Qian Renxue's Departure, Returning to Nuoding Academy Again (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Gu Han's consciousness drifted among thousands of Lines of Karma; it felt as though an eternity had passed, yet it also felt like a mere instant.

When he opened his eyes once more, the familiar ceiling of Spirit Hall greeted his gaze.

He was lying on his own bed, his entire body aching as if he had been crushed, especially his head, which throbbed with a needle-like pain—a clear aftereffect of severe mental exhaustion.

"The River of Time... those Lines of Karma..." he muttered to himself, recalling that stretch of the River of Time.

He attempted to ask the system in his heart: "System, where was the place I went to before?"

[Ding! Detected that the host is asking a question beyond current authorization. Relevant information has been redacted. Please strive to improve your strength to unlock more permissions.]

The system's response was cold and mechanical, as if it had no intention of answering Gu Han. Suddenly, the mechanical voice echoed in his mind once more:

[Does the host wish to use mental power enhancement...]

"Use it," Gu Han replied hurriedly, as if he had known what the system was going to say, not waiting for it to finish.

[Usage successful! Congratulations to the host, your current mental power realm is now the Spirit Origin Realm!]

As the system prompt faded, Gu Han clearly felt his mental power had expanded significantly; he could even perceive the subtle changes in the surrounding environment.

"Xiao Han, you're finally awake!" Qian Renxue's voice, filled with surprise, rang out beside Gu Han's ear.

She had been keeping watch by his bedside, and upon seeing Gu Han wake up, she immediately leaned over, her beautiful face etched with worry.

"You've been unconscious for a full day and night. How do you feel? Is there anywhere else that's uncomfortable?"

Looking at her anxious expression, Gu Han felt a warmth in his heart. He shook his head, his voice still somewhat hoarse: "I'm fine, Sister Xue. I've made you worry. What is the spirit skill of your third spirit ring?"

At the mention of the spirit ring, Qian Renxue's expression turned to one of delight:

"It was a success! Xiao Han, you are truly amazing—my third spirit ring is ten thousand years old. The spirit skill is called [Holy Feather Protection]."

She couldn't wait to demonstrate; two yellow and one black spirit ring rose slowly from beneath her feet. The edge of that black spirit ring indeed bore a faint, barely perceptible golden thread.

She activated her third spirit skill, and a pair of illusory wings condensed from light faintly emerged behind her, enveloping her entire body.

"This spirit skill is not only a powerful defensive ability capable of blocking heavy attacks from Spirit Ancestor-level opponents, but the target being protected also receives a slight boost to their light attribute and a healing effect."

Qian Renxue explained excitedly, and one could hear how extremely satisfied she was with this skill.

Gu Han felt happy for her as well.

Qian Daoliu also came to see him afterward, his eyes complex as he urged him to rest well. The weight he placed on Gu Han had changed significantly compared to before.

After a few days of recovery, Gu Han had regained most of his strength.

Today, after Qian Renxue returned from the Pope Hall, the smile had vanished from her face. She sat on the swing in the garden, looking melancholy.

"Sister Xue, what's wrong?" Gu Han walked to her side.

Qian Renxue looked up at the sound, her eyes filled with reluctance and helplessness:

"Xiao Han... Bibi Dong has ordered me to return to the Heaven Dou Empire as soon as possible."

Gu Han's heart jolted. Qian Renxue's current identity was that of an undercover agent lurking in the Heaven Dou royal family, disguised as the Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe.

"The person who has been impersonating me there is already reaching their limit.

"I only came back this time because I heard she had taken in an interesting little junior brother, and I wanted to come back to see you. I didn't expect to have to leave so soon."

Gu Han looked at her dejected appearance, and thinking of the meticulous care and companionship she had shown him like a real sister over the past two months, a strong sense of reluctance welled up in his heart.

He did not want Qian Renxue to return to that cold imperial palace and continue living behind a mask.

"I'll go talk to Teacher!" Gu Han stood up abruptly. "Perhaps there is another way; you don't necessarily have to be the one to go undercover."

He went straight to the Pope Hall to request an audience with Bibi Dong.

Inside the hall, Bibi Dong sat high upon the papal throne, listening to Gu Han's impassioned statement.

He spoke with clear logic, even citing data on Spirit Hall's recent expansion of influence, attempting to prove that even if Qian Renxue did not go undercover, Spirit Hall had the capability to scheme against the Heaven Dou Empire.

However, Bibi Dong merely listened indifferently, her eyes devoid of any ripples.

"Are you finished?"

Only after Gu Han stopped did she speak slowly, her voice cold. "Do you know that infiltrating the Heaven Dou Empire is a strategy our Spirit Hall has been laying out for years?"

"How dare a child like you speak nonsense? She bears a heavy responsibility; this is her value."

"But Teacher..."

"Enough!" Bibi Dong interrupted sharply. A powerful pressure instantly descended upon Gu Han, causing his breathing to hitch.

"Gu Han, as the Holy Son, you should prioritize the big picture rather than indulging in your personal emotions."

"For defying this seat and questioning my decisions, I sentence you to twenty lashes to serve as a warning to others!"

Before Gu Han could argue further, an irresistible force restrained him.

The next moment, the sharp shadow of a whip fell, and a searing, intense pain erupted from his back. He gritted his teeth, not uttering a single sound. His body, which had not fully recovered from the Star Dou Great Forest, was knocked unconscious once again.

When he woke up the next day, it was already afternoon. He lay prone on the bed, feeling a cooling sensation on his back; clearly, medicine had already been applied.

"Xiao Han..." Qian Renxue sat by the bedside, her eyes red and swollen; she had clearly been crying.

She looked at the crisscrossing whip marks on Gu Han's back, her voice choked with sobs. "Why are you so foolish? Why did you have to go and defy that woman, Bibi Dong?"

Gu Han offered a strained smile. "I just didn't want you to continue acting as an undercover agent, because then you would never be able to be yourself."

Tears fell from Qian Renxue's eyes once more. She gently took Gu Han's hand and whispered:

"I must go now. You need to work hard on your cultivation here in Spirit Hall. Wait for your big sister to return, or perhaps you can come to the Heaven Dou Empire to see me."

Gu Han nodded heavily and squeezed her hand back. Many words were stuck in his throat, but in the end, they only transformed into a single sentence: "Sister Xue, goodbye."

The moment he saw Qian Renxue off and watched her board the carriage, seeing the smile she wore as she fought back tears while looking back at him, Gu Han felt a hollow ache in his heart.

He remained in Spirit Hall for a few more days until his injuries had mostly healed and the whip marks on his back had faded significantly.

He sought out Bibi Dong and requested with a calm expression, "Teacher, I would like to leave Spirit Hall for a period of time to travel and consolidate my cultivation."

Bibi Dong looked at him deeply, seemingly seeing through his thoughts, yet she did not expose them. She simply said indifferently, "Granted."

Having received permission, Gu Han did not linger for even a moment. After packing his things, he left Spirit City.

For this journey, he had specifically requested that no one accompany or protect him, believing that was the only way to truly hone his skills.

His goal was clear. "Xiao Wu, it has been a long time. I wonder how you are doing now..."

With a flicker of his figure, he sped off in a single direction.