Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 601
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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 601
My blade transformed into light in an instant, grinding everything around me to dust.
Taeul Danseonggeom Twenty-Four Thunder Strikes!
At blinding speed, I severed the Togyongbyeong and froze them, then charged forward like a supercar in overdrive.
The ground trembled beneath my feet as Togyongbyeong erupted from the earth, but it was only a fleeting moment.
I was already surging ahead, leaving the newly emerged Togyongbyeong unable to catch up.
Now the distance between me and Cho Cheon-gun was merely three jang—about nine meters!
But in that space, a sinister and suspicious aura rose from Cho Cheon-gun’s body like smoke.
The aura was so vivid it was clearly visible to the eye.
It appeared as though crimson smoke was surging from his body.
‘Whatever it is… striking first guarantees victory!’
My blade became a flash of light.
Clang!
The serpent on the Caduceus staff moved of its own accord, blocking my blade.
The metallic snake writhed as if alive, its body wrapped in a peculiar aura.
That aura was pushing back the frigid sword energy my blade released!
‘Cho Cheon-gun… he never appeared like this in the Jicheon Cheonma. No, the current Sip Cheon-gun are quite different from those in the Jicheon Cheonma. Geumgwang Seongmo seems to match the novel’s depiction exactly, but… what exactly went wrong?’
Was this also a butterfly effect?
Pondering this, I retreated half a step backward.
Simultaneously, my blade became a crisscrossing flash of light, but I soon witnessed something astonishing.
Clang-clang! Clack!
The metallic serpent moved to block my blade.
But faster than that, my blade moved, and this time his body twisted at an angle no ordinary person could achieve, evading my strike.
The movement resembled a serpent rather than a human, similar to what Yo Cheon-gun had displayed, yet far superior.
Simultaneously, Life and Death Wisdom and Benevolence failed to read the future properly.
Because Cho Cheon-gun’s body moved as though it were no longer human!
Rapid clashes! Clang!
In mere moments, we exchanged dozens of attacks and defenses, and the shockwaves sent us both flying back one jang apart, eyeing each other warily.
In that brief exchange, Cho Cheon-gun bore wounds from my frigid blade, while my clothes were torn in several places.
‘Wounds on my body, which is half-indestructible… this shouldn’t be possible.’
Fortunately, I wore a Cheonsamsa undergarment beneath my clothes.
‘But what is that…?’
“Hahahaha! Delightful. Truly delightful. You are quite exceptional, aren’t you?”
“Cho Cheon-gun. Those movements that transcend mere martial arts. You’ve modified your body, haven’t you? You’ve abandoned your humanity?”
“Correct. But saying I abandoned humanity is wrong. I’ve simply become a superior existence as a human.”
“A superior existence as a human?”
“Indeed. The Blood Dragon Body is a secret technique of Hyeolseonggyo, but do you know that even within the cult, few could properly create it? In truth, those who use it don’t even properly understand their own secret techniques.”
A strange sound echoed.
His wounds were making a hissing noise as they rapidly healed.
Smoke rose from Cho Cheon-gun’s injuries as they closed at an accelerating pace.
It was similar to the appearance Dong Cheon-gun had shown in the past.
Moreover.
Through the tears in his clothing, his skin revealed blue scales protruding across its surface.
“The Blood Dragon Body is a forbidden technique that grafts a dragon’s physiology onto a human. My body is already half corpse and half homunculus. Since I possess the genetic factors of the Blood Dragon Body, I have transcended humanity itself!”
Jin Cheon-hee felt his spine tingle with dread.
Merely immortality.
He claimed he had come seeking immortality.
When he had disguised himself as Saint Germain, he had said something similar.
-Ah, I am from the Western Continent. I heard there was an elixir of immortality in the Eastern Continent, so I came seeking it.
But was he truly committing such atrocities merely for that?
“Behold. Formidable regenerative power. Combined with flexibility and strength that surpass humanity. And the forces of sorcery and martial arts are now unified within me! Ah! You do not know what a homunculus is? It is….”
