The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Chapter 321: Chapter 313: Soul Art

「The next day.」

Bai Yuan led his men back to Huanglong Prefecture first.

The death of a Prefect in Ling Province was a major event. He had to return to Huanglong Prefecture first to prevent Kong Sen from using the opportunity to stir up trouble.

As for the Chen Family... the severity of this incident was far less than the previous one.

There were two simple reasons: first, the Chen Family hadn’t been completely annihilated, and second, their strength was nowhere near that of the Longevity Palace.

He wouldn’t need Yan Shao’an; Bai Yuan, as the Prefect of Ling Province, was more than enough to suppress the matter.

Although the Imperial Censors at Court would inevitably submit a few more impeachment memorials after hearing the news, for the current Bai Yuan, it was like having so many lice that the bites no longer itched. It couldn’t cause him any real harm.

What Bai Yuan hadn’t expected was that Kong Sen had already learned of the news from Jingyang Prefecture, yet he showed no concern whatsoever.

This was rather out of character for him.

Since Kong Sen didn’t plan to use the situation to cause trouble, Bai Yuan was spared a great deal of hassle and was happy to have the peace and quiet.

News about Ma Hong had already been sent to Ling Province; he just had to wait for Yan Shao’an’s reply.

All things considered, Ma Hong had died in the line of duty, so his family should receive a handsome reward. Of course, compared to the protection of a Prefect, it was hardly worth mentioning.

Bai Yuan first made a trip to the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office.

When he found there was actually nothing for him to do, he returned to the Peach Fragrance Inn.

This time, he took the initiative to knock on the old Daoist’s door.

The old Daoist was slower to open the door than before. A full incense stick’s worth of time passed before he finally pushed the door open from the inside.

"Daoist, I have some questions I hope you can answer for me."

The old Daoist seemed to have expected Bai Yuan’s question. He simply turned sideways, allowing Bai Yuan to enter the room.

Bai Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony and stepped into the room.

The old Daoist’s room was no different from any other in the inn.

The old Daoist had lived in this room for quite some time, yet the furnishings were almost untouched. The only change was probably the slight indentation on the bed.

In other words, aside from meditating all day, the old Daoist had done nothing else.

’A Divinity Grandmaster, through and through!’

Bai Yuan praised him silently.

It is said that to clarify the mind, one must trap the heart’s monkey and tie the will’s horse. But people like the old Daoist before him, who could pass such long periods with only a single lamp for company, virtually cut off from the world, were truly rare.

At the very least, Bai Yuan knew he couldn’t achieve such a state of serene detachment.

In the center of the room was a table with two round stools on either side.

Bai Yuan and the old Daoist sat facing each other.

After they were seated, the old Daoist finally spoke slowly, "You’ve met the demon seed again?"

Surprise flashed in Bai Yuan’s eyes, and he nodded.

The old Daoist said, "It seems you have some fate with that demon seed."

Bai Yuan said, "Daoist, I originally went to the Jingyang Mine to handle a demonic beast disaster, but I didn’t expect the demon seed to have turned everyone in the mine into Demon Slaves."

"I see. I sensed the aura of a demonic explosion on you."

Bai Yuan nodded. "Daoist, you truly are a master."

He didn’t hesitate to flatter the old Daoist.

A Divinity Grandmaster was naturally worthy of a little praise from him.

The old Daoist seemed to ignore Bai Yuan’s flattery and continued, "Your physique is strong enough, and that demon seed has yet to fully mature. The demonic explosion couldn’t do anything to you."

Bai Yuan thought of Chen Liu’s state, and was suddenly reminded of Long Ao, and the Demon Soul Technique.

Speaking of which, he had never once cultivated the Demon Soul Technique since he and Lu Yu had obtained it.

"Daoist, is there really a technique in this world that can bring the dead back to life?"

Hearing Bai Yuan’s question, the old Daoist remained calm. "You must be talking about the Demon Soul Technique, aren’t you?"

