As for the other spell, the "Heavenly Eye Technique," Han Li had developed high expectations for it after witnessing the remarkable power of the "Fire Bullet Technique."
But after actually casting it, Han Li realized that this spell was nothing more than a minor trick of applying Magical Power to one's eyes — it had no difficulty to speak of and was incredibly easy to pick up.
Still, its utility was commensurate with its simplicity — it was purely a supportive spell used to observe whether a person's body contained Magical Power, and to gauge the depth of that power.
At first, Han Li was quite enthusiastic about it, repeatedly casting the "Heavenly Eye Technique" on his own eyes and then using his empowered vision to observe his body's condition. What he saw was a faint layer of white light enveloping him, and the closer to his Dantian, the thicker the white light appeared.
So this was what they called Magical Power. After seeing it, Han Li couldn't help but reach out and try to touch the white light, but he felt nothing at all. It seemed that Magical Power, like true qi, was formless and intangible — only visible under the "Heavenly Eye Technique."
However, after using it several times in succession, Han Li completely lost interest in it.
After all, in the entire Seven Mysteries Sect, he was the only one who could even be considered a half-cultivator. Who was he supposed to look at with the "Heavenly Eye Technique"? He couldn't just spend all day narcissistically staring at himself!
So, aside from continuing to intensify his practice of the "Fire Bullet Technique" in hopes of mastering it for actual combat, Han Li shifted his interest to the other spells he hadn't yet learned, beginning to practice and experiment with them bit by bit, hoping to make further breakthroughs.
At the thought of how difficult it would be to master the remaining spells, Han Li — who had only just recovered a little strength — couldn't help but sigh once more. He realized that ever since he'd started practicing spellwork, he'd been sighing far more often than before.
"Dong — dong —"
A deep, resonant bell toll drifted in from outside the valley.
Han Li furrowed his brow. Lately, for some unknown reason, it seemed like the number of people coming to seek medical treatment had suddenly increased, and most of them had severed limbs, sword wounds, and similar external injuries.
He didn't dare delay — after all, saving a life was as urgent as fighting a fire. He grabbed his pre-packed medical kit, left his room, and headed straight for the valley entrance.
At the edge of the woods outside the valley, Han Li spotted a senior disciple dressed in brocade robes, pacing anxiously back and forth beneath the great bell, as frantic as an ant on a hot pan.
The moment he caught sight of Han Li, his face lit up with joy and he hurried over.
"Doctor Han, thank heavens you're here! My master has been poisoned with a deadly toxin and is on the verge of death. Please, hurry and come see if you can neutralize this poison!"
When the man drew closer, Han Li realized he looked somewhat familiar — he'd seen him a few times before. This was Ma Rong, the prized disciple of Elder Li, who ranked fifth in the sect. Ma Rong had accompanied his master to Divine Hand Valley on several occasions and had met Han Li a few times, so he could be considered a half-acquaintance.
"Poisoned?" Han Li followed the man at a quick pace, inwardly groaning about his rotten luck as he asked for the details — after all, he himself still hadn't been able to get rid of the poison lurking in his own body.
"Yes. My master was handling some business down the mountain when he got into a fight with an expert from the Wild Wolf Gang. He was struck by one of the man's hidden projectiles but didn't think much of it at first — he even managed to kill his opponent. But as soon as he returned to the mountain, the poison flared up and he collapsed unconscious."
"Have you consulted any of the other doctors?"
"Of course I have. If it were an ordinary poisoning, I wouldn't have come to bother Doctor Han. Those quacks couldn't tell me anything beyond the fact that my master was poisoned with an uncommon toxin — they didn't even dare prescribe a single remedy." As Ma Rong spoke, his face was filled with contempt; he was clearly very dissatisfied with the other doctors.
After hearing this, Han Li's expression didn't change — he merely gave a noncommittal "Mm" and continued hurrying along with the man, though inwardly he was starting to have his doubts.
Truthfully, detoxification was really not his forte. If it came to treating internal or external injuries, he had a fair amount of confidence thanks to several excellent medicines. But if he was asked to counteract some rare, potent poison, he was completely out of his depth.
He did, after all, possess "Clear Spirit Powder," a miraculous medicine said to neutralize all poisons. But the world was full of countless toxic substances — who knew whether Clear Spirit Powder would be effective against this particular poison? Moreover, the other doctors on the mountain were not useless incompetents; they had their own specialized methods for treating wounds and detoxifying, which were common ailments in the Jianghu. Otherwise, they would have been driven off the mountain long ago by the sect's powerful figures — those leaders cherished their own lives far too much to keep a bunch of charlatans around.
But now they didn't even dare to prescribe a single remedy — this showed the poison was truly formidable and far from ordinary. All he could do was adapt as the situation demanded. Even if he failed to save the patient, it wouldn't damage his reputation. After all, no miracle doctor could claim to cure every ailment under the sun, and it wouldn't have much impact on his standing within the sect.
Just as Han Li was carefully weighing his options, Ma Rong was practically half-carrying him, hurrying along at a near run while tugging urgently at his sleeve, racing toward Elder Li's quarters.
Watching his frantic manner, Han Li could tell that the bond between master and disciple ran truly deep.
A trace of melancholy stirred in Han Li's heart, for he thought of his own relationship with Doctor Mo — nominally master and disciple, yet in truth adversaries. If only they could have gotten along as harmoniously as Ma Rong and his master, things would have been so much better.
Deep down, he had always held a degree of respect for Doctor Mo. After all, his considerable medical skills and the Eternal Spring Technique had both been passed down by that man.
But fate had played its cruel hand. Heaven decreed that the two of them could not coexist peacefully, and in the end they had fought to the death — resulting in Doctor Mo's accidental demise at Han Li's own hands.
While Han Li was lost in these wistful reflections, Ma Rong had already led him to Elder Li's residence.
(End of chapter)