The Martial God with Psychic Powers-Chapter 86

Yeon Woo Jin’s body moved.

Though he held an enormous blade, his movements were fluid, as if he were wielding a light practice sword.

“Heaven-Crushing Direct Slash!”

Whoosh—

CRACK—

BOOOOOOM—

Go Seung’s blade struck the ground, and the earth split open with a thunderous explosion.

A shockwave burst out in all directions, slamming into Go Seung’s body and engulfing him.

The sheer power of it left him questioning whether this was even the same Heaven-Crushing Peerless Blade he thought he knew.

Yeon Woo Jin turned to Go Seung’s stunned face and spoke calmly.

“I actually held back.”

Still wide-eyed, Go Seung replied,

“But... isn’t that just because you’re strong? That’s why the attack came out like that, right?”

“No. That power is equivalent to someone at the Seventh Star level of the Peak Realm.”

“Th-that was only Seventh Star...?!”

“That’s right.”

Then what would happen if someone at the Flower Realm—or even the Profound Realm—used it?

The kind of strength that could truly shake the heavens and earth. A transcendent martial art, in every sense of the word.

A shiver ran through his body.

He finally understood: the technique he’d been training all this time... was a miracle of a martial art.

“Starting today, you’ll do that exact movement five thousand times. Every day. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!”

Determination burned in Go Seung’s eyes.

“Remember. You’re not just swinging wildly. You must channel your energy at the perfect moment—make it explode at the point of impact.”

“Yes! I won’t forget!”

****

When Go Seung returned home that evening, the Bladebreaker Division Head, Go Pae, stared at him in shock.

His son, who had never once lost in a contest of stamina, was stumbling through the doorway like a half-dead man.

What kind of training could reduce him to this?

Could this really be the right path? Or was he destroying his body with the wrong kind of training?

“What on earth have you been doing to come home looking like that?”

Go Seung just smiled and answered,

“I’m walking back from the wrong path. I’ve come so far down it, it feels like there’s no end in sight.”

What kind of nonsense was this now?

“What are you talking about?”

“Father... did you know? The Heaven-Crushing Peerless Blade wasn’t originally meant to be wielded with raw strength alone?”

“I know. There was such a time in the past. But it was too inefficient. That’s why we refined it—made it more practical in real combat.”

“You’re wrong.”

“...What do you mean?”

“That was the true strength of the Heaven-Crushing Peerless Blade. But the training was too brutal. So our ancestors chose the easy way out.”

“What are you saying? Are you claiming our ancestors led us astray?”

“Something like that, yes.”

“You insolent brat! How dare you speak ill of our family’s lineage! Have you lost your mind?!”

“Do you know why I came home like this today? It’s because I trained the true form of the technique.”

“True form? Who fed you that nonsense?”

“My Lord did.”

“Your Lord? D-don’t tell me... You mean the Young Master?!”

“Yes.”

“You’re saying he told you this himself?”

“He did. And he even showed me. The power was incredible—it felt like the heavens shattered and the world trembled before it.”

“He demonstrated it? The Young Master knows the Heaven-Crushing Peerless Blade?”

“Yes. And he used it far better than I ever could.”

“That’s... impossible...”

But if it was Yeon Woo Jin who’d done this to Go Seung, there was nothing he could say in protest.

No—if Yeon Woo Jin said it, then it meant their current form of the Heaven-Crushing Peerless Blade truly was flawed.

That’s how much Go Pae trusted him.

“If he said so... then it must be true. Fine. Go ahead. If it turns out our version was wrong, then from the next generation on, we’ll restore the true form.”

“You’re right.”

Go Pae gripped both of his son’s shoulders.

“Good. Do it.”

“Yes, Father! I swear I’ll succeed—and show you the true Heaven-Crushing Peerless Blade.”

****

For several days, Jang Un hadn’t seen Seong Yeonhwa.

“Haaah...”

He let out a long, dramatic sigh just as Yeon Woo Jin strolled up beside him.

“What’s with the sigh so deep it could collapse the earth?”

“It’s just... I haven’t seen her face at all lately.”

“Who?”

“Yeonhwa... She’s been so busy training. There’s no time.”