“I am aware. An artificial lifeform created by alchemists.”
“Kh…. Truly erudite. Indeed, you are the seed of Banson. Banson’s seed, Jin Cheon-hee! If you were to study this power, you could obtain the knowledge you so desperately desire—to heal all people! Then you could bring heaven itself down to this earth!”
“I refuse. Free things make you go bald.”
In my first life, I had already refused such things once before.
I had rejected every promise the Hyeolseon Gyoju made, so why would Cho Cheon-gun be any different?
“The sacrifice of the few for the many is always inevitable. To refuse this—are you truly nothing but a misguided hypocrite?”
Cho Cheon-gun seemed to possess his own philosophy.
But had I not already witnessed what the sacrifice of the few for the many meant in the mines?
“Spare me the nonsense. What value lies in knowledge obtained by sacrificing others as offerings?”
“Hoo, will you stop me? Even if it means killing me?”
At those words, I nodded.
“I have made my decision. I cannot allow innocent people to die any longer.”
If I were ever to stain my hands with blood, I had resolved it would be with the blood of Hyeolseon.
They had abducted commoners and conducted human experiments upon them.
Having witnessed what they had done to offer greater sacrifices, there was no turning back. And….
‘They all died. Ha-ryun too, Gongseon Yeong as well… everyone here….’
I had already experienced through death how powerful the enemy before me was.
I possessed neither the luxury nor the practical ability to show mercy.
The Doctor had abandoned the hope of living peacefully in old age.
‘I will sever this life.’
Having lived through both past and present lives, spanning no short duration, I already knew that right and wrong in this world were merely differences in perspective.
In each moment, each instant.
I could only strive to leave no regrets upon my conscience.
If I failed to stop this, sleeping at night would become even more difficult.
“Ohhhhh…! The seed of Banson, famous for upholding the doctrine of non-killing, will kill with your own hands. How exhilarating!”
Rather, Cho Cheon-gun seemed to be delighting in my resolve.
“Then let us engage in a true life-and-death struggle! Not a false one, but a genuine fight where we kill and are killed!”
The Togyongbyeong began attacking from behind once more.
Cho Cheon-gun closed the distance from the front.
I met my opponent with the greatest martial arts I could muster.
Transcendent Martial Arts Benevolence.
Transcendent Martial Arts Life and Death Wisdom.
But this time, I did not direct it toward my enemy.
I did not foresee Cho Cheon-gun’s movements, strength, or direction.
Instead, I turned Transcendent Martial Arts upon myself.
‘Is this the true meaning of a microcosm?’
When I was a young child within the dream realm, had I not unconsciously unleashed a genuine heart-sword?
And now, with the martial wisdom gained from experiencing death itself.
At that time, the Hyeolseon Gyoju’s movements were not something I could evade even if I predicted his abilities.
Rather, I realized the crucial element lay not in my opponent, but in my own blade.
Therefore, I calculated every ounce of power and direction throughout my entire body.
I felt the biting cold passing through my skin. The creaking of muscle and bone beneath the flesh. I became aware of the surging flow of blood.
Simultaneously, I calculated how I would trace my sword path through fragmented moments of time, calculating again and again until I forged the perfect answer.
The instant the answer crystallized, my sword energy compressed, then compressed again.
The Bing Jeong Sword responded to its master’s sword energy.
Uuuuung—
I felt the trembling Bing Jeong Sword.
Even that sensation felt strangely fresh. Within this vastly expanded world, I thought.
‘Ah, I see. Knowing myself came before knowing my opponent.’
I gathered my enlightenment into a single point and drew my blade.
Taeul Danseonggeom Martial Arts Technique—Flowing Cloud Pierces Heaven!!
A blade faster than sound followed.
That fierce sword was something even Cho Cheon-gun could not perceive.
Screech—!
Beneath Cho Cheon-gun’s chest, a sword mark the size of a human head appeared.
Simultaneously, it began to freeze along the edges of that wound.
Crackle—
I myself was startled by that power and my eyes widened.
