Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

Heaven Dou City, Crown Prince's Mansion.

In the rear garden, Qian Renxue sat quietly in a pavilion, wearing a pure and sacred gold-threaded long gown. Her elegant posture resembled a perfect painting—tranquil and divine.

Her waist was as slender as a willow branch. Sunlight filtered through the gaps of the pavilion, casting a soft glow on her exquisite face, giving it a gentle radiance.

"Ever since my Spirit Power reacted to his, my divine abilities seem to have changed slightly," Qian Renxue gently brushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen beside her cheek, then slowly opened her palm. A faint golden light emitted from her hand, but unlike before, this golden energy now contained a trace of dark energy she had absorbed from Cheng Xiao.

Though these two energies were fundamentally opposed, they didn't repel each other during the fusion.

Qian Renxue could clearly feel that her divine energy even seemed eager to interact with Cheng Xiao's dark energy, as if they were kindred. But could the Seraphim Spirit really have a kindred? She wasn't sure.

Even if it did, shouldn't Cheng Xiao's Spirit also be angelic in nature? But his Spirit had nothing to do with angels at all! What kind of angel Spirit could summon the dead? If it weren't for the reaction between the Seraphim Spirit and his Spirit, Qian Renxue might have thought he was a fallen one, practicing some sort of evil technique.

After all, summoning the dead to fight for oneself hardly seemed like a power a good person would possess. But based on the Seraphim's response, Cheng Xiao wasn't a fallen one, and his Spirit did seem connected to the Seraphim Spirit in some way. What kind of connection, she had no idea.

"Forget it, no point overthinking." Qian Renxue shook her head slightly, and a cold expression gradually appeared on her delicate face. "Uncle Yulong, I need you to stay close to Cheng Xiao for a while. Back in Star Dou Forest, that woman's subordinate, Chrysanthemum Douluo, approached him and even took him as a disciple. I suspect that woman is playing a very deep game."

"Cheng Xiao's strength is still weak; he can't stir up too much trouble for now. Until he makes a firm stand, he still has his uses for me. Besides, that woman shouldn't yet be aware of his true abilities. Though Heaven Dou City seems calm on the surface, there are hidden dangers. If he encounters any trouble, you can help him immediately and try to bring him into our fold."

"Yes, Young Master."

A calm voice responded as a middle-aged man, holding a long spear, appeared before Qian Renxue, bowing respectfully.

"Alright, you may go. Don't show yourself unless necessary; your identity must remain hidden," Qian Renxue instructed.

"I understand, Young Master," Serpent Spear Douluo Yulong nodded and then vanished from the garden.

After Yulong left, Qian Renxue sighed lightly, as if temporarily casting aside the worries in her heart. She looked up at the sky, where the dazzling sun hung high, its blinding light causing her to squint slightly.

Her delicate hand slowly extended, like a graceful butterfly dancing in the air. Then, her fingers spread open, as if trying to grasp all the scorching sunlight into her palm.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps between her fingers, casting dappled shadows on her jade-like face, adding to her divine aura.

"Cheng Xiao, are you my calamity, or my fate?" Qian Renxue murmured softly, her voice carried away by the breeze, tinged with a hint of confusion.

…

Several months later, Silvis City, Silvis Great Spirit Arena.

"Let's congratulate the Royal Fighting Team for winning this team battle!" The announcer, dressed in a tailcoat, spoke in a hoarse voice. After all, the Royal Fighting Team didn't just defeat any ordinary team, but the infamous Killing Gods Team! Yet today, he had witnessed a one-sided massacre—yes, a one-sided massacre!

One member of the Royal Fighting Team possessed the ability to control soul beasts. As soon as the match began, the Killing Gods Team faced a slaughter by more than a dozen shadow soul beasts. There was no suspense; the Killing Gods Team was instantly annihilated!

No one could have predicted that the Royal Fighting Team, only in their thirties in spirit power level, would possess such a powerful weapon, a skill capable of controlling soul beast shadows. They directly challenged the renowned Killing Gods Team at Silvis Great Spirit Arena—and won.

When the shadow soldier Three-Eyed Golden Lion appeared, the Killing Gods Team was instantly overwhelmed by its immense spiritual pressure. Following that, the shadow soldiers Nether Tiger, Fanged Wolf, and Man-Faced Demon Spider led a brutal assault.

The Killing Gods Team, infamous for slaughtering soul masters to gain power, probably never imagined that one day they would be surrounded and killed by soul beasts in such a public arena. No one mourned for them; the only response was a thunderous cheer from the crowd.

From the moment they began killing soul masters, the Killing Gods Team had forfeited their rights as humans. So today, when they were slaughtered, no one cared.

After several months of academy life, Cheng Xiao had developed a good routine. Every morning, he strengthened his body, learned theoretical knowledge in the morning, trained in the simulation field in the afternoon, and participated in spirit fights with the Royal Fighting Team at night. Occasionally, he'd join his teammates to enjoy fine food in Heaven Dou City, living his academy life to the fullest.

