Chapter 52: Seven Ghost Soul Devouring

Han Li’s face began to take on a greenish tinge as he watched Doctor Mo raise the strange blade high.

Under the sunlight, the edge glistened, making it look all the sharper.

Some panic stirred in his heart, but reason told him that anyone who had gone through so much trouble to capture him alive would not kill him without a word. This was only intimidation.

So when the blade descended slowly from its height, aimed at his body, he did not make a sound. He barely managed to keep his composure.

It was only when the strange blade was half an inch from his head, when the tips of his hair already felt a biting cold, that he closed his eyes. A faint trace of regret flashed through his mind.

Is he really going to kill me? If I had known, I should have begged for mercy. There might have been a thread of a chance to survive. I’m still young. I really don’t want to die like this. Would my parents grieve when they hear? Would they regret sending me to the Seven Mysteries Sect…

At the very edge of life and death, stray thoughts poured into Han Li’s mind. All kinds of reflections flooded his consciousness. For a single instant, it seemed as though he lived through the full measure of separation and reunion, joy and grief. He felt as if he had grasped something profound about the nature of life and death.

A wet, penetrating sound—the noise of a blade sinking into flesh—reached his ears.

Han Li’s body trembled slightly. But then came surprise. He did not feel any pain.

What is happening? He opened his eyes in bewilderment.

The moment he looked up, he froze.

To his astonishment, the strange blade was buried in Doctor Mo’s own shoulder. It had sunk deep, leaving only the hilt exposed, quivering faintly. Perhaps because the blade was so sharp, not a single drop of blood had leaked out. It looked disturbingly unnatural.

While Han Li stared, dumbfounded, Doctor Mo broke his usual demeanor and praised him.

“Tsk tsk! Kid, you really have some guts. Even with a blade at your neck, you didn’t beg for mercy. Not bad at all!”

“Back when I walked the Jianghu, I saw plenty of heroes who claimed they were not afraid to die. But once they fell into my hands, a little intimidation turned every single one of them into cowards. They knelt and begged, utterly terrified of death.”

Han Li was stunned speechless. He had no idea how to respond.

Truth be told, he had almost lost his composure just now. He had only managed to hold out because he had been forcing himself the entire time, clinging to the slim hope that the man would not actually follow through. Also, he was simply too thin-skinned to switch expressions and beg like a slave.

Now, faced with Doctor Mo’s repeated praise, Han Li did not bother to explain himself. But a hundred different emotions surged in his chest. He did not know whether he should be glad or disheartened.

While Han Li’s thoughts were tangled, Doctor Mo had already driven the remaining strange blades into his own body with practiced speed. Soon, only the ghost-head hilts were left exposed.

When Han Li came to his senses, he was horrified to see that there were seven blades in total. They were lodged in Doctor Mo’s shoulders, thighs, abdomen, chest—several key points all over his body. From a distance, he looked like a man who had been sliced apart by multiple weapons.

Han Li found it both absurd and alarming. He knew that this kind of self-mutilation was surely the preparation for some extremely formidable technique. Whether it would be turned against him was another question.

After finishing with the blades, Doctor Mo did not speak again. Instead, he bent down and sat cross-legged across from Han Li. He closed his eyes and entered a state of focus, no longer paying attention to the outside world.

Han Li’s mind stirred. He sensed a rare opportunity to escape. He tried to move his hands and feet, but the moment he shifted, a heavy weight pressed down on his shoulder, and he was pinned again.

Han Li gave a bitter smile. How could I forget this giant again? With him watching me every step of the way, how could I possibly have a chance?

Doctor Mo had clearly thought this through before entering his trance. He was not worried about Han Li pulling any tricks. This giant called the Iron Servant—what kind of monster was he? Just like Doctor Mo’s Magic Silver Hand, his entire body was impervious to blades. Even the softest, most vulnerable parts of a man were the same. Han Li had been completely defeated by this man today.

While Han Li was silently cursing the giant in his heart, a bizarre change came over the man before him.

Doctor Mo’s face began to twitch, spasm by spasm. His entire body shook. His features twisted from the strain of his muscles, as if he were enduring tremendous pain. Combined with the blades embedded in his flesh, the sight was grim and terrifying. A cold, sinister aura seemed to rise slowly in the room.

Suddenly, Doctor Mo stopped twitching and trembling. But from deep in his throat came a low roar. The roar was filled with a primal wildness. In that instant, Doctor Mo no longer seemed like an old man, but like a ferocious beast that had just burst out of the mountain forest.

Then, something even more horrifying happened. The ghostly mist that had once appeared on Doctor Mo’s face over a year ago resurfaced.

This time, the mist was completely different from before. It was much thicker and much darker. When it shrouded his face, it looked like a pitch-black mask, hiding his true features.

The tendrils that formed and shifted on the surface of the mist had also undergone a radical transformation. The black light that flowed along them was smooth and glossy, full of substance. They seemed almost to have gained a physical form, writhing and dancing unceasingly across Doctor Mo’s face.

Doctor Mo’s fingers formed a lotus-like hand seal. His lips moved faintly, as if he were chanting something under his breath. But his voice was too low for Han Li to make out.

As Doctor Mo performed these inexplicable actions, the mist on his face seemed to grow enraged. It was like cold water being poured into a vat of boiling oil. The mist roiled and churned. Even more tiny tendrils extended from within, brandishing themselves threateningly, as if trying to stop Doctor Mo from proceeding further.

Just when the black mist reached its thickest, Doctor Mo opened his eyes. Even through the dense haze, Han Li could see the blazing light in his gaze.

“Seven Ghost Soul Devouring Art!”

Doctor Mo roared out the name of the forbidden technique he was using.