Douluo Continent: Starting with the Tiger Emperor Template

Chapter 99 The Soul Contract is Completed, Ice Emperor Lu Ren is Mys!

At that moment, Zhang Peng had no idea that he had just escaped death.

Given Lu Ren's personality, his first reaction to a demonic soul master who was secretly following him and had designs on the blood he had transformed should have been to take immediate action.

With the spiritual power of a peak Spirit Abyss Realm cultivator, coupled with the doubled performance of all techniques enhanced by the Soul Core, even an opponent who is a level 95 Super Douluo might not be unable to inflict serious damage.

However, Zhang Peng showed no murderous intent and genuinely wanted to be friends with him, which led Lu Ren to choose to let him go.

Of course, Zhang Peng was unaware that he had almost fallen into a trap and was killed by Lu Ren's reversal, so he naturally did not know how serious Lu Ren's leniency was.

Even without knowing, his admiration for the boy in front of him had already reached the heavens.

"Young man, your skill is absolutely amazing!"

Zhang Peng sighed repeatedly, his cloudy old eyes filled with amazement.

"What a pity, what a pity, I'm not really suited to be your teacher—otherwise I would have liked to take you as my student."

Lu Ren withdrew his hand from Zhang Peng's shoulder, casually wiped the blood from his palm on his clothes, and said seriously, "Brother Peng, you'd better not have any ideas about the blood I've transformed. Besides—my blood isn't really suitable for you to absorb."

He said this in a serious tone, without a hint of joking.

Feeling Lu Ren's concern for him, Zhang Peng couldn't help but smile.

"You're quite an interesting young man!"

He grabbed Lu Ren's shoulder and patted him several times with his thin but powerful hand, the force of which was even greater than before.

The posture showed no trace of the seniority difference between a Super Douluo and a Soul King; it was clearly the affectionate way an older brother would treat his younger brother.

Zhang Peng's cloudy old eyes gleamed with a light incongruous with his age under the moonlight, and then his tone became low, no longer as bold and unrestrained as before, but with a heavy sense of truth: "I have lived for more than a hundred years, and today I have finally made a true friend."

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, his chest heaving violently, as if he were squeezing something that had been accumulating for a hundred years out of his lungs.

"Truly—I haven't lived in vain, I haven't lived in vain."

Lu Ren waited quietly for him to finish speaking without interrupting.

The night breeze passed between the two, rustling the leaves of the ancient tree overhead.

After a long while, he hesitated before speaking: "6"

"Brother Peng, I need a favor, I wonder if you could help me?"

"Just say it!" Zhang Peng immediately straightened his back, waved his hand, and spoke with the enthusiasm of a veteran who had just been entrusted with an important task. "I will definitely help you with anything I can!"

"It's like this—" Lu Ren briefly explained his bet with Xuanzi.

In the Continental Soul Master Tournament, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy will face off against Shrek Academy. If they win, Xuanzi will give them a 100,000-year soul bone; if they lose, they will have to become Shrek's lackeys.

He added that the competition a few months later would be held in the Star Luo Empire, and Shrek Academy would be a guest of honor of the Star Luo Empire. If Shrek lost the competition, given their nature, they probably wouldn't let him leave so easily.

Upon hearing that this matter was related to Shrek Academy, Zhang Peng's expression immediately turned serious.

The gentleness in his old eyes vanished completely, replaced by a long-suppressed anger.

"Shrek again!"

He slapped his thigh hard, the sharp crack echoing sharply in the silent forest.

"Hmph, he made the bet with you himself, and he agreed to the terms himself. I didn't expect the Shrek Academy people to be so shameless. A dignified Super Douluo can't even honor his bet? And he's thinking of going back on his word and not letting you go after the match?"

He grew angrier as he spoke, and suddenly stood up, clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked.

His black robe billowed in the night wind, and his body faintly emanated the soul power fluctuations of a Super Douluo. The withered leaves beneath his feet were swept away by the air currents.

"Don't worry, young man, go ahead and participate in the competition with confidence. With me protecting you, no one will dare to stop you from leaving!"

Zhang Peng's confidence stems from this: although he is a level 95 Super Douluo, his Scorpion Tiger Martial Soul is a top-tier beast Martial Soul, and coupled with his ability that resembles that of an evil soul master, he possesses a certain ability to fight beyond his level.

