Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

Heaven Dou Empire, Southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire, Fasno Province.

Holy Spirit Village, a small village with just over 300 households, was named after a Spirit Saint-level spirit master who had emerged from here a century ago, giving it the prestigious name "Holy Spirit."

As dawn broke and a faint white light began to appear in the east, a man dressed in golden armor appeared at the entrance of Holy Spirit Village.

His skin looked as delicate as a baby's, and his captivating appearance gave off an unusual feeling. On the chest of his golden armor was a gemstone, about the size of a baby's fist, radiating an air of nobility.

If not for the Adam's apple on his neck, anyone would have assumed he was a woman.

This man was none other than Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yue Guan, who had come to Holy Soul Village after leaving Spirit Hall. After arriving, he first surveyed the surroundings, confirming that the person he didn't want to see wasn't present. Only then did he seek out the village elder, Old Jack, to inquire about Tang San's background.

Seeing that this man was from Spirit Hall, Old Jack didn't hesitate to tell him everything he knew.

"Soul Master, has something happened to that child, Tang San, at school?" Old Jack asked when he noticed that Chrysanthemum Douluo's expression changed after hearing about Tang Hao. "Tang Hao is just a blacksmith in our village. If I hadn't taken pity on them back then, they'd probably still be beggars now."

"Tang San has had a hard life, but he's a good kid. If not for his father, a drunkard who's either drinking or sleeping all the time, the boy wouldn't be struggling to even get enough food every day."

Old Jack spoke with righteous indignation, clearly looking down on someone as useless as Tang Hao.

"Heh, the village elder is right," Yue Guan said, trying to stay calm. "But, tell me, is your village's blacksmith, Tang… Tang Hao, still around?"

As he questioned Old Jack, Yue Guan's eyes scanned the area cautiously, as though fearing that man might suddenly appear nearby.

"To tell you the truth, Soul Master, ever since Tang San went to study in Nuoding City, I haven't seen much of Tang Hao. He's probably left the village by now. I don't know his exact whereabouts," Old Jack replied.

"I see. Well then, Elder, could you tell me more about Tang Hao and Tang San?" Chrysanthemum Douluo flipped his hand, revealing a pouch filled with gold soul coins. He placed it in Old Jack's hand and said, "I'm a steward of Spirit Hall. That child has innate full soul power. I'm counting on you, Elder."

"Soul… Soul Master, I couldn't possibly…" Old Jack began to refuse but, seeing the serious look on Yue Guan's face, reluctantly accepted the pouch.

"Very well. Tang Hao isn't originally from Holy Spirit Village. He came here six years ago, heavily injured and carrying a newborn baby. I felt sorry for them and let them stay."

"That baby is the Tang San we know now. But aside from the two of them, I've never seen Tang San's mother, and Tang Hao never mentioned her."

"However, Soul Master, I suspect that Tang Hao's wife may have passed away. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up like this."

Old Jack recounted the events of six years ago in detail, and from his account, Yue Guan's suspicions were confirmed.

Tang Hao arrived in Holy Soul Village six years ago, which matched the timing of that great battle. Furthermore, Tang Hao and that soul beast did have a child. Given all this, everything started to make sense.

As for Tang San, he possessed the Blue Silver Grass spirit, but it was extremely rare for someone with such a weak spirit to have innate full soul power. If he indeed had twin spirits, then his Blue Silver Grass couldn't be ordinary. It was very likely related to the bloodline of that soul beast—the Blue Silver Emperor!

With this in mind, Chrysanthemum Douluo was stunned. As a Title Douluo who had a passion for studying plants, he had surpassed even the Poison Douluo in certain areas.

"If that's true, then Tang San's Blue Silver Grass is far more than what it appears on the surface," Chrysanthemum Douluo thought to himself. "I must report this information to Her Majesty the Pope immediately."

Having gathered the information he needed, Chrysanthemum Douluo wasted no time. In a flash of golden light, he disappeared from Holy Soul Village.

Nuoding City, Soul Master Academy.

"Tang San, have you memorized the theoretical knowledge I asked you to?" Grandmaster asked as he looked at Tang San, who was reading a book while sitting in a chair.

"Yes, teacher, I've memorized it all," Tang San replied, setting down the book and looking up at Grandmaster.

"Good. You have a sharp mind and often demonstrate an ability to draw inferences," Grandmaster said, nodding with satisfaction. "By the way, have you seen Cheng Xiao's first spirit ring?"

"I haven't, teacher. Ever since he returned, he hasn't shown his spirit ring. I've wanted to spar with him, but he keeps postponing it," Tang San said, feeling a bit frustrated as he thought about how Cheng Xiao either went out to play with Xiao Wu or stayed in class learning theory, then spent the rest of his time reading in the library.

At this rate, they wouldn't get the chance to spar before graduation. Aside from meals, classes, and sleep, Cheng Xiao was nowhere to be found.

"I see. I've heard from the dean that he obtained a spirit ring from an unknown soul beast. Given what you've said, I'm beginning to suspect that there might be an issue with his first spirit ring," Grandmaster mused. "Cheng Xiao has talent, but his understanding isn't very sharp. The theoretical knowledge he's learned in class can't compare to what I can teach you personally."

Tang San nodded in agreement, his respect for Grandmaster's soul master theories growing even stronger.

As Grandmaster had said, when Tang San followed his instructions, his Blue Silver Grass absorbed the Mandala Snake's spirit ring and gained the entangling skill. Moreover, thanks to the Mandala Snake's attributes, his Blue Silver Grass also gained a poison ability, though he hadn't had the opportunity to showcase it yet.

Otherwise, it wouldn't have been Cheng Xiao who defeated Xiao Chenyu, but Tang San himself.

"Teacher, Cheng Xiao is a bit different from other students. He seems more mature than those his age, and his physical condition and reflexes are also quite good," Tang San remarked.

Hearing this, Grandmaster's stiff face broke into a smile. "Tang San, Cheng Xiao might not be the brightest, but his talent shouldn't be underestimated. Innate full soul power like his often sets someone apart from their peers."

"But even if he is different from his peers, so what? Spending all his time in the library won't help. Researching spirit theory requires more than just rote knowledge; it demands creativity and imagination."

"If he's so devoted to book learning, let him be. But I can confidently say that while his talent is decent, he won't achieve great things. At best, he might just barely reach the threshold of Title Douluo in his lifetime."

"As for his spirit, it seems to be related to shadows. Aside from that Title Douluo in Spirit Hall whose spirit is a ghost, Cheng Xiao's path to cultivation will be full of challenges."

"Without mature guidance in spirit theory, his journey as a soul master won't go far. By the time he realizes his training has gone astray, it'll be too late."

Grandmaster shook his head regretfully. In his opinion, if Cheng Xiao had chosen to become his disciple, while he might not have surpassed Tang San, he would have at least become a Rank 95 Title Douluo.

"Also, Tang San, most people in the soul master world follow extreme paths in their spirit cultivation. The knowledge in textbooks tends to push soul masters to develop in a single direction. As your teacher, I hope you can discern right from wrong. If possible, I'd prefer you to ignore the textbooks."

"If you don't understand anything about spirit theory, come to me, and I'll do my best to explain it. As for the direction of your spirit cultivation, I hope you pursue a balanced path."

"Your Blue Silver Grass can develop in many ways, so a balanced path is definitely viable."

Tang San nodded. He had already witnessed the effectiveness of Grandmaster's theories, so he wouldn't reject Grandmaster's proposal. In fact, he was already looking forward to the multi-faceted development of his Blue Silver Grass.