"Come on, Junior Brother, I'll take you to see Ghostshadow Douluo."
Outside the archive room, Bibi Dong waved at Gu Han, who was walking behind her, lost in thought.
"Senior Sister, let's leave it at that for today. It's getting late, and I'm a little tired. Let's both head back and rest for now."
"But... your parents..." Bibi Dong hesitated, clearly still concerned.
"This isn't something that can be figured out in a day. I've already troubled you enough today, Senior Sister. You should get some rest too."
Gu Han smiled and waved her off. So even as a child, Bibi Dong was already quite warm-hearted.
"Well… alright then. I'll get going, Junior Brother."
She gave him one last glance, and seeing no trace of dissatisfaction on his face, finally turned and left.
Gu Han stood there, watching her leave with a faint smile, then turned his gaze toward the nearby library and stepped inside.
The library's interior was vast, with neatly arranged rows of bookshelves packed with all manner of books.
There weren't many people around—Gu Han counted only about a dozen.
His gaze drifted over the book titles one by one. Most were about soul beasts, detailing their traits, age ranges, and special abilities.
The information was impressively thorough. A single book could focus entirely on one species, elaborating on its habits, habitats, skills, mutations, and the soul skills it produced at various cultivation stages—all explained in meticulous detail.
Gu Han picked up a book on the Titan Giant Ape and began flipping through it. It was densely written, easily over a hundred thousand words, packed with detailed insights.
In short, the book delivered a clear message to soul masters: This beast is powerful—ideal for power-type soul masters to hunt. However, its strength is such that even at a hundred years of age, it can rival ten-thousand-year soul beasts. Any soul master attempting to hunt it should be extremely cautious and think twice before making a move.
"No wonder not many people study theory. It's so long-winded. Most young people are impatient and busy with their cultivation. Who has the time to sift through all this rambling?"
Shaking his head, Gu Han returned the book to its place.
He continued browsing until a particular title caught his attention: "On the Acquisition of Soul Rings by Plant-Type Soul Masters."
This reminded him of how Yu Xiaogang and Tang San once said that there was no precedent for plant-type soul masters absorbing beast-type soul rings.
Back then, Yu Xiaogang had clearly been using Tang San as a test subject.
The first page of the book posed a soul-searching question:
Discussion: Are plant-type soul masters capable of absorbing beast-type soul rings?
It cited numerous case studies. While there had been attempts on the continent, the mismatched attributes often hindered the Martial Soul's evolution. As a result, any suppressive effects these soul masters had when facing power-type soul masters were significantly diminished.
Moreover, such mismatches carried the risk of reverse mutations in the Martial Soul.
Conclusion: Plant-type soul masters can absorb beast-type soul rings, but the effects are inferior to those gained from absorbing plant-type soul rings. Therefore, it is not recommended for plant-type soul masters to do so.
Further in, the book detailed side effects and case studies of plant-type soul masters who absorbed beast-type soul rings.
Gu Han wasn't sure if the original Yu Xiaogang ever read this neglected book tucked away in a corner, but judging from his portrayal in the original story, it was unlikely.
Most of Yu Xiaogang's theories revolved around soul beast characteristics. Even if he had spent years reading in this library during his youth, it would have been impossible to go through everything.
Just having a rough grasp of the traits and properties of various soul beasts was already a considerable feat.
Gu Han casually skimmed a few more books that piqued his interest. Before he knew it, night had fallen. He finally closed the book in his hands, stood up, and stretched.
The night sky was like a painting, stars scattered across the heavens, moonlight spilling down like snow onto the earth.
Even at this hour, the lights in the Spirit Hall remained bright. But Gu Han paid little attention to the scenery on the way back and returned straight to his quarters.
Naturally, his accommodations couldn't compare to those of someone like Bibi Dong, the hidden Holy Maiden. But Gu Han didn't mind.
As far as he was concerned, as long as the roof didn't leak, it was good enough.
He soaked in a bath, grabbed a quick bite at the cafeteria, and finally flopped onto his bed.
With the aid of the Nameless Manual, his cultivation speed was exceptionally fast.
If he hadn't been deliberately compressing his soul power to the extreme at each level before breaking through, he might already be over Rank 30 by now.
Lying down with all five limbs extended in a cultivation pose, he focused inward, observing his dantian.
Inside, a white energy mass floated in the center. Beneath it, his soul power had begun to liquefy, emitting a gentle mist while radiating a faint, icy chill.
Though he was only at Rank 23, his actual combat power likely rivaled that of a typical Soul Ancestor.
He had once defeated a Rank 38 power-type Soul Elder in the Great Spirit Arena.
And he wasn't just cultivating soul power—he also trained in spiritual power.
The spiritual cultivation method recorded in the Nameless Manual was different from Tang San's Purple Demon Eye.
According to the manual, a person's spirit resides in a single point of divine light within the spiritual platform. This light gradually seeps out through the eyes without the person even noticing.
And once that light is lost, so too is spiritual power. To keep it from leaking, one must learn the Art of Internal Reflection.
Gu Han couldn't fully master it yet, but he had learned to slow the loss of spiritual light.
Once the technique was perfected, the spirit would become self-contained. All internal energies would transform into spiritual power—an inward-seeking form of spiritual cultivation.
Naturally, if one could gather light, they could also release it. But Gu Han rarely used the outward projection—only in times of great danger requiring absolute focus and alertness.
This Art of Internal Reflection reminded Gu Han of a Daoist concept he'd once encountered in an anime in his previous life:
"Conceal the Spirit, Contain the Light."
Perhaps it wasn't exactly the same, but the essence was close—both focused on guarding one's spiritual radiance within.
Closing his eyes, Gu Han continued cultivating his spiritual power. In the past, he might still have needed sleep. But now, spiritual cultivation could substitute for rest.
As dawn broke, sunlight slowly streamed through the window, warming his skin. Gu Han opened his eyes.
A sharp gleam flashed across his gaze—but he quickly subdued it.
"Sigh, this 'Conceal the Spirit, Contain the Light' isn't so easy to perfect after all."
Gu Han let out a quiet sigh. Just moments earlier, he had accidentally let a sliver of spiritual light escape.
Still, he wasn't discouraged. The biggest taboo in cultivation was impatience and overreaching. One must progress steadily, step by step.
Only by solidifying each minor level could Gu Han build the foundation needed to face the twists and turns that lay ahead.