Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

The afternoon sunlight slanted across the streets of Heaven Dou City, casting a golden hue. The clouds in the sky were tinged with a soft shade of orange-red. A gentle breeze blew, bringing with it a hint of coolness.

After lunch, Cheng Xiao and Xiao Wu walked together down the street. Perhaps it was Cheng Xiao's company that made Xiao Wu especially lively; whenever she spotted something interesting, she would eagerly pull him along to take a look.

Cheng Xiao didn't resist, letting Xiao Wu pull his hand as they wandered through each shop.

"Cheng Xiao, thank you for spending the day shopping with me." With her hands behind her back, Xiao Wu's face lit up with a smile as she spoke in a sweet, clear voice.

"Why thank me? I promised to keep you company while you explored Heaven Dou City," Cheng Xiao replied, shaking his head slightly with a smile.

"I know you're busy, but I still selfishly want you to spend more time with me," Xiao Wu paused, gazing into Cheng Xiao's puzzled eyes with her bright, rosy eyes.

In the next moment, Xiao Wu burst into laughter, her cheeks turning red as she tiptoed closer to Cheng Xiao. Before he could fully comprehend, she leaned in and gave him a light kiss.

A warmth lingered on his cheek, but before Cheng Xiao could react, Xiao Wu giggled, stepped back, and with her hands still behind her, blinked playfully, saying, "Come on, let's keep shopping. Think of that as a reward for helping me out."

Cheng Xiao instinctively wiped his cheek and mumbled, "That was a bit fast… maybe I could savor it a bit longer?"

"No way," Xiao Wu laughed, turning away but glancing back. "We're just friends right now, so no being greedy."

Hearing this, Cheng Xiao could only shake his head helplessly as he prepared to follow her. However, as he lifted his foot to move, a powerful pressure suddenly bore down on him.

"Who are you, kid, daring to lay a hand on my son?"

Just then, a middle-aged man stepped out of the shadows in a nearby alley.

The moment Xiao Wu saw him, she recognized him and gritted her teeth. "You gorillas just don't know when to quit."

Cheng Xiao, noticing her reaction, asked instinctively, "Xiao Wu, do you know him?"

"He's Tai Long's father, Tai Nuo," Xiao Wu replied, putting one hand on her hip and pointing at the approaching Tai Nuo.

"Tai Nuo…" Cheng Xiao murmured, immediately understanding. So, after dealing with the younger one, the older one came to cause trouble.

"You cheeky little girl," Tai Nuo sneered as he approached, "if Young Master Tang San hadn't stopped my father, do you think you'd still be standing here unharmed?"

At this, Xiao Wu retorted, "Your Strength Clan is all muscle and no brain! No wonder none of you have a lick of sense."

"Cheeky girl, you sure have a sharp tongue," Tai Nuo glared at her before turning to Cheng Xiao, only to notice that the young man seemed somehow… different.

"Playing tricks," Tai Nuo muttered. Though Cheng Xiao gave him an odd feeling, Tai Nuo didn't think much of it. Being a simple brute, he reached out his massive hand, intending to grab Cheng Xiao by the arm.

His plan was to teach the boy a lesson and let off some steam for his son. Just as his hand shot out, Xiao Wu, growing anxious, began to channel her martial soul. But before she could act, Cheng Xiao, who had remained still, gently held her arm, and with a faint smile, he snapped his fingers.

In an instant, a wisp of black smoke rose from Cheng Xiao's shadow. A strikingly handsome man with long hair of interwoven icy blue and fiery red stepped forward, positioning himself between Cheng Xiao and Tai Nuo.

"Nash, take it easy. Don't kill him," Cheng Xiao thought, and the dragon-like man, Nash, gave a slight nod.

The next moment, Nash extended his hand, and in a flash, his palm landed squarely on Tai Nuo's chest.

Though Nash's move appeared casual, the moment his palm touched Tai Nuo's chest, the latter's expression changed drastically.

Tai Nuo was horrified to feel that the bones in his chest seemed to be fractured. What frightened him even more was that he couldn't retract his hand – his arm felt entirely numb. His pupils shrank, and a look of terror crept over his face.

"Who is this guy? How could he possess such terrifying power?" Tai Nuo stared in disbelief at the man before him. He couldn't fathom it; this man seemed to have a power even greater than his father's. Could it be that he was a Titled Douluo – a powerful bodyguard of this young man? This realization sent a shiver down Tai Nuo's spine.

After that one blow, Nash calmly retracted his hand, sending Tai Nuo flying back like a cannonball into the alley.

Nash's lips barely moved, but a chilling voice echoed, as if from the depths of hell: "If you're looking for death, I can oblige."

Overwhelmed by both fear and pain, Tai Nuo wanted to beg for mercy, but Nash's earlier strike had shattered his chest, rendering him unable to speak a word.

"And who do you think you are, daring to harm my son!" Just as Tai Nuo struggled to his feet, another towering figure appeared beside him, imposing as a mountain.

"Oh? Another ant?" Nash said indifferently, casting an uninterested glance at the new arrival.

This new figure was Tai Tan, known as the Hercules of the Douluo Continent. At level 86, he was a powerful Soul Douluo who specialized in pure strength. Even among Titled Douluo, few could match his raw power. In sheer strength alone, he could rival those above the 90th rank.

Now, mocked so easily, Tai Tan's face turned grim. He looked down at his unconscious son, his fist clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked. A vast soul power surged from him, flooding the area with a suffocating pressure that he directed at the unruffled Nash.

"Your Majesty, be careful," Nash glanced back at Cheng Xiao, then turned to face Tai Tan, who was now exuding an intense killing intent. From Nash's body emerged two dragon spirits: one icy blue and the other crimson red.

These twin dragon souls, made purely of energy, coiled around Nash. As they appeared, Tai Tan's overwhelming pressure vanished instantly.

At the sight of these dragon souls, Tai Tan's expression shifted drastically. He had never expected this – his opponent's martial soul was not only dragon-type but a supreme pair of twin dragons!