The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Bai Yuan then turned to the middle-aged man nearby who had remained silent the entire time. "I’ve studied it a little."

Zhou Siming explained from the side, "This is Yang Qiu, the sole patriarch of the Demon-Mimicking Lineage."

Bai Yuan said, "That’s right. I obtained it from Sanka and have practiced it for some time."

"Sanka..."

Yang Qiu muttered the name.

He was well aware of Sanka, that scum who had harmed his own sect members. He had even personally tried to capture Sanka himself.

Suddenly!

Yang Qiu dropped to his knees. "I implore Lord Bai to become the patriarch of the Demon-Mimicking Lineage! We will follow you to the death."

This was so abrupt that the other patriarchs were completely caught off guard.

The patriarch of the Celestial Halberd Race had just struggled back to his feet. He stared at the kneeling Yang Qiu, even more astonished.

Everyone in the Southern Border knew how proud and arrogant Yang Qiu was. To think he would actually kneel to a Profound Person.

Yang Qiu’s head was bowed so low it almost touched his chest, but his eyes were filled with sheer ecstasy.

He could sense the pure and dense aura of the Zhu Yan within Bai Yuan. This was clearly the sign of having reached the Great Achiever level in the Demon-Mimicking Arts. The last Great Achiever had to be traced back three thousand years, back to a previous dynasty.

He knew exactly what it meant to be a Great Achiever in the Demon-Mimicking Arts.

Although there was no official hierarchy among the three main lineages of the Demon Hunters, their entry barriers were vastly different.

Demon-Seeking was the easiest, Demon-Controlling was in the middle, and Demon-Mimicking was the most difficult.

That was why the Demon-Seeking Lineage comprised eight clans, while the Demon-Mimicking Lineage had only one pitiful clan.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to strengthen the Demon-Mimicking Lineage; it was that too few people could cultivate the Demon-Mimicking Arts. Great Achievers were one in a million. As a result, even he, the strongest among them, was only at the peak of the Perception realm.

The Demon-Mimicking Lineage had almost no status among the Demon Hunters.

But now, he finally saw hope.

’So what if he’s a Profound Person?’

The Demon Hunters were part of the Human Race, practically identical to the Profound People. As long as he had mastered the Demon-Mimicking Arts, he was one of them.

’If Bai Yuan is truly willing to be the patriarch of the Demon-Mimicking Lineage, our revival will be just around the corner! We might even leap to become the strongest of the eleven Demon Hunter clans.’

The other patriarchs frowned slightly. They, too, roughly understood the implications.

’Cunning old fox!’

The others cursed in their hearts.

As far as they knew, Bai Yuan hadn’t just learned the Demon-Mimicking arts; he also seemed to be proficient in Demon-Seeking and Demon-Controlling. Didn’t that mean he could be the patriarch of any of their clans?

But they couldn’t bring themselves to kneel before everyone in the Ancestral Court.

Yang Qiu was truly ruthless.

Bai Yuan looked at the back of Yang Qiu’s head. "Alright."

Hearing Bai Yuan’s simple and clear answer, Yang Qiu shot his head up. "Yang Qiu greets the Patriarch!"

He followed with three respectful kowtows.

The onlookers sighed at the sight. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Demon-Mimicking Clan had a new patriarch.

"You..."

The patriarch of the Celestial Halberd Race was dumbfounded, pointing at Yang Qiu.

’What a dirty move!’

With the strength Bai Yuan had displayed, no one among the Demon Hunters was his match. Didn’t that mean the Demon-Mimicking Clan would leap to become the strongest of the eleven clans?

This made the patriarch of the Celestial Halberd Race feel rather indignant.

He would have been fine if it were a Demon-Mimicking expert from the Southern Border, but Bai Yuan had almost no connection to the Southern Border. How could he accept this?

Yang Qiu glanced at the patriarch of the Celestial Halberd Race. "Not convinced?"

Seeing Yang Qiu’s smug look, the patriarch of the Celestial Halberd Race grew even more furious.

Fighting was out of the question; he knew his own limits.

Bai Yuan had held back with that last punch. Otherwise, a single blow would have been enough to obliterate his soul.

’So what if I’m not convinced?’

The patriarch of the Celestial Halberd Race didn’t have the guts to take another punch.

This sudden turn of events shattered the stalemate. A conflicted look appeared in the old patriarch’s eyes.

Under everyone’s gaze, the old patriarch bowed deeply. "The Demon-Seeking Lineage invites Mr. Bai to be our patriarch."

"!!!"

This time, everyone truly lost their composure.

Even the most respected old patriarch had chosen to submit.

An outsider had become the patriarch of two lineages.

"Good."

A faint smile touched Bai Yuan’s lips. With just that single, simple word, he helped the old patriarch to his feet.

Once the floodgates opened, there was no stopping it.

