Star Instructor, Master Baek-Chapter 463: What's Your Game?

The moon shone brightly that night.
"Are you the world's strongest bladesman?"
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman instantly recognize from the sharpness of the approaching man's suppressed killing intent and the ominous energy flowing through his body he was no ordinary master.
Noticing that the man appeared to be waiting for him, he left all his bodyguards behind. Somehow, instinct told him that this man harbored no good intentions.
Still, he welcomed the challenger. He always felt this way when meeting a powerful bladesman.
"That's right, I am the world's strongest bladesman."
He had defeated the head of the Peng Clan less than ten days ago, so his body was not in perfect condition. The aftereffects of his injuries, both internal and external, remained.
Nevertheless, he never considered defeat. He was the world's strongest bladesman. The path he had walked to earn this title was filled with countless unpredictable battles. This one would be no different.
"I request a life-and-death duel with you."
"Haha! I like how straightforward you are. Let me just finish this, and we'll fight."
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman heartily drained his gourd and drew Crimson Moon. Under the moonlight, its red blade stood out vividly.
He had planned to meet his old friend, the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom, before returning to the Black Snake Alliance. He wanted to be the first to tell her about his victory over the Peng Clan Patriarch, but this strange bladesman appeared just one mountain away from their meeting place.
"Looks like I'll have one more tale of valor to tell."
The nameless mountain on which they stood became the dueling ground. The two peerless bladesmen gathered their qi for the life-or-death duel. Around them, trees screamed under the swirling torrent of energy.
"Before you try to take my life, couldn't you at least tell me your name? I am the Blade Demon, the world's strongest bladesman."
"Third Apostle."
"A man of few words, I see."
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman smiled slightly and aimed Crimson Moon at his opponent's brow. He offered the first strike, and the Third Apostle accepted.
CLANG!
The mountain split apart, and the sky rent asunder. Within a hundred blows, the Black Snake Alliance Chairman foresaw his impending defeat. The stench of blood filled the blood-red sky.
The Third Apostle was an unbeatable monster.
"Pledge your loyalty, and I'll let you live."
"...Loyalty to whom?"
Like an emotionless wooden doll, the Third Apostle answered the battered Black Snake Alliance Chairman. "The Blood Demon Divine Cult."
"......" The Black Snake Alliance Chairman grit his teeth silently, bracing himself to die. He would not allow the Blood Cult to extend its evil grasp to the Black Snake Alliance. "...I'd rather risk my life to kill you."
"So you choose a meaningless death."
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman squeezed out all his qi and poured it into Crimson Moon. The Third Apostle did not underestimate him and also prepared for the final clash.
WHISTLE!
A meteor shower shot across the night sky and descended upon the Third Apostle.
"Run!" the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom screamed.
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman immediately whirled around and fled with all his might, ignoring the sounds of pursuit. For three days and three nights, he ran until he lost consciousness.
When he opened his eyes again, he discovered that the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom was carrying him on her back. Bloodstains smeared her clothes.
"Bow Phantom..."
"Don't say anything."
"......"
After returning to the Black Snake Alliance, he holed himself up in his room. While the martial artists of the Black Snake Alliance congratulated their chairman for becoming the world's strongest bladesman, his heart plunged into the depths of despair.
He had suffered a devastating defeat. Worse, he had run away like a coward. Consumed by self-disgust, he set aside the blade he had cherished for decades and lived like a total wreck.
SLAM!
One day, the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom broke down his door and grabbed him by the collar. "How long are you going to stay like this, you idiot?"
"......"
"Go into seclusion training. Swing your blade like a madman. Like your old self. It's not the first time you've lost. World's strongest bladesman? What's so great about a stupid title like that? Please, just stop being so pathetic!"
"...If I suddenly enter seclusion training, the Blood Cult might target us."
"No, they won't be able to," the Soul Hunting Bow Phantom denied, her eyes flaring as she threw the sturdy man's collar aside. "I'll keep an eye on the Black Snake Alliance for you, so just focus on your training."
"...Why go so far for me? Didn't you hate the Alliance?"
The Soul Hunting Bow Phantom stared at her old friend in frustration. After a long pause, she explained, "Because I hate the Blood Cult more than the Black Snake Alliance. A title like the 'world's strongest bladesman' should belong to an arrogant, insufferable bastard like you."
"Haha... Hahaha!" The Black Snake Alliance Chairman laughed for a long time, his shoulders shaking.
The Soul Hunting Bow Phantom breathed a sigh of relief. Her friend's laughter was weak, but the light in his eyes was returning. "Stop your silly giggling. When are you going to start your seclusion training?"
"...Right now."
Ten years passed.
"Long time no see," the Black Snake Alliance Chairman said as he studied the Third Apostle.
They were meeting again after ten years, but his opponent looked exactly the same as before. Whether it was the dense killing intent that could slice his skin, or the expressionless face like a wooden doll, nothing about him had changed.
In the early days of his seclusion training, he had tried to imitate that appearance. He struggled for countless days and nights, striving to close the gap somehow.
*Ten years ago, this man was an unbeatable monster. I wonder what he's like now?*
He entered a seclusion training room and immersed himself in martial arts for ten years. He deconstructed, analyzed, and re-established the blade techniques he had developed over a lifetime, then repeated the process all over again.
Sometimes, he swung his blade for days on end like a madman, and other times he abstained from food for weeks and meditated like a monk practicing zazen. He fought against inner demons that suddenly appeared, ceaselessly striving to attain enlightenment.
