The Martial God with Psychic Powers-Chapter 92

There was no way those movements belonged to a mere child.

If he couldn’t accurately assess his opponent’s level, it meant the boy was at least as strong as him.

He would have to go all out.

Ssshing—

Heo So drew the sword hanging at his waist.

A sword with a hollow center.

The Flying Heaven Resonance Sword.

A weapon essential for fully utilizing the Resonance Divine Art.

Ting—

Vrrrr—

The moment Heo So flicked the blade with his finger, waves of vibration radiated outward.

“There you are!”

Whoosh—

Crack— Crack—

The trajectory of the Flying Heaven Resonance Sword left deep marks in the ground.

But the boy was nowhere to be seen.

Right now, this entire space was filled with the waves Heo So had spread.

Every movement the boy made was being captured by Heo So’s sensory perception.

Ting— Ting—

He flicked the Resonance Sword once more.

Vrrrr—

The air quivered, and the atmosphere grew heavy.

Resonance Divine Art – Wave Barrier.

The intensified vibrations would slow down the opponent’s movements.

Having captured the boy’s position, Heo So swung the Flying Heaven Resonance Sword in his direction.

“Flying Heaven Dragon Roar Slash!”

Kraaa—!

As the wind passed through the hollow blade, it emitted a roar resembling a dragon’s cry.

The sonic wave took the shape of a dragon, mixed with the resonance waves, and shot toward the boy’s position at breakneck speed. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

“Huh?”

What happened next was beyond belief.

The Flying Heaven Dragon Roar Slash stopped right before the boy and then dissipated into nothingness.

“What the...?!”

What was going on?

Was he really being haunted by a ghost?

“Resonance Divine Art. That’s a pretty fascinating technique. Is it a martial art that utilizes sonic waves?”

Did the kid expect him to answer?

Heo So clamped his mouth shut and glared at the boy.

The boy smirked.

“I’ve seen enough. Let’s stop here.”

“Who said you could decide that?!”

Heo So lunged forward, thrusting his sword straight at the boy.

Resonance Divine Art – One Point Body Shatter.

Swwiiish—

The blade sliced through the air, reaching right in front of the boy’s nose.

BANG—!

The boy didn’t dodge. Instead, he flicked the sword away with his finger.

“What?!”

Vrrrr—

The Flying Heaven Resonance Sword trembled violently, and Heo So lost his grip.

Clang—!

Heo So stared at the boy in utter disbelief.

“W-What... what did you just do?”

He was so shocked that he forgot to retrieve his fallen sword or create distance from his opponent.

What stunned Heo So wasn’t just the boy’s counter, but the way he had struck the sword.

It was uncannily similar to the principles of the Resonance Divine Art.

The boy casually picked up the fallen sword and examined it.

“A fine sword,” he said.

Vrrrr—

The sword emitted a hum, even though it wasn’t in Heo So’s hands.

“The sword recognizes its master,” the boy said, tossing the sword back to Heo So by the hilt.

Heo So caught the sword, still unable to shake off the bewilderment.

“Such impressive movements and techniques. Very satisfying,” the boy said, as if he were the one evaluating Heo So.

Yet, strangely, it didn’t feel out of place.

“A moment ago... how did you do that?”

At Heo So’s question, the boy grinned.

“I just applied the principles of resonance.”

“You knew the Resonance Divine Art?”

“Nope. I just learned it a moment ago.”

For a moment, Heo So couldn’t comprehend what he was hearing. Then, his expression morphed into one of absolute horror.

A moment ago? What did that even mean?

Was the boy saying he had just learned it by watching Heo So perform it?

“T-That’s impossible...”

“What’s impossible?”

“A-Are you saying you learned my Resonance Divine Art just by watching it?”

“Bingo.”

What the hell?! This kid was a monster...

That couldn’t be true.

The Resonance Divine Art wasn’t a simple martial technique.

Its method of internal energy manipulation was fundamentally different from conventional techniques.

It wasn’t something that could be learned just by watching.

Heo So fixed his eyes on the boy.

Was he really just a boy?

Could he be some old monster using a youth-preserving technique to disguise himself as a child?

What the hell should he do now?

Having his sword disarmed in a single move, there was no point in continuing the fight.

Besides, the boy didn’t seem interested in going further either.

Should he just walk away?

