Light Novel: Volume 20 Episode 21
Manhwa: N/A

“Ah!”

Hong Ye-seol exclaimed in surprise.

Pyo-wol, who had now opened his eyes, was staring intently at her.

She rubbed her eyes and looked again, thinking she saw wrong, but sure enough, Pyo-wol was indeed looking straight at her.

“What the hell? You’re already up?”

“Didn’t you tell me to wake up?”

“So you opened your eyes?”

“I regained consciousness a little earlier. I just didn’t open my eyes because I was sorting out my thoughts.”

“You’re so mean!”

Hong Ye-seol rolled her eyes.

Lying down, Pyo-wol asked her.

“What about the Hundred Wraith Union?”

“I’ve taken care of it… I’m now its leader.”

“You must have had a hard time.”

“A bit. How about you?”

“I’m good.”

“Are you really okay?”

Hong Ye-seol looked at Pyo-wol skeptically.

If he were really okay, Pyo-wol would have already gotten up from the floor. 

Pyo-wol closed his eyes for a moment to check his physical condition.

An unidentifiable burning energy was surging through his body.

It was a combination of Nam Shin-woo’s blood and the divine doctor’s Life and Death Returning Soul Technique. The powerful life force in Nam Shin-woo’s blood had been maximized by the Life and Death Returning Soul Technique

This had pushed Pyo-wol’s body to the brink of bursting.

Even the divine doctor who performed the technique had not anticipated this outcome.

Now was the critical moment.

Pyo-wol opened his eyes and said to Hong Ye-seol.

“Help me sit up, please.”

“Okay!”

Hong Ye-seol supported Pyo-wol’s back and helped him sit up.

Pyo-wol crossed his legs and said,

“I need to meditate. Can you guard me?”

“Guard you?”

“You’re the only one I can trust right now.”

“Don’t worry. I will protect you.”

Hong Ye-seol responded with a bright smile.

“Then, I’m counting on you.”

Pyo-wol immediately closed his eyes and began to meditate.

Time was of the essence.

If he couldn’t control the raging energy within his body immediately, he would burst open like a bag filled with wind.

Pyo-wol employed the Thunder-Splitting Snake Spirit Cultivation Technique.

His body felt scorching hot.

It was as if a snake made of fire was slithering through his veins.

It was hard to control his internal energy.

He felt a burning pain in his veins.

The greatest pain a human can experience is scorching pain.

The agony of being burned.

That was exactly the kind of pain Pyo-wol was feeling right now.

Yet, his expression remained unchanged.

He had been accustomed to pain from a young age.

Living itself was a torment for Pyo-wol, so this level of pain was familiar to him.

Endurance and patience.

These were the two things Pyo-wol was most confident in.

Crack! Crack!

The sound of bones hitting each other emanated from Pyo-wol’s body.

Hong Ye-seol watched him with a tense expression.

It wasn’t just the sound of bones, Pyo-wol’s muscles were spasming uncontrollably.

It was clear that something unusual was happening inside Pyo-wol’s body.

Even at a glance, it was clear that he was at a critical juncture.

Hong Ye-seol involuntarily became nervous.

She knew that any interference at a time like this would most likely lead him to fall victim to qi deviation. 

It was then.

Suddenly, veins bulged out on Pyo-wol’s body.

The protruding veins wriggled like earthworms.

At the same time, an intense heat radiated from his entire body.

“Mm!”

Startled, Hong Ye-seol involuntarily stepped back.

Rumbling!

Pyo-wol’s body shook violently as if there was an earthquake. At the same time, sweat poured out of his pores like rain.

The sweat flowing down his entire body emitted a terrible stench.

Something was transforming within Pyo-wol’s body.

Hong Ye-seol watched him intently, her nerves on edge.

Crack!

At that moment, Pyo-wol’s skin split open.

Like a snake shedding its skin, his outer layer peeled away and fell off.

Hong Ye-seol was well aware of the phenomenon that was occurring in Pyo-wol’s body right now.

