Douluo Continent: Starting with the Tiger Emperor Template

Meng Hongchen's heart sank.

She knew Lu Ren was no ordinary person, but even knowing that, hearing him say it with her own ears still made her chest feel like it was blocked by something, a dull feeling that made it hard to breathe.

The little moments she spent with him these past few days had taken root in her heart like seeds.

He guided her on patience during cultivation, and although she was annoyed by his noise during meals, he never chased her away. When they fought, he made her step aside. Every scene was etched in his mind, and he would recall it over and over again.

"Then..." She bit her lower lip, her knuckles clenching the hem of her skirt until they turned white, "If you go somewhere else in the future, could... could you take me with you?"

After saying that, her cheeks instantly turned bright red, as if they had been burned.

Meng Hongchen suddenly lowered her head, her forehead almost touching her knees, her ears burning hot, and even her breathing became rapid and shallow.

My heart was pounding in my chest, thumping loudly, as if it might burst out at any moment.

She knew this request was presumptuous.

She is the granddaughter of the head of Mingde Hall, a proud daughter of the Sun Moon Empire, with family responsibilities and her own path.

But she couldn't help it. The thought of possibly never seeing him again filled her with disappointment.

Meng Hongchen wanted a deeper connection with him.

It's not just a relationship between students from the same college, but a closer connection that won't be easily broken.

Lu Ren was stunned.

The girl's reddened earlobes, her slightly trembling shoulders, and her request filled with trepidation and anticipation were all too direct, so direct that he couldn't pretend he didn't understand.

Lu Ren remained silent for a long time, his gaze falling on her head, which was buried in her knees. She curled up into a small ball like a kitten waiting for judgment after doing something wrong.

His path was destined to be full of thorns.

In the future, he may have to fight against the entire continent and face the pressure from the divine realm, carving a bloody path through the gaps between various forces.

Taking her along is like dragging a pure heart into a quagmire and getting caught in a storm that doesn't belong to her. Is that really appropriate?

But when he opened his mouth, the refusal he had prepared changed its tone.

"Your current strength is not up to par with mine."

Lu Ren's voice softened, becoming less perfunctory and more gentle than he himself had noticed.

"Let's talk about it when you're able to stand on your own two feet."

He didn't make any promises; he preferred to let his actions speak for themselves rather than just making verbal commitments.

But when these words reached Meng Hongchen's ears, she suddenly raised her head, her eyes slightly reddening, her eyes filled with unbelievable surprise.

The surprise was so intense that it almost overflowed from those light blue eyes.

"Really? You mean it?"

"Mm." Lu Ren nodded gently, a faint smile playing on his lips, clean and bright. "As long as you have enough strength to protect yourself, I'll take you wherever you want to go."

He paused, then added:

"If you have any questions about cultivation, feel free to come to me anytime. With my help, your cultivation should improve faster."

Meng Hongchen's heart skipped a beat when she saw the smile on his lips.

A blush spread from her cheeks to her neck, and even her breath felt sweet. She nodded vigorously, her eyes shining with determination, like a star that had been ignited.

"Okay, I will definitely work hard to cultivate and catch up with you!"

In order to stay by his side and not be left behind, she was willing to endure any hardship or difficulty.

Lu Ren didn't reply. He turned his head and looked at the streetlights that were gradually lighting up outside the training ground. After a moment of silence, he spoke:

"Alright, let's work hard together then. I hope you can break through to Soul King before your brother comes out of seclusion and give him a surprise."

"good!"

The girl's voice was clear and bright, like a silver bell ringing in the twilight.

……

A month later.

The matter of the Royal Scouts was gradually forgotten, and the academy returned to its former tranquility.

Lu Ren lived a very low-key life.

During the day, he cultivates his soul power and works with Xuan Ziwen to test his soul tool. In the afternoon, he spars with Ji Juechen and Jing Ziyan. In the evening, he returns to his dormitory and, under the guidance of Electrolux, hones the precision of his spell power control.

Life was so comfortable, like soaking in warm water, that even my bones felt a little softer.

Meng Hongchen made rapid progress under his guidance.

A week ago, she had already broken through the level 50 barrier and was just waiting for the academy to arrange for her to go out and hunt soul beasts to obtain her fifth soul ring.

Xiao Hongchen is still in seclusion. When he comes out and sees his sister's cultivation level, he will probably be stunned for a long time.

Lu Ren's own soul power also rose from level 45 to level 47.

Advancing two levels in a month isn't fast, but it's solid.

The fusion of spell power and soul power became more and more harmonious, and the use of the Crimson Blood Manipulation Technique and the Imperial Chef Technique became more and more skillful.

That afternoon, he had just come out of Xuan Ziwen's laboratory.

The results of the mental strength test were beyond his expectations; his mental strength had reached the Soul King level.

Xuan Ziwen held the data sheet, his eyes shining like two light bulbs, muttering words like "unbelievable" and "unprecedented," and almost pressed Lu Ren into a chair to do the test again.

Furthermore, Xuan Ziwen kept nagging Lu Ren to study soul tools properly, saying that combining spiritual power with soul tools was a bright path.

Lu Ren immediately refused; how could he possibly venture into the realm of soul tools?

At most, you just need to learn how to use it.

Therefore, Lu Ren finally managed to get away from Xuan Ziwen and prepared to go back to his dormitory to rest.

He walked along the main road of the college toward his dormitory. The setting sun cast his shadow long and thin, and his footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, once, twice, three times.

He stopped after turning the last bend.

An old man was sitting in front of the dormitory.

The old man was covered in grease, his hair a tangled mess, like a clump of withered grass blown away by the wind.

The robe, which should have been white, had turned grayish-brown, with many tears on the cuffs and hem, and even a few loose threads hanging from the edges.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, gnawing on a chicken leg with his mouth full of oil, while holding a wine jug in his other hand, occasionally tilting his head back to take a swig.

The wine dripped down his chin and onto his clothes, but he didn't seem to care.

Lu Ren stood a few steps away, his expression unchanged, but a barely perceptible ripple flashed in his eyes.

Taotie Douluo, Xuanzi.

A level 98 Super Douluo, one of the pillars of Shrek Academy.

He had imagined countless times who Shrek Academy would send—the supervisory team, other elders, or even Moon himself.

But what he was most looking forward to was this slovenly old man in front of him.

Sure enough, it was him.

That suits me perfectly.

The old man finished gnawing on the last piece of meat on the chicken leg, casually tossed the bone on the ground, took another swig of wine, and then slowly raised his head.

His cloudy eyes swept over Lu Ren, like a dull knife scraping across his skin—not sharp, but sending chills down one's spine.

"You don't seem surprised at all by my appearance?"

His voice was hoarse and smelled of alcohol, sounding like a broken bellows leaking air.

Lu Ren neither retreated nor stepped forward; he stood a few steps away, his gaze calmly meeting Xuan Zi's.

"Old man, my name is Xuanzi, and my title is Taotie." The old man took another swig of wine, wiped his mouth, and said, "You must have heard of my existence."