Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 135

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 135
‘Bringing it directly to my dantian like this is dangerous.’
Just as a river washes away filth, I circulated my inner energy through the heavenly cycle, covering the toxins as they flowed.
Though I called it washing away, the poison was also part of this vast river.
No matter how vicious the water snake, within the river it ultimately became part of the ecosystem.
Uuuuung—
After understanding my opponent, I attempted to embrace it.
My complexion, which had been shifting like the thousand transformations of heaven, gradually stabilized and began returning to its original jade-like hue.
‘Lose your composure, and you die.’
Elixirs certainly existed to grow stronger, so why did one have to risk their life?
In the martial arts novels I’d read since childhood, protagonists swallowed elixirs prepared to have their qi and blood burst from a single mistake.
It was the same in Supreme Heavenly Demon.
Opportunities to gain powerful strength were rare, and to seize them, one had to sacrifice part of oneself.
In a way, it resembled an insect’s metamorphosis.
From a poisonous larva to the most vulnerable chrysalis, and finally breaking free with wings.
‘To gain wings, one must stake their life.’
It was the same in my past life. Nothing was different.
Blinded by greed for higher places, countless people sacrificed their fortunes, their families, and friends, only to fail and take their own lives.
‘Fortunately, here I only need to stake my own life.’
I smiled bitterly and continued my cultivation.
* * *
How much time had passed?
I exhaled softly and opened my eyes.
Woof! — Master, I’m hungry!
The moment I unfolded my crossed legs, Hwang-gu licked my face.
“There, there.”
Woof, whine! — While you had your eyes closed, nobody came.
Given how hidden this place was, that seemed likely.
Heukgapoong’s inner core was as impressive as I’d heard.
‘Half a decade’s worth, perhaps.’
With this, my inner energy now totaled one decade and forty years.
It was fair to say that few martial artists throughout Gangho had accumulated inner energy at such a pace.
‘Except for Little Heavenly Demon, since he’s the protagonist.’
Still, in terms of pure inner energy quantity alone, I might be a step ahead.
At least at this point in time, my superior inner energy was certain.
That’s what I thought.
Rising to my feet and looking down at the surrounding landscape, the area below the mountain was clearly visible.
‘A terrain invisible from the outside, yet perfectly visible from within.’
Moreover, it was good for hunting prey, and descending further revealed human settlements—ideal for hunting people as well.
It was a suitable place for Heukgapoong to make his residence.
I didn’t draw my sword, instead channeling Thunder Palm in one hand and Frost Palm in the other.
The stage before releasing a palm strike.
However, restraining it without releasing required considerable control over my inner energy.
Soon, with a dull thud, an awkward palm strike escaped.
I couldn’t contain the overflowing inner force.
“Should I train a bit more here?”
Unlike where I learned the Dual Thought Technique, this place was optimal for cultivation.
Besides, there was still meat left from Heukgapoong, and my animal friends wouldn’t stop until they devoured every last bit.
I stretched grandly and spoke.
“I wonder if Heukgapoong meat would taste delicious prepared as spicy stir-fry. Can’t we make something similar?”
Woof? – What’s spicy stir-fry, master?
Chirp chirp. – It must be something incredibly delicious!
Squawk squawk!! – Just one bite! Just one bite for me too!
They were already pestering me.
I decided to train here until I could properly control my inner energy.
And that evening, we had Central Plains-style Heukgapoong spicy stir-fry.
“You all! I think I have a talent for cooking.”
The rest I stir-fried and mixed with rice.
* * *
Time passed like that.
“Have you all gotten fatter… or just bigger?”
We finally nearly finished the enormous Heukgapoong.
I cut the Heukgapoong shell and fashioned it into a round Central Plains cooking pot—a wok.
It was light yet sturdy, with excellent heat conductivity, making it perfect for a wok. I loaded the wok onto Hwang-gu’s back.
Woof! – Master, I want to eat more.
“I’ll make broth with the remaining jerky for you.”
Hwang-gu before my eyes had now grown even larger than a wolf.
Of course his muscles had grown, but his overall round shape remained the same, making him resemble a bear more than a wolf.
He reminded me of a children’s amusement ride from Earth.
The kind you’d find in a large shopping mall—drop in a coin and it moves with music and mechanical sounds, carrying children. Exactly that size, that chubby roundness.
‘At this rate, he could easily carry a small child on his back.’
With his short, stubby legs like a country dog, his large eyes and chubby cheeks made it even more so.
Chirp chirp. – This morning’s meal was so delicious too!
“I’m glad the spicy kalguksu suits your taste.”
Noeji fluttered his wings and perched on my head.
He already had considerable weight, but now he was even larger.
I spoke.
“If you’re going to perch on me, slim down a bit. I need to see sunlight too.”
Chirp chirp! – Understood.
At my words, Cheonryeong and Noeji’s bodies twisted with a crunching sound.
It was essentially using a form of muscle-draining technique through the spirit creature’s body.
Noeji’s body had shrunk considerably. The young ones were the same.
Squeak! – Mom, hunting is so fun!
Chirp chirp! – When’s lunch?
The young ones had grown quite a bit by now.
According to Noeji, Cheonryeong originally raise their offspring for several years.
Thanks to consuming Heukgapoong, their growth rate was faster than ordinary Cheonryeong.
‘Even so, their numbers are so few that encounters between males and females are rare among Cheonryeong.’
