The Martial God with Psychic Powers

Though he had grown, there was still a boyish trace left in his face—it looked like he was either just at the age of twenty (yakgwan) or perhaps not even that.
And yet, to this young man—who clearly still looked like a youth—the Patriarch of the Shin Clan, one of the most powerful in all Martial God Heaven, had just prostrated himself and called him Lord.
Who in this world wouldn't be shocked at the sight?

“Offer your greetings. This is my Lord.”
“You expect me to believe that right now?”
“Are you suggesting I’m speaking falsehoods?”

“Then tell me—who in this situation would believe the Patriarch’s words?”
No matter how he looked at it, Seong ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) Baekcheon simply couldn’t believe it.
How was he supposed to accept that the Patriarch of the Shin Clan had just called some boy—not the Heavenly Lord of Martial God Heaven—Lord?

Then it happened.
A vast pressure suddenly washed over both Seong Baekcheon and Shin Do Gwang.
“Khugh!”
He quickly drew up his internal energy to resist, but it was useless.

His knees buckled slowly, and he was forced back into his seat.
Was it Shin Do Gwang?
No—it wasn’t him. He, too, was visibly struggling.

Then who—?
Seong Baekcheon turned his gaze toward Yeon Woo Jin.
Yeon Woo Jin grinned.

“Let’s all calm down and have a seat, shall we?”
So it was him.
The owner of this pressure.

Good god.
That kind of force—at his age?
This couldn’t be real.

Was he dreaming?
He was at the Fourth Stage of the Transcendence Realm, yet he couldn’t resist at all.
Thump.

Seong Baekcheon was ultimately forced into his seat.
Yet the chair remained perfectly intact.
Which meant that all of the force had been concentrated only on himself and Shin Do Gwang.
Seong Baekcheon knew exactly how hard that was to do.

Where in the world did this kind of monster come from…?
He stared at Yeon Woo Jin with a dazed expression.
The young man before him stood on a level far beyond anything he could hope to challenge.

He’d never heard of someone like this existing.
Who was he?
Who could possess such overwhelming power yet remain completely unknown to the world?

With trembling pupils, Seong Baekcheon asked,
“W-Who… are you?”
“I am Yeon Woo Jin, grandson of the Heavenly Lord of Martial God Heaven.”

For the first time, Yeon Woo Jin introduced himself proudly as the Heavenly Lord’s grandson.
And at those words, Seong Baekcheon's eyes widened like saucers.
“T-The grandson of the H-Heavenly Lord…?”

“Yes.”
Still stunned, he looked toward Shin Do Gwang.
Shin Do Gwang nodded.

It was true.
No way…
The Heavenly Lord had a blood descendant?

And one this strong?
A being so powerful that even he couldn't resist?
But if such a grandson existed, then what was the point of all the competition for the next Heavenly Lord?
The series of shocks had turned Seong Baekcheon’s mind blank—he could no longer think straight.

Trickle—
Yeon Woo Jin poured liquor into Seong Baekcheon’s empty cup and spoke.
“I heard you came because of your son.”

“Y-Yes, that’s right.”
“It’s not bullying. It’s exactly what it looked like—training. There's a formation called the Reverse Muscular Flow Formation. It strengthens the body. You really do get stronger. Downside is—it’s painful.”
“I-Is that so…?”

“You don’t seem convinced. So I thought I’d let you experience it for yourself.”
“…What?”
Yeon Woo Jin reached a hand toward Seong Baekcheon.

“Seeing is believing.”
Zzzng—
The floor beneath Seong Baekcheon began to glow as the formation automatically etched itself into the ground.

At the same time, Yeon Woo Jin approached and grasped him with a smile.
“It hurts a bit.”
Seong Baekcheon had no intention of accepting it.

Naturally, he tried to move his body to resist—but the hand that Yeon Woo Jin held wouldn’t budge.
What kind of insane monster is this…?
He couldn’t believe it.

That such a being had been hiding in the world.
Crack—
“Grrrahhh!”

He hadn’t even given his consent, yet his arm was forcibly twisted.
“Your body’s really stiff.”
Crack, crack—

“GYYAAAAAH!”
Seong Baekcheon screamed as he struggled desperately to escape Yeon Woo Jin’s grasp.
But it was no use.

