"Old Zhou?"

Hearing Zhou Siming’s voice, Bai Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

He stepped into the small courtyard.

There, he saw Zhou Siming standing in the courtyard, dressed in a sheepskin coat.

Zhou Siming was a Demon Hunter, and an Entering Martial Artist at that. With a Demon Hunter’s movement techniques, almost no one in the entire Divine Mansion Sect could detect his presence, save for a few individuals like Murong Tian and Dong Wanjun.

Infiltrating Wan Jun Peak was an effortless task.

A Demon Hunter might not be a match for a conventional Martial Artist in a direct confrontation, but when it came to other abilities, Martial Artists were a world behind, and this gap wasn’t limited to just Demon Hunting.

"Did you get chased back by the other Demon Hunters?"

Hearing Bai Yuan’s words, the corner of Zhou Siming’s mouth twitched.

’Why does this apprentice of mine sound just like that Old Thief Dong?’

’So damn annoying.’

"I’m leaving Ling Province tomorrow."

"Leaving again?"

Bai Yuan was a little surprised.

He had already heard from You Shengnan that Zhou Siming and Old Dong had joined forces to kill one of the Soul-Chasing Tower’s lords. He’d assumed Zhou Siming planned to retire in Huanglong Prefecture, so he was surprised to hear he was leaving again.

Zhou Siming nodded.

At the same time, he took a faded scroll from within his robes. Three words could be faintly seen on it—*Demonic Aura Induction*.

’A Demon Hunter’s Cultivation Technique!’

Bai Yuan’s eyes lit up when he saw the scroll.

His system could, with the passage of time, turn a mediocre Cultivation Technique into something miraculous. The only prerequisite was that he needed a Cultivation Technique to start with.

Demon Hunters were different from Martial Artists. They were few in number, and their teachings were exceedingly rare.

The few Demon Hunter Cultivation Techniques Old Dong possessed were merely elementary primers, of little value to Bai Yuan, who was already a master at tracking demons.

As a result, Bai Yuan’s Demon Hunter skills had been stuck at the master level. This *Demonic Aura Induction* from Zhou Siming was a godsend.

"Study it well. Don’t let people look down on us Demon Hunters."

He had brought this *Demonic Aura Induction* from the Demon Hunters’ ancestral hall.

In truth, he had returned to Huanglong Prefecture just to give this *Demonic Aura Induction* to Bai Yuan. That way, even if he were to die today, the lineage would at least not be broken.

The older one gets, the more one values legacy.

In the past, he had considered legacy to be worthless. As long as he himself learned the skills, why should he care whether future generations lived or died?

But Zhou Siming never thought he would grow so soft-hearted in his old age. He couldn’t bear to see the precious knowledge of the Demon Hunters die with him, which was why he had returned to Huanglong Prefecture.

A warmth spread through Bai Yuan’s heart.

He even felt a little guilty.

’If I’d known Old Zhou was like this, I would’ve killed him fewer times in the simulation.’

Just then, Sister Qiao, who was inside the house, heard the two men talking outside and pushed open the door to come out.

Zhou Siming’s eyes suddenly narrowed. "This young woman," he said out of the blue, "is she in symbiosis with your Little Cyan Snake?"

Bai Yuan nodded.

Zhou Siming’s knowledge of demons even surpassed his own, so it wasn’t surprising that he could see the symbiotic relationship between Sister Qiao and Xiaoqing.

"This little snake of yours is quite interesting."

Zhou Siming looked intrigued.

Bai Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Xiaoqing was a Three-Metamorphosis Snake Demon, which was naturally extraordinary, but this alone wasn’t enough to warrant the attention of a great Demon Hunter like Zhou Siming.

"I can sense the aura of a Soaring Snake on this little one."

"A Soaring Snake?!" Bai Yuan exclaimed.

He knew of the Soaring Snake; its image was depicted in the Ten Thousand Demons Painting that Zhou Siming had given him.

However, the Soaring Snake had gone extinct ten thousand years ago.

According to Zhou Siming, the number of demons in the world ten thousand years ago was far greater than it is today. Back then, the ancient peoples hunted demons for food, which was the origin of the first Demon Hunters. Therefore, strictly speaking, the Ten Thousand Demons Painting was actually a cookbook.

As for the now-extinct demons in the Ten Thousand Demons Painting, they had most likely been eaten into extinction by those ancestors.

The Soaring Snake was one of the ancient, exotic species eaten into extinction by their forefathers.

"To be in symbiosis with a demon that has the bloodline of an ancient, exotic species... such a situation is truly rare."

Zhou Siming couldn’t help but marvel at it.

