Seeing Gu Han frown, Lu Rentao couldn't help but speak with concern.
"Master Markel, is it safe for Xiao Han to absorb a 400-year-old first soul ring?"
After all, this kid was incredibly sensible. Just last year, with his advice, Lu Rentao had finally managed to win over the goddess he'd been chasing for years.
"I believe in this child."
Although Markel wasn't completely confident either, this moment was clearly the most critical juncture for Gu Han. Interrupting him recklessly could destroy the boy's future.
They could only wait.
Markel stared intently at Gu Han, not daring to miss a single change in his expression.
The moment anything went wrong, even if it meant risking the boy's future, he would act to save his life.
Half an hour passed.
Gu Han finally finished absorbing and converting the energy from the soul ring. His meridians, once like small streams, had now widened into riverbeds, allowing him to store several times more soul power than before.
As soon as Gu Han opened his eyes, he was met with three large faces staring at him, startling him into jumping up. The three opposite him were equally startled.
Once he recognized them, Gu Han let out a sigh of relief and said, "Grandpa Markel, Brother Tao, Brother Hai—I did it."
"Good! Good! I knew you could do it." Markel gently stroked his beard, adopting the air of a wise master who had foreseen it all along.
Lu Rentao and Gui Hai exchanged subtle eye-rolls. Just moments ago, Markel's furrowed brows could've crushed a fly…
"Alright, let's set that aside for now. Xiao Han, what's your first soul skill?"
Noticing the looks from Lu Rentao and Gui Hai, Markel cleared his throat and skillfully redirected the conversation.
As expected, everyone's attention turned to Gu Han, eager to know what kind of skill his first century-old ring had granted him.
Gu Han summoned the Frostblade Sword, and a simulated hundred-year soul ring lit up beneath his feet.
"My first soul skill is Frostblade Sword Aura. It coats the sword with chilling energy, allowing the aura to extend beyond the blade. It increases my attack power by ten percent."
As Gu Han spoke, his soul ring flared, and a layer of frost formed over the deep blue blade. He swung it at a nearby boulder.
With a single slash, the person-sized boulder was cleanly sliced in half. The cut surface was as smooth as a mirror, covered in a thin layer of gleaming ice crystals that radiated cold air.
"What a sharp sword…"
"No wonder—it's a hundred-year soul ring…"
All three onlookers were visibly stunned. Such a powerful first soul skill—none of them had ever seen anything like it.
Only the core prodigies of Spirit Hall, the Seven Great Sects, or the two great empires might possess something comparable.
But talents like that were incredibly rare. They might never see one in their entire lives.
"Good, good! Wonderful! Our Northwind City has produced a true genius!"
Markel snapped out of his daze and exclaimed with excitement, repeating "good" three times—a clear sign of how thrilled he was.
"If it weren't for Grandpa Markel and you two brothers helping me, I never would've obtained such a good soul ring," Gu Han replied humbly, scratching the back of his head. Though he was delighted inside, he didn't let it show.
But there was something he hadn't said aloud—his soul ring and soul skill could continue to grow with the help of the Nameless Technique.
This was his greatest trump card—and deepest secret.
"Haha, don't be so formal with us," Lu Rentao laughed, slinging an arm around Gu Han's shoulder. "Just don't forget us when you make it big."
Thanks to his newly acquired soul ring, Gu Han had clearly grown taller—already around 1.5 meters despite being only seven years old.
No wonder children on the Douluo Continent matured so quickly. Perhaps soul rings played a part in that too.
Each soul ring not only granted new abilities but also significantly enhanced the body.
"Don't worry. Once I become stronger, I won't forget the help you gave me today," Gu Han replied with a smile. He knew Lu Rentao was joking, but there was some truth behind the words—and he gave his promise in return. After all, he'd be staying here for a few more years.
Besides, he wasn't the kind of person to look down on those who helped him just because he'd grown stronger.
Sure enough, upon hearing his words, the three men all smiled with satisfaction. Lu Rentao gave Gu Han a hearty pat on the shoulder.
"Alright, I was just messing with you. Let's go. Once we register your spirit, you'll officially be a Soul Master."
"Mm."
Without further delay, the group left the Soul Hunting Forest and took a carriage back to the Spirit Hall within the city.
The registration process was smooth and familiar. Soon, Gu Han received his own Soul Master's Handbook—an identification item owned by all registered Spirit Hall Soul Masters.
The token in his hand bore the image of a sword, marking it as the most basic rank. It would serve as proof of his status, allowing him to collect one gold soul coin per month from any Spirit Hall branch as a Soul Master's stipend.
Once registration was complete, Gu Han bid farewell to the three and returned to school on his own.
However, instead of going to class, he went straight to his dormitory.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he calmed his mind and focused inward.
The situation during the ceremony had been rather unusual, so he hadn't had time to examine the changes brought about by the Nameless Technique.
The white jade book remained suspended in his mind. He turned to the second page of the Nameless Technique, where a yellow soul ring was slowly rotating.
Injecting soul power into it, Gu Han noticed the soul ring's age seemed to have increased slightly—even if the change was minute.
"What exactly is this book…?"
Gu Han furrowed his brows. The book had appeared when he awakened his martial soul.
He had once suspected it was a second martial soul, but quickly dismissed the idea.
Since when did a martial soul come with its own cultivation method?
Now, it had even absorbed the soul ring meant for the Frostblade Sword, keeping only its enhancement effect for the weapon.
On the surface, there was no way for others to notice anything unusual.
And now, with his first soul ring in place, the nameless scripture he cultivated had begun to develop an elemental attribute—enhancing his strength even further.
This Nameless Technique was far more mysterious than he had imagined. Gu Han had speculated more than once that it might be tied to the very reason he transmigrated here in the first place.
After a long time, Gu Han finally opened his eyes.
His soul power had now reached level 11. With a naturally high starting point of level 5, becoming a One-Ring Soul Master within a single year was an extraordinary pace—far faster than others with the same talent.
He then carefully examined his current state. The soul power he had cultivated before was now gradually converting into ice-attributed energy.
"If I make sure all my future soul rings come from ice-type soul beasts… I might be able to evolve my martial soul into the Ultimate Ice."
Originally, Gu Han only wanted to enhance his martial soul's attributes—he hadn't dared to dream of achieving an Ultimate Element evolution.
But this new development had changed his mind.
The Nameless Technique was helping him more than he had ever imagined.