The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 255

“Hey! You……!”

Gwangseongja, his eyes wide with what looked like betrayal, soon grinned.

He had belatedly noticed Myeonggeom rushing towards Dan Akseon’s back with a drawn sword.

“Ah!”

Caught off guard and with his rear exposed, Dan Akseon twisted Mungryong around with a startled cry.

Clang!

The moment Dan Akseon deflected Myeonggeom’s sword, losing his balance, Gwangseongja seized the opportunity and relentlessly attacked Dan Akseon.

However, the situation quickly changed again.

‘Ha!’

Myeonggeom was inwardly dumbfounded.

At first, it seemed to be going according to plan, but when he came to his senses, he was being jointly attacked by Dan Akseon and Gwangseongja.

And the other two were in the same predicament.

The sparring match, which seemed like it would be decided any moment, continued for another hour.

Sometimes they tested each other, sometimes they joined forces…….

As the one-versus-two melee, where one person had to face two, continued, the dynamics gradually became clear.

As time passed, the number of times and the duration of Dan Akseon being ganged up on increased.

Eventually, Dan Akseon was almost single-handedly fighting against Gwangseongja and Myeonggeom.

Gwangseongja and Myeonggeom simultaneously had similar thoughts.

Even in a disadvantageous situation, Dan Akseon’s martial prowess, which allowed him to persevere, only evoked admiration.

Moreover, Dan Akseon was the youngest of the three.

Yet, the way he persevered without being pushed back by the two’s joint attack was astonishing.

On the other hand, Dan Akseon, who was alone and on the defensive, didn’t even have time to think about such things.

How much time had passed?

The three men’s gazes intertwined in the air.

‘This is just a sparring match! Not a death match!’

‘At this rate, it won’t end until someone falls!’

‘We have to end it now!’

Telepathy.

Each of them had a hidden ultimate move, but they didn’t reveal it in the end.

If they did, the original purpose would disappear, and they wouldn’t be able to avoid a dangerous situation.

They had to wrap it up at this point.

Without anyone going first, the three of them dashed towards each other.

Kwaang!

A huge explosion and fierce energy swept through the sparring arena.

The clearly contrasting purple mist and blue sword light.

And the auspicious energy that encompassed all of this created a spectacle that captivated the eyes of the crowd.

Soon, as the violently swirling energy dissipated like a tornado, the three men, standing in a trident formation at a certain distance, revealed themselves.

The crowd erupted in cheers at the sight of them simultaneously cupping their fists towards each other.

“Wow!”

“The best!”

Amid the deafening cheers, the three who had exchanged blows only smiled quietly at each other.

They had each felt something through this sparring match.

And they gained insights and directions to move forward that were no less significant.

“In the end, there was no winner.”

At Dan Akseon’s words, Myeonggeom and Gwangseongja exchanged glances and chuckled.

After a moment of silence.

The two spoke simultaneously.

“No. You won.”

“Doctor Dan’s victory.”

Dan Akseon was rather taken aback by the two’s willingness to admit defeat.

But only for a moment.

Soon, he respectfully cupped his fists and showed his manners.

“I sincerely thank you for your teachings.”

Gwangseongja and Myeonggeom, who responded with smiles, stepped down from the sparring arena with regretful expressions.

Thud.

A drum sounded from one side of the sparring arena, and a Hwasan Sect member conducting the sparring competition shouted loudly.

“The next participant to challenge the winner, please come forward!”

“…….”

A strange silence fell among the younger generation.

Normally, they would have stepped forward with enthusiasm, but they had already witnessed the three’s incredible sparring match.

No one could easily step onto the sparring arena, and the host also wore a wry smile.

“If no one comes forward by the time the drum sounds three times, Doctor Dan Akseon here will be the winner of this Dragon-Phoenix Sparring Competition.”

Thud.

The first drumbeat echoed.

Jinmyeong Jin-in, who was watching Dan Akseon with admiring eyes, exclaimed.