Could he attack?
No—he couldn’t.
To attack Yeon Woo Jin would be no different than attacking the Heavenly Lord himself.

“All done.”
Seong Baekcheon’s body was twisted into a bizarre position.
Was it over?

No.
Now his body began to move on its own, wracked by pain.
A numbing current surged through him like thunder—his muscles spasmed with agony.

“Khgh…!”
He clenched his teeth and endured it.
Even in the pain, he was already anxious about the future.

If this devil—who could subject a person to such torment upon first meeting—were to become the next Heavenly Lord…
The very thought was terrifying.
Yet there was nothing he could do.

Time passed, soaked in pain and dread for what was to come.
Yeon Woo Jin simply watched in silence, his face devoid of emotion.
Shin Do Gwang, seeing the legendary Reverse Muscular Flow Formation in action for the first time, quietly stayed where he was.

Then Yeon Woo Jin turned to him and asked,
“Would you like to try it too, Patriarch?”
Shin Do Gwang rapidly shook his head.

“N-No, sir.”
“Why not? From the looks of it, your body seems pretty stiff too. It’s good for you, even if it hurts a little.”
A little?

Looking at Seong Baekcheon’s state now, he looked like he’d confess to anything if you just asked.
“Haha… I-I’m quite all right, sir…”
“Let’s do it together while we’re at it.”

“L-Lord! I—I really don’t—”
He refused, but it was meaningless.
Once Yeon Woo Jin made up his mind, no one could stop him.

Moments later—
Seong Baekcheon heard a scream that didn’t belong to him and opened his eyes.
There, right before him, was Shin Do Gwang, writhing in the exact same contorted position.

Seeing that brought Seong Baekcheon an odd sense of relief.
That he wasn’t the only one.
There was something strangely comforting in that shared suffering.

 
****
“Th-This can’t be…”

Another unbelievable thing had just occurred.
“M-My inner energy… it increased?”
Not just his internal energy.

His qi was flowing far more smoothly than before.
Most of all—his body felt light.
It was as if all the stagnant energy that had clogged his body had been completely expelled.

“How does it feel? Not bad, right?”
Yeon Woo Jin’s voice called out.
Seong Baekcheon quickly nodded.

“If you receive it regularly, your body transforms into the ideal frame for martial arts. You know, right? How important skeletal structure is to a martial artist.”
“O-Of course I do.”
He nodded again without hesitation.

“Anyone who enters the Reverse Muscular Flow Formation has caught my eye. But if you’re opposed, I’ll remove your son from it.”
Remove him?
From what?

“N-No! Please—strengthen him even more!”
If it was this good, he’d pay for it himself.
And besides—the man who was without a doubt the next Heavenly Lord had personally marked his son.

He couldn’t let his son lose such an opportunity because of him.
He glanced over at Shin Do Gwang.
His face was full of pride.

Do you see now? This is the kind of man I serve.
That expression seemed to say it all.
And Seong Baekcheon—

Was jealous.
Someone once said—
If you’re envious, you’ve already lost?

No.
If you’re envious—then just join them.
Seong Baekcheon prostrated himself before Yeon Woo Jin.

“I—I too wish to serve you as my Lord! Please grant me the honor of serving you!”
Yeon Woo Jin looked at him, startled.
“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

Regret?
Seong Baekcheon was certain.
Yeon Woo Jin—standing before him right now—was a golden rope from the heavens.

If he didn’t grab hold of it now, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
“Regret? Absolutely not! I sincerely wish to serve you, Young Lord! Please accept me!”
“Are you saying the entire Snowy Mountain Sect will serve me?”

Seong Baekcheon spoke firmly.
“If you desire the sect, I will convince the elders myself and make them follow you!”
“If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“…Pardon?”
“I look forward to working with you.”
That was permission.

“Th-Thank you! I will serve you with all my heart and soul, my Lord!”
“Shall I handle the matter of your son, then?”
“Of course! I entrust my child’s life and death completely to you, my Lord! Do as you see fit!”

