The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

A gentle night wind blew.

The moonlight stretched their shadows long across the ground.

The Kaiyang Taoist merely spared a glance for the corpse on the ground, showing little surprise.

In truth, he had also quite disliked Peak Master Shi for betraying his sect. His death was a welcome turn of events.

"Impressive saber technique."

The Kaiyang Taoist wasn’t in a hurry to attack; instead, he offered genuine praise.

He had seen the very strike Bai Yuan used to kill Shi Bai Mountain.

In all his years traveling the Jianghu, he had never seen such a breathtaking saber technique.

Bai Yuan pursed his lips.

’I’ve been practicing my saber technique for nearly a thousand years. Of course it’s amazing.’

Just moments ago, in order to kill Shi Bai Mountain, he had upgraded his Broken River Saber Technique to the Legendary level in one fell swoop.

He had chosen Broken River over the Gui Shan Saber Technique because its explosive power offered a greater certainty of killing Shi Bai Mountain with a single strike.

And the results proved it: the Legendary-level Broken River Saber Technique was truly effective.

Any technique that reached the Legendary level became monstrously powerful, and the Broken River Saber Technique was no different.

The technique had become something akin to a law of cause and effect, much like the legendary flying daggers from the stories of his past life. To draw the saber was to kill. Or rather, the saber could only be drawn when the kill was guaranteed.

His previous Wave-Splitting Saber Technique focused on finding an enemy’s weaknesses, but the Broken River Saber Technique—his own creation—took it a step further.

During a fight, he would continuously analyze his opponent’s vulnerabilities, only striking when they had accumulated to a critical point.

Once he struck, the enemy was certain to die.

Against enemies weaker than him, it was a simple matter of one strike, one kill.

Of course, if an enemy was too powerful, he might not even get the chance to execute the technique at all.

Bai Yuan and the Kaiyang Taoist faced off from a distance.

His fingers hooked around the hilt of his saber, caressing it with a steady, rhythmic motion.

He was now eager to test the limits of his Legendary-level saber technique, and the Kaiyang Taoist before him was the perfect opponent to test it on.

Though he had fought the Kaiyang Taoist in the Sect Leader Hall before, both of them had been holding back.

In a life-or-death battle between Martial Artists, the slightest mistake could lead to a fatal outcome.

Until a victor was decided by life or death, nothing else mattered.

A fervent heat grew in the Kaiyang Taoist’s eyes as he looked at Bai Yuan. After so many years, he had finally found an opponent against whom he could use his full strength.

The battle intent between the two men swelled to a fever pitch.

Finally, it reached a breaking point...

Bai Yuan and the Kaiyang Taoist’s figures vanished almost simultaneously, reappearing an instant later as they crashed into one another.

Saber and sword met in midair with a silent clash.

The Kaiyang Taoist’s internal force was as peculiar as ever, locking Bai Yuan’s saber to the body of his own sword as if by magnetism.

Bai Yuan, however, was a "hexagonal warrior" of sorts—his Body Technique, strength, and stamina were all top-tier. He simply relied on his overwhelming power to plow through the Kaiyang Taoist’s strange force as if it were nothing.

But tonight, the Kaiyang Taoist was far more formidable than he had been at the Divine Mansion Sect.

His swordsmanship was exquisite, imbued with the ethereal grace of the Daoist Sect.

While Bai Yuan’s saber attacks were like a relentless tide, the Kaiyang Taoist simply became an immovable reef, his swordsmanship a flawless, watertight defense.

"What profound saber intent."

The Kaiyang Taoist suddenly retreated, putting distance between himself and Bai Yuan.

He let out a low chuckle, but Bai Yuan could sense his excitement.

The Kaiyang Taoist said, "In truth, swordsmanship is my weakest discipline."

Bai Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly.

He had fought the Kaiyang Taoist twice now, and his opponent’s swordsmanship was anything but weak. It was exceptionally strong—so strong that even the Peak Masters of the Divine Mansion Sect who specialized in the sword would be left in awe.

And yet, the Kaiyang Taoist claimed it was his weakest skill.

With a CLANG, the Kaiyang Taoist unexpectedly tossed his long sword aside!

"Finally, I can have a proper fight."

The Kaiyang Taoist rolled his wrists, his eyes no longer holding their previous world-weary detachment. It was as if he had just unsealed his true self.

