Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

"What's wrong, Xiaogang?" Seeing the Master's reaction, Flender was puzzled. He asked, "Is there something special about that student named Xiao Wu?"

"N-No." The Master took a deep breath and waved his hand. In truth, he didn't know what was so special about Xiao Wu either, but it was something Tang Hao had specifically instructed him about, which made him a little excited.

"Let's go. Didn't you say you wanted to introduce me to the students?" The Master glanced at Flender, speaking indifferently.

Flender was still a bit confused, but it was enough for him that the Master agreed to stay. As for other matters, he wouldn't worry too much about them.

A moment later, the bell at Shrek Academy rang, and Flender gathered all the students and teachers on the training grounds.

Perhaps due to the Master's arrival, Shrek Academy was unusually lively today. Not only were the Dean and Vice Dean, Flender and Zhao Wuji, present, but even the other teachers had shown up.

It was rare for the other teachers to appear during regular lessons, but today they all gathered on the grounds, making it clear how eventful the day was.

"Alright, since everyone is here, I have a few things to announce," Flender said seriously as he stood before the six students, his gaze sweeping across them.

"First, let me introduce the Academy's teachers to the new students."

With that, Flender pointed to the teacher holding a long staff behind him.

"This is Teacher Li Yusong. His Spirit is the Dragon Pattern Staff, and he is a rank sixty-three Power Attack Battle Spirit Emperor."

After introducing Li Yusong, Flender pointed to another elder. "This is Teacher Lu Qibin. His Spirit is the Star Chessboard, and he is a rank sixty-six Control System Battle Spirit Emperor."

"As for this one, he's a Food-Type Spirit Master named Shao Xin. His Spirit is Sugar Bean, and he's a rank seventy-one Food System Spirit Saint. Among the Food-Type Spirit Masters I know, Teacher Shao Xin is definitely one of the top five."

After introducing the three teachers, Flender walked over to the Master, who stood there with a stern expression and his hands behind his back.

This time, Flender did not introduce the Master's Spirit or his spirit power level as he had with the other teachers. Instead, he changed his tone.

"Lastly, this is the teacher responsible for all of your Spirit training from now on. His name is Yu Xiaogang, and he's been my close friend for many years. You may not have heard of him, but he is the author of the famous Ten Core Competencies of Spirits. He is recognized in the Spirit Master world as the Master of Spirit Theory, and he's also Tang San's teacher."

Hearing the title Master of Spirit Theory, everyone was momentarily stunned, and they all looked towards Yu Xiaogang, causing the Master's rigid face to show a hint of discomfort.

"The Master? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before," Ning Rongrong frowned, trying to recall where she had heard of him but coming up blank.

"Starting today, your training will be fully overseen by the Master. You must cooperate with him fully. During the trip to the Star Dou Forest, three of you have already reached the level of Spirit Elder. Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, Zhu Zhuqing, the three of you still haven't broken through level thirty, so you need to work harder," Flender said with a smile.

After saying this, Flender turned to the Master and asked, "Xiaogang, is there anything else you'd like to say to the students?"

Hearing this, the Master cleared his throat. Due to his stern expression, his face appeared stiff as he looked at the six students in front of him. "I've reviewed your profiles. From now on, I'll be giving you special training. I don't want to hear any objections. Now, start running. Run from the Academy to Suotuo City and back, ten times in total. You must finish before dinner, or you won't eat."

"Also, don't use your spirit power while running. You call yourselves monsters, right? Then you should train like monsters. Now, run!"

As soon as the Master finished speaking, Tang San immediately took off. In his heart, the Master's words carried as much weight as his father's.

The other five students hesitated for a moment but followed quickly. Since Tang San had already started, they had no choice but to run too.

Before leaving the Academy grounds, Ning Rongrong turned back and gave the Master a deep look before silently following Zhu Zhuqing and the others.

Watching the six of them run off, the Master revealed a faint smile. Flender, standing beside him, laughed, "It seems they really respect your words."

The Master responded coolly, "Flender, spare me the flattery. I will make sure they submit to me completely through my special training."

Flender nodded. "I believe in you. But I didn't expect Ning Rongrong to not say a word in protest. You have no idea how much of a princess she was when she first arrived."

The Master's voice turned cold. "You don't need to worry about her. Oscar is a Food-Type Spirit Master with innate full spirit power. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan isn't foolish, they'll definitely try to recruit him. But why should Oscar join them?"

