Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones.

The fortuitous encounter among fortuitous encounters commonly spoken of in Jianghu.

Among the fortuitous encounters that everyone desperately wishes to obtain, it is considered second only to a cliffside fortuitous encounter.

What are the chances of finding the lost secret arts and spiritual elixirs of an absolute expert in the crevices of a cliff after being attacked by an enemy and falling?

It was truly a story that would only appear in martial arts novels.

On the other hand, Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones was a fortuitous encounter strictly grounded in reality.

In the past, I had experienced shedding the mortal body with the help of the Amitabha Holy Water.

That alone allowed me to achieve the Martial Divine Body.

But.

Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones...!!

Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones...!!!

"A-Are you serious?"

Hyeoltu tilted his liquor bottle with a pained expression, like a man whose stomach churned after seeing a colleague pick up gold coins from the floor.

I lightly clenched and opened both of my fists.

I knew the power felt extraordinary...!

"T-Then does that mean I've reached the Divine Transformation Realm!"

"Pfft!"

A rainbow briefly formed in the air from the spray Hyeoltu spat out.

Ah! Was it a rainbow predicting my path of flowers?

"..."

"... Why are you looking at me like that? Even if I became an absolute expert, would I ever persecute Elder Hyeoltu?"

Hyeoltu could not erase the pathetic look in his eyes.

"... I've never seen such a slow-witted fool."

Then he clicked his tongue with a tsk.

"What does Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones have to do with the Divine Transformation Realm!"

Huh? It doesn't?

Clack-

He set the liquor bottle down on the floor.

"Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones is merely a superficial change. The Divine Transformation Realm requires the completion of harmony among the three—essence, qi, and spirit—as well as the enlightenment of the principles of all creation to alter the laws of the world. How could you try to swallow all that with just a single Shedding of the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones? You're nothing but a thief that puts the Underworld to shame! Tsk!"

Wow, now I was even being called a thief by an Underworld bigwig.

And by a guy who casually killed people just because he didn't like them.

"So you're saying I haven't? Then why were you making that expression?"

"What, what's wrong with my expression!"

"You're looking at me like I just got hit by a shower of money."

At my pressing, Hyeoltu slightly bowed his head and muttered quietly.

"Shower of money, my ass..."

Soon, he raised his head, emptied a liquor bottle, and tossed it onto the floor carelessly.

"Anyway, you did get hit by something similar, so how could I not be envious?"

Hehehe, as expected.

Still, I had to confirm it for sure.

"How much was this shower of money worth?"

"Hah!"

Hyeoltu opened his mouth in sheer disbelief and shook his head.

"How did a guy like you end up with such a fortuitous encounter..."

I told him the secret(?) with a humble expression.

"Isn't it all thanks to living a kind and diligent life? It is said that luck doesn't just come on its own. So you should also be careful with your daily conduct, Elder..."

"If you don't shut up, I won't tell you anything."

"My mouth was just starting to hurt, so I was about to shut up. Hehe."

Hyeoltu, picking up a new liquor bottle, brought the spout to his mouth and asked.

"What is the ultimate goal of a martial artist?"

"Of course, it is to practice chivalry and create a righteous Jianghu..."

Spring.

"Figure it out yourself."

"A-Ah, no wait!"

I grabbed Hyeoltu's trouser leg.

"... If I had to express it, wouldn't it be achieving the Dao?"

"Are you going to play the Daoist until the end?"

Clicking his tongue again, Hyeoltu continued speaking.

"Transcending the Underworld and the Orthodox faction, martial artists desire the Divine Transformation Realm, just as you mentioned."

A supreme realm where those who had reached that level throughout the history of Jianghu could be counted on one hand.

Hyeoltu threw another question with a serious voice.

"Then I'll ask. Have you ever seen a martial artist whose goal is to train for Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones?"

"..."

Come to think of it, he was right.

The goals of those who had reached the realm of half-immortals or experienced rejuvenation were, without exception, the Divine Transformation Realm.

On the other hand, no martial artist ever talked about their goal being Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones.

