Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

"Next, it's your turn!" After easily defeating Huyan Shan, Cheng Xiao turned his gaze towards Huyan Li, who stood there in shock.

Just moments ago, in the face of Huyan Shan's charge, Cheng Xiao had used his Killing Intent skill along with a critical hit. After reducing 50% of Huyan Shan's physical attributes, his once-proud defense and strength were utterly insignificant.

Even before the fight had truly begun, one of his teammates had already been eliminated. Now, Huyan Li's breathing grew heavier, and his muscles swelled. The three spirit rings at his feet pulsed and glowed intensely as he prepared for an all-out attack.

"Lingling, be careful," Cheng Xiao said quietly as he dashed in front of Ye Lingling, seeing that Huyan Li was getting ready to unleash a powerful attack.

"Mm." Ye Lingling released her Nine-Hearted Begonia martial soul, ready to heal Cheng Xiao at a moment's notice.

But just then, Huyan Li's third spirit ring flared up, and an invisible pressure radiated from him.

"Third Spirit Skill: Crushing Force!"

With Huyan Li's roar, Cheng Xiao suddenly felt his body locked in place. His legs seemed frozen, unable to move. At the same time, Huyan Li leapt into the air, diving straight at Cheng Xiao with full force.

"Boy, you've already lost!" Huyan Li's eyes shone brightly as if he could already see the victory ahead.

His third spirit skill, Crushing Force, was a locking-type skill. Once the target was locked, their legs would temporarily lose mobility, forcing them to take the attack head-on. This was the greatest feature of his thousand-year spirit ability. With his massive body descending from the sky and using his full spirit power, the resulting pressure was immense. Without the ability to dodge, even power-type spirit masters, let alone offensive ones, would struggle to block it.

"Cheng Xiao, be careful!" Ye Lingling shouted in panic, her heart pounding with fear.

Facing Huyan Li's powerful charge, a smile tugged at the corners of Cheng Xiao's lips. Suddenly, black smoke surged from beneath his feet. In an instant, the shadow soldier, a three-eyed demon ape, appeared without warning in front of Cheng Xiao, blocking Huyan Li's attack.

"How is this possible?!" Huyan Li was dumbfounded as the three-eyed demon ape hoisted him into the air. He stared in shock at the pitch-black creature, clad in black armor, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

From beginning to end, Cheng Xiao hadn't used a spirit ability. Huyan Li had thought victory was within his grasp, but in the end, he was the fool?

Seeing Huyan Li's stunned expression, Cheng Xiao chuckled and said, "It seems your strength and weight are no match for the shadow of this ape spirit beast."

"Oh, and I forgot to mention—my spirit ability allows me to summon different types of spirit beast shadows. The one standing before you now is a three-eyed demon ape. With its strength, defeating you is easy. Do you still want to continue?"

Cheng Xiao's voice echoed throughout the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena. He deliberately spoke loudly to mislead the audience into thinking that the shadow soldiers were part of his spirit ability, rather than his martial soul itself. If people discovered that he could summon the dead to fight for him, it would undoubtedly cause trouble.

At that moment, every gaze in the audience was fixed on the spectacle before them in astonishment. The ability to summon spirit beast shadows? What kind of martial soul could have such an extraordinary power?

Was this truly something a Spirit Elder could control?

Huyan Li was already in despair. He knew the terrifying strength of ape-type spirit beasts. Even their Elephant Armored Clan often hunted such beasts for spirit rings due to their sheer power. Now, facing a three-eyed demon ape, he knew there was no way he could win.

What's more, he was now entirely at the mercy of the demon ape, held high in the air. If he continued the fight, he would face attacks from both Cheng Xiao and the shadow spirit beast.

Cheng Xiao alone was already tough enough to handle, but adding the three-eyed demon ape into the mix? It was hopeless. If only Huyan Shan hadn't been eliminated so quickly, things might have gone differently. Huyan Li's Crushing Force had originally been aimed at the defenseless Ye Lingling.

"We've lost. I surrender." Knowing that continuing the fight would only worsen his situation, Huyan Li reluctantly admitted defeat. He wasn't a brainless brute; he had just lost his cool after watching Huyan Shan's quick defeat.

Seeing Huyan Li admit defeat so decisively, Cheng Xiao didn't press the matter further. With a snap of his fingers, the shadow soldier—the three-eyed demon ape—dissolved into black smoke and merged back into Cheng Xiao's shadow.

As the shadow soldier disappeared, Huyan Li, who had been suspended in the air, lost his balance and fell heavily onto the stage. With a loud "thud," a human-shaped dent appeared in the arena.

The battle was over. Cheng Xiao and Ye Lingling exchanged a glance before leaving the arena after the host's announcement.

As they exited the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena, the loud cheers and wails of the audience could still be heard in the distance. Many spectators had likely lost their bets, perhaps even their last pair of underpants.

The members of the Emperor Battle Team had already finished their own matches. After watching Cheng Xiao and Ye Lingling's battle, they quickly gathered outside to wait. None of them had expected Huyan Li's third spirit ability to end in such a dramatic and comical fashion, especially when he was hoisted into the air by the demon ape, drawing laughter from everyone.

Later, the team reviewed their performances. Aside from Dugu Yan's loss to Cheng Xiao, everyone else had won their matches, leaving the team in high spirits.

"All right, everyone, rest up for tonight. We've got classes tomorrow," Qin Ming said, satisfied with their performance. It wasn't just about winning the matches—today's battles had also strengthened the team's cohesion.

Under Qin Ming's leadership, the group left the arena, but as they did, Cheng Xiao suddenly felt a strange gaze fixed on him, following him and not letting up.

Feeling someone watching him, Cheng Xiao slowed his pace, intending to find out who it was.

However, just as he turned his gaze toward the other side of the arena, the strange feeling vanished, and the sense of being spied on disappeared.

"What's wrong?" Ye Lingling asked, noticing Cheng Xiao's hesitation. After the battle, her impression of Cheng Xiao had improved significantly. Normally, she was very reserved and wouldn't speak much.

"Nothing," Cheng Xiao shook his head, not explaining it to Ye Lingling. But in his mind, he reminded himself to remain cautious.

After the Emperor Battle Team had left, in a shadowy corner of the arena, a small green snake flicked its tongue. Its master, dressed in a green robe, stared darkly at the departing group.

Back at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, everyone freshened up and headed to the dining hall. After two consecutive battles, they were all quite hungry.

Once everyone had eaten, Qin Ming turned to Cheng Xiao, smiling, "You really gave us a surprise today. With your strength, you'll likely earn a Silver Spirit Fighting Badge in no time."

"Just luck," Cheng Xiao replied with a smile.

"You…" Qin Ming shook his head and laughed. "It's good to be humble, but don't overdo it. In any case, keep studying hard. In three months, we'll leave Heaven Dou City and fight our way to Soutou City. Staying in Heaven Dou for too long won't be good for your growth."

"I'll follow your lead, Teacher Qin," Cheng Xiao said with a smile.