The Martial God with Psychic Powers

The subordinates of the Palace Lord of Blazing Fire stood frozen, blank expressions on their faces, unable to make sense of the situation.
Why was their Palace Lord in agony?
Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
It didn’t make any sense.
“Hff! Hff!”
Finally able to catch his breath, the Palace Lord gasped for air.
He, too, stared at Yeon Woo Jin in disbelief.
That blow just now had felt like it would tear his very soul from his body.
“Feeling clear-headed now?”
At Yeon Woo Jin’s words, the Palace Lord quickly widened the distance between them.
“W-Who the hell are you?!”
What kind of escort bureau master could possibly be this strong?
The pain had been so excruciating, he thought his guts had ruptured.
“I already introduced myself. I’m the Master of the Shincheon Escort Bureau.”
“Khk…!”
It was humiliating.
His pride had taken a hit.
To show such a disgraceful side in front of someone like that…
The Palace Lord should have realized sooner.
He should’ve noticed how the Changcheon Guild Leader had treated this young man.
He should’ve questioned it.
Why had Namgoong Hwan spoken to him with such deference?
But by now, the Palace Lord’s mind was clouded with rage, and those scenes had already been wiped from memory.
Right now, repaying the shame he’d suffered was the only thing on his mind.
“Fine, so you refuse to reveal your true identity! Very well then! I’ll go all out!”
Roooaaar—
A massive surge of energy erupted from the Palace Lord’s body.
“I was off-guard before. This time will be different.”
With those words, he pulled out the axe strapped to his back.
“This is the Dragon-Blood Axe (Yonghyeolbu). With this, I’ll split your skull in two.”
The blade of the axe, dyed deep red as though soaked in blood, gleamed with deadly light.
The Palace Lord spoke.
“I’ll give you one chance. Get on your knees, bow your head, and beg for forgiveness. Do that, and I’ll spare your life.”
He was still trying to avoid the worst-case scenario.
Which, in this case, would be killing Yeon Woo Jin and making an enemy of the Namgoong Clan.
Still, he wasn’t particularly concerned.
He was already on bad terms with the orthodox alliance anyway.
Even so, he extended the offer once more—because going to war with the Namgoong Clan would deal a massive blow to Blazing Fire Divine Palace as well.
“This should be fun. Go ahead and try.”
“…What?”
“What if you can’t split my head with that axe? Will you offer me Blazing Fire Divine Palace?”
“Hah! If I fail to split your skull with this axe, then fine—Blazing Fire Divine Palace is yours, and I’ll become your dog and servant!”
At those words, Yeon Woo Jin turned to the people around them.
“You all heard that, right? If he can’t split my head open with that axe, he’s giving me his sect and becoming my subordinate.”
Snorting, the Palace Lord exhaled sharply.
“Then stay still. Make it easier for me.”
“Sure, why not.”
What the hell was this guy thinking?
That punch from earlier definitely wasn’t normal.
‘What’s going on here? Does he have something up his sleeve? No… it’s a bluff. He’s just trying to psyche me out. Hmph! Once the axe comes flying, he’ll flinch and dodge.’
That’s what he thought.
After all, what kind of lunatic would stand still while an axe flew at their head?
Whrrr—
A crimson glow of condensed qi enveloped the blade of the Dragon-Blood Axe.
“Don’t move. Stay right there.”
And with that, the Palace Lord hurled the axe toward Yeon Woo Jin’s head with all his might.
Whooosh—
The sound of air splitting as the axe flew, a force that could have cleaved a man clean in two.
THWANG—
“Grk!”
The axe struck Yeon Woo Jin’s head squarely, but instead of splitting his skull, the shock reverberated straight back into the Palace Lord’s hands.
He almost lost his grip from the recoil.
Gasps of horror erupted around them.
An impossible scene unfolded before their very eyes.
That wasn’t just any axe. That was the Dragon-Blood Axe—one of the Eight Great Demonic Weapons of the martial world.
