"I'm back, Grandpa!"
Gu Han pushed open the door with familiar ease and called out as he stepped into the courtyard.
Not much had changed in the yard—except now there was a chicken coop by the wall, with eight chickens clucking inside.
Old Gu was lounging outside on a recliner by the wall, basking in the sun with a palm fan covering his face—looking every bit the classic image of an old village elder.
Upon hearing Gu Han's voice, he promptly lifted the fan and sat up. When he saw it really was Gu Han, a broad smile immediately spread across his face.
"Haha, you're back, Xiao Han."
Then his gaze shifted to the three people behind Gu Han, and his smile grew even warmer. He quickly beckoned them over.
"Oh, you've brought guests! Come on in, come in—make yourselves at home."
Gu Han stepped forward and introduced the three companions and their relationship to him.
Inside, the usual pleasantries followed.
Old Gu lived alone but served as the village chief. He had long been respected for his contributions to the community. Now that Gu Han had grown stronger and brought tangible benefits to the village, that respect had only deepened.
Before long, the villagers began gathering outside Gu Han's home, arms full of offerings—chickens, ducks, fish, meat, and eggs. They said it was to thank Gu Han for the better lives he had helped them achieve.
Gu Han, of course, declined the gifts. But to avoid disappointing the villagers, they pooled the ingredients, hired a cook, and turned the food into a grand feast. Everyone ate, drank, and celebrated together in high spirits.
Naturally, Gu Han didn't forget his true reason for returning—he brought up the idea of relocating the entire village to the area near Spirit City.
But Old Gu firmly led the opposition to the idea.
Their reasons were clear: generations of their ancestors had lived here. They were deeply rooted in the land—family graves and ancestral temples were all here. They couldn't bear to leave.
Plus, they were already well-adjusted to the environment. Moving away might bring issues like not adapting to the water and soil of a new place.
For all these reasons, not a single villager wanted to go. They said visiting Spirit City for fun was fine—but moving there permanently? Absolutely not.
Hearing this, Gu Han didn't press further. Since no one was willing to relocate, he respected their choice.
As night fell, the four of them stayed the night in the village.
One of the perks of a big courtyard house was the abundance of rooms. It was easy to spare four for guests, and the villagers were more than happy to help.
---
At the break of dawn, the crowing of roosters echoed across the village. Gu Han woke up on time, washed up briefly, and headed to the riverside at the edge of the village to practice his swordplay, as was his habit.
His sword movements fluctuated between swift and slow, flowing like water, accompanied by intricate footwork—making them unpredictable and hard to read.
Whoosh!!
Suddenly, a sharp sound cut through the air. Gu Han's eyes narrowed. He pivoted and swung his sword in a sweeping arc—
Clang!
A crisp metallic clang rang out as a golden, petal-shaped blade was deflected into the air.
The attack had been powerful. Though Gu Han managed to block it, his arm went slightly numb. For a moment, he'd almost lost his grip on his sword.
Clap, clap, clap—
"Not bad, not bad. Good awareness. And not lacking in strength, either."
A voice accompanied the applause as Yue Guan stepped out from behind a tree—he was the one who had launched that golden flying blade.
He had spent the previous night meditating instead of sleeping, and noticed Gu Han leaving the house early. His curiosity was piqued upon seeing Gu Han's exceptional swordsmanship, and he decided to test the boy's abilities. Though he hadn't used his full strength—or even aimed to kill—this strike was still enough to slay a Soul King.
Yet this boy, a Soul Ancestor, had parried it with one swing of his sword. That alone astonished him.
Recalling the effects of the Immortal Herb and the whale jelly, Yue Guan found the outcome less surprising in hindsight.
And from the sword strike Gu Han had just delivered, Yue Guan judged that once this boy acquired his next soul ring, he could very well leap straight into the high ranks of the Soul Ancestor realm—perhaps even approach the level of a Soul King.
When the golden flying blade had come his way, Gu Han had already recognized it—petals formed from the Chrysanthemum Douluo's martial soul, the Chrysanthemum that transcends the world. So Yue Guan's appearance didn't catch him off guard.
Lowering his sword, he clasped his fists in greeting and gave a polite bow.
"Thank you for the praise, Uncle Chrysanthemum. I still have a long way to go."
"Haha! Long way or not—let me be the judge of that."
Yue Guan, intrigued, decided to further test this young swordsman who reminded him of an old acquaintance—Chen Xin, the Sword Douluo.
Chen Xin was more than a decade older than Yue Guan, now a Rank 93 Titled Douluo. Wielding the strongest attack-type martial soul on the continent, the Seven Kill Sword, he was even capable of defeating most Rank 95 Titled Douluo in combat.
But against a Rank 96 Titled Douluo, things were different. From that level onward, every increment in rank was like ascending a ladder to heaven—each level marked a profound leap in power, nearly impossible to bridge.
And now, Yue Guan was seeing the same youthful fire and sharpness in Gu Han that Chen Xin, the Sword Douluo once had. That made him all the more eager to test the boy firsthand.
"In that case, I humbly request your guidance, Uncle Chrysanthemum."
Faced with a challenge from such a powerful Soul Douluo—whose strength rivaled even ordinary Titled Douluo—Gu Han accepted gladly.
After fusing with the Immortal Herb, Yue Guan's martial soul had evolved, granting him not only more soul power, but also a near-indestructible body. At full strength, even Soul Douluo and Titled Douluo below Rank 95 would struggle to bring him down.
"You go first, kid," Yue Guan said calmly, holding a blade-like petal between his index and middle fingers with practiced elegance. As a senior, he would never strike first.
"Then I'll make my move—pardon my offense!"
Without hesitation, Gu Han activated two soul rings beneath his feet. His second soul skill activated, forming a layer of frost-like armor around him.
Thanks to the Immortal Herb, his martial soul had evolved into a top-tier ice-type variant, significantly increasing its power.
He launched his attack. As his sword cut through the air, the temperature around them dropped sharply. Frost bloomed across the ground wherever his blade passed.
"Excellent!"
Yue Guan's eyes lit up. For a split second, he could almost see the shadow of Chen Xin in Gu Han's stance.
Golden petals fluttered around him, transforming into blade-like projectiles that lined up in a chain-like formation before flying toward Gu Han.
Seeing this, Gu Han reacted instantly—his sword danced in his hand, unleashing wave after wave of freezing sword qi.
Yue Guan, of course, wasn't using his full power. The difference in their soul power was significant. As sword qi clashed with golden petals, a chorus of sharp metallic clashes rang out.
Some of the petals were visibly frozen midair and bounced away.
Yue Guan raised an eyebrow, clearly more intrigued than ever. "Kid, you're pretty sharp."
"Watch out—I'm ramping up the power now!"
He gave a warning before unleashing a surge of high-tier Soul Ancestor-level soul power.
It's worth noting: in this version of events, Yue Guan's power far exceeds his portrayal in the original story. His high-tier Soul Ancestor-level power alone outstripped that of most Soul Kings.
Gu Han immediately felt the pressure mount. His footwork shifted, becoming more agile and elusive—like a dragon weaving through the clouds. His swordsmanship expanded fully, drawing on all the techniques he had learned. The duel became a true contest of skill—attack for attack, strike for strike.