I Became an Evolving Lizard in a Martial Arts Novel-Chapter 235

“When I see my master next time, I should be cautious about biting her fingers.

...But no matter how I think about it, it doesn’t make sense for my master to have done something like that.

Look at me.

I’ve bitten her several times, and my teeth are perfectly fine, aren’t they?

Considering the master I know, it’s more likely that the nickname Hyeol-Oksu was given to her by mistake.

Maybe it was due to a slight mishap in controlling her strength.

Or... did she practice controlling her strength by beating up spiritual beings?

That’s a little terrifying to imagine.

“Anyway, Hyeol-Oksu is dangerous. I’ve heard they’ve been quiet lately, but it’s best to avoid encountering them if possible.”

“Grrrk...”

“If you do come across them, there’s no telling what might happen. Even if a fight breaks out, your best bet is to run away. ...The ideal option is not even seeing them in the first place. What kind of human even ends up in the Mountains of Ten Thousand Beasts like this?”

...That’s my master you’re talking about.

“Still, because of this, we probably don’t have to worry about the True Dragon attacking us right away. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any variables.”

If Cho-Do is saying this much, just how powerful is my master?

Was it a mistake not to inform her the last time?

If I had wagged my tail while croaking sweetly, she would’ve pampered me like always.

...No, depending on her too much wouldn’t be good either.

But variables?

What kind of variables are we talking about that she’s hesitating to bring up?

“The most concerning one is someone called Al-Yu.”

Al-Yu!

In other words, Namgoong Yeon.

“They say he was once a god of the skies... but whether that’s true or not, I don’t know.”

From the way Cho-Do spoke, it sounded like those rumors might have been distorted over time.

“What’s certain is that he has extremely impure intentions. He lured my brother and tried to attack you, Hero.”

Gongbok was somewhat acquainted with Al-Yu.

Not deeply, but enough to let him enter his nest and talk instead of killing him outright.

On the other hand, Cho-Do seemed to have never met him.

Considering Gongbok, who had fallen into madness under Shimma’s influence, was exploitable, Al-Yu probably approached him. Meanwhile, Cho-Do, being perfectly sane, would’ve likely killed him on sight, so he didn’t dare approach her.

Every single thing about this guy is irritating.

“What he does next will determine everything.”

We’ve prepared ways to counter Namgoong Yeon’s schemes.

But that guy, though human, holds the status of a spiritual being.

Even if Jeokryong (Red Dragon) completes its task, Al-Yu might just scurry off to Kunlun and strike a deal with the True Dragon.

“He probably won’t go to Kunlun directly... but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious. And there is one highly effective countermeasure.”

A highly effective countermeasure?

As expected of Cho-Do.

Despite her appearance, she’s quite the wise strategist.

“The countermeasure is for you, Hero, to become stronger. Strong enough to defeat the True Dragon if he really decides to attack.”

Never mind. Forget it.

Who wouldn’t think of something like that?

But she’s not wrong.

To protect my followers, I must become stronger than anyone else.

“Are you ready?”

Cho-Do’s gentle voice asked.

She wants to spar with me right after I’ve just escaped Shimma’s grasp?

“Grrk!”

Of course, I’m ready.

*

“Groooaawk!”

A giant frog swung dozens of vines.

Whoosh!

Crack!

It was as if the entire forest was attacking a single lizard.

The lizard’s blue eyes calmly observed the onslaught before it leaped swiftly into the air.

At this rate, it seemed inevitable that the surging plants would crush its body.

But such a thing never happened.

Whoooom!

The violent gale continued to push back the vine whips.

“Magnificent!”

Riding on Choa’s back, Cho-Do marveled at the scene.

To think it could wield mok energy (power of the neck) with such precision already.

Cho-Do herself had spent over hundreds of years mastering the Dragon Gate (Yongmun) and was only now able to wield this power at such a level.

On the other hand, she had taught this lizard how to use mok energy for less than a month.

Its rate of growth was abnormal, but not entirely incomprehensible.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

After all, it was the descendant of Gomodo.

Boom!

At Cho-Do’s gesture, dozens of lightning bolts rained down.

Szzzzap!

Electric blue energy gathered in the hands of Gomodo’s descendant.

Crack!

Through continued sparring, the lizard had learned how to counter lightning.

Surrounding its body with the electric charge, it deflected Cho-Do’s thunderbolts.

At first glance, the method might seem crude, but the harmony of Gomodo’s powerful physique and its command over mok energy made it the most efficient approach.

Szzzzt!

Instead, the descending thunderbolts merged with Gomodo’s body, amplifying its strength further.

With lightning in one hand and a storm in the other, the lizard crossed its arms and unleashed a single focused strike.

Boom!

Withstood the barrage of incoming attacks, it finally reached Cho-Do.

Kaboom!

Thus ended their final sparring match.

Cho-Do, her face lightly smudged with soot, wore a satisfied smile.

“I don’t think I have anything left to teach. Your proficiency may still be lacking, but to achieve this much in such a short time is truly extraordinary. To be honest, I feel a bit envious.”

She said that, but there was no way she genuinely felt envy.

The black lizard lowered its head slightly, expressing its gratitude for her guidance.

“I really dislike venturing outside, but if Hero truly needs me, I suppose I could visit your domain once. Just once.”

At her words, the fox bead containing Gongbok erupted into a flurry of rage.

It was a face and tone he had never shown before.

Cho-Do was famous for her preference for staying shut indoors.

Her human worshippers even painted her likeness on door handles, believing it would help them secure their homes more tightly.

For someone like her, who avoided leaving her domain at all costs, to say she was willing to step outside even once was astonishing.

