The Martial God with Psychic Powers-Chapter 48

Gwak Pyeong pulled himself together and quickly assessed the situation.

It was, without exaggeration, the perfect deadlock.

The Qi-Scattering Poison in his body made it nearly impossible to circulate his inner energy properly.

And with the number of Black Shadow Division fighters here, facing them alone was out of the question.

If it were just a one-on-one against Jang Manseong, he might be able to manage even in his current condition. But the entire elite force of Black Shadow was present.

He hadn’t expected it to be a trap, since the situation stemmed from a simple conflict with Taesajin. He had assumed there wouldn’t be too many enemies.

He’d only summoned a few other senior students to join later, just in case the situation escalated into an all-out clash with Black Shadow.

Now, he had no choice but to pin his hopes on those reinforcements.

If the formation could just hold until they arrived...

Just as that thought crossed his mind—

CRACK—

The formation trembled violently as the mist was torn apart down the center.

Through the parted fog, a man stepped forward.

Wearing the robes of a scholar, this had to be Jang Manseong’s strategist.

But to break the Mist-Chaos Formation this quickly?

So it really had been too hastily assembled.

The strategist drove something into the ground near one of the rods.

CRACK—

The formation shook again, and half the mist dissipated completely.

The formation was, for all intents and purposes, broken.

“Hiding like a rat, are we?”

“And says the guy who laid a trap. That’s rich.”

“Keh keh keh. Talking big for someone who didn’t even notice the trap he walked into.”

“And you. Must’ve been scared out of your damn mind to set all this up just to lure me in.”

“No, no. Taking the hard road when an easy one’s right there—that’s just plain stupid. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“I would,” the strategist replied.

Something about that voice was insufferable.

Gwak Pyeong had the sudden urge to smash his face in with a fist.

Jang Manseong smiled, clearly enjoying Gwak Pyeong’s burning expression.

“You don’t think this is the end, do you?”

Gwak Pyeong narrowed his eyes.

“What are you talking about?”

“Heh heh. Why do you think we lured you here in the first place?”

Gwak Pyeong’s expression hardened.

“To be honest, I don’t care about you—you’re about to graduate anyway. What I want... is Baekyeong’s future. I heard this year's lowerclass students are the strongest in Baekyeong’s history.”

“No way...”

“Oh, yes way. By now, Yellow Flame Division should’ve already arrived at Baekyeong’s lowerclass training ground.”

“No...!”

Absolutely not.

Those kids were the future of Baekyeong Martial Academy.

He had to escape—now—and protect them.

He was panicking.

“How many of you can still move?”

“I can,” Ho Je answered first, and other students began raising their hands as well.

Quite a few.

Maybe not enough to win—but enough to carve out an escape path.

“I’m sorry... This is my failure. I dragged you all into danger today... But unless we risk our lives here, we won’t make it out.”

“Hey, Captain. What’s with the speech? Just give the order.”

“Yeah, tell us to attack already! We follow your lead, Captain.”

“Haha! Looks like our captain’s really shaken today.”

“What are you waiting for? Just say the word. I’m itching to ram my fist into those bastards’ smug faces.”

Grinning, the students readied themselves to charge at any moment.

Gwak Pyeong clenched his fists and bit his lip.

Then shouted—

“Damn it! Let’s do this! Everyone—attack!”

With Gwak Pyeong’s order, they all rushed toward the Black Shadow Division’s formation.

“They’re flying at us like moths to a flame. Crush them all.”

At Jang Manseong’s command, Black Shadow Division moved in kind.

The clash erupted in all directions.

Gwak Pyeong made a beeline for Jang Manseong.

But two men stepped in front of him.

“We’re first,” they said.

Second- and third-ranked fighters of Black Shadow Division.

It was obvious.

They planned to wear him down before letting him face Jang Manseong.

Gwak Pyeong summoned his qi.

Whooom—

The force of it caught both fighters off guard.

Even Jang Manseong looked stunned.

The memory of the beating he’d once received from Gwak Pyeong surged back.

Damn it. Even with Qi-Scattering Poison in him, he still has that much power? Monster.

But he wouldn’t lose today.

Gwak Pyeong had already used some qi purging the poison, and now he’d burn more fighting the others.

