Douluo Continent: Starting with the Tiger Emperor Template

The Soul Saint's voice came from under the hood, deep and sharp, carrying undisguised killing intent.

The aura of the Seven-Ring Soul Saint pressed down on Lu Ren like a mountain, and the plants in the courtyard trembled under this pressure, their leaves falling off in a flurry.

"Elder, there's no need to waste words with them."

A Soul Emperor behind him spoke in a sinister tone, his voice so high-pitched it sounded like fingernails scratching metal.

"Now that they've discovered this place, kill them."

The moment the words fell, the six soul rings beneath the Soul Emperor's feet suddenly burst into flames.

Flames rose from the bottom of the spirit rings, engulfing all six spirit rings.

Then the flames turned an eerie black, like ink spreading in water, and quickly covered his entire body.

His body suddenly jerked violently amidst the black flames.

The clothes shattered instantly, and the pieces of cloth turned to ashes in the flames.

His body grew and expanded at a visible rate, reaching 1.8 meters, 2 meters, 2.5 meters, 3 meters...

When the black flames subsided slightly, the person standing in the same spot was no longer alone.

It was a giant skeleton that was three meters tall.

It was entirely black, with thick bones, and black flames wrapped around each bone.

Two eerie green flames flickered in the skull's eye sockets as it stared intently at Lu Ren and Ji Juechen, as if sizing up two corpses it was about to seize.

At the same time, another Soul Emperor also made a move.

He roared and stomped his right foot on the ground.

"boom……"

One side of the hall wall cracked open, and brick fragments fell down in a flurry.

His first two spirit rings also appeared to be burning, and black light surged from his body, condensing into a strange layer of bone armor on his body.

His arms, chest, and cheeks were covered in bone armor, leaving only his blood-red eyes exposed.

His fingers grew to an extraordinary length, with sharp bone spurs sprouting from their tips, gleaming coldly in the dim light.

Two Soul Emperors, one on the left and one on the right, sandwiched Lu Ren and Ji Juechen in the middle.

The air was filled with a putrid smell, like the lingering odor of rotting bones burned in a raging fire.

That was the unique aura of an evil soul master, completely different from normal soul power fluctuations, carrying a deathly meaning that made living beings instinctively feel disgusted.

"An evil spirit master?"

Ji Juechen's gaze shifted slightly.

He felt the oppressive aura emanating from the two Soul Emperors.

The soul power of evil soul masters is completely different from that of ordinary soul masters; it is colder, more violent, and more difficult to defend against.

But it was only for a moment.

His eyes regained their characteristic focus.

He placed his right hand on the silver-white longsword at his waist, his five fingers clenched and gripped tightly.

Beneath his feet, six spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and two black—rose simultaneously, emitting a soft glow in the dim courtyard.

His gaze fell on his sword, and then nothing else.

The evil spirit masters around him, the deep courtyard, the stench of decay in the air—all faded from his perception.

There was only one thing left in his world.

That was the sword in his hand.

"Those two Soul Emperors are yours."

Lu Ren's voice came from beside him.

"But remember, you have to kill."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious.

"Otherwise, they'll kill you."

Ji Juechen did not answer.

He simply nodded silently.

Then, he drew his sword.

The moment the silver-white longsword was drawn, a sharp sword intent soared into the sky, tearing a crack in the canopy of vines overhead.

Sunlight streamed through the crack, falling on the edge of his sword and reflecting a cold, sharp light.

His figure flashed, and he rushed towards the two Soul Emperors.

Lu Ren withdrew his gaze and turned to the seven-ring Soul Saint in front of him.

"As for you..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Soul Saint had already moved.

Like the two Soul Emperors, his body also transformed into a skeleton in the black flames.

But unlike his subordinates, the skeleton he transformed into was much taller, with thicker bones, and intense black flames coiled around its dark frame, like a demon crawling out of the depths of hell.

A skull-shaped sword materialized in his hand.

The blade is made up of countless tiny bones, with sharp bone spikes embedded in the edge. The hilt is a miniature human skull with eerie green flames burning in its empty eye sockets.

The Soul Saint gripped the sword with both hands and suddenly exerted force with his feet.

The bluestone slab shattered with a crash, and his figure rushed straight towards Lu Ren like a black meteor. He raised his skull sword high, accompanied by a piercing sound of air being cut, and slashed down.

Before the blade even arrived, the wind from it snapped the vines behind Lu Ren.

Lu Ren stood still, motionless.

He simply looked up at the approaching skull-shaped knife, his expression as indifferent as if he were looking at a falling leaf.

Just as the blade was about to touch his forehead, a loud clang of metal rang out.

"clang!"

The skull knife stopped in mid-air.

It was only three inches away from Lu Ren's forehead, but it could not advance any further.

It was as if an invisible wall stood between the blade and him, blocking all the power of that strike.

The Soul Saint's pupils suddenly contracted.

He couldn't see what it was.

But the feedback from the skull sword clearly told him that an invisible slash was firmly blocking his blade.

The slash had no color, no shape, and not even any soul power fluctuations, yet it was as tough as fine steel that had been forged a thousand times.

"What the hell is this?"

Soul Saint blurted out, his voice filled with disbelief.

Then he saw that Lu Ren's right eye had changed.

Blood-like lines spread from the corners of the eyes, like thin blood vessels spreading under the skin, outlining eerie and bizarre patterns.

The patterns seemed to writhe slowly as if they were alive, emitting a faint blood-red halo.

Crimson Blood Technique - Crimson Scales Leap.

Lu Ren's aura suddenly rose at this moment.

He raised his right hand and clenched his fist.

At the point of impact, a dazzling black light began to gather, a prelude to the black flash, the prelude to the perfect convergence of magical power and physical attack with extreme precision.

Soul Saint tried to sheathe his sword and retreat, but it was too late.

Lu Ren's fist slammed solidly into his face.

"Bang!!!"

A muffled thud exploded, and a black light burst forth from the fist, like a miniature black sun blooming on the skull's face.

The light swallowed up all the surrounding light, dimming the entire courtyard for a moment.

The Soul Saint's body flew backward like a cannonball.

He crashed through the trellis behind him, smashed through the flagstone path, and finally slammed heavily into the courtyard wall.

"Boom..."

The walls cracked, and rubble fell down. The Soul Saint was embedded in the wall, like a specimen nailed to it.

On his skeletal face, the spot where he had been struck by a fist was deeply dented, and cracks spread outwards from the dent, covering the entire skull, with blood flowing continuously.

The black flames flickered on his body, like a candle flame that could be blown out by the wind at any moment.

Soul Saint stood there, stunned.

To be precise, they were stunned by the beating.

He was embedded in the wall, the eerie green flames in his skull's eye sockets flickering wildly, his mind blank.

Are you kidding me?

He is a Soul Saint.

He is a Seven-Ring Soul Saint, an elder of the Holy Spirit Cult responsible for guarding the altar stronghold here, and an evil soul master who strikes fear into the hearts of countless people.

But he was severely injured by a single punch from a fourth-ring Soul Master...