Chapter 72: The Origins of Blood Tiger
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Not long after, Lin Chengkun opened the door, and a towering man entered. He was two meters tall, with golden hair, blood-red eyes, several scars at the corners of his mouth, and a broad, muscular build.
"Staff Demon, it's been a while. Who would have thought that the newcomer who arrived in the City of Slaughter a year ago would now be its strongest gladiator?"
Blood Tiger spoke first, his voice deep and tinged with coldness.
"Hmph, what does it matter to you? What do you want, Blood Tiger?"
Li Luochen's voice was icy, and the surrounding air instantly dropped in temperature, sending a bone-chilling sensation through Blood Tiger, who was also shocked by Li Luochen's strength.
'The manifestation of killing intent—what a terrifying brat.'
"Staff Demon, I've come to discuss a collaboration. You must be from the Spirit Hall, right?"
Blood Tiger pointed out Li Luochen's identity.
"So what if I am? And so what if I'm not? Collaboration? What do you mean?" Li Luochen's tone remained cold, and the temperature around them dropped again. His killing intent was like a sharp sword—if Blood Tiger couldn't give him a satisfactory answer, he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate him on the spot.
"How about you listen to my story first?" Blood Tiger ventured cautiously.
No, I don't want to.
"My name is Dai Tianxing, and I'm from the Star Luo Empire. I was born into the family of a great general who served under the old emperor. My father was one of the emperor's top generals, winning many battles for him. To further secure loyalty, the old emperor married his daughter to my father.
My mother was the second princess of the Star Luo Empire, with decent cultivation. Not long after marrying my father, she gave birth to my older brother, Dai Tianyuan. Three years later, I was born. Life was blissful back then.
However, my father succumbed to his injuries three years after my birth. As the son of a general, life was still comfortable until my brother and I awakened our spirits—both were variant tiger types.
Our innate soul power was level nine. Seeing our talent, the old emperor sent us to train at the White Tiger Sect, established by the royal family.
My brother and I worked hard because the old emperor was our grandfather, and we were brainwashed into believing everything was for the sake of the Star Luo Empire. We trained tirelessly.
I broke through to Grand Soul Master at nine, Soul Elder at fourteen, Soul Ancestor at nineteen, Soul King at twenty-three, Soul Emperor at twenty-nine, and Soul Sage at thirty-seven.
Just as my brother and I were about to take over leadership of the White Tiger Sect, an incident occurred.
A conflict arose between me and the Black Tiger Sect. With overwhelming strength, I crippled their Soul Sage elder, earning their enmity.
Later, the Black Tiger Sect used the Spirit Hall's influence to pressure the royal family. At the time, the old emperor was in deep seclusion, leaving state affairs in the hands of the crown prince and empress. Since my mother wasn't the empress's child but rather her rival's, the empress seized the opportunity to suppress our family.
I was directly injured by a Soul Douluo elder and sent to the City of Slaughter. For six years, I've been trapped here. I want to leave—I want revenge. I want to see my mother and older brother again.
Staff Demon, you must be the secretly cultivated Holy Son of the Spirit Hall, right? It's said that the previous Holy Daughter successfully completed her training here. You must be undergoing similar trials. I beg you to help me leave."
The story was touching, but Li Luochen felt nothing. These matters meant nothing to him.
"What's in it for me? Don't you know the rules of the City of Slaughter? Even if I am from the Spirit Hall, why should I help someone from the Star Luo Empire?"
Li Luochen's tone was sharp—he had no intention of being a good Samaritan.
"If you can get me out, I'll swear loyalty to you and serve you. I've already broken through to Soul Douluo—I only need my eighth soul ring. Surely, you could use a loyal Soul Douluo subordinate, right?"
As he spoke, Blood Tiger bowed deeply, lowering his head in supplication. A man's pride was nothing compared to his family.
"It seems you're quite filial. Fine, I agree—but first, take this poison. The antidote is with me. Let's see your resolve."
Li Luochen took out a porcelain bottle and poured out a black pill. If Lin Chengkun had seen it, he would have recognized it immediately.
Dai Tianxing hesitated for a moment before his expression turned resolute. He took the pill and swallowed it.
The moment it went down, he felt something eroding his body—a suffocating sensation. Looking at Li Luochen, he said, "I hope you keep your promise. Otherwise, even if I self-destruct, I'll make you pay."
"Tch—I may not be a good person, but I always honor my word. As they say, a person without integrity cannot stand. Truly powerful individuals always keep their promises because lies are the tools of cowards."
Suddenly carried away, Li Luochen spouted some chuuni lines. However, it was true that he had developed his own unique staff technique—an overwhelmingly domineering skill.
It was a self-created domain that fused soul power, mental strength, aura, and killing intent.
Similar to Mu En's "Supreme Reign" in the future, Li Luochen named his technique "Defy Heaven and Earth."
At the same time, Li Luochen felt he was close to comprehending a true spirit domain—but he lacked the final catalyst.
Once, Li Luochen used "Defy Heaven and Earth" against a Soul Douluo. One strike rendered the opponent silent, knocked unconscious by Li Luochen's overwhelming aura—somewhat akin to Kaido-sensei's Conqueror's Haki.
Li Luochen found this method amusing—one strike, one knockout. Conqueror's Haki was indeed powerful. Though opponents usually ended up shattered by his strikes, flipping their eyes white was impossible.
Recruiting a young and talented Soul Douluo like Dai Tianxing was an unexpected bonus. In the future, even the gatekeepers of Shrek Academy would need to be Soul Douluos—it wouldn't do to tarnish the reputation of the continent's top academy.
The poison Li Luochen gave Dai Tianxing and Lin Chengkun was slow-acting. Without the antidote within a month, they would perish. Li Luochen didn't trust anyone easily—people's hearts were unpredictable. Caution was always best.
Prudence was always the optimal path. Longevity through caution—Li Changshou's wisdom never deceived him.
Next, Li Luochen continued working toward his hundred victories in the slaughter arena. The further he progressed, the harder it became to control his killing intent. By the time he reached ninety-eight victories, he spent half a month at home digesting the effects of accumulated killing intent.
If he didn't rein in his killing intent, he'd surely stumble in the Hell Road. The bat swarm and Ten-Headed Fiery Sun Snake weren't easy opponents—he needed to refine his killing intent thoroughly.
Killing intent was a form of power, and power was meant to be controlled—not the other way around. Fallen soul masters were trash, unable to control their own power. How could they aspire to higher realms? Ridiculous!
Li Luochen felt his killing intent was on the verge of eruption, like a reservoir about to overflow and undergo qualitative change.
He guessed that his killing intent was sufficient. Once he passed through the Hell Road, he could solidify it into the God of Slaughter Domain.
Domain-type soul skills were incredibly powerful. The God of Slaughter Domain could weaken opponents, which equated to strengthening his side—a perfect soul skill.
(A/N: Blood Tiger Dai Tianxing is the avatar of a reader. In the future, he'll become the security guard grandpa of Shrek Academy. Glory to Shrek, hehehe!)
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