Gu Han looked at the golden-haired girl bathing in the morning light not far away, and for a moment, he was completely entranced.
Her golden hair flowed like rays of light, and her azure eyes were as clear as a lake.
Seeing Gu Han standing at a distance, gazing at her, Qian Renxue tilted her head slightly. A sly smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she walked over to him.
"Hey, are you the new little disciple Bibi Dong just took in? Gu Han, right?"
Her voice was as sweet as wind chimes. "You're quite handsome, but a little spacey."
Only then did Gu Han snap out of it. At the words "a little spacey," the tips of his ears turned faintly red. He quickly composed himself and said respectfully,
"Gu Han greets Senior... Senior Sister." He wasn't sure what else to call Qian Renxue.
"Don't call me Senior Sister. It sounds so formal."
Qian Renxue waved a hand, looking very easygoing. She leaned closer and blinked. "I'm older than you, so from now on, just call me Sister Xue."
"Sis... Sister?"
Looking at the face so close to his, Gu Han caught a faint, delicate fragrance from her. His heart skipped a beat for no reason, and his face grew warm. He hadn't even realized he was blushing.
He had crossed over from another world, so his mental age wasn't young, but this was the first time such a beautiful girl had asked him to call her big sister.
"Exactly. Just call me Sister Xue." Qian Renxue was pleased with his reaction and laughed even more brightly. She took his hand naturally.
"Come on, Sister Xue will show you around Spirit City. There are tons of delicious things to eat and fun places to visit."
All day long, Qian Renxue eagerly led Gu Han around Spirit City.
She seemed to enjoy playing tour guide and big sister, not getting tired in the slightest. She patiently explained the purpose of each building to Gu Han and occasionally bought snacks and little trinkets to give him.
By the afternoon, Gu Han was carrying quite a few things, all of them things Qian Renxue had spotted, found amusing, and bought on a whim.
Gu Han watched the girl skipping along ahead of him. The setting sun naturally draped her in a warm halo. There wasn't the slightest trace of the cold-blooded Xue Qinghe she would become in the future.
Right now, she was simply a lively, cheerful girl, even a little mischievous.
Though Qian Renxue detested Bibi Dong, her hatred for Bibi Dong never spilled over onto Gu Han.
[Beep beep beep! Detected that the host has formed a close bond with key figure Qian Renxue, slightly changing her lonely state of mind. Reward: 100 Magic Modification Points! Reward: Attack Soul Tool "Soul Guidance Paralysis Gun" (can paralyze Soul Masters below Soul King).]
The system notification sounded in Gu Han's mind. A Soul Tool resembling a pistol from his previous life appeared in the system space. He could faintly sense lightning crackling within its energy core.
Gu Han's heart stirred. The reward had come at just the right time, making up for his current lack of powerful offensive methods.
Night fell.
Qian Renxue led Gu Han to a hall even more imposing than the Pope Hall. This was the Worship Hall.
"Grandpa, I brought a new friend!" Qian Renxue ran inside like a swallow returning to its nest.
Gu Han followed close behind. The hall was spacious, and a massive statue of a Six-Winged Angel stood at its center, radiating an exceptionally pure aura of light.
Buzz, buzz, buzz...
"Why did the Karma Scissors suddenly start trembling? It doesn't seem to be out of fear. It's as though it recognizes the Angel God."
An old man stood quietly there, dressed in a plain robe. His hair and beard were entirely white, and his kind face carried an unmistakable air of authority. It was as if he had become one with the entire hall.
He was the Great Enshrined of Spirit Hall, the Level 99 Limit Douluo—Qian Daoliu.
Qian Daoliu's gaze fell warmly on Qian Renxue, full of affection. Then he turned to Gu Han. His expression remained gentle, but Gu Han sensed a gaze that seemed capable of seeing right through him.
"Grandpa, this is Gu Han," Qian Renxue said, tugging at Gu Han's sleeve as she introduced him.
"This junior, Gu Han, pays his respects to the Great Enshrined."
Gu Han felt a pressure far greater than Bibi Dong's coming from him and bowed respectfully. From Qian Renxue's words, he could guess that the old man before him was Qian Daoliu, the Great Enshrined of the Worship Hall.
Qian Daoliu gave a slight nod.
"No need for formalities. Bibi Dong has already told me about you. The position of Saint Son represents the prestige of our Spirit Hall. I hope you'll train diligently and live up to the support Spirit Hall has given you."
His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable authority.
As he spoke, Qian Daoliu's gaze seemed to sharpen almost imperceptibly. A wave of pressure washed over Gu Han, but it was not hostile—more like an examination. Qian Daoliu wanted to see the origins of his Martial Soul and Soul Ring.
Gu Han's breathing immediately tightened, and the flow of Soul Power in his body grew sluggish. The Karma Scissors even let out a faint ringing in his sea of consciousness, as though it were about to manifest and fend off the pressure.
Suddenly, the eyes of the enormous Six-Winged Angel statue in the center of the Worship Hall blazed with pure golden light.
A vague yet incomparably sacred female apparition flickered and vanished. At the same time, a thought entered the minds of Qian Daoliu and Qian Renxue:
"This child shares a deep bond of fate with Xue'er. In the future, he will greatly benefit her. You must treat him well..."
At the same time, Qian Daoliu clearly sensed a trace of confusion mixed into the Angel God's thought.
It was as though the Angel God had sensed an aura in Gu Han that was both familiar and strange—even to a deity.
Qian Daoliu was shaken. He immediately withdrew all the pressure, and his gaze toward Gu Han changed completely.
He no longer looked at him with scrutiny, but with a solemnity that was difficult to put into words. The Angel God had personally sent down a divine thought, which meant Gu Han was truly important.
His kindly smile grew a little more genuine, and he spoke warmly to Gu Han.
"Since Xiao Xue wants you to call her big sister, then, if you don't mind, you can follow her example and call me Grandpa. If you run into any difficulties with your cultivation, you can come to the Worship Hall and find me. I can help you with them."
Gu Han's heart was also in turmoil. He hurriedly bowed. "Yes, Grandpa."
He also thought to himself, When the Angel God's thought came just now, I actually felt a sense of familiarity. It seems I'll have some karmic connection with her in the future.
Time flew by, and two months passed in the blink of an eye.
With Spirit Hall's resources and Qian Daoliu's occasional guidance, Gu Han's Soul Power grew increasingly solid and robust, and he became even more adept at using the Karma Scissors.
His relationship with Qian Renxue also grew closer. This pure sibling bond became one of the few warm lights in his life at Spirit Hall.
One day, Qian Renxue came rushing to find Gu Han, excitement coloring her beautiful face.
"Xiao Han! I've broken through to Level 30! Grandpa said he'll take me to the Star Dou Great Forest in a few days to get my third Soul Ring. He'll take you along, too."
"The Star Dou Great Forest? I wonder how Xiao Wu's been doing at the academy lately..."
Before you continue