The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

The main peak, the Martial Hall.

"You..."

"Ugh..."

"Wan Jun Peak..."

"Woah..."

...

A chorus of gasps erupted in front of the Martial Hall.

Bai Yuan sent a young Martial Artist from the Martial Hall sprawling with a single kick.

’What a shame,’ he thought. ’I rarely get into fights where I’m not allowed to kill anyone.’

These people should count themselves lucky. If they were any older, Old Dong would have already dismantled them into eight hundred pieces, just like that Gatekeeper Steward.

The experts within the Martial Hall heard the commotion and came out. They had intended to shout a harsh reprimand, or even make a move.

But when they saw the gray-robed old man behind Bai Yuan, they fell silent, like sparrows with their windpipes pinched, not daring to make a peep.

Dong Wanjun followed behind Bai Yuan as if he were taking a leisurely stroll through a garden.

As long as it was the younger generation making a move, he paid them no mind. But if some old fossil wanted to come out and "reason," well, he had some reasoning of his own he was itching to share.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, not a single one of the Martial Hall’s younger generation of Martial Artists was left standing. They were all on the ground, writhing in agony and whimpering. As for the old Steward, he had been smashed into a pulp.

"Peak Master Dong, what is the meaning of this?"

A middle-aged man in blue robes walked out, his face etched with fear. He looked warily at Dong Wanjun. This was an Elder of the Martial Hall.

Everyone in the Divine Mansion Sect knew that Dong Wanjun never played by the rules. The Elder was terrified that the man would attack without a word of warning.

The only reason he’d taken so long to appear was that he had been secretly dispatching a disciple to Feishi Peak to call for reinforcements.

The Martial Hall’s backer was none other than the Peak Master of Feishi Peak, Shi Baishan.

Dong Wanjun said coolly, "I hear you think my token is a fake?"

Overwhelmed by Dong Wanjun’s intimidating presence, the blue-robed man subconsciously took half a step back.

He knew exactly what Dong Wanjun was referring to; after all, he had been the one to secretly orchestrate the whole affair. He just never imagined Dong Wanjun would react so drastically, barging in like this without showing any respect for Shi Baishan whatsoever.

"It was all due to my subordinate’s lack of judgment. Please, allow me to inspect it myself."

The blue-robed man forced himself to say.

He hadn’t shown his face at the time for this very reason: to pin all the blame on the Steward. The man was already dead, after all. If his death could appease Dong Wanjun’s wrath, then it would be a death with purpose.

"Fine."

Dong Wanjun didn’t waste words.

Bai Yuan took the Inner Disciple Jade Pendant from his robes and tossed it to the blue-robed man.

The blue-robed man caught the Jade Pendant and began to examine it meticulously. A full incense stick’s worth of time passed, yet he remained silent, his head buried in his study of the pendant.

Standing to the side, You Shengnan found this hard to watch.

Anyone with eyes could see the man was blatantly stalling for time, waiting for reinforcements to arrive.

Yet Dong Wanjun’s patience today was seemingly endless; he actually just stood there, waiting for the blue-robed man’s answer.

Another incense stick’s worth of time went by. Just as the crowd was waiting for the blue-robed man to speak, a vigorous, white-robed elder slowly approached.

This was Shi Baishan, the Peak Master of Feishi Peak, one of the Thirteen Peaks of the Divine Mansion Sect. It was common knowledge throughout the sect that he and Dong Wanjun were rivals.

He had even once declared that he would oppose anything Dong Wanjun supported.

Seeing the white-robed elder appear, the blue-robed man let out a long sigh of relief, his heart finally at ease.

With Shi Baishan, Peak Master of Feishi Peak and a fellow Peak Master, making an appearance, his predicament today was as good as solved.

Shi Baishan looked at Dong Wanjun, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Peak Master Dong, the sect has rules for accepting disciples. How can a single Jade Pendant be enough to count?"

He made no mention of the Martial Hall deeming the Jade Pendant a fake, instead using the Divine Mansion Sect’s rules to put pressure on Dong Wanjun.

Dong Wanjun was in charge of the Law Enforcement Hall.

If he didn’t abide by the rules himself, his authority would be greatly diminished.

