Doctor’s Rebirth

Chapter 123

‘Although I defeated a peak expert, thinking about it, it’s because I had a slight advantage in compatibility. If it had been a type focused on speed and variations among peak experts, I would have lost.’

The opponent was not inferior in internal energy, practical experience, or anything else.

Even his offer to give the first move while pretending to be generous wasn’t a proposal made out of carelessness.

Judging by how he seemed to know about the Zhuge family’s Heaven’s Foresight, he must have studied it in advance.

However, he didn’t know what kind of destructive power could be created when using the same martial art in a different way.

With Jin Cheon-hee’s level of Taiji Immortal-Destruction Sword, he couldn’t penetrate the opponent’s Old Tree Demonic Arts.

If it had been his master, he would have shattered him in the first exchange and dissected this Blood Demon for research material in the second.

Later, he might be able to behead him to send him off peacefully.

Anyway, he seemed likely to cut off an arm to see a cross-section.

According to the setting, demon techniques corrupt the mind.

What’s more frightening about demon techniques is that they don’t stop at that but also transform the body.

Guys with scales growing on their bodies or arms glowing red-hot?

They appear occasionally.

But a sane mind with only the body transformed?

This is quite rare.

In that sense, the arm of the Old Tree Blood Demon who mastered the Old Tree Demonic Arts is enough to arouse Master’s academic curiosity, and villains in this era have no human rights.

It’s a stroke of luck, if you can call it that, that this guy didn’t run into Master.

Although Jin Cheon-hee didn’t want it, he did get to see a cross-section when he shattered the arm.

It was very strange, seeming like a human arm yet like an arm made of minerals.

Demon techniques allow one to become strong faster than general martial arts, but their side effects are also severe.

‘I guess there will be more guys like this in the future?’

The Demonic Cult, the origin of demon techniques.

The struggle of the young sect masters. When the Heavenly Demon Blood Road begins, more demon sect members will come out.

Yeo Ha-ryoon, being the protagonist, will probably stay relatively sane(?) and preserve his handsome appearance, but who knows about the other young sect masters.

‘I need to become stronger. As quickly as possible.’

The fight with the Old Tree Blood Demon became great fertilizer within Jin Cheon-hee.

Jin Cheon-hee checked each of the weapons he possessed one by one.

Profound Origin Divine Technique.

Its specialty is accelerating thought to allow breaking down the opponent’s martial arts.

As a bonus, it’s a divine technique that enhances brain functions such as improving memory and increasing judgment.

‘It played a big role in defeating the Old Tree Blood Demon this time too.’

If you can’t break through the Old Tree Demonic Arts with force, how about using the principle of thermal expansion?

Making that judgment was also thanks to the Profound Origin Divine Technique, and being able to come up with that idea in such a short time was crucial to this victory.

Five-Elemental Divine Technique.

It can create and use all the energies of the world through the combination of five energies.

Befitting the Zhuge family, it can show the power of myriad changes.

Its characteristic is its high applicability, usable in both medical arts and sword techniques.

‘I needed ice energy and fire energy to test thermal expansion.’

Without the Five-Elemental Divine Technique, it would have been impossible to execute.

The Five-Elemental Divine Technique played a big role in bringing accelerated thoughts into reality.

With the rebirth of bones and shedding of skin, the entire body’s meridians could quickly accept, combine, and release energy according to Jin Cheon-hee’s will.

If other people’s internal energy moves along country roads, Jin Cheon-hee’s body is like a modern asphalt-paved highway.

Combined with Heaven’s Foresight, he could protect his body while combining internal energy.

‘If I hadn’t polished the basics from the Three-Elements Stride Technique, I would have died.’

Stubbornly working on just the basics was the right choice.

If the Three-Elements Stride Technique had been inadequate, the higher-level Heaven’s Foresight would naturally have been inadequate too.

‘Certainly. The Profound Origin Divine Technique, Five-Elemental Divine Technique, and Heaven’s Foresight, these three divine techniques are inseparable core martial arts of the Zhuge family.’

It’s not for nothing that they’re one of the Eight Great Families, even after suffering misfortune.

