Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

"What do you think you are? You think just because you say it's over, it's over?" Dugu Bo's eyes flashed, and he sneered, "You know I'm a Titled Douluo, right? The only reason I haven't killed you is because of the Golden Iron Triangle's reputation. Otherwise, do you think you'd still be alive?"

"But it's fine. I've been in a bad mood lately, and although your strength is mediocre, the three of you will make decent punching bags."

Hearing this, Flender's face darkened completely. Being humiliated by such a powerful figure as Dugu Bo, he could only grit his teeth and swallow the insult.

"Cackle... None of you will leave here today," Dugu Bo laughed wickedly. "I've been meaning to test my new poison techniques, and you three will make excellent subjects. Don't forget, I'm known as the Poison Douluo. Torturing you will be far more satisfying than simply killing you." He waved his hand, continuing, "This is my territory. You think you can come and go as you please?"

As his words fell, a surge of green light radiated from Dugu Bo's body, followed by nine spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and five black—rising from his feet. The dazzling light illuminated the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, making it even more vibrant.

Seeing this, Flender and Liu Erlong exchanged a glance, then both stepped forward to form a triangle formation with Grandmaster at the rear.

"Dugu Bo, don't think it will be that easy to take our lives. If we die, you won't escape unscathed!" Liu Erlong said coldly.

"Cackle… You three dare to posture in front of me?" Dugu Bo sneered.

"Erlong, stop wasting words with him. Xiaogang, let's form the array!" Flender shouted. He did not release his martial spirit; instead, a burst of golden light erupted from his body, enveloping the three of them.

"Sun and Moon Radiance Golden Rotation!" The three shouted in unison.

The same golden light also appeared on Grandmaster and Liu Erlong. The light from all three of them intertwined, forming a golden triangle. Within the triangle, a vague golden dragon pattern emerged.

At this moment, all three were bathed in a glowing golden light. Flender and Liu Erlong slowly closed their eyes, while Grandmaster, the only one with his eyes open, had a pair of intensely glowing golden eyes.

"A three-man spirit fusion technique?" Dugu Bo looked at them with a mix of surprise. This was the first time he had seen the Golden Iron Triangle's fusion technique.

Suddenly, wisps of green smoke began to rise from the trio, dispersing into the air. This was the poison Dugu Bo had set outside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Any spirit master without considerable strength who inhaled it would die unless Dugu Bo personally neutralized the toxin.

But now, the trio had expelled the poison from their bodies. Dugu Bo guessed that the three-man spirit fusion technique must have a purifying ability, forcing the poison out of them.

While Dugu Bo was briefly surprised by this phenomenon, he didn't take any action. To him, no matter what tricks these three pulled, they couldn't possibly be a match for him. As a Titled Douluo, his pride would not allow him to feel even a trace of fear.

"Hmph, let's see how powerful your spirit fusion technique really is," Dugu Bo snorted, slowly advancing toward the trio.

At the same moment Dugu Bo moved, a surge of golden light shot into the sky from Grandmaster, covering the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in a golden haze.

"Luo San Pao!" Grandmaster summoned his martial spirit, and the plump Luo San Pao appeared out of thin air, landing at the center of the golden triangle's dragon pattern.

In the next moment, all of the spirit rings from Grandmaster, Flender, and Liu Erlong floated over to Luo San Pao. A total of sixteen rings attached themselves to the little creature, causing its chubby body to swell under the pressure of the spirit power. Golden scales began to appear on its skin, and powerful muscles quickly grew. Two twisted dragon horns sprouted from its head.

As the golden light within the triangle intensified, Luo San Pao gradually transformed into a massive golden dragon. Its back split open to reveal a pair of enormous dragon wings, radiating an intangible aura of dominance.

"Roar!" The golden dragon let out a deafening roar, and its powerful dragon might spread outwards, causing the spirit beasts outside Sunset Forest to howl in submission, as if they were paying homage to the golden dragon.

"So this is the legendary Golden Sacred Dragon? Doesn't seem all that impressive," Dugu Bo muttered, his brow furrowing in confusion.

Just two days ago, he had seen the largest dragon of his life—the humanoid shadow soldier dragon Nash. Although the golden dragon before him looked formidable, compared to Nash, it was worlds apart.

"I couldn't beat Nash, but I can definitely handle you, little dragon," Dugu Bo's pride surged, and he let out a piercing howl as the seventh spirit ring beneath his feet lit up.

"Seventh Spirit Ability, Martial Spirit Avatar!"

With an explosion of emerald light, Dugu Bo transformed into a gigantic green serpent. Its scales were diamond-shaped, and half of its body stood upright, staring down the golden dragon from afar.

As the two creatures faced off, their immense auras clashed, causing the plants within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to tremble with agitation.

Meanwhile, deep within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, inside Dugu Bo's residence, the shadowy figure of the dragon Nash raised its head. Its ice-blue and crimson-red eyes glanced toward one side of the Well, sensing a dragon's presence.

"The King is still in cultivation. I won't let these fools disturb him," Nash's eyes flickered with a sharp light as it glanced at Cheng Xiao, who was meditating, then vanished from the spot.

Once Nash left, countless shadows appeared around Cheng Xiao, silently guarding the king.

Back at the confrontation, Dugu Bo was just about to strike the Golden Sacred Dragon when a black shadow quietly appeared beside him.

"A golden dragon?" Nash looked at the massive golden dragon hovering in mid-air, its ice-blue and crimson-red eyes filled with doubt.

But soon, disdain took over Nash's gaze. Having absorbed the remnants of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' souls, it could clearly sense that the golden dragon's bloodline was impure. Even though it had absorbed the remains of two dragon souls, it was still far inferior to the genuine article.

"A half-blood dragon that can't even control its own bloodline dares to appear before a true dragon?" Nash's eyes gleamed with ferocity. Though it once served under the Dragon King, it knew that the ancient dragons in the Dragon King's retinue were all pureblood dragons wielding magic.

To such a half-blood, Nash had nothing but contempt.