The Gold-Masked One.

Behind the Lóng Pillars spread over four regions waits the Gold-Masked One, a mysterious swordsman dressed in black robes with a golden mask.

A touch on a Lóng Pillar sends Soul into a country of blazing ruins, from whose flames the masked man emerges carrying himself like a master. His blade is ornate and red, and he restrains himself throughout each duel. Each bout works as a tutorial for the flash-colour fighting mechanics of this title, and anyone who masters the lesson is rewarded with either an accessory or a Soul Tempering material.

Part of the Bloodline Awakening tale, the five battles are spread over four regions. A number need a specific key, Phantom Edge or boat to get there, so players tend to meet him gradually across the full game instead of in one spot.

The Realm of Flame and Shadow

By means of a Lóng Pillar, Soul tumbles into a world where flame and shadow are intertwined and pavilion ruins smoulder forever, like a catastrophe caught at its most merciless instant. Out of the charred earth the masked man strides, composed and without haste, and Soul senses an odd familiarity about him.

Winning would be within his power, but each blow he throws is held back, almost as if the fight were a means of steering Soul's technique. When the trial ends he instructs Soul to keep in mind the name Bastion of Mó. Soul reads this as a sign that his teacher is part of the Bastion, and he wonders whether the man is its master, Mó Yuan, and whether yet another pillar could lead him to him again.

Secrets Behind the Pillars

Each win triggers a brief cutscene on the past of the Man in Black, which gives the five duels a narrative of their own beside the combat teaching. Among the names listed for Mó Yuan is the Man in Black.

Every one of the five duels advances Bloodline Awakening. Defeating the fifth finishes the tale and grants the Phantom and Blade silver trophy; skipping any of them puts the Perfect Ending, known too as the True Ending, beyond reach.

Battle According to Colour

Straightforward offence does no harm to him. Only strikes landed after a parry, after a perfect dodge, or during a broken Sha-Chi register. Parry the attacks that flash blue, perfect-dodge those flashing red, and strike in brief flurries whenever he is exposed. Dodge black flashes as well, since blocking them drains your Sha-Chi. If a red grab connects, a prolonged assault follows and removes most of your health.

In the later duels a lightning-quick slash appears that takes off a big portion of health, so keep your guard up in the gaps between combos. These are lengthy contests of endurance, which explains why coming back with upgraded equipment, polished accessories and a larger HP pool eases them. Wearing the Counterstrike Bracers, obtained in the first duel, is advisable for the rest, since they add damage following each parry.

Resistances

Unmodified, he has 8,000 HP plus 1,500 Sha-Chi, and he is totally immune to both damage and buildup from fire as well as ice. Weapons that cause bleeding, Jagged Steel for instance, do work on him. Over lengthy duels, the Outlaw Warblade helps, being a weapon wielded with both hands that heals you every time it connects.

Black robes and a golden mask are his dress, and he walks without haste. Bright and vivid, his ornate red blade accompanies a habit of sliding away, shadow-like and graceful, whenever Soul's weapon approaches.

• His Chinese title, 金面具黑衣人, translates loosely as the man in black wearing a gold mask, consistent with the Man in Black nickname.
• A brief cutscene about the past of the Man in Black follows each loss, so the five battles reveal a story bit by bit.
• An accessory is the prize at each of the earliest two pillars; the other three pay out materials for Soul Tempering, intended for the Sanguine weapons.