Chapter 571

Chapter 571 – The Lazy Advances. (1)

“…So that’s how it happened?”

“Yes.”

“Then…”

The Great Battle of Luoyang.

It was the event where the Radiant Martial Sovereign captured two bishops of the Demon Cult and declared to the world that the Central Plains had not yet lost their power.

An event that proved that the Central Plains, which were about to be completely crushed by the Baekgeom Fortress and the Demon Cult, were not so easy to dominate, and that gave hope to the martial artists of the Central Plains that they could still fight.

Historically, it was a very significant event.

But…

“It sounds quite different from what I had heard.”

“What’s so surprising about that?”

“…”

That’s right. Have the historical records about Wei Yanho ever matched reality?

In the end, the result is the same, but the process has always been different, without exception.

So this time would be no exception. But…

“Even so, I had certain expectations this time.”

The Poison Demon had released poison to massacre the citizens of Luoyang, and Wei Yanho, without worrying about his own body, neutralized the poison, suffering serious injuries.

The citizens of Luoyang, seeing the Radiant Martial Sovereign emitting a radiant light that neutralized the Poison Demon’s poison, felt the emergence of a new hero.

This is the basic version of the Great Battle of Luoyang. But the situation doesn’t quite fit.

‘In the end, the result is the same, but…’

Saha decided to ignore it. This was nothing new, so there was no reason to be surprised.

“But, it says there was a ‘body transformation’?”

“Exactly.”

“Right there?”

He had already heard enough strange stories about Wei Yanho, but the “body transformation” was something completely unexpected. It was the first time he had heard of it.

‘Then why?’

Body transformation. It’s a term that is talked about a lot, but how many have witnessed the process with their own eyes? Why wasn’t such an important event spread?

“Can body transformation happen so suddenly?”

“To say it was sudden is not entirely correct. There were many factors involved.”

Gwanggu Shingae shrugged his shoulders.

“What do you know about body transformation?”

“Literally what it means.”

Saha replied without hesitation.

“It’s changing the body.”

“Correct.”

But, feeling that the explanation was insufficient, Gwanggu Shingae added:

“Body transformation is, in simple terms, a process of changing the ‘vessel’.”

“Vessel?”

“Imagine filling a jar with water. If it’s full, the water will spill, right?”

“That’s obvious.”

“The human body is also like that. There is a limit to the capacity to assimilate martial knowledge. The strength that the muscles can generate is predetermined. No matter how special someone is, they cannot lift a rock with their bare body without internal energy. It is a fundamental limitation that we are born with.”

“True.”

Gwanggu Shingae raised an arm. His arm, as thin as a stick, showed the passage of time.

“The body, in the end, wears out with use. Not only is there an innate limit of strength, but it also gets damaged and dulled. Body transformation is the process of rebuilding a body that has reached that limit.”

Saha nodded silently. If a vessel is old and small, unable to hold more water, it must be changed.

“Did the Radiant Martial Sovereign also go through that process?”

“A little different, but yes.”

“Huh?”

Gwanggu Shingae scratched his cheek.

“Body transformation can also be seen as a process of adapting the body to learn martial arts. As you know, every body is different.”

“That’s right.”

There are countless people, but their statures and constitutions always vary.

“And, although most don’t notice it, the human body has subtle imbalances. The length of the arms and legs is not perfectly symmetrical, for example. That small difference eventually generates great discomfort.”

“Ah…”

“Body transformation corrects those imbalances. In very simple terms, it perfectly balances left-right and up-down symmetry. Do you know what someone with perfect balance is called?”

“I don’t know.”

“A handsome man.”

“…What?”

Gwanggu Shingae smiled maliciously.

“He is called a handsome man.”

“…”

Saha frowned.

What kind of nonsense was that?

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s something necessary. In reality, a handsome man is someone whose face has perfectly balanced proportions. So phrases like ‘a legendarily ugly man who became handsome after a body transformation’ are not so far-fetched.”

Saha nodded.

That was true, but why mention it now?

“I thought that perhaps Wei Yanho would also be like that, but there was no change. It turns out that this guy had already gone through a body transformation before.”

“…What?”

“That he had already had a body transformation?”

“How?”

He had already gone through a body transformation?

Since then?

“Do you mean that the Radiant Martial Sovereign already had that ability inside the cave?”

“No.”

Saha’s expression turned incredulous. So what did he mean?

Gwanggu Shingae clicked his tongue before continuing.

“If body transformation were something so easy, it wouldn’t be a legend. Neither the Supreme Sovereign nor the Sword Sage managed to achieve it. Although Wei Yanho was already strong when he left the cave, it is difficult to believe that he achieved a body transformation on his own back then.”

“Then?”

“It was that lord.”

Gwanggu Shingae shook his head negatively.