Yeon Woo Jin smiled.
He had done nothing—and yet the Snowy Mountain Sect, ranked eleventh in Martial God Heaven’s power structure, had voluntarily fallen under his command.
It truly seemed the heavens were determined to make him the next Heavenly Lord of Martial God Heaven.

Yeon Woo Jin looked up at the sky and laughed.
 
****

Martial God Heaven’s Snowy Mountain Sect branch office.
The moment the Sect Leader arrived, the branch head rushed out barefoot in a panic.
“I greet the Lord of the Sect!”

“Yes, yes. You’ve had quite the burden watching after my son.”
“N-No, sir! I’m merely doing what I must. Please, come inside.”
“Very well. Let’s go in first.”

Soon after entering, a table of drinks was swiftly prepared.
“Hah. You prepared this so quickly, it’s as if you were waiting for me.”
“I knew full well the Sect Lord would be coming—how could I not prepare?”

At the branch head’s words, Seong Baekcheon gave a satisfied smile.
“Sit. I have something to say to you anyway.”
“Yes, sir.”

“Have a drink first.”
“I-I am honored, sir!”
The branch head quickly and respectfully held out his cup.

Trickle—
Seong Baekcheon filled his subordinate’s cup before filling his own.
“Now, let’s drink.”

Gulp—
He downed it in one go and refilled the cup once more.
What was he about to say?

The branch head felt anxious for no reason.
“Why are you so tense?”
“B-Because I failed to properly serve the Young Lord.”

“Hahahaha! You fool. When did you become such a coward? You weren’t like this before.”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“Forget it. This was like a natural disaster—there’s nothing you could’ve done.”

“…Sir?”
What did that mean?
How could being bullied at school be called a natural disaster?

Wait…
“Was it… because the opponent was the Shin Clan? Just give the order! I’ll march straight to the Shin Clan and turn it upside down!”
“For now, have another drink.”

Gulp—
At the Sect Lord’s command, the branch head emptied his cup at once.
Then he focused all attention on Seong Baekcheon’s mouth.

Ready to charge out the moment an order dropped.
A truly loyal subordinate.
That was why he’d entrusted him with the most important branch in Martial God Heaven.

Seong Baekcheon smiled and said,
“No. It’s someone even higher than the Shin Clan.”
“…Sir?”

Even higher?
“Is one of the Five Great Martial Houses involved?”
Seong Baekcheon shook his head again.

“Higher.”
Higher than the Five Great Martial Houses?
What kind of family—?

“…Gasp! No… Surely not… It can’t be, right?”
“What are you talking about?”
“T-The Heavenly Lord…?”

Seong Baekcheon chuckled quietly and nodded.
“Khak!”
The branch head was so stunned he collapsed on the spot.

“A-Are you saying… the Heavenly Lord is involved with the Young Lord?”
“That’s right. To be precise, his bloodline is attending Baekyeong.”
“…What?”

The branch head’s eyes looked ready to pop out.
“W-What do you mean? The Heavenly Lord has no bloodline.”
“That’s what I thought too—but it turns out, that’s not the case. His grandson is currently enrolled at Baekyeong.”

“G-Good heavens! Then… the one tormenting the Young Lord…”
“Watch your mouth. It’s not torment. He’s helping him grow stronger.”
“…Sir?”

“When is Seaak arriving?”
“H-He should be here any moment. Once you see him with your own eyes… once you see what condition the Young Lord returns in…”
“I already know. I experienced it myself at the High Division.”

“…Pardon?”
What was he talking about?
“It’s a miracle encounter. Something worth paying gold to experience—and that man gives it for free. How can we not be grateful?”

What…?
This wasn’t the Seong Baekcheon he knew.
Was this someone else wearing his face?

The transformation was so complete it felt surreal.
As the branch head stared blankly, Seong Baekcheon chuckled.
That must’ve been the same face he’d made when looking at Yeon Woo Jin.

Seong Baekcheon then explained everything in detail.
Once he finished, the branch head’s face was frozen in shock.
“T-That wasn’t bullying… but a formation that strengthens the body?”

“That’s right. I’ve experienced it myself.”
“More importantly… that man… he’s really the Heavenly Lord’s grandson?”
“He is. Without question.”

“How can you be so sure?”
“Because he’s stronger than me. So strong that I couldn’t even put up a fight.”