Gu Han followed the Soul Ancestor-ranked steward and quickly arrived at the main cathedral of Spirit Hall in Dragon City.
Inside the grand hall, two men were already waiting—one middle-aged, the other strikingly flamboyant.
Before Gu Han or the steward could say anything, the seductive-looking man spoke first.
"So, this is the little prodigy from Dragon City's Spirit Arena with a hundred consecutive wins? Not bad—quite the looker too."
The moment their eyes met, Gu Han felt a sudden chill shoot up his spine. A wave of discomfort settled over him.
He recognized the man—Yue Guan. Judging by the emblem on his chest and his clothing, he hadn't yet become a Titled Douluo, but was instead a Spirit Hall Soul Douluo.
In Spirit Hall, robes and emblems were strictly regulated by rank. Only elders at the Titled Douluo level were allowed to wear red robes. Yue Guan's emblem featured a hammer, a sword, and a dragon, with angel wings in the background—symbols representing the Clear Sky Hammer, the Seven Kill Sword, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and the Seraphim martial souls, respectively.
But this was still over thirty years before the main storyline began, so it was no surprise that Chrysanthemum Douluo was still a Soul Douluo.
"This is Bishop Karls of Dragon City's branch," the steward said. "And this is Lord Yue Guan, a Platinum Bishop of Spirit Hall."
"Gu Han greets Lord Yue Guan and Lord Karls."
Gu Han placed one hand over his chest and gave a slight bow in proper Soul Master etiquette.
"Not bad," Yue Guan said with a nod. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Gu Han's wrist. Raising an eyebrow, he praised, "Such rich soul power at such a young age—truly rare."
Gu Han was startled, but quickly calmed his mind and replied modestly, "You flatter me, my lord."
"Mmm. I came here today to escort you to Spirit City for advanced training. There, you'll gain access to far better resources to support your cultivation."
After a brief exchange, Yue Guan explained his purpose for coming.
Initially, he had assumed Gu Han might've advanced quickly by burning his potential with some secret technique, but after a quick check, he ruled that out.
The boy was genuinely gifted. While his innate talent was mediocre, with proper guidance and hard work, reaching Soul Sage level was entirely possible. And a Soul Sage was a significant asset to Spirit Hall.
In the soul master world, there were two major milestones:
1. Soul Sage – Soul Masters who reached this level numbered only around a thousand across the entire continent.
2. Titled Douluo – Fewer than thirty people across the entire Douluo Continent ever reached this peak. They were truly as rare as phoenix feathers.
Although Gu Han's talent wasn't top-tier, Yue Guan was certain this child had what it took to become a Soul Sage.
"Will you come with me?" Yue Guan asked again.
"Of course. I'd be honored."
Gu Han didn't hesitate. The educational resources in Spirit City far exceeded those in ordinary cities. More importantly, the libraries there were bound to be vastly richer in content.
And it was a hub where geniuses from all over the continent gathered. That's where true challenges and opportunities awaited.
"Excellent. If you have anything to pack, go do it now. We leave tomorrow."
Yue Guan nodded in satisfaction. He had expected to have to do more convincing. Most children hesitated when asked to leave home and face the unknown.
But this boy had shown none of that. No attachment. No fear. Just calm acceptance.
"No need, my lord. I have nothing important to bring."
Gu Han shook his head. Everything essential was stored in his white jade pendant. The rest was just clutter—and a pile of love letters in the trash he hadn't gotten around to burning.
"Nothing? Then let's depart immediately."
Yue Guan nodded. Since Gu Han had nothing else to take care of, they could leave right away.
After all, his garden back in Spirit City was unattended, and he treated those plants like his children. He hated being away from them too long—what if something happened?
"Uh… alright."
Gu Han nodded. Yue Guan seemed more anxious than he was. Did something urgent await him back home?
He followed Yue Guan outside, where a luxurious flying soul carriage was already waiting at the gates.
"Huh? I didn't see this when we came in…"
Gu Han muttered under his breath.
"What are you mumbling about, kid? Get in the carriage."
Yue Guan tilted his head, resting a delicate hand beneath his chin in a flowery pose.
"Yes, Lord Yue Guan."
Suppressing a shiver of discomfort, Gu Han nodded stiffly and boarded the carriage.
"Hyah!"
The coachman snapped the reins. The carriage, pulled by two white-winged horse-type soul beasts, soared into the sky. Only Spirit Hall Soul Douluos and above were permitted to ride in such carriages.
Though not as fast as Titled Douluo with flying martial souls, the speed was still impressive.
Flying a thousand meters above ground, Gu Han lifted the curtain and watched the city below gradually shrink into the distance.
Yue Guan withdrew his gaze from the window, turned to Gu Han, and finally voiced the curiosity he'd been suppressing.
"Kid, when I examined your body earlier, I noticed signs that you've been training a self-created soul skill, haven't you?"
Gu Han was momentarily stunned. He recalled how Li Yusong, in the original story, had figured out that Tang San was training Mysterious Jade Hand just by feeling his bones.
He hadn't trained Mysterious Jade Hand himself, but he had studied a unique grappling technique. So he nodded and admitted honestly:
"Yes. It's something I cobbled together based on my personal condition. Nothing impressive."
"Hm, not bad. You truly are a gifted one. Such a shame your innate soul power is so low."
Yue Guan sighed regretfully. Those capable of creating their own soul skills usually had deep understanding of their martial souls. For Gu Han to achieve that at such a young age was a testament to his extraordinary talent.
But alas, fate was cruel. No matter how talented he was, with such a low innate rank, even if Spirit Hall poured in resources, the best they could likely achieve was pushing him barely into Soul Sage.
How tragic, how ironic.
Gu Han blinked, mildly speechless, thinking to himself: This guy's inner monologue is something else…
Still, maybe now was a good time to hint at his hidden potential—to boost Spirit Hall's assessment of his value.
After careful consideration, Gu Han decided to mention the whale jelly. It was easy to explain and wouldn't expose any real secrets.
"Lord Yue Guan—"
"Just call me senior. Don't 'lord' me. Makes it sound so stiff."
Yue Guan fluttered his fingers in a flowery pose and winked.
Gu Han shivered involuntarily. He knew this guy was always like this, but still—it never got easier.
Forcing a polite smile, he nodded.
"Alright, Senior Yue Guan."
"Now that's more like it. Go on—what were you going to say?"
Yue Guan leaned back lazily against the carriage wall, clearly pleased.