Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

The Blue Sky Sword King's gentle gaze hardened into the sharp glint of a finely honed blade, and his tone exuded authority as he announced, "Since it's the first day, we'll start with a simple hike to assess everyone's basic physical fitness. Follow me."

Feeling tense, the new instructors braced themselves. None of them were naive enough to believe that this first hike with the Blue Sky Sword King would be anything close to easy or simple. He hadn't even specified their destination!

His hands casually clasped behind his back, the Blue Sky Sword King took a step forward, and his figure suddenly blurred and reappeared fifty meters away. "Anyone who falls behind will be penalized in the practical training evaluation," he taunted, his voice fading into the distance.

Jolted into action, the instructors hastily activated their movement arts and dashed after the Blue Sky Sword King's rapidly diminishing figure.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Thirty-one instructors unleashed their movement skills, their martial arts uniforms fluttering in the wind as they transformed into a vibrant riot of four colors.

[Il'oh, listen carefully. First…]

After sending a brief telepathic message to Myeong Il'oh, Baek Suryong raced forward, determined to establish an early lead. After all, he wasn't one to hold back and then make a dramatic comeback.

He knew he would be the main target of the Namgung Clan's ambushes. If he stayed with his fellow Azure Dragon instructors, he would only end up dragging them into the crossfire for no good reason.

As the scenery around him became a blur, he caught sight of the Blue Sky Sword King in the distance.

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The Blue Sky Sword King suddenly turned, his hands still resting behind his back. Despite moving in reverse, his speed showed no signs of slowing. If anything, he appeared to be accelerating. His gaze swept over Baek Suryong from head to toe before he gave a slight nod, as though acknowledging something.

"I thought you'd be the first to catch up, Baek Suryong. Hasn't it only been a few months since we last met at the Azure Dragon Academy's entrance examinations? It looks like your martial arts have come a long way."

"I had a fortunate encounter," Baek Suryong replied.

"That doesn't explain everything. Were you hiding your true strength from the beginning?"

Baek Suryong grinned confidently. "Even if I was, that's not against the rules, is it?"

The Blue Sky Sword King smiled. "Well, your martial arts may be impressive, but it won't be easy to maintain your lead. Take a look behind you."

Baek Suryong glanced back and saw the instructors from the Vermilion Phoenix Academy, dressed in identical crimson uniforms, moving in tight formations alongside those from the White Tiger Academy, who were clad in white.

At the head of the group, the lead instructor cut through the wind, reducing air resistance for those following. The others skillfully used their footwork to make the path easier for those behind. By maintaining this formation and rotating the lead position at regular intervals, they were able to conserve energy and keep fatigue to a minimum.

The Blue Sky Sword King observed them with a thoughtful expression. "The camaraderie of teamwork provides psychological stability, helps them conserve stamina, inner qi, and mental focus. You, on the other hand, are alone."

"Isn't it even more of a waste of energy to help others when they can keep up on their own?" Baek Suryong countered.

"So confident, even though you have no idea where we're going." Chuckling, Blue Sky Sword King turned back toward the front. "I'm increasing my speed. Try to keep up."

He kicked off the ground, his figure becoming a distant blur.

Damn, that old man is fast.

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The Blue Sky Sword King's reputation as one of the Ten Supremes was well-deserved. Clicking his tongue, Baek Suryong pushed himself to speed up.

"Increase speed!" Tang Baekho shouted from behind.

The White Tiger Academy, running alongside the Vermilion Phoenix Academy, surged forward. Tang Baekho, leading the pack, was right behind Baek Suryong.

"I might not be as clever as you, but I won't lose to you in practical skills," he growled.

Baek Suryong glanced back to see Tang Baekho's eyes burning with competitive fire. Smirking, he remarked, "You seem a bit out of breath already though."

"Don't be ridiculous! I'm just getting warmed up!"

"Don't get so worked up. You'll waste energy."

"Who are you to lecture me, you…"

"We're increasing our speed!" Sama Yeong's voice cut him off.

The Vermilion Phoenix Academy instructors surged forward as one, their formation resembling a raging inferno.

As if to further fuel their competitive spirit, the Blue Sky Sword King's voice echoed from the distance. "Whoever reaches me first will be rewarded with the opportunity to ask me anything. Questions about martial arts, your duties as an instructor, or even personal matters… Anything."

The reward was identical to that of the Erudite Sage, yet no one believed it carried the same significance. The race for the top spot erupted without hesitation.

"Faster!"

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"Faster!"

Baek Suryong maintained his lead, but the Vermilion Phoenix and White Tiger Academies were hot on his heels. Further back, he could see the figures of the Azure Dragon Academy instructors.

They're all so easily manipulated.

Seeing the other instructors trying their best to keep up, Baek Suryong clicked his tongue. While they focused solely on the Blue Sky Sword King, he remained on constant alert, warily surveying his surroundings.

It's about to start…

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As he predicted, the moment they entered the foothills of Mount Tianzhu, they were ambushed.

"Hidden weapons!" Tang Baekho's shout rang out, amplified by his qi. Probably due to his upbringing in Sichuan's Tang Clan, he was the first to notice the deadly projectiles emerging from the undergrowth. "Hidden weapons are coming from the bushes! Be careful!"

A storm of hidden weapons and arrows rained down on them. The instructors reacted quickly, swinging their weapons and channeling their inner qi to deflect the incoming attacks. Fortunately, no one was hit, but their carefully maintained formations were disrupted.

Sama Yeong, as quick-witted as ever, cried out, "It's the Azure Sky Sword Brigade! They're trying to disrupt us!"

She commanded the instructors of the Vermilion Phoenix Academy to block the hidden weapons, while her eyes remained fixed on the rapidly disappearing Blue Sky Sword King.

