Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

The distance from Heaven Dou City to the Sunset Forest wasn't far. The Sunset Forest was regarded as a prime location for hunting soul beasts for most of the cities near the center of Heaven Dou City.

After traveling for a few hours, the group from Shrek Academy arrived at the Sunset Forest.

Upon entering the forest, Flender, along with two others, led the way in front, while the rest of Shrek's group followed behind. To defend against potential attacks from powerful soul beasts, Dai Mubai and Tang San moved to the sides of the team on their own accord. As for Zhu Zhuqing, being an agility-type spirit master, she assumed the role of a scout for the group.

Along the way, they encountered many soul beasts, but none were suitable for Ma Hongjun's third soul ring. The century-old soul beasts they came across clearly didn't meet the requirements, so the group had no choice but to venture deeper into the forest.

"Children, let's rest and continue tomorrow," Flender suggested. They had set off in the afternoon, and after traveling for several hours, it had been only two hours since they reached the Sunset Forest. By now, it was getting dark, and for everyone's safety, Flender decided to stop.

Since they had prepared well in advance, it didn't take long for them to set up a camp that was large and sturdy enough for the group to rest in. They chose these tents to allow for faster response times in case of danger in the soul beast forest.

After the camp was set up, Tang San volunteered and said to his teacher, "Teacher, I'll patrol the surrounding area and use some of the medicinal powder I have to mark the area around us. This should not only deter soul beasts but also keep poisonous snakes and insects away."

"Very well, Xiao San. You've thought it through thoroughly, as expected from my best student," the Grandmaster nodded in approval. "Just don't go too far. Keep the boundary close to the camp."

"Understood, Teacher," Tang San nodded slightly before quickly heading out of the camp.

Meanwhile, Ma Hongjun used his Phoenix Flames to ignite a bonfire after setting up the tents. He then placed a pot over the fire, into which he soon added fresh ingredients, causing the water to boil.

The camp was located in a low-lying area surrounded by complex terrain and towering trees. As Tang San sprinkled medicinal powder around the perimeter from a large glass bottle he took out from his "Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges" storage, he noticed something unusual. Not far from him, there seemed to be a dead soul beast.

"What's that?" Staring at the corpse of the soul beast in the distance, Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes glowed with curiosity, and he quickly walked over.

Upon closer inspection, he was startled to find that the soul beast's body was slowly corroding, as if it had been poisoned. A faint, eerie green mist hovered over the decaying parts of the corpse.

"Why is there such a potent poison in the Sunset Forest?" Tang San was puzzled. Unable to resist investigating further, he crouched down and took an antidote pill from his storage, swallowing it in one gulp.

After a moment of observation, Tang San realized something shocking: the poisonous mist was similar to what he had seen during a previous fight in the spirit arena. The source of this poison appeared to be virulent serpent venom. This meant that the poison wasn't natural—it was deliberately set here! Extending his mental strength, Tang San probed the surroundings and soon confirmed his suspicions. About five hundred meters away, there was a forest area entirely shrouded in poisonous gas.

"This could be an opportunity!" Overjoyed at the thought of a potential discovery, Tang San immediately activated his spirit power and used his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track technique to head toward the source of the poison. When he reached the area, however, he was blocked by a formidable poison formation.

"Damn it! The poison here is even more potent than I expected. My antidotes won't last long enough for me to make it through," Tang San's face visibly darkened. He was certain that beyond this poison formation, there was something valuable. With the All-Continent Elite Spirit Master Tournament approaching soon, Tang San was determined to increase his strength. He couldn't afford to miss this rare opportunity, even if the odds were slim.

"Perhaps I can bypass the poison formation by going underground, using the sharpness of my Eight Spider Lances," Tang San's eyes gleamed with a brilliant idea. Without hesitation, he activated his Eight Spider Lances, their purple glow shining from his back. Two of the lower lances began to dig into the earth, quickly creating a pit large enough for Tang San to descend.

With the help of the Eight Spider Lances, Tang San continued digging downward. Using his Blue Silver Grass to probe for danger, he pressed forward through the soil, creating a path. As the Blue Silver Grass repeatedly withered and regenerated, Tang San carefully advanced. Finally, when the grass emerged from the soil without withering, Tang San's face lit up with joy.

The fact that the Blue Silver Grass hadn't withered meant that he had successfully passed the poisonous area. Looking back at the tunnel illuminated by the glow of his Blue Silver Grass, Tang San decisively started digging upward.

About ten minutes later, a sharp spider leg pierced through the earth, followed by Tang San, who emerged, covered in dust from head to toe.

After climbing out of the ground, Tang San found himself on the mountaintop overlooking the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. The sight before him took his breath away.

Below, thick steam rose from the valley, carrying a faint sulfuric smell. The mist obscured the depths of the valley, making it seem bottomless.

"This really is a great opportunity!" Tang San whispered excitedly. "Judging by the steam, there's likely a hot spring down there. Perhaps this is a gift from the heavens for me, Tang San!"

With that, Tang San began moving toward the valley. His Eight Spider Lances pierced into the mountainside, allowing him to scale the sheer cliffs with ease, moving as though he were a giant spider. The closer he got to the valley, the more his excitement grew.

After some time, a blue figure descended into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Although it was nighttime, the darkness didn't affect Tang San, who had long since activated his Purple Demon Eyes.

Once he landed in the valley, Tang San used his Purple Demon Eyes to survey the area, and the scene before him made him gasp in shock.

Not far away, there was an oval-shaped hot spring pool. The water in the pool was divided into two colors: milky white and bright red. What puzzled Tang San, however, was that the two types of water seemed to have merged together, unlike the clear division described in the records of the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record.

In the original Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the waters were supposed to remain distinct, but after the dragon Nash absorbed the residual souls of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, this unusual merging occurred. It was natural for such changes to happen after the fundamental powers were drawn away.

"This…" Tang San was taken aback. According to the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well should be a place where the waters remained completely separate, never mixing. Yet the scene before him was quite different.

"The record describes the three great treasure sites as having exceptional conditions, formed by the essence of heaven and earth. However, it seems that this place has been affected by some external force, causing it to change in this way." With his sharp intellect, Tang San quickly deduced what had likely happened.

But this didn't bother him much. After all, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was legendary. Even if it wasn't exactly as he had imagined, it was still an extraordinary place.

Taking a deep breath, Tang San's expression became even more excited. He murmured to himself, "A treasure like this should belong to someone worthy. Today, I, Tang San, have been blessed to find it. How fortunate I am!"

Tang San was now completely convinced that discovering the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was a sign from the heavens. His efforts to dig his way through the ground had not been in vain.

"Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, I, Tang San, have arrived!"