The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Bai Yuan had to admit, Old Dong moved fast.

In just three days.

The Divine Mansion Sect was once again thrown into an uproar.

With almost no one aware, Dong Wanjun had quietly returned to the Divine Mansion Sect.

The Peak Master of Spring Thunder Peak was slain!

A Peak Master of one of the Divine Mansion Sect’s Thirteen Peaks had been cut down by Dong Wanjun, just like that, cleanly and without the slightest hesitation.

Even the other True Disciple living at the summit of Spring Thunder Peak hadn’t noticed the commotion in Spring Thunder Hall.

To kill an Entry-level Powerhouse so silently, Dong Wanjun’s strength was truly terrifying.

Dong Wanjun’s actions sent a chill down the spines of the other eleven Peak Masters.

His extremely bloody methods awakened memories that had lain dormant for years.

Back when Dong Wanjun wasn’t even an Entering Martial Artist, he had already killed a Junior Grandmaster!

Now, of course, killing them was even more second nature to him.

What everyone found strange was that Sect Leader Murong Tian showed no reaction whatsoever, remaining in seclusion in the Sect Leader Hall as if nothing had happened.

...

「Sect Leader Hall.」

Dong Wanjun stood as usual, hands clasped behind his back, a placid expression on his face as he looked up at Murong Tian, who was seated high on his golden throne.

A trace of helplessness flickered in Murong Tian’s eyes.

"Junior Brother, next time you decide to act, you could actually tell me first."

He already knew what had happened on Spring Thunder Peak and in Xiaohe Town.

Since Old Dong had chosen to make a move, it meant he had already found sufficient evidence.

The Peak Master of Spring Thunder Peak was involved with the Celestial Heart Sect, which meant he was connected to the Demon Sect.

He deserved to die!

Others might not know, but as the Sect Leader of the Divine Mansion Sect, he was of course aware of the Demon Sect’s tangled and deep-rooted connections.

The Demon Sect was established thousands of years ago. It was impossible to know how many transformations it had undergone, but it had left behind several distinct lineages.

In the present day, the strongest among them were the Soul-Chasing Tower and the Celestial Heart Sect.

However, unlike the Soul-Chasing Tower, the Celestial Heart Sect operated in a more covert and low-key manner. Yet, its influence within the Demon Sect was no less than that of the Soul-Chasing Tower.

It was precisely because of their vastly different methods that the Celestial Heart Sect had weathered the previous turmoil without a single ripple.

Of course, this was also related to the attitude of the Court.

But that involved secrets of the Royal Family, which was beyond what Murong Tian had access to.

Murong Tian could tolerate the Celestial Heart Sect preaching in Huanglong Prefecture, but if they tried to infiltrate the Divine Mansion Sect, they would be crossing a line.

"Did you find anyone else?"

He looked at Dong Wanjun.

Dong Wanjun shook his head.

The Celestial Heart Sect was far more meticulous than the Soul-Chasing Tower. The trail went cold with the Spring Thunder Peak Master; even he had trouble digging up anything more.

The Soul-Chasing Tower’s methods were vicious and cruel, while the Celestial Heart Sect followed a more bizarre path.

As a result, the Celestial Heart Sect’s methods were often harder to deal with.

Murong Tian was not the least bit surprised by Dong Wanjun’s answer.

He too had dealt with the people of the Celestial Heart Sect many times and knew how bizarre and unpredictable they were.

A smile suddenly touched Murong Tian’s lips.

"That little fellow you recently took in is quite interesting."

From Dong Wanjun’s words, he knew that the one who killed Long Ao, the True Disciple of Spring Thunder Peak, was none other than Bai Yuan, the disciple of this Junior Brother Dong standing before him.

It was because of this incident that the Spring Thunder Peak Master had been implicated.

Murong Tian still remembered Bai Yuan’s performance on the Dragon Gate Platform a year ago; it was truly outstanding.

He wasn’t surprised at all that Bai Yuan had managed to kill Long Ao.

Because that little fellow’s master had treated fighting above his level as a routine matter ever since he started his martial arts journey.

Bai Yuan had clearly inherited this trait from Dong Wanjun.

Since it was a style passed down in the same lineage, he naturally felt it was to be expected.

Compared to Bai Yuan, the two disciples Dong Wanjun had accepted before were too different from their master, both in temperament and methods.

Old Dong acted as if he hadn’t heard Murong Tian, showing no intention of speaking.

Murong Tian wasn’t annoyed.

He spoke up out of the blue, "What do you think about reopening the Dragon Gate Platform?"

The Dragon Gate Platform opening once a year was already an unwritten, ironclad rule of the Divine Mansion Sect.

