The Martial God with Psychic Powers

Lee Hwaun’s outrageous proposal.
People thought—
There was no way they could refuse.

But they should have thought deeper.
Why would an expert at the Hwagyeong Realm be working as a mere escort guard?
Surely, it wasn’t because they had nowhere else to go.

There were countless sects that would welcome them with open arms the moment they expressed their intent to join.
And yet, Jang Woon and Sunwoo Baek’s answer was—
“We appreciate the offer, but we must refuse.”

“I share the same opinion as this friend.”
At their refusal, Lee Hwaun’s brow twitched.
“What? Are you saying you’d rather remain escort guards for that insignificant agency than take the seat of the Lord of Nokrim?”
“We already serve a lord.”

“That lord… it’s that bastard, isn’t it?”
Lee Hwaun’s finger pointed toward Yeon Woo Jin.
“That’s correct.”

It was absurd.
A Hwagyeong-level master serving under such a weak-looking brat?
It wasn’t even a famous escort agency.

From the look of it, the agency seemed newly established—he hadn’t even heard the name before.
Yet, their answer only satisfied Lee Hwaun even more.
They had talent—and on top of that, loyalty.

Truly, they were talents to his liking.
He vowed then and there to make them his, no matter what.
“Come to me. I’ll let your lord and your agency walk away untouched. Furthermore, I’ll order every stronghold in the Central Plains to let Sincheon Escort Agency pass freely, without interference. How’s that? I believe that should suffice to show my respect for your master.”

“If we refuse, I assume the opposite will happen?”
“Sharp one. If you refuse, I’ll destroy Sincheon Escort Agency here and now—and cripple every one of them standing there. As for you two, I’ll destroy your cultivation cores and have you spend your miserable lives doing hard labor in this place.”
A subtle but heavy pressure radiated from Lee Hwaun, pressing down on Jang Woon and Sunwoo Baek.

It was then—
“Now, now… Isn’t it a bit much to openly poach my people like this?”
Yeon Woo Jin stepped forward.
“Kuhuhu… What? Worried they might come to me? You should hope they do. That way, you and your escort agency might leave here alive.”

“You should consider the opposite.”
“The opposite?”
“Why don’t you entertain the idea that I might be stronger than you? That perhaps Nokrim might fall under me instead?”

“…What?”
Ridiculous.
He seemed completely unhinged.

It might actually be easier than expected to bring Jang Woon and Sunwoo Baek to his side.
Compared to that lunatic, he was the better option by far.
“First… you should clean up this nonsense pressing down on my people.”

Yeon Woo Jin flicked his hand lightly, and the strained expressions on Jang Woon and Sunwoo Baek immediately eased.
And instead, pressure began to descend upon Lee Hwaun himself.
“W-What is this?”

He panicked.
What the hell was happening?
Was that brat really shaking off his pressure—and even turning it back on him?

Impossible.
But he couldn’t deny it.
He was experiencing it firsthand.

“This bastard… Was he concealing his true cultivation?”
Only now did Lee Hwaun realize Yeon Woo Jin wasn’t an ordinary man.
Of course.

There was no way talents like that would follow just anyone.
A smile crept across Lee Hwaun’s face.
“I see. If I make you mine, those two will naturally follow.”

“Do you really think that’s possible?”
“Kuhuhu… Don’t tell me you believe this is my full strength? I haven’t even begun to use my true power.”
“That’s strange.”

“What is?”
“Why do you assume I’m using my full strength right now?”
“…What?”

“I haven’t used any of my strength yet.”
“You talk big for someone so young.”
“I’m not bluffing.”

Yeon Woo Jin glanced back.
“Step aside, just for a moment.”
The others prepared to move at his words, but Lee Hwaun suddenly shouted—

“Where do you think you’re going? Restrain them all so they can’t move!”
It was an order to the Nokrim Thirty-Two, his personal elite guards waiting behind him.
They would soon descend upon them, subduing every last one.

He would show them—right in front of their master—how powerless he truly was.
“This is your final chance. If you don’t want to be humiliated before your subordinates, kneel down and surrender. I’ll make sure you’re treated well.”
As Lee Hwaun spoke, the Thirty-Two Elite surrounded the members of Sincheon Escort Agency.

