Over the next few days, Gu Han's daily routine was simple: eat, then head to the riverside to cultivate.
During this time, the mysterious manual in his mind had somehow updated itself again—this time with basic sword techniques.
Though the techniques weren't particularly advanced, they suited Gu Han's current level perfectly.
At dawn, beside the quiet creek, Gu Han gripped his Frostblade Sword, practicing thrusts, slashes, points, sweeps, flicks, bursts, parries, chops, draws, carves, hooks, guards, and presses—fusing these fundamental sword moves into one fluid style. Combined with a unique footwork technique, he poured his sweat into every motion.
Compared to running, this kind of training was far more effective.
It felt like the techniques had been tailor-made for him. In just a few short days, Gu Han had already mastered them to the point of seamless execution.
"Xiao Han, that's enough. Take a break—we need to head to Northwind City."
From a distance, the village elder called out.
"Got it, Grandpa."
Gu Han responded and retracted his sword stance, jogging back.
After eating and tidying up, he and the elder set off on foot toward the city.
---
Northwind City sat in the northern territory of the Heaven Dou Empire, bordering the Extreme North. Soul Masters here typically wielded water- or ice-type Martial Souls, so when Gu Han awakened with an ice-attribute sword, it didn't surprise Lu Rentao too much.
Though a small frontier city, its tall walls stood grand and imposing. The city itself wasn't as bustling as Gu Han had imagined—not even as lively as Northwind City, but that was expected of a remote, frigid region.
One surprising discovery Gu Han made in recent days was that his jade pendant turned out to be a soul tool—a storage-type device with a full twenty cubic meters of space inside.
---
The Spirit Hall Sub-Branch of Northwind City stood at the city's eastern center, designed like a Western-style fortress. Though only a branch, it was still lavish and dignified.
At the gate, two golden-armored guards stepped forward to block them.
"Stop. What business do you have here?"
The village elder stepped up and presented the admission token Lu Rentao had issued days prior.
"Sir, we're here to report to Spirit Hall."
One guard glanced at the token, returned it, and stepped aside to let them through.
---
Inside the main gate was a spacious hall, elegantly decorated but with faint hints of modern flair. Gu Han silently muttered to himself, "The technological tree on this continent is… oddly developed."
A young man walked in alongside an elderly figure in white robes.
The young man was none other than Lu Rentao, the Spirit Hall official who had overseen Gu Han's Martial Soul Awakening. He was a Rank 25 Soul Grandmaster.
"You've arrived," Lu Rentao said, approaching with a smile. "This is Master Markel, the bishop of our branch."
"Master Markel, this is the child I told you about—Gu Han. He's a natural genius with Level 5 innate soul power."
As Markel's gaze fell on him, Gu Han respectfully greeted, "Hello, Master Markel. I'm Gu Han."
"Excellent." A hint of admiration flashed in Markel's eyes. "From now on, you're part of our Northwind City Spirit Hall. If you need anything, just come to me or Xiao Tao."
Satisfied, Markel gave a slight nod.
"Thank you, Masters, for your guidance," the village elder said with a bow, then turned to Gu Han and gave him a few last words of advice before departing on his own.
---
"Child, your name is Gu Han, correct?"
Markel glanced over the identification slip once more for confirmation.
"Yes, sir."
"Then I'll just call you Xiao Han from now on."
"Whatever you prefer, Master."
"Haha, don't be so formal. If you don't mind, just call me Grandpa Markel."
Markel laughed heartily and, at the same time, summoned his four soul rings: white, yellow, yellow, and purple. He was a Rank 44 Soul Ancestor—a fairly strong bishop by Spirit Hall standards.
"Grandpa Markel."
Gu Han didn't mind. The man looked old enough, addressing him that way might not earn him special treatment, but at least it wouldn't earn him unnecessary trouble either.
When out in the world, one must learn to keep their edge hidden—especially in front of people far stronger than oneself.
It wasn't that Gu Han feared conflict—he just wasn't one to stir up unnecessary trouble. But if anyone came looking for it, he wasn't about to back down. He'd lived through two lifetimes, after all.
Markel was very pleased with Gu Han's discernment. With a smile, he turned to Lu Rentao and instructed:
"Xiao Tao, take Xiao Han to enroll at Northwind Primary Spirit Master Academy tomorrow. Make sure he's fully equipped. Whatever expenses you incur, just report back to me."
"Understood."
Lu Rentao nodded, already thinking about using the opportunity to buy a small gift for his goddess. He accepted the task happily.
---
The next day, Lu Rentao took Gu Han into the city to buy some decent clothes and bedding—far better than what Gu Han brought from the village, and much more comprehensive.
The Northwind Primary Spirit Master Academy was the largest academy in the city. Its principal was a Soul Elder, a fairly respected figure in this small region.
Thanks to Spirit Hall's backing, Gu Han's enrollment was seamless. He was even assigned a private dorm room—a privilege far above the treatment of regular working students.
