Demonic Silver Hand vs. Gossamer Smoke Steps

"Demonic Silver Hand."

Doctor Mo slowly uttered those three words. His deep voice seemed to drift in from beyond the heavens, carrying an incredible enchantment that made even Han Li pause in a daze and stop in his tracks.

The moment the words left his mouth, a towering surge of Sha Qi erupted from Doctor Mo. Like a howling gale and a torrential downpour, it grew fiercer and fiercer, spreading ceaselessly in every direction until it filled the entire cottage.

Han Li, who had been walking toward him, was struck head-on by the sudden, violent pressure. It forced him back several steps before he could steady himself and stand firm.

Han Li's expression changed drastically, and a wave of shock swept through him. He knew his opponent had probably brought out his true trump card to deal with him. It seemed that sword strike just now had provoked quite a reaction from him.

"Heh heh! Brat, to witness the Demonic Silver Hand, the ultimate technique that made this old man famous, is a blessing earned over three lifetimes."

Doctor Mo's deafening, arrogant voice buzzed in Han Li's ears. Fortunately, it contained no internal force, so its effect was not too great. It seemed his opponent disdained using a failed tactic against him again, which put him considerably at ease.

Still, hearing Doctor Mo proudly mention the name "Demonic Silver Hand" twice in succession made Han Li look toward his hands.

At the sight, Han Li's eyes filled with shock, and his tightly closed lips parted slightly.

Doctor Mo's arms, from the elbows up, had been scrawny, but now they suddenly swelled as though pumped full of air, growing more than a size thicker. Even more startling, his dry, yellow skin had turned silver-white. In the sunlight, it reflected a cold metallic sheen, seemingly indestructible, as though forged from real silver.

Is this Doctor Mo's true strength?

At the sight, Han Li's heart sank. Fine beads of cold sweat involuntarily broke out on the hand gripping his sword hilt, leaving his palm soaked. After all, he had far too little experience fighting others. The drastic change in his opponent's bearing and the sinister appearance of his hands alone made it seem much harder for him even to breathe.

On the surface, however, Han Li resumed his unconcerned appearance. His calm face showed not the slightest hint of uncertainty, as though he were utterly oblivious to Doctor Mo's arrogance.

Doctor Mo was somewhat displeased. Though he had come to see Han Li in a new light, he still felt that using his most closely guarded skill against a teenager was rather like using an ox cleaver to kill a chicken. Thus, he would much rather have seen Han Li scared out of his wits and at a loss for what to do; only then would his display of might have been worthwhile.

"Do you know how much I hate that expression of yours? You're just a wet-behind-the-ears brat, yet you insist on going around all day looking as though you have a complete plan in mind and everything under your control," Doctor Mo said coldly, making no attempt to hide his loathing for Han Li.

"Oh, is that so? It's an honor to earn our Elder Mo's hatred. I think I'll be sure to carry this virtue of mine to even greater heights in the future." Han Li was silent no longer, countering with mockery in the hope of making his opponent reveal an opening through words.

Clearly, however, Han Li's attempt failed. Doctor Mo said nothing more. Instead, he clapped his hands together with a bang, producing the jarring scrape of metal that left the mind unable to rest.

Then his figure flashed, and he was already in midair. Swinging his enormous silver palms, he turned into a raging wind and lunged straight at Han Li with the force of Mount Tai bearing down upon him.

It seemed he had no intention of wasting any more time and wanted to rely on his divine skill to capture Han Li in one move.

Han Li's expression also grew grave. He fixed his full attention on the incoming attack, waiting until his opponent had leaped directly above his head before raising his short sword and thrusting straight at a point his opponent had to defend-his throat.

Seeing Han Li act so rashly as to refuse to evade his powerful attack, Doctor Mo could not help rejoicing. "Die!" he snarled. He then sent one bare silver hand to grab Han Li's short sword, while the other chopped fiercely down toward his shoulder.

Yet though the palm strike aimed at Han Li's shoulder looked ferocious, he had actually put only half a tenth of his strength into it. It did not match the ruthless words he had just uttered at all; if anything, he seemed afraid of seriously injuring Han Li. What lay behind it was unclear.

Han Li naturally knew nothing of the truth behind the attack, but even if he had, he would not have used his own flesh and blood to test the hardness of his opponent's palm. With a light flick of his sword wrist, he suddenly turned the short sword sideways and spun it into a wheel-sized mass of silver light, shielding his upper body.

A mocking look appeared at the corner of Doctor Mo's mouth, but neither palm changed course. One after the other, they plunged straight into the sword light, with no intention of dodging.

With a clear clang, Han Li's short sword struck the enormous silver palm, scattering a few sparks. Not only did it fail to so much as scratch his opponent, it rebounded high into the air.

Doctor Mo seized the chance to turn his palm over and extend a finger, lightly flicking the blade before it could be withdrawn. Han Li felt the web between his thumb and forefinger grow hot, and the object in his hand flew diagonally away with a whoosh, without the slightest reluctance to leave him, burying itself deep in the wall.

The other silver hand followed close behind. Suddenly changing from a palm to a claw, it grabbed for Han Li's shoulder joint, intending to immobilize him and take him alive.

The situation had taken a sudden turn for the worse, and Han Li was in dire peril, yet he showed no sign of panic. His shoulders swayed slightly, and his entire figure blurred. Right under Doctor Mo's nose, he transformed into a wisp of light smoke and rushed straight forward.

Doctor Mo was also quite startled by this ghostly movement technique, but he used the momentum of his descent to turn both hands into a thick silver curtain, covering the wisp of smoke completely, with no intention of letting Han Li escape.

But the smoke was extraordinarily uncanny. With a sudden sweep around its surroundings, it slipped out from beneath the silver curtain at an unimaginably strange angle. Then it made a sharp turn and raced to the corner of the room on Doctor Mo's left, where it finally stopped and gradually became clear, revealing Han Li's true form.