Chapter 69: The Calm Before the Storm
"Level 49, as expected. After obtaining the Ultimate Ice, the speed of soul power cultivation has clearly slowed down."
With just over a month left before the All-Continent High-Level Soul Master Competition, Xiao Qiang finally broke through from Level 48 to Level 49. It had taken longer than before, but he wasn't surprised.
"Not bad. After all, it's the Ultimate Ice. And honestly, you haven't been working very hard on cultivation lately. Your current state feels completely different from before," Tian Meng commented quietly in the Sea of Spirit.
"There's no need to anymore," Xiao Qiang replied lazily, lying on a bed carved from Ten Thousand Years of Mysterious Ice Marrow. "Before, I had to push myself as fast as possible. If I didn't, the Snow Queen wouldn't have survived the heavenly tribulation, and we'd all be in danger. But now… I'm safe. I've got resources that directly improve my strength. Hard work just isn't the only thing I need to rely on anymore."
This was Douluo Dalu 2—a world where cheats often worked better than hard effort.
Although the original novel focused on how hard Huo Yuhao worked, when you broke it down, his rapid progress came from countless boosts. From level 10 to 20, Tian Meng gave him a whole level, Xuanshui Dan nearly two, and Shenghun Dan three more. At level 20, he gained spirit rings and bones from the Ice Emperor and had an epiphany at the Sea God Pavilion, shooting to level 30 in just a few months.
Later on, Mu Lao helped him reach level 40. Yi Lao got him to level 50. Dog Training Valley gave him five levels. He became a Soul Saint thanks to soul beast sacrifices and then devoured the Ten Thousand Years of Mysterious Ice Marrow. So while effort wasn't meaningless, it wasn't the main driving force behind his growth.
Now, Xiao Qiang faced a similar situation.
The effects of the Ten Thousand Years of Mysterious Ice Marrow were overwhelming. Whether he worked hard or not, the results didn't change much. It was like making 100,000 yuan a month from working hard, or 98,000 from lying down. Most people wouldn't bother with the grind for that small margin. So now, Xiao Qiang chose a "half-baked" cultivation state. He could still reach the Eighth Ring level by the age of 20 without pushing himself too hard. Why sweat the details?
"Forget it. Do as you please," Tian Meng sighed. "Thanks to this ten-thousand-year-old black ice, our chances of reaching godhood are over 80%. Plus, with some of the things you've come across recently, it's not even a problem. I just wish Xue Di would hurry up and bring back that 100,000-year-old fanboy I asked for. I want to show off my strength!"
As Tian Meng rambled, Xue Di returned—holding a snowball in her hand. With a graceful wave, the snowball split open to reveal a silver wolf.
"Is this a 100,000-year-old silver wolf? Doesn't look like it," Tian Meng muttered.
"It really doesn't. That aura feels more like 70,000 to 80,000 years," Bing Di agreed in the Sea of Spirit.
Xue Di, seeming to sense their skepticism, calmly explained. "I consulted the Evil Emperor. There isn't a 100,000-year-old silver wolf in the entire Soul Beast Mountain Range. This one, at 73,000 years, is the most powerful among them. If it's acceptable, use it as a soul. If not, I can help you find another 100,000-year-old soul beast."
"Seventy thousand years, huh?" Xiao Qiang frowned slightly, but he wasn't worried. After all, even Tang San fused three 90,000-year-old soul beasts and turned them into 100,000-year soul rings. With Tian Meng's help, he had confidence.
"A 70,000-year soul beast might be lacking, but fortunately, I have Brother Tian Meng. The soul of this silver wolf can be compressed into a 100,000-year soul ring with two soul skills. Others might not be able to do it—but Brother Tian Meng can."
"Ugh, you…" Tian Meng grumbled, pretending to be annoyed. "Fine, fine. You're lucky I'm so capable. As you say—'with great power comes great responsibility.' Leave it to me. I promise, by the time you hit level 50, I'll let you absorb a 100,000-year soul ring from this silver wolf."
With Tian Meng's guarantee, Xiao Qiang no longer had any concerns. This kind of transformation had precedent, and with Tian Meng's detailed research on souls, it was entirely achievable.
Turning his attention to the silver wolf, Xiao Qiang approached silently. The beast bared its fangs, clearly hostile, though it didn't attack—thanks to Xue Di's presence. Still, as a proud soul beast, it refused to yield to a human.
At least, that was its intention.
Then Xiao Qiang took out one of the most expensive rare metals.
The silver wolf, a gold-element soul beast unique to Douluo Dalu 2, didn't eat meat—it fed exclusively on rare metals. For it, meat was meaningless; refined metal was the true delicacy.
At first, it watched Xiao Qiang warily, snarling in defiance. But when it took its first bite of the rare metal, its expression changed. The silver in its eyes gleamed. Never before had it tasted such pure, high-grade material. Compared to this, the metals it scavenged in the wild were trash.
When Xiao Qiang offered a second chunk, the silver wolf's posture softened.
After devouring the third, it even started wagging its tail like a domesticated dog.
Xiao Qiang: "…"
Why did it suddenly look more and more like a husky?
…
Meanwhile, back at Shrek Academy, Wang Yan stepped forward and bowed to Xuan Lao.
"Xuan Lao, the Shrek Seven Devils and the reserve team have assembled."
Xuan Lao, resting on his rocking chair with a book covering his face, removed it slowly and glanced around. As expected, the Shrek Seven Devils, led by Ma Xiaotao, stood proudly. The reserve team, temporarily under Bei Bei's command, had also gathered.
Ma Xiaotao's group looked calm—they were veterans. But the reserve members had only just learned about their involvement.
Among them, Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, and Ning Tian were visibly excited. Despite some friction in the past, the weight of the title "Shrek Seven Devils" brought a shared sense of pride. Even Jiang Nannan, though not a direct descendant of the original Seven Devils, evoked memories of Xiao Wu due to her Soft-Bone Rabbit martial soul.
Dai Huabin especially felt like this was his chance to recreate history. His ancestor Dai Mubai had once defeated his own elder brother, Davis. Now, Dai Huabin hoped to mirror that feat by surpassing Dai Yueheng. That thought alone filled him with enthusiasm.
Even Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei, and He Caitou couldn't hide their excitement.
Xuan Lao sat up and gave the group a once-over.
"Good. Everyone's here," he said calmly. "We've gathered you not just for the upcoming Continental High-Level Soul Master Competition."
He paused, his tone turning grave.
"Before that, we have one more task—"
"Eliminate the Evil Soul Masters."