Douluo Continent: Starting with the Tiger Emperor Template

Chapter 104: Cultivation soars to new heights; rewarded with the techniques: "Spirit Manipulation Technique" and "Transformation of Non-Action".

Lu Ren served as a distinguished guest in the territory of the Ice Jade Scorpion for a period of time.

Although they are honored guests, the way spirit beasts treat guests is vastly different from that of humans.

The Ice Jade Scorpions showed great respect to this human who even their emperor treated with utmost courtesy, specifically by delivering the freshest food to him every day on time.

The problem is that the vast majority of these foods are insect-type spirit beasts, such as ice silkworm larvae, centipedes, and worms.

There was even an ancient ice spider that was still kicking its legs.

They were neatly arranged on the ice table that Hyotei had specially made for Lu Ren. Several ancient ice scorpions used their large pincers to respectfully push them in front of Lu Ren, then stepped back a few paces, waiting with expectant eyes for their distinguished guest to enjoy them.

Lu Ren stared at the ice spider, which was still twitching slightly, for three seconds with a blank expression, then silently turned his head away and covered his mouth with the back of his hand.

He was afraid of insects; to be precise, he had a deep-seated aversion and disgust for any insect.

Not to mention having to stuff them into your mouth.

Looking at these insects, even though they are no longer as small as they were when he was on Earth in his previous life, the key point is that they have grown larger. It seems that the days of being dominated and terrified by insects in his previous life have returned.

Lu Ren is the type who is terrified of insects. He wants to kill them as soon as he sees them and won't feel at ease until they disappear from his sight.

His biggest fear is that the bug is in his sight one second and then disappears the next, and he can't find it no matter how hard he looks.

But now, the insects are already dead beyond any doubt, how else could they possibly die?

The Ice Jade Scorpions looked at him with puzzled eyes. This was a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast that they had personally hunted. In the Ice Jade Scorpion clan, it was a top delicacy that only warriors who had made great contributions were qualified to enjoy. Why did this human look so disgusted?

Finally, Lu Ren told Hyotei why he was afraid of insects; even eating them made him feel physically nauseous.

This made Ice Emperor burst into laughter, almost making this dignified 400,000-year-old super soul beast laugh until she fainted.

Hyotei really didn't expect Rikuren to be so different. He seemed mysterious and unpredictable, but he was actually afraid of bugs!

Ultimately, under the orders of the Ice Emperor, the Ice Jade Scorpion tribe stopped sending insects and instead looked for ways to catch animals.

Fortunately, the far north is not entirely devoid of normal food.

Occasionally, animal carcasses made entirely of meat are delivered, but they are always raw and bloody, with the hair still on.

But better than insects!

Lu Ren expressionlessly picked up a frozen, rock-hard snow rabbit from the Icefield and then activated the chef's ability.

Invisible slashes precisely cut through the cave, skinning, deboning, and slicing!

The process was completed smoothly. Then, Lu Ren flicked his finger, and a cluster of flames leaped out from the aftershock of the slash, igniting the pile of firewood.

The orange-red flames danced in the icy blue cave, reflecting a dazzling light off the surrounding ice walls.

He skewered the sliced ​​meat onto sharpened ice sticks and slowly roasted them by the fire.

The grease dripped into the flames and sizzled, and the aroma of charred meat quickly filled the entire cave.

This truly showcases the chef's magical abilities perfectly.

A cook is a cook, after all.

"What is this?" Hyotei's voice came from behind, her tone clearly surprised. "How can you use fire? Aren't you a spirit-type Soul Master? A spirit-type Soul Master can control flames?"

"Who says mentalists can't start fires?" Lu Ren didn't even turn his head, flipping the meat skewers in his hand and continuing to grill them, spouting a string of lies, "Chopping wood and starting a fire are basic survival skills in the wild, what does that have to do with mental power?"

Hyotei approached with a mixture of disbelief and skepticism.

