The Martial God with Psychic Powers-Chapter 90

As soon as Heo So managed to get behind Jang Un, Jang Un immediately attempted to escape using Lightning Step, a technique designed for rapid movement.

However, his opponent was a master at the Ninth Level of the Manifested Realm — a level far beyond Jang Un, who was still in the Pinnacle Realm.

Heo So closed the distance in an instant, catching up to Jang Un effortlessly.

Thwack!

"Ugh!"

Heo So's palm strike slammed into Jang Un’s back, sending his body flying forward.

Jang Un crashed to the ground, feeling as if someone had shoved a hand into his insides and was tearing him apart.

Despite the excruciating pain, he gritted his teeth and forced himself back to his feet.

Once again, he got into a fighting stance and charged straight toward Heo So.

Watching this, Heo So chuckled.

"Keh keh keh. Would you look at that? Still trying to fight back after that hit?"

It had been a long time since Heo So had come across such a promising talent.

Feigning weakness, Heo So pretended to stumble around, allowing Jang Un’s attacks to come dangerously close.

Swish, swish, swish!

Jang Un’s strikes narrowly missed, skimming just past Heo So.

But to Jang Un, it felt like he was just a hair’s breadth away from landing a solid hit.

The hope of possibly landing a strike gave Jang Un the will to keep pushing.

'Just a little more... If I push just a bit more, I might hit him!'

Heo So's eyes curved into crescent shapes.

Wham!

Jang Un’s fist finally connected with Heo So’s body.

Of course, Heo So had let the hit land deliberately.

He wanted to gauge the power behind Jang Un’s attack.

And it was indeed heavy.

'Considering his age, his power is definitely in the upper ranks.'

His movement, strength, and situational awareness — all were exceptional.

Heo So decided it was time to wrap things up and give Jang Un a chance to flee.

Crash!

After receiving a kick from Jang Un, Heo So dramatically flailed and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

In that moment, Jang Un saw his opportunity.

With all his strength, he kicked off the ground and sprinted away as fast as he could.

Watching the boy run, Heo So smirked.

"It’s been ages since I’ve found such a promising talent. Keh keh keh."

Still chuckling to himself, he dusted off the footprint Jang Un had left on his abdomen.

****

Hwang Sung’s eyes widened at Heo So’s report.

"A top-tier talent, you say?"

"Yes, sir. Without a doubt."

"Huh... So, he was that good? Impressive."

"If he’s already reached that level at his age, we can definitely expect great things from him in the future."

Hwang Sung nodded, agreeing with Heo So’s assessment.

"In that case, what level has Seon Woo Baek, the top-ranked lowerclassman, reached?"

"Would you like me to find out?"

Hwang Sung paused for a moment, then handed Heo So a booklet.

"While you’re at it, check all the students listed here."

Flipping through the pages, Heo So’s eyes widened in surprise.

"What? There are this many talents at Baekyeong?"

"It’s not confirmed yet. That’s why I’m asking you to verify them."

Heo So grinned confidently.

"Don’t worry. This is what I do best."

"I’m counting on you."

****

Baekyeong Martial Academy was abuzz with rumors of a mysterious man who was targeting only lowerclassmen.

Upon hearing the gossip, Yeon Woo Jin gathered the students and questioned them.

Jang Un stepped forward.

"I was one of his targets."

Upon hearing this, Seon Woo Baek raised his hand.

"Huh? I was attacked too!"

One by one, other students raised their hands, all claiming to have been targeted.

"Is anyone hurt?"

Yeon Woo Jin asked.

The students all shook their heads.

"Now that I think about it, it was weird. It hurt like hell when I was hit, but I didn’t get any actual injuries."

"Yeah! At one point, I thought I was going to die!"

"Come to think of it, it almost felt like he was giving us a chance to run away."

"A chance to run away?"

"Yeah. He was definitely strong enough to finish us off, but it felt like he was deliberately holding back and letting us escape."

"Hmm..."

Yeon Woo Jin glanced at the three men standing behind him.

Cheon Ho Seong leaned in and whispered into Yeon Woo Jin’s ear.

"It seems likely that the Ascension Hall sent an inspector."

"An inspector?"

"Yes. Around this time, they start collecting information on the lowerclassmen. Most likely, they were testing the students' capabilities."

