The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Chapter 253: Chapter 253: A Great Demon Appears

REEE!

A sharp screech escaped from the mouth of Han Min, who had transformed into a Cat Demon.

Her black fur stood on end, making her look like a black furball. But not even the most devoted cat lover would find her the least bit cute. She was simply a messenger from hell.

Savage, terrifying...

Bai Yuan snorted coldly. He gripped his saber with both hands, dragging it along the ground as he charged, arriving before Han Min in an instant.

He swung the long saber up from the ground in a wide arc, bringing it crashing down.

The Cat Demon that was Han Min tapped its paws lightly on the ground, dodging the swift blow. Sharp claws extended from its soft pads, swiping at Bai Yuan’s throat.

Suddenly, the croak of a toad came from Bai Yuan’s mouth.

GWOAK!

Then, a large glob of poisonous liquid shot from his mouth, splashing toward Han Min.

The black cat’s fur was doused with the poison. A SIZZLING sound immediately erupted as large patches of fur fell away, revealing mottled flesh beneath. It was a wretched sight.

Han Min stared at Bai Yuan in shock.

’To think such a terrifying poison could be stored inside the body! This method of using poison is simply unheard of.’

She had long known that Bai Yuan was a master of poison, but she never expected him to possess such a bizarre technique. If her demon body hadn’t been far stronger than that of an ordinary Martial Artist, that splash of poison would have been enough to kill her.

Bai Yuan pressed his advantage, his Chaotic Blood Hidden Tiger Saber becoming a phantom image as it slashed down at the black cat.

After transforming into her Cat Demon form, Han Min’s agility had skyrocketed, allowing her to actually dodge Bai Yuan’s saber.

She dodged and weaved across the ground. No matter how fast Bai Yuan’s saber was, he couldn’t touch a single hair on her body.

This was the source of her confidence, why she dared to try and kill Bai Yuan even while severely injured.

’Since I’ve already revealed my trump card, I have to make the most of it. Otherwise, if Bai Yuan becomes guarded, killing him next time will be immensely more difficult.’

In just ten breaths of time, Bai Yuan and Han Min had exchanged over a hundred moves.

Only Bai Yuan’s fast saber could sustain such a high-intensity battle.

Finally, Han Min found an opening. She transformed into a streak of black light and shot toward Bai Yuan’s right side. If her claws made contact, half his body would likely be torn to shreds.

But just then—

Han Min felt as if the Bai Yuan before her had transformed into a ferocious beast from the Ancient Era. A primordial aura washed over her, making her breath catch in her throat.

Demon-Acting Skill: Zhu Yan!

The Zhu Yan was a notoriously savage great demon from the Ancient Era.

Just moments ago, Bai Yuan had raised his imitation level to twenty-seven percent, making his aura even purer than that of a true descendant like Xiaoqing of the Soaring Snakes.

As a Cat Demon, Han Min was naturally suppressed by an ancestral demon like the Zhu Yan.

She stared at Bai Yuan in disbelief, her body frozen stiff in mid-air.

Bai Yuan seized the opportunity. The terrifying power of the Zhu Yan, combined with his Chaotic Blood Hidden Tiger Saber, came crashing down!

The black cat was smashed out of the air by the long saber, its head split halfway open.

She was lucky her demon body made her skull hard enough; otherwise, that single strike would have cleaved her in two.

Even so, she had no strength left to fight. She couldn’t even get back on her feet.

Han Min stared intently at Bai Yuan.

She knew about Bai Yuan’s methods as a Demon Hunter, but she never imagined that he was not only skilled at tracking demons but had also mastered the Demon-Acting Skill to such a profound level.

’How can such a monstrous genius exist in this world?!’

’His comprehension is simply heaven-defying.’

Han Min slowly closed her eyes. She didn’t feel a trace of regret.

’My skills were simply inferior.’

As an Assassin, she had long been prepared to die at any moment. Perhaps being killed by another was the ultimate fate of every Assassin.

She, a Demon, had managed to lie low in the human world for decades and even became the Soul Chasing Tower Lord. It was a life without regrets.