Flender was taken aback, speaking softly, "Xiaogang, do you mean…?"

The Master waved his hand. "That's enough. You and I know the situation. Just remember, gaining the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is beneficial for us. Besides, don't you have a personal letter from Ning Fengzhi? Since he supports us, we can proceed boldly."

Flender was surprised by his friend's ambition. It seemed Yu Xiaogang was truly intent on returning to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and proving himself to those who had looked down on him.

Smiling helplessly, Flender realized how determined his friend was. As the Master's close brother, he had no choice but to support him unconditionally.

...

Star Dou Forest.

Here, the trees were dense, and the vast forest was filled with fresh air. At its center, there was a small lake, about a hundred meters in diameter, so clear it resembled a mirror.

Few humans ever set foot here. As the central area of the Star Dou Forest, home to the most powerful spirit beasts, it was considered a forbidden zone.

By the lakeside, Xiao Wu sat quietly under a large tree, hugging her knees and gazing longingly into the distance, lost in thought.

Behind her, a massive gorilla lay on the ground, its body as towering as a mountain. This giant gorilla was none other than the Titan Giant Ape, Er Ming.

Xiao Wu had been back in the Star Dou Forest for several days. During this time, aside from the monotony of cultivation, she often sat by the lake, imagining what it would be like to reunite with Cheng Xiao once she reached maturity.

"Xiao Wu, are you thinking about Cheng Xiao again?" Er Ming asked as it lifted its head.

Xiao Wu's cheeks flushed red, and she softly replied, "Er Ming, I promised him that when I reach maturity, I'll go to the human world to find him."

Roar!

Suddenly, a series of soul beast roars echoed from deep within the forest. Er Ming immediately stood up, its crystal yellow eyes flashing with ferocity. "Xiao Wu, something seems to be wrong. I'll go check it out."

Worried, Xiao Wu bit her lip and whispered, "Be careful, Er Ming."

The Titan Giant Ape nodded, acknowledging her concern, then bounded off toward the source of the roars.

Xiao Wu stood still, watching him leave, a sense of unease welling up within her. She couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. But being in the heart of the Star Dou Forest, with Er Ming's protection, she convinced herself everything would be alright.

"Don't scare yourself. No humans would come here," she reassured herself, preparing to sit down and continue cultivating.

Just then, a figure appeared behind her—a middle-aged man in a tattered black robe. Without warning, his aged hand shot toward her with lightning speed.

Sensing the danger, Xiao Wu turned around, her pupils constricting as she quickly gathered her spirit power to defend herself. However, the black-robed man's strength was far beyond hers. His hand clamped onto her wrist like iron, rendering her immobile.

"You've got quick reflexes. Seems like you learned a lot from that boy," the man said coldly. "But if this is all you've got, you'd better come with me."

"Da Ming!" Xiao Wu shouted, struggling to free herself, but the gap in power was too great.

At that moment, a colossal head emerged from the center of the lake—a giant ox head, its diameter over four meters. Two glowing eyes, as bright as lanterns, stared fiercely.

"Heavenly Azure Annihilation Thunder!"

As it slowly lifted its head, the once-clear sky suddenly filled with dark clouds, and a chilling atmosphere spread out. Immediately, the Azure Bull Python let out a thunderous roar, its voice reverberating through the forest like rolling thunder.

In an instant, a bolt of cyan lightning struck down from the clouds. This lightning was not a single bolt but composed of countless electric arcs, emitting an overwhelming pressure that struck fear into one's heart.

The direction of the cyan lightning was precisely where the black-robed man stood. How dare this audacious human harm Sister Xiao Wu! He was courting death!

As the emperor of the Star Dou Great Forest, it would never allow anyone to harm its family. If someone dared, it would utterly annihilate them.

Facing the incoming cyan lightning, the black-robed man remained still, but his hand suddenly clenched. Instantly, a surge of dark light appeared, and a pitch-black hammer materialized in his grasp.

With the hammer in hand, a cold gleam flashed in the black-robed man's eyes. His entire body's muscles seemed to swell under an invisible force, full of explosive power.

He took a deep breath, as if inhaling all the surrounding air into his lungs, and then swung the pitch-black hammer in his hand with great force, smashing it towards the cyan lightning.

Clang!

A deafening metallic clash rang out, as if countless metal shards were scattering through the air.

