The Martial God with Psychic Powers

Hearing Yeon Woo Jin's words, the surrounding Daoists stared at the pyo-sa with horrified expressions.
Madmen had arrived.

“Why…? There’s a path beside the snow mountain—it’s not perfectly paved, but it’s traversable for people. Why take that route?”
“Because traveling that way wouldn’t count as training.”
“Pardon?”

What kind of nonsense was this?
Training?
Surely not…

Did they consider the journey itself as training?
These people were dangerous.
What if something happened to the cargo during such reckless antics?
They nearly had to survive for half a year on nothing but Bigu Pills.

Well, surviving on Bigu Pills wasn’t the issue.
But they were Daoists—their lives practically depended on tea.
The mere thought that they had almost gone without tea for six months made the Daoists feel faint.

This was something they ought to protest to the Changcheon Trading Group immediately.
But on what grounds?
Did these people arrive late?

No.
In fact, they arrived earlier than expected.
Was the cargo damaged?

Not at all.
The pyo-sa looked like beggars, but the cargo was spotless.
It looked as though it had just been packed.

Now that they thought about it… that was even more unbelievable.
How could it possibly be so clean?
Did they swap the outer packaging along the way?

Maybe the contents were ruined inside?
Various wild speculations swirled through their minds, but they tried to maintain composure.
“Haha… I see. Well, we’d like to inspect the cargo first.”

“Go ahead.”
The Dian Cang Daoists hurriedly inspected the cargo unloaded onto the ground.
The state of the cargo was… immaculate—among the finest they had ever seen.
No matter how careful a journey was, this region’s treacherous terrain meant at least one or two items typically suffered damage. Yet, this time, there was not a single flaw.

It was as if the goods had been freshly produced and delivered.
After confirming everything, the Daoists finally guided the Sincheon Pyo-guk members to their accommodations.
“We’ve inspected all the cargo. I’ll show you to your lodgings. Please, follow me.”

The Sincheon Pyo-guk members followed the Daoist, thinking only of collapsing onto a bed as soon as possible.
 
****

After dinner, all the Sincheon Pyo-guk members fell asleep in an instant.
Yeon Woo Jin left them behind and stepped outside.
Bathed in moonlight, he admired the towering peaks of Mount Dian Cang when he suddenly sensed an unusual energy.

He calmly followed the energy’s pull.
As he approached the source, brilliant golden light suddenly flared in the air, and characters materialized:
Emergence of the Demon Calamity.

What…?
Yeon Woo Jin stared in surprise, but a commotion erupted from within.
“Emergence of the Demon? Does that mean the Demonic Cult has truly risen again?!”

Amidst the chaos, the Heavenly Signs True Man coughed up blood.
Cough—
The gathered people rushed to stop him.

“Enough! Stop this now!”
“Quickly, cease the ritual! We've seen enough!”
“What do we do? His innate true qi is draining rapidly!”

As panicked voices rang out, another phrase faintly appeared in the air before vanishing:
Immortals Annihilate Mankind.
Immortals annihilate mankind…?

What the hell did that mean?
But there wasn’t time to dwell on that.
Yeon Woo Jin could feel a life force vanishing at an alarming rate.

Without wasting time introducing himself, he intervened.
A stranger appearing amidst such urgency made the Dian Cang Sect's leadership tense and wary.
“Who are you?!”

“Names can wait. Save the True Man first.”
Save…?
Was he not an enemy?

But they couldn’t trust him outright.
“Stop!”
They tried to block him.

But Yeon Woo Jin moved faster.
In an instant, he poured his innate true qi into the Heavenly Signs True Man’s body, and with his other hand, grabbed the Twelve Zodiac Heavenly Signs Array.

Naturally, the True Man’s hand slipped off the device, and the Dian Cang Sect members rushed to support him.
Woom…
Sensing the vast, overwhelming true qi Yeon Woo Jin had released, the array began to hum violently.

