Gu Han couldn't afford to take lightly the conspiracy theories he'd read in his past life regarding the Asura God.
If it were just overzealous fans speculating online, that would be one thing—but if everything truly had been orchestrated behind the scenes by the Asura God...
Then Gu Han would have no choice but to seriously consider the future of Spirit Hall—and he'd need the power to face any potential crisis.
That was why he only chose to break through after compressing his soul power to its limit at every minor rank. He couldn't afford to rush.
There were moments when he'd entertained the thought: What if I just killed Tang San or Tang Hao early—would that prevent everything that followed?
But the same uncertainty always held him back. He still wasn't sure whether Tang San's transmigration was influenced by the Asura God.
If it was, then even if he killed Tang Hao, Tang San might still be reborn into someone else. Worse, it could trigger a chain of unpredictable events.
Killing Tang San directly might be a solution—but judging from how, later in the story, he was resurrected by divine techniques even after death, Gu Han couldn't be certain Tang San wouldn't be reborn again, hidden away, like a venomous snake in the shadows.
The enemy lurks in the dark while I'm exposed in the light— that, to Gu Han, was far too dangerous.
At the end of the day, it wasn't Tang San that Gu Han truly feared—it was the Asura God.
Of course, maybe he was just overthinking things.
But that didn't stop him from preparing for the worst.
Standing by the window, Gu Han lowered his head slightly and clenched his fist. No matter what the future held, he would never abandon Spirit Hall.
Without Spirit Hall, who knew how long it would have taken for him to awaken his Martial Soul? The Nameless Technique Manual only manifested alongside it.
Without Spirit Hall, he wouldn't have this kind of cultivation environment.
To Gu Han, Spirit Hall was undoubtedly the tree that sheltered and nurtured him as he grew. Once he became strong enough, he would never turn his back on it.
Suddenly, a figure dropped down from the sky, landing just outside his window, blocking the morning sunlight.
"Senior Yue Guan."
Gu Han instantly recognized the figure and greeted him respectfully.
"Come on, kid. Time to get you enrolled."
"Please wait a moment, Senior. Allow me a moment to prepare."
"No rush," Yue Guan said casually, waving a hand. He wasn't in any hurry—his current position was basically ceremonial anyway.
Gu Han nodded, closed the window, washed up quickly, and tidied his clothes. Only then did he open the door and look at Yue Guan, who was leaning against the wall waiting for him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Senior."
"You're a good kid, but a bit too cautious," Yue Guan remarked, clearly aware of Gu Han's wariness toward both him and the Pope. He decided to point it out directly.
"Senior Yue Guan, I treat all seniors with this level of respect. It's just how I was raised."
Gu Han naturally picked up on the subtext but wasn't about to get overly familiar. After all, knowing how to draw the line was just as important as being respectful.
"Suit yourself," Yue Guan replied with a dismissive wave. He didn't mind Gu Han's politeness—on the contrary, he rather appreciated it.
"Senior Yue Guan," Gu Han said thoughtfully, "on the way here, I noticed you're quite knowledgeable about herbs and plants. I originally assumed that was standard Spirit Hall knowledge, but when I visited the library yesterday, I couldn't find anything close to what you mentioned."
It was time to start laying the groundwork for the matter of the immortal herbs.
He could technically wait until he reached the Soul King rank to retrieve them on his own—but by then, he might no longer benefit from them. Their effects were most potent when taken early.
"My knowledge of plants comes from my Martial Soul itself," Yue Guan explained. "I'll give you a copy of a plant encyclopedia I wrote myself. Study it, and if you don't understand something, come ask me."
He didn't hoard his knowledge—in fact, he felt a kind of joy in sharing it with a young person who was just as passionate about botany. It gave him a sense of legacy, of passing the torch.
That was precisely why he held Gu Han in such high regard.
Mature, hardworking, respectful—and most importantly, someone who shared his interests. It was hard not to like the boy.
The so-called Spirit Academy wasn't really an academy in the conventional sense—it was more like a concentrated training camp for geniuses. The number of students admitted was extremely small, and nearly all were top-tier talents across the continent, those with innate soul power of Rank 7 to 9.
But this year's cohort was especially pitiful—only twenty students total, over half of whom were children of elders or bishops within Spirit Hall.
Truthfully, the only person Gu Han had encountered with full innate soul power so far was Bibi Dong. Even Guang Ling, a venerated Titled Douluo, had only reached innate Rank 9.
Of course, Qian Xunji counted too—but his soul power had been bestowed by the Angel God.
His starting point was high, but he gave off the impression of lacking staying power—likely the result of prioritizing rapid level-ups early on at the expense of consolidating each stage.
Later would come Tang San, Feng Xiaotian, and Oscar. And those from the second series? Let's not even get started.
It might seem like a lot, but in truth, when you considered the whole continent—billions of people—there were only one or two with full innate soul power per generation, if even that.
That was how rare it truly was.
At that moment, all the students were gathered on the training grounds of the academy, standing in two straight lines. Leading them was a slender man in black robes.
"Teacher Ghost Leopard, this is the student I mentioned yesterday—the one the Pope personally accepted. His name is Gu Han."
Yue Guan's eyes shifted to Gu Han.
"Kid, this is your instructor from now on. Don't be fooled by appearances—he's a Rank 84 Soul Douluo, no weaker than me."
"Greetings, Teacher Ghost Leopard."
Gu Han bowed slightly. Yet another well-known figure—this man would one day become Elder Ghost Leopard, a Titled Douluo killed by Dustheart Sword Dao using his eighth soul skill. Still, his death could be considered honorable—he fell to someone of higher rank without being completely crushed by the plot.
Ghost Leopard had no idea what Gu Han was thinking. He studied the boy closely and gave a small nod.
"Got it. Chrysanthemum Guan, your job's done. Leave him to me now."
But the moment he used that nickname, Yue Guan's refined demeanor vanished. He glared at Ghost Leopard with barely restrained fury.
"How many times have I told you—don't call me Chrysanthemum Guan!!"
"Yeah, yeah, I heard you. Now stop interrupting my class."
Ghost Leopard waved him off indifferently, clearly unbothered, though he didn't escalate the situation. No point in starting a fight here.
Still, he muttered to himself: "When Ghost Douluo calls you 'Chrysanthemum Guan,' you don't say a word. But when we do it, you act like a cat whose tail just got stepped on?"
"Hoo..."
Seeing that Ghost Leopard had backed down, Yue Guan let out a slow breath to calm his emotions. He turned to Gu Han and said,
"I'm off. Train hard here. If anything comes up, come find me."
"Thank you for your concern, Senior Yue Guan. I will."
Gu Han gave a slight bow, gladly accepting the kindness Yue Guan had shown him.