It was already rare for a demon to willingly enter into symbiosis, but for that demon to be a descendant of an ancient, exotic species was even rarer.

From a Demon Hunter’s perspective, Sister Qiao was prime material for becoming one herself.

"As it happens, I know someone who is an expert in these things."

"If you’re willing, I can make the introduction and have this young lady of yours become her disciple."

"She’s a woman, but she isn’t in Ling Province."

Zhou Siming made sure to add that last part.

Hearing this, both Bai Yuan and Sister Qiao looked surprised.

"She’s willing."

Before Sister Qiao could even speak, Bai Yuan had already accepted on her behalf.

If it had been anyone else, he might have hesitated, worried about ulterior motives. But with Zhou Siming, he had no such concerns.

Anyone praised by Zhou Siming must be an expert of a similar caliber.

For Sister Qiao, this was a stroke of incredible fortune.

Xiao Qiaoniang swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. If she wanted to one day stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Bai Yuan, she had to seize this opportunity.

’A one-sided dependency is not a sustainable path in the long run.’

She gave a slight nod.

"Very good," Zhou Siming said. "Come find me at the wooden cabin outside the city tomorrow."

He wasn’t one for pleasantries. He was only willing to make the connection out of an appreciation for talent; for a young woman with her aptitude not to become a Demon Hunter would be a criminal waste.

Given the current situation of Demon Hunters, every genius should be cherished.

The older he got, the less he could bear to see such waste.

Zhou Siming shook his head.

If it were back in the day, he wouldn’t have given even the most talented Demon Hunter a second glance.

’In the end, I’m just getting old.’

Just as he was about to head down the mountain—

A middle-aged man and a young man appeared outside Bai Yuan’s courtyard.

"Sect Leader?"

Bai Yuan was greatly surprised when he got a clear look at the arrivals.

By his count, Murong Tian hadn’t been to Wan Jun Peak in ten years. He never expected him to suddenly appear today.

"Brother Zhou, to think you’d visit the Divine Mansion Sect without so much as a word."

Murong Tian gave Bai Yuan a warm smile and a nod before turning his gaze to Zhou Siming.

As the Sect Leader of the Divine Mansion Sect, if he couldn’t even detect Zhou Siming sneaking onto Wan Jun Peak, then his breakthrough to the Perception realm would have been for naught.

Zhou Siming was inwardly stunned.

His skills in stealth and concealment were first-rate, yet he had still been discovered by the Sect Leader of the Divine Mansion Sect.

’As expected of the man who can keep Dong Wanjun in check.’

"Is there a reason for your visit, Sect Leader Murong?"

Zhou Siming spoke indifferently. He wasn’t familiar with this Murong Tian and saw no need for small talk.

Although he couldn’t defeat Murong Tian, it wouldn’t be easy for the other man to kill him either.

"Brother Zhou, you helped Junior Brother Dong slay a powerful enemy. I came especially to thank you."

"There’s no need. It was just business."

Zhou Siming waved his hand dismissively. If it hadn’t been for that Tier Seven Monster Flesh, he wouldn’t have helped even if Old Dong had beaten him to death.

"Since there’s nothing else, Sect Leader Murong, I’ll be taking my leave."

Before his voice had even faded, Zhou Siming vanished into the night like a phantom.

He was so fast that even Bai Yuan couldn’t clearly see his Body Technique.

The gap between one Entering Martial Artist and another was indeed immense.

’Thunderbolt Hand Xu Kang probably wouldn’t last three moves against Zhou Siming.’

The higher the realm, the greater the gap between those of the same realm.

Murong Tian had no intention of stopping him, because he hadn’t come to Wan Jun Peak tonight for Zhou Siming.

"Bai Yuan, you are quite impressive."

He offered a word of praise.

The praise was genuine.

’Although Bai Yuan is Dong Wanjun’s disciple, as long as he is a member of the Divine Mansion Sect, he is one of my people.’

"You flatter me, Sect Leader."

Bai Yuan bowed, but he didn’t believe Sect Leader Murong Tian had come just to praise him.

"This is your Senior Brother, Murong Jiujiang. You two should get to know each other better in the future," Murong Tian said with a gentle smile.

Bai Yuan looked at the young man standing beside Murong Tian.

Murong Jiujiang... Of course he knew that name. Not just him, everyone in the entire Divine Mansion Sect knew it.

The number one direct disciple and the publicly acknowledged successor to the Sect Leader of the Divine Mansion Sect.

He had reached the Blood Refining stage before the age of twenty and the Entering stage before twenty-five. Either achievement was far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Only someone with a system like Bai Yuan could possibly outshine him.