And it hadn’t been swung by just anyone. It had been wielded by the Palace Lord himself, imbued with his qi.
Yet even that wasn’t enough to crack a human skull.
Worse, it was the attacker who appeared to be in pain.
The Palace Lord couldn’t comprehend it.
It felt like a nightmare. This couldn’t be real.
But the pain in his hand told him otherwise.
And then, he heard Yeon Woo Jin’s voice.
“Blazing Fire Divine Palace is mine now. So… kneel.”
He had made the vow himself.
But that was only because he thought such a situation could never occur.

He had never intended to honor it.
Now the problem was, he had used his full strength, and it still hadn’t worked.
What the hell was he supposed to do against a monster like this?
Was it even possible to win?
For the first time, that thought crossed his mind.
When the Palace Lord failed to kneel, Yeon Woo Jin’s eyes began to darken—slowly turning pitch black.
“So you never planned to keep your word?”
“T-That’s…”
What was this?
This terrible feeling?
His instincts screamed at him to run.
It had been so long since his instincts had warned him this urgently that he didn’t even realize how dire the situation truly was.
All he could focus on were those black eyes.
Where had he seen them before?
He remembered.
That overwhelming, terrifying aura.
The face of the Supreme Master of Martial Deity Heaven—
He saw that face in Yeon Woo Jin.
“Gasp! C-Could it be…?”
He tried to say the words—
But it was already too late.
Yeon Woo Jin was suddenly right in front of him, fist raised.
And then, he was swallowed whole by a storm of agony—one greater than anything he had ever experienced.
 
****
With his face completely swollen, the Palace Lord of Blazing Fire now knelt before Yeon Woo Jin, one arm raised in surrender.
Beside him, his subordinates knelt too, their faces equally battered and bloated.
Yeon Woo Jin asked calmly,
“And who am I?”
“Y-You are my lord!”
“Don’t forget it.”
“N-No! I won’t ever forget it!”
He had lost count of how many times he had blacked out and woken up after getting beaten.
Strangely, every time he came to, his body felt better.
Which only led to more beatings.
It didn’t make sense.
Why was his recovery rate so damn good at a time like this?
The Palace Lord cautiously asked,
“May I… ask what relation you have to the Supreme Master of Martial Deity Heaven?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because… in your appearance, I saw his face.”
Yeon Woo Jin gave a faint smile.
“He’s my grandfather.”
“Gasp!”
It wasn’t just the Palace Lord. His subordinates flinched and paled in horror.
They had threatened to split the head open of the Martial Deity Heaven’s heir.
Blazing Fire Divine Palace had nearly been annihilated.
“Stand up.”
At Yeon Woo Jin’s command, all four of them leapt to their feet and stood at attention.
“You said you were the Palace Lord of Blazing Fire Divine Palace?”
“Yes! That’s correct! I am Hwa Sogwang, Palace Lord of Blazing Fire Divine Palace, my lord!”
“We are the Three Great Protectors of the Palace!”
“You said this was about your daughter and Qingcheng Sect?”
“Yes, my lord!”
“Let’s hear the full story.”
“Yes, sir!”
Hwa Sogwang began recounting everything that had happened.
After listening, Yeon Woo Jin tilted his head.
“From what I’m hearing… Qingcheng didn’t kidnap her. She came of her own free will, didn’t she? Wouldn’t it be better for your daughter to marry someone she loves?”
“That may be true… but why a sect from the orthodox side? Why Qingcheng, of all places? They may be part of the Nine Sects, but no one really acknowledges them.”
At that, Yeon Woo Jin thought about Qingcheng Sect.
It was true.
They were technically one of the Nine Sects, but they hadn’t made any noteworthy moves in the martial world.
So he asked,
“If Qingcheng Sect becomes strong, would that be acceptable?”
“What? I mean… I suppose so… since they’re technically part of the orthodox alliance…”
“I don’t care if they’re orthodox or not. They’ll all be under me anyway.”
It was an audacious statement.
All will be under me.