Then, visions of the future flooded Yeon Woo Jin’s mind.
Countless fragments of what was to come flashed rapidly before his eyes.
Crack, crack—

The Twelve Zodiac Heavenly Signs Array shuddered violently, then shattered into countless fragments.
The event unfolded in an instant.
The Dian Cang Sect's treasured artifact had been destroyed.

Everyone stared at Yeon Woo Jin with devastated expressions.
But no one made a move against him.
He was the one who had saved their Sect Master.

The Heavenly Signs True Man slowly regained consciousness and asked,
“Did you see the writing?”
“Sect Master! You’ve come to your senses?”

“I asked if you saw the writing.”
“I-I did.”
“What did it say?”

“It was… ‘Emergence of the Demon Calamity.’”
“Tch… The worst of heavenly omens.”
It seemed he had not seen the faint second phrase—Immortals Annihilate Mankind—that had briefly appeared and vanished.

“Perhaps there was a problem with the Heavenly Signs Array. The moment that young man touched it, it broke apart. But had it not been for him, you would have been in grave danger, Sect Master.”
The Heavenly Signs True Man turned to Yeon Woo Jin.
“My thanks.”

“Think nothing of it.”
“Sect Master, does ‘Emergence of the Demon Calamity’ mean the Demonic Cult is truly rising again?”
The gathered elders inquired, but the Heavenly Signs True Man did not answer.

“That’s a discussion for later. For now… I need to rest.”
Only then did they realize the Sect Master's condition was far from good and hurried to support him.
“And who might you be, young man?”

As the Sect Master was being supported, Yeon Woo Jin responded,
“I am Yeon Woo Jin, master of Sincheon Pyo-guk. I’ve brought cargo on behalf of the Changcheon Trading Group.”
“Ah, so the shipment was due around this time. But how did you find this place?”

“I was out walking under the moonlight and saw golden writing appear in the sky. Curious, I approached, and hearing the commotion inside, I entered without permission. My apologies.”
“You practice medicine?”
“Yes. It's not much to boast of, but I know a little.”

The Heavenly Signs True Man could feel it now.
An abundant force filled his body from within.
It ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) was life force.

Someone had shared their own life force with him.
In truth, his body now felt better than ever—he felt years younger.
The Heavenly Signs True Man examined Yeon Woo Jin with great interest.

“How curious indeed.”
“What do you mean?”
“By all rights… you should be dead. How are you alive?”

“You’re saying I was fated to die?”
Yeon Woo Jin asked, and the Heavenly Signs True Man shook his head.
“This isn’t the place for that discussion. Let’s move elsewhere.”

The Sect Master instructed the others,
“Bring this young man to my chamber.”
“Sect Master, you should be resting.”

“I’m fine. He is a precious guest of Dian Cang. Show proper respect.”
“A… precious guest? But… but he destroyed the Heavenly Signs Array!”
“That array cannot be shattered by human strength. If it broke, its lifespan had simply run out. It was not his fault.”

“The Heavenly Signs Array… had a lifespan?”
“All things in existence possess one. The array is no different.”
Despite saying so, his expression darkened.

“I’m weary. Let us go to my chamber.”
“U-understood.”
They supported the Heavenly Signs True Man and helped him away.

They turned to Yeon Woo Jin.
“Follow us. The Sect Master requests your presence.”
Yeon Woo Jin nodded and followed them silently.

 
****
The Heavenly Signs True Man lay down in Sangcheon Pavilion.

“That’s enough. I have private matters to discuss with the young man. Leave us.”
“But…”
“I told you, didn’t I? He is a precious guest of Dian Cang. Do you doubt my word?”

“N-not at all. Then, please rest well.”
Once everyone left, the Heavenly Signs True Man sat up.
The weak, feeble appearance had vanished without a trace.

“You shared your innate true qi with me. Are you sure you’re alright?”
“I’m fine. I’m still young, after all.”
“Hooh…”

“But what did you mean earlier? That I was destined to die? Do you mean I’m fated to die soon?”
“No. Give me your hand for a moment.”
Yeon Woo Jin extended his hand.

