Star Instructor, Master Baek

TL: FoodieMonster007

"Y-You fucking dumbass…" Baek Suryong gaped as he watched Namgung Su fight the Thunder Demon.

With a sword that cleaved the air and a body crackling with lightning, his figure resembled the legendary Thunder God, whose thunderbolts smote demons and eradicated evil spirits.

The problem was that this fearsome lightning was not something he had created himself.

"Yaaaah!"

As the Thunder Demon's thunderous roar shook the mountains and forests, white lightning coiled around both fighters.

Only Baek Suryong, who had secretly activated the Blood Demon Eyes, could clearly see the Thunder Demon's flustered expression beneath the blinding light.

"Would you get lost already!" the Thunder Demon bellowed, his hands wrapped in white lightning as he aimed both palms at his target.

CRACKLE! BZZZZZT! BZZZZZT!

Each wave of his hand sent arcs of lightning whipping toward Namgung Su, yet his opponent did not stop or even slow. If anything, Namgung Su seemed to actually be speeding up.

WHOOSH!

In an instant, Namgung Su closed the distance.

"I told you, your lightning doesn't work on me," he grumbled in a chilling voice as he slashed at the Thunder Demon's neck.

SWISH!

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A tuft of white beard scattered into the air.

The Thunder Demon breathed a sigh of relief. Had he been even a fraction slower in dodging, his head would have been separated from his body.

Enraged, he raised his Primordial Thunder Divine Art to the tenth stage.

"You really do have a death wish!"

BOOOOOM!

A terrifying explosion of lightning erupted.

Sensing this was not an attack to be taken lightly, Namgung Su cloaked his sword in Heavenly Lightning Qi before swinging it.

FLASH! KABOOOM!

Each time lightning clashed with lightning, the whole area flickered with blinding light, as if the battle between two gods of thunder and lightning was ushering in the end of the world.

"R-Run!"

"Aaaah!"

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Screaming, the martial artists who had surrounded their group scattered in all directions.

Baek Suryong quietly let them go, choosing to focus solely on Namgung Su. The ones escaping were likely just ordinary people who had been coerced by the Thunder Demon, much like the deceased hunter couple.

He's pretending to be fine, but there's no way he's not in pain. He's pushing himself.

Not even an absolute master of the art of lightning could withstand such powerful thunderbolts without feeling anything.

From the Thunder Demon's perspective, however, Namgung Su appeared totally unaffected.

"After all that lightning… why are you still okay?" The Thunder Demon howled, his face contorted in disbelief.

The young man had been struck by dozens of lightning bolts, yet his expression had not changed in the slightest.

This creature can't be human. He must be a monster. No…

"Evil arts! You must be using evil arts!" he concluded.

Namgung Su's resistance to lightning was so unnatural that it seemed demonic. No matter how skilled one was in lightning-based martial arts, how could a mere human withstand lightning strikes without even blinking?

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The Thunder Demon simply could not comprehend the existence of a human with such endurance.

"You claim to be from the orthodox sects, yet you resort to evil arts?! Have you no shame?! If Namgung Jaehak knew about this, he would tear you limb from limb!"

"You talk too much."

Even as his opponent spouted nonsense, Namgung Su remained calm and swung his sword over and over again.

Soon, the Thunder Demon's clothes were torn, and shallow wounds accumulated all over his body.

Baek Suryong watched in admiration as Namgung Su steadily gained the upper hand.

…He's strong. Stronger than I expected.

He recalled what Namgung Su had said back in the cave.

"Recently, I found a lead to advance to the next level."

Even he could hardly find any faults in Namgung Su's movements, whether it was his swordsmanship, his footwork, or the harmony between his inner and external arts.

Now, he understood why Namgung Su was confident enough to take on the Thunder Demon alone.

"Maybe all he needed was an opportunity."

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Still, he couldn't help but worry.

He'll reach his limit soon.

Back in the Namgung Estate, Baek Suryong had read the secret manual of the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique with the Namgung Patriarch's permission. In the end, he had concluded that although the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique was a martial art with ridiculous offensive power, it possessed one fatal flaw.

It forces the practitioner through excruciatingly painful training.

Most martial arts that manipulated lightning included techniques to ease the pain or deceive the senses, but the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique had no such method. Although it did contain defensive techniques to protect the body from internal injury caused by lightning qi, they did nothing to dull the pain.

As a result, it was said that nine out of ten people gave up during the initial training phase.

Thanks to that, he's probably gained a level of resistance that makes him a natural counter to other martial artists who wield lightning… but that doesn't mean he doesn't take any damage at all.

