The Martial God with Psychic Powers-Chapter 89

Yang Munseong let out a deep sigh as he listened to Hwang Sung.

"I didn't expect it to be this severe."

"Is it completely hopeless?"

"Not exactly. But there's one place that keeps catching my eye."

"Where?"

"Baekyeong Martial Academy."

"Baekyeong? Ah! Right! I heard that Gwak Pyeong recently took control of the Southern Region. So, do they have any promising talents expected to stand out next year?"

"Yes, they do. There's a kid named Seon Woo Baek."

"Seon Woo Baek?"

"He's the one whose name is being mentioned the most in the Southern Region."

"Seon Woo Baek... You mean the top-ranked lowerclassman at Baekyeong?"

Yang Munseong reviewed the documents in front of him.

"That's right. He's the second son of Jincheonmun's leader, ranked seventy-first under the Martial God Sect."

"Oh? And he's the one whose name is circulating the most?"

"Yes, sir. In fact... Gwak Pyeong has publicly named Seon Woo Baek as his successor as Baekyeong's next top student."

"He skipped over the intermediates and designated a lowerclassman as his successor?"

"Yes, sir."

"Interesting. Did you investigate further?"

"Yes, I did. But... the more I dug, the more it felt like something was missing."

"What do you mean?"

"It feels like there's someone behind Seon Woo Baek. But every time I try to look into it, someone interferes and blocks my efforts."

"Interferes?"

"Yes! I'm certain there's something hidden at Baekyeong. It's just a gut feeling, but... I think there's a hidden dragon lurking in Baekyeong."

"A hidden dragon?"

"Yes. If a hidden dragon truly exists, the Southern Region could become the strongest area next year."

The thought of a hidden dragon made Yang Munseong’s heart race.

It was like the thrill of discovering an unknown treasure.

Yang Munseong looked at Hwang Sung.

When it came to identifying talent, Hwang Sung’s intuition was never wrong.

And now, he was saying that there was a hidden dragon at Baekyeong.

A wicked grin spread across Yang Munseong’s lips.

"A hidden dragon, huh? Just the sound of it gets my heart pounding. Hahaha."

"I'll go there myself to find out. Assign me to Baekyeong Martial Academy as a teacher."

Yang Munseong fixed his gaze on Hwang Sung.

Then, he chuckled softly and said,

"Alright. We were planning to dispatch people to each academy to conduct evaluations anyway. I’ll assign you to Baekyeong."

"Thank you, sir."

"If there really is a hidden dragon at Baekyeong, don't provoke them. Just observe. Isn't it exciting? If a hidden dragon truly exists, imagine the storm they could stir up."

Hwang Sung nodded, his expression filled with agreement.

He, too, felt his heart race.

He silently prayed that his intuition was correct.

He desperately wanted a new, unknown talent to emerge and breathe fresh life into the Martial God Sect.

****

Hwang Sung arrived at Baekyeong Martial Academy as a newly assigned teacher.

Naturally, he was placed in charge of the lowerclassmen.

The students showed no signs of wariness toward their new teacher.

The academy had been in turmoil after a corruption scandal involving several instructors, so they simply assumed he was filling one of the vacant positions.

Hwang Sung began observing the students carefully.

When he laid eyes on Seon Woo Baek, he couldn't help but be impressed.

Now, he understood why Gwak Pyeong had named Seon Woo Baek as his successor so early.

The aura emanating from Seon Woo Baek was not that of a typical lowerclassman.

"As expected... Impressive. Huh? That kid next to him isn't half bad either."

Beside Seon Woo Baek was Jang Un, who always stuck close by.

The two seemed incredibly close.

Jang Un’s presence was equally formidable.

Not only that, but most of the lowerclassmen in the martial arts division showed exceptional potential.

"What the hell? The lowerclassmen are far more impressive than I expected."

Even setting Seon Woo Baek aside, a few of them seemed strong enough to challenge for the top spots at other academies.

The difference between the intelligence reports he received and what he was seeing firsthand was staggering.

"What was the academy overseer looking at when he wrote those reports? This is nothing like what I was told."

The initial reports had rated Baekyeong’s lowerclassmen as merely above average.

