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"What?! It's you, that monster!"
Zhu Zhuyun exclaimed, finally recognizing the tall, handsome man standing beside her. She had found him vaguely familiar, but it wasn't until Li Luochen released his spirit rings that she realized who he was.
Over a year ago, Li Luochen had led a group of people in causing chaos throughout the Star Luo Empire. Dai Tianxing had brutally beaten the current emperor, Dai Tianyao, drawing out both the retired emperor and the empire's venerable elders. In the end, even the Title Douluo-level elders were driven back by the Super Douluo backing Li Luochen.
That Super Douluo's spirit was a red nine-headed serpent, equal in power to the Star Luo Empire's Grand Elder at ninety-six levels. Yet, after barely a hundred exchanges, the Grand Elder was defeated.
Even the fusion technique of the Retired Emperor and Empress Dowager had failed against them, dealing a humiliating blow to the Star Luo Imperial Family. Most importantly, the entire operation had been led by Li Luochen, a mere Soul Emperor.
By now, Li Luochen's bounty had skyrocketed on the black market in the Star Luo Empire—a ten-thousand-year spirit bone was offered for his head. But no one dared to take the job.
At the time, Li Luochen had defeated over a dozen Soul Sages while only being a Soul Emperor. Later, he single-handedly held off three Soul Douluos without faltering.
From that point on, his reputation soared—but primarily within the Star Luo Empire. Few in the Tian Dou Empire were aware of him. When Li Luochen returned to Tian Dou, Emperor Xue Ye personally bestowed him with a noble title and granted him a large fiefdom.
This attempt to win him over was rather ordinary, but Li Luochen was indeed short on land. He had plans to establish his own faction, and this provided him with the perfect territory.
Li Luochen immediately relocated Blue Tyrant Academy to his newly acquired land and renamed it Shrek Academy. He also replaced the old, ugly green logo with a new design.
Li Luochen personally designed the students' uniforms, inspired by the military attire of a certain mustachioed figure from his previous world.
{T/N: Ayo? Hol up, who let him cook?}
The uniforms were an all-over dark green, featuring a cinched waist and wide lapels. On the chest was the emblem of Shrek Academy, paired with black boots. For beast-type soul masters, the fabric of the tops was specially made to be highly elastic, preventing their clothes from tearing when their spirit manifested.
When not in battle, each uniform came with a leather overcoat, which could be removed during combat. Since most battles took place in soul arenas, appearances mattered! Fortunately, all the students were soul masters with excellent physical conditioning, so they weren't bothered by any temperature-related discomfort. Li Luochen was quite satisfied with the new uniforms.
As for the mustachioed designer himself—well, let's not dwell on him. His artistic skills may have been lacking, but his design concepts were top-notch.
Though the uniforms were expensive to produce, costing fifty gold soul coins per set, it was pocket change to Li Luochen, who wasn't short on funds.
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Back in the Great Star Dou Forest
"Hmm? You know me?" Li Luochen asked skeptically, unaware of just how infamous he had become in the Star Luo Empire.
"Hmph! Little sister, it seems you've found yourself quite the protector. Let's go!"
Zhu Zhuyun turned and left with her subordinates without hesitation. Her cultivation level was thirty-eight, but she was far weaker than Li Luochen, who was younger yet already a Soul Emperor.
Even the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation were still at the Soul Ancestor level. Li Luochen was the leading figure of the younger generation, and even if Zhu Zhuyun teamed up with someone like Dai Weisi, they wouldn't stand a chance.
"All right, they're gone. Can you let go of my hand now?"
Li Luo Chen glanced sideways at Zhu Zhuqing, his eyes briefly flickering to her curvaceous figure. 'Is this really what an eleven-year-old girl looks like?'
During her confrontation with Zhu Zhuyun, Zhu Zhuqing had instinctively clutched the edge of Li Luochen's shirt, half-hiding behind him. The contrast between her timid demeanor and her mature appearance was striking.
"Thank you for saving me," Zhu Zhuqing said, bowing deeply to Li Luochen after regaining her composure.
Li Luo Chen accepted her thanks with a nod and walked away without another word. Oscar followed closely behind, leaving Zhu Zhuqing standing there, stunned.
Seeing herself "abandoned," Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head once more. She yearned for strength. If only she were stronger, she could break free from her cursed fate. But she was still too weak.
This eleven-year-old girl was on the verge of being crushed under the weight of her family's expectations.
"Why are you still here? Do you want to stay and get eaten by soul beasts?"
Li Luochen's calm voice snapped Zhu Zhuqing out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Li Luochen and Oscar waiting for her in the distance.
