Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

"It seems you've already guessed," Bibi Dong said as she rose from the Pope's throne. Her tall and enchanting figure flickered as she appeared in front of Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yue Guan. Casually picking up the document in Yue Guan's hand, she continued, "His Spirit is Blue Silver Grass, he has innate full spirit power, and his surname is Tang. Putting all of these clues together, there's only one possibility."

"Your Holiness, I'll handle it right away," Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had followed Bibi Dong for many years, didn't need her to say more. He fully understood her meaning.

"Hmm, go quickly. Investigate Tang San's background thoroughly and report back to me," Bibi Dong said indifferently.

"Yes, Your Holiness," Chrysanthemum Douluo replied respectfully before swiftly leaving the Pope's Palace.

As she watched him leave, Bibi Dong returned to her throne, her gaze lowering as if deep in thought.

...

Bang, bang, bang!

In the small forest behind Nuoding Academy, several crisp sounds echoed.

A black figure could be seen skillfully leaping between the tree trunks, with the occasional crack of breaking branches beneath his feet.

In the next moment, the figure nimbly stopped in front of a large tree. Picking up a few stones from the ground, he shot them at the tree using a special technique.

Thud, thud, thud!

A series of dull thuds followed as several holes appeared on the surface of the tree. The stones he had thrown pierced through the tree as if they were bullets!

"Whoo, infusing spirit power into the stones to increase their power—who would have thought it would actually work?" Cheng Xiao grinned as he looked at the tree, which was now riddled with holes from his practice.

As Cheng Xiao admired his handiwork, not far behind him, a girl with a scorpion braid sat on a large green rock, swinging her legs in boredom. Her lips pouted in dissatisfaction.

"Cheng Xiao is so annoying. He promised we'd only practice in the morning, but now it's already the afternoon!" Xiao Wu puffed her cheeks in frustration. She gracefully hopped off the rock and walked over to the boy standing in front of the tree, who was still chuckling to himself.

"I wonder when that short sword will be ready. I'm really looking forward to it," Cheng Xiao muttered as he licked his dry lips.

"Why don't you remember your promise to Sister Xiao Wu!"

Suddenly, a slightly angry voice came from behind him. Cheng Xiao's body stiffened as he awkwardly turned around.

Xiao Wu stood there, clearly upset, her hands on his neck, shaking him as she gritted her teeth, "Look at the time! You said it was only going to be in the morning!"

"Ah, sorry, sorry! I got too focused," Cheng Xiao apologized with an embarrassed smile, not resisting Xiao Wu's grip.

"Seriously, you made me sit there waiting for you all day!" Xiao Wu let go and complained, "I was even thinking we could go get something nice to eat, but now I'm too mad to even think about food!"

"What should I do, then?" Cheng Xiao leaned in closer to Xiao Wu, locking eyes with her. His soft voice made her slightly flustered as he said, "How about I go wash up, and then take you to eat something nice. How does that sound?"

"Hmm..." Xiao Wu was caught off guard by his sudden closeness, and without thinking, she nodded in agreement.

"I knew you'd say yes," Cheng Xiao chuckled, reaching out to touch her bunny ears gently. "Thank you for keeping me company while I practiced, Xiao Wu."

With that, Cheng Xiao grabbed Xiao Wu's hand and started jogging toward the dormitory.

Surprisingly, Xiao Wu, who was being pulled along, didn't pull her hand away. She simply stared at Cheng Xiao, confused by why she allowed him to hold her hand so freely.

...

Meanwhile, Tang San, who had been left hanging by Cheng Xiao for the entire day, arrived at the blacksmith's shop. He had originally planned to spar with Cheng Xiao first, but since Cheng Xiao and Xiao Wu had run off early in the morning without giving him a chance to speak, he had no choice but to head to the blacksmith's shop to practice forging. This would help him in creating stronger Tang Sect hidden weapons in the future.

"Uncle, do you think I could become an apprentice here?" Tang San asked the blacksmith, who was busy hammering iron. The blacksmith had to put down his tools to respond, casting a grumpy glance at Tang San. "Kid, you're way too young. Are you sure you're not just here to mess with me?"

"Uncle, you've got it wrong. My father is a blacksmith in the village, and I've been learning forging from him since I was little. I should be more than capable of being an apprentice here," Tang San explained.

"Is that so?" The blacksmith's expression softened as he looked at Tang San, noting his patch-covered clothes. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. "Alright, if you're serious, then come on. We're short on hands anyway."

"So, what did your father teach you?"

"Forging, smithing, casting—I've learned a bit of everything," Tang San replied, thinking for a moment. "Don't be fooled by my size. I've got plenty of strength, and I can handle forging ordinary iron just fine."

"Alright then, give it a shot." The blacksmith handed a forging hammer to Tang San and said, "Let's see what you can do. If you can work on that iron over there, I'll let you stay."

"Got it." Tang San took the hammer, lifting it with ease as he walked toward the forge where raw iron was waiting.

Seeing this, the blacksmith shook his head. Forging was tough work. How could such a small child manage it?

Bang!

With a loud clang, Tang San swung the hammer skillfully, each strike forming smooth arcs in the air. The rhythmic hammering echoed throughout the forge.

The other blacksmiths watched in astonishment as the boy worked. How could a child this young be so proficient?

Before long, some of the more experienced blacksmiths recognized Tang San's technique.

"This... this kid is using the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique!"

"Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique? I've never heard of it."

"It's a technique that allows the user to fully unleash their strength through continuous strikes. I thought it had been lost to time, yet this child is using it!"

Outside the forge, a middle-aged man in a black robe passed by. He paused to glance at the boy inside, his eyes flashing with approval before quickly moving on.

By evening, at Nuoding Academy's Dormitory 7.

"Cheng Xiao, didn't we agree to spar today?" Tang San asked as he approached Cheng Xiao's bed.

"Ah, sorry, Tang San," Cheng Xiao scratched his head. "I have a terrible memory and totally forgot."

"Then, should we spar tomorrow?" Tang San suggested.

"Uh… tomorrow might not work either," Cheng Xiao thought for a moment, waving his hand dismissively.

"Alright, we'll spar whenever you're free, then." Tang San sighed.

"Sure, just whenever I'm free," Cheng Xiao replied cheerfully.

Tang San nodded and returned to his bed. Since Cheng Xiao didn't have time to spar, it gave him a perfect opportunity to practice his forging technique at the blacksmith's shop and maybe even collect some leftover iron to craft hidden weapons.

What piqued Tang San's curiosity, however, was that all the blacksmiths seemed to be working on a mysterious blueprint. As a hidden weapons expert, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of weapon would require half the blacksmith shop to work on.