He couldn't defeat Xuanzi, who was at level 98, but he didn't take the other Shrek elders below Xuanzi seriously.

"It's this Xuanzi—he's a bit difficult to deal with." Zhang Peng snorted coldly as he mentioned the name.

Although he was generous, he was not arrogant. The gap of three levels between level 95 and level 98 could not be bridged by mere enthusiasm.

If it weren't for Moon's personal intervention back then, he wouldn't have been forced into a life of seclusion for decades.

Although Xuanzi is not as good as Mu En, he is still the second-in-command of Shrek Academy, and the combat power of the Gluttonous Divine Ox Martial Soul should not be underestimated.

"It's alright, Brother Peng." Lu Ren waved his hand, his tone as relaxed as if Xuan Zi was just an insignificant passerby. "Someone will naturally handle Xuan Zi's situation. As long as you can support me after the match and help me fend off those who want to cheat, I'll be happy enough."

He paused, then looked at Zhang Peng seriously: "Won't this cause you trouble? After all, you're still in seclusion. If you end up facing Shrek Academy head-on because of helping me—if the risk is too great, forget it, I'll figure something out myself."

Zhang Peng immediately retorted, "Trouble? What trouble!"

He waved his hand dismissively, his disdain evident on his face.

"I've disliked Shrek Academy for a long time. If it weren't for Moon's kindness—humph!"

"When Moon spared my life, I promised him I would never kill anyone in my lifetime, but that doesn't mean I'm afraid of the rest of Shrek."

"Just because I don't kill people doesn't mean I can't beat them up. As long as no one dies, what can Moon do to me?"

"I admit he's very strong, but no matter how strong he is, he can't control how I make friends!"

Lu Ren chuckled inwardly.

It became.

With this level 95 Super Douluo as a backup, the final stage of the competition a few months from now will be guaranteed.

Add to that the official power of Jing Hongchen and the Sun Moon Empire, and then combine it with the power of the Body Sect—

Even if Shrek Academy really wanted to cheat, they would have to consider the consequences of offending multiple powerful figures at the same time.

The two chatted for a while longer, discussing everything from the most mundane topics to cultivation experiences, from techniques for using bloodline abilities to the ever-changing situation on the continent.

Zhang Peng had lived for over a hundred years and possessed extensive knowledge; even a few casual remarks from him could greatly benefit Lu Ren.

Lu Ren's occasional remarks, gleaned from another world, also intrigued Zhang Peng.

In the end, Zhang Peng was the first to stand up.

He patted the withered leaves clinging to his black robe, a hint of reluctance flashing in his cloudy old eyes, but it was quickly overshadowed by a hearty smile.

"Alright, young man, it's getting late, I'll take my leave now."

"If you stay any longer, the kids in your group will start to worry, and your girlfriend who's waiting nearby will probably get impatient."

Zhang Peng stretched out his withered hand and patted Lu Ren heavily on the shoulder.

"Then it's settled. I'll be going to the Star Luo Empire in a few months to keep the appointment. I want to see with my own eyes what kind of expressions those old bastards from Shrek Academy will have after they lose the bet. Hahahaha!"

Laughter echoed in the night sky as Zhang Peng's figure transformed into a black streak of light, shooting rapidly towards the distant horizon.

Its speed was even faster than when it arrived, as if it had unloaded some heavy burden, and even the circulation of its soul power became much lighter.

Lu Ren watched the black streak of light disappear into the horizon and let out a long sigh of relief.

The crisis of the Holy Spirit Cult is finally over.

What he didn't expect was that this crisis not only didn't escalate into a battle, but instead gave him an older brother who was at the level of a Super Douluo.

This is a huge profit.

Not long after, he signaled to retreat into the depths of the dense forest. Only then did Ye Guyi peek out from behind the trunk of a thousand-year-old tree in the distance, her golden hair adorned with a few withered leaves, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion.

She had been hiding in the distance, following Lu Ren's instructions to keep her head hidden the whole time. She could only vaguely hear the two talking, but couldn't make out the specific content.

Ye Guyi only knew that the evil spirit master who was following them did not make a move, but instead chatted with Lu Ren for a long time, and finally left with a smile.

"The crisis is over, there's no need to continue fighting." Lu Ren walked up to her, his tone returning to its usual casualness.

Ye Guyi's expression was strange. She looked at Lu Ren, then at the direction Zhang Peng had disappeared in. Her lips moved, but she hesitated several times before finally asking nothing.

