When Bibi Dong made that little face, Qian Xunji knew full well she hadn't taken in a word he'd just said.
But he understood her temperament. Instead of scolding her, he simply changed the subject. Settling himself under the pavilion, he spoke in a calm voice.
"All right, I'm free today, so I'll personally guide you both. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask."
"Master, I have a question!"
Bibi Dong immediately raised her little hand and called out eagerly.
Qian Xunji turned to look at the girl, noticing the mischievous gleam in her eyes. He knew she was up to no good again, so instead of replying, he turned to Gu Han.
"Xiao Han, I know you enjoy reading. Let me test you a bit."
"Please go ahead, Master," Gu Han replied respectfully.
Seeing her master ignore her, Bibi Dong huffed in frustration. She stomped her foot and puffed out her cheeks, mumbling something under her breath.
Qian Xunji chuckled inwardly but paid no mind to her sulking. He continued to look at Gu Han and asked, "Tell me, how did you come up with your self-created soul skill?"
"Self-created soul skill?" Bibi Dong's eyes lit up with curiosity. She turned to look at her junior, who was three years older than her, and asked in surprise, "You really have your own soul skill? Tell me, how did you do it?"
After all, self-created soul skills required a Soul Master to have a deep understanding of their martial soul and craft techniques suited to their own strengths. Many such skills were often far more powerful than those granted by soul rings.
Tang Chen of the Clear Sky Clan was a famous example—his self-created soul skills vastly outclassed the ones granted by his soul rings.
"Master, my self-created soul skill is still in its early stages. Rather than a complete set, it's more of a method that blends swordsmanship with my personal attributes."
"Also, I enjoy tinkering in my spare time."
"The same goes for my take on soul skills. From my perspective, soul skills are just specialized ways to circulate soul power. Soul rings trigger that energy, channeling it to manifest in unique forms."
"I used to spend time analyzing the soul skills I'd acquired. Based on my experiences in the Spirit Arena, I pieced together a preliminary version of this skill."
Gu Han spoke at length, some of it made up, some of it true. But given how rare self-created soul skills were, even someone as knowledgeable as Qian Xunji couldn't help but take his words seriously.
"Not bad. You certainly show remarkable talent," Qian Xunji nodded thoughtfully. Soul skills were indeed specialized ways of harnessing internal soul power to achieve specific effects. For someone so young to already grasp this concept and even create his own skill—he was truly a rare genius on the continent.
Even if he didn't become a Titled Douluo in the future, with the full backing of Spirit Hall, nurturing him into a Spirit Douluo wouldn't be out of reach.
"Amazing! I heard Master say you've won a hundred straight matches in the Great Spirit Arena and even created your own soul skill. How on earth did you manage that?"
Bibi Dong looked at Gu Han in awe, her expression filled with a mix of disbelief and faint admiration.
"Senior sister, if you're willing to spend time studying, I'm sure you'll be even better than me."
Gu Han smiled. Though she was technically his senior, Bibi Dong was still just a little girl. Age didn't lie.
Over the past few days, Gu Han realized Qian Xunji wasn't quite the scumbag he'd imagined.
Maybe in the future, something really would push him over the edge and make him do something extreme.
But after all, he was the son of Qian Daoliu—the most upright man among the Titled Douluo. His character couldn't be that bad.
As for Bibi Dong, she was still an innocent little girl. The way she acted around Qian Xunji was like a daughter with her father. Their master-disciple relationship was harmonious and full of warmth.
Maybe his arrival could change something.
Seeing Bibi Dong in person, Gu Han could finally understand why she fell so hopelessly for Yu Xiaogang in the future—it wasn't love at first sight, but because she had absolutely no interest in theory.
When she eventually met Yu Xiaogang, who had scoured both Spirit Hall and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan for martial soul theories, she was captivated by his deep knowledge and storytelling. Combine that with the awakening of her young heart and the fact that she was a bit of a slacker when it came to studying, and it wasn't surprising she developed feelings for him.
But in this lifetime, with Gu Han here, Yu Xiaogang could take a hike and go stay wherever was coldest.
As for Qian Xunji taking him in as a disciple, it was likely with the hope that he might inspire Bibi Dong to develop some interest in studying.
At that thought, Gu Han let out a wry smile.
So he was basically the crown prince's study buddy, huh?
Still, it wasn't exactly a loss. On paper, he was a student of the Supreme Pontiff—no one would dare mess with him.
Besides, studying alongside someone as cute as Bibi Dong? Not a bad deal at all.
In the end, it was Gu Han who came out ahead.
"All right then, Dong'er, what was your question earlier?" Qian Xunji asked, his expression clearly showing that he'd seen through her little act. He looked at her with a teasing smile.
"N-No question anymore, hehe…"
Bibi Dong hid her hands behind her back, nervously fiddling with the hem of her robe, giggling sheepishly. She had originally wanted to ask something cheeky like, "Can we go play now?"
But after hearing her junior's insights on martial souls—especially considering her teacher had said he started with only rank 5 innate soul power and was already at rank 23—she suddenly felt a bit inadequate. She couldn't embarrass herself in front of her junior, so she shook her head and pretended she had nothing to say.
After all, she had twin martial souls and innate full soul power, but was only at rank 28. When it came to theory, she wasn't entirely clueless… more like barely grasping the basics.
It wasn't that she didn't want to study. It was just that every time she opened those dry, boring books, her eyelids would start fighting to stay open. She just couldn't bring herself to care.
"Well, since you've got nothing to ask, and your junior is still new, I'll take this chance to explain the purpose of Spirit Hall's existence," Qian Xunji said, a victorious smile playing on his lips, which made Bibi Dong purse her lips in silent protest.
Gu Han watched the whole exchange with amusement. No wonder Bibi Dong would end up hating Qian Xunji so much in the future. Their bond had clearly been strong in the beginning.
The deeper the love, the deeper the hate.
It might be a bit of a cliché, but it was true enough.
"Master, what is the purpose of Spirit Hall?" Gu Han asked helpfully, doing his part to keep the conversation flowing.
He understood the value of providing emotional support. Since Qian Xunji was in the mood to talk, he was happy to listen. Even though he already knew a fair bit about Spirit Hall from the stories and records of his past life, hearing it directly from the Supreme Pontiff might offer new insights.