Her massive, icy scorpion body lowered, her gaze fixed on the sizzling meat skewers on the fire, as if analyzing this unprecedented method of food preparation.

"Want to try some?" Lu Ren handed over a skewer of golden-brown, fragrant rabbit meat.

Hyotei hesitated for a moment, then carefully took the ice stick, which was as thin as a toothpick to her, with her large pincers.

She put the grilled meat in her mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and the light shimmered slightly.

The taste was indeed better than raw meat; the crispy crust locked in the juices, and the simple seasonings just masked the fishy smell.

However, her habit of eating raw food for hundreds of thousands of years could not be changed by a barbecue. After taking a few bites, she put down the ice stick.

"It's not bad, but I'm not quite used to the taste." She said honestly, "We soul beasts are born to eat raw food, so when it's cooked, it feels like something's missing."

"But it's better than I expected. At least it's not bad. I would say your cooking skills are passable."

Lu Ren ignored her comments and continued eating.

He had no expectations for the taste and aesthetics of soul beasts.

Days passed by like this.

There's no need to worry about blizzards in the caves of Hyotei. The caves isolate the extreme cold from the outside world, and the chef's flames can be lit at any time to warm up and roast meat. Food is also supplied on time by the Ice Scorpions, although he needs to process it himself.

A few days later, Hyotei seemed to have made up its mind to make changes.

When she appeared in front of Lu Ren again, Lu Ren almost fell off the ice stone.

At this moment, Hyotei had actually transformed into human form, looking no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, and only reaching Lu Ren's chest in height.

Her long, emerald-green hair was tied into pigtails and hung down her shoulders. Her skin was so fair that it was almost translucent, as if it had been formed from the purest ice and snow in the far north.

Her exquisite face inherited the high looks of her original form, the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, and her clear, bright eyes were sparkling with pride.

She floated barefoot half a foot off the ground, her short skirt fluttering slightly in the cold air.

Lu Ren stared at the little girl in front of him, remaining silent for a full three seconds before finally managing to speak: "Y-you're Hyotei?"

"Haha, human, you're finally surprised! I thought you were omniscient and omnipotent, but I didn't expect you to be so surprised. Not bad, not bad!"

Hyotei was clearly extremely satisfied with Lu Ren's reaction; the corners of his mouth turned up, and his eyes curved into two beautiful crescent moons.

Unfortunately, Lu Ren's shock lasted for less than three breaths before he quickly recovered.

When he sat back down on the ice stone, his face had returned to its usual calm expression: "I just didn't expect you to transform into human form at this time. You could have transformed long ago, but you've been staying in your original form. I thought you had some kind of aversion to human form."

"I don't really have any objections, it's just that I don't use it often —"

After speaking, Hyotei seemed to realize something and quickly said, "Wait a minute, I've never appeared in this form in front of humans before, so how did you know it was me so quickly? Couldn't it be another Ice Jade Scorpion?"

Hyotei floated in front of him, tilting her head, her twin ponytails swaying with her movements, her eyes full of suspicion.

"Do you think I'm stupid? It's true that your clan is strong, but the strongest members of your clan are only 100,000 years old. There isn't even a single Ice Jade Scorpion that's 200,000 years old. How could they transform into humans like you?"

Lu Ren rolled his eyes.

What he didn't say was that this twin-tailed green-haired loli looked exactly like Hyotei from the manga, so he could recognize her at a glance.

But he would never say these words aloud.

"Yeah, that's true." Hyotei opened his mouth blankly, then suddenly realized that his earlier smugness was a joke.

Her proud entrance was nothing more than a guessing game with no suspense in Lu Ren's eyes.

This instantly turned her smugness of "Haha, I finally scared you" into frustration of "Turns out I'm the idiot."

"I think even if there were two hundred thousand-year-old Ice Jade Scorpions, you would probably have dealt with them yourself, right? After all, it would affect your ruling position," Lu Ren casually added.

"That's true." Hyotei readily admitted without any concealment, "A race should ideally have only one emperor."

