Douluo Continent II: The Dragon King Suppresses the World!

The silence in Mingdu lasted until noon. As time passed, the atmosphere in Mingdu became lively again because, in addition to the major competitions in the open, the final of the Mingdu Soul Master Elite Competition, hosted by the three major underground forces in Mingdu, was about to be held tonight.

A fledgling hotel.

"Ye Liuyun hasn't arrived yet? Didn't you inform them of the time?" The Third Elder looked at Chen An with an imposing air, his eyes already turning somewhat sinister.

Chen An's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he hurriedly said, "I did notify them, I notified them a long time ago. When the last semi-final ended, I told them to come early today to make final preparations."

"If Ye Liuyun doesn't arrive, you will have to compensate for the losses of the Xishui Alliance with your life," the Third Elder said coldly.

"Teacher, please don't be angry. I believe he will be here soon, after all, the reward this time is so generous," said Huang Zheng, number ninety-six, with a smile.

He remained as composed as ever, while the eliminated number ninety-eight standing beside him had a rather gloomy expression. In number ninety-eight Merck's mind, there was only his dark azure dragon.

"Third brother, don't make things difficult for Chen An. I also believe that kid will come. After this final is over, we need to have a good talk with him." A deep voice rang out, and the tall and imposing leader of the Xi Shui Alliance, Nangong Wan, also entered the hotel lobby.

At this time, the Qingse Hotel was under complete lockdown. A large number of burly men dressed in black occupied most of the lobby. In the center of the lobby, in addition to Nangong Wan, the Third Elder, Moke, Huang Zheng, No. 44 and others, there were some large boxes piled up. What they contained was self-evident: rare metals to be used in the competition.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from the doorway. Guided by two men in black, a figure appeared in the sight of Nangong Wan and the Third Elder. Ye Qi'an, who had transformed into Ye Liuyun, still had a cold and stern expression.

Upon seeing Ye Liuyun appear, Nangong Wan and the Third Elder's expressions improved considerably, while Chen An hurriedly went to greet him.

"Distinguished guest, you've finally arrived." Chen An dared not question Ye Qi'an about being late.

Ye Qi'an nodded slightly and said, "I shouldn't be late, right?"

Nangong Wan, the leader of the Xishui Alliance, personally greeted him, saying, "You've finally arrived. It's good that you came in time. Today, the glory of our Xishui Alliance depends on young friend Ye to defend it."

Ye Qi'an said coldly, "I will do my best."

Nangong Wan looked at Ye Qi'an with great interest and said, "Young friend Ye, you left a deep impression on us after our last meeting. After this competition, we must get to know each other better."

Ye Qi'an waved his hand and said, "Let's talk about it after the competition."

Nangong Wan laughed and said, "It's alright, it's alright, let's talk about it after the competition. Chen'an, please tell Ye Xiaoyou about today's final."

"Yes, Alliance Leader." Chen An bowed respectfully to Nangong Wan before turning to Ye Qi'an and saying, "Today is the final of this year's Mingdu Soul Master Elite Competition. The final will be jointly hosted by our Xishui Alliance, the Pingfan Alliance, and the Aodu Chamber of Commerce. The location will be in the western suburbs. We have already made all the arrangements there..."

After listening to Chen An's introduction, Ye Qi'an simply nodded slightly.

After Chen An finished his introduction, Nangong Wan's expression turned serious. He said in a deep voice, "The three of you are representing our Xishui Alliance in this competition. We have great confidence in your abilities. However, you must be prepared to face the other two alliances simultaneously. Regardless of who among you wins the final championship, our Xishui Alliance will provide a separate reward. I believe this reward is something that the Pingfan Alliance and the Aodu Chamber of Commerce absolutely cannot afford. Moreover, it will be paid out on the spot. Someone, bring the item up."

As he spoke, Nangong Wan waved his right hand, and immediately four men in black carried a box over from the side. The box was placed in front of the three men, and Nangong Wan walked to the box himself. He raised his right hand and gently pressed it on the side of the box. Instantly, a small screen popped up, displaying many complex runes. Nangong Wan then placed his palm on the screen.

At the same time, five fingers moved rapidly, tapping for about twenty seconds before Nangong Wan raised his hand again. The screen retracted, and with a slight sound, the top of the box slowly cracked open from the center.

The Third Elder next to Nangong Wan raised his hand, and a semi-circular protective shield enveloped everyone, including himself and the eliminated number ninety-eight, Merck.

An indescribable aura of war and death emanated from the box almost the instant it was opened. In an instant, apart from the Third Elder and Nangong Wan who seemed unharmed, Number Forty-Four, Huang Zheng, and Mo Ke all turned pale, their eyes revealing intense horror.

