The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

「Spring of the 39th Year of Yuanding.」

The Northern Garrison Army crushed the Demon Sect encampment, slaying three thousand of the sect’s experts. The world was shocked, and posterity would call it the Great Victory of Hidden Dragon Pass.

The Demon Sect’s southern advance was halted, and the two sides reached a stalemate along the Hidden Dragon Pass line.

Emperor Xuanyang was overjoyed. He specially bestowed upon the Grand General of the North the four-word title: "Pillar of the Empire."

He was the first person to receive such an honor since the founding of the Xuan Yang Dynasty!

After this battle, the reputation of the Grand General of the North, Xu Dingchun, soared. He showed the potential to surpass the other three generals and become the Grand General of the Realm.

For a time, his prestige was unparalleled.

...

Atop Shenfu Sect’s Main Peak.

"..."

Shenfu Sect Master Murong Tian’s expression was extremely grim.

The joy of the great victory in the Northern Territory had not reached the Divine Mansion Sect at all.

Because Dong Wanjun had disappeared.

In that world-shocking battle, Dong Wanjun was targeted by a Vice Sect Leader of the Celestial Heart Sect. The two fought for over a hundred moves, and in the end, Dong Wanjun lost by half a move and was forced to flee deep into the Northern Plains.

To this day, there has been no news of Dong Wanjun.

After the battle ended, the Grand General of the North had also sent scouts to the Northern Plains to search, but they all came back without any clues.

The Northern Plains were vast and boundless, even larger than Xuan Yang itself. Trying to find a single person there was incredibly difficult.

Dong Wanjun’s feat of fighting a Mingxin expert as a Zhigan was shocking to countless people, but the Northern Plains were the Demon Sect’s lair. The chances of Dong Wanjun fighting his way back to Xuan Yang from such a dragon’s den... were just too low.

Not to mention, there was also a Vice Sect Leader of the Celestial Heart Sect hunting him down.

Hard. So hard. Impossibly hard!

It was a place of near-certain death.

Murong Tian couldn’t care less about what happened between the Northern Demon Sect and the Xuan Yang Court. Even if the Demon Sect marched south, they would only be destroying the Xuan Yang Court. Local powers like the Divine Mansion Sect would carry on as usual, completely unaffected.

Sects are forged from iron; emperors flow like water. It has always been this way.

But with one of the Divine Mansion Sect’s main pillars suddenly crumbling, how could Murong Tian possibly be in a good mood?

"Master..."

Murong Jiujiang’s expression was complicated.

The reason Ling Province had been so restrained before was not only because the Divine Mansion Sect had a deep foundation, but also in large part due to Dong Wanjun’s position in the Northern Garrison Army.

Now, with Dong Wanjun’s fate unknown, the Lingzhou General and the Prefect certainly wouldn’t make a move against the Divine Mansion Sect in the short term.

To do so would be a slap in the face to the Grand General of the North, and it would chill the hearts of the tens of thousands of soldiers in the Northern Garrison Army. They would never do something so universally condemned.

But the underhanded tactics would only increase.

The Lingzhou General and the Prefect would try every method they could think of to weaken the Divine Mansion Sect’s power.

Only when the Northern Garrison Army had forgotten Dong Wanjun would they find a good pretext to make their move.

At that point, even the Grand General of the North wouldn’t be able to find fault.

In the eyes of the Lingzhou General and the Prefect, only a living Dong Wanjun was the Grand General of the North’s confidant. Once a person is dead, it’s like a lamp going out. Grand General of the North Xu Dingchun wouldn’t interfere in Ling Province’s "family matters" for a dead man.

Murong Tian’s expression returned to calm.

He was angry not because of Ling Province, but because he had lost his junior brother...

The world thought he and Dong Wanjun didn’t get along, but in reality, it was all an act they had put on together.

Wary of each other... of course, they were.

But Murong Tian would never allow Dong Wanjun to die before him.

Besides, a Dong Wanjun who had broken through the Zhigan stage was more useful to the Divine Mansion Sect than he was.

Unfortunately, the die was cast.

If even the Grand General of the North couldn’t find Dong Wanjun, he, Murong Tian, certainly didn’t have such heaven-defying abilities.

"Junior Brother, don’t you dare die before me."

...

Wan Jun Peak.

Bai Yuan, You Shengnan, and Xiongshan all stood in silence before Wan Jun Hall.

They already knew the news of Dong Wanjun’s disappearance.

Although they had great faith in Old Dong, the Northern Plains were, after all, teeming with Demon Sect experts. Fighting one’s way back from there was simply too difficult.

