self-mutilating like this, probably to perform some extremely powerful technique. He just didn't know if it was meant to deal with him.

After inserting the strange blades, Doctor Mo didn't speak again. Instead, he leaned over, sat cross-legged opposite Han Li, then closed his eyes and entered a state, no longer distracted by external matters.

Han Li's heart stirred, feeling this was a rare chance to escape. He wanted to move his hands and feet, but as soon as his body moved even a little, he felt his shoulders sink, and he was immediately unable to move again.

Han Li gave a bitter smile. How could he have forgotten this giant? With him staring at him without leaving his side, how could he have a chance!

It seemed Doctor Mo had thought deeply before entering meditation and wasn't afraid of him playing any tricks at all. This giant named "Tie Nu"—he didn't know what kind of monster he was—actually had a body that was invulnerable to blades and guns, just like Doctor Mo's "Demon Silver Hands," and even a man's most fatal weakness was the same. He had completely fallen into this person's hands today.

Just as Han Li was slandering the giant in his heart, the other person in front of him underwent an eerie change.

Doctor Mo's face began to twitch, his whole body trembling incessantly. His face was also distorted by the twisting of his muscles, seemingly enduring great pain. Combined with the several sharp blades inserted into his body, it made one feel eerie and terrifying, as if a cold, yin chill was slowly rising in the room.

Suddenly, Doctor Mo stopped twitching and trembling, but from the depths of his throat came a low roar. The roar was filled with primitive beastliness. In this instant, Doctor Mo seemed no longer an old man, but a ferocious beast that had just darted out of the mountains and forests.

Then, something even more terrifying happened. The ghost mist that had appeared on Doctor Mo's face a year ago now emerged again.

This ghost mist was completely different from before; it was much thicker and much darker than before. After covering Doctor Mo's face, it was like wearing a pitch-black mask, hiding his true face.

The tentacles that occasionally manifested from the ghost mist also underwent a cataclysmic change. The black mist flowing on the tentacles was smooth and shiny, possessing a full sense of texture, as if it had acquired a physical form, expanding and contracting on Doctor Mo's face, dancing wildly.

Doctor Mo's fingers formed a lotus shape, pinching a strange gesture, his lips moving slightly, seemingly muttering something. Because the sound was too low, Han Li couldn't hear it clearly.

Following Doctor Mo's inexplicable actions, the mist on his face seemed to have been angered, like cold water poured into a pot of boiling oil, and began to roll and boil. More small tentacles stretched out from within, baring fangs and brandishing claws in a show of force, seemingly wanting to stop Doctor Mo from taking further action.

Just as the black mist became at its thickest, Doctor Mo opened his eyes. Through the thick black mist, Han Li could still see that his eyes were full of divine light.

"Seven Ghosts Devouring the Soul!"

Doctor Mo shouted, calling out the name of the secret technique he was using.

===== CHAPTER 53 =====