“Seonja has truly taught him well.”

Han Seolhwa wore a faint smile.

“It’s not something I did alone. Especially teaching him the application of stances and practical sense was mostly Beomga and Brother Cho’s responsibility.”

“Beomga…… and Brother Cho?”

An unconcealable embarrassment appeared on Jinmyeong Jin-in’s face.

The former was understandable, but the latter title was difficult to accept.

Cho Akryang, who was looking at Dan Akseon with a pleased expression, suddenly felt a strange sensation.

Turning his head without thinking, Cho Akryang met a gaze that was staring intently at him.

“……?”

Jinmyeong Jin-in’s gaze created a strange feeling.

It was not the usual benevolent and gentle expression that seemed to transcend the mortal world.

Jinmyeong Jin-in hadn’t opened his mouth either.

“Why does Seonja call him brother?”

“There’s a reason.”

“What reason?”

Han Seolhwa frowned at Jinmyeong Jin-in’s persistent questioning.

Why would she go around talking about something that wasn’t a good story?

To tell the story of how they became sworn siblings, she would have to mention her unfortunate past, which she didn’t really want to do.

Moreover, it was a time when she was ignorant of the rules of the mortal world.

She didn’t want to dredge up the countless mistakes and embarrassing memories from that time.

“You don’t need to know.”

The moment Jinmyeong Jin-in was taken aback by Han Seolhwa’s answer.

Thud.

The second drum sounded.

“What if I need to know anyway?”

“…….”

Jinmyeong Jin-in trailed off, hesitating, as Han Seolhwa glared at him with a vexed expression.

“The Blood Demon Venerable and I are of similar age, and we’re both among the Five Great Masters, so why only him…….”

Thud.

As the last third drum sounded, Jinmyeong Jin-in sighed and headed towards the sparring arena.

Since it was a sparring competition he had organized, it was his responsibility to declare the winner.

“The winner of this Dragon-Phoenix Sparring Competition is Doctor Dan Akseon.”

As applause and cheers poured onto the sparring arena, Jinmyeong Jin-in handed Dan Akseon the championship prize that was placed on the platform.

“Thank you.”

Dan Akseon bowed his head to express his gratitude and suddenly realized something.

“Brother Gwangseongja!”

“Huh?”

“You forgot this.”

Gwangseongja grinned as he belatedly discovered the Blood Detoxification Wine that Dan Akseon had raised.

“You take it.”

“Huh?”

“You said it was mine, right? So I’ll dispose of it as I please.”

Gwangseongja said to Dan Akseon, who couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

“It seems more useful to you, who is a doctor, than to me.”

Gratitude appeared on Dan Akseon’s face.

Indeed, that was true.

For a doctor, handling medicine was fundamentally not much different from handling poison.

As such, the study of medicinal properties always involves risks.

Naturally, having the Blood Detoxification Wine would make research much easier.

Dan Akseon turned his head and looked up at Jinmyeong Jin-in.

“Can I use these prizes as I wish?”

Jinmyeong Jin-in smiled and nodded.

“Of course. They are Doctor Dan’s property now.”

Dan Akseon smiled brightly and ran towards Gwangseongja.

And he chose the Divine Elixir of Holy Water from among the championship prizes and handed it to him.

“You’re giving this to me?”

Dan Akseon gave Gwangseongja a bright smile as he asked back in surprise.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that I am who I am today thanks to you, brother. This is my way of repaying you.”

“I’ll take it since you’re giving it to me…… but are you sure? You’ll regret it later, won’t you?”

“……?”

“If I get stronger than I am now, will you be able to handle me?”

Dan Akseon also showed strong confidence in response to Gwangseongja’s jest.

“I won’t be just playing around either.”

“Hehe. Wait for me. Next time, I’ll kick your butt.”

The two were exchanging the brightest smiles towards each other.

Myeonggeom, who was watching the scene from afar, felt a strange emotion that he was experiencing for the first time.