The eight clans of the Demon-Seeking Lineage had always followed the old patriarch’s lead. Since he had yielded, there was no reason for them to hold out. In an instant, six more clans requested that Bai Yuan become their patriarch.

Bai Yuan accepted them all.

In just a quarter of an hour, only the patriarch of the Celestial Halberd Race and the patriarchs of the two Demon-Controlling clans had yet to make a decision.

The patriarch of the Celestial Halberd Race gritted his teeth, dropped to the ground with a THUD, and said, "Patriarch, I was a muddled fool. Please grant me punishment."

Bai Yuan replied, "That punch was your punishment. Get up."

"Yes."

The burly patriarch of the Celestial Halberd Race was now as meek as a kitten.

He felt no shame for having knelt just now.

’If Bai Yuan wished, I’d even kowtow a few more times.’

Compared to the future of the Celestial Halberd Race, personal honor and disgrace were meaningless.

The last ones remaining—the old matriarch and the middle-aged man of the Demon-Controlling Race—exchanged a look, then bowed in unison. "We ask Mr. Bai to be the patriarch of the Demon-Controlling Lineage."

And just like that, Bai Yuan had effortlessly brought the Demon Hunters under his command.

The scene left even Zhou Siming stunned.

’That easily?’

Based on his understanding of the Demon Hunters’ prideful nature, he had expected this to be fraught with difficulties, not this simple.

It all started because of Yang Qiu.

Without him, perhaps after three days and some twists and turns, the Demon Hunters would have submitted to Bai Yuan anyway. After all, with the Witch Race watching them like a tiger, Bai Yuan was undoubtedly their best choice.

But Yang Qiu’s actions had accelerated the process.

Of course, Yang Qiu was no fool. He knew exactly what being a Great Achiever in the Demon-Mimicking Arts signified.

"We greet the Patriarch!"

In an instant, everyone before the Demon Hunters’ Ancestral Court knelt in unison.

Bai Yuan said, "All of you, rise."

When the crowd looked at the young man again, a new layer of awe filled their eyes.

Bai Yuan was able to bring the Demon Hunters under his command so easily not only due to the pressure from an external enemy like the Witch Race, but primarily because his own strength was overwhelming. Otherwise, even if Yang Qiu had made the first move, the others would not have followed suit so readily.

The old patriarch looked at Bai Yuan.

’My bow was the true final piece that sealed today’s outcome.’

He had done so because he felt that by making Bai Yuan the patriarch of the Demon Hunters, there would be a stronger bond between them after they went to the Northern Territory. If it were merely a cooperative relationship, things would be much more uncertain.

Besides, Bai Yuan had genuinely learned the ways of the Demon Hunters.

"In five days, you will leave the Southern Border with me."

"Yes!"

...

The eleven clans of the Demon Hunters lived on different mountains, separated by thousands of miles. Five days was not much time at all.

The Southern Border was the ancestral home of the Demon Hunters, and they naturally had many things to pack.

「During this time.」

Bai Yuan took up residence in the Ancestral Court.

Golden roofs, jade pillars, and jasper bricks—it was the pinnacle of luxury, clear evidence of the immense effort the Demon Hunters had poured into constructing their Ancestral Court in years past.

"This is Zhe Yi."

Zhou Siming said, pointing to the handsome and imposing statue of a man in the center of the Ancestral Court.

Bai Yuan looked up and saw a robust man clad in animal skins, holding a bow and arrow. What stood out the most was his pair of eyes.

Even as a mere sculpture, they were the most extraordinary eyes Bai Yuan had ever seen.

Clearly, the ancestors of the Demon Hunters had gone to great lengths to capture Zhe Yi’s divine spirit.

"Ancestor Zhe Yi is the supreme powerhouse of my Demon-Seeking Lineage."

The more Bai Yuan looked, the more fascinated he became.

Zhe Yi’s eyes seemed as if they could see through everything in the world, as if nothing could escape his gaze.

’As expected of a powerhouse qualified to step into the Martial Saint Realm.’

Bai Yuan was inwardly astonished.

’For the Demon Hunters to have survived in the Ancient Land for tens of thousands of years, they must truly have something unique.’

The Demon Hunters’ heritage was even more ancient than that of the Barbarian Race.

They had produced no small number of Divine Communication Powerhouses; their foundation was incredibly deep. It was only in the last few thousand years, with the rise of the Three Teachings, that the Demon Hunters had gradually declined.

"Ancestor Zhe Yi once said, ’Demon Hunting is a lesser path. God hunting is the Great Path!’"

God hunting!

Hearing these two words, Bai Yuan’s expression finally changed.

If those words truly came from Zhe Yi’s mouth, could it be that gods really exist in this world?

Or was it just an exaggeration on Zhe Yi’s part?

Just then, the old patriarch, Zhou Bai Ren, also walked over. "Patriarch, when our ancestor’s life was nearing its end, he resolutely left the Southern Border. He said he had seen the tracks of a god."