The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Chapter 252: Chapter 252: Upheaval

The once-quiet valley erupted into a cacophony.

Screams, the clash of blades, and furious shouts...

Bai Yuan was besieged by three of the Soul-Chasing Tower’s top experts. As he fought, he stealthily began to withdraw from the heart of the fray.

Everything was under his control.

The three assassins’ attacks were slowing, so subtly that they themselves hadn’t even noticed the change.

This was the subtle power of the Manggu Zhuhe Technique—using toxic energy to administer a poison that was impossible to guard against.

Bai Yuan glanced at the rest of the battlefield.

Yang Fangyu was locked in a bitter struggle with two Soul-Chasing Tower assassins.

But fighting two experts alone, Yang Fangyu was forced onto the defensive, with no chance to counterattack.

Elsewhere, Liao Zhong was locked in a one-on-one duel with a man in black robes, the two evenly matched.

The Soul-Chasing Tower had clearly planned this meticulously, assigning opponents based on skill. Liao Zhong was the weakest of the three allies, so they had only sent one assassin after him.

At the same time, they had specifically targeted the weaknesses of the Firearms Team and the Demon Cavalry. They deliberately chose this mountain forest with its poor sightlines as the battlefield. Here, the Soul-Chasing Tower’s assassins could use their Body Techniques to close the distance for melee combat, neutralizing their enemies’ advantages.

Bai Yuan’s expression grew even colder.

’The Soul-Chasing Tower was too well-prepared this time.’

He even suspected the Soul-Chasing Tower had deliberately caused the "Earth Dragon" tremors on the Official Road.

If this kept up, he could save himself, but the supplies they were escorting would surely be lost.

’Forget it. Staying alive is what matters.’

Bai Yuan made his decision almost instantly.

...

In the darkness.

A woman watched Bai Yuan from the shadows, her gaze like that of a venomous snake.

Han Min had not joined the three Soul-Chasing Tower experts in their attack. She remained hidden, lurking in the darkness.

As an assassin, she had to kill in a single, decisive blow. She was waiting for the perfect opportunity.

The moment Bai Yuan revealed an opening, she would kill him without hesitation and wash away her previous shame.

The scar on her face remained a terrifying sight.

Though the Soul-Chasing Tower had master physicians who could restore her face completely, she had refused the treatment. She kept the scar as a constant reminder of her quest for vengeance.

Now, her chance had finally come.

’The Soul-Chasing Tower has laid such a grand trap. There’s no way we’ll let Bai Yuan escape again.’

’Bai Yuan has many tricks up his sleeve, but in the face of absolute power, they’re nothing but parlor tricks.’

’Three Soul-Chasing Tower experts, plus me, the Soul Chasing Tower Lord... that young Sect Leader is doomed. He couldn’t escape even if he sprouted wings.’

’This man must die!’

Han Min’s aura surged, climbing to its absolute peak.

Bai Yuan, on the other hand, was beginning to buckle under the assault of the three experts.

Han Min finally spotted an opening. But just as she was about to strike, a voice rang out slowly.

"You Soul-Chasing Tower vermin deserve to die!"

Han Min spun around to see a dignified, middle-aged man facing her from a distance—it was none other than the Prefect of Lingzhou, Jiang Changping.

Jiang Changping stared at Han Min with a mocking sneer.

’Do they really think the Xuan Yang Court is full of incompetent fools?’

Du Qinghui had already used his influence in the Court to have the Astronomical Bureau divine that the Earth Dragon tremor was man-made. The divination had been so taxing that one of the Bureau’s Vice Directors suffered a terrifying backlash.

Since the Soul-Chasing Tower was plotting against them, Du Qinghui decided to beat them at their own game, using this as an opportunity to eliminate the Demon Sect’s experts in Ling Province and clip Kuaidong’s wings.

Han Min’s expression was glacial.

She hadn’t expected both of her nemeses to appear here tonight.

