The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

I heard that Kong Sen had pulled some strings and returned to the Capital City.

That’s how it was with an official’s career. It might be smooth sailing at first, but a single misstep could leave you stuck in the same place for years.

Everyone raised their glasses, and even Sister Qiao, who usually didn’t drink, indulged in a few extra cups.

The courtyard only returned to silence after the New Year’s vigil had ended.

Bai Yuan had served wine strong enough to inebriate a Martial Artist. Now, Sister Qiao’s flushed face was utterly charming, making her look more beautiful than ever.

"Brother Yuan..."

She struggled lazily in Bai Yuan’s arms like a kitten but couldn’t break free from his firm chest.

"Sister Qiao, it’s time for bed."

...

After New Year’s Day came the Spring Equinox.

The Three Shuofang Continents, and even Dingzhou, from which the Demon Sect had retreated, enjoyed a rare period of peace and tranquility. The common people credited it all to Bai Yuan, their Jiedu Envoy.

Although Emperor Li Chengyuan still wasn’t holding court, he had sent a secret letter to his Master, Xu Dingchun, expressing his desire to reclaim Dingzhou.

As the Grand General of the Realm, it was Xu Dingchun’s duty to recover lost territory.

A few days later, Bai Yuan received a reply from his Master.

It contained just a single, powerful word—"Go!"

With his Master’s permission, Bai Yuan was finally free to act. He drove all the demons and Barbarians out of Dingzhou and encouraged the people of Shuofang to return by offering tax exemptions.

The results were surprisingly good. After only a month, Dingzhou was already showing signs of recovery.

Unlike the other Jiedu Envoys, Bai Yuan held no animosity toward the Barbarians—perhaps because of Mr. Yuan and Big Beard. He even took the initiative to help Shuofang’s merchant caravans open trade routes to do business with the Barbarian People south of the Northern Plains.

He was even planning to extend his business to Cang Mang Mountain.

As a result, even though he had exempted Dingzhou from taxes, the taxes collected from the four continents of Shuofang were actually higher.

More and more merchants were coming to Shuofang to do business.

Perhaps Lord Bai’s actions truly did accumulate good fortune, for the Bai Family’s first child finally made its presence known around the time of the Grain Rain.

Xiao Qiaoniang gazed at her gradually showing belly, spending her days thinking about collecting little clothes.

When it came to making a child, Bai Yuan’s work was mostly done. He was also spending much less time away from home than before.

Even so, his progress hadn’t slowed in the slightest.

[You have practiced the Thousand Slash Saber for 770 years and have finally reached the Legendary Realm. Divine Mansion Technique progress: 4%.]

...

[You have practiced Raging Bull Power for 614 years and have finally reached the Legendary Realm. Divine Mansion Technique progress: 6%.]

...

Ever since the Divine Mansion Technique reached its final level, progress was no longer tied to a single organ. Instead, the panel displayed a direct percentage, which was quite thoughtful.

With the help of the Divine Palace Immortal Realm, his martial arts progress was terrifyingly fast; he could master a cultivation technique in just one or two months.

If anyone else heard about this speed, their jaws would drop.

A technique that took others a lifetime to master, Bai Yuan only needed a month.

It was completely unreasonable.

Perhaps the only person who could sense the change in Bai Yuan’s strength was Yue Xiaobai, who was still living in the Bai Mansion.

At first, when they sparred, they could exchange a few dozen moves.

Gradually, it became just a few moves, and eventually, it was so ridiculous that it only took a single move.

In the end, Xiaobai was so thoroughly beaten he shut himself away again.

This made Bai Yuan quite regretful. Without Xiaobai as a perfect whetstone, he hadn’t gone all-out against a real person in a long time.

Just as Bai Yuan was quietly waiting for his first child to be born,

Shi Yan, who had already left Ling Province, reappeared.

But unlike his last visit for a sparring match, this time he brought a Qi Luck Seed.

Bai Yuan looked at the small, colorless, odorless, and seemingly empty jade vial in Shi Yan’s hand, his curiosity piqued.

Indeed, this small jade vial contained the legendary Qi Luck Seed.

Shi Yan began, "Ah Yuan, this Qi Luck Seed requires two Divine Communication Grandmasters to refine, and all the materials are of the Divine Grade. Dragon Tiger Mountain only has seven of them."

’Two Divine Communication Grandmasters?!’

Bai Yuan was taken aback by this statement.

Across the entire Xuan Yang, the number of powers with two Grandmasters could probably be counted on one hand.

Even considering those who might help others refine them, the total number of Qi Luck Seeds couldn’t be very high.

