Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: A Gift from the Esteemed Doctor
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Among Byeok Taesan's group fighting the Nine Dragons Gate, the one who shone the brightest was Yeon Harin.
The Soul-Shattering Demonic Sword, a martial art Yeon Harin learned from Byeok Taesan, was exceptionally compatible with spiritual energy.
In the first place, the training process for the Soul-Shattering Demonic Sword began with shattering one's own soul, making it easier to connect with spiritual energy.
For someone like Yeon Harin, Byeok Taesan's training was like giving wings to a tiger.
She accepted spiritual energy on the very first day, and thereafter, her spiritual energy increased dramatically each time she experienced death.
On top of that, thanks to a new training method Byeok Taesan discovered through the Divine Doctor of the Ages, she was able to gain several times more spiritual energy in a short period.
Her ability to handle spiritual energy was also extraordinary, beyond comparison to others.
How powerful would she be, unleashing all that power through the Soul-Shattering Demonic Sword?
The opponents Yeon Harin was currently fighting were eleven warriors from the Nine Dragons Gate, including the Fourth Dragon.
The weapons of the Nine Dragons Gate members were spears, and since each had a different length, they were extremely tricky to fight at first.
And the Fourth Dragon's spear shaft was covered in a scale pattern, as if made from a snake, and whatever material was used, its strength was immense.
Furthermore, the tip of the spearhead was slightly split in two, fashioned like a snake's tongue.
Every time the spear was thrust, a sharp hissing sound, like that of a snake, echoed from it—a very grating noise.
Sshhhk!
Clang!
Yeon Harin lightly parried the Fourth Dragon's spear.
Using the force of the impact, Yeon Harin swung her sword powerfully in the opposite direction.
Shwick!
The thigh of a Nine Dragons Gate member who had just approached was shallowly cut, and blood spurted out.
Then, two other members rushed in, thrusting their spears, and through the gap between them, the Fourth Dragon's spear stealthily penetrated. When such stealth was required, the usual snake-like hiss was absent.
Clang-clang-clang!
Yeon Harin swiftly swung her sword to block them.
It continued like this.
Without sustaining a single injury, Yeon Harin fought the Fourth Dragon and the other members.
And one by one, wounds were being carved into the bodies of the Nine Dragons Gate members.
If things continued this way, unless Yeon Harin's stamina gave out and caused a problem, the fight would ultimately end in her victory.
"Unbelievable. To think there was a woman who could push us this far."
The Fourth Dragon had immense pride in his skills. He was confident that even against one of the Ten Great Masters, he and ten of his subordinates would be enough to win.
Of course, he had never actually fought one, but he possessed that level of confidence.
But being pushed back by a single young woman like her was a great blow to his pride.
With eyes gleaming like a snake's, the Fourth Dragon glared at Yeon Harin, searching for an opening.
Thanks to their unique joint formation, dragging out the fight seemed to be no problem.
*'Fine. Let's see who collapses first. Her internal energy can't be infinite.'*
The Fourth Dragon forcibly suppressed his growing impatience.
One of the reasons the Nine Dragons Gate was strong was their vast internal energy. While it was difficult to unleash it all at once, they were very skilled at using it to prolong a fight.
The movements of the Fourth Dragon and his men began to change slightly.
Yeon Harin saw this and understood their intention. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
She had no intention of losing to anyone in a battle of endurance.
* * *
Thanks to Yeon Harin taking on eleven enemies by herself, the burden on the rest of the group was significantly reduced.
The remaining number of enemies was thirty-one, and among them, only one possessed superior skill.
He wasn't one of the Nine Dragons, but someone on the level of the Fourth Dragon's junior.
He, too, did not fight alone but with ten other members of the Nine Dragons Gate.
And facing them were Jang Gagu and Yuk Taegu.
The skills of these two were truly remarkable.
In truth, if Yeon Harin's talent for spiritual energy hadn't been so exceptional, she would never have been able to perform so spectacularly.
If one were to simply compare their skills without spiritual energy, even Yeon Harin would inevitably fall short of Yuk Taegu and Jang Gagu.
Moreover, having trained together for a long time, their coordination was excellent.
Therefore, even when a formidable master led ten Nine Dragons Gate members against them, they were able to seize the upper hand.
While Jang Gagu and Yuk Taegu kept eleven men occupied, Byeok Taesan's ten maids fought fiercely against five members of the Nine Dragons Gate.