"Not every martial artist undergoes Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones while reaching the Divine Transformation Realm. Essence signifies enduring extreme years of perseverance, changing statically just as a rock is worn down by weathering."

Hyeoltu scanned me up and down with a sullen gaze.

"However, occasionally, lucky bastards sometimes skip those years of perseverance."

"Is that Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones?"

Hyeoltu turned his gaze away and nodded.

His expression was full of dissatisfaction, but he didn't stop talking.

"I don't know exactly under what circumstances such a phenomenon occurs. But if I were to infer one thing... it's about the impatient qi and spirit leading the lagging essence."

Essence, qi, and spirit constantly strive to achieve harmony.

It was true for ordinary people, but for martial artists, this harmony was more important than anything else.

Because if the harmony of essence, qi, and spirit is not achieved, one falls into qi deviation.

Wait, what is this. It doesn't seem like something to only be happy about?

"... Are you saying I almost fell into qi deviation?"

"In your sect, there are absolutely no experts... No, never mind."

I snatched the liquor bottle from Hyeoltu's hand and pressed him.

"Then aren't I in danger? I don't know when this harmony will break again."

Soon.

CRUMBLE-

The liquor bottle in my hand instantly turned to dust and disappeared once more.

Hyeoltu, who had been quietly watching this sight, asked.

"... Do you think the harmony breaking is necessarily a bad thing?"

"Of course."

"Tsk, tsk. How did such luck fall upon a half-wit like you."

"Are you really not going to tell me?"

Hyeoltu, who looked at me for a moment, pushed his liquor bottle aside.

"Do you know why the martial arts achievements of Underworld figures are better than those of Orthodox practitioners who entered their sects at the same time?"

"That's... because of heaven-defying abilities..."

"Tsk, this is why you guys get called stinking Daoists. Do you think the harmony of essence, qi, and spirit is some absolute truth?"

"Don't tell me..."

Earlier, an energy traveled up my spine; now, I felt a shock so massive that the back of my head tingled.

"Yes, twisting the power of one of the three—essence, qi, or spirit—to force the other remaining powers to match the overall harmony. That is the essence of Underworld martial arts."

"That sounds extremely dangerous."

"That's why those Underworld bastards turn into half-lunatics the more they become experts."

For a moment, the words 'Like you, Elder?' almost popped out, but I held them back.

Because a story like this was precious information that was hard to hear anywhere else.

"This is exactly why, even though many experts emerge from Orthodox practitioners, those who experience Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones are so few they can be counted on one hand. Because Orthodox martial arts are incredibly tedious. It's hard to experience dynamic changes."

As I listened to Hyeoltu's story, I suddenly felt curious.

"Then how far can the harmony of essence, qi, and spirit be twisted?"

"Not to the extent that you experienced. That is a level beyond causality, and if someone defied causality to that extent using Underworld martial arts, they would ultimately become a madman or just die."

"..."

The moment I heard Hyeoltu's story, the first thing that came to mind was the Demonic Cult.

Did those bastards also twist this harmony like the Underworld to obtain their strength?

"I don't know what happened inside that formation array, but the life-and-death danger you experienced might have granted you a massive fortuitous encounter. That guy named Gun Yuhyeon must be incredibly sick to his stomach."

Of course, that was if the bastard had any reason left.

But because I crushed his Baihui point at the last moment, he would probably never know the fact that I experienced Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones for the rest of his life.

Hyeoltu, finishing his explanation, smacked his lips as if he was bitter about it.

"Anyway, with this, you have jumped several times further ahead than others. How could it even dare be compared to a simple shower of money?"

Only then did I understand all the expressions Hyeoltu had been making.

Anyone would feel despondent if they had someone right in front of them who obtained in a single moment what took them decades of effort to achieve.

But what could be done?

This was a fortuitous encounter I obtained after surviving a brush with death too.

"Haha, what should I do about feeling so apologetic?"

"..."

Hyeoltu's face violently crumpled like a piece of paper.

Soon.

BOOM!

In an instant, his martial robes swelled as if they were about to burst, and a dense qi vibrated in all four directions.

