Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

After Dugu Bo had the poison in his body neutralized by Cheng Xiao, he didn't linger at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for long. After inquiring briefly about the person Cheng Xiao intended to bring here, he hurried straight toward the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.

For Dugu Bo, the most urgent matter at hand was to remove the deadly poison from his granddaughter Dugu Yan. Everything else seemed insignificant by comparison.

Once Dugu Bo left, Cheng Xiao also had no reason to stay. The purpose of his visit was solely to gain Dugu Bo's approval, allowing him to bring Chrysanthemum Douluo here to study the effects and benefits of the immortal herbs.

Moreover, he recalled that Dugu Bo had some tension with Chrysanthemum Douluo. If he could resolve their conflict, it would be an ideal outcome.

Looking at the peculiar flowers and plants surrounding him, Cheng Xiao sighed softly. Many of the herbs here were incredibly precious, but unfortunately, he didn't recognize most of them.

"I should return to the academy and contact my teacher. With his love for plants, he should have no trouble dealing with these immortal herbs," Cheng Xiao said, summoning the Shadow Soldier Ghost Panther. Following the direction given by Dugu Bo, he quickly departed from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

...

Heaven Dou City.

After being driven out of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, the Shrek group soon arrived at Blue Tyrant Academy within Heaven Dou City.

The atmosphere among the Shrek group was somewhat heavy during the journey. They hadn't expected to be unceremoniously expelled from the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy by Prince Xue Xing shortly after their arrival.

This was a significant blow to their pride, especially for Tang San, who had been repeatedly frustrated by the Royal Fighting Team. His anger was growing.

Unlike the original storyline, Tang San hadn't experienced smooth sailing in the early stages, nor had Xiao Wu become the emotional support she was in the original timeline. At this moment, the only thing on Tang San's mind was to desperately improve his strength; nothing else mattered.

Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong walked at the back of the group. Xiao Wu looked a little dejected because she hadn't seen Cheng Xiao at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, and Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing also wore puzzled expressions.

In this tense atmosphere, the Shrek group arrived at Blue Tyrant Academy. Due to their formidable strength, Flender and the others quickly passed the academy's teacher assessment and, led by other teachers, went to meet the academy's dean.

Before long, they entered the outer forest of the main campus.

After walking for about ten minutes, a faint singing voice drifted from ahead.

The moment the voice reached his ears, the Grandmaster's expression became extremely odd. Instinctively, he wanted to flee, but Flender, who had been standing beside him, firmly grabbed his shoulder.

Flender had been planning to trick the Grandmaster into coming here to meet his younger sister, Liu Erlong, ever since they were at Shrek Academy. For him, as long as Liu Erlong was happy, that was enough.

"Xiao Gang, at this point, are you still going to run away?" Flender sternly asked the Grandmaster. "How can you bear to let a woman wait for you for more than twenty years? Can you really live with yourself if you don't see her?"

"Flender, did you know she was here all along and intentionally brought me here?" the Grandmaster glared at Flender, his voice filled with anger.

He never expected that after enduring so many betrayals, his close friend would also betray him! Hearing this, Flender made a helpless gesture. "Xiao Gang, you're mistaken. I had no idea she was here. This is purely a coincidence. Come on, it's been years. It's time you faced her."

Struggling internally, the Grandmaster was filled with pain. He had been running away for over twenty years, and now, faced with this situation, he found it hard to bear. After all, that woman was his cousin!

However, as one of the Douluo Continent's most notorious simps, Flender's grip on the Grandmaster's shoulder remained firm. His only wish for Liu Erlong was her happiness. Little did he know, the one who had caused her the greatest pain was standing right next to him.

After some persuasion from Flender, the Grandmaster gathered his courage and moved forward. After walking a few hundred meters, the group saw a particularly thick tree with a sign hanging from it. The sign read: "Restricted Area of the Academy, Do Not Enter Without Permission."

Passing the tree, the scenery in front of them changed dramatically.

There was a small lake with a simple hut next to it, surrounded by a fence. Inside the fence grew various flowers and plants, vibrant and beautiful from a distance.

Standing there was a beautiful woman. She appeared to be in her thirties, wearing a simple blue dress, yet her elegance could not be hidden. Her black hair was tied up with a cloth, and her large, bright eyes sparkled.

She held a watering can, tending to the plants. Perhaps hearing footsteps, she instinctively looked toward the direction where Flender and the others were approaching. As soon as her eyes landed on Flender and the Grandmaster, her entire body froze, and the watering can fell from her hand with a loud crash.

"Xiaogang, Xiaogang, is it really you?" In a flash, the woman stood in front of the Grandmaster. Her face, which she had longed to see for years, brought her to tears.

The Shrek group behind them was startled. Though the woman's movements were simple, they couldn't even see her clearly. This alone was enough to indicate her impressive strength.

Seeing the woman he hadn't dared to meet for over twenty years, the Grandmaster's eyes turned red, and his lips trembled, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Flender sighed softly and introduced her to the Shrek Seven Devils: "This is the last member of our Golden Iron Triangle, the Slaughtering Corner. Her name is Liu Erlong."

"How have you been, Erlong?" Flender asked.

"Flender, I've been fine. But you, after all these years, still look the same." Liu Erlong's previously unfocused eyes regained their clarity, and her gaze on Flender was filled with indescribable emotions.

Flender then told Liu Erlong about their troubles at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.

After hearing about the plight of Flender and the Grandmaster, Liu Erlong immediately handed over Blue Tyrant Academy to them and allowed them to rename it Shrek Academy.

Throughout this time, the Grandmaster remained silent, his head down. His behavior piqued the curiosity of the Shrek students, wondering how an ordinary man like him had managed to win over such a powerful woman.

After chatting for a while, Liu Erlong, showing her hospitable nature, treated the Shrek group to dinner and answered their questions.

She also gave them a tour of Blue Tyrant Academy and arranged accommodations for them in the teachers' dormitory.

By evening, after a long day, everyone finally had a moment to rest.

"Xiao San, come walk with me," the Grandmaster said. Unable to bear meeting Liu Erlong's loving gaze, he called Tang San and headed outside.

Though confused, Tang San followed the Grandmaster without hesitation.

...

A few hours later, night had fallen.

A shadowy figure slipped silently into Heaven Dou City—it was Cheng Xiao, returning from the Sunset Forest.

Initially, Cheng Xiao hadn't expected to return so quickly. But after his soul power broke through to level forty, the Ghost Panther's strength had also increased. Now, the Ghost Panther had regained all its former power and was further enhanced by shadow energy.

That's why Cheng Xiao was able to return to Heaven Dou City so fast.

After arriving, he didn't go directly back to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Instead, he planned to pay a visit to Xue Qinghe—or rather, Qian Renxue.

Before Chrysanthemum Douluo left, he had only mentioned that he was heading to Spirit City, but Spirit City wasn't that far from Heaven Dou City. Additionally, it wasn't a place just any soul master could enter.

Rather than bother searching for trouble, Cheng Xiao decided to ask Qian Renxue for help. After all, she knew he was Chrysanthemum Douluo's disciple, and given the ambiguous nature of their relationship, she likely wouldn't refuse him.

Suddenly, a lewd voice echoed down the street.

"Heh heh, with this burning desire, I should go visit one of Heaven Dou City's brothels and have some fun."