There was often no rhyme or reason to martial cultivation. For some, breaking through to new realms was as easy as eating and drinking. For others, a lifetime of training would yield no great results.

Murong Jiujiang belonged to the former category.

Hailing from the branch of the Murong Family led by Sect Leader Murong Tian, he was born with Divine Power, a unique physical constitution, and exceptional comprehension. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The label ’Long Aotian’ seemed a more fitting description for him.

"Senior Brother Murong."

Bai Yuan offered Murong Jiujiang a fist-and-palm salute from a short distance.

’He wasn’t some hot-headed, melodramatic protagonist who couldn’t bear the slightest slight.’

’Murong Tian came here precisely to see him and Murong Jiujiang act like friendly and respectful brothers. Bai Yuan wasn’t an idiot; there was no reason to make an enemy without cause.’

’The conflict between Old Dong and Murong Tian was a matter for the previous generation.’

This was his first time meeting Murong Jiujiang; there was no reason to become enemies.

’To make your way in the Jianghu, you needed more than just skill; you also needed friends.’

Murong Jiujiang also smiled warmly. "Junior Brother Bai, feel free to visit the main peak often."

"I’ll be sure to."

Bai Yuan was a natural at making small talk.

He and Murong Jiujiang exchanged some friendly pleasantries, and only then did a satisfied Murong Tian lead Murong Jiujiang down from Wan Jun Peak.

...

Murong Tian led Murong Jiujiang all the way back to the Sect Leader Hall. Just as they were about to step into the main hall, he suddenly spoke.

"Do you feel the pressure?"

Murong Jiujiang nodded.

Although Murong Tian hadn’t said who, he knew that Murong Tian was referring to Bai Yuan.

Killing an Entering Martial Artist while at the Blood Refining stage, and also inheriting the legacy of a Demon Hunter... facing such a rare prodigy, even a genius like him felt immense pressure.

"Good."

Murong Tian nodded.

For a Martial Artist to grow stronger, they must first have self-awareness.

If one cannot even face oneself squarely, then even if they obtain the position of Sect Leader, they will not go far.

The talent Bai Yuan had displayed was enough to warrant his attention, which was why he had personally brought Murong Jiujiang to Wan Jun Peak.

The purpose was to pave the way for Murong Jiujiang’s future.

As for how his young successor would handle it, that would depend on his own skill.

"So, how do you intend to deal with him in the future?"

Murong Jiujiang reflected for a moment, then replied, "If Junior Brother Bai is truly a once-in-a-generation talent, I am willing to step aside for the more capable candidate."

Murong Tian let out a soft, "Oh?"

Murong Jiujiang sighed to himself. ’The Sect Leader’s mind is preternaturally sharp; how could my thoughts possibly escape him?’

’Bai Yuan is certainly strong, but I’m no slouch either.’

’If Bai Yuan truly is enough of a prodigy to carve a glorious path forward for the Divine Mansion Sect, then I would naturally be willing to step aside and support him.’

’But is that Junior Brother Bai truly so peerlessly brilliant?’

"I will treat him as you, Master, treat Master Dong."

Hearing Murong Jiujiang’s answer, Murong Tian nodded in satisfaction.

The current situation between Bai Yuan and Murong Jiujiang was remarkably similar to his own with Dong Wanjun all those years ago.

Years ago, the previous Sect Leader had passed the position to him. If Dong Wanjun had not willingly stepped aside, the Divine Mansion Sect would never have achieved its current prosperity.

For a single sect to produce two prodigies is not always a good thing.

It was the same for Bai Yuan and Murong Jiujiang.

He knew his own disciple’s temperament all too well. If Bai Yuan didn’t yield, a battle between the two was inevitable. At that point, blood would flow like a river—unless Bai Yuan was so overwhelmingly powerful that he forced his disciple into submission.

Power has been this way since ancient times; it only has room for one.

Even the Grand Ancestor Emperor, whose magnanimity was great enough to accommodate all the sects in the world, could not tolerate having a Grand General by his side who stood above all others.

Murong Tian felt there was nothing wrong with his disciple’s choice.

’After all, his surname was Murong...’

The Founding Ancestor of the Divine Mansion Sect was surnamed Murong. Aside from a few exceptions, almost every successive Sect Leader had been a Murong.

The previous Sect Leader was also a Murong, which was the very reason he had been able to surpass Dong Wanjun and claim the position.

Many things in this world were just that simple, completely devoid of logic.

Therefore, as the most outstanding disciple of the Murong Family in this generation, Murong Jiujiang had no choice but to contend for the position.