Their hidden potential was tremendous.

Lastly, the Taiji Immortal-Destruction Sword.

This sword technique, which contains the principles of speed, swiftness, and illusion, was also worthy of being called a divine technique.

‘While dodging, I continuously scratched the Old Tree Blood Demon’s arms and dealt damage. And then the final blow.’

It was a basic middle thrust, but it clearly contained the subtleties of the Taiji Immortal-Destruction Sword.

It’s disappointing that it’s still lacking, but the basics are more solid than anyone else’s.

The next step is to train through countless practical battles in the future.

It’s like tempering iron by striking it.

‘There’s also the poison technique.’

Five Elements Mutual Overcoming Poison.

A martial art meant more for self-protection than for poisoning others.

Just the immunity to all poisons gained through the Five Elements Mutual Overcoming Poison is enough to avoid most tricks in the martial world.

‘As expected, Master’s teachings are amazing. There’s not a single thing he hasn’t prepared for.’

He systematically taught Jin Cheon-hee so that nothing would be lacking.

Especially to answer the question, ‘How to defeat someone stronger than yourself?’

Master passed on all those tools to his disciple.

‘Hmm, I hope he doesn’t find out about the fight with the Old Tree Blood Demon. But rumors will spread soon, won’t they?’

Fortunately, Jin Cheon-hee fled by ship.

By the time rumors spread and people start looking for his location, Jin Cheon-hee would have already flown far away like a mountain bird.

“Now then, from here on, how should I become stronger?”

Jin Cheon-hee’s thoughts moved steadily to the next step.

‘First, eating spirit medicines to increase internal energy is basic.’

For martial artists, internal energy is their rank and power level indicator.

In modern terms, it’s like the amount of fuel in a car.

It’s surprising that Jin Cheon-hee won; usually, battles are often decided by the difference in internal energy.

This time too, if it had been a prolonged battle, Jin Cheon-hee would have certainly lost.

‘Next is martial art boost or item boost, I guess.’

Martial arts are like a car’s engine.

No matter how much fuel you have, the speed is determined by the difference in engines.

That’s how important martial arts are.

Item boost is like a car’s design.

Even with the same engine, there will inevitably be a speed difference between a modern carbon fiber sports car designed with aerodynamics in mind and a 1959 Volkswagen Beetle.

In this world where internal energy is the power level indicator, item boost also has a significant impact.

It’s not for nothing that people in the martial world go around shouting about divine weapons.

‘For martial arts, the Dual Mind Technique and the Prajna Diamond Body Technique. These two should be enough.’

The Dual Mind Technique is a divine technique that allows one to split their thoughts into two.

This is Jin Cheon-hee, who has already mastered the Profound Origin Divine Technique.

In computer terms, it’s like being able to run programs on dual cores.

‘But the danger is a problem.’

Techniques that touch on thought always carry the risk of mental illness.

‘The question is how to reduce the risk and cherry-pick only what I want.’

This was a way of thinking possible because he was a modern person.

Next is the Prajna Diamond Body Technique.

‘This is the best external technique. If I master this, my body will become even harder than the Old Tree Blood Demon who mastered the Old Tree Demonic Arts, without side effects.’

Compared to the Dual Mind Technique, it’s full of benefits with extremely low risk, a real jackpot.

‘My current external technique isn’t bad, but it’s better to evolve it one step further. It’s truly a peerless external technique.’

Now then, let’s see how these two martial arts were mentioned in the novel.

Jin Cheon-hee used the Profound Origin Divine Technique to recall the contents of the novel.

As if searching for information in a search engine in his head, he input various search terms and listed everything that came to mind without order. Then he searched and filtered by relevance.

Jin Cheon-hee, who accomplished this in a short time, came to a conclusion.

‘The novel mentions where the remains of the missing previous generation master of the Wudang Sect who knew the Dual Mind Technique are located.’

There was a mention of some demon head in the martial world finding and learning it.

‘How do I learn the Prajna Diamond Body Technique? Is it from Shaolin Temple after all?’