While Heo So was still lost in thought, three figures emerged from the shadows, appearing beside the boy.

The three new arrivals were not below Heo So’s level.

In an instant, Heo So found himself surrounded.

‘Damn... looks like I really picked the wrong day to mess around.’

Last night, he had a good dream and thought something great would happen today. It must have been a bad omen instead.

Heo So carefully examined the three men.

Were they anyone he knew?

The man standing in the center looked somewhat familiar.

Heo So squinted, trying to place the face.

Then it hit him.

The man in front of him—

“Wait... could it be... Lord Chunmudae?”

At Heo So’s question, the man in front of him grinned.

“Have we met before?”

“So... it really is Lord Chunmudae?”

“That’s right.”

“Oh, I-I... um...”

“I know who you are. You’re Heo So, the Ascension Sword, right?”

“That you even know who I am... it’s an honor.”

“I know you well. A swordsman too talented to be wasted in the Ascension Hall.”

“You... you’re too kind.”

“It’s not kindness. Reaching the Ninth Level of the Manifested Realm at your age is no small feat. Even I wasn’t at that level when I was your age.”

At Chun Ho Seong’s words, Heo So felt both nervous and flattered.

Every martial artist who wielded a sword looked up to the Sword Emperor, Chun Ho Seong.

While Heo So was still basking in that compliment, he suddenly felt a strange sense of foreboding.

Why was Lord Chunmudae here?

Shouldn’t he be guarding the Heavenly Lord’s residence?

“So, what brings you here?”

“Because the person I serve is here.”

“Huh? Y-You mean... the Heavenly Lord is here?”

“No.”

No?

What did he mean, no?

The only person Chun Ho Seong served was the Heavenly Lord of Mushincheon, Yeon Cheon Baek.

But now he was saying it wasn’t him?

Did Chun Ho Seong find himself a new master?

“No, that doesn’t make any sense.”

“W-What do you mean by that? Isn’t the Chunmu Corps the division that protects the Heavenly Lord?”

“That’s correct.”

“T-Then why did you say the Heavenly Lord isn’t here? Then... who exactly are you guarding?”

“This person right here.”

“What?”

“This is the Young Master I serve.”

“Young Master?”

The sight of the Lord of the Chunmu Corps referring to someone as “Young Master” with such reverence left Heo So utterly confused.

Who could possibly command such respect from Chun Ho Seong, the leader of the Chunmu Corps?

While Heo So stood there in a daze, Yeon Woo Jin spoke up.

“I was just about to introduce myself, but these guys interrupted me. Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Yeon Woo Jin.”

The Young Master whom the Chunmu Corps served.

Without realizing it, Heo So automatically switched to formal speech.

“Oh... Yes. I-I am Heo So.”

Heo So, still in a stupor, nodded blankly as he returned the greeting.

Then, a sudden, striking realization hit him like a hammer.

‘Yeon? Yeon!’

The only Yeon family in all of Mushincheon.

The Heavenly Lord’s family.

Then...

“W-What is your relation to the Heavenly Lord?”

“He’s my grandfather.”

“Guh!”

And just like that, everything suddenly made sense.

Why Chun Ho Seong, the Sword Emperor of the Chunmu Corps, was so reverent, calling him Young Master.

Why this boy, despite his youthful appearance, possessed such overwhelming strength.

And why the students at Baekyeong had grown so terrifyingly strong.

Watching Yeon Woo Jin introduce himself, Chun Ho Seong, Ma Ryong, and Jeok Seong all wore proud, satisfied smiles.

In the end, despite his reluctance, Yeon Woo Jin was now openly revealing his identity to the powerhouses of Mushincheon.

—If this keeps up, the Heavenly Lord will find out soon, won’t he? That the Young Master is going around proclaiming who he is to everyone.

—The Heavenly Lord will jump at the chance, shouting to the heavens that this boy is his grandson.

—Shouldn’t the Heavenly Lord learn about how strong the Young Master is? If he finds out later, he’s going to feel pretty hurt.

—Right? And if he gets mad, he might take it out on us for not saying anything.

—But we can’t exactly tell him when the Young Master said not to.

—Let’s carefully bring it up to the Young Master later.

—Yeah.

—If the Heavenly Lord finds out how powerful he is, he might try to officially appoint him as the Successor right away.