"Senior Brother, Senior Sister, Master will be fine," Bai Yuan said.

These weren’t just empty words of comfort.

Because he was certain that Old Dong was not dead yet.

The source of his certainty came from the Lifebound Gu in his sleeve.

In a secret chamber in Wan Jun Hall, aside from the cultivation techniques Old Dong had hidden away, there was also a Lifebound Gu.

These Lifebound Gu always come in pairs. They must be fed with the blood essence of a Gu Practitioner. Once refined, the two Gu can sense each other even if they are thousands of miles apart.

Originally, it was a Life-saving Talisman Old Dong had given to Bai Yuan.

If Bai Yuan encountered danger, he would be able to sense it in time and come to his aid. And if he really couldn’t make it, it would at least make it easier to get revenge.

He never expected the situation to completely reverse; the Lifebound Gu had instead become Bai Yuan’s proof that Old Dong was not yet dead.

Hearing Bai Yuan’s explanation, You Shengnan’s and Xiongshan’s expressions immediately turned from sorrow to joy.

As long as he was alive, there was still hope.

You Shengnan suggested heading north to find Old Dong, but Bai Yuan immediately refused.

The Northern Plains was a place of near-certain death even for Old Dong. If the three of them went, it would be a place of absolutely certain death.

You Shengnan was a smart woman. In truth, it wasn’t difficult to reach this conclusion. She had just been overwhelmed by her feelings for Old Dong.

Bai Yuan was smarter than her, and therefore colder. Smart people are often cold-blooded.

...

Divine Mansion Sect, Sect Leader Hall.

"Master, Bai Yuan requests an audience."

Murong Jiujiang walked quickly into the great hall and bowed to Murong Tian.

Murong Tian sighed. "Let him in."

Wan Jun Peak’s current situation was not good.

Old Dong had offended too many people in the Divine Mansion Sect. When he was still around, those people didn’t dare to do anything.

Later, after Old Dong’s breakthrough, Wan Jun Peak became highly sought after. But now that Old Dong’s fate was unknown, those who had been hiding in the shadows, eager to make trouble, were beginning to bare their fangs again.

The ways of the world had always been like this. When a tall building rises, everyone praises it. When it collapses, they can’t wait to give it a few more kicks.

A short while later, Bai Yuan arrived in the center of the great hall.

"Disciple Bai Yuan greets the Sect Leader."

Although he had been in the Divine Mansion Sect for several years, this was his first time entering the Sect Leader Hall.

Murong Tian waved his hand and gave a gentle smile. "Nephew Bai, is there something you need?"

Even though Dong Wanjun was gone, Bai Yuan’s talent was the real deal. He was a treasure to the Divine Mansion Sect. Murong Tian had already lost a top-tier expert; he would not allow the sect to then lose a talented disciple who might be no less than Dong Wanjun.

Bai Yuan turned and glanced at Murong Jiujiang.

Murong Tian raised an eyebrow. He understood Bai Yuan’s meaning.

"Jiujiang, you may leave us."

Bai Yuan’s meaning was clear. What he was about to say was for their ears only; not even Murong Jiujiang could be present.

Murong Jiujiang showed no trace of resentment. He obediently exited the great hall and thoughtfully closed the doors behind him.

The Sect Leader Hall was built from a special divine wood. It was not only impervious to fire and water and incredibly tough, but its soundproofing was also top-notch.

After the hall doors were closed, Murong Tian looked at Bai Yuan with curiosity.

’I wonder what could make this True Disciple from Wan Jun Peak act with such caution.’

Bai Yuan didn’t waste any words, slowly extending his right palm.

A plump, white worm crawled out of his sleeve and rolled around in the palm of his right hand.

Murong Tian’s eyes narrowed slightly when he saw the small worm in Bai Yuan’s hand.

Although he didn’t understand the art of Gu, as the Sect Leader, his knowledge was naturally extensive. He recognized at a glance that the small worm in Bai Yuan’s hand was a Lifebound Gu.

A certain guess surfaced in Murong Tian’s mind, and a look of delighted surprise appeared in his eyes.

Bai Yuan was direct. "This is Master’s Lifebound Gu. He’s still alive."

Hearing Bai Yuan’s words, a great weight was finally lifted from Murong Tian’s heart.

"Excellent."

Murong Tian’s gaze grew brighter and brighter, and he couldn’t suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth. Although Dong Wanjun was still in the Northern Plains, at least he was alive.

’As long as he’s alive... that’s all that matters.’

He and Dong Wanjun had been martial brothers for decades and had competed for half their lives. He had more faith in Old Dong than anyone. As long as he wasn’t dead, he would come back sooner or later.

