Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Tang San was struggling to dodge the attacks of the Man-Faced Demon Spider. He hadn't noticed that, not far from him, an elderly man, entirely covered in green, had silently appeared. The Man-Faced Demon Spider, upon seeing the figure of Dugu Bo, wisely dissolved into a wisp of black smoke and disappeared.

The sounds of movement behind him suddenly vanished. Tang San, who had been employing the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to evade, looked back, but saw no sign of the Man-Faced Demon Spider. His heart was filled with surprise, and he quickly stopped to observe his surroundings cautiously.

"Strange, wasn't the Man-Faced Demon Spider right behind me? Where did it go?" Tang San muttered in confusion.

Just as he paused, he suddenly noticed that the air around him had grown colder. Frowning instinctively, he turned to look behind him.

What he saw made his pupils contract sharply, and his face darkened. Standing not far behind him was a green-clad old man—none other than Dugu Bo, the Titled Douluo he had previously encountered at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, renowned as the Poison Douluo.

"You've got some nerve, kid, daring to steal from my territory." A hoarse voice came from Dugu Bo's mouth, and the green light in his eyes grew even brighter.

"This place is formed from the essence of heaven and earth. How is it yours?" Tang San responded, his voice firm. He snorted and said, "I'm not stealing. I'm merely putting these herbs to better use."

Dugu Bo let out a sinister laugh. "Kid, if I recall correctly, you're from that Shrek Academy, aren't you? You've stolen from me and still dare to argue? Do you have a death wish?"

"I didn't steal!" Tang San shouted coldly, his hands turning as smooth and lustrous as jade. His eyes filled with cold intent as he retorted, "This place is meant for the worthy. The fact that I could come here means I have a connection with it. As for you, do these herbs have your name on them?"

"What did you say?" Dugu Bo's eyes flared with green light, and a fierce killing intent burst forth, striking Tang San's chest like a physical blow.

"Puh…"

With a muffled sound, Tang San spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered back several steps before barely managing to stand.

Faced with such extreme pressure, Tang San instinctively released his Blue Silver Grass, and even the External Spirit Bone he had just retracted emerged from his back once again.

When Dugu Bo saw the Eight Spider Lances behind Tang San, a greedy light instantly flashed in his green eyes. "It seems my luck is good today. I've stumbled upon a rare External Spirit Bone. Kid, you've just handed me a gift!"

With those words, Dugu Bo's figure disappeared in an instant. In the blink of an eye, a rough hand seized Tang San by the throat, slowly lifting him off the ground.

Dugu Bo's eyes, glowing green, stared intently at Tang San. He licked his dry lips as though he were admiring a rare treasure. In Dugu Bo's eyes, Tang San at this moment was as tempting as a naked beauty.

"Kid, I like your External Spirit Bone. Since you've stolen from me, you'll compensate me with it!" Dugu Bo tightened his grip. His iron-like hand clasped Tang San's neck, making it impossible for him to break free.

"Dugu Bo, if you kill me, you won't get away with it!" Tang San shouted in fear, feeling the genuine threat of death for the first time since arriving in the Douluo Continent.

Sensing its host's fear, the Eight Spider Lances behind Tang San instinctively shot out, piercing through the air with a sharp sound as they aimed for Dugu Bo.

However, as soon as the Eight Spider Lances shot forward, a green light emanated from Dugu Bo, blocking the attack. No matter how sharp the Eight Spider Lances were, they could only cause a ripple in the green light, failing to harm Dugu Bo in the slightest.

"I've lived long enough to be unafraid of anything," Dugu Bo sneered, his hand filling with poisonous soul power that flowed into Tang San's body. Tang San's eyes widened as a searing pain surged through his body before he passed out.

"Ha! The External Spirit Bone is mine!" Dugu Bo laughed maniacally. Green light flickered around his hand as he prepared to tear the Eight Spider Lances from Tang San's back.

At that moment, a crisp, angry voice came from the distance. "Dugu Bo, if you dare harm him, prepare to face death's revenge!"

Startled by the audacious words, Dugu Bo turned his head. He saw three figures rapidly descending from the mountain toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

"What the hell?" Dugu Bo frowned in confusion. The approaching figures were Grandmaster, Liu Erlong, and Flender, looking as strange as they were rushed.