"How strong are these inspectors?"

"Typically, they’re at least Sixth Level of the Manifested Realm or higher. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to inspect the students without seriously hurting them."

Yeon Woo Jin nodded.

"So, a Manifested Realm master, huh... The kids never really had a chance, then. But that doesn’t mean they should just sit there and take it."

Yeon Woo Jin looked at the students and spoke.

"This time, you’re going to strike back."

The students' eyes widened in shock.

"Strike back? Against a Manifested Realm master?"

"Since he’s an inspector, he won’t be able to hurt you seriously. This is a rare opportunity to face someone that strong. Consider it training."

The students’ faces hardened.

Face that monster again?

"You don’t want to? Then how about sparring with me instead?"

Absolutely not.

"I-I’ll do it!"

"Yeah! If we go all out, maybe we can land a hit or two!"

Yeon Woo Jin smirked.

"The inspector won’t injure you. Go ahead and attack with everything you’ve got."

He said they wouldn’t get injured.

But that didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt.

It had been agonizing.

But what could they do?

Facing the inspector was a hundred times better than facing Yeon Woo Jin.

After all, Yeon Woo Jin was the type who would genuinely break their limbs if they didn’t comply.

"Don’t worry. I’ll be watching over you."

Not reassuring at all.

The students felt even more pressured.

If they tried their best and still didn’t impress Yeon Woo Jin, what would come after that?

A living hell.

Their expressions hardened even further, their eyes taking on the look of warriors heading into battle.

****

"Is this the last one?"

Heo So muttered as he flipped to the final page of the roster.

A grin spread across his lips.

"It’s been a worthwhile trip to this academy."

He had inspected countless academies, but none had been as entertaining as Baekyeong.

And now, he was already on the last student.

It felt like a shame to end things here.

"Wait a minute. Shouldn’t I inspect the intermediate students as well?"

The intermediate students at Baekyeong had been poorly rated when they were lowerclassmen.

The only one who had received a high rating was Go Seung.

Anyone below that level wasn’t even considered a proper martial artist by Heo So’s standards.

But he had a gut feeling.

Perhaps the intermediate students had changed too.

There was no directive to inspect them, but he wanted to.

'Yeah. It would be a waste to leave without checking them out.'

He made up his mind.

He would assess the intermediate students as well.

But to do that, he needed a list of their ranks.

There was no way they would just hand it over to him.

But there was another way.

All he had to do was ask.

Heo So immediately approached the lowerclassmen and asked them about the intermediate ranks.

Armed with that information, he set out to find his targets.

Eventually, he found two students — Gam Tae and Yun Gong, ranked second and third among the intermediates.

Heo So quietly followed them, waiting for the right moment.

He needed to get them to a secluded area where he could launch his attack.

Almost as if they had read his mind, Gam Tae and Yun Gong wandered into a deserted forest.

Perfect.

Heo So smirked as he silently closed in on them.

But what were they planning to do in a deserted forest?

Heo So decided to watch for a while.

Soon, Gam Tae and Yun Gong took off their shirts and began training.

They were practicing the most basic martial arts exercises, but they were doing so with absolute focus and determination.

A glint of interest flashed in Heo So’s eyes.

Basic training.

It was the most fundamental, yet the most crucial part of martial arts.

To grow stronger, a solid foundation was essential.

And it seemed Gam Tae and Yun Gong understood this better than anyone.

Unable to hold back any longer, Heo So stepped forward toward the two boys.

Seeing a masked stranger appear suddenly, Gam Tae and Yun Gong tensed up, eyes filled with wariness.

Heo So’s eyes crinkled with a smile beneath his mask.

"You two are working harder on the basics than anyone I've seen. Can I ask why?"

Gam Tae, still tense, answered cautiously.

"Because the basics are the most important part."

Heo So chuckled.

"Correct."

"But... who are you?"

"Me? Just a passerby. I was curious why you were focusing solely on basic training."

Despite Heo So’s casual tone, the two boys didn’t lower their guard.

"If your curiosity is satisfied, would you mind moving along? We still have training to do," Gam Tae said sternly.

"I was going to... but now I’m even more curious," Heo So said, eyes twinkling.

"And what would that be?"

"I want to see just how solid that foundation of yours really is."

"Huh?"

