The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Baihua Valley was a renowned scenic spot in Huanglong Prefecture.

It was named for the myriad flowers that bloomed within, and the men and women of the city loved coming here for spring outings to admire them.

Today, however, Baihua Valley seemed exceptionally deserted.

The flowers were still vying for attention in a vibrant display, but there was no one to appreciate them.

News of a demon haunting the area had long since spread throughout Huanglong Prefecture City, so naturally, no one dared to risk their life by coming here.

"Younger Brother Bai, have you found anything?"

Li Kang watched Bai Yuan with a hopeful expression. If even Bai Yuan couldn’t find any clues, he would surely lose his official position.

Bai Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

’This demon is indeed quite capable,’ he thought. ’No wonder even Li Kang, who knew a few Demon Hunter tricks, was completely helpless.’

Bai Yuan slowly closed his eyes, his nostrils twitching in a steady rhythm.

The Hundred Demon Guide and other tools Li Kang used were merely external aids. True Demon Hunters tracked their prey by scenting demonic energy.

A full quarter of an hour passed before Bai Yuan finally opened his eyes.

"Any luck?"

Li Kang leaned in and asked eagerly.

Bai Yuan nodded. His demon-tracking skill was now at the expert level; most demons could not possibly escape his perception.

This particular demon was well-hidden, but he had still managed to catch the scent of its demonic energy.

"This way."

Bai Yuan pointed in a direction and set off at a brisk pace.

Li Kang seemed like a decent person, so Bai Yuan decided to lend him a hand. It was also a chance to add a new entry to his Ten Thousand Demons Painting, an opportunity he was happy to take.

Bai Yuan led Li Kang and his men through a sea of flowers, plunging into the mountain forest of Baihua Valley as if he already knew the destination.

Li Kang’s eyes grew brighter and brighter; he felt that perhaps he wouldn’t have to give up his official robes after all.

After walking through the forest for about a quarter of an hour, the group finally stopped in front of a dilapidated temple.

To their astonishment, a person was already standing in front of it.

Zhou Siming!

Neither Bai Yuan nor Li Kang had expected Zhou Siming to be here.

Li Kang blinked.

"Old Hunter, how did you get here?"

He had known Zhou Siming for a long time; he knew the man was blind. Li Kang himself delivered the old man’s daily meals. How could he have walked several miles to this dilapidated temple?

Bai Yuan, however, wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

He was well aware of Zhou Siming’s true strength. He was an Entering Martial Artist; even if blind and deaf, he could live like a normal person.

The human body has many organs; one does not necessarily need eyes to perceive the outside world.

Oftentimes, the eyes are what deceive you.

As far as he knew, Zhou Siming had blinded himself. Without his eyes, his other senses were heightened instead.

Many demons used Illusion Techniques, and without eyes to see them, the power of such arts was drastically reduced.

Zhou Siming had already sensed the movement behind him. He turned, facing the group with eyes that were nothing but whites.

Having never seen such a ghastly sight, Feng Ping and the other Demon Slayer Guards couldn’t help but recoil a step.

A rare smile touched the corners of Zhou Siming’s mouth.

He said nothing, simply turning back around.

"What do you make of this?"

Li Kang and his men exchanged glances, unsure how to answer.

’Is he asking us to look because he’s blind?’ they wondered.

Bai Yuan spoke slowly. "A fine Soul Nourishing Land."

He knew, of course, that Zhou Siming’s question had been for him.

Zhou Siming nodded.

Li Kang and the others frowned. They recognized every word the two men spoke, but strung together, the meaning left them completely befuddled.

What was a Soul Nourishing Land?

Bai Yuan didn’t enlighten them, as this was knowledge exclusive to Demon Hunters.

Clearly, Zhou Siming had already deduced that he was a Demon Hunter.

After all, no one but a Demon Hunter could have found this place.

Given Zhou Siming’s temperament, he wouldn’t have believed a denial anyway, so Bai Yuan had opted to implicitly confirm his identity.

As far as he knew, Zhou Siming never killed other Demon Hunters.

A so-called Soul Nourishing Land was a special type of terrain heavy with yin energy, suitable for cultivation by demons who thrived in it. Most Soul Nourishing Lands were mass graves or former battlefields.

A dilapidated temple like this one, however, was an extremely rare sight for such a place.

’But a Soul Nourishing Land alone shouldn’t be enough to pique Zhou Siming’s interest,’ Bai Yuan mused. ’There must be something more to this place.’

Bai Yuan’s brow furrowed, and he took a discreet half-step back.

’With Zhou Siming here, I have no intention of being the one to charge in first.’

Li Kang, on the other hand, urged, "Old Hunter, have you discovered anything?"

Though he was still puzzled as to why the Old Hunter was at the temple, the matter of his official position was far more important.

Zhou Siming slowly shook his head. "I have not yet gone in."

Before his voice had even faded, Zhou Siming lifted his foot and strode into the dilapidated temple, his steps as firm as if he could see everything before him.

The sight left everyone clicking their tongues in amazement.

Li Kang was stunned. He never thought the Old Hunter could walk on his own. ’So I’ve been giving him free meals all these years for nothing,’ he realized.

But he had no time to dwell on such trivialities and quickly followed.

Bai Yuan brought up the rear.

As he stepped into the dilapidated temple, a foul stench—a mix of decay and some other peculiar odor—assaulted him, nauseating enough to make one retch.

Li Kang managed to bear it, but the Demon Slayer Guards he’d brought with him couldn’t stomach it. The nausea overwhelmed them, and one after another, they began to vomit all over the ground.

Seeing this, Li Kang felt utterly disgraced.

Both Zhou Siming and Bai Yuan, in contrast, seemed not to have smelled the foul odor at all, their expressions remaining perfectly composed.

Zhou Siming didn’t pause for a second, continuing to walk forward.

The dilapidated temple was not large. It had a single hall for enshrining a Buddha statue and two side rooms. The roof was mostly collapsed, but the walls were still largely intact.

Zhou Siming strode into the main hall.

The hall’s door was damaged and ajar, revealing two flickering shadows within.

People!

Li Kang’s heart tightened at the sight. ’Why would a demon bring its captives to this dilapidated temple?’

Just as Zhou Siming was about to reach the hall—

—disaster struck!

Sharp arrows shot out from the gap in the hall’s broken door.

It all happened too fast.

The Demon Slayer Guards who were still vomiting had no time to react. With a series of sickening thuds, they collapsed one after another.

Li Kang, who had been focused on the hall, managed to dodge by a hair’s breadth.

He stared at the bodies on the ground, his eyes splitting with rage.

These were his brothers-in-arms, men he saw day in and day out!

"FUCK!"

A savage fury ignited within Li Kang. He drew the standard-issue longblade of a Demon Slayer Guard from his waist and charged, heedless of the demon’s strength.

Bai Yuan’s eyes narrowed.

’Why would a demon use a bow and arrow?’

This was all too strange.

Of course, intelligent demons could wield weapons, but it was exceedingly rare for them to use bows and arrows. Even with his vast knowledge as a Demon Hunter, Bai Yuan couldn’t think of many such creatures.

But soon, the hall provided the answer.

Several figures shot out from within the doorway.

This wasn’t an abandoned temple at all—it was clearly a hideout for the Soul-Chasing Tower!