Baek Suryong noticed that Namgung Su's movements had slowed down ever so slightly. Fatigue was building up in his muscles, and the excruciating pain that came with every swing of his sword was beginning to hinder him.

Right now, he was pushing through with sheer superhuman willpower, but he could hit his limit at any moment.

"Oppa can't do this alone! Help him!" Namgung Mi cried, tugging at Baek Suryong's sleeve and stomping her feet in frustration.

Jaegal Soyeong also urged, "Suryong-oppa…"

However, Baek Suryong shook his head. "I want to, but now is not the right time."

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"Why not?"

Baek Suryong patted Namgung Mi's head to calm her down, his expression serious as he looked at Namgung Su. His face was as composed as ever, but his eyes burned hotter than any lightning the Thunder Demon could conjure.

"Just a little more, just a little more…"

It was barely audible, but he could hear Namgung Su muttering to himself without realizing it.

Baek Suryong bit his lip. He knew that if he intervened now, the fight would be over quickly, but Namgung Su's concentration would also break and he would lose this precious opportunity.

That was the true meaning of Namgung Su's "just a little more".

He was now immersed in a trance, and a moment of enlightenment could come at any time.

No martial artist in the world would want to be interrupted at such a moment.

Baek Suryong turned to the anxious Namgung Mi and comforted her, "Let's wait a little longer. Your brother's not reckless enough to gamble on a fight he can't win."

"Okay."

The three of them watched Namgung Su's battle with bated breaths.

Whenever the pain threatened to turn his mind blank, Namgung Su murmured to himself, "Just a little more…"

CRACKLE! BZZZT!!

The Thunder Demon's lightning relentlessly hammered his body. The agony, as if his entire being was being torn apart, nearly drove him to the brink of unconsciousness, yet there was not even the slightest change in his expression.

This is fine. Pain is nothing new to me.

The hand gripping his sword trembled. His body could withstand direct lightning strikes without faltering, but his sense of pain remained vivid. Moreover, the closer he came to fully mastering the Heavenly Lightning Sword Technique, the more acute and sensitive his perception of lightning became, but that only made the pain even more intolerable.

Just a little more, just a little more…

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He could distinctly differentiate between the Thunder Demon's lightning and his own.

Had he ever felt such a direct stimulus from lightning before? It was as if his entire being was in perfect sync with his opponent, every nerve sharpened to the extreme.

Namgung Su swung his sword endlessly, lost in this trance-like state.

Just a little more, and I can reach it!

Even though the Thunder Demon was a powerful martial artist who had once dominated an entire era, strangely enough, Namgung Su did not feel like he was going to lose.

Time slowed to a crawl. He could see and feel every one of his opponent's attacks, even notice openings he normally would have missed.

SWOOSH!

"Keuaaahhh!!"

Blood spurted from the Thunder Demon's severed wrist, only to be immediately cauterized by lightning.

However, Namgung Su was not unscathed either.

"You wretched brat!"

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BOOM!

A palm strike slammed into Namgung Su's abdomen, jolting him out of his trance and sending him flying over ten meters through the air.

Just as his consciousness began to waver, however, his eyes met Baek Suryong's.

Even if I collapse, that guy will take over.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips. If it was Baek Suryong, taking down the now one-armed Thunder Demon wouldn't be difficult…

[Is that really all you've got?] Baek Suryong mouthed, smirking.

"…Not yet," Namgung Su muttered, his stubborn pride flaring to life.

If I fall here, that guy will mock me for the rest of my life.

He bit his tongue, using the sharp jolt of pain to cling to his fading consciousness.

CRASH!

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Twisting his body in the air, Namgung Su landed on both feet, swallowing the blood that rose in his throat. His dimming vision cleared.

The Thunder Demon recoiled in shock. "You… What's wrong with you? Why are you still standing?!"

For the first time, the Thunder Demon was afraid of Namgung Su.

During his decades of seclusion in the mountains, he had never encountered a real challenge. Even though the inner arts he had cultivated through the Star Absorption Technique had swollen to the level of the Ten Supremes, he had only ever fought those who were far weaker than himself, causing his fighting instincts to become dull.

All of this was due to the fear instilled in him after he was defeated by the Blue Sky Sword King. Even after his injuries had healed, he had used the completion of the Primordial Thunder Divine Art as an excuse to constantly delay his return to the murim.

"I-If I had just perfected my divine art, a brat like you would never…!"

No, his opponent was no mere brat. Namgung Su's swordsmanship was fierce enough to remind him of the Blue Sky Sword King in his youth. His mastery of lightning, though not immense in quantity, was executed with near perfection.