And Jang Manseong himself had grown stronger—consuming rare elixirs and undergoing closed-door training with the backing of his family.

He could win one-on-one now—but to be sure, he would hold back.

Ho Je wasn’t in any state to join in—he was busy supporting the others.

The second and third ranks of Black Shadow Division sneered at Gwak Pyeong.

“How long are you gonna stand there and stare?”

“Scared to make a move?”

Defeating them wouldn’t be hard.

But beating them and Jang Manseong after?

That’d be brutal.

If only someone could take one of them off his hands.

And as if the heavens heard that wish—

“Senior! I’m here!”

“Go Seung?!”

“I saw you rushing off and figured something was up. Good thing I followed.”

For the first time ever, Gwak Pyeong found Go Seung utterly adorable.

“We’re here too!”

More senior students, arriving late, now joined the fight.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

The reinforcements from Baekyeong who had come with Go Seung leapt in to support their struggling comrades—and in an instant, the battle was even.

Go Seung, massive saber slung over his shoulder, walked toward Gwak Pyeong.

“Senior, aren’t you being a bit greedy? At least let your junior have one.”

“Is that so? My bad. Pick whichever one you want.”

“Thanks. I’ll take the one who looks like a powdered courtesan.”

“Fine by me. I’ll take the other.”

The two exchanged grins and moved toward their respective opponents.

****

Dozens of fighters were moving in perfect formation.

Leading them at the front was a man—Jin Geon, the number one student of Yellow Flame Division.

After losing to Black Shadow Division, he had submitted and fallen under their control.

Now, per Jang Manseong’s orders, he was here to strike Baekyeong Martial Academy.

Specifically—the lowerclass students said to be the future of Baekyeong.

They had already acquired the intel.

There was a training site where the lowerclassmen gathered regularly.

As they advanced, a massive stone marker came into view.

Etched into it were the words: Baek Yaksa.

“Found it.”

“They must’ve been desperate to train in a dump like this.”

“How strong could kids training in a ruin even be? Let’s wipe them out and go.”

“Yeah. This is disgusting. Taking orders from those Black Shadow bastards and doing their dirty work...”

“Shut it. We lost. We chose to follow them. All we can hope for now is that our juniors get revenge for us someday.”

“You think those freaks are gonna lay a hand on our kids too?”

“They won’t. That was the deal. We joined them under the condition they wouldn’t touch our own.”

“Still, Baekyeong’s screwed. Heard Gwak Pyeong was smart, but he got played like a fool.”

“That’s what happens. People who think they’re clever always leave the biggest openings.”

Hup! Hup!

But as they neared the Baek Yaksa, the sound of unified shouts rang out.

“What the hell? Sounds like they’ve got some proper training going.”

“Just from the voices... they sound more disciplined than us.”

“They’re still lowerclass. Who cares.”

“Are we really cutting their tendons?”

“Not all of them... Just the first, second, and third ranks.”

“...That’s disgusting.”

“It’s better than letting our juniors suffer. If we can soften Baekyeong up now, it’ll be easier when our own kids fight to rule the southern region someday. We’re doing this for them, not for Black Shadow.”

“When you put it like that, I guess it’s a little easier to stomach. Still, let’s get this over with.”

Jin Geon nodded.

The outer walls of Baek Yaksa came into view.

“Jump over together. Take down everyone you see on sight.”

“Got it.”

As they neared the ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ outer wall, the Yellow Flame Division fighters all vaulted over at once.

“What the hell?!”

“We’re under attack!”

“Get ready!”

As soon as the Yellow Flame squad leapt the wall, the lowerclass students—who had been in the middle of training—reacted immediately, without a shred of panic.

The ones who were actually thrown off were the Yellow Flame students.

They couldn’t believe the lowerclassmen were handling the ambush so naturally.

And they were strong.

The attackers from Yellow Flame were the ones being overpowered.

“W-What the hell is this?!”

An absurd scene was unfolding before their eyes.

“Everyone, snap out of it!”

Jin Geon, the leader, charged in and blew several Baekyeong lowerclass students back.

Thud—

“Guh!”

“Ugh!”

The students who were knocked away rolled across the ground—only to spring right back up and charge again.

