Shadow Monarch

Douluo Continent, Fasno Province, Nuoding City.

"Hiss... This child's martial soul... is it a beast martial soul?"

Inside Nuoding City's Spirit Hall, a young man dressed in a Spirit Hall deacon's uniform looked at the boy standing before him, confusion appearing on his face.

"Su Yuntao, he's the last child left for martial soul awakening, right?" An old man walked in and looked at the martial soul awakening room, where only one child remained.

"Master Ma Xiunuo." Upon seeing him, Su Yuntao respectfully bowed before saying, "This child's martial soul is something we've never seen before. Should we make a record of it?"

"Oh? A martial soul never seen before?" A sharp glint flashed through Ma Xiunuo's eyes. "Make a record. Since it's a martial soul we've never seen before, of course we should document it." With that, he entered the office across the hall.

Su Yuntao nodded. After watching Ma Xiunuo leave, he looked at the boy before him and asked gently, "Child, what is your name?"

"Master Su Yuntao, my name is Cheng Xiao."

"Cheng... Xiao. Your parents must have been very learned Soul Masters," Su Yuntao praised.

Cheng Xiao nodded without responding.

After all... as a transmigrator from Blue Star, having no father or mother seemed to be standard issue. After transmigrating to Douluo Continent, he had been raised by the village chief of Cheng Family Village next to Sacred Soul Village.

"Then, Cheng Xiao, what is your martial soul? Is it a beast martial soul?" Su Yuntao asked curiously.

Cheng Xiao rubbed his nose and turned to look at the Shadow Monarch standing behind him. Clad in a Dark Purple cloak and armor, purple light shone from its eyes through its helmet. After a brief pause, he said, "Master Su Yuntao, my martial soul is called Shadow Soldier. It is a beast martial soul."

"So it really is a beast martial soul!" Having received Cheng Xiao's confirmation, Su Yuntao's eyes lit up. He picked up the blue crystal ball nearby and smiled. "Cheng Xiao, come test your Soul Power!"

"Alright." Cheng Xiao nodded and placed his right hand on the crystal ball.

The instant his palm touched the crystal ball, Dark Purple light immediately filled the entire Spirit Hall.

"Heavens!" Su Yuntao exclaimed. "Innate Full Soul Power! This child has Innate Full Soul Power!"

As he looked at the little boy before him, Su Yuntao was overjoyed. If he could persuade Cheng Xiao to join Spirit Hall, wouldn't his promotion and raise be just around the corner?

"Ahem, Cheng Xiao, would you be willing to join Spirit Hall?" Su Yuntao asked anxiously.

"Uh..." Cheng Xiao scratched his head. "Master Su Yuntao, I'm afraid I may have to disappoint you."

"Hm?" Su Yuntao froze for a moment, puzzled. "You don't want to join Spirit Hall?"

"Master Su Yuntao, I want to become a free Soul Master, so..." Cheng Xiao fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

"A free... Soul Master." Hearing those words from a child, bitterness surfaced on Su Yuntao's face. Once upon a time, he too had wanted to become a free Soul Master, but reality was cruel. He could not become that kind of free Soul Master.

Douluo Continent... strength reigned supreme.

"Phew... Alright." Taking a deep breath, Su Yuntao looked at Cheng Xiao's somewhat childish face and could not help smiling. "I believe in you. With Innate Full Soul Power, you will surely have the ability to change this world. Since you wish to become a free Soul Master, I cannot force you to join Spirit Hall. This is your choice."

"Thank you... Master Su Yuntao." Cheng Xiao smiled.

"Hehe, it's nothing." Su Yuntao shook his head, then smiled. "Since you aren't joining Spirit Hall, I'll issue you a martial soul certificate. With it, any junior academy should be willing to accept you."

Cheng Xiao nodded. After following Su Yuntao to complete the martial soul certificate, the two walked out of the main doors one after the other.

The moment the doors opened, Cheng Xiao's village chief grandfather hurried over with a nervous expression.

"Lord Deacon, how did it go? Can our Xiao become a Soul Master?"

As soon as the old man finished speaking, Su Yuntao smiled. "Village Chief Cheng, your grandson Cheng Xiao has become a Soul Master, and he even has Innate Full Soul Power!"

"Innate... Innate Full Soul Power!" Village Chief Cheng turned his gaze toward Cheng Xiao, who stood beside Su Yuntao. Delight appeared on his aged face as he laughed loudly. "Wonderful! Wonderful! My grandson has Innate Full Soul Power!"

"Grandpa, keep your voice down!" Cheng Xiao hurried to his grandfather's side and reminded him in a low voice.

"Cheng Xiao, although you did not join Spirit Hall, if you run into trouble in the future, you may come to Spirit Hall and find me anytime," Su Yuntao said.

"Xiao, hurry up and thank Lord Deacon!" Upon hearing that, Village Chief Cheng immediately patted his grandson on the shoulder.

"There's no need." Su Yuntao waved his hand and smiled. "I still need to visit Sacred Soul Village, so I won't keep you any longer."

With that, Su Yuntao gave Cheng Xiao a slight smile before striding away.

After learning that Cheng Xiao had Innate Full Soul Power, Village Chief Cheng returned to the village and told everyone he met that his grandson possessed Innate Full Soul Power. He was so happy that he could not stop smiling.

Cheng Xiao felt rather helpless about it, but there was nothing he could do. His grandfather was proud of him, and there was no need to spoil the old man's happiness.

However, there was something he needed to figure out now: after awakening the Shadow Monarch martial soul, could he make dead creatures into his Shadow Soldiers like Sung Jin-woo?

Early the next morning, Cheng Xiao eagerly bought a live chicken from the neighbors. He could not deal with Soul Beasts, but ordinary poultry was no problem.

After preparing the chicken, Cheng Xiao took a deep breath, summoned his martial soul, and said coldly, "Arise!"

[...]

"Alright, looks like it failed." Cheng Xiao sighed.

Just then, a clear, deep, calm, and authoritative voice sounded in Cheng Xiao's mind.

"I am Ashborn, the Shadow Monarch. My power's new successor, are you prepared to accept my power?"

"Ashborn!" Cheng Xiao's pupils contracted. He knew the Shadow Monarch's existence better than anyone. After all, the reason he had transmigrated to Douluo Continent was because he had stayed up all night reading Solo Leveling, then was too sleepy when he went out in the morning and somehow took neither the stairs nor the elevator, ending up here instead.

"It seems that the reason my power came to this world is inseparably connected to you, my successor," Ashborn, the Shadow Monarch, said.

"I suppose... so." Cheng Xiao scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed.

"You suppose? The laws governing power in this world are rather interesting. Above this world, there seems to be an even more powerful force," Ashborn, the Shadow Monarch, said calmly.

"They are gods, gods above this world," Cheng Xiao said.

"Gods? It has been a long time since I last heard that title." Ashborn, the Shadow Monarch, said, "Accept my power, inheritor who is about to become the Third Generation Shadow King!"

As his words fell, Cheng Xiao felt as though his heart had been seized by some unseen force. It began pounding violently, while his chest felt as though it were being crushed beneath a weight, leaving him unable to breathe.

The sudden pain made Cheng Xiao unable to remain standing any longer. He curled up on the ground, his body bent like a shrimp.

"You are different from Sung Jin-woo. He had a system created by the Architect. Because this world's energy differs, I cannot let you slowly level up and accept my power as Sung Jin-woo did."

"However, the power I left within you will gradually grow stronger as your level rises. Once you are strong enough, your Shadow Soldiers will become more numerous!"

"One man is an army, a king in the truest sense. I hope that when we meet again, you will have become a true... Shadow Monarch!"