There are always a bunch of secrets about this person that she can't figure out. Some she doesn't want to ask, and some she knows would be pointless to ask.

Once the crisis is over, nothing else matters.

For the next seven days, Lu Ren led his team to search for suitable soul beasts throughout the Jingyang Mountains.

With his peak Spirit Abyss Realm spiritual power paving the way, the search efficiency was astonishingly fast.

The distribution of soul beasts within a hundred miles formed a detailed map in his mind, showing at a glance what age of soul beasts were in which location, what kind of soul beasts they were, and what their attribute preferences were.

He didn't even need to take action himself; he only needed to point out the location, and Xiao Hongchen, Jing Ziyan, and Ji Juechen could easily complete the hunt.

Meng Hongchen's fifth spirit ring was resolved first. Lu Ren found a toad-like spirit beast that was about 15,000 years old on the northeast side of the Jingyang Mountains, which was highly compatible with her Zhu Qing Ice Toad Martial Soul.

After absorbing the soul ring, Meng Hongchen's soul power directly broke through to level 52. Ice blue and water blue light intertwined and flowed in the soul ring, making her already exquisite face even more otherworldly.

Ye Guyi's fifth spirit ring went through some trouble. The Holy Angel Martial Soul has extremely strict requirements on the attributes of the spirit beasts. They must be of the Light attribute, and such spirit beasts are extremely rare in the Jingyang Mountains.

Lu Ren searched almost the entire mountain range before finally finding a light-attribute soul beast that was about 18,000 years old in a secluded valley.

After absorbing the soul ring, Ye Guyi's cultivation level soared to level 53.

The purification effect of those two Soul Saint Evil Soul Masters was so potent that the remaining energy continued to ferment within her body, and with the help of the fifth Soul Ring, it all erupted at once, causing her to level up three times in a row.

Unfortunately, Lu Ren never found a soul beast of the 100,000-year level.

Although the Jingyang Mountains are vast, they are not a core gathering place for soul beasts like the Star Dou Great Forest. Encountering a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast is already the limit.

He wasn't in a hurry. If 100,000-year-old soul beasts were everywhere, they wouldn't be 100,000 years old.

We can only wait a few more months before preparing to head to the far north.

Upon returning to the academy, the first thing Lu Ren did was head straight for Jing Hongchen's office.

"Master, I need your help with something. Please register my martial soul information." Lu Ren got straight to the point, his tone carrying a hint of awkwardness.

Jing Hongchen had already returned safely with them and had just arrived at his office.

Hearing Lu Ren say this, Jing Hongchen raised his head, looking puzzled: "Your martial soul information? You've always refused to tell me, haven't you? I still don't know what your martial soul is."

"Psychic-related." Lu Ren casually made up a name, his tone so smooth it sounded like he was telling the truth. "We didn't say it before for safety reasons, but there's no need to hide it now. Just write 'mind manipulation,' don't go into too much detail, keep it simple."

He didn't want the Holy Spirit Cult to keep an eye on him, so he needed to get rid of this potential threat as soon as possible!

Jing Hongchen looked him up and down, seemingly assessing the truthfulness of his words.

But he soon gave up on investigating further.

Anyway, this kid has countless secrets, so one more or one less won't make a difference.

"Alright, I'll arrange that. But speaking of which, your trip to the Jingyang Mountains went much more smoothly than I expected. I heard from Meng that you handled the search for most of the soul beasts all by yourself?"

"I really have to thank you. You were the one who took care of almost all of my grandson's and granddaughter's spirit rings—"

"No need, no need, just lucky." Lu Ren chuckled casually and turned to leave the office.

After the door closed, Jing Hongchen leaned back in her chair.

"If the competition ends—how can I keep Lu Ren firmly bound to the Hongchen family?"

After much deliberation, Jing Hongchen finally decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with his granddaughter, Meng Hongchen, and see what she thought.

The next few months were the most peaceful period for Lu Ren since he arrived in Douluo Continent.

During the day, he organized all his experience in the field into a systematic methodology and taught it to Ji Juechen step by step.

Although Ji Juechen's sword intent domain "Silence" is only in its rudimentary form, its foundation is extremely solid. His unique approach of integrating spiritual power with sword intent is similar to the domain of life in the spell system.