It was indeed his final warning.
Yeon Woo Jin chuckled faintly.
“Do your worst.”

Who was he talking to?
It became clear soon enough.
“Chung!”

The escort guards of Sincheon shouted in unison, their voices booming.
Lee Hwaun was dumbfounded.
Surely…?

They wouldn’t actually try?

There was no point in trying—this fight was already decided.
Lee Hwaun clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, tsk. To think the head of an agency can’t even grasp the opponent’s strength.”
BOOM—!
The Nokrim Thirty-Two Elite and Sincheon Escort guards collided, explosive shockwaves brushing past Lee Hwaun and Yeon Woo Jin.

“You really believe your people can win?”
Yeon Woo Jin shook his head.
“No.”

“Then why give such a reckless order?”
“There’s no better experience than real combat.”
“…What?”

“If I step in, they’ll lose their chance to experience it.”
Absurd.
Was this brat still delusional?

“What are you implying? You sound as if stepping in would end this instantly.”
Yeon Woo Jin nodded slightly, and Lee Hwaun let out a dry laugh.
“Let’s see if you’re truly that capable.”

“You want to confirm it? Not yet. I’d hate to ruin my people’s combat experience.”
“Hah… You really do need to be taught a lesson.”
“Don’t move.”

“I’ve never obeyed anyone’s orders.”
“You won’t be able to move anyway.”
“…What?”

What nonsense was this now?
‘Won’t be able to move’—that implied he was being restrained.
The more he humored the brat, the more outrageous he became.

Enough was enough—Lee Hwaun prepared to act.
That was when—
Crack—

It felt like the weight of Mount Tai had been placed squarely upon his shoulders.
“Gah…!”
What was this overwhelming pressure?

Lee Hwaun immediately drew upon his cultivation to resist the crushing force.
But the pressure only intensified.
Yeon Woo Jin, hands clasped behind his back, spoke calmly.

“Stay still until my people finish their combat training.”
What… what the hell…?
His pride was wounded.

Who was he?
The Grand Emperor of Nokrim, the supreme ruler of one hundred thousand Nokrim warriors.
“Hmph…!”

He drew upon every ounce of his cultivation, pushing back against Yeon Woo Jin’s pressure.
Lee Hwaun, having barely repelled the oppressive force, glared at Yeon Woo Jin with fierce eyes.
“Such ridiculous power… Fine! I acknowledge you. From this moment on, I’ll treat you as my worthy rival.”

As he pushed back against Yeon Woo Jin’s force, a thought crossed his mind—
Their realms were similar.
How someone of that age had reached a realm comparable to his own was beyond him, but he had to admit it.

And yet—
“I told you not to move.”
BOOM—!

“Urgh…!”
He had barely pushed it back.
And yet, an even stronger pressure bore down upon him.

Unbelievable.
Then, through the haze, Lee Hwaun saw Yeon Woo Jin clearly.
Standing there with his hands clasped behind his back, utterly composed.

There wasn’t a trace of tension in Yeon Woo Jin’s body.
What did that mean?
It meant the pressure wasn’t even coming from his full strength.

Which meant…
He still had power far beyond this.
Could it be… that this young man, barely of age, stood in a realm above his own?

Impossible.
No matter how much of a genius, that was simply impossible.
Lee Hwaun desperately gathered his cultivation, trying to resist the suffocating reality—but the harder he resisted, the heavier the pressure became.

“Impressive… Judging by this, you must be around the Fourth Stage of the Transcendent Realm.”
Spot on.
Never in his life had he felt so utterly helpless.

It wasn’t just the pressure.
He was being held completely still, locked in the same posture as when the pressure first descended.
From afar, [N O V E L I G H T] it looked as if Lee Hwaun was simply standing calmly, watching the battle between the Sincheon Escort Agency and the Nokrim Thirty-Two Elite.

Could such a thing even be possible?
Could he do it himself?
No.

And his opponent wasn’t even using full strength.
Only now did Lee Hwaun begin to feel the true terror of Yeon Woo Jin.
As Lee Hwaun ceased his resistance, Yeon Woo Jin smiled faintly.

A chill ran down his spine.
In that moment, an unknown dread enveloped him.
Lee Hwaun’s eyes widened as he caught sight of Yeon Woo Jin’s eyes—darkened, dyed pitch black.

