Chapter Eighteen: The Founding of the Ensemble-Soul Land: Legend of the Sacred Domain(White Orchid Tomato)

After leaving the academy, Xiao Yu immediately met up with Huihuo and Miu. The three of them sped swiftly along until they reached a remote mountain valley, far from any sign of human habitation, and finally stopped.

Xiao Yu calmed his mind and opened the system interface. Thanks to the protection of Huihuo and Miu over the past few years, and the care of the academy’s senior members, he had completed many tasks, but had rarely used summoning. Now, with a command sent, the system panel bloomed in his mind, and lines of information floated before his eyes:

Name: Xiao Yu
Martial Soul: Apostle of the Netherworld
Soul Power Level: Level 34
Soul Ring Configuration:
First Soul Ring (508 years), Skill: Purgatory Body Shield
Second Soul Ring (1398 years), Skill: Shadow Gale Burst
Third Soul Ring (4587 years), Skill: Gale Shadow Break
Diamonds: 3680
Summoning Permissions: 1 Red-level Summoning Card, 3 Black-level Summoning Cards, 5 Purple-level Summoning Cards
Soul Bones: None
Special Items: Sanctuary Legion Card, "Compendium of Immortal Herbs," "Advanced Meditation Manual"
Pending Tasks:
1. Establish a sect (rewards based on sect influence, can be claimed multiple times; highest level is Gold)
2. Establish an academy (rewards based on academy influence, can be claimed multiple times; highest level is Gold)
3. Gold-level Task: Seize the opportunities meant for Tang San and the Shrek Seven Monsters, claim the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and the immortal herbs
4. Red-level Task: Recruit Dugu Bo
5. Black-level Task: Recruit one of the four major clans affiliated with the Clear Sky Sect (Note: recruiting two clans upgrades reward to Red; recruiting all four upgrades to Gold; rewards stack)

Xiao Yu had broken through to Soul Exalted nine months ago, absorbing a four-thousand-year-old Shadow Demon Wolf with the help of Miu and Huihuo. This granted him a single-target burst skill, Gale Shadow Break, which could instantly increase his speed by fifty percent, unleashing his strength in a full sprint. Combined with the Nether King Sword innate to his martial soul, he had managed to defeat Gao Jue, the Soul Sect-level director of Mingjing Academy, across realms. The only flaw was that the skill was linear, making it difficult to hit agile assault-type soul masters.

He had exchanged five hundred diamonds for the Compendium of Immortal Herbs from the system, with the clear intent to intercept the greatest opportunity destined for Tang San and the Shrek Seven Monsters—the immortal herbs. Unlike Tang San, Xiao Yu had never learned the Xuan Tian Treasure Record and thus couldn’t recognize the herbs. Anticipating this, he had traded for the herb compendium as soon as he learned it existed in the system shop, so that he wouldn't fumble blindly even if he reached the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, like Dugu Bo, who possessed a mountain of treasure but lacked the means to use it.

However, the knowledge of immortal herbs was dry and complex, and Xiao Yu had put in significant effort to learn it, which had slowed his cultivation progress over the past two years.

The Sanctuary Legion Card was a reward for his ten consecutive victories during the academy’s exchange tournament. Using this card would grant him two hundred candidates for saint warriors, similar to Cassios but without sacred armor—transformed into soul masters whose soul power levels ranged from twenty to forty.

This unexpected reward had thrilled Xiao Yu. He had been troubled by the system's limitation of summoning one by one, and that most summoned were high-level soul masters. Filling the middle and lower ranks had been a challenge, but with this card, his initial foundation was finally complete.

"Let’s use the five purple-level character summoning cards first," Xiao Yu decided, planning to use the cards he’d accumulated over the past four years from lowest to highest.

"Ding! Purple-level character draw complete. Congratulations, host, you have obtained SS-era Bronze Saint Warrior Jabu of the Unicorn constellation. Martial Soul: Unicorn. Innate Soul Power: Level 7. Current Soul Power Level: 28."

"Congratulations, host, you have obtained SS-era Silver Saint Warrior Argol of the Perseus constellation. Martial Soul: Medusa. Innate Soul Power: Level 7. Current Soul Power Level: 65."

"Congratulations, host, you have obtained General Io, Sea Saint Beast of the Sea Warriors. Martial Soul: Sea Saint Beast. Innate Soul Power: Level 6.5. Current Soul Power Level: 24."

"Congratulations, host, you have obtained SS-era Underworld Warrior Rune, Star of Heavenly Hero. Martial Soul: Fire Vine Whip. Innate Soul Power: Level 7.5. Current Soul Power Level: 75."

"Congratulations, host, you have obtained God Warrior Mii Mei of the Shaoguang Star. Martial Soul: Harp. Innate Soul Power: Level 8. Current Soul Power Level: 28."

"Continue. Use the three black-level summoning cards as well."

"Ding! Black-level character draw complete. Congratulations, host, you have obtained Omega-era Gold Saint Warrior Gembu of the Libra constellation. Martial Soul: Black Tortoise. Innate Soul Power: Level 8.5. Current Soul Power Level: 86."

"Congratulations, host, you have obtained SS-era Bronze Saint Warrior, one of the Five Greats—Shiryu of the Dragon constellation. Martial Soul: Azure Dragon. Innate Soul Power: Level 9. Current Soul Power Level: 31."

"Congratulations, host, you have obtained Omega-era Bronze Saint Warrior Eden of the Orion constellation. Martial Soul: Lord of Thunder. Innate Soul Power: Level 10. Current Soul Power Level: 32."

Xiao Yu closed his eyes, centered his mind, and gave one more command: "Use the final red-level summoning card."

"Ding! Red-level character draw complete. Congratulations, host, you have obtained SS-era Gold Saint Warrior Mu of the Aries constellation. Martial Soul: White Ram. Innate Soul Power: Level 9.5. Current Soul Power Level: 95."

"At last, a Title Douluo-level powerhouse to hold the fort."

Xiao Yu whispered excitedly. In the era of Soul Land One, Title Douluos were rare and revered figures; even the lowest, like Dugu Bo, were honored guests in the Heaven Dou Empire. Unlike the second era, where Title Douluos were everywhere, Super Douluos filled the streets, and only Peerless Douluos were rare.

With a Title Douluo in his ranks, Xiao Yu’s confidence soared. The reason the upper three sects were considered top-tier was because they each had Title Douluo-level experts. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, though the least among them, had only its patriarch Yu Yuanzhen as a Title Douluo, with soul power about level 95, matching Mu.

Now, Xiao Yu commanded Huihuo and Gembu, two high-level Soul Douluo, and in terms of top-tier combat power, his strength was nearly on par with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

But this did not mean Xiao Yu now had the power to challenge the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, for a sect’s strength was not only measured by its elite fighters but also by its foundation: soul bones, wealth, prestige, and personnel.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was an established, renowned sect, and in these respects, Xiao Yu could hardly compare. Most striking was their numbers. According to the original story, when the Martial Soul Hall launched its Soul Hunt, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan suffered devastating losses—over eighteen hundred died. Counting those who escaped, their peak membership was likely over two thousand. And this was because the clan’s martial soul was assault-type, so they did not need to recruit outsiders for strong offense as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan did.

Had the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan recruited external affiliated clan disciples like the Clear Sky Sect or the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, their numbers might have exceeded three or even four thousand.

"The road to sect development is long and arduous," Xiao Yu knew well the gap between himself and these established sects. Muttering to himself, he finally used the last Legion Card he’d been holding onto.