The self-sacrifice of the soul beast, combined with the explosive energy surge from the immortal herb Gu Han had consumed, directly propelled his soul power to Rank 39—just one step away from becoming a Soul Ancestor.
After undergoing the Ice and Fire Body Tempering, Gu Han had already been reborn in both body and soul. Reaching the next level wouldn't take him more than a few days.
Upon checking Gu Han's soul power, Yue Guan couldn't help but sigh. "You two suddenly advanced so many levels… Dong'er is understandable—her information has always been kept under wraps. Even some Soul Douluo don't know the full extent of it."
"But you, Xiao Han, are different. You're still in school. If your sudden leap in power draws the attention of certain people, your information could leak, and that would bring you unnecessary trouble."
"So when we return, His Holiness the Pope will likely have you go into hiding as well."
"I've already thought about that," Gu Han nodded. Jumping from level 23 to level 39 was impossible to explain away. To prevent the risk of spies discovering the truth, Qian Xunji would definitely not allow him to remain at the Spirit Academy.
Of course, that was only one part of the concern. There were other dangers to consider. After all, the three upper clans and Spirit Hall had a long history of sabotaging each other's young prodigies.
These things were nearly impossible to guard against. That was one of the reasons Qian Xunji kept Bibi Dong so tightly hidden from the world.
Talent only grants the potential to become strong—on its own, it means nothing. This continent is littered with the corpses of geniuses who died before their time.
"So what? If I can't keep studying, then I won't," Bibi Dong said, casually waving her small hand. She rose up on tiptoes and gave Gu Han's shoulder a serious little pat. "From now on, you'll just cultivate with your Senior Sister. If there's anything we don't understand, we can ask Master together!"
"You're right, Senior Sister," Gu Han replied with a smile.
"Heehee! Honestly, it's not a bad thing at all. It just means you'll have more time to tell me stories!" Bibi Dong's grin was bright and mischievous, her eyes twinkling with excitement. The thought of longer storytime with her junior brother made her practically giddy—no more being cut off after just an hour or two!
On the surface, Gu Han kept up his calm smile, but inwardly he was screaming. What is this? Am I her personal storytelling machine now?
Still, looking at Bibi Dong's lively and sly expression, he couldn't bring himself to be annoyed. If it made her happy, telling stories wasn't such a big deal.
Besides, as cunning and lively as she was, Bibi Dong was still just a child.
Her attention could be easily redirected. Wasn't she obsessed with sword immortals? Then maybe he could teach her swordsmanship—teach her how to channel soul power through a weapon.
Although… would that end up influencing her too much?
"What are you thinking about, Junior Brother?" Bibi Dong asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes as she noticed Gu Han staring at her in deep thought. She crossed her arms with a little huff, then reached out and poked him in the chest.
"Tell me the truth—are you up to no good?"
"Uhh…"
That wasn't what he was thinking at all—but being called out like that still made him feel a bit awkward.
"Hmm?" Bibi Dong rose up again on her toes, her delicate face drawing even closer to his, her eyes full of playful suspicion and scrutiny.
Gu Han quickly coughed into his hand to compose himself. "Ahem… Senior Sister, we're both still young. I was just wondering… if I taught you swordsmanship, would Master scold me for it?"
"Really?"
Though she pretended to be stern, Bibi Dong's heart fluttered with joy when she saw that Gu Han hadn't outright refused. But she immediately forced her expression back into a skeptical frown.
"Yes. Really."
"Fine then! When we get back, you'll teach me swordsmanship! I want to be like the sword immortals in the stories—flying through the skies with my sword, slaying evil wherever it hides!"
With great flourish, Bibi Dong turned her back, dramatically raised one arm toward the sky, and struck a heroic pose.
"There she goes again…"
Yue Guan, who had been silently enjoying the little show, sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead.
Ghost shot Gu Han an amused but helpless smile and shook his head slightly.
Gu Han just smiled faintly. Bibi Dong was still as easy to sway as ever.
But he wasn't just making empty promises. He really did intend to teach her swordsmanship.
Even though her martial soul had no relation to swords, that didn't matter. As long as her soul power kept growing, everything else could be adapted.
There was no rule saying that learning sword techniques meant she couldn't use her martial soul.
After all, soul power was just another form of energy. If properly controlled, it could function like inner strength or spiritual energy in other cultivation systems. By channeling soul power into a weapon and releasing it in various forms, the results could be just as devastating.
Even Tang San's hidden weapons—despised in traditional martial arts worlds—were capable of piercing divine defenses. Why should a sword be any weaker?
As long as they could forge high-quality swords and enhance them with soul power, they wouldn't necessarily be weaker than martial souls.
In fact, Gu Han thought that the Pope's scepter Bibi Dong would wield in the future could be quite fitting—as long as it was forged with the right metal, of course.
He could tell that deep down, Bibi Dong harbored a sense of inferiority about her martial souls. That was likely why she resisted fighting with them.
Even though her spirits were among the most powerful soul beasts on the continent, little girls preferred beautiful and elegant things. If he had twin spider spirits, he probably wouldn't like them much either.
Helping her overcome that inferiority complex would take too long. It would be easier to shift her focus and give her something else to pursue. That way, she'd be more motivated to cultivate her soul power.
Because in this world, soul power was the one true path to supremacy.
Just look at Chen Xin's father—Rank 98, an absolute powerhouse. With his Nine Slash technique, even Golden Crocodile Douluo wasn't a match.
But when faced with Qian Daoliu, a level 99 Limit Douluo, all that technique meant nothing. No matter how skilled, he couldn't even break Qian Daoliu's shield.
With Bibi Dong's talent, even if she didn't rely on her martial souls in combat, and with the help of the immortal herb, reaching level 99 was practically guaranteed.
As for the Rakshasa God—Gu Han thought it best if Bibi Dong never set foot in the Slaughter City.
He remembered clearly: the Rakshasa God was stingy to a fault. No soul ring lifespan upgrades, no god-bestowed rings—nothing. Worse, its divine consciousness would even twist Bibi Dong's personality. The reason behind all that remained unclear, so it was better to avoid contact altogether.
Not just for Bibi Dong—Gu Han himself had no intention of going there.
A Deathgod Domain? Not a big deal. It wasn't the only domain in the world, and it certainly wasn't the only path to power.
Once his martial soul evolved into its ultimate ice form, his own domain would awaken naturally. He had no need to borrow someone else's.
And even if he didn't gain a domain—so what?
He, Gu Han, still had full confidence that with nothing but the sword in his hand, he could cut down any enemy who stood in his way!
~~~
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