Douluo Continent II: The Dragon King Suppresses the World!

Urged by the staff, Ye Qi'an slowly walked onto the stage with the pistol in his hand. On the other side, Number Ninety-Eight also came onto the stage with all six of his soul tools.

Their eyes met, and Number Ninety-Eight smiled slightly: "Kid, feeling the pressure now?"

"I didn't feel any pressure, but I did sense a lot of breathing," Ye Qi'an said, shaking his head slightly.

Number Ninety-Eight's smile froze instantly, and his face turned gloomy. "Hmph, sharp-tongued, you'll be crying later." As he spoke, the six soul tools on his body flashed, and faint soul power fluctuations emanated from them.

Ye Qi'an remained relaxed, toying with his pistol. "I hope your skills are as formidable as your harsh words. Don't disappoint me too much."

The audience held their breath, watching the two men on stage, their expressions tense.

The two entered the arena, one on each side, each equipped with the soul tools they had previously created.

"Are you ready?" the referee's question came from the direction of the referee's stand, which was higher off the ground.

"Ready?" Ye Qi'an and Number Ninety-Eight said in unison.

"Alright. Raise the protective soul-guided shield." The pale yellow soul-guided shield rose, transforming into a hemisphere that completely covered the entire arena, preventing the power of the soul-guided devices from damaging the Golden Hall during the competition.

Ye Qi'an raised the gun he named Desert Eagle, while Number Ninety-Eight opposite him remained calm and composed, holding a uniquely styled soul-guided cannon in his right hand.

"The match begins!" With the referee's loud shout, the final match of today's top six tournament officially began.

At this moment, six spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and two black—rose one after another beneath Number Ninety-Eight's feet, releasing a dense surge of spirit power. He seemed in no hurry to attack, instead taking a few steps forward and hoisting the spirit cannon in his hand onto his shoulder. Among the six spirit tools he had crafted, apart from the invincible shield, this one had taken the longest to make.

The soul-guided cannon, carried on his shoulder as if it were embedded there, was entirely silver-white with a faint cyan light shimmering on it. The muzzle at the very front was a flat, rectangular shape, which looked somewhat odd. The dark, flat muzzle gleamed faintly.

With the increase in soul power, a soul tool on Number Ninety-Eight's waist began to emit light. It was also an energy-gathering soul tool, but it seemed to be gentler than Number Eighty-Five's. At least on the surface, the soul power fluctuations did not appear to be too strong.

After the soul tool was activated, the muzzle of the soul cannon on Number Ninety-Eight's shoulder emitted a bright blue light, and there was a faint black aura flowing around the muzzle.

"Hmph, a mere Soul Emperor? I told you, I am a Soul Douluo." Ye Qi'an sneered disdainfully, and eight soul rings—two purple, five black, and one red—flashed one after another, instantly spreading a powerful aura outwards.

All the gamblers were slightly stunned. Those who had bet on Number 98 were almost in despair. Could Number 98, a mere Soul Emperor, really defeat Soul Douluo? He started with two thousand-year soul rings, followed by a series of five ten-thousand-year soul rings, and finally a hundred-thousand-year soul ring. Was this still a Soul Master?

"Whoosh—" Number 98's soul-guided cannon fired, and a dark green streak of light instantly stretched across the sky, sweeping straight towards Ye Qi'an. After seeing Ye Qi'an's eight soul rings, to be honest, he had already given up hope. He originally thought Number 62 was trying to bomb him, but...

In the central VIP room, the Third Elder muttered, "An eight-ring Soul Douluo who has surpassed the limit, I want to see how this kid will withstand Merck's Corrosive Decomposition Cannon. With the amplification of the Dark Azure Dragon, the destructive power of this Corrosive Decomposition Cannon is among the top in the sixth-level Soul Guidance Devices. Although its explosive power is not strong, its sustained destructive power is the strongest. Even if you are a Soul Douluo, you may not be able to get the better of it."

At this moment, on the competition stage, Ye Qi'an, holding the Desert Eagle, had his eyes turn dark gray as the Corrosion Decomposition Cannon was about to reach him.

Suddenly, a layer of gray airflow was released from the muzzle of the gun, condensing into a cloud of smoke, which actually blocked the path of the corrosion decomposition cannon. With a series of hissing sounds, it forcibly blocked the light band of the corrosion decomposition cannon.

Behind Ye Qi'an, a tall and imposing figure was faintly visible. Although only the outline was visible and the features were unclear, the boundless aura of majesty instantly shocked the entire audience.

Almost simultaneously, everyone who had been sitting upright in the central VIP room sprang to their feet, their faces filled with horror. Even the female vice-leader was no exception. They all quickly stood by the window, staring intently at Ye Qi'an below.

The bizarre scene shocked everyone present. Under the watchful eyes of all the spectators, a deathly silence swept over them. The moment that figure appeared, the entire golden hall seemed to lose its luster.

On the competition stage, number 98 felt the change in Ye Qi'an's aura most clearly. It was a suffocating feeling as if his throat was being choked. The immense pressure and the cold, deathly aura made it hard for him to breathe.