The Heavenly Signs True Man studied his palm carefully.
Then, his brow furrowed.
“Hoh… No matter how I read it, your fate should have ended before you turned ten. How are you still alive?”

“You're saying I was supposed to die before I turned ten?”
“Indeed. You are a being who should not exist in this world.”
“Ten years old… That’s when I met my grandfather.”

“Now that you mention it… I have no memories from before I turned ten.”
“Truly?”
“Yes.”

“Hm. Then perhaps… you did die, and somehow came back to life. You possess an exalted fate. But such exalted fates often burn short. And yet, here you are… Alive… I cannot fathom it.”
An exalted fate.
That confirmed it—he truly carried his grandfather’s bloodline.

The Heavenly Signs True Man continued to scrutinize him.
“I cannot see it… I cannot read your fate at all. It’s as if… even the heavens themselves are unaware of your existence.”
“The heavens?”

“Yes. For a man fated to die to walk the earth unseen by fate—this means not even the heavens perceive you.”
“Is that… good or bad?”
“I despaired after seeing the heavenly signs… but perhaps… you are the one destined to save this world.”

“You said you couldn’t see my fate.”
“Precisely. Which means your destiny is yours to forge.”
That’s how he had lived thus far.

“I see. Understood.”
“Tell me one thing—where do you come from?”
“I come from Mushincheon.”

“You possess an exalted fate. You must carry the blood of Mushincheon’s most noble figure. Am I right?”
“I do.”
The Heavenly Signs True Man’s face lit up with joy.

“Hahaha! I knew it! You’re strong. I sensed it when you shared your true qi—that boundless, oceanic power… You are truly formidable.”
A hopeful expression spread across his face.
“You can overcome the heavenly signs. From now on, Dian Cang will assist you in every way possible!”

The visions he saw before the Heavenly Signs Array shattered… Yeon Woo Jin decided not to speak of them.
The scenes were too horrific… too cruel.
“I must stop them… for the sake of protecting those I care about.”

Yeon Woo Jin’s words brought a smile to the Sect Master’s face.
Those he cared about… He seemed different from the Mushincheon Lord.
“Perfect timing, then. I was wondering how to deliver this.”

“What is it?”
Yeon Woo Jin retrieved a booklet from his robe.
“This… is this the Sun-Piercing Sword Art?”

“Yes. My grandfather instructed me to return it.”
“Truly…?”
“Yes.”

“Thank you… With this, we can properly prepare against the Demonic Cult.”
“So, the ‘Emergence of the Demon Calamity’ truly signals the Demonic Cult’s resurgence.”
“Indeed.”

“Shouldn’t we spread word quickly?”
“We must first determine where they’re hiding. If rumors spread prematurely, they’ll use that chaos to their advantage.”
“Is there a way to find them?”

“We must locate the remnants of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect first. If the demons wish to root themselves here, they’ll need their agents.”
“Do they have distinguishing features?”
“They wield martial arts infused with demonic energy—magi. They likely still use the techniques passed down by the demonic race.”

“What does magi feel like?”
“Cold, ominous energy. When it surfaces, it emanates a deep black aura.”
“Are demons from the demonic realm strong?”

“Very. Their physical strength surpasses humans two or threefold. When they reveal their true forms, they grow larger and even more powerful.”
“They… transform?”
“I’ve never witnessed it myself. But it’s said they become monstrously strong when they do. They also possess peculiar powers.”

“Peculiar powers?”
“Yes. Not martial arts… something strange and unnatural.”
Strange powers… Like his own.

The abilities he wielded—the psychic powers—those bizarre, inexplicable forces… Could they originate from the same place?
Had someone implanted these powers within him?
Who?

An immortal?
But why?
It remained a mystery.

One thing, however, was certain.
He now understood where to wield this immense, unknowable strength.
His enemies… might be even stronger than himself.

That realization sent chills down his spine.
An unfamiliar tension rippled through his entire body.