It was like they were possessed by evil spirits.

“What the hell are these kids?”

This time, he held nothing back and launched a serious attack.

Wham—

But his strike was intercepted mid-air by someone.

Someone strong—strong enough to completely defuse his power with ease.

“Where are you from?” he asked.

“And who are you?” the young man responded.

“I’m Seon Woo Baek, number one of Baekyeong Martial Academy’s lowerclass division.”

“So you’re the top-ranked lowerclassman.”

“That’s right. And you are?”

“We’re from Yellow Flame.”

“Then may I ask why Yellow Flame Division is attacking us?”

“Well... beat me, and I’ll tell you.”

“Haaah... We may be from different academies, but you’re still my senior. I’ll show you the proper respect.”

Seon Woo Baek took his stance.

Despite the sudden chaos, his energy was calm and centered.

He looked like a veteran martial artist who’d been through war after war.

On another level entirely.

Damn it... Could this guy be the one to rule the southern region in the future?

Still, Jin Geon couldn’t back down.

I still have the upper hand. Better to crush this early.

He told himself it was better this way—and launched a surprise attack on Seon Woo Baek.

But despite the speed of his assault, Seon Woo Baek dodged.

“What?!”

A chill ran down his spine as he glanced down—only to see Seon Woo Baek’s left hand already in striking range.

He twisted his body in the nick of time.

Whooosh—

Seon Woo Baek’s palm strike grazed past him with a terrifying sound.

A direct hit would’ve caused serious internal damage.

And it wasn’t over yet.

The right hand was coming in next.

Jin Geon kicked off the ground, leaping into the air, and spun his body toward Seon Woo Baek, hurling a punch mid-rotation.

“Hundred-Blast Fist Wind!”

Bam-bam-bam-bam-bam—

A flurry of fist shadows rained down on Seon Woo Baek like a storm.

It wasn’t refined qi projection, but it was more than enough to put down a mere lowerclass student.

All he had to do now was knock him down and sever a few tendons. Then it would be over. But—

Clang-clang-clang—

“...Huh?”

A thin barrier appeared around Seon Woo Baek, deflecting every one of Jin Geon’s strikes.

It wasn’t a true energy shield.

From his hand posture, it looked like a defensive martial art.

Even so—to block Hundred-Blast Fist Wind?

This kid was no ordinary student.

Now he understood why Black Shadow had insisted they bring Yellow Flame’s elite.

Did Black Shadow know how strong they were?

No—they didn’t.

They had simply wanted to make sure the job was done.

As Jin Geon landed and prepared to attack again—

Seon Woo Baek’s form shimmered.

“What the...?”

In an instant, Seon Woo Baek slipped past his guard and closed the distance.

Jin Geon had just landed from the air—he couldn’t dodge.

He concentrated all his qi on the part of his body that would be struck.

A split-second reinforcement.

CRACK—

“Guh...!”

The impact was worse than he’d expected.

Still, it wasn’t enough to knock him out completely.

He tried to use the recoil to gain some distance and catch his breath for a counterattack.

CLANG—

Suddenly, searing pain surged from inside his body.

“Guh—!”

He spat out blood as his vision began to blur.

An internal energy rupture technique?

At that age?

He remembered something.

There had been rumors that Gwak Pyeong had chosen a lowerclass student as his successor over the middleclass.

He’d thought it was a joke.

Thought it was impossible.

But that “impossible” existence was standing right in front of him.

“You’re... incredible...”

His pride wouldn’t let him collapse like this.

He was still a senior student, damn it.

He clenched his jaw and held himself up.

But that was it.

He’d taken internal damage too severe to summon more qi.

If Seon Woo Baek attacked again, he wouldn’t be able to block it.

He turned his head, thinking at least he could order a retreat.

And froze.

“...This can’t be.”

Everyone he’d brought was already on the ground—defeated.

It wasn’t just Seon Woo Baek.

The entire lowerclass was strong.

Seon Woo Baek’s voice came calmly.

“It’s over. Please surrender.”

There was no choice.

“...We lost.”

It was the day Yellow Flame Division’s senior and middleclass fighters were defeated by Baekyeong’s lowerclass.