After nearly six months of intense cultivation, Han Li finally stood before Mo Doctor to undergo his assessment. Zhang Tie, at a loss, stood beside Han Li, which was only natural—Han Li had already learned from him that, despite Zhang Tie's diligent efforts over the past half-year, he had made no progress at all in mastering this set of techniques. Han Li knew that Zhang Tie had been equally serious about his practice, perhaps not as passionate or as relentless as himself, but he had certainly put in substantial effort and could truly be said to be diligent and committed. Yet strangely, the technique had shown no effect whatsoever on Zhang Tie—no matter how hard he worked, no results emerged. It seemed that this set of techniques simply lacked a connection with him. Han Li himself felt uneasy, his confidence wavering. He knew that Zhang Tie would likely fail this evaluation, while although he himself had achieved a modest degree of progress, it still fell far short of being significantly better than Zhang Tie's. Through relentless self-training, the strange energy flow within him had only grown slightly more vigorous than before. If previously it had been as fine as a hair strand, now it had thickened to the diameter of a cotton thread. Yet whether this would suffice to pass Doctor Mo's examination remained entirely uncertain. Thus, Han Li found himself increasingly anxious, his heart pounding with anticipation and unease. It took a cup of tea's worth of time before the doctor finally released his hands from Zhang Tie's, then calmly and expressionlessly examined him from head to toe. Zhang Tie was flushed with embarrassment, hastily placing his hands behind his back and lowering his head, unwilling to meet the doctor's gaze anymore. He knew the doctor must have already noticed that he had made no progress at all in mastering the technique, and that the doctor would likely not treat him kindly in the coming moments. "Now it's your turn." To everyone's surprise, the doctor showed not the slightest inclination to scold Zhang Tie. There was only a faint note of disappointment in his eyes, and then he turned to face Han Li. As always, the doctor grasped the pulse point of Han Li's right hand. "How cold! It's so cold, almost lifeless," Han Li thought, feeling somewhat restless. The doctor's hands were dry and covered with calluses, and when they pressed against Han Li's skin, they caused a slight prickling sensation—this was Han Li's very first impression of being held by the doctor's hands. Perhaps stimulated by an external factor, the energy within Han Li began to circulate on its own without him having to actively invoke it, flowing along the extraordinary meridians, passing through various acupoints across his body, swiftly making a complete circuit from his dantian to his head, then to his limbs, and finally returning to the dantian. As soon as this energy began to move, the slight discomfort on Han Li's skin immediately vanished. "Ah!" Mu Doctor couldn't help but exclaim aloud, clearly having detected the energy within Han Li's body. "Quick—run the incantation again!" Though Mu Doctor tried to suppress his excitement and maintain a composed expression, the passionate gleam in his eyes still surprised Han Li. "Slow down, let me observe carefully," Mu Doctor added, his usually calm and detached tone now becoming urgent, and he placed his other hand gently on Han Li's dantian. Han Li noticed that the Doctor's hands were slightly trembling, indicating he was deeply excited, and thus followed the advice once again, allowing the energy within him to circulate. "Excellent! Excellent! That's exactly what I feel—exactly what I'm looking for. No mistake! Absolutely no mistake! Haha..." After a thorough examination, the Doctor could no longer contain himself and burst into loud laughter. He clutched Han Li's shoulders tightly, his eyes narrowed and wide with wonder, fixed intently on Han Li as if gazing at a rare and precious treasure, his gaze even tinged with a touch of wild enthusiasm. Han Li was constantly hearing the Doctor's consecutive bursts of laughter, feeling a bit of pain in his shoulders, and as he saw the Doctor's increasingly frantic expression, he began to feel afraid. "Good. Very good," the Doctor said, noticing the slight fear in Han Li's expression and realizing he had become too absorbed in his own excitement, immediately stopping his laughter. "From now on, keep striving just as you have been doing. Starting today, you are officially my direct disciple." He loosened his hands and gave a gentle拍拍 on Han Li's shoulders for encouragement. Doctor Mo's face once again settled into its usual calm, as if the entire flurry of activity had never happened—only in the occasional warm, eager glances he cast toward Han Li could one detect his current excitement. "As for you..." Doctor Mo finally turned his attention back to Zhang Tie. Zhang Tie had been so stunned by what had just unfolded that he hadn't even realized the doctor was now speaking to him. Faced with the stark reality that his assessment had failed and he would now be sent back down the mountain, Zhang Tie's gaze toward Doctor Mo softened into one of earnest appeal. "Your potential isn't up to par. After all this time, you've still managed to develop nothing at all. It's truly a struggle to make you my disciple," Doctor Mo kept shaking his head. Zhang Tie's heart sank continuously as he shook his head. From the doctor's words, both of them sensed that he did not intend to accept Zhang Tie. Yet suddenly, the doctor seemed to have an interesting thought, and his gaze toward Zhang Tie took on a peculiar expression. "However, I just examined your root bone and found another internal technique that would suit you better. Would you be willing to learn it from me?" The doctor's tone shifted abruptly, now clearly suggesting that Zhang Tie should pass. Upon hearing this, Zhang Tie could hardly express any reluctance—he immediately agreed. "Excellent! Even better! You two may now go. I'll pass on the new technique to you tomorrow." It was clear that the doctor was in a very good mood, and he even uttered the words "excellent" and "even better" with ease. Han Li and the other person exchanged glances, both feeling that today's assessment had been full of twists and turns, and that they had unexpectedly both passed the examination—this brought them great satisfaction.