Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

After the soul fight ended, Cheng Xiao and Ye Lingling returned to the VIP box where the Emperor Battle Team was located.

"Cheng Xiao, are you okay?"

As soon as they entered, Qin Ming greeted them with a concerned expression. Cheng Xiao felt a warmth in his heart and shook his head with a slight smile, replying softly, "I'm fine. Those hidden weapons couldn't hurt me."

Hearing this, Qin Ming finally relaxed. If something had happened to Cheng Xiao, that would have caused serious trouble.

"Oh my, Cheng Xiao, you were amazing!" As soon as Cheng Xiao and Ye Lingling sat down, Yu Feng dashed in front of Cheng Xiao, his eyes gleaming with admiration. "When you protected Lingling, you were so cool! Even our leader can't compare to you!"

"And your shadow soul beast, it's practically all-purpose!"

After saying this, Yu Feng glanced at the soldiers in Cheng Xiao's shadow and gave them a thumbs-up.

Having spent so much time with Cheng Xiao, the members of the Emperor Battle Team had become somewhat familiar with his shadow soldiers, especially Yu Feng.

"If you don't know how to talk, then don't talk," came an annoyed voice from Yu Tianheng. "What do you mean, I can't compare to Cheng Xiao? Do you think I don't want to? I would have loved to pull off a heroic rescue, like protecting Dugu Yan, but we've never been at a disadvantage in our team fights!"

"Alright, everyone, calm down." Qin Ming cleared his throat, a smile appearing on his handsome face. "Everyone worked hard tonight, so we won't participate in the team soul fight. If you want to go out and have fun, that's fine, but don't forget tomorrow's training. Understood?"

"Understood!" the Emperor Battle Team replied in unison.

A short while later, the team left the Suotuo Grand Soul Arena. Yu Tianheng went off with Dugu Yan for a stroll, followed by Oslo and Yu Feng. The Shi brothers returned to the hotel to cultivate, while Cheng Xiao and Ye Lingling were taken to dinner by Qin Ming.

The three stood at a crossroads, staring silently at the fully packed restaurant Qin Ming had chosen in advance.

"Uh, Cheng Xiao, Lingling, wait here for a bit. I'll go check it out." Qin Ming scratched his nose awkwardly and squeezed into the bustling crowd.

As Qin Ming disappeared into the crowd, Ye Lingling suddenly said, "Teacher Qin Ming… he's different from other soul masters."

Hearing this, Cheng Xiao smiled lightly. "He is a bit different. Unlike those soul masters who are full of themselves, he's more of a breath of fresh air in the soul master world."

At that moment, a loud eagle's cry echoed from the sky, and moments later, a middle-aged man descended, landing in front of Cheng Xiao and Ye Lingling.

In an instant, Cheng Xiao swiftly stepped in front of Ye Lingling to shield her, his voice cold as he said, "Is the headmaster of Shrek Academy planning to publicly stand up for his students?"

"Shrek Academy?" Ye Lingling, standing behind Cheng Xiao, was slightly taken aback. She seemed to have heard that name before, but couldn't quite recall where.

The man appeared to be in his fifties, muscular, dressed in black, with black-framed crystal glasses on his face. This was none other than Flender, the headmaster of Shrek Academy and a Spirit Saint with a level 78 Owl-Eagle Martial Spirit. "You know my title, yet you still dared to go hard on our academy's students?" Flender frowned slightly, surprised that the young man in front of him could recognize his identity.

"It's said that the headmaster of Shrek Academy is known for protecting his students. Seeing you today, it seems the rumors were true," Cheng Xiao said calmly, his face expressionless.

"Do I even need you to say that? When the younger ones get hit, the older ones naturally have to step in for them. And as the headmaster of Shrek Academy, you can't avoid a beating after hitting one of our students."

As he spoke, seven soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and three black—rose around Flender, pulsating with power.

Seeing Flender release his soul rings, Cheng Xiao didn't plan to resist. He spread his arms wide, speaking casually, "Go ahead, Headmaster Flender. Since you want to stand up for your students, go ahead and hit me. It won't be long before Shrek Academy ceases to exist anyway."

"What did you say?" Flender's smile instantly vanished, his expression turning cold, his gaze filled with killing intent. "Kid, you'd better explain yourself, or this won't just end with a beating today."

But Cheng Xiao only smiled, saying nothing further. His dark purple eyes remained calm as he stared at the murderous look on Flender's face, refusing to speak.

Seeing Cheng Xiao's nonchalant attitude, Flender began to sense that something was wrong. Normally, low-level soul masters would cower before high-level ones, but this boy's demeanor was strange.

Before coming here, Flender had already gathered information about Cheng Xiao from Grandmaster and Tang San, which was why he dared to come and confront him. But now that he was here, things seemed off.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" Flender stepped toward Cheng Xiao, his giant wings unfolding behind him. His pupils narrowed, and his hands formed claws, exuding an immense pressure.

"Afraid? Of course, I'm afraid. You're a Spirit Saint, someone who could crush me with a slap." Cheng Xiao pretended to retreat in fear as Flender approached, but his purple eyes didn't show the fear Flender was hoping for.

In other words, Cheng Xiao was bluffing. Yet, this only made Flender more hesitant. If Cheng Xiao was just giving him trouble, that would be one thing, but threatening Shrek Academy? That was something Flender didn't want to risk.

Feeling frustrated, Flender stared at Cheng Xiao's calm face for a while before finally making up his mind. "Kid, you're bluffing. No matter who's backing you, you're definitely getting a beating today!"

With that, an overwhelming pressure erupted from Flender's body. The moment Cheng Xiao felt it, his body seemed weighed down by a mountain, forcing him to his knees.

"With your current strength, do you think you can resist a Spirit Saint's pressure?" Flender chuckled, increasing the pressure. He wasn't using his full power, just locking onto Cheng Xiao's energy. He wanted to see what this boy was really capable of.

As the pressure mounted, Cheng Xiao's legs began to tremble uncontrollably. The shadow energy inside him surged wildly, and even the divine energy in his body began to accelerate.

Just as Cheng Xiao was about to command his shadow soldiers to attack Flender, a gentle voice came from behind him.

"Headmaster Flender, long time no see."