Douluo Continent: Starting with the Tiger Emperor Template

In the corridor.

The brother and sister walked side by side.

Meng Hongchen glanced at Xiao Hongchen's nonchalant face and asked softly:

"Brother, are you confident you can teach him a lesson?"

"Heh." Xiao Hongchen scoffed, not even stopping in his tracks. "In front of me, no genius is a true genius."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of arrogance:

"Little sister, we're already level 48 or 49. The tournament starts in eight months, so we need to hurry up and break through to Soul King level to show those Shrek Academy guys how powerful we are."

"As for that Lu Ren..."

He snorted, a disdainful smile curling at the corner of his lips:

"How dare you speak so arrogantly in front of Grandpa! Tomorrow I will give him an unforgettable memory."

Meng Hongchen watched his confident back and stuck out her tongue:

"Brother is really confident. But... Grandpa seems to think highly of that person. I'd better make some more preparations."

"Hmph, there's no need for that." Xiao Hongchen waved his hand without turning his head. "Just wait and see how I torment him tomorrow."

His figure disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

Meng Hongchen stood there, looking in the direction her brother had gone, and blinked thoughtfully.

Grandpa rarely makes such a big fuss about promoting a new person.

What is so special about that person?

……

The next morning.

Soul Guidance Device Trial Grounds.

This is the largest building on the ground of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. It has a huge oval shape and can accommodate tens of thousands of people at the same time.

The architectural style is somewhat similar to the Colosseum at Shrek Academy, but the soul tool equipment inside is much more advanced.

Lu Ren stood in the entrance passage and peeked out through the gap at the entrance.

The vast training ground was packed to capacity.

The stands were packed with people, a dense, dark mass, their clamor a buzzing wave that echoed beneath the massive dome.

The total number of teachers and students at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy is close to 12,000, and with the addition of the researchers from Mingde Hall, almost all of them are here today.

Lu Ren withdrew his gaze.

That old fox, Jing Hongchen, really knows how to stir things up.

It was supposed to be a test, but the entire academy was brought in as an audience. It seems that Jing Hongchen promised the students that if they could defeat him, they would gain entry into the Mingde Hall, as well as rare metal materials, and so on...

If he wins, the academy will gain a genius; if he loses, it will only be a madman bringing shame upon himself, which will be a good opportunity to suppress him and then bring him under their control, making it easier to train him into their own people.

No matter how you look at it, you're not losing out.

but……

Lu Ren looked down at his hands and gently clenched his fists.

It doesn't matter.

Just what he wanted.

……

In the stands.

Xiao Hongchen crossed his legs, clasped his arms in front of his chest, and leaned back in his chair with a bored expression.

Meng Hongchen sat next to him, her gaze sweeping across the room as if searching for that person.

The surrounding students were talking amongst themselves:

"I heard that freshman knocked Wang Shaojie down with a single punch?"

"Really? Wang Shaojie is a Five-Ring Soul King!"

"It's absolutely true! I saw it with my own eyes at the gate yesterday. That guy's spirit ring configuration was absolutely terrifying; his first spirit ring was a thousand years old!"

"A first spirit ring that takes a thousand years? You must be dreaming!"

"Believe it or not! You'll find out soon enough. Besides, the Hall Master himself promised that whoever defeats him will gain entry into the Mingde Hall and win some rare metal materials!"

"Really? The reward is so generous..."

As Xiao Hongchen listened to these discussions, the smile on his lips grew colder and colder.

Humph.

A bunch of country bumpkins who've never seen the world.

The first spirit ring is worth a thousand years, and the fourth spirit ring can absorb fifty thousand years?

He must have used some underhanded means to barely get his grandfather's attention and get him admitted to the hospital...

Just wait, I'll expose his true colors.

on the rostrum.

Lin Jiayi stood in front of the megaphone and cleared his throat.

"Okay, everyone quiet down."

His voice resounded throughout the venue through the amplified soul guide, and the buzzing discussions gradually subsided as everyone's eyes turned to the podium.

Lin Jiayi looked around and said loudly:

"Upholding the principle of making friends through martial arts, the academy has decided to hold this exchange and competition."

"Today, the academy has specially recruited a young Soul Master. To test his abilities, the academy will send him out to defend the arena. You, as challengers, must aim to defeat him, seize the arena, and win the match."

He paused, then continued:

"Of course, we want you to experience the difference between Soul Masters and Soul Instructors in the competition and enhance your understanding."

"This martial arts exchange match will be officiated by Mr. Xuan Ziwen, a researcher at Mingdetang and a senior teacher at the academy, and I will serve as the host."

He glanced at the audience and raised his voice:

"Next, please welcome our specially recruited freshman, Lu Ren, to the stage."

offstage.

Jing Hongchen stood by the entrance passage, her gaze fixed on Lu Ren.

Today, Lu Ren changed into the school uniform of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. The clothes were well-tailored and made him look tall and slender.

That handsome face now exuded an air of composure.

"You'd better not disappoint me, Lu Ren," Jing Hongchen said in a low voice. "All this commotion today was for you."

He did have expectations.

One punch knocks down a five-ring Soul King, a Soul Ring configuration of two purple and two black, and a Soul Master level of forty-four at the age of fourteen. With these stats combined, even core students of Shrek Academy's inner court might not be able to achieve this.

But hearsay is just hearsay.

He wouldn't feel at ease unless he saw it with his own eyes.

A soul ring configuration of two purple and two black is just an entry ticket.

The true strength will be revealed today.

Lu Ren glanced at him sideways, chuckled softly, and did not reply.

Then he stepped onto the testing ground.

All eyes in the room instantly converged.

The boy walked out of the passageway, facing tens of thousands of gazes, his steps neither hurried nor slow.

Sunlight streamed through the transparent soul-guiding windows of the dome, bathing him in a pale golden glow.

A sudden burst of discussion erupted in the stands:

"That's him? He doesn't look anything special..."

"He's quite handsome!"

"What's the use of being handsome? It'll be a joke if you get beaten up later."

"What do you know? I heard that he became a core student as soon as he entered the academy, the kind who can go straight into the Mingde Hall."

"A core student? Isn't he a freshman?"

"Special admissions students, do you understand?"

Xiao Hongchen's gaze fell on that figure, and he narrowed his eyes.

This kid's quite the actor.

Meng Hongchen quietly watched the young man in the arena, her gaze lingering on him for a few seconds before she softly uttered an "Eh."

"What's wrong?" Xiao Hongchen asked.

"It's nothing." Meng Hongchen shook her head, but a hint of curiosity appeared in her eyes. "I just feel that his aura is a bit different."

"Hmph." Xiao Hongchen withdrew his gaze, crossed his legs again, and said, "I'll go up and try it later and I'll find out."