Although Shi Yan didn’t specify the materials, the fact that the Dragon Tiger Sect only had seven of them showed that their value was certainly no less than the combined effort of two Divine Communication Grandmasters.

With such stringent requirements, it was no wonder that even the Dragon Tiger Sect had to be extremely cautious about gifting them.

Bai Yuan accepted the small jade vial from Shi Yan’s hand.

"Senior Brother Shi, as long as the Dragon Tiger Sect does not fail me, I will not fail the Dragon Tiger Sect."

Shi Yan had said so much, and had even personally rushed to Ling Province, all to get Bai Yuan’s personal promise.

Hearing Bai Yuan’s words, Shi Yan laughed even more heartily.

This Qi Luck Seed had not been given in vain.

If Bai Yuan had said something like he would unconditionally help the Dragon Tiger Sect, Shi Yan would have known without a second thought that it was insincere, and he would have taken back the Qi Luck Seed no matter what.

But Bai Yuan said, "as long as the Dragon Tiger Sect does not fail me, I will not fail the Dragon Tiger Sect."

As a Mingxin Grandmaster, Shi Yan could not only see his own heart clearly but could also glimpse into the hearts of others.

His intuition told him that Bai Yuan’s words were sincere.

’Junior Martial Uncle Pei really knows how to pick them!’

In his heart, Shi Yan felt a newfound respect for his usually unkempt junior martial uncle.

Judging character was an extremely important skill, especially for the upper echelons of a sect. Becoming an expert yourself was just as important to a sect as recruiting an expert as a disciple.

’I should ask Junior Martial Uncle Pei for more advice in the future,’ Shi Yan thought.

Perhaps when he became the Sect Leader of the Dragon Tiger Sect, he could create a legendary tale of "Three Divine Communication Masters in one sect."

Shi Yan never had any doubt that he would become the Sect Leader.

After hearing how to use the Qi Luck Seed, Bai Yuan took a sharp breath from the small jade vial.

It was just that simple...

The small jade vial appeared empty, but it actually contained an ethereal wisp of the world’s Qi luck.

Bai Yuan felt a sudden sense of enlightenment as his mind became clear and bright. Even through his clothes, he could see a golden snake, as fine as a thread, coursing through his body.

That was the Qi Luck Seed!

Incredible!

Bai Yuan couldn’t help but let out a long cry.

Shi Yan and Yue Xiaobai were unfazed by the sight, as they had both taken a Qi Luck Seed long ago.

The sensation was indeed difficult to hold back.

Bai Yuan carefully perceived the changes within his body.

After consuming the Qi Luck Seed, his actual strength didn’t increase much. Rather, his perception of Qi luck became more sensitive, and most importantly, the efficiency with which he absorbed Qi luck became much higher.

Ordinary Martial Artists could also absorb Qi luck, and Confucian Family Martial Artists were particularly skilled in its ways.

The purpose of the Qi Luck Seed was to increase the efficiency of this absorption.

One step ahead means you’re always ahead. In this tumultuous world of shifting Qi luck, a Qi Luck Seed was indispensable for anyone who wanted to stand out.

Seeing Bai Yuan consume the Qi Luck Seed, Shi Yan knew his mission in Ling Province was complete.

"Ah Yuan, you’ve surprised me yet again."

He could sense that Bai Yuan seemed even stronger than the last time he’d seen him.

Bai Yuan chuckled. "Just diligent practice, that’s all."

At this, Yue Xiaobai rolled his eyes.

’How could I not know whether Bai Yuan practices diligently or not?’

In the several months he’d been here, he had never seen Bai Yuan practice. He did, however, seem very dedicated to killing demons.

But despite neglecting his cultivation like this, his progress was still terrifyingly fast.

Yue Xiaobai had already categorized Bai Yuan as some kind of innate "Slaughter Saint Body." He guessed that Bai Yuan must have a unique talent for growing stronger through combat.

Such cases, while rare, were not unheard of.

But he had never even heard of someone as outrageously dominant as Bai Yuan. He didn’t know if there would be others like him in the future, but he was certainly unprecedented.

Shi Yan came in a hurry and left in a hurry.

The situation in the Central Plains was growing more tense. Many major sects in Jiangnan had already entered the fray. Even with the Dragon Tiger Sect’s vast power and influence, they had to proceed with caution. As the strongest expert in the Dragon Tiger Sect below the two Grand Celestial Masters, Shi Yan had to return and hold down the fort as soon as possible.

This also showed how highly the Dragon Tiger Sect regarded Bai Yuan.

Bai Yuan saw Shi Yan off.

Besides his daily task of grinding for enhancement points, he now had a new important mission: studying Qi luck.

It was a necessity on the path to becoming a Martial Saint. How could he not be excited?