"Undead Catastrophe - Annihilation!" As Ye Qi'an's deep voice rang out, the tall figure that was faintly visible suddenly lunged forward, and countless gray currents of energy swept towards Number Ninety-Eight like a surging tide.

These air currents seemed to possess life; wherever they passed, the ground turned a strange grayish-white, as if the breath of life had been instantly sucked away.

Number Ninety-Eight was indeed a little panicked at this moment. He slapped his chest with his right hand, and a white halo instantly burst out from his body. The strong impact isolated the grayish-white aura.

No one could have predicted that the Elite Soul Master Tournament would turn out this way, but no one could say that Ye Qi'an had broken the rules. After all, the use of Soul Master abilities was allowed in the top six competition. However, Ye Qi'an was clearly using the abilities of an evil Soul Master. If this were not a place where underground forces were located, the regular Soul Masters present would probably have questioned him long ago.

Ye Qi'an raised his pistol, chanting an obscure incantation. The next second, he pulled the trigger: "I'll obliterate you!"

As the trigger was pulled, a thick gray beam of light shot out from the Desert Eagle's muzzle. Within this beam, countless vengeful spirits seemed to roar, rushing towards Number 98 with an aura of annihilation. Wherever the gray beam passed, cracks appeared in the space, as if it could not withstand this power.

Number Ninety-Eight's face was deathly pale. He activated the white halo with all his might, while the other soul tools on his body also released their light, attempting to form multiple defenses. The white halo trembled violently under the impact of the gray beam of light, its light flickering. The defenses formed by the other soul tools were also on the verge of collapse.

The more timid audience members covered their eyes, unable to bear witnessing the horrific scene. Just as the gray beam of light was about to break through the white halo defense, seeing the situation was dire, the Third Elder, who was in the central VIP room, could no longer remain still. Before even stepping out, he shouted, "Number Ninety-Eight, surrender! End your ability now!"

With a flicker of light and shadow, the Third Elder appeared in mid-air above the Golden Hall, hovering there.

"Who are you? What gives you the right to make decisions for him? No one can stop the people I want to kill," Ye Qi'an said calmly.

If the Third Elder hadn't been concerned about the prestige of the Xishui Alliance, he would have already rushed into the soul-guiding shield. He said urgently, "I am his teacher. I will give you whatever you want. Please end the attack quickly."

"His carving knife is quite good," Ye Qi'an said in a hoarse voice.

The Third Elder's face darkened, but seeing the defense about to be breached, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, as long as you stop attacking, his carving knife is yours."

Number 98 was filled with resentment, but dared not disobey his teacher's orders. He could only watch helplessly as his beloved List Carving Knife, the Dark Azure Dragon, was about to change hands.

Ye Qi'an smiled slightly and slowly put down the Desert Eagle in his hand, and the gray beam of light gradually dissipated.

The protective shield activated, and the Third Elder quickly arrived in front of Number Ninety-Eight, helping him up and checking his body. Only after confirming that he was unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief. When he turned to look at Ye Qi'an again, his gaze became strange.

The tense atmosphere in the Golden Hall finally eased, but everyone was still shocked by the breathtaking battle they had just witnessed.

The Third Elder glared at Number Ninety-Eight, then took out a carving knife and reluctantly handed it to Ye Qi'an. Ye Qi'an took the carving knife, examined it carefully, and nodded in satisfaction.

At this moment, the three referees had already stepped down from the referee's stand, but instead of approaching Ye Qi'an, they hesitated as they looked at the Third Elder. Just then, another old man came onto the stage. He had previously been known as the Second Elder in the central VIP room.

"Your subordinates pay their respects to the Alliance Leader." The three judges bowed to the Second Elder at the same time.

This Second Elder is the leader of the Xishui Alliance. He has a dignified appearance, with his white hair neatly combed back and his white beard flowing. He wears a kind smile on his face, making him easy to like upon first meeting.

"No, we can't give it to him. That's my Dark Azure Dragon!" At this moment, Number Ninety-Eight had already reacted and got up to pounce on Ye Qi'an, who was holding the Dark Azure Dragon.

"If it weren't for your good teacher protecting your life, I could have killed you and still taken that knife." Ye Qi'an raised his hand and pointed at Number Ninety-Eight. The deathly black aura spread again, as if he could kill Number Ninety-Eight in the next second.

The Third Elder's face immediately darkened. He grabbed Merck, who was still trying to rush forward, and slapped him across the face. "Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough? Come back with me." With that, he led Merck off the stage and disappeared in a few swift movements.

On the stage, the leader of the Xishui Alliance smiled slightly and said, "Greetings, young friend. I am the owner of the Xishui Alliance. You may call me Nangong Wan."

"Hello," Ye Qi'an said with a slight nod.

Nangong Wan didn't say much, but said to the three referees, "Alright, let's announce the result of the match."