Finally.
I reflected my face in the Pond.
My boyish features had nearly vanished, replaced by those of a young man.
I already knew that martial artists grew faster than ordinary people.
But with over one hundred and forty years’ worth of inner energy compressed into my body, my bones and muscles had developed accordingly.
“Getting stronger is a good thing.”
As for the remaining hard shell of Heukgapoong, I entrusted it to the Woonryong Pyoguk Buntta nearby.
It was remarkable that such a small village had a Pyoguk branch.
‘Next should be White Immortal Ginseng.’
There were four more spiritual medicines that Yeo Ha-ryun’s enemies would consume.
My growth rate exceeded expectations, aided by Hwang-gu and Noeji.
With all this added together, my plans had changed.
Since things had come this far, I intended to consume everything I could.
‘Ha-ryun, your older brother will eat everything your enemies were supposed to consume first.’
I truly was a devoted older brother.
How could such a brother exist in this world? I marveled at myself.
There was one more thing besides.
‘Hyeolseonggyo was stronger than I expected.’
Regardless, they had a high probability of finding my trail.
Considering the Black Lightning Blood Demon was an operational executive, not merely middle management, I needed to grow stronger urgently.
‘And they don’t hesitate at self-destruction either.’
Even in modern Earth, there were those who strapped dynamite to their bodies and detonated themselves for their religion.
This world was no different.
Meeting the Black Lightning Blood Demon’s final crazed gaze, my resolve hardened further.
‘Just not the children… please don’t use the children.’
In Africa and the Middle East, strapping bombs to young children’s bodies to infiltrate enemy lines was not uncommon.
Children were weak and innocent.
When adults brainwashed them into believing they would go to heaven by dying, they accepted it as truth.
They feared death, but feared the violence awaiting them upon return even more.
The Gangho was no different.
Kidnapping young children, brainwashing them, and using them as tools of the sect was common.
If a child appeared and used themselves as a bomb, I feared my mental fortitude as a physician would shatter completely.
‘I might be overthinking this. But what if it actually happens?’
To prevent that, I had no choice but to grow stronger, I thought.
‘My Master once said that power simplifies everything.’
Officials and the martial world are separate; the law is distant and the blade is near.
An age of savagery.
Humanity still wandered through hell.
Woof? – Master, your expression is strange.
“Mm. I was thinking about what I need to do next.”
‘Good. Let’s go.’
I launched my body technique and vanished from that spot.
Sixty years of inner energy cultivation. Combined with the Five Elements Divine Art and the Mudang Sect’s Dual Thought Technique, my speed was incomparable.
Remarkably, the spirit creatures chased after me.
Their speed and tracking techniques were flawless.
* * *
Woof? – Aren’t you coming out?
Chirp chirp! – But sitting feels so good!
Noeji clung to me without letting go.
The way it lazily made excuses was exactly like a parrot I’d seen on some video platform in my past life.
Fortunately, Noeji wasn’t a destructive creature, so aside from plucking a few of my hairs, it was manageable.
I stopped by a nearby village to report to my Master that I’d gained sixty years of inner energy cultivation, and brought another gift.
No true master would reject a disciple growing so rapidly.
A proper master should cheer me on to rampage further, but I found satisfaction in slightly easing my Master’s worries.
‘I hope you’re doing well…’
Since I was constantly moving, I hadn’t received a reply, but I believed my Master was well.
The people around him might be grinding their teeth, but that was fine.
That’s what a typical master is like.
Just in case he only ate the grain-avoidance pills, I asked him to have some simple egg porridge.
I knew that when I asked so earnestly, he would grumble about my meddling but reluctantly comply.
‘He enjoys my concern for him too.’
He had a somewhat childish side.
After sending letters and supplies to the Pyoguk this way,
I rushed forward again.
White Immortal Ginseng!
One of the Four Great Spirit Medicines.
I destroyed several mountain strongholds along the way and finally reached a deep mountain where the path had been cut off.
‘The White Immortal Ginseng is said to be located around the waist of a mountain peak that looks like a crouching tiger when viewed from above.’
In truth, such a clue was terribly vague.
It would normally require a month of persistent tracking.
Though this was progress, I decided to take a shortcut.
I used Noeji to search extensively for a shape matching the novel’s description, and managed to find a similar mountain peak.
After that, I fed Hwang-gu some dried meat and gave him an order.
“Search everywhere around here for anything that smells like ginseng.”
I let Hwang-gu catch the scent of ginseng, then released him.
And I followed behind him.
Woof! – Master, this one!
“Hmm, this is just… wild ginseng. Let’s use it to nourish my Master.”
There were several false alarms.
And finally, beneath the cliff where an ancient pine stood, Hwang-gu barked among the piles of fallen needles.
Woof! – Master, this smells like mushrooms too. Something’s strange!
I carefully descended below the cliff.
‘They said the efficacy diminishes if the roots are damaged, didn’t they?’
Even if it’s a false alarm, it doesn’t matter. I can just nourish my Master instead.
I used Wind Technique with one hand to slowly scatter the fallen leaves.
Simultaneously, I used Earth Technique with my other hand to keep the ground from trembling.
Thanks to the training in the Heukgapoong Cave, one hundred and forty years of inner power, the Five Elements Divine Art, and the Dual Thought Technique were now in perfect harmony.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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