The old master was cleverly adjusting his speed, staying just within sight, but if they got caught up in the enemy's attack, they would lose him.

And they didn't even know where they were going.

If we lose him here, we'll have to track him down. That would be disastrous.

It was a critical moment.

Sama Yeong made a swift decision. "Everyone! From now on, you're on your own!" she shouted.

It was a ruthless but necessary decision. As the Vermilion Phoenix instructors dispersed, the hidden weapons that had been concentrated on their formation also dispersed. They would rely on their individual skills to achieve their goal.

"Don't worry about them! We'll stick together!" Tang Baekho roared.

While the Vermilion Phoenix Academy had chosen to act individually, the White Tiger Academy opted for the opposite approach. Led by Tang Baekho, they formed a tight circle, their backs pressed together as they deflected the hidden weapons.

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The Blue Sky Sword King glanced back to observe the two academies.

Time will tell which strategy is more effective.

He then looked at Baek Suryong, who was still in the lead.

"You're doing well."

"It won't be easy to shake me off."

"Do you think I'm using my full speed?"

"Of course not. You wouldn't go all out against rookie instructors like us, right?"

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The Blue Sky Sword King grinned. "And you think that by saying that, you can prevent me from increasing my speed? I won't fall for such an obvious trick."

He stomped on the ground.

"Let's see if you can keep up with this."

BOOM!

Seeing the Blue Sky Sword King figure shooting forward like a lightning bolt, Baek Suryong chuckled, feigning exasperation.

"Fuck, he's fast."

While the Vermilion Phoenix and White Tiger Academies were being delayed by the Azure Sky Sword Brigade, the Azure Dragon Academy instructors, who had been lagging behind, quickly caught up.

"Hidden weapons ahead!" Jaegal Soyeong, who had the most agile footwork among them, called out.

"Kwak Duyong, you have the largest surface area, so take the lead! Yeonho and I will cover the flanks, and Soyeong, you guard the rear!" Myeong Il'oh ordered. As Baek Suryong had instructed, he was the leader of this pursuit.

The Azure Dragon group moved in perfect harmony.

"Damn it! What do you mean, I have the largest surface area?" Kwak Duyong grumbled, but he drew his dao nevertheless and deflected the incoming projectiles.

Spinning his spear with practiced ease, Ak Yeonho shot back, "Stop complaining and let's get through this!"

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Compared to Vermilion Phoenix and White Tiger Academies, which had more than ten members each, the Azure Dragon Academy had only four. However, this meant that they were a smaller target, and fewer hidden weapons were aimed at them.

Furthermore, many of the hidden weapons, a limited resource, had already been used on the academies ahead of them.

Myeong Il'oh, who had been quietly assessing the situation, suddenly shouted, "Now!"

As if on cue, the Azure Dragon Academy instructors accelerated as they reached the area where the hidden weapons were concentrated.

WHOOSH!

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With surprising ease, they broke through and quickly overtook White Tiger Academy. They could even see some of the scattered Vermilion Phoenix Academy instructors ahead of them.

Myeong Il'oh paused to catch his breath. "Let's slow down a bit. There shouldn't be any more traps for a while," he said.

They slowed their pace.

Ak Yeonho looked around and grinned. "Haha, Suryong-hyung's prediction was spot on. His intuition is amazing, isn't it?"

Before leaving, Baek Suryong had sent a telepathic message to Myeong Il'oh.

[Il'oh, listen carefully. First, let the other academies take the lead. We'll be ambushed as soon as we enter the mountain. Save your energy until then, and then overtake them all at once.]

Baek Suryong had gone off on his own, but he hadn't abandoned his comrades. After all, in order to change the public perception of the Azure Dragon Academy, all of its instructors had to achieve good results.

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Thanks to his advice, they had easily passed the first obstacle.

"Whew… Where's Baek Suryong now?" Kwak Duyong, asked panting. After running at the front and dodging countless hidden weapons, he was drenched in sweat.

"He's up ahead," Jaegal Soyeong replied, pointing to the distant horizon.

They could just make out the tiny figures of the Blue Sky Sword King and Baek Suryong still sticking to him like a leech.

Kwak Duyong's jaw dropped. "Did the hidden weapons just avoid Baek Suryong? How is he able to keep up all by himself?"

Of course, he knew that wasn't the case. Baek Suryong must have taken the brunt of the attack.

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Ak Yeonho chuckled, "By now, even the great Blue Sky Sword King must be wondering what kind of leech-like guy has glued himself to him."

CLAP!

Myeong Il'oh clapped his hands to get their attention. "Enough talk. Suryong-hyung is Suryong-hyung and we are us. Stay focused. We have a long way to go. Don't let your guard down."

The Azure Dragon instructors nodded earnestly, but none of them seemed afraid. Rather, they all wore a confident smile on their faces.

The reason for their confidence soon became clear.

"Damn it! Where did he go…?"

"Can't you track him?"

"There are barely any traces. His movement technique is like a ghost's."

"This is a problem. The sun is setting."

The Vermilion Phoenix instructors, who had been in the lead, had lost track of the Blue Sky Sword King.

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"We've lost him as well," Tang Baekho admitted, his tone grim.

Similarly, the Azure Dragon Academy group had also lost the trail, but unlike the others, they didn't panic.

[I'll leave markers, so if you fall behind, follow them.]

This was Baek Suryong's second instruction. Following his markers, they quickly regained their bearings.

"On our right."

"The rock on the left."

"The tree straight ahead."

The sun dipped below the horizon, and darkness enveloped the mountains. Only the Azure Dragon Academy instructors continued their pursuit without hesitation.

Translator's Note: I'm going to an anime convention later so there'll probably only be 2 chapters today. If you enjoyed reading please leave a nice review/rating on novelupdates :)