"If I allow my people to break through to more than 200,000 years old, it will only shake my rule over the tribe, and may even cause the tribe to be divided."

"Although the soul beasts of our far north are very united, they will never compromise on the issue of royal power. Those who deserve to be killed must be killed. This is the ironclad rule of the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan since ancient times, and even I, as the emperor, cannot violate it."

Her tone was very calm, as if she were talking about something trivial.

But then Ice Emperor's expression dimmed slightly. Her gaze swept over the Ice Jade Scorpions patrolling outside the cave, and she sighed softly, "I'm starting to regret it now. I should have at least left myself one 200,000-year-old member. After I leave, without a 200,000-year-old Ice Jade Scorpion to guard the clan, won't our situation be even more precarious?"

As Hyotei spoke, he sat down next to Riku.

Her petite body sat on the edge of the ice stone, her two fair little feet dangling in the air, and her emerald green twin ponytails swaying gently with her movements.

At this moment, Hyotei doesn't look like one of the three great kings of the far north at all; she looks more like a girl next door sitting on the riverbank in summer, splashing water.

Lu Ren did not answer. This was not a question he should worry about, nor was it a question he could answer.

He silently closed his eyes, concentrated his mental energy, and sensed whether the Snow Emperor's aura was present in the core area of ​​the far north.

At the same time, he also contacted Ilex in the Sea of ​​Spirit, asking this demigod to help him sense the Snow Empress's whereabouts.

"I'm not good at searching, and besides, I've never met the Snow Empress and don't know anything about her aura."

Electrolux's answer was very honest.

"If it were just a matter of sensing whether there is a powerful presence in this area, there would be a chance. But the far north is too vast. Although my range of perception is wide, I cannot resonate with this world like a soul beast."

"The Snow Empress is the core ruler of the far north. Her connection with this ice field is much deeper than you imagine. If she wanted to hide, even I would have a hard time sensing her presence."

Lu Ren sighed.

Electrolux is definitely not good at finding people.

Necromancy is inherently weak in search capabilities, especially in extreme environments like the far north.

He didn't force the issue and could only continue waiting on his own.

However, ten days passed just like that.

For ten days, blizzards howled incessantly outside the cave, the Ice Scorpions continued to bring food every day, and Ice Emperor continued to drift around the cave, occasionally exchanging a few words with Lu Ren.

But the Snow Emperor never appeared, not even a trace of her presence was detected.

The entire far northern core area is as if shrouded in an invisible barrier, blocking all signals that should have arrived.

This situation made Lu Ren unable to sit still any longer.

He first asked Electrolux if he had sensed the arrival of the Snow Empress, and Electrolux's answer was still negative.

Then he found Hyotei, who also looked bewildered and said that Yuki-tei had never been to her place, with a hint of unease in her tone.

"Oh no!"

Lu Ren frowned.

This timeframe has gone way too far.

In the original story, the Snow Empress specifically came to find the Ice Empress before she regained her human form, which happened in a very short period of time.

Now, ten days have passed without any news, indicating that the plot has deviated significantly, and the backlash from fate is much greater than he expected.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing that Riku's expression was getting more and more serious, Hyotei also put away his usual carefree demeanor and asked in a low voice.

"It seems that passively waiting is not an option."

Lu Ren stood up, his gaze piercing through the cave entrance to the distant, white blizzard.

"We still need to take the initiative and not pin our hopes on the Snow Emperor coming to us."

This feeling of entrusting one's fate to others is what makes Lu Ren most uncomfortable, especially in the past few days when that unease has become increasingly pronounced.

"But your mental strength will be greatly weakened by the wind and snow outside, making you very difficult to find."

Hyotei also frowned, though her furrowed brows made her look more like she was being difficult on her young face.

"With your limited detection range, you'll probably never find the Snow Emperor in your lifetime. The blizzards in the far north's core area also bring natural mental interference. Your mental power coverage here is less than 30% of what it usually is. How are you going to search?"