Before leaving, Lu Rentao also gifted him Spirit Hall's exclusive meditation technique, which was superior to the common version.
Though Gu Han already had his own mysterious manual, he accepted the gesture without objection. After briefly flipping through it, he stored it in his jade pendant, with no plans to practice it.
Lu Rentao, having settled everything, left to buy gifts for his goddess.
That, of course, had nothing to do with Gu Han.
After tidying up his room, Gu Han was taken to class by his new homeroom teacher.
---
His teacher was a middle-aged woman in her forties or fifties, surnamed Qin, and was a Soul Grandmaster.
By the time they reached the classroom, it was already past ten. The students were in the middle of their lesson.
Before entering, Gu Han glanced at the sign by the door: Class 1, Year 1.
Their arrival naturally drew the attention of the children inside.
Teacher Qin clapped her hands and announced, "Class, we have a new student joining us today. I hope you'll all get along well with him."
"Go ahead and introduce yourself."
"Okay." Gu Han nodded, walked up to the podium, and wrote his name on the blackboard. Then he turned and said politely, "Hello everyone. My name is Gu Han. My Martial Soul is the Frostblade Sword. I look forward to studying with you."
Clap clap clap!!!
A round of applause followed. Teacher Qin gestured for quiet, then pointed to an empty seat by the window at the back.
"Gu Han, you can sit over there."
"Got it."
Gu Han nodded and walked over to take his seat.
Next to him was a chubby boy dressed in fancy clothes. Upon seeing Gu Han's plain attire, he couldn't help but feel a bit superior. Still, curiosity got the better of him.
"Hey, country bumpkin, what's your innate soul power level?"
Gu Han frowned slightly but didn't lose his temper. He simply glanced at the boy and said, "We're in class. And I already introduced myself."
The boy sneered and muttered under his breath, "Tch, acting all high and mighty…"
Gu Han ignored him and focused on listening to the lesson.
---
"Today, we'll be covering the classification of Martial Souls," Teacher Qin began.
"Martial Souls fall into three main categories: beast-type, tool-type, and plant-type. Beast-types are usually used by power-attack or agility-attack Soul Masters. Plant-types are often favored by control-types. Tool-types vary greatly and can be used in power, agility, or support roles…"
The class covered the basics of Martial Souls. Even though Gu Han had studied the world extensively in his past life, he still listened carefully.
---
Ding-ling-ling…
"Alright, that's all for today. Class dismissed."
As the bell rang, the teacher packed up and left without delay.
Gu Han gathered his things, intending to visit the library and do some research.
But just as he stood, several boys blocked his path.
Leading them was the same chubby boy from before.
Arms crossed, nose turned up, he stared down at Gu Han. "Pretty cocky, aren't you?"
Gu Han frowned, keeping his tone calm. "Move."
"Hahaha! Did you hear that? He told us to move!"
The chubby boy and his four or five cronies burst into laughter. The other students scattered like frightened rabbits, avoiding the commotion.
After laughing for a while, the boy looked Gu Han up and down and smugly asked, "Do you even know who I am?"
Gu Han glanced at him, chuckled coldly, and replied, "I don't care who you are. If you don't move, don't blame me for being rude."
"Oho? 'Don't be rude'?" the boy sneered. "Let's see how rude you can be, then."
His cronies stepped forward, cracking their knuckles, clearly ready to start something.
---
Gu Han had no intention of starting trouble at school—but that didn't mean he was afraid of it.
Now that they'd come looking for a fight, he wasn't about to back down.
He instantly activated his soul power and lunged forward, delivering a powerful punch directly to the chubby boy's face.
With the footwork from the nameless technique, his movement was lightning-fast. In a blink, he bypassed the cronies and landed a clean hit.
Wham!
The chubby boy had no time to react. He hit the ground, stunned.
Clutching his red, swollen cheek, he roared in rage. "Damn it! You hit me?! Get him! Break his legs!"
The other boys quickly summoned their Martial Souls—basic beast-types and some wooden clubs—and surrounded Gu Han.
Eyes narrowing, Gu Han summoned the Frostblade Sword. The sword techniques he had mastered flowed smoothly as he faced them.
These punks were barely Soul Scholars, and no stronger than he was. In fact, his physical strength, soul power control, and combat techniques were already far superior.
It didn't take long for him to send them all sprawling with efficient strikes.
Sword in hand, Gu Han approached the chubby boy.
Panicking, the boy scooted backward and cried, "W-Wait! Big bro, don't! I was wrong! I-I surrender! My grandfather is the city lord—don't kill me!!"
Gu Han crouched down, grabbed the boy by the collar, and stared into his eyes with a frosty glare.
"I don't care who your grandfather is. If you mess with me again, don't blame Spirit Hall for cutting ties with your family."
With that, Gu Han let him go and walked out of the classroom.
To avoid future trouble, he deliberately invoked Spirit Hall's name. He had no interest in playing "hidden genius" with a bunch of spoiled brats.
Besides, if you've got connections and don't use them—who's the real fool?