"Keh keh keh. If you can block my attack, I’ll acknowledge you."

"W-What are you—"

Before they could finish, Heo So launched his attack.

Swoosh!

His hand swiped past Gam Tae’s face, barely missing.

Gam Tae leaped back, putting distance between them.

He quickly glanced over to Yun Gong.

Yun Gong had narrowly avoided Heo So’s strike as well.

"Good reflexes," Heo So said in a playful tone.

Gam Tae and Yun Gong felt a [N O V E L I G H T] chill run down their spines.

They couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being treated like toys.

But they had to stay calm.

The masked man before them was clearly beyond their level.

I’ll draw his attention. You run and get help.

Are you crazy? You can’t handle him alone!

If we both stay, we’re both dead!

I can’t just leave you behind!

Idiot! That’s the only way we both survive! Go get him! You know who I mean! He’s the only one who can save us!

At the mention of “him,” Yun Gong finally nodded.

Got it. I’ll go get him.

About time. I’ll count to three.

Okay.

One... two...

Just as Gam Tae was about to say “three,” familiar faces appeared.

"There they are!"

It was the lowerclassmen.

Gam Tae and Yun Gong shouted desperately.

"Don’t come here! Run away!"

But the kids shook their heads, their expressions filled with grim determination.

"We can’t do that."

"We came to pay him back for what he did to us."

The children’s eyes blazed as they stared at Heo So.

Seeing this unexpected turn of events, Heo So couldn’t help but grin.

This was new.

It was the first time he had seen children gather to seek revenge.

'What a remarkable place this is.'

Heo So liked Baekyeong more and more.

He waved his hand, inviting them to come.

"Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got."

****

Heo So was stunned.

No matter how many times he struck them, the children kept getting up and charging at him again.

They must have realized by now that he wasn’t trying to seriously hurt them.

But that didn’t mean his attacks didn’t hurt.

The pain was enough to keep most people down for a while.

But these kids were different.

Despite the overwhelming pain, they gritted their teeth, pushed through it, and kept charging at him.

They were attacking as if he were their mortal enemy.

And then it happened.

Pat! Pat!

A few of the kids managed to grab onto Heo So’s arms and legs.

"We got him!"

"Now’s your chance!"

At that moment, Seon Woo Baek rushed forward, his hands radiating a lethal aura.

Heo So could have taken the hit. But if he did, the children would think they could defeat him and would keep attacking.

Bzzz—

Vrrrm—

A vibration surged from Heo So’s body, sending a shockwave into the kids clinging to him.

He adjusted the intensity to avoid causing serious injury.

"Gah!"

"Ugh!"

The children groaned, their insides churning, nausea rising.

Even as they retched, they didn’t let go.

"You little brats!"

For the first time, a curse slipped from Heo So’s mouth.

Wham!

A powerful strike slammed into Heo So’s abdomen.

Seon Woo Baek had landed a clean hit.

Vrrrm—

Heo So quickly neutralized the impact with his resonance technique and shook off the children clinging to him.

Throb.

He rubbed his aching stomach.

Even after dispersing the shock, the pain lingered.

If he stayed here any longer, he might end up seriously injuring them in retaliation.

'Time to go.'

He had seen enough.

Heo So turned and swiftly disappeared into the forest.

Watching him leave, the children finally collapsed to the ground.

"Huff... huff... A Manifested Realm master really is on another level."

"No kidding. We went all out, and we still couldn’t really hurt him."

"If he had been serious, we’d all be dead by now."

"Looks like we still have a long way to go."

Some of them had started to get a little cocky lately.

They thought they were becoming strong.

But now, that arrogance had been thoroughly crushed.

Groaning, the kids slowly rose to their feet.

"Let’s go... more training awaits..."

Not a single one of them protested.

From a distance, Yeon Woo Jin watched them, hands behind his back.

Standing behind him, Cheon Ho Seong spoke in admiration.

"They’ve really grown. The kids are showing real promise."

Yeon Woo Jin smiled.

He thought so too.

For the first time in a long while, he felt a sense of fulfillment.

These kids were growing under his guidance.

And a new desire awakened within him.

He wanted to see them rise to the top of every martial academy under the Martial God Sect.

For the first time, Yeon Woo Jin found himself looking forward to what the future held at Baekyeong.