Everyone in Ling Province believed the Kaiyang Taoist to have a placid temperament, a man who rarely killed.

The truth, however, was that he was ferocious by nature. The only reason he traveled far and wide without ever making a move was due to the Longevity Palace Master’s arrangements. It was all to temper his disposition, for only then could he break through to the next realm of perception.

In reality, the Kaiyang Taoist’s greatest strength was close-quarters combat...

Without his sword, the Kaiyang Taoist became utterly terrifying. His speed more than doubled, and his ferocious fist intent tore through the air, creating a series of sonic booms.

Bai Yuan swung his saber to meet the Kaiyang Taoist’s incoming fist.

CLANG!

A deafening, metallic crash erupted between the blade and the fist.

"Innate Vajra?!"

Bai Yuan stared intently at the Kaiyang Taoist.

With that last strike, he had seen it clearly: the Kaiyang Taoist hadn’t used a shred of internal force. He had blocked the blow with nothing but his physical body!

Legends in the Xuanyang Martial World spoke of a special martial Saint Body: the Innate Vajra.

For a Martial Artist with an Innate Vajra physique, passing the five stages of Body Refining was as easy as breathing. They were born with Body Refining already at its peak; their skin, bones, tendons, organs, and blood had all reached a state of perfection.

Thus, any Martial Artist born as an Innate Vajra was a guaranteed Blood Refining Powerhouse from the very start.

However, because of this special constitution, every Innate Vajra Martial Artist was also ferocious by nature, possessing an overwhelming killing intent.

Once they broke through to the Entering Martial Artist realm, advancing any further became extremely difficult.

That was why the Kaiyang Taoist had been stuck in the Entering Martial Artist realm for a full decade. But because of those ten years, his foundation had become terrifyingly solid, almost as if he had inadvertently followed the same path as Old Dong.

"Thank you for allowing me to unleash my full power. As a token of my gratitude, you can die."

The Kaiyang Taoist’s once-calm face twisted into a savage expression, like a malevolent demon crawling up from the Underworld.

The Celestial God Vajra was, in fact, originally a Buddhist Saint Body.

According to the teachings of the Buddhist Family, those with this constitution were all vengeful spirits who had escaped from the Underworld, requiring immense power to be reformed.

The Kaiyang Taoist shot forward, engaging Bai Yuan in combat once more.

Shoulders, knees, elbows, head... every bone in his body seemed to be a lethal weapon as he tangled with Bai Yuan in a brutal frenzy.

This was exactly why Bai Yuan himself wanted to practice fist-fighting.

Fist fighting was, in reality, the world’s strongest martial art. Unlike a saber or a sword, the body is a natural weapon. Its potential for variation is limitless, and its techniques are supreme.

It was just that most people’s bodies were no match for blades, forcing them to rely on weapons.

But the Kaiyang Taoist, an Innate Vajra impervious to blades, had no such worries.

As a result, his fist-fighting style was terrifyingly effective.

Even Bai Yuan was struggling to handle it.

He was also beginning to understand why the old Longevity Palace Master, despite having countless geniuses at his disposal, was so insistent on making the Kaiyang Taoist his successor.

Once the Kaiyang Taoist broke through to the realm of perception, the Longevity Palace’s standing would be elevated to a whole new level.

Bai Yuan wielded his Gui Shan Saber Technique with sublime mastery.

Each blow was heavier than the last, crashing down on the Kaiyang Taoist’s body.

After a little more than ten exchanges, the Kaiyang Taoist’s Daoist Robe was reduced to tattered rags.

Of course, Bai Yuan wasn’t unscathed either.

Though his physique was powerful from practicing the Tiger-Crane Form, it was still far inferior to an Innate Vajra. A few of the Kaiyang Taoist’s punches had left his internal Qi and Blood roiling uncomfortably.

Bai Yuan began to suspect that of the four people the Longevity Palace had sent to Huanglong Prefecture, the strongest wasn’t Fa Zhen Taoist—the one who had already reached the realm of perception—but the Kaiyang Taoist right in front of him.

The Innate Vajra physique left the Kaiyang Taoist with almost no openings.

In the face of the Legendary-level Broken River Saber Technique, however, weaknesses could always be found.

It was just that these vulnerabilities were still not enough for Bai Yuan to make his decisive strike.

’If it’s not a killing blow, there’s no point in striking.’

