Choose a Knife or Candy

Xiao Qiang raised his hand. The source power of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm gathered at the tip of his right index finger—a force comparable to an ordinary strike from a Titled Douluo. It was also what gave Xiao Qiang the confidence to challenge Yang Peng instead of trying to escape.

Seeing the terrifying aura gathering on Xiao Qiang's finger, powerful enough to make him feel his life was in danger, Yang Peng's expression changed drastically. He instantly summoned his martial soul, preparing to strike first.

But almost as soon as the thought arose, he sensed that something was wrong.

He, Yang Peng, was a Six-ring Soul Emperor from Shrek Academy, possessing the optimal spirit ring configuration of two yellow, two purple, and two black rings. Xiao Qiang, on the other hand, was merely a Soul Elder with two yellow rings and one purple ring. Even if he was an Evil Soul Master, with a Soul Power gap of more than thirty-five levels between them, how could he possibly threaten him?

A Soul Elder at level thirty possessing strength sufficient to threaten a Six-ring Soul Emperor was something that had never happened even among the Shrek Seven Devils. Even Shrek's senior disciple, Zhang Lexuan, had not possessed power capable of threatening a Six-ring Soul Emperor when she was at level thirty.

What was more, Xiao Qiang was only a low-level Soul Elder, while he was a high-level Soul Emperor. With such an utterly crushing gap in Soul Power, Xiao Qiang could not possibly pose any threat to him—much less threaten his life.

Yet the feeling that he was on the brink of death was completely real. It was the feeling that had saved him countless times, one that only surfaced before he narrowly escaped death.

He could not possibly feel this way when facing a three-ring Soul Elder, even if his opponent truly was an Evil Soul Master. The only thing that could make him feel this way was...

"Hmph. Among Mental Type Soul Masters, I have to admit that you are quite exceptional. With only three rings, you can influence the consciousness of a Six-ring Soul Emperor like me and make me feel as though I am in danger."

"I have to say, you are impressive. But unfortunately, the idea that a mere three-ring Soul Elder could threaten a Six-ring Soul Emperor, even making one feel endangered, is far too absurd. All it takes is a little thought to realize something is off."

"Perhaps others might be fooled by you and choose to run, but I am a Soul Emperor of Shrek, an inner-court disciple of the continent's strongest Soul Master Academy. I will never be deceived by a mere Soul Elder like you."

As Yang Peng spoke, he withdrew his martial soul. He used only a portion of his Soul Power, enough to block a high-level Soul Ancestor, and formed a barrier around his body.

"To deal with you, I do not even need to use my martial soul."

Yang Peng spoke with great confidence. At the same time, he was glad that he had not been fooled just now. If a Six-ring Soul Emperor like him had been tricked by a three-ring Soul Elder into fleeing because of a sudden sense of danger, then once word reached Shrek Academy, he would have to pack up and get out.

This was not even a matter of being mocked. A Six-ring Soul Emperor being cowardly before a three-ring Soul Elder—even a second-rate academy would not have a Soul Emperor that pathetic. Much less Shrek Academy, which called itself the best on the continent. They might even regard him as a stain and erase him.

That was why, in order to restore his image, he had withdrawn his martial soul and used only basic Soul Power defenses, choosing to take Xiao Qiang's Great Desolate Sky Imprisoning Finger head-on.

At first, Yang Peng did not feel anything.

Then, very quickly, he felt even less.

The extreme cold instantly robbed him of the ability to think. This was power capable of freezing even someone like Ma Xiaotao, with her Evil Fire Phoenix. Yang Peng himself was not a top-tier fire-attribute Soul Master, so his entire body was frozen in an instant.

"So this is the power of a three-ring Soul Elder! Soul Masters are way too powerful. If only I were a Soul Master too."

The Barbecue Shop Owner watched Xiao Qiang freeze Yang Peng without the slightest worry. Between a three-ring Soul Elder and a Six-ring Soul Emperor, he did not know exactly how strong either one was.

But he knew that a Six-ring Soul Emperor had to be stronger than a three-ring Soul Elder. This was basic knowledge to anyone on Douluo Continent who knew about Soul Masters. That was precisely why he was not worried about Yang Peng at all.

Watching Yang Peng get frozen, he was even wondering how Yang Peng would deal with Xiao Qiang afterward, and what reward he would receive once Xiao Qiang had been dealt with.

Maybe he could use Yang Peng's reward to enter Shrek City and open a barbecue shop there. The shop would flourish, a young and beautiful female Soul Master would take a fancy to him, and they would have a Soul Master child whom he would raise into a Titled Douluo. Then he could enjoy a comfortable retirement in the future.

The more he thought about it, the more possible it seemed!

Just as the Barbecue Shop Owner was happily daydreaming, Xiao Qiang silently pulled out a hammer. Then he smashed it down viciously on the frozen Yang Peng. Yang Peng's frozen body exploded straight into two halves, along with countless shards of ice stained red.

Barbecue Shop Owner: "..."

A dream! This had to be a dream!

A three-ring Soul Elder had fought a Six-ring Soul Emperor—a Six-ring Soul Emperor from Shrek, at that—and he had been frozen just like that, then smashed to pieces.

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

Shrek claimed to be invincible among those of the same rank. How could one of its members be defeated by a mere three-ring Soul Elder?

That was what the Barbecue Shop Owner thought, until Yang Peng's body was completely shattered, his Storage Soul Tool was taken by Xiao Qiang, and Xiao Qiang's crimson Sharingan gaze swept over him. The Barbecue Shop Owner immediately felt that things were going badly.

"I was wrong, I was wrong! I had no choice, sir, please spare my life! He forced me to do it! If I refused, he would kill my whole family!"

Xiao Qiang glanced at him, tossed aside the burnt meat, then grilled the remaining meat and ate to restore his strength.

That Great Desolate Sky Imprisoning Finger had seemed simple, killing Yang Peng with ease, but in truth, it had not been as easy as it looked.

In the original story, Tian Meng had instantly defeated Ma Xiaotao because she had already lost her mind. But Yang Peng had not lost his mind.

A Soul Emperor who had not lost his mind might not have been able to withstand Tian Meng's version of the Great Desolate Sky Imprisoning Finger, but he would not necessarily have been unable to dodge it.

People had a sixth sense when danger approached, especially someone who had cultivated to the level of a Soul Emperor. There was no reason he would feel nothing at all about imminent danger.

The reason Yang Peng had sensed danger yet still chosen to face it head-on was because Xiao Qiang had used his first soul skill, Psychological Suggestion.

Thanks to the immense power of Tian Meng, although Xiao Qiang had only three rings, his spiritual power was no weaker than that of a five-ring Mental Type Soul Master. And the spiritual power of a five-ring Mental Type Soul Master could directly compare to that of an ordinary Soul Sage.

That was why Xiao Qiang could use Soul Sage-level spiritual power to activate his first spirit ring, which Tian Meng had modified to the two-thousand-year level, and impose an irresistible Psychological Suggestion on Yang Peng. It made him ignore the danger and take Tian Meng's version of the Great Desolate Sky Imprisoning Finger head-on.

Only by using both powers together had Xiao Qiang been able to kill Yang Peng. Tian Meng's attack and Xiao Qiang's soul skill were both indispensable.

Before long, Xiao Qiang finished the remaining barbecue and walked over to the Barbecue Shop Owner, who was still kowtowing and begging for mercy.

"Alright, stop kowtowing. I am not some kind of demon. Here, I have a knife and a piece of candy. Choose one."