Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

"You bastards! I am your master! Do you not even recognize your own master?!"

DING DING DING DING DING DING!

The Erudite Sage shook the shaman's bell in his hand with such violence that it almost shattered, but it was useless. The ghouls still obeyed Baek Suryong's command and pounced on him.

Perhaps instructed to capture instead of kill, they focused all their strikes on his limbs.

"GRAAAWR!"

The Erudite Sage frantically dodged their blows, his eyes gleaming with madness as he searched desperately for Baek Suryong. "Damn you, Azure Dragon Hero! What the fuck did you do to my ghouls?!"

Baek Suryong ignored him and went to check on Namgung Su's condition. "Hey, are you alri…" he began, but quickly swallowed the rest of his words, his expression turning grim.

Namgung Su's condition was far worse than he expected. His breathing was labored, his pulse was irregular, his grimacing face looked as pale as a corpse, and cold sweat dotted his feverish forehead.

"Baek-oppa!"

Relieved, the Azure Dragon instructors began running toward Baek Suryong, but they abruptly stopped, startled.

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SHWAAAA…

The killing intent rolling off Baek Suryong felt so intense that even the air seemed to freeze solid.

W-What is this chilly feeling?

He seems like a different person even though we only saw him half a day ago…

Suddenly, that eerie chill vanished as though it had never existed at all. Baek Suryong had forcefully suppressed his killing intent.

"Sorry, I just had a breakthrough and am still struggling to control my power. What's going on? Explain it to me as fast as you can," Baek Suryong demanded.

"The Blood Cult attacked the Namgung Clan!"

"We heard screams from afar, and then…"

"The Erudite Sage is a traitor. H-He's a Blood Cult Elder!"

"Mr. Namgung was injured and poisoned in a surprise attack, and even though he was in critical condition, he still forced himself to help us…"

The explanations poured out in a frantic jumble. Since Baek Suryong had already known a calamity would befall the Namgung Clan, he grasped their meaning without difficulty.

"So the Blood Cult suddenly attacked, you tried to escape, the Erudite Sage revealed himself as a Blood Cult Elder, and Namgung Su got poisoned by his surprise attack?"

""Yes!""

Baek Suryong glared at the Erudite Sage, narrowing his eyes. "Then that asshole must have the antidote, right?"

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"Damn it! Damn it all!" The Erudite Sage cursed, abandoning his attempt to control the ghouls with the bell and tossing it aside as he gathered his inner qi. ꞦÅƝꝊВЁṦ

The tattoos etched into his skin writhed like living things, and the withered old man's body grew in size until he stood at nearly eight feet tall.

"Don't expect any more mercy," he snarled, unleashing a burst of qi in every direction.

FWOOSH! BOOM!

Massive trees were uprooted from the ground, and sturdy boulders shattered. The ghouls that had attacked him were instantly crushed or ripped apart.

This display of power far surpassed the martial prowess that the Erudite Sage was known to possess.

Having cleared the obstacles, the Erudite Sage grinned at Baek Suryong, flashing his yellowed teeth. "If you try to run, I'll tear your colleagues to shreds, so be a good boy and explain yourself."

"…You guys wait here," Baek Suryong said, entrusting Namgung Su to his colleagues.

He could tell how formidable this opponent was from the subtle tingle of qi along his skin. The Erudite Sage's strength surpassed the Bloody Ripper and the Nine Yin Witch.

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He's definitely worthy of being a Blood Cult Elder. I was surprised enough that the Blood Cult attacked the Namgung Clan, but now one of their Elders has appeared too?

It's not like I can't fight him head-on, but… there's no time.

Namgung Su hovered between life and death, and the entire Namgung Clan was under siege by the Blood Cult. He couldn't afford a protracted battle with the Erudite Sage, especially when he didn't know how many more Blood Cultists were lurking nearby.

I have to finish this fight as quickly as possible…

Baek Suryong's mind raced as he walked towards the Erudite Sage. "So, you're a Blood Cult Elder?"

"Insolent fool! You dare look me in the eye even after learning my true identity? It seems your paltry reputation has inflated your ego."

The Erudite Sage extended a hand enveloped by gray enhanced qi and waved it horizontally.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

With a deafening roar like the sound of multiple cannons detonating all at once, countless trees were blown to bits.

