Chapter 195: "Where Is the Advantage?"
"Pah!"
Su Tong spat at the Divine Power Douluo, but her defiance was blocked by his body-protection soul power. The spittle fell harmlessly to the ground.
"Heh," the Divine Power Douluo sneered. "A mere soul beast dares to spit at me? But that's fine. I'm in a good mood today. What a pity, though—if I had found you decades ago, with a 100,000-year soul ring and soul bones, I'd already be at level 95. Now, all I can do is trade you for cultivation resources. Still, it's not a loss. You… and those fools who dared provoke Shrek… will be the fuel for my rise!"
With that, the Divine Power Douluo sealed Su Tong into his storage-type soul guide, then strode toward the assembly of soul masters.
"Your Majesty Divine Power!"
"It's really him! Divine Power Douluo, the legendary Titled Douluo of Shrek!"
"To think Shrek would dispatch a Titled Douluo just to avenge a four-ring Soul Sect… My son must get into Shrek Academy!"
As the Divine Power Douluo appeared among the crowd, the soul masters—many of whom already revered Shrek—erupted with praise and admiration, showering him and the academy with flattering words.
"Your Majesty, all personnel are assembled—2,397 soul masters in total. We're ready for deployment at your command," a Soul Douluo reported.
"Very good. Any changes to the positions of those who killed my Shrek students?"
"According to the latest report from our agile-type scouts, the Qianfeng Family is liquidating their assets and appear to be preparing to relocate—possibly to Quanzhou."
"Qianfeng Family?" the Divine Power Douluo asked coldly, clearly unfamiliar with the name in this remote area.
"Your Majesty, they're the local power here—three Soul Douluos, eleven Soul Sages, and over eight hundred soul masters. They are the region's dominant clan. But with your order, we can crush them easily."
"Eight hundred? That is considerable for a local clan. But in this confrontation—over 2,300 soul masters on our side, six Soul Douluos and thirty-seven Soul Sages—there's no comparison. The advantage is ours."
"Wise words, Your Majesty!"
"Go," Divine Power Douluo commanded. "Surround the Qianfeng Family and those who dared touch Shrek Academy. I will personally oversee the battle and make an example of them."
"Yes!"
Under his command, over two thousand soul masters surged toward the Qianfeng Family, encircling the clan just as they were preparing to leave.
"Clan Leader, it's bad! Shrek's Titled Douluo has brought a force of over 2,000 soul masters and surrounded us!"
"I see it," Qian Fenglie said grimly. His gaze hardened. There was no doubt in his mind that this was all to capture her—Mu Qingxue.
An Ultimate Fire Eight-Ring Soul Douluo, with two hundred-thousand-year soul rings and not a single one under ten thousand years… This wasn't someone they could abandon or stand against. The Titled Douluo before them was surely among the strongest.
"Clan Leader, perhaps we should…" The Qianfeng Family's second elder whispered, clearly suggesting they surrender or disassociate themselves from Mu Qingxue to avoid annihilation.
"Shut up! I know you're afraid, but now is not the time for fear. It's meaningless."
Qian Fenglie had faced Mu Qingxue's terrifying martial spirit firsthand. If they betrayed her now, death would come faster. She was far deadlier than Shrek's army. Only by siding with her did they still have a sliver of hope.
Besides, if they couldn't capture Mu Qingxue, Shrek wouldn't let them go regardless. Their clan's history wasn't spotless. They had blood debts from a thousand years ago that Shrek had conveniently ignored—until now.
"Qianfeng Luo!"
"Father!"
"When the battle begins, I, the first elder, and the second elder will carve out a path. You will take the children and the younger generation—anyone under twenty—and run."
"Father, I…"
"Enough. Don't mourn yet. This battle might not be as hopeless as it looks." Just then, a calming voice interrupted the tense atmosphere. It was accompanied by a subtle field of psychological suggestion, quieting the fear and dread.
Xiao Qiang walked forward and stepped onto a high point before the gathered Qianfeng soul masters. Though a seven-ring Soul Saint couldn't remain airborne long, he seemed to defy gravity, standing in the air as if it were solid ground. This was the work of his precise control over ice and a simulated 100,000-year soul skill.
"He's floating? Is that… a Titled Douluo?"
"Or at least a Soul Douluo!" the opposing soul masters whispered, their panic mounting.
"Don't be fooled!" a Soul Douluo among the invaders shouted. "There are only three Soul Douluos in the Qianfeng Family! Even if they somehow gained one or two more, we have six! The advantage is still ours!"
His shout roused the crowd.
"Yes! Six versus four! The advantage is ours!"
"The advantage is mine!"
"The advantage is mine!"
Morale climbed—until Xiao Qiang calmly raised a hand.
BOOM!
A beam of pure ice energy—the 400,000-year soul bone skill Freezing Ray—shot out, instantly freezing one of the enemy Soul Douluos solid.
Before the frozen corpse could hit the ground, it triggered the Ice Explosion Technique, erupting violently. The blast claimed dozens of nearby soul masters.
Then, using the shattered remains of half-dead victims, Xiao Qiang launched a new chain of explosions. One by one, they detonated.
In just two and a half minutes, over half of the 2,300 invading soul masters lay dead or maimed.
Amid the stunned silence and the scent of blood and frost, Xiao Qiang's calm voice echoed across the battlefield:
"You said…"
"Where is the advantage?"