The Martial God with Psychic Powers

“Right! Who cares if you’re a god or not? You’re my one and only precious grandson.”
To Yeon Cheon Baek, it didn’t matter whether Yeon Woo Jin was a god or not.

All he truly wished for was that his grandson would stay by his side.
Did his heartfelt desire reach him?
Yeon Woo Jin spoke softly.

“Don’t worry. I’ll never leave you, Grandfather.”
That single sentence gave Yeon Cheon Baek immense strength.
“Yes, my boy.”

Yeon Cheon Baek barely managed to suppress his emotions as he gently pushed Yeon Woo Jin away and asked,
“Earlier, it looked like you suddenly got a lot stronger.”
“I’ve been researching and refining a special power. I’ve grown so strong that I now need a way to control it.”

Just how powerful had he become that he now needed to control his strength?
“And that’s how I developed a technique called the Transcendence Gates.”
“Transcendence Gates? So, the opening of the Five Gates earlier – that was it?”

“Yes. There are a total of Eight Gates. With each gate I open, my power multiplies exponentially.”
Yeon Cheon Baek’s eyes widened in shock.
The strength he had witnessed was not the full extent of his grandson’s power.

There was still more.
Excitement surged through him.
Yeon Cheon Baek spoke in a voice brimming with enthusiasm.

“No need to explain further. Let’s spar, boy. I’ll find out the rest for myself.”
“Huh?”
Yeon Woo Jin looked startled, and Yeon Cheon Baek chuckled.
“Why are you so surprised? This old man hasn’t had a worthy opponent in ages. Let’s see if my grandson can fill that void.”

Yeon Woo Jin’s lips curved into a confident grin.
“You won’t be disappointed.”
“Keh keh keh. Good. I’m looking forward to it.”

 
****
The terrain had completely changed.

Three pairs of eyes stared in utter shock.
At the center stood a panting Yeon Cheon Baek and an unfazed Yeon Woo Jin.
“Huff… Huff…”

“Grandfather, are you okay?”
Yeon Cheon Baek let out a weak chuckle as he looked at Yeon Woo Jin’s worried expression.
“You brat. I’m fine.”

“But still…”
“That was your full power, wasn’t it?”
Yeon Woo Jin couldn’t bring himself to answer.

“I guess not.”
“…No.”
“Then how many gates did you open?”

“I opened the Seventh Gate.”
“Heavens…”
Even he, known as the Supreme Martial God, had failed to make Yeon Woo Jin reveal his full power.

“Kuhahahaha!”
“Grandfather?”
“Hahahahaha!”

Yeon Cheon Baek’s booming laughter echoed through the mountain.
In this moment, Yeon Cheon Baek was filled with indescribable joy.
His beloved grandson, more precious than life itself, had already grown stronger than him.

And now, he had a goal.
A world without Yeon Woo Jin had always felt gray and lifeless.
Only when he was with his grandson did the world shine with vivid colors.

It was because he had no goal.
The loneliness and monotony of being a supreme being had made him feel that way.
But not anymore.

He was no longer the absolute strongest.
Now, he had a goal.
A supreme existence had appeared.

And that supreme existence was his grandson.
What could possibly be more joyful than that?
Whether he could surpass him or not didn’t matter. Either way, it was a story with a happy ending.

How could he not feel overjoyed?
“Grandfather? Are you okay?”
“Keh keh keh. Woo Jin.”

“Yes?”
“You’ve done the greatest act of filial piety anyone could ever do.”
“Huh?”

“This old man will work harder. I can’t let my Woo Jin leave me behind.”
Yeon Cheon Baek’s face was brimming with vitality.
Yeon Woo Jin felt relieved that his grandfather didn’t seem hurt by the fact that he had hidden his strength.

Instead, there was something else to look forward to.
Yeon Woo Jin was gathering power.
Even if he hadn’t wanted it, people would have naturally started flocking to him.

It was just like Yeon Cheon Baek.
Even though he hadn’t wanted it, people had gathered, and in the end, to protect them, he had founded Mushincheon.
To protect them, he had grown stronger, and that’s how he had become the Supreme Martial God.

Yeon Woo Jin, too, would eventually have to do something to protect those who followed him.
He could become the next Lord of Mushincheon, or perhaps he would establish a new power.
Yeon Cheon Baek hoped it would be the former.

