Chapter 52: The Emperor's Reward and the Evil Soul Master's Fall
"Faraday cage?" Xue Di frowned as she examined the metal sphere. It was made from ordinary metal and emitted no fluctuations of soul power—completely mundane. She didn't understand how something so simple could possibly trap anyone.
"It's too late to explain," Xiao Qiang urged quickly. "Just go inside and don't touch the metal. With your cultivation, you should be able to manage."
Without waiting for her response, Xiao Qiang pushed the Faraday cage toward Xue Di and then immediately retreated, putting distance between himself and the cage.
Xue Di narrowed her eyes. She didn't fully grasp the purpose of this strange metal construct, but it didn't give off any threatening energy. After a brief pause, she made her decision.
With a flick of her robes, she entered the Faraday cage moments before the thunder tribulation struck.
As the roaring bolt of heavenly thunder crashed down, the true nature of the device revealed itself. Each strike of lightning was drawn to the cage's outer shell, forming a buffer that created a vacuum zone inside—untouched by the destructive force. Xue Di, sheltered inside, instantly understood its purpose.
She remained unharmed, the power of the thunder unable to reach her. When the tribulation passed and the skies calmed, she emerged from the cage, her gaze falling on Xiao Qiang with newfound awareness.
"Xue Di, are you alright?" Bing Di's voice rang out, and Xiao Qiang quickly opened the mental sharing channel for her to check Xue Di's condition.
"I'm fine." Xue Di's voice was calm, but there was a trace of disbelief. "Is this something developed by humans? It has no soul power, and yet it can defend against the thunder tribulation… What kind of soul guide is this?"
She studied the cage with lingering apprehension. Something this powerful, especially when used offensively, could drastically shift the balance between soul beasts and humans.
"This isn't a soul guide," Xiao Qiang corrected. "It's something invented by a scientist. A different kind of wisdom."
Xue Di went silent. She didn't pursue the matter further, though her eyes reflected deep thought.
"Xiao Qiang," she said after a moment. "Come here."
Xiao Qiang stepped forward. "Yes, Xue Di?"
"This thunder tribulation should have injured me. You helped me avoid it, which wasn't part of our original agreement. So…"
She opened her mouth and gently spit out a glowing, frost-hued pill. "This is the Snow Pill, formed after I survived the 100,000-year heavenly tribulation. If you swallow it, you'll gain control over ultimate ice, and it will greatly aid your future cultivation—especially in accelerating your progress."
Xiao Qiang stared at the pill in his palm, thoughts racing.
For a moment, his mind flashed to the comic version of Douluo Dalu, when Dugu Bo forced Tang San to swallow the poison pill he'd spat out. That had been disgusting.
By comparison, this gift from the Snow Emperor was a far better experience.
Then he remembered something else—Emperor Tian's reverse scale. Every time Emperor Tian survived a heavenly tribulation, he gained a reverse scale. Now Snow Emperor had given him her Snow Pill. He began to suspect the Evil Emperor might possess something similar.
And finally, a third concern surfaced in his mind—
This thing isn't going to explode inside me, right?
While not the complete manifestation of the Snow Emperor's power, even the partial Snow Pill in Huo Yuhao's body in the original story had been powerful. Combining it with the Ten Thousand Year Black Ice Marrow he had might be… problematic.
"Why, are you dissatisfied with the reward given by this emperor?" Xue Di asked coldly, her tone chilling the air between them.
Their agreement had been clear: he was now her subject, and both thunder and shelter came from her hand. He had no right to reject her gift. Moreover, what she gave him was undeniably valuable.
"How could I be dissatisfied? I'm grateful, Snow Emperor." Xiao Qiang gave a respectful bow and swallowed the Snow Pill, making a mental note to stay away from the Black Ice Marrow for now.
Then, curiosity got the better of him. "By the way, after you broke through the 700,000-year tribulation, what level is your strength now? I know something about soul cores… but I'm a little unclear."
Tang Jia San Shao's inconsistent writing made it difficult to judge. One moment Shrek Academy had no city lord, and the next one appeared out of nowhere. The soul core system was just as messy—some had two cores, others three.
Xue Di didn't seem offended. She explained calmly.
"When a soul beast reaches 100,000 years, its strength is roughly equivalent to a Titled Douluo. The strength of its bloodline serves a similar function to human martial spirits—strong bloodline, stronger power. At this level, we're on par with Titled Douluo or Super Douluo."
"At 200,000 years, we're equal to humans at rank 95. At 250,000, we're at 96, and at 300,000 years, rank 97."
"400,000 years is equivalent to rank 98. At 500,000 years, our strength is comparable to Ultimate Douluo. While Ultimate Douluo have dual soul cores, and we don't, our raw power is not much different."
"At 600,000 years, we enter the realm of demigods. Our soul power doubles. You humans have a similar rank. As for me—now that I've passed the 700,000-year mark—I am a quasi-god. My strength is triple that of a demigod soul beast."
"I don't know what lies beyond. But it's said that Emperor Tian once fought the Evil Emperor and managed to suppress him. Perhaps he's in a higher realm."
Xiao Qiang nodded slowly. Now it made sense. The current Snow Emperor could easily defeat the likes of Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui. Even Moon, clinging to life, would be no match.
"You don't need to worry about enemies below the demigod level," Xue Di said. "I can kill them while keeping you safe. Against demigods, I can still fight and win, but I can't guarantee your survival if you're nearby. If the enemy is a quasi-god, I can only ensure your life—not victory."
"I understand."
Xiao Qiang gave a serious nod. With his goal achieved, he turned and prepared to return to the Sun and Moon Empire.
But halfway through his journey, he suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?" Bing Di's voice echoed through the spiritual sea.
Xiao Qiang narrowed his eyes and gazed into the distance. His spiritual detection had picked up something disturbing—an evil soul master. The man was rampaging through a nearby village, leaving carnage in his wake.
In the past, Xiao Qiang would've avoided evil soul masters at all costs. With his low cultivation level—barely three or four rings—getting close would've been a death sentence. He didn't need to explain the philosophy of "a gentleman doesn't throw away his life for nothing."
But today was different.
Now, he stood with the protection of the Snow Emperor herself.
Looking at the chaos ahead, Xiao Qiang's lips curled into a cold smirk.
Evil soul master?
Let's see who's afraid of whom now.