"You are very impressive."

Murong Tian was in a great mood as he looked at Bai Yuan.

His praise wasn’t just about Bai Yuan having the Lifebound Gu, but also about his grasp of human nature.

Everyone in the Divine Mansion Sect thought he and Dong Wanjun wished the other dead.

But Bai Yuan saw it clearly: Sect Leader Murong Tian was the one person who least wanted Old Dong to die.

Because once Old Dong died, Murong Tian would have to face the aggressive moves of Ling Province. As the Sect Leader, the pressure on him would be immense. Therefore, he would never wish for Old Dong’s death, even if Old Dong could potentially threaten his position.

’Sometimes, interests are the only thing you can rely on.’

That was why Bai Yuan had decided to tell Murong Tian about the Lifebound Gu, but not Murong Jiujiang.

Although Murong Jiujiang was the default successor, he wasn’t the Sect Leader yet.

And right now, the only obstacle to him becoming the Sect Leader was Bai Yuan.

’The emperor loves his country most, but the crown prince might not. The same logic applies to a sect.’

In his quest for the highest power, it was highly probable that Murong Jiujiang would do something like leak information to the Demon Sect to get Old Dong killed.

Even if it would bring a hundred harms and not a single benefit to the Divine Mansion Sect, as long as it benefited him, he would do it.

Such things had happened far too many times within the Xuanyang Royal Family.

"From now on, you may come directly to the Sect Leader Hall to find me."

Murong Tian tossed a token to Bai Yuan.

It was a token exclusive to the Sect Leader Hall. In the entire Divine Mansion Sect, only two people possessed one: Dong Wanjun and Murong Jiujiang. Now, Bai Yuan was the third.

If Murong Jiujiang were to find out that Bai Yuan had received the Sect Leader’s Token, he would undoubtedly become suspicious.

But this was precisely what Murong Tian wanted, so he could test Murong Jiujiang’s character.

If Murong Jiujiang couldn’t restrain the desires in his heart, Murong Tian wouldn’t hesitate to make Bai Yuan the next Sect Leader.

’The Emperor’s Heart Technique is timeless.’

"Can I refuse?"

Bai Yuan had to ask.

"No."

Murong Tian refused decisively.

Bai Yuan had no choice but to accept it. Of course, he knew what Murong Tian was thinking.

’This old fox is setting up a Gu pot right here...’

He and Murong Jiujiang were the last two insects left in the Gu pot. Whoever survived would be the next Sect Leader.

Bai Yuan didn’t like being an insect. He was a Gu Refiner.

He bowed to Murong Tian, then turned and left.

Murong Jiujiang was standing on the outer perimeter of the area, a full several hundred meters away from the Sect Leader Hall.

Since Murong Tian had told him to leave, no matter how curious he was about what was said in the hall, he had to keep up appearances.

He saw the doors to the Sect Leader Hall push open, and Bai Yuan walked out alone.

Murong Jiujiang raised an eyebrow as Bai Yuan stopped in front of him.

"Junior Brother Bai, is there something you need?"

Bai Yuan held the Sect Leader’s Token up in front of Murong Jiujiang. "Senior Brother Murong, the Sect Leader just gave me this."

Murong Jiujiang naturally recognized the token in Bai Yuan’s hand as the Sect Leader’s Token.

He knew very well the weight this token carried.

It represented having received the Sect Leader’s approval and made one a likely candidate to become the next Sect Leader.

Murong Jiujiang was dumbfounded. He never thought Bai Yuan would be so brazen as to flash the Sect Leader’s Token right in his face.

This was a completely unorthodox move. They were rivals!

Bai Yuan said, "I invite Senior Brother Murong to defeat me. I’ll be waiting."

With that, he walked straight down the mountain.

Leaving Murong Jiujiang standing there, completely baffled.

’Rather than letting that old fox Murong Tian play him and Murong Jiujiang against each other, it was better to be direct, draw a clear line, and save Murong Jiujiang from overthinking things all day.’

’Since they were Martial Artists, they should settle things according to the rules of the Jianghu.’

’In his previous life, this kind of approach was summed up in a single sentence: sincerity is the ultimate weapon.’

Before the Sect Leader Hall.

Murong Jiujiang stared blankly in the direction Bai Yuan had descended the mountain.

After a long moment, a smile touched the corners of his lips. "I will defeat you, fair and square."

’Bai Yuan was a genius, no doubt, but who wasn’t a genius?!’

’Murong Jiujiang certainly didn’t think he was necessarily any worse than Bai Yuan.’

Besides, he also felt that Jianghu matters should be settled in the Jianghu way.