Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

The next morning, as the first light of dawn broke, the small town was still shrouded in a misty haze.

The trees lining the streets swayed gently in the breeze, and in the distance, the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting light onto the earth.

After waking up and having breakfast, Cheng Xiao and Xiao Wu left the town. Before departing, Cheng Xiao purchased a general map of the Star Dou Forest to help guide their way.

With the map in hand, Cheng Xiao and Xiao Wu set off at full speed towards the Star Dou Forest.

Along the way, Xiao Wu chatted cheerfully. She had been away from the Star Dou Forest for two years, and she missed it dearly, especially since her family still resided in the depths of the forest.

The Star Dou Forest was located in the southern region of the Heaven Dou Empire, spanning the borders of two empires. Two-fifths of its area lay within the Heaven Dou Empire, while the remaining three-fifths stretched into the Star Luo Empire.

This was a vast and ancient forest, with incredibly complex terrain that included swamps and wetlands. The closer one got to the heart of the Star Dou Forest, the stronger the spirit beasts became.

As one of the three most famous spirit beast gathering places on the continent, it was the ideal location for Spirit Masters to hunt for spirit rings. As long as one's strength was sufficient and luck was on their side, they could find a spirit ring suitable for themselves within the forest.

In the distance, Cheng Xiao gazed upon the largest primeval forest on the continent, its air filled with the earthy fragrance of damp soil. For Cheng Xiao, who had spent most of his time in the academy, the refreshing scent of the forest brought a sense of calm and comfort.

"Cheng Xiao, once we obtain your second spirit ring, we shouldn't venture any deeper into the Star Dou Forest," Xiao Wu said, feeling both comfortable and a bit nostalgic after returning to the place she had been away from for so long. However, she still reminded Cheng Xiao cautiously.

After all, she was a transformed spirit beast with the protection of Da Ming and Er Ming, but Cheng Xiao was different. No matter how strong he was, he was still just a level-20 Spirit Master, and the Star Dou Forest was extremely dangerous. One careless move could cost him his life.

"Xiao Wu, this is clearly our first time here, but why do you seem more familiar with the place than I do?" Cheng Xiao joked, holding a map in one hand as he teased her.

"Ah?" Xiao Wu was momentarily stunned, then fell into silence. She wasn't sure whether she should reveal her true identity to Cheng Xiao, nor could she think of an excuse to explain her familiarity with the forest.

Seeing Xiao Wu lower her head in hesitation, Cheng Xiao remained silent. He understood her hesitation—if she had blurted out her identity without thinking, that would have been the truly foolish move.

Without further conversation, the two continued deeper into the Star Dou Forest. Perhaps out of luck, they hadn't encountered any spirit beasts for a long time, which led Cheng Xiao to suspect that the two emperors of the forest had already noticed their presence from the moment they entered.

Just as Cheng Xiao was about to sit under a shady tree to rest, the ground began to tremble. In the distance, trees toppled on both sides as a massive creature approached them at high speed.

Cheng Xiao remained calm, casually taking Xiao Wu's hand as they waited for the colossal beast to appear.

Xiao Wu was puzzled by Cheng Xiao's composure, but she didn't voice her confusion. Feeling the warmth of his hand, she chose not to ask why he wasn't concerned about the approaching danger. She couldn't understand why Cheng Xiao wasn't panicking and why he seemed to be standing still, waiting for the unknown creature. Could he also be a spirit beast in human form? But besides her, were there any other hundred-thousand-year-old spirit beasts in the Star Dou Forest?

Under Xiao Wu's confused gaze, Cheng Xiao gently squeezed her hand and whispered, "Your family has come to see you. Aren't you going to greet them?"

The next moment, the colossal creature that had caused all the commotion appeared before them. It resembled both an ape and a gorilla, with jet-black fur covering its massive body. Apart from its lantern-sized eyes, which gleamed like yellow crystals, it was completely black.

The Titan Giant Ape not only had a gigantic body but was also covered in terrifying muscles that bulged like small hills. No one would have expected such a powerful hundred-thousand-year-old spirit beast to call a soft-boned rabbit its elder sister.

"Hello, Titan Giant Ape," Cheng Xiao said, raising his free hand to wave at the massive creature as if greeting an old friend.

"You knew?" Xiao Wu was stunned by Cheng Xiao's words. She immediately withdrew her hand from his, her face filled with suspicion. "How did you know he is my family? Have you already figured out my identity?"

Seeing Xiao Wu's sudden wariness, Cheng Xiao smiled helplessly. "You're right, I've known your identity for a while now. After all, a Spirit Master who doesn't need to hunt spirit beasts to form a spirit ring—other than me, I'm pretty sure only hundred-thousand-year-old spirit beasts can do that."

"What did you say?" Xiao Wu was shocked. She had heard something in Cheng Xiao's words that only human-transformed hundred-thousand-year-old spirit beasts could do—producing spirit rings without needing to kill spirit beasts. Could Cheng Xiao be a transformed hundred-thousand-year-old spirit beast too?

No, that couldn't be right. If Cheng Xiao were a transformed spirit beast, he should have a unique scent of a spirit beast, but she had spent many nights sleeping beside him and had never detected such a scent. So, how could he produce spirit rings without hunting spirit beasts?

"Alright, this might sound shocking," Cheng Xiao said, scratching his nose. "But unlike other Spirit Masters who need to kill spirit beasts for their rings, I have a special power inside me. This power allows me to form spirit rings without hunting spirit beasts. So, you can think of me as your kin—just another hundred-thousand-year-old spirit beast in human form."

"Xiao… Wu… don't… waste… words… with this… human," the Titan Giant Ape growled. It roared as it raised a massive fist, ready to smash Cheng Xiao into the ground.

For spirit beasts, humans were their mortal enemies. The Titan Giant Ape would never allow its elder sister Xiao Wu to be deceived by a human's lies!

Seeing the Titan Giant Ape attack without hesitation, Xiao Wu quickly shouted, "Er Ming, stop! He's my friend!" As soon as the words left her mouth, Xiao Wu flashed in front of Cheng Xiao, spreading her arms wide to protect him.

Her sudden action caused the Titan Giant Ape to pause. Its massive fist froze in midair, just a meter above Cheng Xiao.

"Xiao Wu… humans… cannot… be trusted," the Titan Giant Ape growled, slowly lowering its fist. Each word came out laboriously, as if it struggled with human speech.

"Er Ming, I understand," Xiao Wu said softly, lowering her arms. She lifted her face, staring up at the massive figure towering above her. "But I want to try trusting him."