Even though they could use spiritual energy, considering how recently they had begun their martial arts training, it was impossible for them to face five members of the Nine Dragons Gate.
However, at their center was Hwaok.
Hwaok was originally the Uichang branch chief of the Underworld Sect. She had practiced martial arts for quite a long time, and after having her soul essence thoroughly cleansed, she learned the Moon Shadow Demonic Arts, greatly increasing her skill.
Having gained spiritual energy on top of that, how much more could she have grown?
With Hwaok holding the center, the remaining nine maids moved in perfect unison, engaging the Nine Dragons Gate members in a tense battle.
The fight was more intense than anywhere else.
Even if they were just maids who were former courtesans, they had been personally taught special martial arts by Byeok Taesan and could even use spiritual energy.
Furthermore, they were women who had endured Byeok Taesan's hellish training.
Therefore, even the warriors of the Nine Dragons Gate, said to be the best among the three martial factions owned by the Golden Moon Trading Company, could not overwhelm them.
The remaining fifteen members of the Nine Dragons Gate were handled by Cheon Gyeongwan, Yu Seoyeon, the Divine Doctor of the Ages, and the One-Needle Eccentric.
Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon had grown so tremendously that it was meaningless to compare them to when they first met Byeok Taesan.
Moreover, the martial arts they had learned were much more advantageous for coordinated attacks.
The better their coordination, the more their power increased, and right now, their synchronization was nearing its peak.
If a master on par with the Fourth Dragon had been mixed among the fifteen Nine Dragons Gate members they were facing, even Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon would have had a hard time.
But while their numbers were great, there was no master to act as a core, so Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon could handle their enemies with relative ease.
Furthermore, with the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric providing incredibly timely assistance, the battle here was far more one-sided than elsewhere.
"Hahahaha! You bastards! The great Divine Doctor of the Ages is here! Receive this volley of stones bestowed by the esteemed doctor!"
Whoooosh!
The fiercely spinning pebble seemed to suck in all the surrounding air as it flew.
The Divine Doctor's voice was so loud and the pebble's momentum so tremendous that the Nine Dragons Gate members were not hit by it.
However, they were on full alert, as the damage would surely be severe if it did hit, even by a slim chance.
As their attention was diverted by the flying pebble, openings naturally appeared.
And into those openings, the One-Needle Eccentric's needles plunged.
"Keuk!"
"Kuk!"
Several members of the Nine Dragons Gate grimaced and groaned.
Struck by the One-Needle Eccentric's needles, which were imbued with spiritual energy, the affected parts were completely paralyzed and unable to move.
Some couldn't move their legs, while others had their arms paralyzed.
Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon rushed toward those who had been struck by the needles.
The two swung their swords without any regard for their own safety.
Sh-sh-sh-shk!
Swoosh!
The heads of three Nine Dragons Gate members flew off. And shallow wounds appeared on Cheon Gyeongwan's and Yu Seoyeon's arms and thighs.
They had traded their bodies for their opponents' necks.
"Excellent! The esteemed doctor bestows another gift! Take it!"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages shouted as he threw another pebble.
Whoooosh!
The gazes of the Nine Dragons Gate members turned to the Divine Doctor in unison.
In reality, the ones inflicting direct damage were Cheon Gyeongwan, Yu Seoyeon, and the One-Needle Eccentric.
But from the Nine Dragons Gate members' perspective, the most detestable and hateful one was, by far, the Divine Doctor of the Ages.
Every time he yelled like that, their concentration was broken, and rage welled up inside them, easily shattering their composure.
One of the members rushed at the flying pebble and caught it with his hand.
Craack!
The pebble shattered, sending waves of energy spreading in all directions.
But the Divine Doctor's attack wasn't just that one pebble. Immediately after, he gathered a handful of small pebbles and threw them all at once.
Startled, the Nine Dragons Gate members hastily swung their spears.
Cl-cl-cl-cl-clang!
The small pebbles burst one after another. Each time, a powerful wave of energy exploded with them.
The waves of energy slightly dulled their senses.
The One-Needle Eccentric's needles unfailingly pierced through that opening.
"Gak!"
"Keuk!"
Two members of the Nine Dragons Gate collapsed without even managing a proper scream. They had been killed instantly.
As they fell one by one, soon only six remained.
None of the survivors were unscathed.
Though their injuries were relatively minor, the shadow of defeat loomed large.
