Douluo Continent: Starting with the Tiger Emperor Template

"Consequences?" Lu Ren chuckled lightly, his tone nonchalant, as if discussing something unrelated to him. "How would I know? Anyway, it'll probably be worse than death. Or, you'll lose the most important thing in your life?"

He shrugged, indicating that he was also innocent.

"Who knows about this kind of thing? Even if you are a level 98 Super Douluo, you can only hold on for a while longer at most. In the end, you can't escape the consequences of breaking the contract, not to mention that you swore an oath with your martial soul. Aren't you afraid of damaging your martial soul? This can be considered double insurance."

Even someone as powerful as the King of Curses, Sukuna, was ultimately killed by Itadori's fists.

Perhaps this is the price to pay; Sukuna played with Itadori for so long, but in the end, he died at Itadori's hands.

With Su Nuo's abilities and skills, he would be at least a level 99 Limit Douluo in the Douluo Continent, and also a super-powerful evil soul master.

So, can Xuanzi alone escape the consequences of breaking the contract?

Not to mention the risk of shattering one's martial spirit.

With each word Lu Ren uttered, the feeling of constraint on Xuanzi intensified.

The fear, originating from the depths of his soul, grew stronger, like a rising tide, slowly overflowing the dam.

He could sense that the force was neither a threat nor a warning, but an undeniable inevitability.

Once a breach of contract is made, the consequences will inevitably follow.

No force can stop it, and no means can circumvent it.

This is equivalent to... the power of rules!

It's like an invincible shield created using a soul skill; it's truly invincible, and without the power of a god, it's impossible to break.

"You plotted against me?!"

Xuanzi suddenly roared in anger.

The aura of a level 98 Super Douluo suddenly erupted, and the walls on both sides of the corridor were instantly covered with cracks. Gravel fell like rain, and the soul guide lamp on the ceiling exploded, with fragments flying everywhere.

The entire corridor was trembling, like building blocks being shaken during an earthquake.

Xuanzi's eyes were filled with rage and disbelief.

Having lived for so many years and seen countless treacherous and cunning people, I have never seen such a daring young man.

They dared to conceal such a terrifying trump card in their bet with him, a Super Douluo.

Lu Ren stood still, without retreating.

Gravel flew past him, dust settled on his shoulders, and his figure appeared thin and small in the face of that furious aura, yet he stood motionless like an iron stake driven into the rock.

"Scheme?" He shook his head. "It's not really scheming. I just laid the rules out in the open."

He raised his head and looked directly into Xuanzi's bloodshot eyes, which were filled with anger.

"The bet is voluntary on both sides, and so is the constraint. If you are not absolutely certain of victory, or if you think Shrek Academy will lose, you are perfectly free to refuse."

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, a faint smile, like a sliver of cold light reflected from a blade.

"But you agreed because you didn't think you would lose, because Shrek Academy had won the championship too many times, and because you thought a four-ring Soul Master couldn't cause any trouble."

He paused.

"If that's the case, what are you still afraid of? I'm not afraid at all."

Upon hearing this, Xuanzi's roar abruptly ceased.

He stood there, his chest heaving violently, like an enraged old beast.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his sleeves fluttered loudly in the strong wind.

He looked at Lu Ren with a complex gaze, like a thick fog that couldn't be dispersed.

Anger, shock, admiration, and fear flashed alternately in his eyes, like clouds churning in a storm.

"Good." His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against a stone surface. "Well done, Lu Ren."

"You mere Soul Sect member dares to scheme against me? You're tired of living."

Lu Ren was covered in blood, his face was pale, but there was a faint smile on his lips.

"You can't kill me." Lu Ren's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "If I die, the bet will be void, because you'll never be able to personally hand over the 100,000-year-old soul bone to me again."

"You must have come all the way from Shrek Academy, not to leave empty-handed, right?"

Xuanzi's breath hitched.

"Besides," Lu Ren said, his tone shifting and his eyes sharpening, "when I was disclosing information and before the bet was even settled, you were free to ignore me, or even kill me immediately, or knock me out and shut me up."

"But you didn't. You were curious, you wanted to know the truth about the bondage, so you listened. This strengthening of the bondage was a choice we both made; it's not a matter of who schemed against whom."

"In other words, if we weren't sincere, this bet wouldn't have been able to go on at all. You should blame your own arrogance and conceit."

Xuanzi was so angry that he trembled all over, but he couldn't refute her.

Lu Ren was right. He was indeed attracted by this peculiar ability and wanted to find out more.

Having lived for so many years, he had never seen such a bizarre form of contract.

But little did they know, this was a trap designed to reinforce their constraints.

"You think you can trap me with these methods?"

Xuanzi's voice turned cold, and his soul power surged like a raging torrent, attempting to forcefully break through the invisible force that was binding his heart.

No matter how hard he tried, the chains wouldn't budge; instead, they tightened as he resisted.

A sharp pain came from the depths of his soul, as if someone were pricking his consciousness with a needle.

"Trapped you?" Lu Ren laughed, his smile devoid of sarcasm, only calm. "I don't have that ability. I just want to ensure this bet is conducted fairly."

"You are a level 98 Super Douluo, and I am a four-ring Soul Master. The difference in our strength is like heaven and earth. If I don't use some of my trump cards, this bet will be unfair from the start."

He looked at Xuanzi, his tone as serious as if he were signing a life-or-death document.

"Now, the contract is complete, and the bond is strong. Neither of us has the option to back out. Either I win in a few months, and you obediently hand over the 100,000-year-old soul bone; or I lose, and you obediently join Shrek Academy and take your orders."

He paused, lowered his voice, and added a hint of warning.

"As for the cost of breaching the contract, you know it better than I do. With your status and the glory of Shrek Academy, you can't afford to lose, much less breach the contract. Even you can't withstand the power of this constraint."

"As for me, ha, I'm just an orphan. It doesn't matter if I die, but if I can drag a super Douluo like you down with me before I die, my life will be worth it."

Xuanzi stared intently at Lu Ren, his chest heaving violently.

The rage in his eyes was gradually replaced by helplessness and deep fear.

He knew he had truly failed this time.

The young man before me is not only exceptionally talented, but also ruthless and meticulous in his character.

Even a super Douluo like him was completely outmaneuvered.

"The only reason I was able to scheme against you was because of your arrogance." Lu Ren's tone was calm, as if stating a fact. "You've never taken me seriously, and you've never even looked at me properly."

"Therefore, weakness can sometimes be a weapon."

What he didn't say was that if someone else had come, or even if Moon himself had come, things would have been much more complicated.

But it was Xuanzi who arrived, the most unreliable person in Shrek Academy.

When he saw Xuanzi appear in front of him, he almost burst out laughing.

Just by participating in one competition, you can get two 100,000-year-old soul bones.

One piece of mortal dust in the mirror, one piece of Shrek.

He got all the benefits; this deal was definitely worth it.

As for breach of contract, you're risking your life, what can Lu Ren say?

You can break the contract. At worst, he can collect the 100,000-year-old soul bone himself after he becomes stronger.