But in fact, according to the rules set by the Founding Ancestor...

...if a True Disciple position became vacant, an exception could be made to open it early.

Long Ao was dead, and the True Disciple position that had belonged to him was now empty. Naturally, someone needed to fill it.

It wasn’t that a True Disciple had never died before, but the Dragon Gate Platform had never been opened early on those occasions.

Over time, the Elders and disciples of the Divine Mansion Sect had all but forgotten this rule.

The reason Murong Tian chose to open the Dragon Gate Platform early was, of course, not for Bai Yuan.

Bai Yuan was impressive, but not enough to make a dignified Sect Leader like him expend so much effort.

He was, naturally, doing it for Dong Wanjun.

In the entire Divine Mansion Sect, only Dong Wanjun was worth him making such an exception.

Although the Founding Ancestor had made this provision, it would be nigh impossible for anyone else to reopen the Dragon Gate Platform, especially since it hadn’t been long since it last opened.

But Murong Tian didn’t care. He was the Sect Leader of the Divine Mansion Sect.

Everything in the sect was his to decide.

Capricious!

Dong Wanjun remained expressionless. "Whatever."

He tossed out the single word and turned to walk out of the Sect Leader Hall.

Murong Tian watched Dong Wanjun’s departing figure with a broad smile, his eyes thoughtful.

As the Sect Leader of the Divine Mansion Sect, besides having unshakeable strength, he also needed to be magnanimous enough to tolerate others.

Although Bai Yuan was Dong Wanjun’s disciple, he was, more importantly, a member of the Divine Mansion Sect.

When he was weak before, Murong Tian could afford to turn a blind eye.

But now that Bai Yuan had begun to show his talent, Murong Tian didn’t mind giving him a push to help the little fellow grow faster.

If possible, he wanted to cultivate Bai Yuan into a second Dong Wanjun.

To become the Divine Mansion Sect’s second blade, one that could make all of Huanglong Prefecture tremble.

’I wonder if the little fellow can seize this opportunity. It all depends on his own ability.’

...

Soon, an explosive piece of news spread throughout the Divine Mansion Sect.

The Dragon Gate Platform was reopening!

And this time, the Dragon Gate Platform would serve only one purpose: the promotion of a True Disciple.

Anyone who had practiced martial arts in the Divine Mansion Sect for two and a half years knew that while Inner Sect Disciples were common, True Disciples were not.

Every year the Dragon Gate Platform opened, new Inner Sect Disciples would appear, but a new True Disciple only emerged every few years.

This was the reason why True Disciples were so rare in the Divine Mansion Sect.

What did it mean to be a "True" Disciple?

It meant being someone who could carry on a lineage and bring it to glory.

Therefore, the Peak Masters of the Thirteen Peaks were extremely cautious about accepting True Disciples. Beyond combat strength, there were many other factors to consider.

Thus, even winning on the Dragon Gate Platform didn’t guarantee becoming a True Disciple.

However, the Divine Mansion Sect wouldn’t let those disciples compete for nothing. As long as one placed in the top three, they would receive generous rewards even if they didn’t become a True Disciple.

But compared to the benefits of being a True Disciple, it was still a world of difference.

Hearing this news, the senior Inner Sect Disciples with exceptional talent were all eager to make a move.

Once someone became a True Disciple, they had a fifty percent chance of eventually taking a Peak Master’s seat.

A Peak Master of the Divine Mansion Sect was among the absolute elite in Huanglong Prefecture. Who wouldn’t want to become such a powerhouse?

Some well-informed True Disciples were also making preparations in secret.

Because the Peak Master of Spring Thunder Peak was dead.

This meant one of the Peak Master positions for the Thirteen Peaks was now vacant.

Since there was a vacancy, it naturally had to be filled.

Since Sect Leader Murong Tian had chosen to open the Dragon Gate Platform early, the selection of a new Peak Master for Spring Thunder Peak was likely not far off.

Among the Divine Mansion Sect’s current fifteen True Disciples, several had already broken through the Entering the Realm pass and were qualified to become master of a peak.

For a time, all the disciples trained even harder in their martial arts.

...

「The small courtyard on Wan Jun Peak.」

"Junior Brother Bai, this is really unfortunate timing."

You Shengnan sighed helplessly as she watched Bai Yuan diligently practicing his saber forms.

’Becoming a True Disciple is great, but you need the strength to compete for it.’

She, Xiongshan, and Bai Yuan were all Strong Internal Martial Artists, but to become a True Disciple, one needed at least the strength of the Blood Refining level.