Then, Myeonggeom smiled bitterly as he belatedly realized the nature of that emotion.

At first, he thought it was jealousy and tried to suppress it, but it wasn’t that kind of emotion.

It was pure competitiveness.

And envy.

He had always been ahead of his peers in terms of achievements and had been constantly striving forward.

As such, he didn’t have many peers of the same age who he could easily open up to.

That’s why he was especially envious of the two who had built a special friendship.

At the same time, shame washed over him.

He felt embarrassed that he was having such thoughts about Dan Akseon, who was much younger than him in terms of age.

But soon, Myeonggeom’s eyes wavered.

He had discovered Dan Akseon walking towards him.

“Please accept this.”

Myeonggeom couldn’t help but be puzzled when he found the Great Revitalizing Pill of Shaolin on Dan Akseon’s outstretched hand.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“It’s a gift.”

“A gift…… you say?”

Dan Akseon smiled and nodded at Myeonggeom’s question.

“You made me realize that the world is wide. I want to convey my gratitude in this way, even if it’s just a little.”

Myeonggeom, who had inadvertently received the Great Revitalizing Pill that Dan Akseon had handed him, looked at Jinmyeong Jin-in with bewildered eyes.

In response, Jinmyeong Jin-in nodded with a smile.

“Let’s have a proper match one-on-one next time.”

Myeonggeom replied with sincerity to Dan Akseon’s words.

“I would like to ask you that.”

“Ah, and…….”

“……?”

“Can I call you brother when we meet next time? It’s too awkward to be so formal with each other.”

“Haha. That cannot be.”

“Yes? Why?”

Myeonggeom gave Dan Akseon a gentle smile, who was flustered.

“The day I call Doctor Dan my brother will be after I have achieved victory over Doctor Dan with my own skills.”

At some point, Myeonggeom had recognized Dan Akseon as his rival from the bottom of his heart.

Before becoming brothers, catching up with Dan Akseon’s achievements was the priority.

It may be old-fashioned, but Myeonggeom believed that it was the proper etiquette to have towards a martial artist who had surpassed him.

Jinmyeong Jin-in was inwardly pleased with his disciple’s appearance.

‘He will grow even more.’

What is more essential than any elixir in breaking through the current realm and moving forward is the mindset.

A competitor who can clash with all their might is therefore even more precious.

The famous figures of the Nine Great Sects also smiled and offered words of blessing.

“Such a wonderful mindset and attitude!”

“Haha. The future of the righteous martial arts world is truly bright.”

“Of course. It can’t be anything but a blessing for all of us.”

However, there was also someone who cast an uncomfortable gaze towards the harmonious group.

“The future of the righteous faction? They have no conscience.”

The crowd, turning their heads at the unexpected cynicism, could find Cho Akryang making a disgruntled expression.

“You should know that it’s fortunate that Beomga isn’t here.”

If Beomgyewi had been there, he would have made a fuss, saying that they were trying to steal Dan Akseon by throwing a few spirit pills.

“Amitabha…….”

Beopyeon suddenly and unconsciously chanted the Buddha’s name in a low voice.

Come to think of it, he had belatedly realized that he was too naturally regarding Dan Akseon as a person from the righteous faction.

Not to mention Cho Akryang and Beomgyewi, and Han Seolhwa, who was an intermediate figure between the righteous and the demonic, was by no means a person of the righteous path.

Moreover, Dan Akseon was the person who had made martial arts forbidden for all the demonic people in the world.

It wouldn’t be strange if they changed their minds and became enemies at any time.

Nevertheless, strangely, his heart kept leaning towards Dan Akseon.

And looking at the expressions of the people around him, it seemed that he was not the only one with such a feeling.

“Uncle, Auntie. Was there anything I did wrong in this sparring match?”

“Let’s go over it slowly later.”

“Yes!”

Without knowing the hearts of the crowd, Dan Akseon smiled brightly at Cho Akryang and Han Seolhwa.