At the moment of impact between the cyan lightning and the pitch-black hammer, a dazzling light burst forth, making it impossible to keep one's eyes open. The two forces intertwined and collided in mid-air, forming an invisible storm that toppled the surrounding trees.

Even Xiao Wu was knocked unconscious by the shockwave of the energy explosion. Her small body fell limply to the ground, a sight that filled the Azure Bull Python's heart with sorrow.

The Azure Bull Python looked warily and angrily at the black-robed figure whose true face had yet to be revealed. Its voice was deep and powerful as it said, "Human, I acknowledge your cultivation is not easily obtained. Leave now, or I will surely kill you!"

However, it seemed that the black-robed man hadn't heard the Azure Bull Python's warning. He slowly raised his head, revealing a pair of icy eyes. The next moment, the black hammer in his hand surged with intense black light, and under the wind's influence, the hammer expanded to a colossal size, over a hundred meters long!

"Old Second!" the Azure Bull Python roared in anger. In their earlier clash, it had already sensed the strength of its opponent. It knew that it couldn't take down the black-robed man by itself in a short time. Only by teaming up with the Titan Giant Ape could they have a chance to save Sister Xiao Wu!

As the Azure Bull Python roared, the air around them seemed to freeze, and an overwhelming pressure emanated from its body, surging toward the black-robed man like a massive wave.

Faced with this crushing pressure, nine soul rings rose around the black-robed man's feet. His seventh soul ring gleamed brightly, and in the next second, the hundred-meter-long hammer came crashing down toward the Azure Bull Python with fury.

Seeing this, the Azure Bull Python's eyes flashed with anger. It once again channeled its internal power, preparing to unleash an even fiercer Heavenly Azure Annihilation Thunder. It raised its head to the sky and let out an earth-shattering roar, as though it intended to tear the heavens apart.

With this roar, a bolt of cyan lightning, even thicker and more brilliant than before, descended from the heavens, carrying a terrifying, destructive force as it hurtled toward the black-robed man.

In the blink of an eye, the sky was filled with the sound of thunderous explosions, as if the entire world was trembling. The cyan lightning and the pitch-black hammer clashed again in mid-air, releasing another blinding light and a massive cloud of smoke. The smoke obscured both the black-robed man and Xiao Wu.

"Not good, I've been tricked!" As the smoke from the lightning and hammer collision began to dissipate, the Azure Bull Python instantly sensed something was wrong. It had originally thought that it could force the black-robed man to retreat with its Heavenly Azure Annihilation Thunder, but to its surprise, in the midst of the smoke, the black-robed man's aura had vanished completely! Alarmed, the Azure Bull Python quickly turned to where Xiao Wu had been lying, only to find that the girl was gone—clearly taken by the black-robed man during the confusion.

"Damn human!" the Azure Bull Python roared in fury. Its massive body turned into a streak of azure light as it darted toward the direction where the black-robed man's aura had disappeared. It couldn't bear to imagine what might happen to Xiao Wu after she was taken away. The mere thought terrified it.

However, just as the Azure Bull Python rushed off, a shadowy figure emerged slowly from the forest beside the pool. The figure looked down at the unconscious girl in its arms, a trace of pain flickering in its eyes before it quickly returned to calm.

"Xiao San, this is all I can do for you. If this doesn't work, I'll have no choice but to keep her imprisoned and kill her when you need her."

After saying this, the black-robed man felt a sweetness in his throat, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining the already tattered black robe with a few more streaks of crimson.

…

Several hours later, at the entrance of Shrek Academy.

A black-robed middle-aged man appeared at the academy gates, carrying a girl dressed in a pink outfit with a long scorpion braid. He looked down at the unconscious Xiao Wu, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

At that moment, as if sensing something, the black-robed man gently placed the girl on the ground. His figure flashed and disappeared from sight. As soon as the black-robed man vanished, the girl on the ground slowly opened her eyes.

The moment she woke, Xiao Wu sprang up in shock. She looked around but only saw the dilapidated plaque hanging over the entrance, with five simple words carved into it:

"Shrek Academy?"

Xiao Wu was bewildered. Wasn't this the academy Tang San had invited her to before she graduated? How did she end up here?

Just as Xiao Wu was filled with confusion, she heard footsteps behind her. A voice filled with surprise and doubt suddenly rang out.

"Xiao Wu? What are you doing here?"