Of course, Cheng Xiao had thought about visiting Heaven Dou Palace with the token Qian Renxue gave him, but after some consideration, he gave up. He didn't know what he could accomplish by visiting her. The idea came entirely from the influence of the divine energy—the sense of resonance between their spirits.

After the spirit fight, the Royal Fighting Team returned to the largest hotel in Silvis City, the Silvis Grand Hotel.

Unlike the financially struggling Shrek Academy, the Royal Fighting Team was swimming in wealth, each member getting their own luxurious suite without hesitation.

Glancing at the group, Qin Ming smiled and said, "I'm sure everyone now has a clearer understanding of Cheng Xiao's abilities after tonight's match, right?"

"Teacher, Cheng Xiao's spirit ability is totally broken! He can summon the shadows of dead soul beasts, retaining fifty percent of their strength from when they were alive. This is a total boon for team spirit fights!" Yu Feng chuckled.

"You're right. Cheng Xiao's ability is indeed very special. From what we've seen so far, he can summon more than ten shadow soul beasts at once. Whether in solo or team spirit battles, his enemies will always face a group of foes," Qin Ming said.

"However, Cheng Xiao, summoning shadow soul beasts must consume a massive amount of your spiritual power, right?" Qin Ming's sharp gaze fell on Cheng Xiao as he asked.

"Yes, the more shadow soul beasts I summon, the more spiritual power I consume," Cheng Xiao replied with a smile, rubbing his nose.

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming breathed a sigh of relief. As he had expected, such a terrifying ability must come with certain limitations. Otherwise, it would be too overpowered. If Cheng Xiao were to grow into a titled Douluo, who in the continent could possibly threaten him?

People wouldn't even have a chance to meet him before being swarmed and beaten to death by thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of shadow soul beasts.

The members of the Emperor Team looked at Cheng Xiao with a mixture of envy and relief. They were relieved that Cheng Xiao was their teammate and not their enemy, while also envious of his spirit's unique ability. Summoning the dead to fight for him? They could already imagine a scene years into the future, where Cheng Xiao alone faces the entire continent's soul masters. He wouldn't even need to lift a finger. A snap would be enough to summon countless shadow soul beasts, clearing away any obstacles for him.

Imagine that! What a grand spectacle it would be!

"Alright, everyone, stop getting ahead of yourselves. No matter what, Cheng Xiao is a member of the Emperor Team—your teammate!" Qin Ming chuckled. "Our next destination is Suotuo City. Everyone should rest well tonight. We leave tomorrow."

"Yes, teacher!" The members of the Emperor Team nodded slightly and returned to their rooms.

Before leaving, Qin Ming called out to Cheng Xiao.

"Teacher, what's the matter?" Cheng Xiao asked in confusion.

"Cheng Xiao, your spirit ability is too unique. In the upcoming spirit battles, avoid using it for now. I'm worried you'll attract unwanted attention," Qin Ming said seriously.

"Uh, understood, teacher," Cheng Xiao responded, scratching his head.

"Good. Go and rest. We have an early start tomorrow," Qin Ming smiled.

"Okay." Cheng Xiao nodded slightly and then left Qin Ming's room.

As he watched Cheng Xiao close the door, Qin Ming sighed. He stood up, walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window, and gazed at the beautiful night view of Sylvester. He muttered, "Cheng Xiao's shadow soul beast summoning ability is too dangerous. I hope the people from Spirit Hall don't set their sights on him."

...

At Shrek Academy, in the dean's office.

"Xiaogang, I must admit, your training methods are something else." Flender smiled. "That girl Ning Rongrong has been training properly these past few months without showing any signs of resistance."

"Heh." The Grandmaster chuckled calmly. "Even if she wanted to resist, she wouldn't have the strength to. My special training methods are so tough that even Xiao San is struggling. Do you really think Ning Rongrong's stamina can surpass his?"

Upon hearing this, Flender gave Grandmaster a thumbs up, but then awkwardly said, "Xiaogang, I have to tell you, the academy's funds have been completely drained by your teaching this month. Moving forward, what do you think we should do about that...?"

"Flender!" Grandmaster snorted coldly, mocking him, "A dignified Soul Saint, restricted by money because of your arrogance. How pathetic!"

"What can I do?" Flender smiled bitterly. "If she were here, would we have any financial problems?"

"Flender, how many times have I told you not to mention her in front of me!" A hint of anger appeared on Grandmaster's stiff face, but he quickly calmed down and said indifferently, "You don't need to worry about the money. I've already figured out a solution."

"Oh, right. Xiaogang, I just remembered. Don't you think there's something a little strange about that student Xiao Wu?" Flender asked thoughtfully.

Grandmaster shook his head and replied in a low voice, "I'm not sure about her situation, but that's not something we should concern ourselves with. As long as she's part of Shrek, she's one of us. Besides, the second phase of training is about to begin, and with her joining, my training plan can move forward."

Flender couldn't help but ask, "Xiaogang, what kind of training do you have in mind? These kids are only in their teens, after all. If you push them too hard, they might break. You should ease up a bit, no?"

"Flender, you've grown soft. Since you've handed these children over to me, you need to trust me completely. I know what I'm doing. Leave the rest to me."

"Alright, alright, I trust you."