Barring a great miracle, after a few more exchanges, they would all fall.
Their gazes simultaneously fixed on the Divine Doctor of the Ages.
If they were going to die anyway, they wanted to take down the one who had been tormenting them.
The six Nine Dragons Gate members charged at the Divine Doctor all at once.
They paid no mind to their own safety. They had already resolved to die.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages was startled.
"Aack!"
He was in such a panic that he couldn't even cry for help or beg for his life.
The Divine Doctor hastily fled.
The Nine Dragons Gate members were a bit taken aback, not expecting the Divine Doctor to flee so openly. Still, they believed the outcome would not change.
The One-Needle Eccentric urgently threw his needles, while Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon rushed forward, swinging their swords.
Th-th-th-thud!
Sh-sh-sh-shwiik!
One member fell to the One-Needle Eccentric's needles. He had blocked all of them with his own body.
And two more members fell to the swords of Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon.
Even as their bodies were being hacked to pieces, they clung desperately to Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon, trying to grab their feet.
The remaining three members closed in on the Divine Doctor's back.
They even used their life essence to increase their speed. And they poured all their remaining energy into their swords.
And just like that, they thrust their swords.
They staked everything on this one strike. They had drawn out so much of their life essence that the moment they thrust their swords, their bodies had already withered.
Kra-ka-koooom!
A colossal energy erupted from the three swords and swept toward the Divine Doctor.
Feeling the immense threat approaching from behind, the Divine Doctor glanced back.
And seeing the three massive strands of sword energy about to engulf him, he screamed.
"Aaaaaaah!"
The sword energy was so fast that it rained down on the Divine Doctor the moment he screamed.
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwang!
The Divine Doctor stared blankly at the huge explosion that had occurred before his eyes.
The three strands of sword energy had exploded in mid-air, just before reaching the Divine Doctor.
And the fragments rained down on him.
"Aack! Aack! Aack! Aack!"
Fragments of sword energy grazed his body all over. His clothes were torn to shreds, and blood spurted from his skin.
But his life was not in danger. He had no internal injuries either.
It just bled and hurt.
"Aaaaaaah!"
The Divine Doctor screamed as he collapsed to the ground.
It hurt like a bitch.
The One-Needle Eccentric looked at the Divine Doctor with a pathetic expression.
"Aish, I'm embarrassed for you."
"You try getting hit by that, old brother! See if you can still say that!"
The Divine Doctor yelled back, but the One-Needle Eccentric didn't bother to reply and instead spoke to Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon.
"Let's go help the others."
Having dealt with the three Nine Dragons Gate members who were chasing the Divine Doctor, Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon gave a faint smile, nodded, and quickly left.
The One-Needle Eccentric looked at the Divine Doctor, shook his head, and quickly departed.
The Divine Doctor stared blankly at the scene before snapping back to his senses. He then looked toward where Byeok Taesan was.
Why had those massive sword energies exploded just now? It was all Byeok Taesan's doing.
As it happened, Byeok Taesan was also looking this way.
When his eyes met Byeok Taesan's, the Divine Doctor just chuckled sheepishly and averted his gaze.
"Aigoo, I've rested enough. Time for this esteemed doctor to go bestow some pebbles."
The Divine Doctor picked up a few scattered pebbles. Then he surveyed the state of the battles elsewhere.
Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon had joined Yeon Harin's side.
The fight was already in Yeon Harin's favor, so when Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon joined, the balance tipped decisively.
The Nine Dragons Gate members were falling one by one, and it looked like the situation would be resolved soon if left alone.
The One-Needle Eccentric had joined the ten maids.
Since there were only five opponents and his side had more people, the effect of the One-Needle Eccentric's surprise needle attacks was maximized.
Thanks to that, as soon as he joined, the enemies began to fall, and that battle was concluding faster than any other.
The one remaining battle was still fierce. The Divine Doctor decided to lend a hand there.
"A few volleys of pebbles should finish this."
Saying so in a confident tone, the Divine Doctor was about to head toward Yuk Taegu and Jang Gagu when he glanced over to check Byeok Taesan's reaction one last time.
"Huh?"
The Divine Doctor's eyes widened.
He had seen one of the three people sprawled out behind Byeok Taesan slowly begin to rise.
And the two next to the one who stood up were twitching unnaturally.
He had a very ominous and unusual feeling.
< A Gift from the Esteemed Doctor > End