Bai Yuan walked over to Han Min and swung his long saber down, smashing it heavily onto the black cat’s skull.

Enhancement Points +6009

Han Min, dead!

Bai Yuan looked at the enhancement points on the panel, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

"Add points!"

[You have cultivated the Demon-Acting Skill for nine hundred and thirty-eight years. Your Zhu Yan imitation progress has reached twenty-nine percent.]

...

[You have cultivated the Demon-Acting Skill for one thousand one hundred and eleven years. Your Zhu Yan imitation progress has reached thirty-five percent.]

...

[You have cultivated the Demon-Acting Skill for one thousand five hundred and fifty years. Your Zhu Yan imitation progress has reached fifty percent.]

[Name: Bai Yuan]

[Class: Demon Hunter, Sword Ghost, Boxer, Spirit Cooker, Skin Painter]

[Skills: Chaotic Blood Hidden Tiger Saber (Proficient), Manggu Zhuhe Technique (Beginner), Demon-Acting Skill (Master), Spirit Extraction (Master), Spirit-Seizing Technique (Master)...]

[Enhancement Points: 341]

The Demon-Acting Skill had been upgraded to the Master level in one go.

Bai Yuan felt the changes in his Demon-Acting Skill.

’What a stroke of fortune. An immense stroke of fortune!’

Normally, these experts from the Soul-Chasing Tower were more slippery than eels. It wasn’t easy to find so many powerful individuals at once.

Let alone killing an expert on the level of the Soul Chasing Tower Lord.

But Bai Yuan didn’t let it go to his head.

He quickly scanned the battlefield.

Old Dong and the giant Pangolin had vanished.

Du Qinghui and Kuaidong were also gone.

Bai Yuan gritted his teeth. Although he knew that Kuaidong or the Pangolin could return at any moment and put him in danger, he couldn’t just stand by and watch what happened to Yang Fangyu and the others.

He steeled himself, took a deep breath, and charged back into the fray.

With Bai Yuan’s help, the pressure on Yang Fangyu was greatly reduced.

Seeing that they were outmatched, the two Soul-Chasing Tower Assassins could only retreat.

Bai Yuan then rescued Liao Zhong as well.

Finally, he shouldered Jiang Changping and fled down the mountain.

...

A quarter of an hour later, the four of them reached the foot of the mountain.

"Nephew Bai, thank you for saving my life."

Jiang Changping said weakly.

If it weren’t for Bai Yuan today, he would have been more than just severely injured. Han Min in her Cat Demon form was truly powerful.

Bai Yuan waved his hand. "It was my duty."

When he fought Han Min, Jiang Changping was already severely injured and unconscious, so he didn’t know that Bai Yuan had killed her.

Jiang Changping looked at the sky. "The Ling Province Demon Cavalry should be here by now."

Hearing this, Bai Yuan and the other two breathed a long sigh of relief.

Ling Province had a total of one thousand Demon Cavalry. Yang Fangyu had borrowed three hundred, and now with the arrival of the remaining seven hundred, the crisis was considered resolved.

Jiang Changping pondered for a moment. "Let’s leave this place of trouble first."

In their current state, the four of them had no ability to intervene in the other battles, whether it was Dong Wanjun’s or Du Qinghui’s. It was better to leave sooner rather than later.

Bai Yuan nodded.

Since they had Jiang Changping’s order, they had no more worries holding them back.

...

「Dawn broke.」

The chaotic night finally came to an end.

As the seven hundred Demon Cavalry charged powerfully onto the battlefield, the Soul-Chasing Tower Assassins could only flee at the sight of them.

The good news: the grain and fodder were safe.

The bad news: there was still no word from Dong Wanjun or Du Qinghui.

Having recovered some of his strength, Jiang Changping ordered the Ling Province Demon Cavalry to continue escorting the supply convoy.

After the great battle, it was difficult for the Soul-Chasing Tower Assassins to organize another effective attack on the supply convoy.

Furthermore, with Kuaidong absent and Han Min dead, there was no one left who could mobilize so many Soul-Chasing Tower Assassins.