The new instructors, who had felt relieved initially at Baek Suryong's arrival, paled. Those who had planned to flee if the two confronted each other silently abandoned that idea.

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Pleased by their terrified expressions, the Erudite Sage chuckled. "Answer my question, and I'll grant you and your friends a quick death. How did you, who isn't even a sorcerer, manage to control the Soulless?"

"I used this," Baek Suryong replied casually, pulling the Demonic Soul Summoning Flute out of his shirt pocket.

Seeing the sinister, eerie energy flowing from the luxurious ivory flute, the Erudite Sage immediately recognized its worth. "…W-Where did you find that?!" he gasped, fascinated.

To most martial artists, it was just an oddly shaped flute, but to sorcerers like him, the Demonic Soul Summoning Flute was literally a divine weapon.

Look at this, his reaction is even better than I expected! Baek Suryong's eyes sparkled, and a plan formed in his mind. Grinning evilly, he lifted the Demonic Soul Summoning Flute and tightened his grip exaggeratedly. "Shall we find out how sturdy this is?"

The Erudite Sage's killing intent surged. "Stop, you lunatic! That's not something to be toyed with! If you leave so much as a tiny scratch on it, I'll tear off all your limbs and give you a fate worse than death! You and everyone else here will be begging me to kill you!"

FWOOOOSH!

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The Erudite Sage exuded a vicious aura, his hands wrapped in overflowing qi, but Baek Suryong was unfazed. He grinned confidently as he twirled the Demonic Soul Summoning Flute between his fingers, looking like he had already won.

"You have the antidote to the poison you used on Namgung Su, right?"

"…Yes."

"Hand it over."

"…Fine. Give me the flute first, and I'll trade you the antidote…"

"I wonder if this will still work after I shave off a piece?" Baek Suryong remarked nonchalantly, bringing his blue sword qi wrapped sword close to the flute.

"Stop! Stop that now!" the Erudite Sage cried out in horror.

"Give me the antidote first."

"Ugh… Take it!"

WHOOSH!

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Baek Suryong reached out and snatched the small phial that the Erudite sage had hurled like a hidden weapon and popped the cork, releasing a refreshing scent.

He glared at the Erudite Sage. "If this antidote is fake, I'll split the flute in half right now."

"And I'll split your skull in half at the same time," the Erudite Sage growled intimidatingly.

Ignoring the threat, Baek Suryong tossed the vial to Jaegal Soyeong, who was taking care of Namgung Su. "Feed it to him and see if he recovers."

Jaegal Soyeong nodded and acted quickly, opening Namgung Su's mouth and pouring the liquid from the phial into it. Fortunately, the antidote worked, and Namgung Su's tightly furrowed face gradually relaxed.

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"It's the antidote!"

All of the instructors let out a collective sigh of relief.

The Erudite Sage stepped closer to Baek Suryong, his eyes narrowed warily. Over the past two days, he had learned firsthand just how cunning this man could be.

"I've given you the antidote, so hand over the flute as promised. Since you're a martial artist of the orthodox sects, I trust that you'll honor your word. I won't concede any more than this. Try any more tricks, and I'll kill the your fellow instructors one by one."

Baek Suryong tossed the flute in the air repeatedly with one hand, as if preparing to throw it at the Erudite Sage. "Oh, come on. The way you're saying it, everyone would think that I'm someone who does nothing but cheat," he replied, shrugging.

The Erudite Sage flinched. "Huh? You're throwing it?!"

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Grinning ominously, Baek Suryong launched the Demonic Soul Summoning Flute skyward and then immediately unleashed a wave of sword qi toward the airborne flute. "Oops. Did I throw it wrong?" he sneered.

"You bastard!" the Erudite Sage shouted, leaping high into the sky to snatch the flute before the sword qi could reach it.

"Wow, it flew pretty high," Baek Suryong chuckled, completely unruffled.

The moment the Erudite Sage snatched the flute in mid-air, Baek Suryong took advantage of his inability to dodge, launching himself from the ground and swinging his sword at the descending Sage.

"Do you think such a petty trick will work?!" the Erudite Sage roared, sending a surge of explosive demonic qi down at Baek Suryong.

BOOOOOM!

Baek Suryong's enhanced sword qi and the Erudite Sage's demonic qi clashed with a deafening impact. The hems of their clothes flapped wildly in the strong wind.

