Chapter Three: Is This the Sacred Domain or the Underworld?

“Ding! Host has opened the beginner’s package. Opening complete. Congratulations, host, you have received: one chance to draw a Martial Spirit, 666 diamonds, a copy of ‘Advanced Meditation Method,’ and one purple-grade summoning card.”

“Advanced Meditation Method!”

Without hesitation, Xiao Yu grabbed the meditation manual and began to leaf through it.

“This meditation method is designed by the system, based on the concept of the Microcosm and adapted for soul power cultivation in the world of Douluo.”

As Xiao Yu read, the system provided its explanation.

“Excellent, excellent!” Xiao Yu skimmed through the pages, nodding in satisfaction. “With this meditation method, my cultivation speed will be countless times faster than just running every day.”

He carefully put the manual away, steadied himself, took a deep breath, and then gave the order: “System, prepare to draw the Martial Spirit.”

“Ding! Randomly selecting a Martial Spirit for the host…”

The system’s voice once again echoed in Xiao Yu’s mind. Suddenly, a golden light flashed before his eyes, and a circular roulette appeared. The pointer spun rapidly before slowly coming to a stop in a gray section.

In that instant, a humanoid figure clad in black armor and wielding a longsword slowly materialized. Long, jet-black hair cascaded down to his waist, his eyes glimmered pale green, and a deathly aura radiated from his entire being.

“Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained the Martial Spirit: Apostle of the Underworld.”

Xiao Yu was speechless. “Apostle of the Underworld? Isn’t this just Hades, King of the Underworld?”

With years of experience watching the Saints anime back on Blue Star, Xiao Yu could hardly fail to recognize the greatest boss of the Hades arc.

“Incorrect!” the system retorted firmly. “With the host’s current body, it’s absolutely impossible to withstand 100% of Hades’ power. This Martial Spirit is at best a mere projection of the Underworld King. However, if the host one day ascends to level 100, the Apostle of the Underworld Martial Spirit may truly evolve into the Underworld King.”

Xiao Yu understood instantly. “So, it’s a nerfed version, but it can evolve!”

“That’s right.”

“Use the remaining purple-grade character summoning card as well.”

“Ding! Purple-grade character selection complete. Congratulations, host, you have obtained Mew, the Earth Demon Star Specter. Martial Spirit: Demon Butterfly. Innate soul power: level 7. Current soul power: level 72.”

“Good grief, is this a Sanctuary system or an Underworld system?” Xiao Yu was at a loss. His Martial Spirit was a fragment of Hades’ projection, and his first summoned henchman was a top-ranked Specter. Wasn’t the usual procedure to get one of the Five Bronze Saints first? That was always his route when playing the game.

Yet, although things hadn’t gone as expected, Mew was undeniably powerful—one of the strongest amongst the Specters of the Earth Star. With his bizarre psychic powers and the Demon Butterfly of the Underworld, he had once forced the Aries Gold Saint, Mu, into a desperate struggle.

A soul power of level 72 made for an excellent bodyguard in the early stages of the Douluo world. As long as he didn’t venture into major strongholds like Spirit Hall or Heaven Dou City, where powerful figures gathered, his safety was assured.

Take Shrek Academy, for instance—when it was in Soto City, it had clearly offended high-ranking members of the Barak Kingdom, yet could still openly recruit students and charge high tuition fees. That was entirely thanks to the likes of Flender and Zhao Wuji, both Soul Sages, sitting in residence. Even Canghui Academy, a top soul master institution, had only its headmaster, Shi Nian, as a Soul Sage.

“Mew, at your service, my lord!”

While Xiao Yu was lost in thought, Mew had already appeared before him, dressed in a long robe of deep green and black, his jet-black hair wildly unkempt. He knelt on one knee, bowing respectfully to Xiao Yu.

...

Time flowed by, swift as an arrow.

In the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed.

During this period, guided by the ‘Advanced Meditation Method,’ Xiao Yu no longer relied solely on running to improve himself. Physical training remained essential, of course, but he now devoted most of his time and energy to circulating his soul power and condensing his Microcosm.

As for Mew, to avoid attracting undue attention, Xiao Yu instructed him to remain hidden, acting as a secret protector. Mew only appeared when Xiao Yu encountered difficulties in his cultivation.

“Phew!”

Finishing another day’s training, Xiao Yu let out a long breath.

At that moment, the system’s prompt sounded deep in his mind: “Ding! The system has detected that the host has reached the age for Martial Spirit awakening. The Martial Spirit will awaken automatically within the next three days.”

“It seems it’s time to leave,” Xiao Yu murmured as he opened his eyes. As he had expected, the age for Martial Spirit awakening wasn’t strictly limited to six years old.

Which made sense: in remote villages, although Spirit Hall spirit masters performed free awakenings, the ceremony was held only once a year. If a child’s sixth birthday came a month or two after the ceremony, they couldn’t be expected to wait nearly another year until they were almost seven.

“Mew!”

Xiao Yu called softly, and before the words had left his lips, Mew appeared silently before him, asking in a low voice, “What are your orders, young master?”

The title “young master” was something Xiao Yu had specifically instructed Mew to use. For one thing, it would be absurd for a Soul Sage of over seventy levels to address a five- or six-year-old as “my lord”; “young master” was far more reasonable and wouldn’t arouse suspicion. For another, it played into Xiao Yu’s own little stratagem: anyone hearing Mew refer to Xiao Yu as young master would naturally assume the true master was Xiao Yu’s father. If a child could command a Soul Sage-level bodyguard, his father must surely be at least a high-level Soul Douluo, if not a titled Douluo—perfect for bluffing and deterring trouble.

“My Martial Spirit is about to awaken. If I stay here and the orphanage discovers my Martial Spirit awakening on its own, word will spread like wildfire, and I’ll inevitably attract unwanted attention.”

An automatic Martial Spirit awakening would be headline news in any power. Xiao Yu, whose wings were not yet fully grown, simply wanted to bide his time and develop his strength in secret, not expose himself to the world so soon. Especially since his Martial Spirit was far from ordinary. Spirit Hall, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire—any one of these great powers taking an interest in him would spell disaster, and a single Soul Sage like Mew would hardly be enough to protect him.

“There’s no time to lose. Take me away tonight.”

“As you command.”

Mew was a perceptive man and instantly understood Xiao Yu’s concerns. A few flashes of black light later, both Xiao Yu and Mew disappeared from the spot.

The following day, the orphanage staff discovered Xiao Yu’s disappearance. But since he was just a child whose Martial Spirit hadn’t even awakened, they paid little heed. After searching fruitlessly for a few days, the matter was dropped.