Hyeoltu then slowly rose from his seat.

The aura he emitted was so strong that the liquor bottles tumbling on the floor rolled far away.

Sigh, did I tease him too much?

I hurriedly tried to calm him down.

"Haha! E-Elder, it's a joke. A joke! Don't Underworld figures like jokes?"

"Draw your sword."

"No, Elder, I told you it's a joke."

But Hyeoltu muttered in a chilling voice, pretending not to hear me.

"Do you plan to brag to the Grim Reaper about experiencing Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones?"

"... Shit."

SHING.

I quickly drew the Black Dragon Sword.

I couldn't die here, if only because I wanted to brag about my shower of money.

* * *

SWISH.

Hyeoltu extended one foot and one hand forward, taking his opening stance.

His aura itself was different from before when he only used his feet.

The rough, violent aura poked and pierced into my skin.

I was still in a state where I hadn't even adapted to my body.

If I messed up, I would only be able to brag in front of King Yama.

'Fuck, I can't let that happen.'

Hyeoltu, a dirty Underworld figure, started moving his feet without any such thing as yielding three moves.

Seeing the red energy remaining in his footsteps, I felt his resolve to go all out.

BOOM!

A sharp kick thrusting into my solar plexus.

I raised the flat of my sword to block it, but my arm trembled violently from the explosion of aura.

In an instant, he ducked to attack my shins, and almost simultaneously, as if he had two bodies, he leaped up and struck down at my head.

All these movements were executed in the blink of an eye.

CRASH!

I couldn't keep up at all.

I was the one blocking, and my movements were much smaller, yet by the time I moved, Hyeoltu's hands and feet had already passed by.

This wasn't to gauge my condition, nor was it to test me.

This guy...

'He's serious. Damn it!'

B-B-BOOM!

As a three-hit combo struck my chest, I felt a pain as if my breastbone was going to be crushed.

Hyeoltu, who was dizzying my vision with his footwork, spoke as if he found it ridiculous.

"How long do you plan to only defend? Do you really want to brag to the Grim Reaper?"

"You damn old geezer..."

"Oho. Now you're finally showing your true colors."

C-C-CRASH!

How could a person attack with the tip of their foot and head simultaneously?

Hyeoltu was facing me while drawing out the advantages of a hand-to-hand martial artist to the extreme.

"Damn it...!"

Just as I was trying to open up even the minimum amount of distance, Hyeoltu tenaciously refused to give me an opening.

THUD!

"Urgh!"

Before I knew it, a fist plunged deep into my stomach, making my internal organs churn.

"This is what they call pearls before swine. How can a guy who even underwent Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones not use it properly?"

Fuck, you have to tell me how to use it for me to use it or not...!

As if he had seen through my inner thoughts, Hyeoltu sneered viciously.

"Don't tell me you expected me, a dirty Underworld figure, to kindly explain it to you?"

Towards the giggling Hyeoltu, I desperately fired off Sword Qi wildly with all my might.

B-B-B-BOOM!

However, with only the minimal amount of movement, Hyeoltu lightly neutralized the Sword Qi I shot and dug into the gaps.

"Did you think that in my entire life, I've never faced a guy with more internal energy than you?"

I wanted to retort sarcastically, but there wasn't even a moment to open my mouth.

"Seeing a guy whose mouth would float if he fell in the water keeping his mouth tightly shut, today must be your memorial day."

A sharp hand blade flew straight at me.

Wow. Just as I forced myself to open my mouth, he struck the back of my neck.

A cowardly Underworld figure as expected.

If there was any relief, it was that the pain wasn't that severe, either because Hyeoltu hit weakly, or because my endurance had improved from Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones.

Thanks to that, I intentionally took the attacks that looked weak while focusing on blocking the ones with massive destructive power.

THUD, THUD.

"You punk! It's not like you learned external arts, so what do you plan to do by blocking with your body!"

Shit, who blocks with their body because they want to.

His speed was already so fast it was hard to react to, and on top of that, my body wasn't moving like it used to.