But of course, they wouldn’t reveal a peerless martial art to outsiders.

‘This… will require reputation, favors, and fortuitous encounters.’

Reputation is being built up.

The remaining two are not up to Jin Cheon-hee’s power, so there’s no other answer but to wait and see.

‘Well, I’ll think about the Prajna Diamond Body Technique later. If it doesn’t work out, I can find another external technique.’

It’s just that I narrowed it down to the strongest in terms of external techniques, but there’s no rule saying you must learn only the top priority.

Jin Cheon-hee pushed that part to the very last order.

First is the Heavenly Thunder Hawk. Then the Dual Mind Technique. And then other spirit medicines.

He could act in that order.

Jin Cheon-hee organized his thoughts like that internally.

Woof! – Master, I smell land.

“Huh? Already?”

Jin Cheon-hee enhanced his vision and looked at the horizon.

In the distance, islands began to faintly appear.

Soon. They will arrive at the Zhoushan Archipelago.

***

The ship entered the Zhoushan Archipelago.

Zhoushan Archipelago.

A sea of islands, with as many as 1,300 islands.

Only a small portion of these islands have been named.

On one of these islands in the Zhoushan Archipelago lies Mount Putuo, and on that Mount Putuo is the Putuo Temple.

It’s one of the Buddhist holy sites and a magnificent place where mountains, sea, and islands come together.

The main source of income for the island residents is, naturally, fishing.

Thanks to the numerous islands, fishing resources are abundant.

Because of this, people in this area could live without starving by digging for clams or catching fish.

Moreover, the pearls harvested in the Zhoushan Archipelago are famous for their unique and beautiful colors, beloved by high-ranking individuals.

But that’s about it. Small islands scattered like pebbles in the sea.

It’s not a bustling place like Hangzhou, and even the largest port has only a couple of inns at most.

Plus, since there are only a handful of islands easily accessible by boat, other sects rarely set their sights on this region.

And now. Jin Cheon-hee has just arrived at Mount Putuo and is looking around to buy a small boat.

He doesn’t have any particular business with the Putuo Temple, so he hasn’t entered the mountain.

Moreover, since there are quite a few people making pilgrimages to Mount Putuo, Jin Cheon-hee as an outsider shouldn’t stand out too much.

That’s right. Originally, he wouldn’t have.

Woof woof! – Master, quickly give me that dried fish! Swift ration supply!

If it weren’t for Hwanggu.

For some unknown reason, Hwanggu had grown so large that he could now be called a wolf.

On the other hand, his face with folded ears and gentle expression caught quite a bit of attention from others.

Add to that Jin Cheon-hee’s beauty, which was already good to begin with but had become even more refined after his rebirth of bones and shedding of skin.

A beautiful young man who seemed like you might never see again in your lifetime, carrying a medicine box on his back, characteristic of wandering doctors in the martial world, attracted a lot of attention.

To top it off, with a sword at his waist, he looked exactly like someone walking around with ‘I am a martial artist’ written on his face.

“There’s no one willing to sell a boat. What should we do, Hwanggu?”

Woof woof! – Master, more importantly. Quickly give me that dried fish!

Jin Cheon-hee eventually bought something similar to dried pollock and threw it to Hwanggu.

Munch munch. – Master. Loyalty loyalty!

Today too, Hwanggu was burning with loyalty in front of food.

“Yes, eat a lot. What do human worries have to do with you? Furry friends are innocent.”

He needed a boat to explore the surroundings to find the Heavenly Thunder Hawk.

If there was a battle, the boat might be used roughly, so buying was better than renting.

‘And there are no fishermen willing to lend either. From the fishermen’s perspective, boats are their livelihood, so it can’t be helped?’

Since it’s not a bustling place, merchant ships don’t come and go often either. And even if he got on a merchant ship, these people wouldn’t go to an uninhabited island, so that’s also a problem.

‘Ah, it’s worrying. It’s a concern.’

Jin Cheon-hee’s brow furrowed.

At that moment, someone approached Jin Cheon-hee.

Woof! – Master. It’s a big human who smells of incense!