Bakuto's Chi was different from Danny Rand's—the Iron Fist.

In simple words, Danny was naturally on a higher level than him.

As the Iron Fist, Danny could channel Chi into his fists, granting him inhuman strength.

But Bakuto…

His ability was far more limited. He could only strengthen his body with a small increase, unable to manipulate Chi into specific parts of himself.

It was more like a minor enhancement skill.

On the surface, it didn't seem like much.

But given Bakuto's already impressive strength, that increase made a crucial difference.

"Sighhh…"

At his sharp exhalation, his breathing shifted, growing heavier and more forceful.

Facing Blaine's attack, Bakuto suddenly moved with surprising ease, even finding moments to counter.

Whether in speed, strength, or reaction time, his abilities had risen dramatically.

Rub—

The sonic boom of blades slicing through the air rang out again and again.

Their swords clashed at a speed almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.

Clang!

After one violent strike, they separated, standing ten meters apart with their weapons drawn.

A gust of wind blew through.

Blaine eyed Bakuto panting before him. "Tell me—what happens if one of the five fingers of the Hand is missing?"

The Hand had five fingers in total.

Each "finger" supported the others.

Like Madame Gao, who oversaw money and ran vast global operations.

Bakuto handled talent acquisition and transportation.

The other three controlled equally vital domains. They rarely met outside of ceremonies where they used the dragon bone to prolong their lives.

Even so, none were expendable.

"I don't that is going to happen."

Bakuto fixed his gaze on Blaine.

[Bakuto: Damn it. Why is he still so calm? I need to escape—or at least stop him before he crushes me.]

Blaine chuckled, having read his thoughts.

"I told you—we're only using swordsmanship. Why don't you listen?"

He lifted the Cursed Blood Knife, and his aura shifted sharply. A faint blood-red glow flickered across the weapon.

Swordsmanship, like other skills, had levels.

Levels one through three still fell within the realm of peak human swordsmanship.

But once it reached level four, it became supernatural.

Blaine had only been using level three techniques so far, which was why Bakuto had survived his relentless onslaught.

"You broke the rules, and so I will do the same."

Smiling faintly, Blaine raised the blade with his left hand before his chest, palm up, the weapon's hilt resting in his grip.

Boom!!

A deep hum resonated.

The faint glow upon the cursed blade burst into countless sword-lights that hovered in midair.

Bakuto's pupils contracted. It was too late to hide. With only his sword and body techniques, he struggled desperately to deflect the barrage.

[Bakuto: You bastard! That's cheating! You said swordsmanship only!]

Blaine lowered the Cursed Blood, pressing the hilt between his hands, his figure tall and unyielding. His presence radiated the oppressive aura of a true master swordsman—a boss standing at the pinnacle.

Almost like the legendary warrior wielding a cane-sword.

"From when did Chi count as swordsmanship too?"

"You broke the rules first. Don't blame me for responding in kind."

The words struck Bakuto like thunder.

[Bakuto: What?! How does he know I used Chi?]

[Bakuto: Wait… he knows what I'm thinking?!]

[Bakuto: No… could he be reading my mind?! Damn it!]

[Bakuto: If he knows about K'un-Lun, he knows Chi isn't everything. What a mistake…]

Bakuto's frantic thoughts circled dangerously close to the truth, but he forced them back down.

Though Blaine disliked the distraction, he pretended not to hear them.

Mind-reading had to stay hidden if it was to remain effective. He had nearly exposed himself just now. If discovered, its usefulness would diminish drastically.

It had cost too much to acquire—he wasn't about to waste it.

Meanwhile, the commotion had already drawn attention from the nearby dormitories.

The academy's students were all rigorously trained warriors, sensitive to the faintest disturbances.

Earlier, the clash of blades hadn't been too loud, remaining within the scope of a duel.

But now, both combatants had revealed their full abilities.

The constant ringing steel and explosions of energy shattered the silence of the night. The students couldn't ignore it.

In moments, alarms blared across campus.

The once-dark grounds blazed with light.

Senior students grabbed their katanas and rushed toward the battle.

The blood-red sword-lights faded.

Blaine, despite the approaching crowd, stood unmoving, the cursed blade in hand. His stillness carried a crushing weight of authority.

"...hoo… hoo…"

On the opposite side, Bakuto's condition contrasted sharply.

His clothes were shredded, his body covered in bloody cuts from the razor-sharp blade aura. Blood trailed down his limbs as he dropped to one knee, one hand bracing on the ground, the other gripping his sword tightly. He stared at Blaine, gasping for air.

The difference between them couldn't have been clearer.

Still, Bakuto's endurance was remarkable. The fact that he had survived this long was impressive in itself.

And crucially, the sword aura Blaine unleashed was merely a derivative skill. It could be channeled through ordinary blades as well.

Thus, the cursed blade's true poison had not been passed into the aura.

Otherwise, Bakuto would have died many times already.

"You'll serve as my experiment."

Glancing at the students storming upstairs, Blaine's patience snapped.

A cold smile curved across his lips as he gripped the cursed blade with his right hand.

He no longer cared for testing swordsmanship.

This time, he would end it with full force.

Boom!

A sonic boom exploded as Blaine shot forward like a cannonball, his speed too fast for the eye to follow, charging straight at Bakuto.

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