‘Bone Transformation.’1

When a martial artist reaches the peak of their cultivation, their body will transform into such a state that is optimally suited for martial arts.

Their bones and muscles would change, and the old skin would fall off, and new skin would emerge. 

It was the transformation of a human being into a new species.

Hong Ye-seol covered her mouth with her hand, watching the scene unfold.

Pyo-wol’s shriveled skin fell away, revealing new skin as smooth as a baby’s.

When Pyo-wol had achieved enlightenment in the underground cavern, he had acquired a body as sleek as a snake. All of his previous scars had been healed and erased, leaving him with smooth skin. However, as he journeyed through Jianghu, his body was once again marked with countless scars.

Some of them had faded, leaving only faint scars, but others were so deep that they could still be seen clearly. This was especially more so with the wounds he’d had recently received from fighting the leader of the Kowloon Assassin Guild.

Pyo-wol’s body had been etched with a web of scars. But with this Bone Transformation, all those scars vanished.

He returned to having skin as pristine and smooth as a baby’s.

“Ah!”

Hong Ye-seol gasped at the unbelievable sight.

Even after shedding his old skin, Pyo-wol didn’t stop circulating his internal energy. 

No, he couldn’t stop.

Because the rampant energy within his body hadn’t calmed down yet. 

If he couldn’t completely control the energy in his body, his veins would burst apart.

Because of this, he hadn’t even realized that he had successfully achieved Body Transformation, and was only focused on circulating his energy. But controlling the surging energy was not easy.

Slither!

It was then that Gwiya made its move.

Gwiya uncoiled itself, climbed on top of Pyo-wol’s body, and then wrapped around his neck.

Gwiya opened its small mouth wide and bit down hard on Pyo-wol’s chest.

“E, Eh?”

Hong Ye-seol’s eyes widened in surprise.

She was about to strike Gwiya with her sword, thinking it was attacking Pyo-wol. However, in that moment, she noticed Pyo-wol’s complexion visibly relaxing.

As Gwiya’s venom entered his body, the intense heat that seemed to be burning him from the inside found a new target.

The scorching aura gradually began to calm down as it burned away Gwiya’s venom.

Pyo-wol’s overheated body also returned to calm.

Only then did  Hong Ye-seol realize Gwiya wasn’t attacking Pyo-wol but rather helping him by injecting its venom.

This also made Pyo-wol earn immunity to Gwiya’s venom. 

Gwiya’s venom could be said to be the ultimate venom.

Having developed immunity to Gwiya’s venom meant Pyo-wol had essentially become invulnerable to all venoms and poisons in the martial world.

At the very least, the venom of the strongest beasts would no longer be able to harm him now. 

“Hoo!”

A moment later, Pyo-wol opened his eyes with a faint sigh.

Seeing the look in his eyes, Hong Ye-seol felt a chill run through her entire body.

The moment she saw the crimson glow in his eyes, her mind went blank, as if spellbound by a snake.

Hong Ye-seol, weathered in the ways of assassination, possessed mental fortitude incomparable to ordinary people. In terms of mental strength alone, she was among the very top in Jianghu, but even she momentarily lost her senses in that instant.

“What on earth…”

* * *

“Come here. I’ll take a look at your wounds.”

At the divine doctor’s words, Eunyo, Do Yeonsan, and Nam Shin-woo approached.

Eunyo was the first to show her injury.

“Tsk! This will leave a scar.”

Having a permanent scar was a huge burden for a woman.

Especially for a young woman like Eunyo. However, the party involved actually seemed unperturbed. 

“It’s okay.”

“The scar would be pretty big though.” 

“I’m a martial artist, so I should expect this much.”

“A martial artist, huh…”

“If I wanted to live an ordinary life, I would have chosen the life of a housewife, not a martial artist.”

“Hmm!”

“I chose this life, so I can handle living with a scar like this.”

“You truly are a martial artist.”

The divine doctor nodded in acknowledgment.