“The Sword Emperor. They say he beat Wei Yanho mercilessly. According to the stories, he beat him upon waking up, upon closing his eyes, upon sitting down, upon getting up. He beat him while he slept and also when he didn’t sleep.”

“Basically, he beat him all the time.”

“Exactly. For five long years.”

Gwanggu Shingae chuckled. It seemed that just remembering Wei Yanho being beaten put him in a good mood.

“Probably the main reason was that that guy didn’t move unless he was beaten, but there were other reasons as well. It served to train his instinct in combat… But he wasn’t only beaten for that. There are two methods to achieve a body transformation.”

“Two methods?”

“Yes. Raising your own level until you reach it naturally, or having someone else break your bones and body to rebuild it.”

“…’Pushing the meridians and piercing the points’?”

“Exactly!”

‘Pushing the meridians and piercing the points’ is a method where external energy is injected to force the flow of true energy. It is generally achieved by hitting.

Interfering in the body of another person, which is not your own, is extremely difficult. Even a consumed master spends an enormous amount of true energy with just an instant of this method, to the point of running out of strength.

And he didn’t just do it for an instant, but for five years?

“Someone like him could do it.”

Anyone else would have found it impossible. But someone like the Sword Emperor could achieve it.

“It wasn’t just a simple flow of energy. It was a process that washed every bone, muscle, and even the nerves of his entire body.”

“…That’s a body transformation.”

“Correct. According to Wei Yanho, he often woke up with his skin cracked and peeling off, or with his body twisted. He thought it was because his body couldn’t withstand the excess punishment. And during that time, how much he insulted his master!”

“Ungrateful…”

“Right?”

Gwanggu Shingae laughed maliciously. The reaction of those who hear about Wei Yanho’s actions is usually similar. He seemed excited to have someone to share this story with after so long.

“Anyway, Wei Yanho had already gone through multiple body transformations. And in the middle of that, he experienced another one. That’s why he didn’t show dramatic changes like the others expected.”

“Ah, I understand… One moment. Are you saying he had another body transformation?”

Saha finally understood what Gwanggu Shingae wanted to say.

Body transformation occurs when the ‘vessel’ is full. But the Radiant Martial Sovereign had already gone through one. That he had another meant that he was becoming so strong that not even his transformed body could withstand it.

‘Ah, of course.’

It was Wei Yanho, who defeated two bishops of the Demon Cult with one blow. If he was getting stronger so quickly, it was natural that his body couldn’t handle it. Furthermore, he absorbed all the poison of the Poison King, so how much would his internal energy have increased?

“He was really becoming monstrously strong.”

“Yes, like a monster. In fact, calling him a monster falls short. Even monsters would be surprised to see him.”

Saha nodded strongly.

“Although he is someone absurd, having such a person fighting by your side must give great strength, right?”

“Mmm…”

Gwanggu Shingae’s expression twisted slightly.

He knew that Saha’s statement was correct, but he had a hard time admitting it.

“Well… yes. Yes, that’s right.”

Gwanggu Shingae, as if he were annoyed, took the wine bottle and drank it in one gulp. After leaving it on the ground with a dry thud, he sighed deeply before speaking.

“It’s irritating, but thanks to that guy we were able to maintain balance. Without him, everyone would have lost their minds.”

“As I thought.”

Saha confirmed that his assumption was correct.

Wei Yanho’s achievements are not limited to what he has done. His mere existence has a great impact on those around him.

“Then, morale must have risen a lot after that.”

“You think so?”

“It was something incredible.”

Saha knew how powerful the bishops were. The fact that Wei Yanho defeated them so easily underestimated their value, but the bishops of the Demon Cult are central forces of the cult.

Until now, no one whom Wei Yanho has faced could guarantee that they can defeat a bishop of the Demon Cult in a one-on-one duel. The bishops are fearsome beings.

It’s not that the bishops are weak, it’s that Wei Yanho has become incredibly strong. And after another body transformation, he must have become even stronger.

“There was some euphoria, yes.”

Gwanggu Shingae also admitted it.

“It was a monumental achievement, after all. He not only defeated those guys with one blow, but he also prevented a massacre in Luoyang, which generated great excitement. How to say it…? It reaffirmed that vain self-esteem that the reason why we learn martial arts is to protect others.”

“There’s no need to be so pessimistic…”

“But, well, it didn’t last long.”

“I understand.”

Saha also nodded. He knew what happened next.

Someone who studies history could not ignore it.

“As expected, Anhui…”

“Exactly.”

Gwanggu Shingae continued with a somewhat desolate expression.

“Luckily or unfortunately, the news from Anhui arrived quite late. Thanks to that, some were able to rest a little. It was like a last breath.”

It seemed that even remembering it disgusted him.

“And then it began.”

“…”

“The events you most want to hear. The ones that changed the destiny of the martial world.”

The sun was setting.