Ye Qi'an only glanced at it briefly before regaining his composure. To be honest, even if a level-nine soul tool were to strike him directly, it wouldn't cause much of a ripple. However, if used on an ordinary soul master or even an ordinary person, it would undoubtedly be a fatal blow.

Merck swallowed hard and murmured, "This...this is..."

Huang Zheng could no longer remain calm and exclaimed, "Level nine, fixed-mount soul-guided cannon shell!"

"You've all probably recognized it, haven't you? That's right, this is a level nine fixed-position soul-guided cannonball, its name is Destruction Storm. As for its specific effects and usage, you'll have to wait until one of you is capable of winning the final championship to learn from me. I can guarantee that if you win today's competition, we will deliver this hefty reward on the spot. So, you'd better do your best." As he spoke, Nangong Wan waved his sleeve, and the box closed again, concealing the frenzied killing intent within.

The other three, except for Ye Qi'an, finally found it easier to breathe. However, the look in Mo Ke's eyes when he looked at Ye Qi'an was full of resentment.

"Young man, keep it up," Nangong Wan said with a smile.

"Let's go!" With a wave of his hand, Nangong Wan and the Third Elder walked in front, followed by Ye Qi'an and the other three, surrounded by the burly men in black.

The level-nine fixed-position soul-guided cannon shell was naturally not to be carried by these people. Instead, the Third Elder directly put it into his storage soul-guided device and left the Green Inn, heading straight for the western suburbs.

Outside the hotel, carriages were already prepared. They were all ornate carriages pulled by horned horses. Ye Qi'an, Number 44, and Huang Zheng, the three contestants, rode in one carriage, while Nangong Wan, the Third Elder, and Mo Ke rode in another. The remaining black-clad men placed the various rare metals they were carrying on other, simpler carriages and mounted their horses as well. The group of over a hundred people set off in a grand procession towards the western suburbs.

Ye Qi'an kept his eyes closed and didn't make a sound. Number 44 was also silent beside him. Huang Zheng looked at the two of them but didn't say anything either. Compared to the other carriage, their carriage was much quieter. The carriage had good shock absorption and sound insulation, so there was no sound coming out.

The luxurious carriage of the Xi Shui Alliance finally came to a stop, and Ye Qi'an seemed to have woken up at just the right time.

"We've arrived," a voice came from outside.

Huang Zheng got off the bus first, followed closely by number 44, and Ye Qi'an was the last.

Chen An had already dismounted and quickly walked over, introducing in a low voice: "Today, almost all the high-ranking members of our three major underground forces are here. All three parties attach great importance to this competition and have sent their strongest lineups. Those in white are from the Aodu Chamber of Commerce. Those in yellow represent the Pingfan Alliance. In addition to our three parties, the most prestigious families in Mingdu and a group of high-rollers will also personally participate in this final match. According to the requirements, each of our three parties cannot have more than a thousand people. The rest are these spectators. Everything will be conducted on the principle of fairness, so the three of you can rest assured."

Guided by Chen An and guarded by a group of burly men in black from the Xi Shui Alliance, the three walked inside. Ye Qi'an and the others were led to the rest area of ​​the Xi Shui Alliance, where Nangong Wan and the Third Elder also sat down.

The atmosphere was somewhat noisy at this point. There was no one to warm up the crowd before the match began. Those sitting in the audience and guest seats were all talking.

At this moment, it seemed that all three parties had arrived. Someone came over and asked Nangong Wan a few questions. After receiving confirmation, all the lights quickly focused on the competition stage, where there was now an extra person.

"Hello everyone, I am Lu Qi, the host of the final round of this competition. Today is the final round of our Mingdu Soul Instructor Elite Competition. The nine contestants are selected by the Pingfan Alliance, the Aodu Chamber of Commerce, and the Xishui Alliance. I believe that all of you are already familiar with the information of these nine contestants, so I will not go into details. Now, please welcome the three presidents of the organizers of this competition—the Pingfan Alliance, the Aodu Chamber of Commerce, and the Xishui Alliance—to the stage to give their speeches."

In the rest area of ​​Xishui Alliance, offstage.

Nangong Wan muttered to himself with a gloomy expression, "He's courting death." With that, he leaped up and walked towards the stage.

The Third Elder sneered repeatedly, "This little brat from the Ordinary Alliance is playing these ranking tricks; he's courting death. Does he really think the Ordinary Alliance can protect him?"