He decided to discuss it with Sima Cheon later and looked at Yeon Woo Jin with a contented smile.
“Keh keh keh. And here you are, saying you just want to live a leisurely life, but you’re already building a power base step by step.”
“Haa… It just keeps happening without me realizing it.”

“That’s called destiny. You’re destined to be a grandmaster. Keh keh keh. You little rascal, making this old man worry for nothing.”
“I’m sorry.”
“If you’re sorry, show me your true power.”

Yeon Woo Jin nodded.
Kwooooooom—
Rumble—

A colossal wave of energy surged around Yeon Woo Jin, shaking the ground beneath them.
“Eighth Gate of Transcendence, open.”
Yeon Woo Jin’s hair turned pure white, and the energy surrounding him shimmered like a mirage.

Yeon Cheon Baek could only stare, utterly speechless.
“Incredible.”
Yeon Woo Jin was no longer human.

“This really takes me back to my younger days.”
Yeon Cheon Baek clenched his fist.
“Keh keh keh. Looks like this old man will have to work hard to prove he’s not dead yet.”

It felt as if the cells from his youth were awakening.
Having a goal.
It was an exhilarating feeling.

Yeon Cheon Baek cherished and adored strong people more than anyone.
And now, the strongest of them all was his grandson.
It was such an overwhelming happiness that he felt as if he could stay awake all night without sleeping.

As he gazed lovingly at Yeon Woo Jin, something caught his eye.
Black Eyes.
Yeon Woo Jin’s eyes had turned completely black.

Just like his own.
It was uncanny.
With that distinct trait, no one would ever doubt that Yeon Woo Jin was his biological grandson.

Perhaps it was fate that the two of them were so deeply connected.
The thought made Yeon Woo Jin seem even more lovable.
 

****
The Next Day.
“Are you that happy?”

“Hm?”
Sima Cheon grumbled as he watched Yeon Cheon Baek return to his office.
“Thanks to you, I stayed up all night. So, are you that happy?”

“Yes! I’m very happy! Hahahaha!”
“Oh, this old fool. The so-called strongest man in the world turns into a doting grandpa the moment he’s in front of his grandson.”
“Who said that? That I’m the strongest in the world?”

“Everyone says so. That you’re the strongest.”
“Well, they’re wrong.”
At that cryptic statement, Sima Cheon narrowed his eyes.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re making me uneasy…”
“What?”
“If you’re not the strongest in the world, then who is? Is there some hidden power I don’t know about?”

“Yes, there is. It’s been hiding so well that I never noticed it until now.”
Sima Cheon’s expression darkened.
“Who is it?”

“Why are you looking so serious?”
“How can I not be? You’re saying someone stronger than you is out there?”
“There’s no need to be so serious. It’s our Woo Jin.”

The moment Yeon Woo Jin’s name was mentioned, Sima Cheon let out a heavy sigh.
“Of course it is.”
“Huh? You’re not surprised?”

“What’s so surprising? If there’s anyone who can make you act like a fool, it’s him. Makes sense he’d be the strongest too.”
Sima Cheon clearly misunderstood, but he wasn’t entirely wrong.
After all, the only person who could make the almighty Yeon Cheon Baek falter was his own grandson.

“No, I’m serious. He’s really strong.”
“Yes, yes, whatever you say.”
“I’m telling you, I lost to Woo Jin yesterday.”

“You mean you couldn’t bring yourself to hit your grandson, right?”
“No, that’s not it. I gave it everything I had.”
“Lies.”

“If I’m lying, then call me your little brother.”
Sima Cheon’s eyes widened. If Yeon Cheon Baek was willing to degrade himself that much, then he wasn’t joking.
“You’re… not lying?”

“I’m not.”
“That’s… impossible. Are you saying Woo Jin has surpassed your level?”
“Most likely.”

“Damn! Do you hear yourself right now? Do you even know how old Woo Jin is?”
“Oh? Right.”
“What now?”

“Woo Jin is still young.”
“And what does ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) that mean?”
“It means he’s going to get even stronger.”

“What?”
“He hasn’t even reached his peak yet. Haha, just how much harder do I have to work to keep up with him?”
“Can you explain this in a way that makes sense?”