He had thought of Eunyo as a woman, but she considered herself a martial artist first and foremost.

That distinction was significant.

Eunyo was neither afraid nor ashamed of her scars. Seeing her detached attitude, the divine doctor felt a sense of admiration. He applied some medicinal ointment and used acupuncture to regulate the disrupted qi flow in her body. Lastly, he handed her a wrapped pill.

“This is the Blue Vitality Pill. Taking it should quickly heal most internal injuries.”

“Thank you.”

Eunyo immediately consumed the Blue Vitality Pill and started cultivating.

She knew how great the divine doctor’s medicinal skills were, so she didn’t have any doubts regarding the pill’s efficacy.

The next person to be treated by the divine doctor was Do Yeonsan. 

Having fought a fierce battle against the leader of the Blood Wraiths, he was covered in various wounds.

“You’ve suffered a lot.”

“Compared to my brother, it’s nothing.”

“You shouldn’t compare yourself to your brother. Your brother is already beyond the category of a human being. It would be too harsh if you judge yourself based on his terms.”

“I know. But I still wish to be a bit like him.”

“I see.”

As the divine doctor talked to Do Yeonsan, he performed acupuncture on him.

The doctor’s acupuncture was truly remarkable.

Do Yeonsan felt a cooling sensation as soon as the needles were inserted into his body.

The divine doctor finished up by taking a look and tending to Nam Shin-woo’s wounds. In fact, the divine doctor did not even need to treat him, Nam Shin-woo was already recovering so quickly that he did not need any treatment. His healing abilities were beyond imagination.

The Elder Assassin watched wordlessly from the sidelines as the divine doctor treated the three.

Even from just watching him place the needles, it was clear. 

That the doctor was an exceptional physician. 

‘Is there such a physician in the world?’

The Elder Assassin, who prided himself on his knowledge of Jianghu’s known figures, had never heard of the doctor in front of him.

‘Jianghu is indeed full of unique individuals…’

No matter how many people he knew, it didn’t compare to knowing someone with great medical skills, especially someone like the divine doctor. Knowing someone like him was as good as having an extra life.

“Heh!”

The Elder Assassin smiled subtly as he stealthily approached the divine doctor.

The divine doctor’s eyes narrowed in caution. 

“What do you want?”

“Could you take a look at this old man too?”

“Do you have any injuries?”

“Not really, but my energy is waning…”

The divine doctor frowned at the Elder Assassin’s words.

The Elder Assassin looked away, feeling a twinge of guilt. But he didn’t leave the divine doctor’s side.

Seeing the Elder Assassin like that, the divine doctor let out a soft sigh.

He could clearly see through the Elder Assassin’s deceit and intentions, but regardless, the Elder Assassin was still his lifesaver.

If he hadn’t shown up, leading the Black Assassination Squad, he wouldn’t have been able to treat the children like this.

“Hoo!”

Exhaling deeply, the divine doctor took out a Blue Vitality Pill from his pocket.

“The internal injuries you’ve sustained can be cured with this one pill, so use it sparingly.”

“Hehe! Thank you! I will not forget this kindness.”

“Enough! Now, go.”

The divine doctor waved his hand dismissively, but the Elder Assassin didn’t leave.

Holding the pill in his hands, the Elder Assassin spoke in a low voice,

“We’re about the same age, so how about we become friends?”

“Forget it! What need is there for friendship at this age?”

“Come on, let’s be friends. Who knows, I might be of help to you—”

“I don’t need your help.”

“Come on, let’s be friends.”

“Ah! Enough already.”

The divine doctor grimaced, visibly displeased. But that wasn’t enough to shake the Elder Assassin off.

“I really like you.”

“Well, I don’t like you.”

“What can I do to make you like me?”

“If you stay away from me–”

“That’s not an option. Let’s be good friends.”

“This old man really–”

The divine doctor clenched his fist, his shoulders trembling in anger.

But despite the divine doctor’s visibly angry demeanor, the smile on the Elder Assassin’s face never faded.


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