Nangong Wan did not reveal his cultivation level, but instead walked step by step up the stairs to the stage. Two other people also went up to the stage from the other two directions.

On the side of the Aodu Chamber of Commerce, there was a middle-aged man of about forty years old, wearing a purple cloak, with a dignified appearance and an air of authority. Compared to this person from the Aodu Chamber of Commerce, the one from the Ordinary Alliance who took the stage was even more eye-catching. She was a woman wearing a bright red dress, who looked extremely beautiful from a distance. Her chestnut hair was styled into a high bun. As soon as she stepped onto the stage, countless people would be speechless and staring intently.

The host, Lu Qi, stood to the side with a smile, leading the leaders of the three underground forces to the center of the competition stage: "Now, please welcome the three presidents to give speeches for this competition. First, let's invite Mr. Nangong Wan, the leader of the Xishui Alliance, to give a speech."

Although Nangong Wan harbored murderous intent towards him, he naturally wouldn't show it on the surface. He calmly said, "This competition is jointly organized by our three parties, and so far, it has contributed a remarkable achievement to the Imperial Gambling Industry. In today's final, our Xishui Alliance is determined to win, and I believe our players have the ability. The championship will undoubtedly belong to the Xishui Alliance. Friends who haven't placed their bets yet, you might want to consider it further." After saying this, he took a step back, indicating that he had finished speaking.

The second to speak was An Litong, the president of the Aodu Chamber of Commerce. Glancing at Nangong Wan, An Litong said with a forced smile, "It seems Alliance Leader Nangong is quite confident! However, I don't think so. Those representing our Aodu Chamber of Commerce in this competition are all the cream of the crop among the younger generation of Soul Masters. I have absolute confidence in them. I'm making this commitment here. On behalf of the Aodu Chamber of Commerce, I'm betting one hundred million gold soul coins on them. If any of them wins this competition, all the profits from that one hundred million gold soul coins will belong to them."

Upon hearing this, countless people gasped in shock.

Just then, Shangguan Wei'er, the beautiful and seemingly ageless leader of the Ordinary Alliance, chuckled and stepped forward, saying, "Both of you are full of confidence! I can't fall behind, can I? Our Ordinary Alliance isn't as wealthy as the Aodu Chamber of Commerce. We don't have a hundred million gold soul coins, and even if we did, we wouldn't be willing to spend them. But our Ordinary Alliance has plenty of beauties. If our soul master wins the final championship, tens of thousands of beauties from our Ordinary Alliance will be at his disposal. At the same time, I can also make three dragon maidens with ancient bloodlines his female slaves."

The three major underground forces made their moves one after another. Undoubtedly, the limelight was stolen by Shangguan Wei'er, the leader of the last remaining Ordinary Alliance. Nangong Wan's face turned ashen, but at this moment, he obviously wouldn't stand up and say it again. Moreover, he couldn't reveal the level-nine fixed-position soul-guided cannon shells that the Xishui Alliance had rewarded him with.

Nangong Wan returned to the rest area with a livid face, turned to Ye Qi'an, and said, "When you make your final move, kill as many of their people as possible. Use whatever abilities you have. We'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong. Young man, do a good job. After this competition, you'll reap endless benefits. As for that dragon girl Shangguan Wei'er mentioned, I'll get one for you."

"Then kill them all," Ye Qi'an said calmly.

Upon hearing Ye Qi'an's cold words, Nangong Wan was first taken aback, then burst into laughter, "Good! You have guts! No wonder you're the one I've chosen." The Third Elder also nodded slightly, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

Next, the host introduced the seven judges. All seven judges were high-level Soul Masters, including three level nine Soul Masters and the remaining four level eight Soul Masters. As soon as these seven people came on stage, they were full of momentum. Their speeches were not as aggressive, and they focused more on the fairness of the competition. They also said some uninspiring things to encourage the nine contestants.

On this spacious competition stage, there are also nine soul tool making tables. Compared to the tables used in previous competitions, these nine are twice as large in size. At this moment, the staff of the three major underground forces are setting up the making instruments and rare metals they brought. Before the competition even started, the contest between the three parties had already begun.

"Alright, the exciting moment is about to arrive. Now, we will present the final prize for this competition, which will be jointly held by the seven judges. This prize is prepared for our ultimate champion. Please welcome the chief judge of this competition—Master Ye Yulin, a ninth-level Soul Master and Title Douluo with the title 'Starry Sky'—to present this final prize."