No extraordinary talents, just a few decent students — that was the assessment.

But in reality, the lowerclassmen were elite, even ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) exceptional.

It was as if the place was overflowing with hidden talent.

"And it’s not just the lowerclassmen. The intermediates, while fewer in number, are just as impressive."

The information he received about Baekyeong Martial Academy was fundamentally flawed.

Even Go Seung, who was rumored to be a loner, was fitting in seamlessly and surrounded by followers.

"Whoever compiled those reports needs to be dragged out and beaten. The information is completely wrong. I might as well rewrite everything from scratch."

Hwang Sung let out a deep sigh.

"For now, I’ll need to reorganize everything and reassess Baekyeong’s information from the ground up."

****

From afar, a pair of eyes watched Hwang Sung closely.

It was none other than Yeon Woo Jin.

Three of his loyal subordinates stood by his side.

"So, he's from Ascension Hall?"

"Yes, sir. Recently, a lot of people have been snooping around trying to dig up information on you. It seems we blocked them too well, so they decided to come personally."

"What kind of person is he?"

"They say he has a particular talent."

"A particular talent?"

"Yes. Exceptional intuition. Apparently, the talents he identifies always show remarkable potential."

"Oh? Sounds like a perfect fit for Ascension Hall."

"Exactly. In fact, the Ascension Hall director has already marked him as a potential successor."

"He's that good?"

"Yes. For the time being, you should be cautious."

Yeon Woo Jin smirked.

"This will be fun. Aren’t you curious? I wonder if he’ll be able to notice me?"

"And what if he does?"

"Should I make him one of my people? A talent detector... That’s quite the tempting ability."

Yeon Woo Jin’s words made his three subordinates smile.

It was evident that Yeon Woo Jin had developed quite a taste for recruiting talented individuals lately.

Despite claiming to have no interest in becoming the next Martial God Sect Master, his actions said otherwise.

But they kept silent.

If they said anything, he might become self-aware and stop pursuing such individuals.

Better to let him enjoy the thrill and slowly guide him down the path of becoming the next Sect Master.

"That’s a great idea!"

"Absolutely. No need for you to go around searching for talent yourself."

"If he manages to identify you without you revealing your identity, then he’s definitely someone worth having under your command."

"It’s like a game of hide and seek. Sounds fun."

Yeon Woo Jin's eyes sparkled with excitement as his three subordinates exchanged knowing glances and grinned.

Our Young Master really is adorable when he’s like this.

Haha. This is just one of his many charms.

Let’s keep it this way.

Right! Until the day he becomes the Martial God Sect Master!

****

After several days of observing the students at Baekyeong, Hwang Sung was disappointed.

There were indeed some exceptional talents, but none that stood out enough to be considered a hidden dragon.

"Was my intuition wrong?"

His intuition had always been accurate.

This time, he desperately wanted it to be right.

But it seemed that fate wasn’t on his side.

At least, he discovered that Baekyeong’s lowerclassmen were far more advanced than initially reported.

Still, Hwang Sung steeled his resolve.

"Alright. If it were that easy to find, it wouldn’t be a hidden dragon, would it? Let’s keep looking."

Smack, smack.

He slapped his cheeks to regain focus and reviewed his notes.

A name caught his eye — Jang Un.

A student with no significant background until middle school.

Then, suddenly, he started to shine.

Jang Un’s father was a mere guard in the Southern Region’s patrol.

Recently, he was promoted to captain and then rapidly to one of the Eight Major Guard Commanders.

An unusual rise for someone of such humble origins.

"What’s this? Is he the hidden dragon?"

Based on the information he had, the one closest to being a hidden dragon was Jang Un.

But his instincts told him otherwise.

A hidden dragon wasn’t something that could be discerned through mere information.

A true hidden dragon would send chills down his spine, an electrifying sensation that shook him to the core.

'Perhaps it's just because I’m relying solely on the information. I need to see this kid in action for myself.'

Hwang Sung decided to confirm Jang Un’s strength with his own eyes.

The best way to do that was to launch a surprise attack.

By creating a near-real combat situation, he could force Jang Un to reveal all his capabilities.

'Looks like I’ll need to call in some help.'