"Xiao San!" Seeing Tang San lying under Dugu Bo's foot, with his External Spirit Bone on the verge of being torn out, both Grandmaster and Flender shouted in unison, panic flashing across their faces.

If Tang San died, how could they face Tang Hao? Knowing his temperament, even if Shrek Academy were torn down, no one would dare oppose him. After all, losing his only son would push Tang Hao far beyond a mere warning.

"No wonder this kid dared to steal from me. So, it's you three backing him up? What now? After I beat the young one, the old ones come out?" Dugu Bo squinted his eyes in disdain.

"Stop with the nonsense! Dugu Bo, if you harm Tang San, I'll fight you to the death, no matter what!" Grandmaster's eyes were bloodshot, his voice roaring: "Come out, Luo San Pao!"

With a roar, Grandmaster's yellow soul ring flew out and attached itself to Luo San Pao at his feet.

In the next moment, Luo San Pao took a deep breath, expanding like a balloon. His blue eyes glowed brightly as his yellow soul ring flared to life, and his large body launched into the air, aiming its rear end at Dugu Bo.

"Pffft!" A loud fart echoed through the area, releasing a bright yellow light that shot toward Dugu Bo.

"You court death!" Dugu Bo's green eyes blazed with fury. He hooked his toe under Tang San's body and, with a powerful kick, flung him into the path of the yellow light.

Instantly, Tang San, who had been unconscious from pain, woke up, only to be greeted by an overwhelming stench filling his mouth. He immediately gagged and vomited.

On the other side, Flender caught Tang San in midair, flying swiftly to his side.

Affected by Luo San Pao's attack, Tang San pinched his nose, but the foul smell was too much, and he ended up vomiting all over Flender's face.

For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze. Flender, wearing his crystal glasses, had an urge to throw Tang San away. But thinking of Tang Hao, he could only hold his breath and endure the disgust as he gently set Tang San down.

"I've heard of the Golden Iron Triangle," Dugu Bo said with a sneer. "But with two Soul Saints barely over seventy ranks and a Spirit Grandmaster not even at thirty ranks, you dare to cause trouble on my turf? Are you looking to die?"

Hearing this, the hearts of Grandmaster, Flender, and Liu Erlong sank simultaneously. With their current strength, they could at best exchange two moves with Dugu Bo. After that, they would only be able to run. But against a Titled Douluo, could they even escape?

Seeing Tang San lying on the ground, barely alive and foaming at the mouth, Grandmaster's heart ached. But there was no choice. He gritted his teeth and asked Dugu Bo, "We have no enmity with you. Why are you holding my disciple?"

"Why am I holding him?" Dugu Bo scoffed. "Your disciple was caught stealing from my medicine garden. I only acted in self-defense."

"You're lying!" Grandmaster pointed a trembling finger at Dugu Bo, his voice shaking. "Xiao San is kind and respectful. He would never steal from you. Don't slander my disciple!"

"Who do you think you are, pointing your finger at me?" Dugu Bo's patience snapped, and his green eyes flashed with a burst of pressure that solidified the air around them.

Seeing this, Flender and Liu Erlong swiftly moved to shield Grandmaster, bracing themselves against the suffocating pressure of a Titled Douluo.

Had they not intervened, Grandmaster would have been crushed to death under the sheer force of Dugu Bo's soul power.

"You…" Grandmaster wanted to continue, but Flender quickly stopped him. He knew that if they kept pushing, Dugu Bo might very well kill them all. Forget about Tang Hao's revenge—escaping the Sunset Forest alive today would be a miracle.

Flender wiped the filth off his face and humbly bowed to Dugu Bo. "Senior Dugu, Tang San is our disciple. You mentioned he stole from your garden. There must be some misunderstanding. Whatever losses you've suffered, we're willing to compensate. As a Titled Douluo, I'm sure you can be magnanimous. Let's just leave it at that."

Flender believed that his words were tactful enough. He intentionally avoided mentioning Tang Hao's name, offering Dugu Bo a way to gracefully step down from the confrontation. However, the person standing in front of them was not the type of Titled Douluo to be easily swayed by such concerns. Dugu Bo was an eccentric and unpredictable Poison Douluo, who wasn't the least bit worried about trivial matters.