Of course, the clueless lizard failed to understand the implications of her words.

“Grrk!”

“Of course, I’ll demand a suitable price for it, so only ask when it’s truly necessary.”

“Grk...”

“And as for your speech... hmm, well, you’ve reached the point where you can manage basic words. I look forward to having deeper conversations the next time we meet.”

Moreover, Cho-Do had accomplished something seemingly impossible—teaching a lizard how to talk!

Granted, it could only manage a few words and even that with difficulty, but compared to the days when it could only croak, this was a remarkable improvement.

After expressing its gratitude multiple times, the black lizard departed from Cho-Do’s domain.

Cho-Do stood still, staring in the direction it had disappeared for a long time.

“Choa.”

“Groaawk...”

She gently stroked the massive frog’s jaw.

“It felt so good to see him again. Just seeing him...”

Her emotions resonated with the surrounding plants, which grew rapidly.

Sprouts emerged, and flowers bloomed.

“How strange. I only saw him briefly, yet now that he’s gone, it feels so empty.”

It was a profound emptiness.

Just as she was contemplating how peculiar life could be after living so long...

“Grooawk...”

Choa carefully spoke to her.

Hearing Choa’s words, Cho-Do checked her belongings.

“Wait.”

The Fung-Yuhwan (Legendary Wind Relic) she had carefully safeguarded was missing.

Although Gomodo had freed her from its shackles, she still wouldn’t leave such a precious divine artifact unguarded.

She had always kept it close, prepared for any situation.

And now, her Fung-Yuhwan was gone.

Thinking she might have misplaced it, she expanded her senses, but there was no trace of it anywhere.

“Don’t tell me...”

Following her instincts, she widened her search, tracking the lizard’s traces.

Far off, she spotted the cheeky black lizard, sprinting frantically on two legs while croaking.

For some reason, it had shrunk in size, holding the Fung-Yuhwan tightly in both hands.

“That... that... lizard!”

Considering it had shrunk itself to avoid being tracked, it was undoubtedly a premeditated crime.

*

The head of the Tang Clan, Tang Seong-ik, had awakened.

Hearing Tang Mu-yeong’s report, he was struck with shock.

The reason for his incapacitation turned out to be none other than the elders of the Tang Clan themselves.

The elders of a noble family were considered equals to the family head in seniority and authority.

In other words, it was Tang Seong-ik’s own brothers who had orchestrated this betrayal.

On top of that, they attempted to restore the forbidden technique of Go Poison, going so far as to use it. This left the clan teetering on the edge of annihilation—a disaster that could destroy their legacy in a single day.

To make matters worse, the person who intervened to help was none other than someone from the Heavenly Demon Cult.

Tang Seong-ik found himself in deep contemplation.

Although it wasn’t just any ordinary member of the Heavenly Demon Cult, but the Cult Leader himself who had intervened, this fact was kept from him.

Tang Mu-yeong had deliberately concealed it.

Given how shaken Tang Seong-ik already was, revealing that detail would likely cause him to collapse again.

Fortunately, Tang Seong-ik recovered quickly and was soon able to take charge as the head of the clan once more.

With the family head restored, Tang Mu-yeong realized he had something important to do.

He needed to visit the Mountains of Ten Thousand Beasts.

To be precise, he needed to retrieve his younger sister.

An unusual atmosphere had begun to spread through the martial world.

The Headmaster of the Mount Hua Sect had disappeared, and suddenly, a red-haired woman was acting as the interim headmaster. Not only that, but she openly exposed the misdeeds of Akbulhwi, causing a massive stir.

Even the elders of Mount Hua supported her, creating a bizarre situation.

Tang Mu-yeong firmly believed that the Go Poison, which Baek Yeon-yeong had taken from the Tang Clan, and the actions of Mount Hua’s elders had no connection to these events.

As suspicious as it all seemed, there was no evidence to confirm his doubts.

In this chaotic situation, could he leave his sister in the Mountains of Ten Thousand Beasts?

Anything could happen.

With the radical faction greatly weakened, bringing back Tang So-yeong, the core of the moderate faction, could serve as a decisive move.

Moreover, if he didn’t act, the family head, who had just recovered, might take matters into his own hands.

As someone who had personally seen Baek Yeon-yeong, Tang Mu-yeong understood that if Tang Seong-ik were to get involved, things could spiral out of control.

Thus, he devised a plan to rescue Tang So-yeong himself.

Meanwhile, unsettling rumors were spreading in the marketplace.

An immortal beast known as Gomodo had allegedly appeared.

This gave Tang Mu-yeong another reason to head to the Mountains of Ten Thousand Beasts.

To the Tang Clan, Gomodo was revered as a sacred beast, a divine guardian.

The fact that such a being had appeared in the mountains could only mean one thing.

Someone was impersonating Gomodo.

What if this fake Gomodo encountered Tang So-yeong?

His naive younger sister would undoubtedly fall for the deception.

As the young master of the Tang Clan and Tang So-yeong’s elder brother, he could not allow such a thing to happen.

Rescuing Tang So-yeong.

Forging a secret alliance with the Heavenly Demon Cult.

And eliminating the impostor Gomodo.

With these three objectives, Tang Mu-yeong set out alone for the Mountains of Ten Thousand Beasts.

The reason he ventured out alone was simple.

As a warrior who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts, traveling solo was far more convenient.

He could use poisons freely, without concern for others, even those dreaded by masters of the Hwa-gyeong level.

Unless the fake Gomodo or other spiritual beings had achieved the level of Mandok Bulchim (Immunity to All Poisons), they wouldn’t be able to harm him.

With this confidence, Tang Mu-yeong pressed forward with determination.