"Still hesitating? If you want to die, then don't move. Oscar, let's go!"
Li Luochen's tone was icy as he turned and walked away without looking back. Oscar, confused by his brother's sudden coldness, wondered why he was treating this girl so harshly. After all, she was beautiful, with a curvaceous figure. Was it because Li Luochen was devoted solely to Yanzi, leaving him uninterested in other women?
Well, though this girl was nice, she didn't seem like his type. Oh well, as Big Brother Chen always said, love comes naturally when the time is right.
Seeing Li Luochen and Oscar walk ahead, Zhu Zhuqing clenched her fists and hurried after them, following behind Oscar. The three now formed a triangular formation, with Li Luochen and Oscar walking side by side and Zhu Zhu Qing trailing behind.
Her eyes remained fixed on Li Luochen, burning with determination. She wanted to grow stronger.
"Senior Li, please wait!" Zhu Zhu Qing summoned her courage and spoke up.
She knew full well what Li Luochen had done in the Star Luo Empire over a year ago. Thanks to the chaos he caused, she had managed to escape her family with few pursuers along the way.
She was aware of Li Luochen's age—he was nearly seven years older than her—but his soul power was four whole stages higher. While she was only a twenty-seven-level Great Soul Master, Li Luochen was already a Soul Emperor. Out of respect for his strength, she addressed him as "Senior."
"What's this 'Senior' nonsense? Speak your mind."
Li Luochen replied casually. He did have plans to help Zhu Zhuqing grow stronger, but he wasn't in a rush. She would eventually come to Shrek Academy anyway.
"I want you to guide me in my cultivation. You are the leading figure among the younger generation of soul masters. I'm willing to pay any price!"
Zhu Zhuqing steeled herself. For the sake of growing stronger and breaking free from her predetermined fate, she was willing to do anything.
"Oh? Interesting! There's always a reason for wanting to grow stronger. Tell me yours. As for the price… becoming strong isn't easy. It might cost you your life. Are you prepared for that?"
Li Luochen crossed his arms, smirking as he looked at Zhu Zhuqing. He knew she had great resolve, but her character hadn't been fleshed out much in the story. He wanted to see just how determined she truly was. Perhaps extreme perseverance could completely transform a person.
"You should already know that I am a daughter of the Zhu family. You must also know about our family's connections. I want to shatter the future that has been forced upon me—even if it costs me my life!"
Zhu Zhuqing declared firmly. It was tragic to see an eleven-year-old girl pushed to such extremes by her family—forced into an arranged marriage, only to be abandoned by her fiancé, who fled out of fear of the throne's struggles.
"Hmm? Very well, we'll see. Let's test just how strong your resolve truly is. Follow me."
A faint smile tugged at Li Luochen's lips. He enjoyed cultivating those with strong willpower. Zhu Zhuqing's spirit, the Netherworld Spirit Cat, was considered a high-grade spirit, albeit not quite top-tier. Against the strongest spirits, it fell short.
Moreover, the Zhu family's choice of soul skills was somewhat crude. The Netherworld attribute lacked depth, speed was insufficient, and attack power was lacking, leaving the Netherworld Spirit Cat underdeveloped.
This was partly due to the long-standing alliance between the Zhu and Dai families. The White Tiger and Netherworld Spirit Cat represented light and darkness attributes, respectively. When combined, their attributes weakened each other.
Now, the White Tiger relied solely on brute physical strength, its light attribute negligible. Similarly, the Netherworld Spirit Cat was merely named "Netherworld" without truly embodying it.
Li Luochen had already planned Zhu Zhuqing's ideal spirit ring configuration, but the soul beasts he had in mind were extremely rare. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, for instance, might no longer exist—but it would have been perfect for Zhu Zhuqing.
Other suitable soul beasts included the Ghost Shadow Panther, Void Dark Tiger, Netherworld Hunter Cat, and Void Light Panther. However, these creatures were exceedingly rare.
Finding cat-type soul beasts with dark attributes was already difficult enough. Some even possessed spatial attributes, which would greatly enhance speed.
In Li Luochen's opinion, agile attackers were an undervalued category. Mainstream soul masters focused on brute force or control, leaving agile attackers somewhat neglected. They lacked the raw power of bruisers and couldn't control the battlefield, often relegated to auxiliary roles.
But Li Luochen believed otherwise. Speed equaled weight, as a certain yellow-skinned monkey once said. A kick delivered at lightspeed carried immense power. Though they didn't need lightspeed, supersonic speeds were achievable.
Supersonic attacks were sufficient. Strike before the enemy could react—agile attackers excelled at decapitation missions.
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