Soon, the supply convoy was back on the Official Road.

The allied forces of Ling Province’s various factions, who were already waiting there, took over escort duty from the Demon Cavalry.

Seeing the supply convoy safely on its way, Jiang Changping finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although they had used the supply convoy as bait this time, he couldn’t have afforded to take responsibility if something had happened to the grain and fodder.

Leaning on an Official from the Lingzhou Prefecture Magistrate’s Office for support, Jiang Changping looked back at the mountain forest behind them, his face filled with worry.

’I wonder how the battles with Du Qinghui and Dong Wanjun are going?’

That was where the true outcome of this decisive battle would be determined.

...

「It was not until noon.」

Just as Jiang Changping was about to lose his patience and lead his men back into the forest, a middle-aged man in a gray robe finally appeared by the side of the Official Road.

"Lord Dong!"

When Jiang Changping saw Dong Wanjun appear, the heavy stone in his heart finally settled.

Since Dong Wanjun was here, it meant that the Pangolin Demon had, at the very least, been defeated.

"Where is Lord Du?"

Jiang Changping asked, looking behind Dong Wanjun with confusion.

Dong Wanjun’s expression was calm. Despite his fight with the Pangolin Demon, he didn’t look too disheveled, aside from a few rips in his clothes.

"Lord Jiang, come with me."

"Bai Yuan, you come too."

Bai Yuan, who was standing to the side, hadn’t expected Old Dong to call him over. He had no choice but to follow Old Dong into the forest.

Dong Wanjun led Bai Yuan and the other man about a hundred meters before stopping in front of a large tree.

When Bai Yuan and Jiang Changping saw the old man lying at the base of the tree, they both sucked in a sharp breath.

That man was none other than the Shuofang Jiedu Envoy, Du Qinghui.

However, the current Du Qinghui no longer had his former imposing and domineering aura. His body was covered in wounds, and one of his arms had been brutally torn off. The wound was still bleeding profusely, and he was unconscious.

Dong Wanjun said, "Mr. Du is severely injured."

Seeing Du Qinghui, both Bai Yuan’s and Jiang Changping’s hearts sank.

Du Qinghui was the undisputed pillar of Ling Province. With him severely injured, there was no one left who could stand against Kuaidong.

Jiang Changping looked at Dong Wanjun. "Lord Dong, what on earth happened?"

Dong Wanjun said, "After I killed the Pangolin, I rushed to Mr. Du’s location. By the time I arrived, Mr. Du was already severely injured, and Kuaidong was wounded as well. He fled the moment he saw me."

Old Dong spoke in a nonchalant, understated manner.

But to Bai Yuan and Jiang Changping, his words were like a clap of thunder.

The Pangolin Demon had been killed outright by Dong Wanjun!

For the first time, Jiang Changping realized the gap between him and Dong Wanjun was even greater than he had imagined.

Moreover, Kuaidong and Du Qinghui had clearly reached a life-or-death point in their battle. Kuaidong wouldn’t have retreated so easily.

There was only one reason for Kuaidong’s departure: he was wary of Dong Wanjun!

At this thought, Jiang Changping’s expression grew dim.

The Xuan Yang Empire was founded on martial prowess. To win fame and glory, one had to possess sufficient strength. Otherwise, one would be unworthy of their rank.

Jiang Changping’s current rank of Senior Third-Grade was already the highest his current strength could justify. To advance further, he would have to break through to a new realm.

But the Martial Dao was arduous. How could a breakthrough be so simple?

Based on the strength Dong Wanjun had displayed, his potential was clearly greater than his own, and his future official career would naturally be more expansive.

Bai Yuan’s heart sank as he looked at the unconscious Du Qinghui.

Du Qinghui was grievously injured; he clearly wouldn’t recover anytime soon.

According to Old Dong, Kuaidong’s injuries were lighter, so he would naturally recover faster.

Without this great Jiedu Envoy, Ling Province’s situation would only become more difficult.

The great mansion was about to collapse. Who could possibly turn the tide?