Clap clap clap!!
Ghost Leopard clapped his hands and praised, "Excellent, truly excellent! I've long heard about your incredible hundred-win streak in the Great Spirit Arena—seeing it in person today, the reputation is well deserved."
"No wonder you're a disciple of His Holiness the Pope. I'm impressed," Wang Bo said, cupping his fists in admiration.
"Thank you for the compliment, Teacher Ghost Leopard," Gu Han replied with a modest smile. Then, turning to Wang Bo, he said, "You're the strongest Soul Elder I've faced so far. I didn't dare to risk what your next soul skills might be, so I had no choice but to go all out and not give you a chance to use them."
In truth, that was just a humble excuse. Wang Bo was indeed strong, but even if he had used his soul skills, Gu Han was confident he could have won with ease.
Still, since Wang Bo had extended goodwill, there was no need for Gu Han to act arrogant.
"Hah, a loss is a loss. No need to be modest, Brother Gu Han," Wang Bo said with a carefree wave. "My soul power's higher, and I still lost—that's on me. You've earned my respect."
"All right, you two can stop complimenting each other," Ghost Leopard interrupted with a chuckle. "That wraps up today's lesson. You're all free to go."
Gu Han and Wang Bo's match had been the final one of the day. By now, it was already afternoon, and with that, Ghost Leopard dismissed the class.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries with his classmates, Gu Han made his way toward the library.
"Junior Brother!"
A lively voice called out. Gu Han looked up to see Bibi Dong crouched at the library entrance, waving excitedly.
"Senior Sister? What are you doing here?"
Gu Han returned her wave and approached, curious as he watched her spring to her feet and trot over.
"Hehe, Master said you like reading, so I figured you'd come here after class."
Bibi Dong had a "pretty smart, huh?" look on her face.
Qian Xunji had been extremely protective of Bibi Dong, this prodigious disciple of his. He personally oversaw all her training and rarely let her interact freely with others.
"You really are amazing, Senior Sister. Shall we head inside?" Gu Han smiled.
Since Gu Han had entered her life, Bibi Dong, who had always kept to herself, had suddenly grown more lively—as though she'd just found a new toy to play with.
"Junior Brother, why do you like reading so much? Don't you think it's boring?"
"Not at all. Books are full of interesting knowledge. And there are plenty of fascinating stories in them too."
"Stories? What kind of stories?"
Bibi Dong tilted her head, intrigued.
"I'll tell you some other time, Senior Sister. How about that?"
"Why not now?"
Bibi Dong tugged gently at Gu Han's arm in a playful, coaxing tone—an act she often used on her teacher with great success.
Gu Han thought for a moment. He didn't really have anything urgent to do, so he nodded.
"Alright, let's find somewhere quiet."
"Great! Let's go to my place!"
Inwardly cheering, Bibi Dong grabbed Gu Han's hand and dashed off toward the Holy Maiden's Hall.
Gu Han chuckled and let her pull him along.
They arrived at the rear garden behind the Holy Maiden's Hall. This was Bibi Dong's private area—even Qian Xunji rarely entered here. When needed, he would simply send a female Soul Master to summon her.
"Wait here a moment, Junior Brother."
Bibi Dong gently pushed Gu Han onto a long bench and ran back to her room.
A few moments later, she returned carrying a small stool and two bags—one of sunflower seeds and the other of grapes.
Plopping onto the stool, she swiped across her soul tool with a practiced hand, summoning a small table between them.
She laid out the snacks, then sat down with her arms on the table, her bright violet eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Junior Brother, go ahead! I'm listening!"
Her series of well-practiced actions left Gu Han slightly stunned. Once he snapped out of it, he couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head—his senior sister really knew how to enjoy herself.
"Alright then, let me tell you the story of The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, Sun Wukong."
"Who's Sun Wukong?"
"He's a fictional character. Just sit tight and listen, Senior Sister."
"Okay!"
Bibi Dong nodded eagerly and grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds to snack on.
"Ahem." Gu Han cleared his throat and began:
"In the Eastern Continent, there was a kingdom called Aolai. On a high mountain stood a magical stone…"
He started from Sun Wukong's birth from a stone, and continued all the way to his apprenticeship under the immortal Subhuti. Along the way, Bibi Dong asked curious questions from time to time—
Like: "If he came from a stone, is he a soul beast?" or "What does 'immortal' mean?"
Gu Han patiently answered every question.
Bibi Dong listened with rapt attention, her sparkling eyes filled with wonder and excitement.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, Gu Han glanced at the darkening horizon, let out a soft breath, and brought the vivid tale to a pause.
"That's all for today, Senior Sister. It's getting late—we'll stop here for now."
"What? That's it?"
Bibi Dong pouted like a reader left hanging at a cliffhanger.
Gu Han nodded. "Mm-hmm. It's late, and I should be heading back."
"But I still want to know what Sun Wukong learns from Subhuti!"
She looked utterly dissatisfied, her small face full of longing. We were just getting to the good part!
Seeing her adorable expression, Gu Han couldn't help but smile. "If you really want to hear more, I'll tell you tomorrow."
"Hmm…"
Bibi Dong's eyes spun with mischief.
Then she puffed out her cheeks and shook her head with determination. Grabbing Gu Han, she pushed him back onto the bench and placed her hands on her hips.
"No way! You're not leaving until you finish this part of the story!"
Gu Han couldn't help but laugh at her exaggerated indignation.
"Alright, alright. I'll finish the part where Subhuti teaches Sun Wukong the immortal arts."
"Hehe, I knew you were the best, Junior Brother!"
Like a stage performer changing masks, Bibi Dong's grumpy face instantly turned into a beaming smile.
Gu Han shook his head—he knew it was all a little act, but she was just too cute to resist.
He had no choice but to continue the tale, recounting how Subhuti taught Sun Wukong the Seventy-Two Transformations and the Cloud Somersault technique.
"Ohhh! So tapping him on the head three times was a secret message telling him to come at midnight? That's genius! I didn't catch that at all!"
"And if I were Sun Wukong, I'd ask for both the Seventy-Two and Thirty-Six Transformations. That way, I'd have a total of 108 moves! Isn't that way cooler?"
"And if I had the Cloud Somersault that can travel 108,000 li in one leap… wouldn't I be able to fly across the entire Douluo Continent in one go?"
Bibi Dong listened intently, chiming in with lively commentary and daydreaming about what she'd do if she were the Monkey King.
After finishing the segment, she finally revealed a satisfied smile, and only then was Gu Han allowed to leave.
"Don't forget to continue tomorrow, Junior Brother~"
She waved from the doorway of the Holy Maiden's Hall as Gu Han walked away.
He waved back, signaling that he'd remember.