The last True Disciple at the Strong Organ Pass level dated back five hundred years, back when the Divine Mansion Sect was at its weakest. Only then could such a situation have occurred.

Now, with two great masters like Murong Tian and Dong Wanjun presiding over it, the Divine Mansion Sect was in its prime.

To advance to a True Disciple as a Strong Internal Martial Artist?

Difficult, difficult, difficult!

Miss this chance, and they’d have to wait another year and a half.

The news of Long Ao’s death had long since spread throughout the Divine Mansion Sect.

Although no one knew who killed Long Ao, a True Disciple position was now vacant, which meant it was highly likely that a new True Disciple would emerge from this Dragon Gate Platform.

A Martial Artist’s life was a race against time. If they missed this opportunity, who knew how long they would have to wait for the next chance to become a True Disciple.

One step slow, every step slow.

To reach the pinnacle, one must fight for it.

From recent titans like Murong Tian and Dong Wanjun to the founding generals of old, all of them were people who had advanced triumphantly every step of the way.

You Shengnan was normally a carefree person, but seeing a great opportunity slip through her fingers, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sour bitterness and melancholy.

Xiongshan let out an honest, simple laugh.

He seemed completely unaffected by You Shengnan’s mood.

Perhaps it was because of this "great wisdom that appears foolish" nature. Although his innate talent and comprehension were both inferior to his junior sister’s, his progress in martial arts didn’t fall behind at all.

The Blood Tiger Scimitar, which had been dancing in the air like a flying sparrow, finally came to a stop.

Bai Yuan let out a long breath, his gaze turning sharp.

He would fight for this True Disciple position, no matter what.

Only by becoming a True Disciple would he be qualified to enter the Merak Pavilion in the Instructor Hall and obtain a Cultivation Technique comparable to the Tiger Form and Crane Style. Only then could he achieve a legendary level of saber mastery.

The Dragon Gate Platform would open in three days.

"Why not give it a try?"

Xiongshan said in his booming voice.

You Shengnan rolled her eyes. "There’s no chance."

Although the two of them were Inner Sect Disciples and theoretically qualified to compete for the True Disciple position, they were still far too behind compared to the top few Inner Sect Disciples.

The Blood Refining Pass alone was enough to hold them back for several years.

"There’s an eighty percent chance the new True Disciple will be Li Zhu from Qianzhu Peak."

"If Long Ao hadn’t appeared out of nowhere at the last Dragon Gate Platform, Li Zhu would have been the surefire number one."

You Shengnan said.

Bai Yuan didn’t interject, just listened quietly from the side.

’Li Zhu...’

He had heard the name before. Li Zhu was the most outstanding of this generation’s Inner Sect Disciples, having broken through the Blood Refining Pass at the young age of thirty-one.

The Peak Master of Qianzhu Peak had even declared that he would definitely take Li Zhu as a True Disciple.

But he hadn’t expected Long Ao, a dark horse, to forcefully cut in.

Winning first place on the Dragon Gate Platform didn’t guarantee becoming a True Disciple, but if you couldn’t even get first, there was no chance at all—even if you were Murong Tian’s disciple.

That was why Li Zhu had failed to become a True Disciple.

Bai Yuan had crossed hands with Long Ao.

Long Ao was indeed strong, strong enough to rank in the upper-middle tier among Blood Refining Martial Masters. He just had the bad luck of running into a cheater like him.

’Others specialize in a single Cultivation Technique, while I cultivate five master-level techniques simultaneously. How could anyone else be my match?’

’For me to spar with Martial Artists of the same level is really just bullying them.’

You Shengnan said, "Junior Brother, you should still give it a try. Just think of it as tempering yourself."

During the battle at the Night City God Temple that night, although she didn’t know that Bai Yuan was the one who had killed Wang Changsheng, she had seen her Junior Brother Bai instantly kill a Strong Internal Martial Artist.

In terms of combat strength, Bai Yuan was already among the elite of Strong Internal Martial Artists.

Paired with the unique skills taught by Old Dong, perhaps he even stood a fighting chance.

Although You Shengnan was encouraging Bai Yuan, in her heart, she didn’t think it was possible for him to fight his way to first place.

A Strong Internal fighting a Blood Refining?

What a joke!

’Does he really think everyone is like Master Dong Wanjun?’

Besides, even if Bai Yuan had the same aptitude as Old Dong, he had only just obtained the three Cultivation Techniques, including the Night Wanderer Step. He still needed time to absorb them.

As for mastering three high-grade Cultivation Techniques in half a year, You Shengnan didn’t even entertain the thought.

A single one was enough to occupy a Martial Artist for a lifetime, let alone three.

Absolutely impossible!