If it hadn’t been for Jiang Changping, she would have killed Bai Yuan years ago.

’Since they’re both here, I’ll settle all my scores, new and old, at once.’

Her rank on the Celestial Leaderboard was just below Jiang Changping’s. Tonight, she would see just how accurate that list truly was.

Han Min focused all her attention on Jiang Changping. Having recovered her peak strength, she was confident she was second to none.

’Killing a fifth-rank cultivator is nowhere near as satisfying as killing a third-rank.’

’And who’s to say the Soul-Chasing Tower doesn’t have more tricks up its sleeve?’

Just as Jiang Changping prepared to strike, a tremendous BOOM echoed from a nearby mountaintop.

A massive Pangolin, a full thirty feet tall, stood proudly on the peak. What was even more chilling was that a middle-aged man in gray robes was fighting the great Pangolin Demon, holding his own completely.

That was the Pangolin Demon that had created the terrifying tremors, the so-called Earth Dragon.

Jiang Changping gasped when he saw this.

’Dong Wanjun really is Ling Province’s finest,’ he thought. ’Even I would be no match for that Pangolin Demon.’

That’s right—this time, both of Ling Province’s only two third-rank experts had made their move.

Jiang Changping didn’t let his gaze linger on Dong Wanjun for long. He stared intently in another direction, at an old man built like an iron tower. His snow-white beard was like the ice of the Northern Plains, and his savage, primeval aura was suffocating.

The Northern Plains Iron Tower, Kuaidong!

Jiang Changping never imagined Kuaidong himself would take action.

Neither he nor Dong Wanjun were a match for Kuaidong as they were now.

Kuaidong stood quietly in the forest, his weather-beaten face twitching slightly. "Come out, Profound Person."

The words had barely left his mouth when a stooped, elderly man emerged from behind a tree in front of Kuaidong. It was the Shuofang Jiedu Envoy, Du Qinghui.

Du Qinghui stared coldly at Kuaidong.

He knew a battle between them was inevitable.

...

Bai Yuan took all of this in.

With Du Qinghui and Kuaidong now on the field, it was clear they intended to move the final battle forward.

The outcome of their duel would decide the future of Ling Province.

He had actually sensed Han Min’s presence long ago. That was why he had been fighting a retreating battle, even deliberately revealing a fake opening.

But with Jiang Changping, Old Dong, and Du Qinghui now involved, this was no longer a battle a mere fifth-rank like him could meddle in.

’I have to get out of this hornet’s nest.’

"Trying to run?"

A Soul-Chasing Tower assassin saw through Bai Yuan’s intentions and blocked his path with a slash of his saber.

CLANG!

With a sharp ring, the long saber in the assassin’s hand was effortlessly sliced in two by Bai Yuan.

An absurd thought flashed through the minds of all three assassins.

’This young man has been hiding his true strength all along!’

Bai Yuan’s eyes were cold. His Chaotic Blood Hidden Tiger Saber became a blur, enveloping the three men. At the same moment, the poison of the Manggu Zhuhe Technique erupted within them.

The three men in black robes stared at their own bodies in disbelief.

They couldn’t figure out when they had been poisoned. One of them was a poison expert himself, yet Bai Yuan had poisoned him silently and undetectably. And they had no antidote.

’Impossible!’

All three men’s eyes went wide.

They had never witnessed such terrifying techniques.

But Bai Yuan wasn’t about to give them time to be shocked.

Under the effects of the Demon Transformation Art, the power of his Chaotic Blood Hidden Tiger Saber surged by thirty percent—and that thirty percent sealed the fate of the three Soul-Chasing Tower experts.

Enhancement Points +3134

The long saber became a blur, reaping the life of one of the men in black.

The pupils of the remaining two men constricted at the sight. His level of strength was terrifying.

In that instant, they lost all will to fight.

If they kept fighting, they would both surely die.

