The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

In a mountain forest, so deep it appeared almost black from a distance, an expanse of golden rooftops suddenly materialized, like a blazing sun piercing the darkness.

A sacred and solemn aura inspired reverence.

This was the Ancestral Court of the Demon Hunters.

Today, the Ancestral Court was particularly bustling.

The chieftains of all three lineages and eleven clans of the Demon Hunters were present.

"You all can hide if you want. If the Witch Race dares cross Celestial Vault Mountain, I’ll take them on. And nobody will be getting off easy."

The chieftain of the Celestial Halberd Clan, part of the Demon-Seeking Lineage, was the most hot-tempered of all.

An old crone to the side glanced at the Celestial Halberd Clan’s chieftain. "Just you? The Witch Race wouldn’t feel a thing even if your entire clan was wiped out."

"You old hag!"

The Celestial Halberd Clan’s chieftain glared at the old crone, his eyes bulging like copper bells.

An old chieftain from the Demon-Seeking Lineage stepped forward to mediate. "This is no time for arguing. If the Witch Race decides to hunt us to extinction, the line of Demon Hunters will be completely severed."

"..."

A silence fell over the crowd at the old chieftain’s words.

Even the chieftain of the Celestial Halberd Clan and the old crone, who were always at each other’s throats, stopped their bickering.

’The eleven clans were gathered here today, but were they truly of one mind?’

They had simply been backed into a corner by the Witch Race, with no way to survive.

The Demon Hunter tradition had survived to this day through countless unions and schisms. During that time, immense enmity had built up. One need only go back ten generations to find a blood feud between any two clans. This was precisely why the Witch Race could suppress them so easily.

"I propose we leave the Southern Border."

A burly chieftain from the Demon-controlling Race spoke up.

Silence, again.

After a long moment, the old crone finally spoke. "And where would we go after we leave?"

"The Witch Race are savage beasts, but those Profound People from Xuan Yang are no saints, either."

"With the Demon Hunters’ current strength, we’ll never be treated as honored guests by some great sect, no matter where we go. Those Profound People just want to use us as cannon fodder."

"The clans that have a Mingxin Grandmaster will be slightly better off. But those without the protection of a Mingxin Powerhouse will certainly be annihilated in the coming war."

"If that’s the case, we’d be better off dying here in these mountains."

The Celestial Halberd Clan’s chieftain grew more furious as he spoke, his grip so tight that the long saber in his hand began to creak.

As silence descended upon the crowd once more, a voice rang out. "You could go to Ling Province."

The hundreds of people in the Ancestral Court all turned toward the source of the voice. The crowd slowly parted, creating a path for Zhou Siming as he walked forward.

Seeing Zhou Siming, the chieftain of his clan frowned slightly.

He seemed to have already guessed the meaning behind Zhou Siming’s words.

The Celestial Halberd Clan’s chieftain snorted. "Since when does a junior have the right to speak here? You’re just that Bai fellow’s dog, sent here to be his mouthpiece. Well, I’m not falling for it."

The expressions on the faces of the other chieftains were varied.

The old chieftain of the Demon-Seeking Lineage, for instance, looked tempted.

Zhou Siming’s relationship with Bai Yuan was no secret among the Demon Hunter leadership. Compared to other powers, pledging allegiance to Bai Jiedu Envoy offered the benefit of a personal connection. He wouldn’t exploit them too ruthlessly.

Zhou Siming glanced at the Celestial Halberd Clan’s chieftain. "Zhang, I respected you as a chieftain, but now I see you are utterly unworthy of the title. You would rather your clansmen die for your personal pride than find them a path to survival."

"You..."

The Celestial Halberd Clan’s chieftain was about to speak.

But the old chieftain interrupted him. "Si Ming, continue."

Seeing the old chieftain give the order, the chieftain of the Celestial Halberd Clan could only swallow his anger for the time being.

The Demon-Seeking Lineage had always been the most powerful and populous of the three. This old chieftain was its recognized Sage. Not only had his strength reached the Mingxin level, but his seniority was so great that more than half of the people present were his juniors.

Among all the chieftains, only the old chieftain was permitted to live in the Ancestral Court, a testament to his lofty status.

Only then did Zhou Siming speak. "’Those not of our kind are sure to have different hearts.’ The Witch Race will never let us go. Shuofang has agreed to give us half the lands of Dingzhou to manage. In return, we must send one thousand people to join the Shuofang Army each year, with the individuals being rotated at our own discretion."

The Celestial Halberd Clan’s chieftain grew even more enraged. "You damned traitor! Isn’t this just another way of turning us into meat shields?"

With that, the Celestial Halberd Clan’s chieftain lunged, his hands reaching for Zhou Siming’s throat.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure descending from the sky.

A savage punch landed on him.

BAM!

The Celestial Halberd Clan’s chieftain was sent flying, smashing into a massive boulder far outside the Ancestral Court.

The crowd was stunned by this abrupt scene, and all eyes turned to the young man now standing where the chieftain of the Celestial Halberd Clan had been just a moment before.

"I believe there has been some misunderstanding about me."

’A misunderstanding?’

The assembled Demon Hunters involuntarily glanced toward the chieftain of the Celestial Halberd Clan, who still hadn’t managed to climb out of the pile of shattered rock.

The old chieftain asked tentatively, "You are... Lord Bai?"

"I am."

A wave of gasps rippled through the crowd at Bai Yuan’s confirmation.

Bai Yuan’s reputation in Xuan Yang was considerable. He was supposed to be in the Northern Territory, yet here he was, alone in the Southern Border.

Some of the Demon Hunters nervously scanned their surroundings, fearing an ambush.

Bai Yuan smiled faintly. "No need to look. I came alone."

The old chieftain cupped his fist. "Lord Bai, your courage is extraordinary. This old one is impressed."

Hearing this, the other Demon Hunters also looked astonished.

Bai Yuan said, "Master Zhou has already explained my purpose here to all of you. Since I once learned the skills of a Demon Hunter myself, you can consider this me repaying the favor of my instruction. You don’t need to give me an answer right away. I will give you three days. If I have no reply by then, I will take my leave."

Hearing that Bai Yuan was also a Demon Hunter, many of them were even more astonished.

This was no secret among the upper echelons, but most of the rank-and-file were unaware.

Just as Bai Yuan was about to leave with Zhou Siming—

The chieftain of the Demon Performance Lineage asked tentatively, "Do you know the Demon Performance Technique?"