****

"That kid, right?"

"Yes."

At Hwang Sung’s request, a man arrived.

He was the most skilled inspector from the Ascension Hall.

His primary task was to verify the capabilities of promising talents.

Just because he handled verification didn’t mean he was a weak martial artist.

On the contrary, he had to be incredibly strong.

After all, his job was to extract as much power as possible from the children without causing serious harm.

His name was Heo So, known as the Ascension Sword (등용검).

He was a master at the Ninth Level of the Manifested Realm, a force to be reckoned with.

His nickname came from the countless talents who had passed through his hands and been recommended for the Ascension Hall.

He was quite proud of it.

Heo So narrowed his eyes at Jang Un.

"Make him show everything he’s got."

At Hwang Sung’s command, Heo So grinned.

"Don’t worry, sir. This is my specialty."

Extracting potential was a common task for those in the Ascension Hall.

"Is he someone Hwang Sung-nim has his eye on?"

"For now, yes."

"Then he must be exceptional."

"According to the intel, that kid only started standing out earlier this year."

"What? So, you’re saying he reached that level in just a few months?"

"Yes."

"If that’s true, do we even need to verify him? Anyone can see he’s exceptional."

"That’s the thing. That would be the correct assessment... but there’s something more. Something... something that’s just not adding up. I need to find out what that is."

Hwang Sung’s expression was serious, and Heo So nodded in agreement.

"Understood. I’ll get to the bottom of it."

"I’m counting on you. And one more thing — make sure he doesn’t get seriously hurt."

"Don’t worry, sir. Who do you think I am? I’m Heo So, the Ascension Sword."

****

Jang Un was heading home after finishing his usual training.

He was grinning, thinking about Seong Yeonhwa, but his expression suddenly grew serious.

He stopped and scanned his surroundings, releasing his aura.

And that’s when it happened.

A man dressed in black with his face covered appeared.

"Impressive. Did you actually sense me?"

The masked man looked at Jang Un with surprised eyes.

"Wh-Who are you?"

"If I were going to tell you that, do you think I’d bother covering myself up like this?"

A valid point. Jang Un fell silent.

"Someone asked me to deal with you."

Jang Un was bewildered.

Recently, he hadn’t made any enemies.

Who could it be?

Woosh.

A chill ran down Jang Un’s spine.

The masked man’s overwhelming killing intent flooded the area, pressing down on him.

'Guh... This is real!'

Jang Un realized the gravity of the situation.

'I can’t die here!'

His opponent was far beyond his level.

But that didn’t mean he could give up.

Jang Un immediately shifted to a combat stance.

Seeing this, the masked man’s eyes glinted with interest.

"Oh? Not bad. Even in a situation like this, you’re calmly managing your inner power?"

Most people in this situation would panic and fail to control their internal energy properly.

But Jang Un was handling it naturally, without a hint of fear.

His expression was resolute — the face of a man prepared to die fighting.

"Impressive."

A sinister smile formed beneath the mask.

The masked man liked what he saw.

All the more reason to test him further.

Crackle.

'Hm? Thunderbolt?'

Electric sparks crackled beneath Jang Un’s feet and in an instant, his figure vanished.

Before the masked man could react, Jang Un’s foot was already flying toward his face.

"Gah!"

The masked man leaned back sharply, narrowly avoiding the kick.

That was a close one.

That movement wasn’t what he expected at all.

This wasn’t the kind of technique a kid his age should be capable of.

And the attack didn’t end there.

The air was filled with afterimages of Jang Un’s foot, blurring the masked man’s vision.

'This kid is the real deal!'

But it still wasn’t enough.

'Come on. Show me more. Show me everything you've got.'

The masked man moved.

Whip.

He weaved through the barrage of afterimages and quickly positioned himself behind Jang Un.

The objective was to inflict significant shock without causing serious harm.

A difficult task for most, but not for the masked man — Heo So.

Resonance Divine Art .

A special martial technique that he had mastered.

It delivered a powerful shock through vibrations, but he could immediately retrieve those vibrations to prevent serious injury.

If he didn’t retract them, the shock would be enough to rupture internal organs and kill the opponent instantly.

A truly terrifying martial art.