And now... his lips curled into a thin arc. The darkness flowing from his body stained the sky, growing ever deeper.
"You don't look as strong as you used to," he remarked.
"...There are a lot of people here." The Third Apostle slowly observed the unorthodox leaders. Each one appeared formidable, releasing their killing intent and summoning their qi the moment their gazes met.
The moment his eyes landed on Baek Suryong, though, he froze.
"......"
His expressionless face tilted his head minutely to one side. Baek Suryong's qi fluctuated wildly, like boiling oil. The bandit was clearly a strong martial artist, yet his breathing was irregular and his body overly tense. His eyes were shaking, and his face was as white as a sheet.
He did not know much about human emotions, but he knew from his training that these physical changes represented a state of great emotional turmoil.
He asked Baek Suryong, "Do you know me?"
"......" Baek Suryong clenched his teeth tightly. If he didn't, he might blurt out the truth about who he was. Countless possible answers rose and fell in his mind, but none felt appropriate.
"I'll ask again. Do you know me?"
"......"
Again, Baek Suryong remained silent. Everyone was puzzled. For such a confident man, this was completely out of character. However, they could not dwell on this for long.
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman took a step toward the Third Apostle. "Don't mind the others. Didn't you come looking for me, Third Apostle?"
Although it was only a single step, the Third Apostle immediately focused his attention on the Black Snake Alliance Chairman. His eyes widened slightly as he muttered, "...You've gotten stronger. More than I expected."
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman grinned. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment."
WHOOOOSH!
A wave of jet-black qi blanketed the sky. Despite its demonic appearance, the energy was pure, reflecting the Black Snake Alliance Chairman's lifelong dedication to his craft.
"This is my fight. I won't permit anyone to interrupt me," he warned.
The unorthodox leaders, who had been contemplating a joint attack, scowled.
BOOM!
One stomp sent tremors through Zhurong Peak. While the other martial artists struggled to steady themselves on the quaking ground, the two peerless bladesmen simultaneously drew their blades and leaped into the air.
Their eyes met. The Black Snake Alliance Chairman swung his blade diagonally like a lightning bolt. The Third Apostle raised his own blade to meet it, his face impassive as ever.
A red light invaded the blackened sky, spreading like blood.
CLAAAAANG!
A terrifying shockwave swept through the area. Trees creaked and boulders rattled. Animals below the mountain ridge fled in terror. With one blast, half of Zhurong Peak was blown away.
The two bladesmen remained suspended in midair. Despite having caused a near-natural disaster, they remained impassive.
The corners of the Black Snake Alliance Chairman's mouth turned up in a smile. "That was eighty percent. Now, let's try ninety percent."
FLASH!
Once again, a black lightning bolt flickered. The strike surpassed the speed of sound, causing a sonic boom. Still, the Third Apostle's blade intercepted its trajectory precisely, setting off an explosion.
KABOOM!
A deafening roar rocked the heavens and earth as if dozens of bombs had exploded simultaneously. Such violence far exceeded the limits of humanity.
"Excellent. This time, I'll go all out."
ROAAAAAAR!
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman unleashed the essence of the Ultimate Blade Technique he had established over the past ten years.
This was the divine dance of a bladesman in a state of selflessness. He declared that all blades under heaven were represented here, and that this was their pinnacle.
Even the Third Apostle of the Blood Cult seemed to have trouble confronting the technique, recoiling in the face of its power. His expressionless face gradually showed signs of distress.
"So that's the world's strongest bladesman..."
"...I think he can drop the word 'bladesman'."
"Just how much was he holding back when he intimidated us?"
Even the unorthodox leaders could not hide their awe at the sight of the Black Snake Alliance Chairman.
Martial artists instinctively admired strength. Simply witnessing a life-or-death duel between supreme masters at the pinnacle of the jianghu sent shivers down their spines.
The Phantom King, who had previously been at odds with the Black Snake Alliance Chairman, rubbed his forearms repeatedly in an attempt to calm his goosebumps.
Yet in the midst of all the excitement, someone groaned, "No, this isn't right..."
Startled, the Viridian Scholar looked to his side. He had thought that Baek Suryong's condition was unusual for some time, but now it seemed especially strange.
*Why is a peerless master like him breaking out in a cold sweat?*
[Are you alright, Senior Brother?]
Baek Suryong clenched his teeth and took a deep breath. Number Three had not changed at all since the last time they saw each other. Although more than five decades had passed, he still had the same face, as if the years had just passed him by.
"Something's wrong," he muttered under his breath.
"What do you mean?" The Viridian Scholar asked aloud, alarmed. For a moment, he forgot they weren't alone.
The other unorthodox leaders kept their eyes on the diel, but attuned their ears to Baek Suryong's every word.
"...It shouldn't be like this," Baek Suryong added. The unexpected encounter with his former trainee left him reeling, but he was certain of one thing.
"What do you mean, 'it shouldn't be like this'? What are you talking about?" the Phantom King asked impatiently, butting into the conversation.
KABOOOOM!
At the same time, the Black Snake Alliance Chairman's blade cleaved down on the Third Apostle from above.
Baek Suryong winced as he watched his former trainee get slammed into the ground. "The Third Apostle isn't this weak."
""...!!"" Everyone's jaws dropped in disbelief.
The Black Snake Alliance Chairman was the only one who approached the Third Apostle icily, as if he agreed with the shocking statement. "So? What's your game? Third Apostle."
**Translator's Note:** The fever finally went down, feeling better now. Thanks for all the well-wishes!