As the Erudite Sage plummeted downward, Baek Suryong soared upward, and the distance between them decreased at a terrifying speed.

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Suddenly, the Erudite Sage reached out and grabbed Baek Suryong's wrist, pulling him closer. "Kahahaha! You've fallen for your own trick!" he laughed, his confidence unshakable.

Frowning, Baek Suryong abandoned his sword and switched to close combat.

POW! POW! POW!

The air shook as the two men traded dozens of blows in an instant, their bodies twisting and tangling like entangled snakes as they engaged in a chaotic exchange of techniques that included palm strikes, fist techniques, kicks, and intricate footwork.

The Erudite Sage was baffled. The Azure Dragon Hero's primary fighting style was known to be swordplay, yet here he was, using his hands and feet like a master of melee combat, each strike honed by a lifetime of dedicated training.

Wasn't this guy a swordsman?Don't tell me, was he acting…?

Seeing the meaningful smile playing on Baek Suryong's lips, the Erudite Sage felt his heart sink.

BAM! SLAM! BOOM!

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Anxiety gnawed at the Erudite Sage. Unlike the Night Emperor, he wasn't at a level where he could freely use the Airwalking Technique, and Baek Suryong wouldn't allow him the leeway to concentrate on it.

I need to push him away! If we crash to the ground like this, even a supreme master like me will break a few bones!

"Damn you! Get away from me!" he bellowed.

"Why? Are you scared?" Baek Suryong taunted, his grin widening as he stepped up his efforts to keep his opponent occupied.

Pale with fear, the Erudite Sage flailed wildly in a desperate attempt to push Baek Suryong away, but Baek Suryong dodged and parried each attack, clinging to him like a leech and refusing to yield.

They were falling at a terrifying speed.

"If we fall like this, we'll both die! Are you trying to pull off a double suicide?"

"Not a bad way to go, is it?" Baek Suryong laughed. "If I die taking down a Blood Cult Elder, I'll be hailed as a hero for generations to come."

"You crazy bastard! Get off! Get off me!"

The Erudite Sage squirmed and thrashed, desperation fueling his every move. If he could just get Baek Suryong off of him for a moment, he could explode his inner qi from the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of his foot and slow his descent.

The ground rushed closer and closer. Baek Suryong seemed determined to fight with all his might until the very end.

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"Fuck you…!"

Baek Suryong grinned wildly, his laughter ringing out like a deranged freak's, "Shall we find out? Will we die? Or will we live?"

Seeing the madness in his opponent's eyes, the Erudite Sage shuddered in fear. He had not endured patiently for decades just to die like this.

FUUUUUCK!

Finally, the Erudite Sage abandoned his defense and focused his inner qi on his Yongquan acupoint.

His body momentarily floated upwards.

Baek Suryong did not miss that moment. "You held out longer than I thought," he muttered.

While he could not yet freely use the Airwalking Technique, he had a hidden trump card, a new weapon and technique that the Erudite Sage know nothing about.

The White Ice Bangles on his wrist glowed as he aimed his left palm downwards.

CRACKLE! CRACKLE!

The moisture in the air froze, and palm-sized ice shards formed beneath his feet.

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Using them as footholds, Baek Suryong leapt upwards.

Watching Baek Suryong soar above him in an instant, the Erudite Sage's eyes widened. "Ice Arts!"

Baek Suryong grinned wickedly. "Now, can you imagine what I'm going to do next?"

"YOU COWARD…!"

Since he had concentrated his inner qi on his Yongquan acupoint to slow his fall, the Erudite Sage couldn't redistribute it in time to muster a defense.

Baek Suryong, on the other hand, unleashed the Ice Arts he had kept hidden till now.

This split-second difference decided the match.

CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!

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The Erudite Sage's arms and legs froze, white frost covered his entire body, and his movements slowed.

Baek Suryong unleashed the White Ice Divine Palm on the Erudite Sage.

BOOOOOM! BAM! CRASH!

The Erudite Sage hit the ground, bounced back up into the sky, and then crashed into the ground again.

Baek Suryong landed gently in front of him. Judging from how high his body bounced, he definitely broke quite a few bones.

"Sorry, but I don't really have time to waste on the likes of you," he said coldly.

Less than five minutes had passed from the moment he soared into the sky to the moment he set his foot on the ground again, yet Baek Suryong had already defeated a Blood Cult Elder.

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