The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

A Daoist and a Swordsman—it was a very strange pairing.

When the young scholar saw the two who had just intervened, he felt an unexpected sense of relief, as if he had just survived a catastrophe.

He wasn’t a fool. He quietly led away the young woman beside him, who was already scared witless, fearing they would be noticed by the trio.

A fighting spirit ignited in Bai Yuan’s eyes.

He had once made a pact with Shi Yan: they would spar once Bai Yuan broke through to Mingxin Pass.

He hadn’t expected Shi Yan to have remembered it all this time.

"Alright!"

Bai Yuan, of course, had no reason to refuse.

Especially since he still remembered the location of that cave in the Northern Plains. After his spar with Shi Yan, he could go there and harvest another wave of experience. It was an opportunity too good to pass up.

Shi Yan, whose face usually held an ethereal, immortal-like quality, now wore a look of belligerence.

Everyone knew that Bai Yuan was an expert who had openly slain a Grandmaster of the Mingxin Pass. A battle against such a master was certain to yield great benefits.

"Come!"

Shi Yan gave a light shout.

He didn’t use a weapon, sending a palm strike toward Bai Yuan’s chest.

Though his palm strike looked light and weightless, anyone who underestimated it would suffer dearly. This was the renowned Cloud-Pushing Hand of the Daoist Family!

Seeing the strike, Bai Yuan inwardly marveled at the profundity of the Daoist Family’s arts.

Without dodging or evading, he shot his right palm straight out.

The two palms collided in mid-air!

Surprise flashed in Shi Yan’s eyes. He felt like a lone skiff tossed on raging waves, his body sent flying uncontrollably through the air.

’This palm strike is so powerful!’

’It wasn’t that the technique was particularly exquisite, nor did it contain any profound Martial Dao intent. It was just... pure, overwhelming force.’

The saying "brute force trumps all techniques" was perfectly embodied by Bai Yuan.

Shi Yan twisted his body and, like a falling leaf, landed steadily on the ground.

"Great technique!"

He had already discerned the foundation of Bai Yuan’s strike. It was an incredibly profound Body Refining art. He just couldn’t place which school of physical conditioning it belonged to; he had never witnessed such an overwhelmingly powerful physique.

Little did he know, Bai Yuan was using the most ancient of physical arts!

"You flatter me, Senior Brother Shi," Bai Yuan said.

’Shi Yan truly is worthy of being the Dragon Tiger Sect’s number one genius. His strength is formidable. My palm strike seemed to give me the upper hand, but it didn’t actually cause him much harm.’

"Junior Brother Bai, it seems I’ll have to use my trump card. If you can withstand this next move, I will concede defeat."

Before his words had even faded, a scene unfolded that shocked everyone in the valley—

A dark cloud drifted across the once-clear sky, and the surroundings instantly grew several shades gloomier.

Bai Yuan’s pupils contracted slightly.

He saw sparks of electricity flashing in the palm of Shi Yan’s hand.

It was the supreme martial art of the Dragon Tiger Sect—Palm Thunder!

The Palm Thunder of the Dragon Tiger Sect was incredibly famous in Xuan Yang. Countless great demons had been turned to cinders by the sect’s Celestial Masters wielding this very technique.

Bai Yuan had seen Elder Pei use Palm Thunder once before, and the memory of its power was still enough to make his heart pound with fear.

Of course, the Palm Thunder Shi Yan was now casting couldn’t compare to Elder Pei’s. But to have grasped it at the Mingxin Pass realm, and to be able to cause a celestial phenomenon, was a testament to Shi Yan’s immense power.

The electric light in Shi Yan’s hand grew brighter and brighter.

He spoke slowly. "Junior Brother Bai, do you still dare to face this?"

Full of spirit, Bai Yuan retorted, "Why wouldn’t I dare?"

"Good!"

Shi Yan’s single word was like a peal of divine wrath. With a deafening clap of thunder, a powerful bolt of lightning shot from his hand, transforming into a silver dragon that instantly engulfed Bai Yuan.

Everyone present had the same four words in their minds: ’A battle between immortals!’

How could this be called a duel between Martial Artists? It was no different from the battles of legendary immortals.

Even Yue Xiaobai’s face was a mask of shock.

A month ago, he had finally comprehended the "sword heart" and broken through to Mingxin Pass.

’But if he were the one facing Shi Yan’s Palm Thunder, he knew he would be at a great disadvantage.’

’Bai Yuan... he should be able to handle it... right?’

If anyone understood just how much of a monster Bai Yuan was, it was him.

He was a genius of the Xiyue Sect, after all. Yet since meeting Bai Yuan, he had gone from being an equal match, to being defeated, and finally to being utterly crushed. He was so thoroughly humbled he couldn’t even muster the will to complain.

The lightning crackled for a full ten breaths before finally dissipating.

At the side, Xiao Qiaoniang clenched her hands, her knuckles turning slightly white.

She had never witnessed a battle of this caliber. If not for her absolute faith in Bai Yuan, she would have likely rushed forward already.

As the lightning faded, a ramrod-straight figure could be seen through the hazy smoke.

A gust of wind blew the smoke away, revealing an unscathed Bai Yuan.

He was indeed unharmed, but his clothes had been blasted to a charred black. Fortunately, his crucial areas were covered.

They had packed spare clothes in the carriage, so Xiao Qiaoniang quickly retrieved a set for Bai Yuan to change into, saving him from further embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Shi Yan and Yue Xiaobai stared at Bai Yuan as if he were a monster.

’Is he even fucking human?!’

With their keen eyes, they could of course tell that Bai Yuan hadn’t used any tricks. He had simply taken a full-force Palm Thunder with his physical body.

One must understand that not even the great demons renowned for their formidable physiques could block a Palm Thunder so effortlessly!

Shi Yan was beginning to understand how Yue Xiaobai had felt before.

’I should’ve gotten my spar in before he broke through. I was hoping for a grand battle, but now it seems there’s no point.’

’My strongest attack was taken so easily... what’s the point of even fighting anymore?’

’It would just devolve into a battle of attrition, and that’s no fun at all.’

"I’ve lost."

Shi Yan was graceful in defeat, decisively honoring his earlier promise.

Bai Yuan smiled and cupped his fists. "Thank you for going easy on me."