‘Even accounting for the Bing Jeong Sword’s abilities, it shouldn’t have been this powerful?’
Cho Cheon-gun coughed up blood. Even that blood began to freeze.
“This… martial wisdom… Kekeke… such speed… remarkable. In this physical state, you are the first to kill me in a single strike, you seed of Banson… However, we shall meet again.”
Cho Cheon-gun’s entire body froze solid and shattered, beginning to disappear.
‘Hmph, meet again?’
Perhaps some form of soul transfer technique.
Among the Sip Cheon-gun, those who transfer their souls in this manner are the most troublesome.
Those who repeatedly modify their bodies lose their minds and resort to such alchemy, naturally incurring severe side effects.
‘Setting aside the gradual descent into madness, I’ve heard they must abandon reincarnation after death.’
The Jicheon Cheonma doesn’t mention much about the afterlife, but there have been several mentions of Buddhist concepts of reincarnation.
Particularly, once one masters this technique of transferring one’s soul, there will be no messenger to guide them after death.
If no messenger of death comes to collect that soul, it will inevitably be devoured by other malevolent spirits.
‘The Hyeolseon Gyoju is a complete mess. But….’
I gazed down at the corpse Cho Cheon-gun had abandoned.
‘This could be useful for research.’
Didn’t Baekrin Uiseon’s research laboratory possess ‘those cells’?
I had suggested calling them Dong Cheon cells, but all the researchers at the Medical Guild simply referred to them as ‘those cells’.
‘Jiangshi, homunculus, blood dragon body chimera….’
Truly a fusion of Eastern and Western folklore, wasn’t it?
Though I couldn’t fathom how this was possible, if utilized properly, it could open new horizons for human knowledge.
Whoosh—
I placed a cigarette between my lips and swiftly extracted tissue samples from Cho Cheon-gun’s corpse.
The contents could deteriorate, so freshness was paramount. I didn’t forget to immediately inject the cryogenic agent as well.
When I turned around, Yeo Ha-ryun’s hand was piercing through the Young Lord’s heart.
Crack!
The Young Lord gasped and stared at Yeo Ha-ryun.
But Yeo Ha-ryun’s expression remained indifferent as he swung his other hand horizontally.
Slash!
The Young Lord’s head separated from his body and rolled across the ground.
Having slain the blood dragon body that was once the Young Lord, Yeo Ha-ryun nodded once toward me, then looked to the side.
In the direction of his gaze stood the maddened Gungju, clashing with the Yongrin People.
“Kraaaaaaah!”
From his blade streamed the extreme yin energy of the Binbaek Divine Technique, manifesting as a powerful force that extended in thick strands.
Gongseon Yeong was countering with sword force, but I could see ice forming and shattering across various parts of her clothing due to the extreme yin energy.
Meanwhile.
The Prince and the Holy Maiden faced the elite forces of the Hyeolseon Gyoju.
Even with Cho Cheon-gun fallen, they pressed forward without hesitation.
But then.
Yeo Ha-ryun descended upon them.
Crack! Snap!
His both hands simultaneously broke the necks of two Hyeolseon Yongrin People.
“The situation is unfavorable! Retreat!”
Only after those two fell did the elite forces of the Hyeolseon Gyoju swiftly create distance and flee toward the palace gates.
Now only the Gungju remained!
In any case, once we dealt with the Gungju, everything would be finished.
But who should kill the Gungju?
The greatest dilemma remained.
‘The Holy Maiden cannot kill her own father.’
In this sword-wielding Confucian society, for a child to kill their own father was an unfilial act impossible for any sane person.
No matter how much her father conducted live human experiments and regarded commoners as mere weeds.
Under the doctrine of filial piety, no sane person could commit the act of killing their own father.
Normally, they would simply confine them.
‘Of course, Ha-ryun wouldn’t care about such things…’
But that didn’t mean I would stand idle and do nothing.
‘I’ll fight the Gungju!’
I steeled myself and drew the Bing Jeong Sword.
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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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