Han Li turned and walked toward the door. As he approached the entrance, he suddenly paused and asked, "The gentleman standing behind Doctor Mo—has remained silent throughout. Could you tell me who he is?" Upon hearing Han Li's sudden question, Doctor Mo smiled slightly, evasively and with a hint of cunning, replied, "You're so perceptive—guess it yourself. I'm certain you'll figure it out." Han Li shook his head and smoothly stepped out of the doctor's room, either unable to guess or simply unwilling to make an effort. As soon as he stepped outside, his expression grew gloomy. "In this confrontation with Doctor Mo, I've been completely at a loss, easily subdued by him. It shows that I'm still rather naive, believing that a few clever tactics would suffice to hold my own. Yet, the carefully crafted pot of Five-Toxic Water—my most thought-out effort—has proven useless and has been seized. I must return and carefully reflect on how I can strengthen my own capabilities." Thinking of this, he strode purposefully toward his residence. It seemed clear that he was not willing to be merely controlled by Doctor Mo. Inside the room, Doctor Mo stood dumbfounded, staring at the wooden floor, now blackened and torn through the center—wide enough to hold a large bowl. Just moments before, he had casually tested the contents of the iron cylinder, only for the toxic liquid to effortlessly seep through and corrode the floor all the way down. Witnessing the strange potency of this poison, Doctor Mo could no longer contain his anxiety and began jumping around, shouting in frustration: "Good heavens! When did he learn to prepare such a potent toxin? I never taught him anything like this—I always thought he was merely a regular immortal who used simple sedatives. This young man is truly ruthless—he has turned cold and forgotten his own promises." Unaware that he had startled Doctor Mo, Han Li returned to his room and immediately collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep, restful sleep. Today had been a day of tremendous transformation, and his body and mind were utterly drained—he urgently needed rest to recover. With renewed energy, Han Li slowly awoke from his sleep. The eastern sky was beginning to lighten, indicating that he had indeed slept well into the next morning. Sitting up straight, Han Li did not get out of bed but instead supported his chin with both hands, his arms resting on his thighs, pondering how to escape Doctor Mo's control. Clearly, over the course of the past year, he had been safe—Doctor Mo, concerned for his own life, would certainly not harm him and would instead go out of his way to protect him. However, the question of his safety beyond one year remained uncertain. As for the "Changchun Technique," Han Li need not worry—just a few days ago, he had mastered its fourth level, and by next year, he was certain to achieve the fifth level without any further effort. The issue with the corpse-feeding pills was quite manageable—once he demonstrated his cultivation progress to the other party, he could simply demand that they provide him with the antidote before they themselves required treatment. The other party would surely not want to offend him over such a matter. Suddenly, Han Li remembered something. He reached into his robes and produced a bottle of medicine, poured out a pill of jade-green hue, and swallowed it whole. After a while, when the effects began to take hold, he settled into a quiet state of inner observation. "Hmph! This old ink-worm, Master Mo, truly hasn't deceived himself—his renowned Qingling Powder, capable of counteracting a hundred kinds of poisons, proves utterly ineffective against this pill. It seems we'll have to wait until next year to secure the antidote," Han Li murmured, slightly frustrated. After placing the medicine bottle back into his chest, he rose from the bed and went down to the floor beneath it. Circling the only table in the room, he slowly walked around, arms behind his back, while continuing to ponder the various issues in his mind. To be honest, Han Li didn't fully believe what Mo Doctor had said—he knew there must be many inaccuracies. Though he was aware of this, he couldn't resist due to the pressure from the doctor's relatives. He remained deeply doubtful about whether Mo Doctor would truly uphold his promises one year from now. If the commitment were truly as simple as claimed, then Han Li would have had no need to resist at all. But he feared that Mo Doctor might have concealed certain unfavorable details, and once those were revealed, he might be turned against and struck down without any preparation. After反复 thinking through the matter over and over, Han Li found no satisfactory solution. Now, he found himself in a state of mutual apprehension—Mo Doctor worried that Han Li's lack of dedication would jeopardize his own life, while Han Li feared that once Mo Doctor removed his personal concerns, he would then act decisively and deliver a severe blow. He could have used this leverage to pressure his opponent, making them hesitant to act—so long as he held onto the lifeline of their relatives. But now that his opponent had tightened their grip on these vital connections, he could only retreat and yield, helpless. "Is it really going to come down to me depending on their mercy, hoping they'll show leniency when it's time to act?" Han Li felt increasingly discouraged. "No, absolutely not. My fate must never rest in the hands of others' whims. To completely entrust everything to someone else's judgment is the most foolish thing one can do." He immediately dismissed this thought. After much deliberation, Han Li came up with a solution that, while not truly effective, was merely a compromise. He intended to strengthen his own capabilities from multiple angles, systematically build up his own advantages, and thereby establish a sense of deterrence against the opponent. Even if the opponent decided to take action, he would then have the means to defend himself. Indeed, this was a rather clumsy strategy—one that relied solely on passive defense, leaving himself open to being struck first. But now, this is the only viable and well-considered approach. After settling on it, Han Li decided to go outside. He pushed open the door and stepped onto the open courtyard, lazily stretching his arms and yawned. Facing the crisp morning breeze and gazing at the sun rising halfway over the horizon, he felt a surge of confidence: "My own fate must remain firmly in my hands—never to be manipulated by others."