After a few probing attacks confirmed he couldn’t kill his opponent, Bai Yuan decisively retreated. Saber in hand, he used his Body Technique to circle the Kaiyang Taoist.

A series of loud bangs suddenly echoed across the summit of Wan Jun Peak.

It was the sound of hand cannons.

Two hand cannons had appeared in Bai Yuan’s hands.

Unlike the common models from before, these could be fired continuously; unleashing twenty rounds in one go was no issue.

The steel pellets aimed at his eyes were beginning to frustrate the Kaiyang Taoist.

"Fuck! If you have any balls, fight me head-on!"

"Then prove you’re man enough to catch me!"

Bai Yuan was getting genuinely pissed off now. In all his time practicing martial arts, the Kaiyang Taoist was the most tenacious opponent he had ever faced.

The Kaiyang Taoist was strong, but his Body Technique was no match for Bai Yuan’s Master-level Night Wanderer Step.

Bai Yuan was as slippery as an eel; he was simply impossible to catch.

He possessed immense brute strength but had no way to bring it to bear.

The longer the Kaiyang Taoist fought, the more alarmed he became.

Bai Yuan simply had too many tricks up his sleeve.

Beyond the clever gadgets he had already shown, there were flying needles, Gu Poison, powerful crossbows... he was using nearly every underhanded trick in the book on him.

If his defense weren’t so high, Bai Yuan’s poisons would have taken him down long ago.

The Kaiyang Taoist couldn’t fathom how someone so young could have mastered so many skills. And from the looks of it, he was a true master of each one; these weren’t just for show.

’Could his comprehension be that heaven-defying?’

A theory formed in the Kaiyang Taoist’s mind.

Only someone with an incredibly high innate aptitude could learn so many disparate skills by their twenties.

He, a man of peerless physical constitution, had never expected to run into someone with unparalleled comprehension. It was a true case of diamond cut diamond.

A Martial Artist’s talent was judged on two things: physical constitution and comprehension.

Most of the time, physical constitution was more direct, effective, and easier to identify, so those with it were often discovered early and carefully nurtured.

Comprehension, however, was formless and intangible. By the time it revealed itself, a prodigy might have already been overlooked for years.

After all, in the Jianghu, a superior constitution could often overwhelm superior comprehension.

Suddenly, the Kaiyang Taoist let out a thunderous roar. His wiry frame swelled as if being inflated, and in a flash, he transformed into a ten-foot-tall giant, radiating a ferocious aura.

As his form grew, his speed, paradoxically, doubled.

This was the true form of his Innate Vajra physique; what came before was merely a bone-shrinking technique.

The Kaiyang Taoist lunged and wrapped Bai Yuan in a crushing bear hug.

But just as he was about to squeeze—

An unhealthy, fiery flush suddenly spread across his face. Then, every inch of his skin began to burn as if it were on fire!

"Fuck! You used poison?!"

Kaiyang True Man stared at Bai Yuan in disbelief.

He wasn’t surprised that Bai Yuan would resort to poison. What shocked him was that it worked. As an Innate Vajra, he was immune to all toxins; how could any poison in the world possibly harm him?

Bai Yuan seized the opportunity to pull away from Kaiyang True Man.

A cold sneer played on his lips.

’This isn’t poison, of course... it’s a spirit.’

Everything in the world follows the principle that extremes will reverse. A spirit is a powerful tonic, but consume too much, and it becomes the world’s most terrifying poison.

Throughout their battle, he had been secretly scattering Fire Spirit into Kaiyang True Man’s mouth and nose.

Just ten grains of Fire Spirit were enough to cause an Entering Martial Artist’s Qi and Blood to surge uncontrollably and suffer a backlash.

Bai Yuan, however, had fed the Kaiyang Taoist at least a thousand grains. It was a peerless tonic, which was to say, a peerless poison.

Fire Spirit was inherently beneficial to the body; even an Innate Vajra wouldn’t naturally reject it. Therefore, the Kaiyang Taoist’s poison immunity was completely useless against it.

"You... you’re despicable!"

The Kaiyang Taoist’s eyes were crimson, his breaths growing ragged and heavy.

Bai Yuan sneered.

’Despicable?’

’You’re the ones who launched a sneak attack. Why should I be bound by martial ethics?’

’I need to up the dosage,’ Bai Yuan thought. He was eager to see just what the limits of an Innate Vajra truly were!