"Yes." The chief referee announced loudly, "After fierce competition, the top three contestants of the Xishui Alliance division of this year's Mingdu Soul Mentor Elite Competition have been determined. They are contestant number 62, contestant number 44, and contestant number 96. In addition to receiving today's grand prize, they will also have the opportunity to represent our Xishui Alliance in the final competition against the top three contestants from the other two divisions."

Nangong Wan approached Ye Qi'an and smiled, "Young friend, may we have a word?"

Ye Qi'an said calmly, "There's nothing to talk about. I'm only here for rare metals. If we need to talk, we can do it after the finals."

Nangong Wan smiled slightly and said, "Of course, since you don't want to say more, then we can talk properly after you win the final championship representing our Xishui Alliance. There's one thing I can tell you in advance: if you win this honor for our Xishui Alliance, then in addition to the rewards of the competition, our Xishui Alliance will also give you a separate generous gift."

"That would be perfect." Ye Qi'an agreed and turned to go off the stage to receive the award.

Nangong Wan stood on the stage, looking at Ye Qi'an with slightly narrowed eyes, a thoughtful expression on his face.

After receiving the reward, Ye Qi'an immediately left the Qingse Hotel and disappeared in a flash.

……

The VIP room on the basement floor of the Qingse Hotel.

"Teacher, I was wrong." Number Ninety-Eight knelt down in front of the Third Elder with a face full of shame and pain.

The Third Elder remained silent with a sullen face. Number Ninety-Six knelt beside Number Ninety-Eight, head bowed and silent. Besides the three of them, there were also Nangong Wan, the leader of the Xishui Alliance, the mysterious vice leader, and several other middle-aged people in the VIP room.

"Vice Master, what do you think of that young man just now?" Nangong Wan asked in a low voice.

The vice-leader's grey-blue eyes gleamed with a strange light: "It's peculiar; that feeling is exactly what we've been searching for."

Nangong Wan was startled: "You mean, he might be...?"

The vice-leader nodded slightly and said, "Yes, it's that strange feeling. Interesting. This young man is very interesting."

Nangong Wan said, "I've already sent people to follow him. Let's find out where he lives and who he's in contact with. Since he dares to use this ability so recklessly here, he must have some kind of background. I just don't know what his evil soul master martial soul is."

The vice-leader said, "You did very well today, without alerting the enemy. I will report this matter to the leader immediately and ask him for his decision."

"Yes."

Just then, a man in black strode into the room and whispered something in Nangong Wan's ear.

"Useless." Nangong Wan sneered.

The vice-leader's eyes flickered slightly.

Nangong Wan said somewhat awkwardly, "He's very fast, and our people lost track of him. Go and call Chen An."

"Yes." The man in black retreated, trembling.

A moment later, Chen An strode in and knelt on one knee: "Greetings, Alliance Leader."

Chen An was able to become the manager of the Golden Hall because he was deeply trusted by Nangong Wan.

Nangong Wan frowned and said, "Tell me everything you know about that number sixty-two."

Having witnessed Ye Qian'an's terrifying abilities in the competition today, Chen An's confidence in this esteemed figure grew even stronger. He knew that the Alliance Leader would inevitably inquire about what had happened, so he quickly prepared his words, saying, "This number sixty-two caught my attention as soon as he arrived..."

He then recounted Ye Qi'an's story in detail, his cleverness lying in the fact that nine parts of what he said were true and one part was false.

After hearing his explanation, Nangong Wan's expression softened, and he said to the vice sect leader, "It seems that Ye Liuyun's main goal is to obtain rare metals. As long as there is desire, it will be easy to handle. He will definitely come again during the finals. At that time, I will talk to him and recruit him."

The vice-leader nodded and said, "I'll be there that day too, and I'll observe further. I'll hear the leader's thoughts when I get back. Perhaps the leader will make a special trip for him. I hope he's the one we've been searching for."

……

At Mingyue Hotel, the door opened silently, and an invisible figure swiftly entered, then gently closed the door. Only then did Ye Qi'an's figure emerge from the illusion. The light distorted slightly for a few moments before everything returned to normal.

"You're back." Gu Yuena's clear voice came from the bed in the room.

"Na'er, are you still awake? Or have you been waiting for me?" Ye Qi'an asked after a moment's hesitation.

Gu Yuena sat up gently, her long silver hair shimmering with a mysterious luster in the dim light. "I just happened to not sleep. How was today's match?"

Ye Qi'an sat down by the bed, frowning slightly, and said, "It went relatively smoothly. Don't worry, they can't do anything to me. But Na'er, you shouldn't let your guard down during this time. Be prepared to deal with any possible situation."

Gu Yuena scoffed. "When have I ever let my guard down? You, on the other hand, shouldn't be so arrogant."

"I've always been arrogant, you just haven't noticed," Ye Qi'an said, leaning down to give Gu Yuena a gentle kiss on the lips.

Gu Yuena's cheeks flushed slightly, and she gently nudged Ye Qian, "Be serious. What are your plans next?"

Ye Qi'an sat up straight, his eyes becoming deep. "Dragon Graveyard."

...(End of this chapter)