Yeon Cheon Baek recounted everything that had happened the previous day.
Sima Cheon’s jaw dropped. He stared at Yeon Cheon Baek, trying to process whether what he was hearing was reality or a bizarre dream.
“You seriously expect me to believe that?”

Yeon Cheon Baek nodded.
“This is insane. Absolutely insane.”
Sima Cheon ran his hands through his hair, ruffling it in frustration.

Then he stopped.
“Then there’s no point in holding the Lesser Celestial Lord competition, is there? If there’s someone who can already beat you, why bother watching those punks put on a little circus act?”
Yeon Cheon Baek shook his head.

“What? Why are you shaking your head?”
“Just let it be.”
“What? You’re saying we should just let them have their little show when there’s someone out there who can already beat you?”

Yeon Cheon Baek’s lips curved into a smile.
“Woo Jin is already preparing to seize control of Mushincheon in his own way.”
“What?”

“He’s building his own faction. I’m curious to see how he plans to take over Mushincheon.”
“You’re serious?”
“Yes. That’s why I plan to let things be. Let him rise on his own.”

Sima Cheon let out another frustrated groan, scratching his head vigorously.
“Damn it. If I’d figured that out earlier, I wouldn’t have gone through all that trouble.”
All that work they’d done to prepare for the Lesser Celestial Lord competition was for nothing.

“Those Five Great Noble Families are in for a rude awakening. Right now, they’re probably daydreaming about how Mushincheon will soon be theirs.”
“Mushincheon is the land of martial might. If they’re stronger than Woo Jin, then it’s only fair they get it.”
“You just said Woo Jin is stronger than you. There’s no way in hell they’re stronger than him.”

“Keh keh keh.”
“Oh, great. You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“Our Woo Jin is a truly filial grandson. Keh keh keh. Keeping this old man entertained in his twilight years.”

Watching Yeon Cheon Baek’s carefree grin, Sima Cheon let out a heavy sigh.
“You kept moaning about wanting a worthy opponent, and now you have one?”
“Keh keh keh. Right. Who would have thought that my worthy opponent would be my own grandson? No, actually, calling him my opponent isn’t right.”

“Then what is he?”
“I’m the challenger now. Keh keh keh. I haven’t felt this fired up in ages. At this age, I get to be the challenger.”
Yeon Cheon Baek’s smile grew wider.

Then he abruptly stood up.
“Where are you going?”
“To train.”

Under normal circumstances, Sima Cheon would have told him to sit down and stop talking nonsense.
But not this time.
The problem now was that Yeon Cheon Baek finally had a reason to train, which meant he would likely neglect all his duties as the Celestial Lord of Mushincheon.

And that meant Sima Cheon would end up handling all that work.
At this point, he wasn’t sure who the real Celestial Lord was anymore.
Still, seeing Yeon Cheon Baek fired up like that made him feel strangely uplifted.

“Fine. Go do all the training you want. I’ll take care of Mushincheon.”
“Keh keh keh. You really are a great friend. You know exactly where I’m itching and scratch it for me.”
“Ugh. I should’ve never followed you back then. Damn it.”

Yeon Cheon Baek grinned.
“Oh, now? Too late. Keh keh keh. Ah, screw it! Let’s start training tomorrow. Tonight, let’s drink to our hearts’ content! To our future Celestial Lord, Woo Jin!”
“Fine. Let’s drink. To my future lord and student, Woo Jin.”

The two men clinked their cups and laughed.
 
****

Western Region, Cheongseok Martial Academy.
Yoo Ji Gwang, the top martial artist of Cheongseok, was glaring at the top-ranked intermediate student with an expression of pure displeasure.
“I hear… you got your ass handed to you by those punks from the Southern Region? Say it yourself. Is it true?”

“I’m sorry.”
“So it’s true?”
“I’m sorry.”

Yoo Ji Gwang snapped his fingers.
Ping—
Thud—

“Gah!”
A single streak of light shot from his fingertip and pierced through Baek Cheon’s thigh.
“Did I ask for an apology? I asked for an answer.”

“Y-Yes. It’s true. I… lost to the Baekyeong bastards.”
“That’s right. That’s the answer I wanted.”
“I-I’m sorry.”

“Baekyeong, huh… The ones who supposedly took over the South?”
“Yes, that’s right.”