—But the Heavenly Lord won’t make that move so hastily. He knows the Young Master hates the idea. He’ll probably just agonize over it for a while.

—That’s when we should gently hint to him. If we just let things be, the Young Master will take over Mushincheon naturally.

—Exactly. Even if someone else becomes the Successor, the Successor isn’t necessarily the next Heavenly Lord.

—Mushincheon’s First Rule, First Clause: The strongest shall become the Heavenly Lord. There’s no one but the Young Master who fits that bill.

—You’re absolutely right. Looks like we now have a clear mission.

—What is it?

—To guide the Young Master so he doesn’t go astray, and to assist him in naturally taking over Mushincheon, just like now.

—You’re right. That might just be our true purpose.

The three men exchanged contented glances as they continued to gaze at Yeon Woo Jin with eyes overflowing with affection and loyalty.

Meanwhile, Heo So was still trying to collect himself.

He had only followed the kids out of concern, but now he was suddenly caught in a situation far more serious than he had anticipated.

“I apologize. I didn’t know the kids were under the Young Master’s protection... I was just worried about them and followed them here. I swear that’s all it was.”

“I know. I’ve heard everything about you, Heo So. A genius swordsman with a natural gift for martial arts, serving as an inspector at the Ascension Hall because you love kids.”

“T-That’s just an exaggerated rumor.”

“Well, from what I just saw, it doesn’t seem like an exaggeration.”

Yeon Woo Jin smiled as he spoke, his gaze fixed firmly on Heo So.

For some reason, that smile felt oddly oppressive.

‘Can I even walk away from here?’

He was nervous.

If they were secretly ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) training the kids in a hidden place like this, it meant they didn’t want anyone to see it.

And now that he’d seen it...

The choices were limited.

Either he would die, or he would have to join them.

Or they would imprison him somewhere deep and remote.

Still, he was a prominent martial artist in Mushincheon, so wouldn’t they at least try to recruit him?

As Heo So’s mind spun with possibilities, Yeon Woo Jin said something completely unexpected.

“It was nice meeting you today. Take care and go back safely.”

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong? Or do you want to stick around and watch the kids train some more?”

“T-That... You mean... I can just go?”

“Of course. Or you can hang around and keep watching them train. Your choice.”

A choice he hadn’t expected at all.

Was he serious?

Or was he just waiting for Heo So to let his guard down and then strike?

As all sorts of thoughts raced through Heo So’s head, Chun Ho Seong spoke up.

“What are you doing? The Young Master told you to go.”

“Why? Are you worried we’ll ambush you on the way out?”

“You think a man ranked fourth in Mushincheon would do something so cowardly?”

Fourth in Mushincheon?

Heo So quickly searched his memory.

The one ranked fourth was...

“Guh!”

It hit him.

“T-The Earthly Dark Emperor?”

A man known as the Reaper of Hell.

Meeting him was practically a death sentence. Most people who encountered him never walked away.

And that terrifying figure was standing right in front of him.

Shivering uncontrollably, Heo So’s limbs trembled.

Ma Ryong chuckled at the sight.

“What are you so scared of? Consider yourself lucky. Not many people get to walk away after meeting me.”

Heo So’s eyes slowly moved to Ma Ryong’s side.

Jeok Seong grinned as he spoke.

“You don’t need to worry about me. I haven’t been officially ranked in Mushincheon yet.”

Ma Ryong chimed in with a sly grin.

“But he’s no walk in the park either. If the Black Reaper comes looking for you, it usually means he’s there to kill you.”

“B-Black Reaper!”

He had suspected they weren’t ordinary men, but he hadn’t expected them to be monsters of this caliber, all surrounding Yeon Woo Jin.

“So yeah, you’re safe to leave.”

“Yeah. Why would we bother ambushing you? It’s not like killing you is a big deal.”

“Hey, hey. Stop it. You’re going to make the kid cry,” Chun Ho Seong said, stepping in.

“If they’re scaring you, I can walk you to the exit. Let’s go.”

“Oh... Y-Yes...”

With a bewildered expression, Heo So cupped his hands in a martial salute to Yeon Woo Jin before following Chun Ho Seong out.

Even as he left the training ground, a strange feeling of emptiness gnawed at him.

‘What is this feeling? Why does my heart feel so unsettled?’

He couldn’t quite understand why.