“Then go see her.”

At those words, Jang Un brightened.

“Huh? So I can go late to training today?”

“Nope. Training starts on time, as always.”

Jang Un pouted.

“Then I guess I can’t see her after all.”

“See her now.”

“What? You’re telling me to skip class?”

“Gods, you really are dense.”

“What?! I’m not dense!”

“Seriously... what does she even see in a blockhead like you?”

Yeon Woo Jin pointed to a student nearby, and Jang Un blinked in confusion.

“What are you on about? I said I miss Yeonhwa. Why are you pointing at... that kid? Do we even have someone like that in our class?”

The student had always kept so quiet, they’d practically disappeared into the background.

“You idiot. That is Seong Yeonhwa.”

“Whaaat?!”

Jang Un stared hard at the student Yeon Woo Jin had pointed to.

Then he squinted, frowned, and let out a sigh.

“Nice try. That’s not her. Are you messing with me?”

Yeon Woo Jin looked at him like he was hopeless.

“You think I’m lying?”

“Come on, anyone can tell that’s a guy. Just look at the face.”

“You moron. That’s a face mask—an Infi-Mask.”

“...Huh?”

“If you don’t believe me, go check. You’ll be in for a hell of a surprise.”

“Hm...”

Jang Un studied Yeon Woo Jin’s expression, trying to tell if it was a joke or not.

“Stop staring at me and go look at her.”

“...Alright. I’ll take the bait this once.”

Yeon Woo Jin smirked.

“She’s trying not to get caught in disguise, so take her somewhere quiet when you talk.”

“You’re making it sound way too real...”

Still shaking his head, Jang Un approached the student.

They were so focused on organizing their materials, they hadn’t even noticed him.

Tap tap—

Startled by the touch, the student turned, saw Jang Un, and flinched before turning away quickly.

In that instant—

“Wait... This scent... it’s Yeonhwa.”

What is he, a bloodhound?

She didn’t even wear perfume to the Academy.

And yet, he picked up her scent like it was nothing.

Jang Un leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

“Come outside for a sec?”

The student gave a small nod and quietly followed him out.

Once they were in a secluded spot, Jang Un looked at her carefully.

And now, with no distractions, he could faintly see Yeonhwa’s features.

“Yeonhwa?”

Flinch.

That reaction said it all.

“It’s really you, isn’t it?”

She hesitated for a moment... then nodded.

Jang Un stared at her, stunned.

Now that he’d heard it, seen it—it was her.

“...Why are you dressed as a guy?”

She couldn’t bring herself to say, ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) “To find a suitable husband.”

“...I just didn’t want to go to Phoenix Academy.”

Phoenix Academy—where only girls trained.

“But if you hadn’t come here, I never would’ve met you.”

“...How long were you planning to keep it a secret?”

“I thought about telling you, but... you looked so busy. I didn’t want to distract you.”

“Can I see your face?”

At his request, Seong Yeonhwa hesitated... then slowly pulled off the Infi-Mask.

Her beautiful face was revealed.

Jang Un’s emotions surged—and before he could stop himself, he pulled her into his arms.

“Oh—!”

Though startled, Seong Yeonhwa didn’t pull away. She simply stood still.

“I missed you,” Jang Un said, his voice full of quiet longing.

Seong Yeonhwa’s heart pounded hard in her chest as she softly replied,

“...Me too.”

In truth, she had been watching him every day.

But she longed to see him this close.

For Jang Un, it felt like joy overflowed in his chest. To think the girl he loved had always been so near—it was enough to make him feel like he could fly.

And Seong Yeonhwa was happy, too. Happy just to feel his warmth.

“How’s training been? Is it hard?”

“Yeah, but I can feel myself getting stronger, so it doesn’t bother me.”

“You’ll do great.”

At her encouragement, Jang Un grinned.

“I’ll get even stronger—for you. So I can protect you.”

“That’s so cheesy...”

But even as she teased, Seong Yeonhwa smiled.

“Still, be careful. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Got it.”

“You really do look good when you’re confident. This is a little gift for all your hard work...”

Smack—

She kissed him on the cheek, blushed bright red, and ran off.

