"Alright then, I came here mainly to see what kind of talent the Pope found worthy of taking as a personal disciple. And now… I see you do have something special."
Guang Ling bit into an apple casually, speaking with relaxed indifference.
But in the next moment, his demeanor shifted to seriousness.
"That said, I need to give you a piece of advice."
"Please, Senior Guang Ling," Gu Han replied with equal seriousness, as did Bibi Dong beside him, both showing humble respect and attentiveness.
"I saw and heard the self-created soul skill you demonstrated just now. It was impressive."
"But let me remind you—between the ages of six and twenty, a soul master is in the golden period for cultivating soul power."
"Self-created skills may be useful, but I suggest you focus more on raising your soul power rank."
"There will be plenty of time to refine those techniques later."
"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Guang Ling. I understand."
Gu Han nodded earnestly. What the man said was indeed true—during one's formative years, leveling up soul power should be the priority.
He was reminded of Feng Xiaotian from the original story—born with full innate soul power, yet still only a Soul Ancestor in his twenties. It wasn't due to lack of talent, but because he'd invested too much time into developing his self-created skill.
There was also his desire to wait for Huo Wu, which only added to his delay.
But Gu Han was different from Feng Xiaotian. His techniques were born from the mysterious Nameless Technique Manual, tailored to his own abilities.
Moreover, the Nameless Manual didn't seem to have bottlenecks. Since he began cultivating, his progress had only accelerated with each level, not slowed.
Guang Ling, of course, knew nothing of this. His advice came from good intentions.
Naturally, Gu Han wasn't about to reject such kindness.
"Got it, Senior. I'll keep that in mind," Bibi Dong chimed in sweetly. She was fully aware this was a time to focus on cultivation.
Still, she figured she could spend half an hour each day practicing the grappling techniques Gu Han had taught her—like a bit of movement after long meditation.
"Good, then that's all. I'll take my leave."
Seeing that both of them had taken his words to heart, Guang Ling nodded in satisfaction. With a casual wave and a few graceful leaps, he vanished from the Holy Maiden's Hall.
As they watched him disappear, Bibi Dong turned back to Gu Han, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"Junior Brother, that was Guang Ling Worshiper—he's seriously powerful. I can't believe you actually earned his approval!"
"Uh, well, I wouldn't have without your help, Senior Sister. If you hadn't spoken up for me, I doubt I'd have received this."
Gu Han pulled out the Worship Token, thoughts stirring in his mind.
From what he recalled while watching the donghua, Guang Ling was a trustworthy man—someone worth relying on.
But thinking of him also brought back a memory that had once made Gu Han roll his eyes.
A Rank 96 Titled Douluo, a long-range power-type soul master no less, had managed to bypass both Dugu Bo and Gorefiend with ease during his assassination attempt on Xue Beng—only to shoot an arrow straight through Yu Xiaogang's chest… and somehow not kill him.
Absolutely ridiculous.
Main character plot armor was one thing, but when side characters survived fatal blows unscathed, it stretched belief.
The moment he'd seen Yu Xiaogang get up completely fine, Gu Han had wanted to scream.
It was like a normal person getting hit in the heart by a Barrett sniper rifle and still jumping around the next day.
Utter nonsense.
Lost in thought, Gu Han didn't realize Bibi Dong was waving her small hand in front of his face.
"Junior Brother? Hey, Junior Brother?"
Gu Han snapped out of it, blinking at her puzzled face, her cute little brows furrowed in confusion. He reached up and rubbed his cheek.
"What is it, Senior Sister?"
"What were you thinking about? You totally zoned out."
"Nothing really," Gu Han replied smoothly. "I was just wondering… if Guang Ling Worshiper is the Fifth Worshiper, then what kind of powerhouses are the other Worshipers in the Hall of Worship?"
Of course, he wasn't about to reveal what he'd really been thinking. So he quickly redirected Bibi Dong's attention.
"Oh, that?" Bibi Dong's eyes sparkled with mischief. "You want to know?"
She tilted her head, all smiles.
Gu Han met her gaze with a smile of his own. On the surface, he put on a curious expression and cupped his hands respectfully.
"I would be honored if Senior Sister would enlighten me."
"Hmph!"
Bibi Dong giggled, clearly enjoying herself. Then she adopted a serious look, cleared her throat like a little teacher, and began her explanation with confidence.
"There are five Worshipers in the Hall of Worship right now."
"Guang Ling Worshiper just recently broke through to Rank 96 and was accepted into the Hall of Worship."
"His martial soul is a bow imbued with both ice and light attributes. It's incredibly powerful—and more importantly, his soul skills are stunning to watch."
Her eyes shimmered with admiration as she described Guang Ling's soul skills.
Gu Han nodded slightly. So at this point in time, Qianjun and Jiangmo hadn't broken through to Rank 96 yet. But that likely wouldn't take long, considering most of the Worshipers weren't that much older than Qian Daoliu or the Golden Crocodile Douluo.
"As for the First Worshiper, I don't even need to say it. He's the strongest person in all of Spirit Hall—Rank 99, an ultimate Douluo. His martial soul is the Six-Winged Angel."
"The Second Worshiper rarely appears, but his martial soul is a Golden Crocodile King, and he carries the bloodline of a dragon. He's incredibly powerful."
"The Third Worshiper's martial soul is the Azure Luan Divine Bird. He's really handsome and gets along especially well with Guang Ling Worshiper."
"I heard from Master that he recently broke through to Rank 97."
"And the Fourth Worshiper…"
She paused.
"What about the Fourth?" Gu Han asked, though he already knew most of this. Still, he wanted to hear Bibi Dong's own perspective.
"The Fourth Worshiper is also a power-type soul master. His martial soul is a Flame Lion. But… he looks really scary. His whole face is covered in red hair…"
Just thinking of the Flame Lion Douluo made Bibi Dong shudder. She had clearly met him before—and been frightened by his fierce appearance, enough to leave a psychological shadow.
Gu Han couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. Bibi Dong was so adorably innocent at this age. He could only imagine how bright and lively she might have been if she'd never been forced down the dark path.
But now that he was here and part of her life, he wouldn't let that happen.
"Oh, and Junior Brother—I know something secret about the Hall of Worship too!"
Leaning in close, Bibi Dong's voice dropped to a whisper.
Gu Han's lips curved into a charming smile. He played along. "Oh? What is it?"
"Qianjun and Jiangmo Elders are currently in secluded cultivation. They're preparing to break through to Rank 96. If all goes well, they'll be the next to join the Hall of Worship."
"Did Master tell you this?"