Chapter 4: The First Assignment
Milo departed the orphanage with Xiao Yu. His martial soul manifested as a pair of butterfly wings sprouting from his back, swiftly carrying them to his usual secluded cabin in the woods.
"Master, rest here for a few days. Once your martial soul awakens, I'll accompany you to hunt for soul rings," Xiao Yu's companion said.
Xiao Yu nodded, "Thank you for your hard work!"
...
As the sun rose in the east, gentle sunlight bathed the earth. Sitting cross-legged, Xiao Yu circulated his inner energy, feeling a surge in his soul power. He opened his eyes abruptly and muttered, "They're here!"
In the next moment, Xiao Yu's body seemed to radiate light, bathed in a faint golden glow. The power that seemed restrained burst forth, cleansing every meridian and bringing an indescribable sense of comfort.
A pair of black wings appeared behind Xiao Yu, followed by a sleek black armor covering his body perfectly. His eyes emitted a faint green light, and a terrifying black longsword materialized in his right hand.
"Ding, the host's martial soul has awakened. Martial Soul Underworld Apostle, innate full soul power."
"Ding, as the host's soul power has reached level 10, the following missions are now issued:"
"1. Gold-level mission: Independently obtain a thousand-year soul ring without external assistance."
"2. Red-level mission: Absorb a thousand-year soul ring with the assistance of others."
"3. Black-level mission: Independently obtain a hundred-year soul ring without external assistance."
"4. Purple-level mission: Absorb a hundred-year soul ring with the assistance of others."
"5. Yellow-level mission: Independently obtain a ten-year soul ring without external assistance."
"6. White-level mission: Absorb a ten-year soul ring with the assistance of others."
"This is more like a multiple-choice question!" Xiao Yu observed, realizing the tasks were more like one task divided into levels of difficulty. He pondered silently, "The yellow and white levels are a breeze. As a transcender with innate full soul power, even the ten-year soul ring feels chilling to pursue alone."
"The red and gold levels require absorbing thousand-year soul rings across levels. Gold level is out of the question. Despite having a top-tier martial soul, challenging a thousand-year soul beast without any soul rings is suicidal. As for the red level..."
Xiao Yu furrowed his brow in contemplation. "Although absorbing soul rings beyond one's level seems impressive, the risk involved is high. If one cannot withstand the power of a thousand-year soul ring, the result is death by explosion. Once a person dies, there's nothing left."
In the original story, although Tang San absorbed soul rings beyond his level multiple times, it was far from easy. Especially later on, with the Eight Spider Lances and the Blessing of the Immortal Herb. But now, Xiao Yu was in a state of destitution, and he truly dared not take such a risk.
"So the choice lies between the Purple and Black levels. The 'outsiders' mentioned here should refer to Miao."
Xiao Yu pondered, "The choice between these two tasks depends on the situation at the time. If I can independently handle the hundred-year soul beast, that would naturally be the best scenario. But if the opponent proves too formidable, I'll have Milo intervene. Before that, let me test my combat skills and the power of my martial soul."
After a brief preparation, Xiao Yu and Milo set off. Their destination was the famous soul beast habitat in the Douluo Continent, the Star Dou Great Forest.
The reason for not going to the Soul Hunting Forest was also Xiao Yu's consideration. Firstly, the Soul Hunting Forest was mostly managed by the Spirit Hall, requiring their token to enter. Obviously, Xiao Yu wasn't Yu Xiaogang; he didn't have any favors to cash in like Bibi Dong, so he naturally wouldn't possess any Spirit Hall tokens, especially the kind that could be used for a lifetime.
Of course, Xiao Yu could also apply for a one-time token from the Spirit Hall. As mentioned in the original work, the process to obtain one wasn't complicated: gaining recognition from the Spirit Hall, confirming that your strength had reached a pinnacle stage, needing soul rings for advancement, and having at least three nobles vouch for you.
With Milo's strength at the Soul Saint level, finding a few nobles from small cities to vouch for him wasn't difficult. But what Xiao Yu truly worried about was himself. Once he registered at the Spirit Hall, given his age, even the Blind Douluo Su Yuntao should be able to guess that he had reached innate full soul power. As the saying goes, at this stage of undeveloped strength, Xiao Yu didn't want to expose himself to the Spirit Hall.
Although it couldn't be ruled out that these remote Spirit Hall Branch Halls might overlook reporting, after all, Tang San and Xiao Wu had spent many years in the city of Nuoding without attracting much attention from the Spirit Hall. Also, the sausage Oscar, with innate full soul power, was studying freely at Shrek. But Xiao Yu, who was always cautious, didn't want to take that risk. What if he encountered someone discerning and conscientious?
Secondly, Xiao Yu believed that these captive soul beasts, whether in terms of quality or quantity, were far inferior to those in a pristine forest like the Star Dou Great Forest. Xiao Yu's Underworld Apostle martial soul might not yet match up to god-gifted martial souls like the Six-Winged Angel, but it was definitely comparable to top-tier martial souls like Haotian Hammer and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile. The quality demand for soul rings corresponding to soul beasts was quite high.
With Milo, a Soul Saint-level powerhouse, leading the way, the two of them moved quite swiftly. The Star Dou Great Forest was thousands of miles away from the Sylvia Kingdom, but under Milo's guidance, they arrived at the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest in just a few days.
The Star Dou Great Forest was one of the three most famous soul beast habitats in the Douluo Continent. The terrain inside was complex, with wetlands, swamps, and more. It was almost as large as the entire territory of the Barak Kingdom, spanning the borders of the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Star Luo Empire.
Although the original work had already described the vastness of the Star Dou Great Forest, Xiao Yu couldn't help but marvel at the enormity of this primitive forest after arriving for the first time, sincerely praising the greatness of nature.
After arriving at the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, Milo asked Xiao Yu, "Young Master, what are your thoughts on the first soul ring?"
Xiao Yu had been pondering this question along the way and promptly replied, "As an Underworld Apostle, my martial soul leans towards aggressive attributes, particularly darkness. So, the ideal soul beasts for me would be ones with powerful attacks and dark attributes."
Milo nodded in agreement. This idea coincided with his own.
"Milo, I have a favor to ask," Xiao Yu said, "When you find a suitable soul beast, refrain from acting. Let me first test my control over my martial soul and the application of my soul power."
(End of this chapter)
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