Then, he could use this issue to attack Dong Wanjun and even seize the opportunity to strip Bai Yuan of his position as an Inner Sect Disciple.

While it wouldn’t be enough to shake Dong Wanjun’s status within the sect, it would at least annoy him. And Shi Baishan was willing to do anything that made Dong Wanjun miserable.

Just as Shi Baishan was gloating internally—

Dong Wanjun suddenly spoke. "How about a fight?"

The moment he said it, not only Shi Baishan but also the onlooking disciples were completely dumbfounded. The conversation had taken a massive leap.

Then, expressions of eager anticipation spread across the faces of the crowd. A fight between two Peak Masters—such a scene was a rare spectacle.

It was well-known that the Divine Mansion Sect never forbade duels between peers.

Dong Wanjun and Shi Baishan held equal status. Although Shi Baishan was ten years older than Dong Wanjun, they were still considered peers, more or less.

Shi Baishan’s eyes narrowed. "Dong the Barbarian, are you planning to disregard the sect’s rules?"

Who in the Divine Mansion Sect was unaware of Dong Wanjun’s methods?

Although he, like Dong Wanjun, was a Junior Grandmaster, he knew that if they truly came to blows, he was no match for him. Therefore, he decided to stick to using the sect rules to pressure his opponent.

As if he hadn’t heard Shi Baishan’s words, Old Dong added, "A duel to the death. How about it?"

He took a step forward, a clear sign that he would keep pressing the issue if the challenge wasn’t accepted.

Veins instantly bulged on Shi Baishan’s forehead.

When a formal challenge is issued between Martial Artists, it must be accepted. To refuse is to face the ridicule of all Jianghu People. One can accept defeat, but one can never show cowardice.

Dong Wanjun was clearly using his superior strength to corner him, leaving him no room to back down and forcing him to accept the challenge.

As a Peak Master, Shi Baishan was a respected senior of high standing. How could he possibly endure such humiliation?

But his reason told him that if he actually accepted the challenge, he would not only lose—he would very likely die.

The madman Dong standing before him was more than capable of it; in fact, he had done it before.

To encourage a fighting spirit among its members, the Divine Mansion Sect stipulated that as long as both parties agreed to a duel, the outcome—life or death—would not be interfered with, not even by the Law Enforcement Hall.

This, too, was a rule.

The original Peak Master of Feishi Peak had not been Shi Baishan. But, just like Shi Baishan now, the previous Peak Master had also been on bad terms with Dong Wanjun. Unfortunately for him, he had accepted Dong Wanjun’s challenge and was subsequently beaten to death.

Shi Baishan had tried to use the rules to suppress Dong Wanjun, only to have Dong Wanjun use the rules to turn the tables on him. In the end, it all came down to whose fist was harder.

With such a precedent, there was no way he would dare to cross blades with Dong Wanjun.

The reason Dong Wanjun could strut through the Divine Mansion Sect with such impunity was precisely because of his deadly martial skill.

Just as the tension between the two reached its peak—

A clear voice rang out, "Both of you, stand down."

An elegant, middle-aged man then appeared before the crowd.

"Sect Leader."

Upon seeing the middle-aged man, the onlooking disciples all bowed respectfully.

Shi Baishan and Dong Wanjun also spoke.

"Sect Leader."

Even someone as proud and unruly as Old Dong showed him a measure of respect, a testament to the immense prestige held by the Sect Leader of the Divine Mansion Sect.

Bai Yuan curiously sized up the approaching man.

Since joining the Divine Mansion Sect, this was the first time he had seen the true face of the Sect Leader, Murong Tian.

’Youthful rejuvenation?!’ Bai Yuan was shocked.

Although Murong Tian looked to be no older than forty, his true age was considerably greater than even Old Dong’s.

But once a Martial Artist achieved a breakthrough, their lifespan would increase dramatically.

At the highest levels of cultivation, one could even reverse the aging process and regain their youth, just like the Sect Leader Murong before them, who seemed almost celestial.

Murong Tian walked between Dong Wanjun and Shi Baishan.

"Why don’t we give this young man a chance? Today, I will make an exception and open the Dragon Gate Platform. Whether or not he can become an Inner Sect Disciple will depend on his own abilities."