Most importantly, his sheer tenacity was no less terrifying than that of Deathshroud assassins.

Deep down, the Thunder Demon knew all of this to be true, but still, he refused to acknowledge it.

"I can still fight…" Murmuring to himself, Namgung Su lunged forward once more, his eyes sinking into a trance-like state once more.

"Get lost! Just disappear already!" The Thunder Demon, his face now pale, stumbled backwards. He continued to unleash thunderbolts, but none of them had any effect on Namgung Su.

"Damn it!" the Thunder Demon shrieked, overcome with desperation and fear of death.

Finally, he turned to flee.

"What makes you think I'll let you go?" Namgung Su growled, squeezing out every last drop of his inner qi to pursue the old man.

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Though his qi was drained and his vision swam, he launched himself forward at the speed of light, a testament to sheer will overcoming crippling fatigue.

Nevertheless, his mind had never been clearer, and the sword in his hand felt incredibly light.

At the moment of enlightenment, Namgung Su felt an exhilarating sense of clarity.

"I've reached it," he declared with absolute confidence.

SPLURT!

His sword traced a flawless arc through the air, and a single bolt of white lightning surrounded his blade as it sliced through the Thunder Demon's legs.

Now legless, the Thunder Demon dragged himself forward with his arms, screeching like a madman, "If I had perfected my divine art… if I had perfected it, I could have killed you in an instant! I could have slain Namgung Jaehak and trampled the world under my feet! Everything was within my grasp! The Primordial Thunder Divine Art was already complete! If only I had ten more days… no, even three…!"

The pitiful cries of a cowardly villain echoed hollowly through the ruined mountainside.

Namgung Su approached the Thunder Demon. No more words were needed. He simply drove his sword deep into the Thunder Demon's qi center.

"Keuhhh…!" The Thunder Demon groaned as he felt the decades of lightning he had cultivated dissipate rapidly.

This was a mortal wound. Not even the Divine Physician could save him now.

His wavering gaze met Namgung Su's. "What's your name and title? At least tell me who killed me."

Namgung Su gasped, "I am Namgung Su, Star Instructor at the Azure Dragon Academy, though some know me as the Three Absolutes Sword."

The Thunder Demon shook his head violently, displeased. "I can't accept this. The swordsman who killed me must not have such a third-rate title. From now on, your title is the Lightning Dragon Hero. Do you understand? The Lightning Dragon Hero!"1

"What nonsense are you saying?"

"It was the Lightning Dragon Hero who slew the Thunder Demon! The Lightning Dragon Hero…!"

THUD!

The Thunder Demon's body toppled over. With his eyes wide open in frustration, he breathed his last.

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"Hoo…" At the same time, Namgung Su also crumpled to the ground, blood dripping from his lips.

It had been a brutal fight. There wasn't a single part of his body that was uninjured, and his internal injuries were severe. After they reached Hubei, he would need to recuperate for at least half a month.

"Still… I did it."

Lying flat on his back, Namgung Su let out a small chuckle as he looked up at the sky. The world before him had changed.

"Namgung Su!"

As his consciousness faded, he heard Baek Suryong's voice and saw him approaching.

"Are you okay…?" Baek Suryong asked worriedly.

Namgung Su nodded weakly to show that he was fine, though Baek Suryong's voice sounded strangely distant.

After administering emergency treatment, Baek Suryong picked up the golden leech—the spirit beast that had belonged to the Thunder Demon—from the ground, and said something.

Huh? What's he saying? Namgung Su wondered, unable to hear him clearly. He caught the words "miraculous encounter," but the rest was incomprehensible.

I have no idea what he's talking about, but whatever…

He was too exhausted to deal with that man, and sleep was threatening to drown him like a tidal wave.

Namgung Su nodded vaguely, muttering, "Do whatever you want…"

That was his last memory as he drifted into unconsciousness.

"You really said I could do whatever I want, right? No take-backs later," Baek Suryong asked Namgung Su again for confirmation.

There was no response.

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Translator's Note: Successfully got a replacement SSD from Samsung, and since they didn't have stock for my old model, they gave me the latest model. Before that, I managed to salvage my most recent game saves from the failed SSD, though the old saves are corrupted beyond saving. Still reinstalling apps on my new SSD, translated this chap as a distraction while waiting for progress bars.

Also, epub v3 is out. Download it from the SIMB main page!

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1. What he actually said was "Lightning/Thunder Dragon Divine Sword", but in one of the previous chapters, Namgung Su said that he was visiting a guy called "Thunder Dragon Sword" in Hubei. The difference is only one word. Let me know if you prefer this translation instead of "Lightning Dragon Hero". ↩