"So I have no choice but to make you my spirit."

Lu Ren turned to Hyotei.

"You have now deviated from the original trajectory of your destiny and are being rejected by fate. The reason you cannot find Xue Di in the inner circle is precisely because fate has blocked the connection between you and her."

"But once you become my soul, you will be a part of my body. I believe that the problem of being rejected by fate will be solved, and you will be able to search for the location of the Snow Emperor without any hindrance."

"At the same time, my mental strength will be greatly enhanced due to the fusion, my detection range will be multiplied, and I will be able to ignore the wind and snow with your ability, making me much more efficient than I am now."

"Looks like this is the only way." Hyotei nodded, but couldn't help complaining, "Then why did you keep me here so long? Why didn't you just let me become a spirit sooner?"

"If we had merged earlier, we would have found the Snow Emperor much sooner, instead of wasting ten days waiting here."

"There are three points." Lu Ren held up a finger. "First, I wanted to see how fate would target you. Now I see it; it not only severed your connection with the Snow Empress, but also directly changed the course of events afterward."

"The scene where Xue Di was supposed to come to you at the last moment has disappeared, which means that the chain reaction caused by my interception of you is more serious than expected."

He held up his second finger: "Second, the human who sealed the Snow Empress is at least a Title Douluo, and possibly even a Super Douluo level Soul Master. This is the far north, and the environment is naturally unfavorable, so I need you to retain your full combat strength before you merge with him to deal with him."

"Although I could handle it, I would prefer to crush them with overwhelming superiority rather than engage in a bitter battle."

He raised his third finger, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips: "Three, it's like an attempt to rebel against fate, but I never expected it would come to this."

"Looks like you've failed again." Hyotei floated in front of him with a smile, her emerald green twin tails swaying gently. "Oh well, I was going to become your spirit anyway, it was only a matter of time."

Lu Ren remained unmoved by Hyotei's statement.

He simply wiped the lingering smile from his lips, his voice now carrying an urgent tone that left no room for delay: "Let's get started. Time waits for no one."

The contract ceremony is not complicated.

With Electrolux personally taking action, the young and handsome phantom emerged from Lu Ren's sea of ​​consciousness, standing with his hands behind his back in the center of the cave.

He raised his slender fingers and traced them in the air. The core array of the soul contract slowly unfolded in the air, with countless fine runes rotating like stars, emitting a soft, pale golden light.

Hyotei stood in the center of the magic circle, and Lu Ren stood opposite her.

Between the two was a contract document formed from condensed light, densely filled with the rights and obligations of both parties, with two blank signature spaces at the bottom.

A drop of blood, a signature, and the contract is formed.

The moment the contract took effect, all the light in the cave dimmed for a brief moment.

Then all of Hyotei's power began to surge into Rikuren's body.

That was the entire cultivation of a soul beast that had been around for nearly 400,000 years. At first, it was injected drop by drop, merging in a gradual and continuous manner.

Then, they began to gradually increase the intensity, but even with such a gentle approach, Hyotei's power poured into the meridians like a flood, overwhelming everything in its path.

Lu Ren's body swelled up instantly, and countless cracks burst open on his skin. Blood gushed out from the cracks, splashing onto the ice wall and solidifying into dark red ice flowers.

His bones creaked under the strain, and his internal organs trembled violently under the chaotic impact of that force.

"No, you can't withstand my full power. You'll die!"

Hyotei's expression changed drastically upon seeing this, and he tried to interrupt the power transfer.

But she discovered that the contract had already begun to work, and the influx of power was a two-way voluntary process that could not be unilaterally terminated.

Hyotei was so anxious that her twin ponytails were shaking violently, but Rikuren didn't answer at all; he was completely focused on doing something else.

The Crimson Blood Manipulation Technique is activated, and the cursed power transforms all the lost blood into new blood, which is then reinjected into the blood vessels.

