The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Chapter 418: Chapter 401: Jiu Moshi (Part 2)

This was because cultivating the lungs held great significance for a Martial Artist.

The Supreme Purity Record had a purifying effect, and after integrating with the Lung Divine Mansion, it gained the special ability to refine the impurities from the very air of heaven and earth.

Bai Yuan’s chest rose and fell as he drew great gulps of the mountain air into his lungs.

The Supreme Purity Record circulated automatically, filtering out impurities. It was practically an air purifier.

As Bai Yuan felt the changes within his body, his eyes lit up.

The purifying effect was more powerful than he had imagined. He could feel his body subtly transforming.

While the transformation wasn’t drastic, he knew that over time, it would accumulate into a miraculous change. His abysmal innate talent was bound to improve because of this!

’This is heaven-defying!’

Bai Yuan was ecstatic. He had never imagined that merging the Supreme Purity Record with the Divine Mansion Technique would yield such unforeseen advantages.

’With this cultivation technique, the longer I live, the stronger my innate talent will grow!’

Bai Yuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

He strode down the mountain.

The human body’s internal organs were profoundly mysterious. Not even the most sophisticated instruments from his past life could fully fathom all their secrets. The third layer of the Divine Mansion Technique used the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and stomach as the foundation for its Divine Mansions, and the results were astonishingly effective.

These six organs were the most mysterious locations within the body; even the ancient immortal cultivators had used them as their ultimate foundation.

Only later, when the Martial Dao rose to prominence, did this practice gradually fall into obscurity.

’If I open the remaining five Divine Mansions, I could probably beat Kuaidong to death.’

Bai Yuan’s hard work had finally paid off.

...

The Bai Mansion was as empty as ever.

Aside from the light in Yue Xiaobai’s room, all the other rooms were long dark.

Bai Yuan returned to the Bai Mansion from the mountains.

He had now opened nine Divine Mansions and planned to use the Divine Palace to hone his skills before practicing other cultivation techniques.

When it came to cultivation techniques, Bai Yuan was now absurdly wealthy; he had nothing to worry about on that front.

Bai Yuan’s life settled back into a peaceful routine.

His days were spent getting beaten up by Kuaidong in the Divine Palace or performing breathing exercises to improve his innate talent. He was happily occupied.

...

「On this day.」

The Prefect of Binzhou, Tang Baichuan, came to his door.

It turned out that through his mediation, several Jianghu sects from other prefectures had voluntarily offered their allegiance. Their only condition was to speak with Bai Yuan in person.

Bai Yuan agreed immediately.

Those three sects might have been average in strength, but their surrender was extraordinarily significant.

Previously, all the other sects had been subjugated through brute force. This was the first time any had submitted willingly.

Naturally, Bai Yuan had to treat this precedent-setting event with great importance.

’These people want to meet me for one reason and one reason only: to get something out of it.’

That night, Bai Yuan went with Tang Baichuan to the finest restaurant in Binzhou, where a banquet was already prepared.

Bai Yuan wasn’t worried they were setting a trap.

’After all, besides the Celestial Profound Sect, no one in the entire Northern Territory has the power to pull it off. It’s an act of mercy that *I’m* not the one setting the trap. Could someone really try to turn the tables on me?’

’Reversing the celestial order, are they?’

Bai Yuan was powerful enough now. That was the source of his confidence in attending the banquet alone.

Tang Baichuan led him to the top floor of the restaurant, where he saw three middle-aged men already seated in a private room.

The three men had powerful auras; they were all experts of the Perception Realm.

"Lord Bai!" the three men chorused as they saw Bai Yuan appear, rising to their feet in unison to greet him.

Bai Yuan simply gave a faint smile.

After everyone was seated, Tang Baichuan, the intermediary, was the first to speak and break the ice.

"Lord Bai, this is Feng Jianbo, Sect Leader of the Hundred Swords Sect from Ningzhou."

"This is Gao Ming, Sect Leader of the Phoenix Feather Sect from Ganzhou."

"And this is Zhu Ting, Sect Leader of the Divine Spear Sect from Pingzhou."

Bai Yuan nodded to each in turn, acknowledging the introductions.

Feng Jianbo raised his wine cup. "I have long heard of Lord Bai’s formidable reputation. Seeing you today, I can tell the rumors don’t do you justice."

With that, without any of the usual platitudes like "I’ll drain my cup, but you can drink as you please," he tilted his head back and downed the wine in one go.

Bai Yuan smiled faintly, then raised his own cup and drained it as well.