More power went in than expected, or less qi went in.

Because the flow of my body and qi wasn't free, my body moved awkwardly like a puppet on strings.

At that moment, Hyeoltu's shout rang out.

"You stupid fool! Your essence has already changed. Do you still not know why you experienced Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones to achieve harmony?! It means your qi and spirit have something they desire!"

At Hyeoltu's reprimand, the scenes I saw in the darkness while unconscious suddenly came to mind.

Gun Yuhyeon... no, the scenes of fighting and defeating Je Geumhak.

They were my own appearance, yet movements that felt as if they weren't me.

Because I had forgotten them after waking up, I hadn't even thought of practicing them separately.

But now wasn't the time to be picky about such things.

At this rate, I might go down in Jianghu history as the guy who got beaten to death right after Shedding the Mortal Body and Exchanging Bones.

'Fuck it, fine!'

When has my life ever flowed smoothly and safely anyway.

I'm just going for it.

SWOOSH-

I discarded the Twin Heaven Sword Art and swung the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique.

The amount of qi utilized was much less than before, and the movements were not large.

But I felt it instantly.

That it accurately thrust into Hyeoltu's vital points.

At that moment.

"That's right!"

An exclamation burst from Hyeoltu's mouth as he swayed his body in panic.

I continued with the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique, neutralizing Hyeoltu's attacks one by one.

"Yes! Yes! This is it!"

As the satisfaction deepened on Hyeoltu's face, somehow, the red haze of energy lingering on his hands and feet increased even more.

But I was not afraid.

I felt confident that I could block them, no matter how fast or how destructive they were.

Even as a sharp aura grazed my cheek and left a small scratch, my chest remained as calm as a tranquil lake.

CLANG! C-C-C-CLANG!

Using a lightly swung Lesser Heaven Sword Technique to block Hyeoltu's fist qi and kick qi, I threw Hyeoltu, who had suddenly arrived right in front of my nose, using the Lotus technique.

Even though they were different martial arts, the movements had no awkwardness, as if they were an interlocking combination.

The Sword Qi fired immediately after obstructed the path of Hyeoltu, who was about to kick off the floor and charge.

"Good, now this is finally worth trying!"

However, Hyeoltu, breaking through the cloudy dust, had no choice but to stop dead in his tracks.

Because the sharp Black Dragon Sword was touching the back of his neck.

"Hah... Your level really jumped up this much?"

Hyeoltu did not hide his endlessly admiring expression.

I slowly sheathed my sword and cupped my fists.

"Thank you for your teachings, Elder."

I realized it during the fierce close-quarters battle.

'This aggressive sparring match was for my sake.'

Waiting to adapt to my changed body would have taken a long time, so he shortened the time in his own way.

Hyeoltu's seemingly excited voice flew at me.

"You're still far from it! To adapt, you have to experience more. Doing this all day today wouldn't even be enough!"

Hyeoltu, raising his fighting spirit once more, began to seriously loosen up his body.

I shook my head at that Hyeoltu.

"I will match the harmony myself. No matter how urgent it is, I don't want to see the Grim Reaper's face flashing before my eyes."

"Tsk. I could have bragged to them."

"By them... Who are you talking about?"

Hyeoltu made an 'oops' expression and then feigned ignorance.

"It is none of your business."

"Are they perhaps your close friends?"

Since Hyeoltu brought it up, I was also able to ask the question I intended to ask him.

However.

"..."

Hyeoltu's face hardened stiffly.

His favorable aura vanished without a trace, leaving only a callous gaze staring at me.

"I said it is none of your business."

An ordinary person, no, even an expert, would be terrified upon seeing Hyeoltu's aura right now and would be unable to speak to him any further.

But the 'second' conversation I needed to have with him was related to this.

I asked without avoiding his gaze.

"Are you perhaps talking about the people in the 'Black Forest'?"

"..."

Hyeoltu's eyes widened in a glare.

Soon, a streak of sharp energy extended from his body, chillingly wrapping around my neck...

It settled heavily, as if ready to slit my throat at any moment.