At the same time, the reversal technique operates in milliseconds. Bones that are cracked are quickly repaired, meridians that are ruptured are reconnected by positive energy, and internal organs that are injured are restored to their original state in the next second.

Under the combined effects of the Crimson Blood Manipulation Technique and the Reversal Technique, his body entered an extremely bizarre dynamic balance, with frenzied destruction and rapid repair occurring simultaneously, and rebirth and destruction repeatedly cycling within his body.

Hyotei was stunned by what they saw.

She had lived for nearly 400,000 years and had seen countless powerful humans, but none of them possessed healing abilities comparable to what she was witnessing.

This is no longer treatment; this is using an immortal body to withstand the initiation of 400,000 years of cultivation!

"No way, what kind of ability do you have? It's so overpowered!"

"Your healing methods are even more powerful than those of that beautiful woman from the Star Dou Great Forest that I've heard of!"

The Emerald Swan's healing abilities are universally acknowledged as the best in the entire soul beast world, but judging from Lu Ren's demeanor, even Bi Ji doesn't have a healing method of this level.

"Hmph." Lu Ren snorted coldly, not having the energy to speak.

The cultivation level of a soul beast that has been around for nearly 400,000 years is simply too immense.

Even a titled Douluo must be fully prepared to absorb a 100,000-year soul ring, and bear the risk of soul shock. If he fails, he will be seriously injured or even killed.

The power level of the Ice Emperor is several times that of a 100,000-year-old soul beast.

If Lu Ren's body is likened to a one-liter water bottle, then Hyotei's power is like seven or eight liters of water.

How can you force seven or eight liters of water into a water bottle that can only hold one liter?

Lu Ren's approach was to force it on him!

Even if the water bottle bursts, the reversal spell can fix it in the next second. It can be repaired every time it bursts, and then you can continue filling it. Once it's full, it bursts again and you have to fix it all over again.

With each cycle of bursting and repair, his meridians are widened a little, and the limits of his physical endurance are pushed a little higher.

As the ceremony progressed, Lu Ren's soul power level began to advance rapidly.

First, the bottleneck at level 50 was broken through directly without any hindrance.

Then came levels 53, 54, and 55; the breakthrough speed was like riding a rocket.

The speed at which the soul power surged through the meridians increased, and its quality became more and more solid.

At the same time, his fifth spirit ring began to appear; it was orange!

That is the exclusive soul ring color representing the soul of a ferocious beast, a level that a normal soul master can never reach in their entire life.

Immediately afterward, as the fifth spirit ring was formed, his spirit power surged once again.

Level 56, Level 57 — breaking through the level 60 barrier all the way.

The sixth spirit ring shone with another dazzling orange light beneath his feet.

Two purple, two black, two orange!

Six spirit rings slowly rotated around him, their halos overlapping.

The potential that had been suppressed for months after level 50 was completely unleashed at this moment, and finally stabilized at level 62!

This is only before absorbing the Ice Emperor's soul bone. If he had absorbed it, his soul power cultivation would probably be even higher!

At the same time, Lu Ren's spiritual sea completed a long and continuous expansion.

The power brought by the fusion of Hyotei and the enhancement of Lu Ren's cultivation level caused his spiritual sea to extend outward to almost its limit.

Electrolux stood in the center of the Sea of ​​Spirit, the golden water beneath his feet had expanded from a lake into an ocean, with fine crystals floating on the surface, each crystal representing an energy entity solidified to the extreme.

With the expansion of his spiritual sea complete, Lu Ren's spiritual power also broke through the Spirit Abyss Realm and reached the Spirit Domain Realm!

The long-lost synthesized voice of the system echoed in Lu Ren's mind.

[Congratulations, host, on breaking through to the Spirit Realm in spiritual power.]

[Host's mental strength level has been detected to have reached the Spirit Realm. Reward: Spell Manipulation Technique.]

[System Notification: The next stage of rewards will be unlocked when your mental strength reaches the late stage of the Spirit Realm. At that time, the technique "Transformation of Non-Action" will be unlocked.]

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