But it didn’t sound like an exaggeration.
It felt… inevitable.
At that moment, Hwa Sogwang remembered the way Namgoong Hwan had treated Yeon Woo Jin.
“Wait… don’t tell me—has the Namgoong Clan already sworn allegiance to you?”
The answer came from Namgoong Hwan himself.
“Yes. Our Namgoong Clan has already pledged loyalty to the lord.”
Heavens.
It was true.
Even the mighty Namgoong Clan had submitted?
“Not just us. The Five Great Clans have all sworn fealty.”
“W-What?!”
What did that mean?
The Five Great Clans were already under him?
“Even the Green Forest is under his command.”
“T-The Green Forest?!”
“Yes.”
Hwa Sogwang stared at Namgoong Hwan, stunned.
“The lord will soon unify the entire martial world. At that point, orthodox and unorthodox won’t matter.”
He was right.
Hwa Sogwang felt a sudden curiosity.
Just how strong was Yeon Woo Jin?
“M-My lord… just how powerful are you?”
“Would you grant permission for your daughter’s marriage… if I show you?”
“…What?”
“To marry your daughter.”
Hwa Sogwang hesitated, then nodded.
“Yes!”
“Good. Then allow me to show you my strength.”
Hwa Sogwang’s heart pounded.
Just how strong was he?
Everyone present watched, tense with anticipation.
Yeon Woo Jin’s eyes turned pitch black, and an overwhelming surge of power began to radiate from him.
Shiver—shiver—
The sheer pressure made everyone feel like their bodies were locking up.
But then, some felt slightly underwhelmed.
Yes, it was powerful… but perhaps not quite enough to unify the world?
Still, for someone so young to wield this kind of power—it stirred anticipation.
That must be why the Five Great Clans had submitted.
Then Yeon Woo Jin spoke again.
“I normally seal my power. It’s hard to control—it’s too strong.”
What?
“I call it the Transcendental Gate (Chowol Gwanmun). What you’re feeling now is the first gate—open.”
Ruuuumble—
“Grgh!”
The pressure jumped to another level entirely, swallowing Hwa Sogwang whole.
“Second gate.”
ROOOAAR—
“Third.”
“Fourth.”
“Fifth.”
“Sixth.”
By the time Yeon Woo Jin opened the sixth gate, most people had already passed out under the pressure.
Only Hwa Sogwang remained conscious—barely—enduring through sheer willpower.
To think that even someone at the Fifth Star of the Manifestation Realm could only just stay awake…
He wasn’t human.
That much was clear.
No wonder he sealed his strength.
If he walked around emitting this kind of aura, he’d never get anywhere.
It was practically a foregone conclusion now—he would unify the martial world.
In the martial world, strength was authority.
With power like this, Yeon Woo Jin would become the unrivaled sovereign of the martial realm.
“That’s enough for now.”
Yeon Woo Jin withdrew his power.
The pressure, like a mountain pressing down, vanished all at once.
Hwa Sogwang looked up at him, overwhelmed with awe.
“A-Amazing…”
He had been forced into submission—but now he felt genuine reverence.
His heart swelled.
“I couldn’t show everything since it was too much for everyone.”
“…What?”
What did that mean?
Wasn’t six the final gate?
“There are eight gates. Recently, the ninth has begun to open.”
Eight gates?
And he wasn’t even finished?
Each gate had multiplied his power exponentially—and there were still two more stages?
Even worse, he was saying he was still growing stronger.
He wasn’t just ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) a man.
He was a Martial God.
Yes, he had been forced into submission.
But if the Martial God had chosen him, it meant he had been accepted.
If Yeon Woo Jin hadn’t found him worthy, he never would’ve taken him in.
Thinking that way made him feel strangely honored.
His loyalty surged.
And that same Yeon Woo Jin wanted to see his daughter married happily.
When he thought about it like that—suddenly, it didn’t seem so bad.
So what if it was Qingcheng Sect?
If his daughter loved him, that was enough.