Douluo Continent: Starting with the Tiger Emperor Template

Lu Ren stood in front of the dormitory door, his gaze calmly fixed on Xuan Zi, without even changing the rhythm of his breathing.

"I've naturally heard of Taotie Douluo Xuanzi, one of the pillars of Shrek Academy."

Lu Ren was not surprised at all that the Shrek Academy people had come to his door.

From the moment he robbed Bei Bei and his two companions in the Star Dou Great Forest, and from the moment he publicly revealed his spirit rings at the Shrek Academy's outer courtyard, this plot line had already been laid.

He deliberately left some traces on his way to the Sun Moon Empire.

Not many, but enough to point the way.

Whether Shrek's people can follow the clues and catch up is not his concern.

Importantly, just as he had expected, Xuanzi arrived.

"Strange, very strange." Xuanzi casually tossed the cleanly gnawing chicken leg bone aside. The bone bounced twice on the ground before rolling into the shadows in the corner. "From the moment I appeared before you until now, there hasn't been the slightest surprise on your face. On the contrary, it's as if you expected me to come all along."

He raised his cloudy eyes and scanned Lu Ren several times.

"Either you know I'll sneak in here to find you, or you have the means to fight me."

He paused, then took another swig of wine, the liquid dripping down his chin and onto his clothes.

"I think the first possibility is more likely. As for the second..."

He chuckled, a laugh devoid of sarcasm but carrying an air of self-righteous arrogance.

"I am a level 98 Super Douluo. Looking across the entire continent, there are no more than five people who can fight me."

"You petty thief, what chance do you have against this old man?"

Lu Ren's lips twitched slightly.

Wait until the competition starts across the entire continent before you say such things.

Despite being a level 98 Super Douluo, he was sneaked away right under the nose of a Soul King-level evil Soul Master, who also killed a large number of students.

Do you even believe what you're saying?

In the entire Shrek Academy, if you were to name the most unreliable person, Xuanzi would be second to none.

Among those of the same level, his combat strength is probably the weakest.

"A pearl covered in dust, truly a pearl covered in dust." Xuanzi shook his head, his gaze sweeping over Lu Ren. "Who exactly came up with the idea of ​​sending you to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy as a student?"

He extended a greasy finger and pointed at Lu Ren from a distance.

"I saw right through you at a glance. You are a Soul Master, and your aptitude as a Soul Master is so monstrous it's outrageous."

"Judging from your bone age, you're only around fifteen years old, yet your soul power is level forty-seven. As for your soul ring configuration, why is it so incredibly powerful...?"

He narrowed his eyes, his tone becoming more certain.

"It's because your physical body is terrifying enough, far surpassing that of ordinary people, giving you the confidence to absorb a soul ring that surpasses even the best configuration."

"A powerful physical body, formidable mental strength, and an indestructible soul strength—these three combined allow you to completely ignore the soul shock after absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring."

He became more and more excited as he spoke, and a glimmer of light even appeared in his cloudy eyes.

"A genius, truly a genius."

"I seriously doubt that you could fight a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast hand-to-hand without being at a disadvantage, even without soul power and martial soul."

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.

"Why would a genius like that not go to Shrek Academy, but instead come to a place like this?"

"What can those damned soul masters teach you?"

"Will they use advanced Soul Master techniques? Do they understand the knowledge system of powerful Soul Masters? Were you tricked into coming here?"

Lu Ren finally spoke:

"I came by myself."

Xuanzi was stunned.

Why?

"I'm curious to know what kind of reason could make you abandon Shrek Academy, which specializes in training elite Soul Masters, and instead come to an academy that trains Soul Masters."

Lu Ren looked at him, his tone as calm as still water:

"Because they need me more."

Xuanzi paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

The laughter wasn't loud, but it carried a condescending contempt.

"This bunch of trashy Soul Masters? They need you? You really think highly of yourself?"

His smile faded, and his gaze sharpened.

"I admit that in the range of the first to sixth rings, Soul Masters are indeed stronger than Soul Masters."

"But in terms of later growth, there is no doubt that a high-level Soul Master can kill two Soul Masters of the same level."

"You are indeed a genius, but you are just a minor four-ring Soul Master right now. There are plenty of people who can crush you with one hand."

He began to emanate soul power fluctuations, and a heavy, mountain-like pressure rolled down on Lu Ren.

"So, how do they need you?"

Lu Ren narrowed his eyes.

That oppressive force was like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down; an ordinary Soul Master would have already collapsed to the ground.

But he stood still, his body motionless, and his expression remained unchanged.

The power of the spell and the power of the soul flowed quietly on the surface of the body, completely isolating the pressure from the outside.

A hint of surprise flashed in Xuanzi's eyes.

He released the pressure of a level 60 Soul Emperor, intending to give this kid a taste of his power, but the other party didn't even flinch.

He began to quietly increase his efforts.

Sixty-two, sixty-three, sixty-four...

The oppressive aura intensified, causing fine cracks to appear on the stone slabs of the corridor floor, and dust began to fall from the gaps in the ceiling.

Lu Ren remained standing in the same spot, like a reef that had been washed by waves for millions of years, completely unaffected by the pressure released by Xuan Zi.

"That's not what I meant," Lu Ren said calmly. "I meant the Continental Soul Master Competition. They need me to lead them to victory against Shrek Academy."

Xuanzi's oppressive aura paused for a moment.

"Shrek Academy has been the champion for too long, while Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy is even more eager to win a championship than you are."

The corridor was quiet for a moment.

Then Xuanzi smiled.

It was no longer the contemptuous laugh of before, but a loud laugh that burst forth from the depths of his chest.

He laughed so hard he almost fell over, spilling wine from the jug onto his robes, but he didn't even notice.

"Hahaha, defeat Shrek? You think you can?"

He wiped away the tears that had come out of his laughter, his eyes filled with disdain and mockery.

"Kid, do you know how many times Shrek Academy has won the Continental Soul Master Tournament?"

"Do you even know how monstrous the Shrek Seven Devils have been throughout history?"

"You, a mere four-ring Soul Master, and this group of Soul Masters who only know how to hide behind their Soul Tools, dare to utter such arrogant words?"

He suppressed his smile, and the pressure of his soul power suddenly surged.

A terrifying aura crashed down like a towering mountain, causing the walls on both sides of the corridor to tremble, the ground to crack, and gravel to fly everywhere.

This oppressive aura was enough to shatter the spirits of a Soul Emperor and cause a Soul King to faint on the spot.

Strangely, the surrounding area seemed completely unaffected, and even when other students returned to their dormitories, they didn't notice anything amiss.

It seems that Xuanzi's mental power sealed off the entire scene, so no one could have noticed this place.

Lu Ren stood still, his clothes fluttering in the air currents, his hair swaying slightly, but he did not take a single step back, nor did his knees bend in the slightest.

Moreover, his own soul power surged from the depths of his body, spreading like an undercurrent from his feet to the entire scene.

They began to confront Xuanzi's oppressive aura head-on.

The two forces collided in the corridor, creating visible ripples.

Xuanzi's pupils contracted slightly. This kid's physical body is so strong?

He has already adjusted his aura to the level of a level 70 Soul Saint. How can he still contend with him?

"Winning the championship for too long can easily lead to complacency." Lu Ren's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the oppressive aura. "Shrek's glory has long become your shackles."

"And the Soul Masters of the Sun Moon Empire, their obsession with winning the championship will transform into the sharpest blade."

He raised his eyes and looked directly at Xuanzi, a hint of crimson flashing deep within his dark eyes.

"Besides, I'm here."