Seeing the two men try to flee, Bai Yuan let out a furious roar and lunged forward.

Just as his saber was about to descend, one of the black-robed men shoved his companion.

Caught off guard, the man stumbled, creating several meters of distance between them—enough distance to seal his fate.

"AHH—"

The man roared, unwilling to accept his fate. He never imagined he would be betrayed by his own partner.

In the same instant, Bai Yuan’s saber cleaved him in two from head to toe.

Enhancement Points +3204

He glanced at the last black-robed man as he vanished into the darkness but had no intention of giving chase.

Bai Yuan quickly surveyed the battlefield.

Old Dong and the giant Pangolin Demon had already fought their way to a distant mountaintop; only the faint silhouette of the Pangolin Demon’s back could be seen.

Du Qinghui and Kuaidong were also nowhere to be seen.

Only Han Min and Jiang Changping were left, locked in a frenzied battle.

Bai Yuan’s mind raced. Gritting his teeth, he raised his saber and charged back into the battle.

Han Min had tried to kill him repeatedly. It was like the saying goes: it’s not the thief you fear, but the fact that he’s always thinking about you. Being targeted by a top-tier assassin from the Soul-Chasing Tower was enough to send a chill down even Bai Yuan’s spine. Worse, Han Min would almost certainly target Sister Qiao.

So Bai Yuan decided he had to eliminate that possibility entirely.

[In your 531st year of practicing the Demon Transformation Art, your progress in mimicking the Zhu Yan has reached thirteen percent.]

...

[In your 613th year of practicing the Demon Transformation Art, your progress in mimicking the Zhu Yan has reached sixteen percent.]

...

[In your 910th year of practicing the Demon Transformation Art, your progress in mimicking the Zhu Yan has reached twenty-seven percent.]

...

「Elsewhere.」

The longer Jiang Changping fought, the more alarmed he grew.

Han Min was far stronger than he had imagined. Her array of unpredictable hidden weapons had given him a great deal of trouble.

If they fought any longer, their ranks on the Celestial Leaderboard might have to be swapped.

A moment later, however, his expression turned to one of delight.

Han Min, on the other hand, frowned.

For at some point, Bai Yuan had appeared nearby, saber in hand.

Clearly, the three Soul-Chasing Tower experts were dead.

Han Min hadn’t expected Bai Yuan to kill three of the Soul-Chasing Tower’s top experts so quickly.

"Useless!"

She cursed inwardly.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Han Min abandoned her fight with Jiang Changping and shot toward the nearby forest. But Jiang Changping wasn’t about to let her escape so easily.

"Witch, don’t you dare run!"

Jiang Changping brought his long saber down ferociously toward Han Min’s back.

But then, something unbelievable happened. Right before Jiang Changping and Bai Yuan’s eyes, Han Min transformed into a cat!

Jiang Changping was stunned. "A Demon!"

He had never, ever imagined that the Soul Chasing Tower Lord was a Demon.

And an extremely rare one at that—one who could freely switch between human and demon forms.

’She hid it so well!’

For more than a decade, not a single person had known.

Having reverted to her true demonic form, Han Min’s speed increased by at least fifty percent.

She twisted in mid-air, reversed her course, and shot back to attack.

It all happened so fast that Jiang Changping had no time to dodge.

The claws of the Cat Demon she had become were lethal weapons. In a flash of black lightning, they tore a gaping, bloody hole in Jiang Changping’s right chest.

Jiang Changping coughed up a mouthful of blood. With the last of his strength, he landed a slash on the black cat before collapsing to the ground, his fate uncertain.

Bai Yuan rushed over and glanced at Jiang Changping on the ground.

’Not dead yet...’

He then looked at the bared fangs of the black cat.

Han Min had not chosen to flee. Instead, she intended to stay and kill Bai Yuan.

Bai Yuan wanted to kill her, and she felt exactly the same.

Now, having revealed her complete Demon form, Han Min was brimming with confidence.