The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Divine Palace?

Big Beard frowned.

He was very strong, but when it came to knowledge, he admitted he was far behind Mr. Yuan.

Of course, this had much to do with the path he walked. The Barbarian People valued overwhelming power to overcome all skills, breaking every technique with brute force, so Big Beard naturally wouldn't waste time studying such things.

He had no idea what this Divine Palace Mr. Yuan spoke of was.

A flicker of uncertainty crossed Bai Yuan's eyes.

Big Beard spoke up at the right moment. "Kid, you'd better think this through. There's no point in getting something if you're not alive to enjoy it."

Big Beard's philosophy had always been simple.

Staying alive was the prerequisite for everything else; nothing else mattered.

This was perhaps the greatest truth in the eyes of all Barbarian People.

Bai Yuan's resolve returned, and he spoke slowly. "I'll find them myself. Please, you may leave."

Admittedly, he was truly tempted by Mr. Yuan's words.

The power of the Divine Palace Profound Soldier was beyond doubt. He also knew that the Nine Heavens Profound Soldier he had obtained was incomplete—only a third of the whole.

'If a mere one-third possesses such profound abilities, just how terrifying would the complete Divine Palace be?'

But no matter how tempted he was, just as Big Beard had said, his life was what mattered most.

Most importantly, he didn't trust Mr. Yuan.

Everything Mr. Yuan did seemed to defy logic, making him completely unfathomable.

'When dealing with someone you can't control, the best course of action is to stay away.'

'With Big Beard's backing, I can still put up a fight. But if I choose to leave with Mr. Yuan to find the other two parts of the Divine Palace, my life will be in his hands.'

'And I intend to keep my life firmly in my own grasp.'

'As for the other two parts of the Divine Palace Profound Soldier, I'll find them myself after I break through the Divinity Communication Barrier.'

Hearing Bai Yuan's answer, Mr. Yuan let out a soft sigh.

It seemed to be filled with regret.

But the very instant the sigh faded, a sudden change occurred!

The once-clear Cang Lake suddenly turned murky. Ripples spread across its placid surface, and a whirlpool slowly began to form in the center of the lake.

Seeing this, both Big Beard and Bai Yuan's pupils contracted.

'What kind of power is this?'

Even with all his worldly experience, Big Beard had never seen an ability capable of stirring up an entire lake.

There was indeed a good reason why Mr. Yuan could intimidate the entire Northern Plains all by himself.

"Fall back!"

Big Beard roared, grabbing Bai Yuan to make their escape.

'In a head-on clash, I'm not afraid of anyone in the world,' he thought. 'But when it comes to versatile techniques, Mr. Yuan would just toy with me.'

And sometimes, achieving one's goal required more than just brute force.

Mr. Yuan spoke slowly, "My apologies, but I'm running out of time."

As Mr. Yuan's words faded, the scene on the Cang Lake Shore transformed completely.

The water of Cang Lake rose, forming a dragon that rushed toward Big Beard's wooden cabin. In just a few breaths, the lakeshore had become a submerged kingdom.

Seeing this, Big Beard let out a furious roar and threw a fierce punch.

The ferocious power vibrated through the water, and his punch actually blasted a clear tunnel through it!

Against Mr. Yuan's bizarre techniques, Big Beard met them all with overwhelming force!

Bai Yuan's eyes widened.

'This is a battle between two masters at the Divinity Communication Barrier.'

'No wonder they say you transcend mortality after breaking through the Divinity Communication Barrier. These abilities are no different from those of gods and immortals!'

Just as Big Beard strode through the surging water with Bai Yuan in tow, a pair of hands formed from the lake suddenly clamped onto Bai Yuan's ankle.

Bai Yuan was startled.

He was just about to struggle free when he felt the space around him distort.

Then, he vanished without a trace.

"Yuan! If you have any guts, come fight me!"

Seeing Bai Yuan disappear, Big Beard flew into a rage, and his immense power erupted, blasting away the surging lake water.

But when the water cleared, there was no trace of Mr. Yuan or Bai Yuan.

Only Big Beard remained, roaring alone in his fury.

...

When Bai Yuan awoke, he found himself in a small, unfamiliar courtyard.

The courtyard was filled with orchids, giving it an extremely elegant air.

Orchids don't grow in the Northern Plains, so these must have been transported from Xuan Yang. To be able to grow so well in the harsh, dry climate of the Northern Plains showed that their owner must have spent a great deal of effort on them.

The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Mr. Yuan watering the orchids.

"So, why exactly did you bring me here?"

Seeing Bai Yuan awake, a rare smile once again appeared on Mr. Yuan's face.

It was as if only the sight of Bai Yuan could bring him a sliver of happiness.

"There's no rush."

Bai Yuan rolled his eyes.

'I clearly remember him saying he was running out of time just a moment ago,' he thought.

'Although I have no idea what he meant by that.'

'With his current status and the power of the Demon Sect, who in this world could possibly pressure him?'

Numerous doubts swirled in Bai Yuan's mind.

'But judging from Mr. Yuan's behavior, he probably won't do anything to harm me for now. At least, not before the third matter is completed.'

Bai Yuan made a silent, ruthless vow.

'If Mr. Yuan really makes a move against me, I'll detonate the Divine Palace Profound Soldier.'

'I just don't know how effective the Nine Heavens Profound Soldier would be against an expert of the Divinity Communication Barrier.'

'After all, since the founding war a thousand years ago, there have been no records of a Nine Heavens Profound Soldier facing off against an expert at the Divinity Communication Barrier.'

'And the battle records from that time are completely irrelevant, because the one who wielded the Nine Heavens Profound Soldier was the Grand Ancestor Emperor. That monster of a Martial Saint could have easily crushed his enemies to death even without it.'

After that, Mr. Yuan acted as if Bai Yuan wasn't there, busying himself with tending the garden.

He continued until dusk, when he finally clapped his hands together in satisfaction.

"Have you ever been to Bailu Academy?"

Bai Yuan shook his head. "I have not."

Bailu Academy is one of the four great academies of Xuan Yang, and was once the foremost among them. It was founded even before Xuan Yang itself, and its heritage is unfathomably deep.