Seeing Bai Yuan’s willingness to drink, the three men relaxed inwardly. For them, this was a promising sign.

If Lord Bai proved intractable, they would be completely helpless.

They were in a weak position. Bai Yuan was a formidable man, capable of contending with a Brightheart Realm expert. They had no real grounds to negotiate.

If Bai Yuan were to actually visit their prefectures and they dared to resist, their sects would undoubtedly collapse and scatter.

That was why the three of them had decided to come and offer their allegiance together, hoping to secure a favorable position for themselves beforehand.

Bai Yuan said, "You three are all renowned figures in the Northern Border Martial World. I should have met with you all before, but unfortunately, official business has kept me occupied."

The three of them felt a chill upon hearing his words.

The last thing they wanted was for Bai Yuan to pay them a visit.

The sects that had faced that situation before had suffered many casualties, were ultimately forcibly assimilated, and several of their Sect Leaders had been killed.

Gao Ming forced a smile. "Lord Bai, we three all admire your reputation. We will undoubtedly support whatever the Court decides to do."

Bai Yuan’s smile was knowing. "Gentlemen, let’s be direct. You can ask for anything, as long as it’s within my power to give."

At his words, Gao Ming and the other two exchanged a look, seeing the ecstasy in each other’s eyes.

They had originally thought they would have to go through a great deal of posturing before getting to the point; they hadn’t expected Bai Yuan to be so direct.

Bai Yuan continued to lean back comfortably on the soft couch, awaiting their response.

He was the one in control now. Being in a position of power naturally changed one’s mindset.

Feng Jianbo took a deep breath. "Lord Bai, we three humbly dare to request that you become the Supreme Elder of our three sects."

Bai Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly.

This request was somewhat unexpected.

’I thought they would ask for cultivation techniques, medicinal pills, or failing that, an official position.’

’Clever.’

These three sects weren’t the strongest in their respective prefectures to begin with. If they could make Bai Yuan their Supreme Elder, then even after handing their Household Registers over to the Court, they could still do as they pleased in the Northern Territory.

In the end, the Court was primarily concerned with the major Jianghu sects. Dealing with small fries like the Hundred Swords Sect was merely a matter of convenience.

Feng Jianbo and the others had conferred. Since their three sects were already on bad terms with the Celestial Profound Sect and constantly suppressed by them, they figured it was better to go all-in and throw their lot in with the Court to seek the greatest possible benefit.

Under their eager gazes, Bai Yuan smiled faintly. "Agreed."

Hearing Bai Yuan’s reply, the three men’s faces lit up with ecstasy.

’It worked!’

Bai Yuan raised his wine cup.

"Then let’s toast to a pleasant partnership."

...

The night grew deep.

Bai Yuan left the restaurant alone and headed back toward his mansion.

’If a mere title can achieve this, I’m more than happy to give it. If this encourages other sects suppressed by the Celestial Profound Sect to pledge their allegiance, that would be another major achievement for me.’

’Reputation is useless to me; true strength is all that matters.’

The Court’s purge of the Jianghu wasn’t about annihilating every sect in the land. It was about preventing these factions from growing too powerful.

It was the same principle as reducing the power of feudal vassals.

Bai Yuan returned to the Bai Mansion.

Just as he was about to step over the threshold, his brow furrowed slightly.

He had sensed an aura that gave even him pause.

The person was exceptionally well-hidden. Only because opening nine Divine Mansions had greatly awakened his body’s potential, making his lungs acutely sensitive to unique auras, was he able to detect anything at all. Otherwise, he would have been completely oblivious.

’Interesting.’

Bai Yuan’s expression returned to normal. He was very curious about the identity of this spy.

After all, the only person in the entire Northern Territory with this level of power was likely Linghu Yang, the Sect Leader of the Celestial Profound Sect.

’If it really is Linghu Yang, then that’s even better.’

’With my current strength, I can’t beat him, but it would be impossible for him to kill me, either.’

’The moment Linghu Yang makes a move, my Master—who should have already traveled south from Jiangnan to inspect the Southern Garrison Army—will have another excuse to pay the Celestial Profound Sect a personal visit.’

The Celestial Profound Sect daring to attack the Court’s Right Chief Imperial Censor... That would be like touching a dragon’s reverse scale, a line the Court would not allow to be crossed.

’That would be the perfect casus belli.’

’Even if Xu Dingchun brought an army to flatten the Celestial Profound Sect, it wouldn’t have the slightest negative impact on Xuan Yang’s destiny.’

Bai Yuan returned to his room.

His figure vanished once more.

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