The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

"Old Clan Leader, do gods really exist?"

Bai Yuan looked at the old clan leader.

"They do."

To Bai Yuan’s surprise, the old clan leader’s answer was firm and unequivocal. He had expected more vague, noncommittal words.

He had actually asked Elder Pei this question before.

’Without a Saint, a Divine Communication Powerhouse is the pinnacle of the mortal world.’

Yet even a Grand Celestial Master of the Daoist Sect like Elder Pei, who had spent his life pursuing ascension, couldn’t be certain in his heart.

Such conviction, like the old clan leader’s, was rare.

"Old Clan Leader, what makes you so certain?"

The old clan leader’s gaze grew profound. "The great sects of Xuan Yang often boast of their thousand- or ten-thousand-year histories. What they don’t realize is that our Demon Hunter lineage is the oldest in the world."

"The Demon Hunter’s lineage has never been broken. From the records our ancestors left behind, I can say with certainty that gods truly existed in this world, at least once."

"Our ancestor, Zhe Yi, left by following a divine calling."

Bai Yuan latched onto the key phrase. "A divine calling?"

"Yes," the old clan leader nodded. "Legend has it that as Ancestor Zhe Yi’s life neared its end, he would see an immortal land every time he dreamed. He was convinced it was the Divine Country, which is why he abandoned his home and traveled north in search of the gods."

Bai Yuan grew even more intrigued.

’Just as the old clan leader, Zhou Bai Ren, said, no great sect in this world has a history as deep as the Demon Hunters. I might just learn something unexpected.’

’God Hunter is a top-tier profession. Once I figure out how to use it properly, it’s sure to stun the world.’

"Did Ancestor Zhe Yi say where the gods were?"

The old clan leader shook his head. "He did not say. But he took with him the Divine Bone, which had been passed down among the Demon Hunters for generations. He left by following its guidance."

"The Divine Bone?!"

Bai Yuan was shocked. ’This is the closest thing to a god that I know of!’

"So where is the Divine Bone now?"

The old clan leader sounded regretful. "When Ancestor Zhe Yi disappeared, the Divine Bone vanished with him. The Demon Hunters have tried everything to find it, but even after several thousand years, there’s still no trace."

"..."

Bai Yuan felt a pang of regret as well.

’But a guess was already forming in his mind. If I can find the Divine Bone, I might be able to unlock the secrets of being a God Hunter.’

’As for whether gods truly exist, that’s a question I’ll only be qualified to explore after I reach the Martial Saint Realm.’

Legend had it that Grand Ancestor Emperor Xuanyang was similar; he too became obsessed with finding divine traces in his later years. Beyond him, there was that historically recorded Martial Saint, the great founding ancestor of the Demon Sect, who actually became a Demon God.

’Perhaps gods really do exist.’

The old clan leader went into the Ancestral Court and returned a full quarter of an hour later.

"Clan Leader, this is the weapon left behind by Ancestor Zhe Yi. It should have been kept by the Demon Hunting Clan Leader, but unworthy descendants split our people into eleven clans and fought over it endlessly. Ultimately, it had to be placed here in the Ancestral Court. Now that you have united the Demon Hunting lineage, it is only right that you become this weapon’s master."

As Bai Yuan stared at the divine bow in the old clan leader’s hands, his eyes gleamed with extraordinary light.

’Zhe Yi’s weapon!’

’As a powerhouse at the Peak of Divinity, his weapon would naturally be exceptional. Even with my current discernment, I can see how extraordinary it is. The material used for the bow’s frame seems to be some kind of Celestial Divine Iron, and most importantly, the bow shows no signs of forging.’

The old clan leader spoke at the opportune moment. "Clan Leader, this bow is called Sun-Shooting. Ancestor Zhe Yi chanced upon it at the Southern Border Celestial Vault Mountain. It was already in this state when he found it—perfectly and naturally formed. Our ancestor then used it as his weapon."

Bai Yuan took the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow from the old clan leader’s hands.

A closer look astonished him even more.

’The bowstring... it’s the tendon of a Tier Nine Great Demon!’

’Holy hell.’

’Worthy of the badass the Demon Hunters have revered for millennia.’

At first, he’d only had a vague impression of this ancestor’s combat prowess: Peak of Divinity, just one step shy of the Martial Saint Realm.

’Now it seems the caliber of his Divinity was unimaginably high.’

’Powerhouses at Mingxin Pass are hard to kill. Divinity Grandmasters are even harder.’

In the thousand years since Xuan Yang was founded, he had never heard of a single Divinity Grandmaster being killed by another person.

It had taken four Divinity Grandmasters to eliminate even a pseudo-Divinity practitioner like Li Chengyuan. A true Grandmaster would be even more difficult to kill.

’And yet, this Demon Hunter ancestor had actually slain a Tier Nine Great Demon—a creature comparable to a Divinity Grandmaster—and then skinned it and tore out its sinew to make a bowstring.’

’How utterly monstrous!’

Bai Yuan hadn’t expected to gain such an unexpected treasure on this trip. It was a huge windfall.

He hefted the divine bow, unable to bring himself to put it down.

The bow was very light, as if it had no weight at all. Just as Bai Yuan was about to try drawing the string, the old clan leader reminded him, "Clan Leader, no one can draw this bow. A Demon Hunter ancestor who had reached the Divine Communication realm once tried, but couldn’t move the string in the slightest. In eight thousand years, not a single person has been able to wield it."

Hearing the old clan leader’s words, Bai Yuan finally understood.

’No wonder the eleven Demon Hunting clans were willing to leave such a Divine Weapon in the Ancestral Court. It’s because they can only look at it, not use it.’

’In that case, no matter how precious the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow is, it’s useless.’

Bai Yuan had been wondering how the Demon Hunters, who had been weak for a millennium, could have held onto this Divine Weapon. ’Now it seems likely that aside from their own Divine Communication ancestor, plenty of other Divine Communication Powerhouses from Xuan Yang must have tried and failed as well.’

Nevertheless, he decided to give it a try.

He hooked the string with two fingers of his right hand and gripped the bow’s riser with his left.

His powerful muscles bulged abruptly. Bai Yuan, who already looked strong, suddenly seemed to double in size as power sufficient to move mountains flooded his arms.

He pushed his perfected Barbarian Body Technique to its absolute limit.

"OPEN!"

With a fierce roar, terrifying power shot from his feet into the ground.

The high mountain where the Ancestral Court stood actually began to tremble.

Watching this, the old clan leader, Zhou Siming, and the other Demon Hunters in the Ancestral Court all looked on in utter disbelief.