Gu Han had made a tidy profit this time. Since no one had bet on him, nearly all the stakes were placed on Du Jun.
And with just one match, Gu Han walked away with three thousand gold soul coins—easier than stealing.
Of course, by the standards of the Spirit Arena, that was a modest sum.
After all, this was just a one-on-one match between Soul Grandmasters, not a high-level team battle between Soul Elders or Soul Ancestors. The betting pool wasn't particularly large.
But for Gu Han, this was still a significant amount. He could use it to buy thousand-year whale gelatin to help strengthen his body.
Over the next six months, Gu Han went on to win a stunning one hundred consecutive matches, making a name for himself across the city.
Even Dragon City's local branch of Spirit Hall took notice of this rising Soul Grandmaster known only as "Mister Sword."
---
"Have you found any information on this Mister Sword?"
In the solemn chambers of the local Spirit Hall, the black-robed bishop, Karls, asked the question.
"Yes, we have. His real name is Gu Han. Twelve years old. Martial soul: Frostblade Sword. Innate soul power: Rank 5. Currently Rank 23, power-attack-type Soul Grandmaster. He is a registered member of our Spirit Hall."
A steward stood by reading aloud from a report.
"Hm? Rank 5 innate soul power, and yet he's already at Rank 23 at age twelve?"
Karls raised his eyebrows slightly, his tone tinged with surprise.
"Yes, it's quite astonishing. With only mid-level talent at birth, he's shown growth on par with the top prodigies of major sects."
"Lord Karls, should we report this to Spirit City?"
The steward asked cautiously. Talents like this were rare, and ones that defied expectations were even rarer.
Headquarters might not notice the boy immediately, but if they found out later that the local branch had withheld the information, there would be consequences.
Karls tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair, then gave a thoughtful nod.
"Yes, we should report this."
Karls had served in Spirit Hall for a long time. Filing a report was easy, and if it turned out the boy wasn't anything special, no one would blame him.
The goal was simple: avoid fault, not seek merit.
"Understood. I'll submit Gu Han's file to Spirit City immediately."
The steward didn't waste time. Seeing that the bishop had no objections, he acted at once.
---
In the six months since his debut, Gu Han had won a hundred consecutive matches, defeating several high-ranked Soul Elders along the way. His record was downright terrifying.
But after his hundredth match, Gu Han decided to take a break.
He needed time to consolidate his combat experience.
His second soul skill was a defensive ability.
Originally, he had aimed to hunt a Snowfield Ice Wolf—a soul beast known for combining speed and offense.
But things had changed. On the way to the wolves' habitat, they encountered a far rarer and stronger beast: an 800-year-old Mystic Tortoise, with elemental strength vastly superior to that of the wolves.
So, they changed plans and hunted the tortoise instead.
That decision paid off. Gu Han gained a powerful area-based defensive soul skill, somewhat akin to Sword Douluo's Spirit Sword Barrier—a solid, practical technique.
More importantly, he also received a 10% boost to all attributes, a rare and precious percentage-based increase.
It was a no-lose situation.
Gu Han didn't lack offensive abilities. With the help of the Nameless Technique, he was gradually uncovering the essence of soul skills.
At their core, soul skills were merely different applications of soul power.
Drawing on the sword techniques imparted by the Nameless Technique, Gu Han even created a soul skill of his own:
Frostblade Nine Slashes.
Each successive slash doubled in power from the previous one.
It was still in its infancy, but the technique's future potential was immense.
If not for the limitations of this world's rules, Gu Han wouldn't even need soul rings.
He had once studied the idea of self-created soul rings—a concept he'd seen in his past life—and even used the Nameless Technique to simulate one.
It worked, technically, but the results were disappointing. The rings lacked meaningful enhancement to his martial soul and offered only mediocre age levels.
Most importantly, his self-created soul ring was roughly equal in quality to a purified ring obtained from a hunted soul beast using the Nameless Technique's refinement process.
That made hunting and purifying rings far more efficient—and powerful.
So he shattered the self-created ring himself.
Moreover, as a Spirit Hall member, every soul ring he acquired and every soul beast he hunted was recorded.
If someone discovered his anomaly, it might bring opportunity—but it could also bring danger. That uncertainty was a risk he didn't want to take.
So he gave up on the self-created ring route.
---
Opening his notebook, he found it stuffed with love letters.
Without even glancing at them, Gu Han tossed them straight into the trash.
Kids on the Douluo Continent sure matured early. Thanks to his hard work and good looks, he'd been getting confession letters from girls since elementary level.
He rejected all of them.
Women would only slow down his sword.
Unless, of course, it was someone like Bibi Dong, Ning Rongrong, or Qian Renxue—wealthy, powerful girls who might even help him draw his sword faster. Otherwise, he wasn't interested.
Not that Ning Rongrong or Qian Renxue had even been born yet. As for Bibi Dong, this was no time for daydreams.
They didn't even live in the same world as him right now.
Besides, he didn't know what to make of Qian Xunji, the current Pope of Spirit Hall. Who knew what that guy would do if he thought Gu Han was making moves on his apprentice? A sudden "accident" wouldn't be out of the question.
Shaking off those useless thoughts, Gu Han changed into his training robes and headed to the academy's simulation training ground to hone his swordsmanship and continue refining his Frostblade Nine Slashes.
---
Frostblade Nine Slashes channeled his entire reserve of ice-element soul power into his blade, stacking it with both his first and second soul skills' percentage-based boosts.
He unleashed nine consecutive strikes, each one stronger than the last, like waves crashing against a cliff—each slash building on the momentum of the one before it.
The final blow concentrated the full force of all eight previous slashes into a single, earth-shattering attack.
A sword to split the heavens. The simulation environment's barriers shook violently, a deep gouge carved into the wall—nearly splitting it open.
"Phew…"
With a long exhale, Gu Han ended his training session.
Back in his dorm, he retrieved a few herbs from his white jade pendant. After boiling them, he poured the concoction into a wooden tub, popped a century-old piece of whale gelatin into his mouth, and slid into the medicinal bath.
The essence of the herbs soaked into his body, strengthening and soothing his meridians.
After half an hour, Gu Han slowly opened his eyes.
---
For the next half-month, Gu Han focused solely on studying martial soul theory and perfecting his Frostblade Nine Slashes.
One day, as he sat by the window in the back row of class, listening quietly to the instructor's lecture, the classroom door opened.
A middle-aged man stepped inside.
"Which one of you is Gu Han?"
Gu Han frowned slightly, then stood up under the gazes of his classmates. "That would be me. May I ask who you are?"
"I'm a steward of Spirit Hall. Lord Karls wishes to see you. Will you come with me?"
The man revealed his official Spirit Hall badge—he was a Soul Ancestor-level steward.
"I can. But may I ask why the bishop is requesting my presence now?"
Gu Han knew of Bishop Karls by name but had never met him. The sudden summons was likely related to the buzz caused by his hundred-match win streak at the Spirit Arena.
Still, even if that were the case, it shouldn't have been this urgent. It's not like he was going to run away.
"It's because someone important from above has arrived. They heard about you and want to meet you."
The steward's voice was low, meant for Gu Han's ears alone. The rest of the class looked on in confusion, unsure what Gu Han had done to attract the attention of such high-level figures.
"I understand."
Gu Han nodded. After bowing slightly to his instructor in apology, he followed the Soul Ancestor out of the classroom.