Lu Ren broke down the principles of the domain's structure for him, showing him how to achieve a closed-loop fusion of spiritual power and soul power at the domain's boundary, how to construct the domain's core obsession, and how to make the rules within the domain self-consistent.

Ji Juechen listened with great eagerness, and every day before dawn he would wait on the training ground with his silver-white longsword, practicing until late at night without leaving.

At Lu Ren's suggestion, he even began to try to immerse himself in the sword intent, not simply treating the sword as a weapon, but making the sword an extension of his emotions.

During a sparring session, his "Silence" domain suddenly expanded from three feet to over ten feet, with silver light spots faintly emerging within the gray sword intent. Although there was still a way to go before reaching a truly complete domain, the bottleneck had been broken.

Moreover, with Lu Ren's help, Ji Juechen successfully entered the realm of harmony between man and nature!

Jing Ziyan watched Ji Juechen's progress from the sidelines, her eyes reddening with envy. She followed Lu Ren around every day, nagging him to help her improve her combat abilities as well.

Lu Ren, unable to resist her pestering him, casually tossed her a few training plans and told her to practice on her own.

Jing Ziyan was amazed by Lu Ren's talent after trying it, and from then on, she told everyone she met that Lu Ren was her second father.

In the evenings, Lu Ren would enter the cultivation room to cultivate. Occasionally, Ilex would wake up from his spiritual sea and guide him on the details of perfecting the soul contract.

The two, one old and one young, discussed, debated, and deduced in the space of consciousness, refining this new contract that spanned the two major systems of sorcery and necromancy to become more and more perfect.

Meanwhile, Ye Guyi and Nana were also busy with their own things.

As planned, Ye Guyi regularly entered and exited the areas around Mingdu that had been infiltrated by the Holy Spirit Cult, using her Holy Angel Martial Soul to purify the spies of evil soul masters who had infiltrated various forces.

Lu Ren followed closely behind, absorbing the curse power. With the two working together, not only did their cultivation level steadily improve, but they also quietly wove a secret intelligence network in the underworld of Mingdu.

Shanggong Weier and An Litong were also secretly cooperating, and the manpower and resources of the Pingfan Alliance and the Aodu Chamber of Commerce gave Ye Guyi's actions a significant boost.

Orange (Ju Zi) would occasionally come to talk to him about his post-graduation plans.

They even implied that Xu Tianran seemed to have developed a strong interest in Lu Ren and had already sent a message through Ju Zi, hoping to meet Lu Ren after the competition.

Lu Ren wasn't interested in Xu Tianran, so when asked about Ju Zi, he simply replied, "We'll see."

Time slipped away quietly amidst the fulfillment and busyness, and only two months remained until the Continental Soul Master Tournament.

Late that night, Lu Ren sat cross-legged in the center of his private cultivation room.

Just as he completed the final cycle of fusion between his spell power and soul power, the gray bead in his sea of ​​consciousness suddenly lit up.

Electrolux's young and handsome figure slowly solidified from above the bead, walking barefoot across the golden sea of ​​spiritual energy before him.

"Little one, I have some good news to tell you."

Electrolux's voice carried a rare hint of excitement, and his deep, star-like eyes sparkled with a light he hadn't seen in a long time.

"After several months of repeated deductions and verifications, the theory of the soul contract you proposed has been completely perfected."

He raised his hand, and a ball of light, interwoven with spiritual power and necromantic energy, appeared at his fingertips.

Inside the sphere of light, countless fine runes rotated like stars, forming an extremely precise and complex three-dimensional magic array.

It was a contract, a contract that would allow the soul of a soul beast and the martial soul of a soul master to achieve equal fusion after death and live forever together.

"That's wonderful, Elder Yi!"

Lu Ren was overjoyed to receive this good news.

"Judging by the time, it's probably almost time for Huo Yuhao to head to the far north."

Lu Ren took a deep breath and stood up from the bed.

The moonlight outside the window shone into the training room through the soul-guided glass window, casting a silvery-white glow on his face.

The moment has finally arrived.

Heading to the far north!

Obtain the soul of Hyotei!

"This trip to the far north may be dangerous, but it's worth the risk!"

Lu Ren clenched his fists, trying to cheer himself up.

Regardless of the outcome, he was determined to take the gamble.

Using Electrolux's demigod aura as a deterrent, the Soul Contract as a bargaining chip, and all the trump cards he has accumulated so far as a backup.

Hyotei, he's got it!

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