"Boss, are you okay?"
Although Gu Han had looked serious earlier, the blows he dealt only caused pain, not injury. It wasn't until he left that the group of followers dared to help the fat boy up.
"I'm fine. That guy's from the Martial Soul Hall. Don't mess with him again."
Covering his swollen face and sucking in a breath, the fat boy waved them off and gave a warning.
He was the kind of person who bullied the weak and feared the strong—he knew exactly who he could push around and who he couldn't afford to offend.
Back when he thought Gu Han was just a commoner, he'd thrown his weight around as the city lord's grandson. But now that he knew Gu Han was backed by the Martial Soul Hall, any thought of revenge vanished.
He wasn't stupid. From Gu Han's strength alone, he could tell the boy's innate soul power was not low—probably at least level three or four. The Martial Soul Hall of Shuofeng City would definitely pay close attention to someone like him. If a real conflict happened, the one to suffer would not be Gu Han, but his own family.
Gu Han wasn't concerned with what the fat boy thought. He headed directly to Shuofeng Junior College's library.
Having lived two lives, he understood the importance of knowledge all too well.
The current era he was in was still several decades before Tang San's rise. That gave him a window—if he acted fast, he might be able to intercept some of Tang San's opportunities before they happened.
While the nameless cultivation technique in his mind could accelerate his training, he knew that Immortal Herbs could greatly enhance his talent, making cultivation even easier.
But that was still far off. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was hidden deep in the Sunset Forest, guarded by soul beasts with over 10,000 years of cultivation. Without sufficient strength, entering that place was suicide.
As for teaming up with someone? Without strength, that was like trying to bargain with a tiger—it could only end badly.
He needed to forge his own path first.
Besides, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well wasn't going anywhere. At this time, Dugu Bo probably hadn't even discovered it yet. Even if he had, he wouldn't know the value of the herbs growing there.
So for now, Gu Han focused on two things:
Becoming stronger.
And gaining knowledge.
From that day on, no one dared provoke Gu Han again. He preferred it that way.
His days became simple and routine—attending classes, reading in the library, practicing swordsmanship, and meditating.
And so, nearly two years passed.
Eventually, Gu Han hit a bottleneck. His soul power refused to rise any further.
He had finally reached level ten.
At Shuofeng Junior Soul Master Academy, the vast majority of students were still just soul warriors. Even among the sixth-year students, only a handful had broken through to the soul master level.
Though geniuses were born on this continent, they were few and far between, often clustered in major cities. In remote places like this, anyone who could gain a soul ring in the Junior Academy was considered top-tier.
To have climbed from level five to level ten in just two years—Gu Han was advancing rapidly.
Even more impressive, Gu Han's cultivation was special. He had sparred with several senior students at his level and discovered something striking—his soul power was several times thicker and purer than theirs.
That also meant each level required more soul power than a typical soul master.
After school, Gu Han returned to the Martial Soul Hall of Shuofeng City and sought out Bishop zhen.
"Grandpa Zhen," Gu Han greeted respectfully, "I've noticed during meditation that I've reached a breakthrough. I wanted to come and test my soul power."
While he could have tested it at school, he trusted the Martial Soul Hall far more.
"Haha, Xiaohan, you're back. Come with me."
At first, zhen's interest in Gu Han was due to his promising talent. But after two years of observing the boy's discipline, humility, and independent thinking, he had truly come to care for him—like his own grandson.
Over the years, Zhen had looked after Gu Han quite well.
With a warm smile, zhen led him to the soul power testing chamber.
The room was roughly 200 square meters wide. Floor-to-ceiling windows filled it with light, and five large black stones were embedded in the walls. The floor bore the insignia of the Martial Soul Hall—a long sword plunged into a token-shaped crest.
At the front were several cylindrical jade platforms, each holding a soul power testing crystal.
Zhen picked up one of the crystal balls and handed it to Gu Han.
"Place your hand on it and infuse your soul power."
Gu Han nodded and did as instructed.
Om—
The crystal ball lit up completely with a radiant blue glow.
Zhens's smile widened. "Haha! Xiaohan, congratulations on reaching level 10. Once you gain your first soul ring, you'll officially become a soul master."
"Thank you, Grandpa Zhen," Gu Han replied, bowing slightly.
"By the way," Zhen continued, "I've noticed you've been spending a lot of time in the library. Let me test you a bit—what's your plan for your first soul ring?"
Gu Han had expected this question. He gathered his thoughts, then responded clearly:
"My martial soul, the Xuanshuang Sword, is a weapon-type with ice attributes. So ideally, I need a soul beast with the same element to enhance my martial soul's power."
"It would be best if the first soul ring grants a full attribute enhancement skill. That will benefit me greatly in the long run."
"Based on my research over the past two years, I believe the Ice Crystal Hedgehog is ideal."
"It's an ice-type beast with sharp, sword-like spines on its back. The sword aura it releases is extremely lethal. Even some soul masters struggle against a hundred-year-old one."
Gu Han was fully aware how game-changing a full attribute boost could be. While the difference might seem minor in the early stages, the effect would snowball over time.
Two Title Douluos of equal level might seem evenly matched—until one of them had a passive percentage boost. In that case, the winner was obvious.
"Of course," Gu Han added, "Ice Crystal Hedgehogs are rare. So I have an alternative in mind—the Snowland Ice Wolf. It also has strong ice-based offensive abilities and armor-piercing effects."
Zhen beamed. "Very good. Very thoughtful."
He stroked his beard, visibly pleased.
"You're in luck," he said. "Last year, two Ice Crystal Hedgehogs were spotted in Shuofeng City's Soul Hunting Forest. One had just under a hundred years of cultivation, and the other was around 390 years. By now, it should have crossed the 400-year threshold."
"No one has hunted them yet."
"You've built up a solid foundation these past two years. You might be able to handle the 400-year-old one."
As the bishop, Zhen had access to detailed records about the soul beasts brought in annually. When Gu Han mentioned the Ice Crystal Hedgehog, he immediately thought of those two.
He also knew that the soul master's body and spiritual strength determined the upper limit of soul ring absorption. Though high-year soul rings were risky, Gu Han had diligently strengthened his body through training and medicinal baths.
His constitution was more than ready.