A tall, elderly man seated in the center of the seven referees stood up. He raised his right hand, and a point of silver light shot into the sky. It appeared to be just a silver spark, but as it ascended, its size rapidly increased. When it hovered a hundred meters in the air, it had transformed into a dazzling silver orb, which then stabilized in the sky. Immediately afterward, a beam of silver light descended from the sky, landing in front of Ye Yulin.

The ninth-level Soul Master didn't speak, but made an upward lifting motion with both hands. Instantly, another pale golden ball of light appeared in the silver light. This ball of light was a full meter in diameter. As it slowly rose, it gradually ascended, reflecting and shining with the silver light in the sky, until it stopped next to the silver light.

The two orbs of light echoed each other in the sky, starting to rotate around the mysterious center, intertwining in the air to form a larger golden and silver orb. There was no imposing power or strong aura emanating from them, but as they began to hover in the air, those Soul Masters present who had cultivation levels above level eight and were familiar with Starry Sky Douluo couldn't help but gasp.

"Respected Master Ye Yulin, could you please introduce this prize to us?" The host, Lu Qi, was very respectful to Ye Yulin.

Ye Yulin raised her head, glancing reluctantly at the spinning gold and silver sphere of light, and said in a deep voice, "The prize for the final champion this time is a soul tool I created. I named it the Sun and Moon Divine Needle..."

"That's interesting," Ye Qi'an said calmly.

The Third Elder snorted coldly and said, "Don't listen to that old fellow Ye Yulin's persuasive words. His Sun and Moon Divine Needles are indeed impressive, but just charging them takes three days, and they can only be charged using the light of the sun and moon. The attack power is not weak, but after charging, it can only be used a maximum of three times. Moreover, each use consumes a huge amount of soul power. Even if I used it, after three uses, my soul power would be nearly half depleted, and my mental power would be insufficient, making it difficult to complete a precise strike. His 30-kilometer diameter range is only theoretical. However, the ability to levitate at a height of 1,600 meters is real."

Nangong Wan chuckled and said, "Third brother, stop being so stubborn. You are indeed inferior to Ye Yulin in terms of high-altitude soul tools. This guy is here representing the royal family, what's the point of competing with him? Although the Sun and Moon Divine Needle is difficult to use, its power is top-tier among level nine soul tools. Obtaining it will only bring benefits, not harm. However, no matter who gets it, it's best not to use it before your cultivation reaches the ninth ring. Otherwise, it might cause a backlash. Judging from Ye Yulin's words, there is a self-destruct device installed in his soul tool, you must not try to disassemble it."

"It's alright, there's no soul tool that I can't dismantle," Ye Qi'an said, shaking his head slightly.

The introduction of the prizes undoubtedly elicited another gasp of surprise. The competition was finally about to begin.

"Now, please welcome the nine contestants who will participate in the final round of the Mingdu Soul Master Elite Competition to the stage. In the first part of today's competition, you will have three hours to create a soul tool. The entire creation process will be conducted under the supervision of our seven judges. Any contestant who attempts to break the rules or undermine fairness will be immediately expelled from the competition. Please be careful."

Lu Qi's expression turned serious. He stepped aside and gestured for them to proceed. The three contestants left the rest area and, accompanied by the leaders of the three underground factions, went up to the competition stage.

Nangong Wan walked ahead and stepped onto the competition stage first. His eyes were filled with majesty as he coldly glanced at Lu Qi. Lu Qi felt his mind go blank, as if his brain had been hit by a heavy hammer. He was horrified and subconsciously took a step back.

After a brief exchange of words, the three leaders stepped aside and did nothing more than observe the contestants brought by the other side.

Ye Yulin, the chief referee, waved his hand and said, "The three presidents may all leave. All participants, take your positions and prepare for the competition."

Nangong Wan, Shangguan Weier, and An Litong exchanged glances, then turned and left with cold smiles.

Ye Qi'an quickly arrived behind a soul tool manufacturing table.

Ye Yulin stood with his hands behind his back, his aged face extremely cold and stern. He showed no respect even to the three leaders of the three major underground forces, let alone to these contestants. At this moment, his icy gaze swept across the faces of the nine contestants, and a faint aura of pressure swept across the entire arena.

"You will have three hours to craft soul tools. Each person can only craft one soul tool. You may use any materials, but you are absolutely prohibited from using any pre-made semi-finished products. If discovered, you will be immediately eliminated. At the same time, I must remind you that after three hours, you will not have any rest time. You will directly undergo a skills assessment, and the last place will be eliminated. Your ranking will also affect your subsequent quarterfinal matchups. Therefore, when crafting soul tools, you must conserve some energy to avoid overexerting your energy and being unable to cope with the subsequent skills assessment, which will be very difficult."

…(End of this chapter)