Chapter 53: Bibi Dong – “Feels Like I Missed Out on a Fortune”

Hidden in the shadows, Ghost Douluo was secretly amazed. As expected from a clash between power-type Soul Masters—even with Yue Guan holding back, the sheer impact of their head-on confrontation, every blow hitting like thunder, was a feast for the senses.

Gu Han's swordsmanship was nothing short of extraordinary. Despite his youth, he radiated the presence of a true powerhouse. At his level, it was hard to imagine anyone who could stand against him in a fair fight.

Yue Guan himself was inwardly shocked. The purity and density of Gu Han's soul power were abnormal—refined, yet immensely potent.

Of course, no matter how dense the soul power, the difference in level was still a formidable gap.

What truly surprised him was Gu Han's mastery of swordsmanship. The boy's technique had clearly reached a very high level. His sword was no longer just a weapon—it was like an extension of his own body. His movements were fluid, unified with the blade as if man and sword were one.

At this point, Gu Han's arm was already numb, cold sweat beading on his forehead. The gulf in soul power was simply too vast. Against overwhelming strength, even the most refined techniques started to feel powerless.

No matter how skilled he is in swordsmanship, without the backing of powerful soul energy, he couldn't even pierce Yue Guan's defensive ring.

Still, this was a rare opportunity—a chance to test his limits. With that in mind, Gu Han unleashed his strongest technique: Frostblade Nine Slashes.

The first strike didn't offer much more than an enhanced normal attack.

But with each slash, the power grew. By the fifth sword, Yue Guan could feel Gu Han's strikes becoming sharper and more forceful.

It wasn't until the seventh, eighth, and finally ninth slash that Yue Guan's eyes lit up in astonishment.

Especially the ninth strike—it carried power on par with a Soul Emperor.

"Well now… Breath barrier!"

Yue Guan exclaimed in surprise, finally forced to activate a defensive soul skill. A golden barrier of soul power erupted around him, just as Gu Han's final slash came crashing down.

Boom!

The barrier instantly frosted over, and cracks even began to form across its surface.

"Hmm!?"

Yue Guan's eyes narrowed in surprise. He promptly ramped up his soul power output, expanding the Breath Barrier outward and forcibly repelling Gu Han.

Gu Han flipped through the air dozens of times, dispersing the backlash. When he finally landed, he dug his sword into the ground to stabilize himself, dragging a long trench in the earth.

Half-kneeling, he clutched his sword with one hand, panting heavily.

Sure enough, the gap in soul power couldn't be bridged by technique alone. His master had been right—raising his soul power rank was his most urgent priority.

Yue Guan retracted his martial soul and glanced down at the frosted hem of his robe, a look of surprise flickering across his eyes. When he looked at Gu Han again, his gaze carried deep admiration.

"Impressive. A Soul Ancestor nearly forced me, a Soul Douluo, to use a soul skill."

"You flatter me, Uncle Chrysanthemum. If you hadn't held back, I wouldn't have even survived a single move."

Gu Han stood and withdrew his martial soul, humbly clasping his fists. He spoke the truth—Yue Guan had been going easy on him from the start. If the elder had used his full strength, Gu Han wouldn't have lasted a second.

"No need to be so modest. If we were at the same rank, I'd have no chance against you."

Yue Guan waved his hand dismissively. Gu Han's strength was undeniable—among all the prodigies Yue Guan had seen, this one stood at the very top. He could count on one hand those who could match Gu Han at the same level.

At first, Yue Guan had thought this boy merely resembled a young Chen Xin. But now, he realized—Gu Han had already surpassed Chen Xin's prowess in his youth. Perhaps the title of the continent's greatest swordsman would soon belong to someone new.

Truth be told, Yue Guan was looking forward to that day.

Not out of malice—just for the sheer joy of seeing Sword Douluo's reaction.

In modern terms: a "chaos enthusiast" mentality.

At that moment, Ghost emerged from the shadows and added his praise. "To deliver a strike at Soul Emperor level while still a Soul Ancestor... You've shattered everything Chrysanthemum and I thought we knew."

He then remarked with interest, "And that sword technique of yours—it has a similar rhythm to the Clear Sky Clan's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer. Each strike stronger than the last. Did you develop that yourself?"

"Yes, Uncle Chrysanthemum, Uncle Ghost. The technique is called Frostblade Nine Slashes. It consists of nine consecutive sword strikes, with each one doubling the power of the last."

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the same astonishment—and admiration—in each other's eyes.

"Looks like we really underestimated you," Ghost muttered. "You might truly have a chance of reaching Rank 99 one day."

Just how well must one understand their own martial soul to create such a soul technique?

The last person with talent on this level… was probably Tang Chen.

While Gu Han's innate talent might not have matched Tang Chen's in the beginning, after consuming an Immortal Herb, his potential had completely caught up. Perhaps now, he was standing on the same tier as that legendary figure from the past.

For a fleeting moment, both elders could already envision Gu Han standing at the summit of the continent.

With that intense spar over, Gu Han's morning sword training had effectively concluded.

Bibi Dong didn't get out of bed until around seven.

When she heard about Gu Han's duel with Yue Guan, she felt like she'd missed out on a fortune.

She often admired her junior brother's sword practice—it always looked incredibly cool. Way better than her own two spider-based martial souls.

But she had never seen him fight with a sword before. Ice attribute plus swordplay? That had to be stunning—like the sword immortals from the stories he used to tell her.

And now, she'd missed the entire show… all because she slept in.

Fuming, she took a huge bite out of a drumstick, her expression screaming, "Not happy."

Still, she didn't say much. After all, it was her own fault for getting up late.

Of course, Gu Han noticed her sour mood. Thinking back to their earlier conversation, he immediately understood the reason and smiled.

"Senior Sister, if you want to see me fight, I can go a round in the Great Spirit Arena after I get my third soul ring."

"Really?"

Bibi Dong's eyes sparkled.

"Really," Gu Han nodded.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

After confirming it several times, Bibi Dong beamed. She was finally going to see her junior brother in action. If she remembered correctly, he had even achieved a 100-win streak in the Great Spirit Arena before.

Yue Guan and Ghost chuckled warmly but didn't comment.

After breakfast, the group left Qinghe Village, accompanied by the warm farewells of the villagers.

Once they reached the city, they rented two carriages and set off toward the Icebound Forest.

Although Yue Guan and Ghost each had their own personal soul beasts or flying rides, they found them far too conspicuous and rarely used them unless pressed for time. Most of the time, those flashy mounts just sat unused at their residences.

Fortunately, the Icebound Forest wasn't far from Northwind City. They reached its outskirts in less than half a day.

~~~

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