Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

The core region of the Great Star Dou Forest.

This place was filled with the tallest trees in the forest, so dense that even sunlight couldn't penetrate through, leaving the entire core area shrouded in darkness.

Deep within the forest, there lay a lake, not too large nor too small. You could see the opposite shore with just one glance. The surface of the lake was calm, like a mirror, and the clear water was like a piece of natural jade, glowing with a vibrant green light that exuded life.

Surrounding the lake were towering ancient trees that reached into the sky, and a faint mist hovered above the water, with the humid air carrying the essence of life across the surface.

From a spirit master's perspective, the vitality here was at least several times stronger than the outside world.

At this moment, a man stood by the lake. He wore a black robe and looked to be in his forties, with a handsome and stern appearance. A single strand of golden hair hung down the side of his face, giving him an air of authority that commanded respect.

This handsome middle-aged man was none other than Di Tian, the Black Dragon King, and the current ruler of all soul beasts in the forest. He was revered as the Beast God. Not far behind him stood a group of creatures, varying in size and shape. They were the fiercest beasts of the Star Dou Forest, each having cultivated for over 100,000 years, never leaving the core region of the forest.

There were rumors that Xiao Wu's mother, was killed by an unknown murderer, though this was yet to be confirmed.

In the world of soul beasts on the Douluo Continent, any beast that reached 100,000 years of cultivation had to endure a tribulation — a destructive lightning strike from the heavens. This ordeal often forced soul beasts to confront their mortality. Surviving one such tribulation could extend a soul beast's life, but failure would lead to their annihilation.

To avoid this calamity, many soul beasts chose to take human form and cultivate again, aiming to escape the tribulation and prolong their lives.

The reason why the soul beasts gathered here appeared in human form was not because they, like Xiao Wu, had transformed into humans and cultivated anew. Instead, they had resisted the tribulation head-on after reaching 100,000 years. They defied fate, refusing to believe that the soul beast race had no future. Only by overcoming the tribulation could a soul beast earn the title of a "fierce beast." Only fierce beasts were eligible to live in the core region of the Star Dou Forest.

The soul beasts present here had all cultivated for at least 200,000 to 300,000 years, with some over 500,000 or even 600,000 years. The strongest among them was Di Tian, the Golden-eyed Black Dragon King, a soul beast nearing a million years in cultivation. Because of his noble bloodline and immense power, he was revered as the Beast God by the other soul beasts.

The reason for their gathering was a strange energy that had recently emerged from the bottom of the Lake of Life. This energy excited the fierce beasts — it was a sign that their shared ruler, their lord who had been sleeping for many years, was undergoing some kind of change.

Boom!

Suddenly, the ground beneath Di Tian and the other soul beasts began to tremble. The once calm lake water began to bubble violently, as if boiling, with large bubbles forming on the surface. The tremors in the earth intensified.

"My Lord!" Di Tian was overjoyed at this sight, as were the other soul beasts, who all revealed their true forms with fervent eyes. This was their shared ruler, the one whose existence gave the soul beasts hope for the future.

"Roar…"

A low dragon roar suddenly echoed through the forest, accompanied by an overwhelming aura that caused all the nearby soul beasts to instinctively prostrate themselves on the ground, showing their utmost respect.

Immediately, the fierce beasts revealed their true forms. Some transformed into massive trees, others into swans, bears, and even a three-headed dog. The scene was filled with various enormous soul beasts, all respectfully awaiting the arrival of their lord.

Suddenly, the ground cracked, and the entire core region of the Star Dou Forest shook violently. The life-filled waters of the lake drained rapidly, exposing the bottom of the lake.

Whoosh—

A burst of silver light shot up from a crack in the ground, slamming heavily onto the shore. It was a massive claw, entirely silver in color. The claw was covered in hexagonal silver scales, each reflecting a strange light. The sheer force of the impact and the immense pressure emanating from the claw left all the soul beasts in awe.

Di Tian's joy overflowed as he stepped forward, dropping to one knee, his gaze filled with reverence as he addressed the massive silver dragon claw. "Welcome, my Lord!" Behind him, the other soul beasts, still prostrate on the ground, expressed their loyalty to the enormous silver creature, not daring to raise their heads.

"Di Tian…"

A deep voice echoed, as another silver claw emerged from the lake. A colossal creature slowly crawled out of the lake, its entire body covered in magnificent silver dragon scales. From a soul beast's perspective, it was an incredibly beautiful silver dragon.

The brilliant silver light was dazzling, so much so that none of the fierce beasts dared to look directly at it. They could only humbly bow and tremble in its presence, their hearts filled with joy.

"I can sense it — the aura of the Ice Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King. And there's another unfamiliar dragon aura."

The deep voice made it impossible to tell if the silver dragon was male or female, but this didn't diminish the fierce beasts' respect.

"My Lord, the Ice Dragon King and Fire Dragon King fell long ago, how could…"

Di Tian stopped speaking, but his expression was one of disbelief.

In ancient times, the Dragon God created the nine Dragon Kings, and the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings were the first of them.

Though Di Tian was known as the Golden-eyed Black Dragon King, and even called the Black Dragon King, he wasn't one of the original nine Dragon Kings. He was a direct descendant of one of them — a second-generation dragon.

In terms of strength, he couldn't compare to the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, and in terms of status, he was far inferior. Among the dragon race, his strength and standing were lower, though this was only relative to the first-generation dragons.

"I'm not sure either. But just now, I felt their energies surging, and it awakened me from my slumber."

"Di Tian, I'm giving you a task. Investigate whether the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings have been revived. My injuries haven't fully healed yet, but with their help, I might recover faster." The Silver Dragon King ordered.

"As you command, my Lord," Di Tian responded respectfully.

"Take this dragon scale. It will guide you when it senses the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings. But be cautious — there seems to be a powerful dragon presence on this continent."

With that, a beam of silver light shot out from the lake, landing in Di Tian's hand — a dragon scale from the Silver Dragon King.

"Remember my words. If necessary, this scale will be your lifeline."

After giving these instructions, the injured Silver Dragon King slowly retreated back into the Lake of Life. As the waters refilled the lake, the massive dragon vanished from sight.

"I understand." Di Tian nodded slightly before calling out loudly, "Farewell, my Lord!"

"Farewell, my Lord!" echoed the other soul beasts.