Bai Yuan was pleasantly surprised. "You know of this technique too, Daoist?"

The old Daoist nodded. "It is the most infamous method of the Celestial Heart Sect. How could I not know of it?"

"So the Demon Soul Technique really can bring the dead back to life?"

Bai Yuan pressed.

He had always kept the Demon Soul Technique in mind. If even the old Daoist said it could be cultivated, then he would get his hands on it, even if it meant defying heaven and reason. After all, it meant an extra life.

The old Daoist sneered, "How could such a heaven-defying ability exist in this world? If the Demon Soul Technique were truly that powerful, wouldn’t the Grand Ancestor Emperor and the Founding Ancestor of the Demon Sect have achieved immortality long ago?"

Bai Yuan naturally understood this logic, but he couldn’t give up hope.

"Have you ever heard of the nine spirits?"

Bai Yuan involuntarily sat up straighter. "Of course I have."

The so-called nine spirits were an existence one could only come into contact with after reaching the Divinity realm.

The old Daoist said in a clear voice, "The nine spirits are nothing more than a manifestation of a Martial Artist’s own strength and the consolidation of their soul. It’s not that mysterious. At its core, the Demon Soul Technique is just a method of forcefully stimulating the soul’s power by ’eating next year’s grain,’ overdrafting one’s potential to parasitize another and cling to a wretched existence. It is far from being as mystical as the rumors claim."

Bai Yuan was shocked. "So souls really do exist in this world?!"

The old Daoist nodded. "Naturally."

This was common knowledge in the eyes of a Divinity Grandmaster, but matters of the soul were too ethereal and indistinct. Therefore, there was no point in speaking of them before one reached the Divinity Communication Barrier.

It was only because the Demon Soul Technique was mentioned today that the old Daoist was willing to say a few more words.

Bai Yuan fell into thought.

’According to the old Daoist, Long Ao’s previous ’resurrection’ was, at its core, just forcefully stimulating his soul’s potential and using Demonic Qi to inject his soul into another’s body.’

’But because of this, it would be almost impossible for Long Ao to return to his peak. His lifespan must also be nearly depleted. That’s why the old Daoist described it as ’clinging to a wretched existence.’’

The old Daoist glanced at Bai Yuan. "The Demon Soul Technique is a wicked and heretical path. Do not stray onto it."

Bai Yuan gave a hollow laugh. "Of course not."

"The demon seed’s methods are actually quite similar to the Demon Soul Technique. The demon seed’s soul is incredibly powerful, so it can casually split off a wisp of its soul to forcibly crush another person’s, turning them into a Demon Slave. When necessary, it can detonate them directly, and the power is considerable."

Bai Yuan agreed.

’It was only because his defenses were high enough. If it had been Kong Sen, even if he didn’t die, he would have likely been half-crippled by the blast.’

Bai Yuan asked, "Daoist, since the demon seed has already appeared, why haven’t you gone to capture it?"

The old Daoist smiled faintly. "I am already capturing it."

’I see,’ Bai Yuan thought. ’The old Daoist’s separated body must have already left Huanglong City.’

’What a useful thing to have.’

’One person doing the work of two.’

’If I had the ability to create a separated body, wouldn’t that be like having two of me farming mobs?’

The more Bai Yuan thought about it, the more excited he became.

The old Daoist seemed to see through Bai Yuan’s thoughts. "You want to learn?"

Bai Yuan nodded.

"Haha, as long as you’re willing to become my disciple, you can have it."

"..."

’Here we go again...’

This time, Bai Yuan was actually tempted to agree.

But after some thought, he realized that even if the old Daoist taught him the Body Separation Technique, he likely wouldn’t be able to use it at his current realm.

’Most likely, I would need the support of the so-called nine spirits to do it.’

Seeing that Bai Yuan didn’t take the bait, the old Daoist said, "Your fate is entangled with that demon seed. You must be more careful in the future."

"Thank you for the reminder, Daoist."

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