Stunned by the sudden attack, Jang Un stood there blankly, hand on his cheek.

Then, slowly, a wide smile spread across his face, and he clenched his fist with renewed energy.

“Alright! I’m fired up! Time to train hard for Yeonhwa again today!”

****

That night.

Go Seung spent the whole night in deep thought.

The next morning, as soon as he arrived at the academy, he gathered the intermediate students.

And the first thing he did... was apologize.

“I’m sorry! I ignored all of you and acted like a one-man army. I truly apologize.”

The other students stared, taken aback by the sudden apology.

Then came a scoff from one corner.

It was Gam Tae—rank two among the intermediate students.

“What’s this? You’ve done nothing this whole time, and now you show up with this?”

Next to him, Yun Gong—rank three—joined in, his voice equally cold.

“What’s the matter? Gwak Pyeong told you to start taking us seriously? Must’ve gotten an earful about how much of a mess we are.”

Despite their mockery, Go Seung lowered his head again.

“I’m sorry. I’ve failed you. If there’s anything I can do to make it right—anything at all—I’ll do it.”

“Anything, huh...? You should already know what we need. Isn’t that the bare minimum?”

“Forget it. Listening to you now just proves you never cared about us.”

Their words shook him.

“Th-that’s not true. I do care—”

“Cut the crap.”

“Do you even remember the last time we had a real conversation?”

“You probably don’t even know.”

“This is pointless. Talking to you is a waste of breath.”

They turned their backs and walked out of the classroom with sneers on their faces.

How do I show them I’m sincere?

Is apologizing not enough?

Winning over people’s hearts... was proving far harder than he imagined.

Go Seung stood there, looking deflated, until a voice gently called out.

“...Go Seung.”

He lit up immediately and turned around.

“Huh? You called me?”

“Yeah.”

It was a face he didn’t recognize.

And in that instant, he realized something painful.

I... don’t even know the names of the people I’m supposed to lead.

He lowered his head in shame.

“I’m sorry. What’s your name?”

The boy gave a gentle smile.

“My name is Byeon Yong.”

“Byeon Yong. Got it. Did you want to talk to me about something?”

“Don’t you want to know why Gam Tae and Yun Gong are like that?”

“Huh? Yeah—of course I do!”

“Then follow them today. In secret. If you do... you’ll understand.”

“In secret?”

“Yep. After that, it’s up to you.”

Up to me...?

What exactly did he mean by that?

As he returned to his seat, Byeon Yong added,

“You said you’d do anything, right?”

Go Seung nodded without hesitation.

“Yeah! Why? Do you need something?”

Byeon Yong smiled, a little bitterly.

“I just hope... you become the true leader of the intermediate class.”

With that, he went back to his desk.

A true leader...

What does that even mean?

What is a leader supposed to do?

This is hard. Really hard.

But for now, he decided to follow Byeon Yong’s advice.

He’d trail Gam Tae and Yun Gong after class.

That evening.

After the day’s lessons were over, Go Seung quietly followed Gam Tae and Yun Gong from a distance.

They walked for a while until they reached a secluded clearing.

It was equipped with training tools and weapons—clearly a makeshift practice ground.

This must be where they come to train in secret.

Hiding nearby, Go Seung listened as the two spoke.

“If we’re going to protect Baekyeong next year, we’ve gotta get serious.”

“Yeah. If we don’t shape up, our academy will just become prey for the others.”

So they didn’t trust him.

They’d decided they had to take matters into their own hands to protect Baekyeong.

That’s why they were training in secret like this.

Go Seung’s expression turned heavy.

This is my fault... all of it.

What can I do to earn their trust?

Lost in thought, he continued to watch.

The two began their training—and Go Seung quietly observed.

They were working hard. That much was clear.

But their techniques weren’t refined. Their training lacked structure. At this rate, they wouldn’t improve.

Still, Go Seung couldn’t bring himself to step out and correct them.

And then—

“Puhaha! Look at those idiots!”

“Hey, hey—don’t laugh too loud. They think they’re serious, poor guys. Hahaha.”

Laughter rang out behind him. Mocking, cruel laughter.