Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

After receiving the master's orders, Luo Sanpao swaggered towards the forest ahead. Although its body was a bit chubby and cumbersome, its four short legs moved rather nimbly, and it sniffed around as it walked.

Pointing to Luo Sanpao, who was clearing the path ahead, the master looked at Tang San and said, "Xiao San, haven't you always wanted to know what my martial spirit is?"

Tang San nodded upon hearing this.

"This is my martial spirit, its name is Luo Sanpao. Its special trait is an incredibly keen sense of smell, able to track the whereabouts of low-level spirit beasts. This is extremely helpful for us in finding the spirit beasts we need to hunt."

After saying that, the master pulled out a short sword with a clear blue blade from his robe and handed it to Tang San. Due to the nature of spirit rings, only a spirit master who personally kills a spirit beast can absorb its spirit ring.

Thus, to be cautious, the master gave the short sword to Tang San so that when they found the right spirit beast, Tang San could personally hunt it.

At the same time, he was subtly implying to Cheng Xiao that Tang San's decision to take him as a master was the right one.

However, Cheng Xiao's attention wasn't on the master at all. After arriving in the Spirit Hunting Forest, Cheng Xiao noticed something strange about his Shadow King martial spirit. The shadow power within him seemed to be on the verge of breaking through a bottleneck, yet he hadn't even obtained his first spirit ring. He could only suppress the unusual sensation within his body, realizing that he needed to quickly find a spirit beast suitable for himself.

Sensing something off with Cheng Xiao, Headmaster Ma asked, "Cheng Xiao, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Dean," Cheng Xiao shook his head, not revealing the strange feeling in his body. It wasn't that he didn't trust Headmaster Ma, but because he wasn't originally from Douluo Continent, and his martial spirit wasn't inherited from his parents. Even if he spoke up, it would only cause unnecessary trouble.

"Alright, but if anything happens, make sure you speak up right away," Headmaster Ma said, frowning. "When absorbing a spirit ring, a spirit master must adjust their state carefully. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, your entire life could be ruined."

"Thank you for the reminder, Headmaster Ma. I understand." Cheng Xiao smiled and nodded to show that he understood.

Seeing this, Headmaster Ma didn't press further. He had already said what needed to be said; now it was up to Cheng Xiao to decide how to proceed.

After walking for a while, Luo Sanpao, who was scouting ahead, suddenly stopped. Its large eyes were fixed in one direction, and it let out a series of nervous sounds.

"Teacher, what's wrong with Sanpao?" Tang San asked curiously, noticing Luo Sanpao had stopped.

"No need to worry." The master smiled calmly, as if everything was under control. He pointed to a dark plant ahead, barely visible in the shadows, and explained, "We're quite lucky. We've just encountered a century-old spirit beast: a Shadow Vine."

"A Shadow Vine?" Tang San's gaze shifted to Cheng Xiao. "Doesn't that plant-type spirit beast suit Cheng Xiao's martial spirit? You once said that although the Shadow Vine is a plant-type spirit beast, it has a unique trait that other plant-types lack—sharpness."

"Exactly. The Shadow Vine is quite special among plant-type spirit beasts. Cheng Xiao, I recall your martial spirit is the top-tier Shadow Soldier, right?" The master looked at Cheng Xiao and said indifferently, "Why not use this Shadow Vine as your first spirit ring? Based on my judgment, there's a high chance you'll gain a sharpness-related ability after absorbing it."

"Master, maybe we shouldn't rush to conclusions," Headmaster Ma interrupted, patting the master's shoulder. "Cheng Xiao's martial spirit is a top-tier beast spirit we've never seen before. While it contains the word 'Shadow,' it's also a 'Soldier' spirit. I think we should continue searching and see if we can find a more fitting spirit beast. What do you think?"

"No, even though Cheng Xiao's martial spirit is a top-tier beast spirit, this Shadow Vine will grant him a sharp ability. No matter how special his martial spirit is, it won't stray from the category of beast martial spirits. With the sharpness of the Shadow Vine, his attack power will increase significantly." The master persisted, standing by his judgment.

As a renowned theorist of martial spirits, the master firmly believed in his insights. Even though Cheng Xiao's martial spirit was something he had never seen before, as long as it was a beast spirit, acquiring a sharp ability from the first spirit ring was appropriate. "Let Cheng Xiao decide. After all, it's his spirit ring," Headmaster Ma suggested, though feeling slightly slighted after being contradicted by the master.

"My judgment has never been wrong," the master said calmly.

"Master, I think the dean's suggestion makes sense. We should search a bit more," Cheng Xiao thought for a moment before rejecting the master's proposal.

Although what the master said seemed logical, it didn't necessarily apply to him.

"You…" The master didn't expect Cheng Xiao to refuse, and his expression changed. In a cold tone, he said, "Suit yourself, then."

With that, the master stopped looking at Cheng Xiao. He had intended to take Cheng Xiao as a disciple, but after being rejected multiple times, his patience was wearing thin. After all, even a mild-tempered person has their limits, let alone someone as renowned as him.

Seeing this scene unfold, Tang San sighed inwardly. "Cheng Xiao is really foolish. My teacher has studied martial spirit theory for decades. How could he make a mistake when it comes to choosing a spirit ring?"

Naturally, Cheng Xiao wasn't aware of what the master and Tang San were thinking. He couldn't read minds, and besides, he genuinely didn't want to absorb the Shadow Vine's spirit ring. Just because it had the word 'Shadow' in it didn't mean it was a perfect match for him.

At that moment, Luo Sanpao's calls sounded again. Due to its abilities, the master immediately became alert and looked towards another direction in the forest.

"It seems there's something approaching. Be cautious, everyone," the master warned coldly.

"What is it?" Headmaster Ma stepped up next to the master, asking in confusion.

"It seems like a pack of spirit beasts is heading our way, and their levels aren't low!" The master, though internally nervous, maintained a facade of calm.

Hearing this, Headmaster Ma immediately released his martial spirit—Earth Shield. Four spirit rings—white, yellow, yellow, and purple—appeared under his feet, revealing his rank as a Spirit Ancestor. The presence of a level 40+ spirit master radiated outwards.

Headmaster Ma's martial spirit, Earth Shield, as its name implied, was a defensive-type weapon spirit. Unfortunately, his innate spirit power wasn't high, and he hadn't joined any powerful factions in his youth, leaving him without the resources to develop further.

He had only barely reached the level of Spirit Ancestor in his lifetime, but in a small place like Nuoding City, he was still a rare talent.

At that moment, both Cheng Xiao and Tang San realized what was about to happen, as a pack of more than ten Nether Wolves was closing in on them from ahead.

Among the pack, a massive figure shrouded in black mist slowly followed behind the wolves.

Seeing this enormous creature surrounded by dark mist, all four people held their breath.