Black Eyes?
Someone with Black Eyes…
Where had he heard that before…?

Suddenly, it came to him.
The most terrifying thing in this world… is encountering the Martial God, the Celestial Lord, bearing Black Eyes.

The Martial God, Celestial Lord…

The man before him had Black Eyes.
Could he be… connected to the Celestial Lord?
If he was truly connected to the Celestial Lord…

There could be no resistance.
To oppose him was to erase Nokrim from the Central Plains entirely.
No… could it be…?

Was this the Celestial Lord, reborn in youthful form?
The thought alone chilled him to his core.
If that were true, he had just picked a fight with the Celestial Lord himself.

Horrified, he cautiously asked—
“Wh-What is your relation to the Martial God, Celestial Lord…?”
His tone was humble.

There was a chance this man was the Celestial Lord in person.
Yeon Woo Jin smiled faintly in response.
“He’s my grandfather.”

“Cough…!”
Madness.
It was real.

Truly, he was connected to the Martial God.
And not just connected—he was the direct grandson.
He, Lee Hwaun, had just challenged the grandson of the Martial God, Celestial Lord.

Shiver—
Could it be a lie?
But what would someone of such overwhelming strength gain by lying to him?

Hearing that this strength belonged to the Martial God’s grandson… suddenly made sense.
There was no one else in the Central Plains capable of cultivating such a monster.
Lee Hwaun’s pupils darted rapidly.

What could he do to ensure survival for himself and for Nokrim?
There was only one way.
Complete submission.

That was the only path to surviving the wrath of the Celestial Lord.
Lee Hwaun opened his mouth to declare his loyalty.
But—

“Shh. My people are still undergoing combat training. Let’s quietly observe.”
“A-Ah… Understood.”
“Maintain your current posture, please.”

“Understood…”
Crack—
Adjusting his stance, Lee Hwaun watched the fight—and to his surprise, it was evenly matched.

The Nokrim Thirty-Two had the superior strength, but the Sincheon Escort Agency’s coordinated assault was remarkable.
As a result, the battle remained in stalemate.
Watching, curiosity stirred within Lee Hwaun.

Just how strong was Yeon Woo Jin?
“I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”

“The power you used on me… how much of your true strength was that?”
At the question, Yeon Woo Jin stroked his chin, thinking.
“Hm… Around two percent?”

That was generous.
In truth, he hadn’t even used one percent.
But Lee Hwaun was aghast.

Impossible.
That force… was merely two percent?
If he unleashed his full power, just how strong was he…?

To think, with only two percent, he had immobilized someone like him—at the Fourth Stage of the Transcendent Realm.
Could it be… he’s stronger than the Martial God himself?
The thought alone defied reason.

But such an absurd idea didn’t feel entirely impossible in that moment.
Why hold the competition for the next Celestial Lord when monsters like him existed?
Could the other candidates also be this monstrous?

One thing was certain.
Even if the current Martial God vanished, Mushincheon would remain powerful.
No—if Yeon Woo Jin became the Celestial Lord, Mushincheon would only grow stronger, not weaker.

But then… why the escort agency?
There were countless things he couldn’t comprehend.
Questions burned within him, but he didn’t dare speak them.

“You seem to have many questions.”
“Y-Yes…”
“Become my subordinate, and I’ll tell you everything.”

“…What?”
“You don’t want to? Think carefully. This opportunity doesn’t come easily. The future Celestial Lord himself is inviting you to join him.”
The future Celestial Lord.

Such confidence in his voice.
“I heard there’s a competition for the position… Can you defeat the other candidates?”
Yeon Woo Jin smiled faintly at the question.

“They’ll all become my loyal subordinates too.”
That voice, overflowing with certainty.
It didn’t feel like arrogance.

With him… it truly seemed possible.
“…I’ll follow you.”
Lee Hwaun’s decision.

Yeon Woo Jin smiled wider.
“Then let’s give you your first command.”
“Please, command me.”

“To your Nokrim Thirty-Two…”
Surely, he was about to tell them to stop fighting.
“…Tell them to attack with everything they’ve got. This isn’t a true life-and-death battle as it is.”

Ah.
He was far scarier than he looked.