Douluo Continent II: The Dragon King Suppresses the World!

Chapter 56 The Final Four Draw

"The top four have all been decided, and the semi-finals will begin tomorrow. We will undoubtedly be in the first match. After the semi-finals, there will be a three-day break before the final."

"Teacher Wang, who are our opponents in the semi-finals?"

An urgent question broke the brief silence, and everyone's eyes turned to Wang Yan, their eyes full of curiosity.

Wang Yan said, "It's not clear yet. To ensure fairness, the top four teams will draw lots before the semifinals to determine their opponents. The four teams that have entered the semifinals are our Shrek Academy team, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy team of the Sun Moon Empire, the Star Luo National Academy team of the Star Luo Empire, and the last team to enter, the Imperial Academy team of the Heavenly Soul Empire."

"Teacher Wang, are there any differences in the rules for the finals?" Beibei's question once again drew everyone's attention.

Wang Yan nodded and said solemnly, "The rules for the finals have changed. It will be a team battle plus an individual elimination round plus a 2-2-3 format. Moreover, after both sides select seven players, these three matches will be played in one go without a break. It will be a best-of-three series, and the final winner will be the champion."

Wang Yan's words were utterly heavy, each one carrying immense weight. The Shrek Academy reserve team members felt a pang of sadness, knowing all too well how difficult this match would be.

Although the lineup included two Soul Emperors, Ling Luochen, the main control Soul King, and Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena, who were no weaker than Soul Emperors, the reserve team members were far weaker. Among the four Soul Masters, Xu Sanshi's soul power did not exceed level 47, let alone the other three. As for the three youngest, Wang Dong was a Soul Venerable, Xiao Xiao could only be called a Quasi-Soul Venerable, and Huo Yuhao was only a Great Soul Master.

Although Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong possess a Spirit Fusion Skill, their combined combat power in a team battle essentially lowers Shrek Academy's overall strength. The pressure they face against such a powerful opponent is unimaginable.

"Qian, Nana, can you still use your Martial Soul Fusion Skill?" Wang Yan's gaze fell on Ye Qian and Gu Yuena, filled with anticipation.

Ye Qi'an nodded and said firmly, "Okay."

Wang Yan breathed a slight sigh of relief and said, "That's great. Your Martial Soul Fusion Skill might play a decisive role at crucial moments." He paused, then continued, "Next, I'll give you a detailed account of these three opponents, analyze the abilities of each of their team members, and then we'll arrange our tactics. As for the personnel involved, we'll adjust them according to the different opponents."

The pre-battle preparation meeting lasted for nearly three hours, every minute filled with tension and deep thought. It wasn't just Shrek Academy that was tense; the other three powerhouses were equally anxious, all making the most thorough preparations for this crucial match.

When Ye Qi'an came out of the conference room, he felt a little confused. It proved that Glory was indeed a shackle. If there were no shackles, would winning or losing still matter?

Stretching vigorously, Ye Qi'an felt his blood circulating throughout his body. He estimated that the blood essence and energy emanating from the fifth seal had raised his soul power level by another level. He could clearly feel the increase in power within him, and his heart was filled with anticipation. In less than six months, he would reach level fifty, at which point he could break the fifth seal and gain even greater power.

"Are you still cultivating at night?" Gu Yuena reached out and touched Ye Qi'an to ask.

Ye Qi'an nodded and said, "Of course, I have never slacked off in my cultivation. After the fifth seal is broken, there will be more we can do."

"Then let's go," Gu Yuena said, heading towards their room.

After returning to their room, Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena quickly adjusted their state. As the power of the Dragon God began to circulate, parts of Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena's bloodline power surged towards each other. As their bloodlines merged, the room seemed to be enveloped in a faint light.

Ye Qi'an could clearly sense the purity of Gu Yuena's Silver Dragon King bloodline power, which constantly resonated with his own Golden Dragon King bloodline. Gu Yuena could also sense the uniqueness of Ye Qi'an's bloodline, and the two's auras gradually merged into one.

Compared to Ye Qi'an, Gu Yuena had much more to worry about. After all, her own bloodline power was complete, while Ye Qi'an's was not. It was said that half of her bloodline power would be given away, but it wasn't half of her own bloodline power; rather, it was half of Ye Qi'an's. Ye Qi'an gave her a portion of his bloodline power, so she had to return the same amount. In this complex process, she had to carefully control the balance of power to ensure that both of them could benefit.

As the power of their bloodlines merged, time seemed to stand still. Gu Yuena felt the strength of the Golden Dragon King's bloodline while carefully controlling the power of her own returning bloodline to ensure a balance between the two.

Ye Qi'an was completely immersed in the resonance of this power, and he could feel his cultivation level slowly increasing. At this point, the help he could offer Gu Yuena was too little; he could only use the power of the Dragon God to help her recover from her injuries.

The light in the room gradually stabilized, and Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena's auras also became more composed.

Ye Qi'an slowly opened his eyes and looked at Gu Yuena, secretly making a firm resolution to do his utmost to become stronger. This was not only for the Soul Beast race, but also for Gu Yuena, and even more so for himself. Any variable standing in his way could be eliminated, no matter what it was.

Gu Yuena seemed to sense Ye Qi'an's gaze. She raised her eyes slightly and said, "Qi'an, don't put too much pressure on yourself. It's already very good. What we need to do is steadily improve our strength."

Ye Qi'an looked at Gu Yuena and shook his head, saying, "I need to become stronger faster. If one day a huge change occurs and I am powerless to do anything because of my lack of strength, I will definitely regret it."

Gu Yuena's heart stirred slightly. She gently grasped Ye Qian'an's hand and said, "I understand your concerns. Great power requires time and accumulation; it cannot be achieved overnight."

Hearing Gu Yuena's words, Ye Qian'an's anxiety eased slightly. He nodded slightly and said, "Nana, you're right, but I can't let my guard down just yet."

The moonlight streamed through the window and fell upon them, as if draping them in a silver veil.

Ye Qi'an spoke softly, "For our goal, for the future of the Soul Beast race."

Gu Yuena nodded slightly, "Yes, we will, we definitely can."

As they spoke, they once again entered into cultivation. The power of the Dragon God flowed slowly through their bodies, and the fusion of their bloodlines became increasingly close. With each cycle, their power deepened and their minds became more composed.

As time passed and the night deepened, Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena showed no signs of fatigue. They were immersed in the world of cultivation, constantly improving themselves.

At dawn, the Shrek Academy team, dressed in dark green outfits, appeared at Star Luo Square, triggering a deafening roar of cheers.

From the initial more than 100 participating teams, after more than a month of competition, the final four have finally been determined. At this stage of the competition, the rest area has been carefully renovated, leaving only four zones, with each team spaced far apart. With nearly half an hour until the start of the match, the members of all four teams have already arrived.

As dawn broke, the weather remained exceptionally pleasant, with warm sunlight gently illuminating the vast Xingluo Square. On the first day of the semi-finals, the team battle was about to begin. Just then, a ten-meter-wide red carpet stretched from the direction of the imperial city gate all the way to the front of the competition stage.

Ten minutes before the draw began, the gates of the imperial palace slowly opened, and His Majesty the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, surrounded by numerous palace guards, strode out with steady steps and walked straight toward the competition stage.

"Long live! Long live! Long live!"

All the soldiers responsible for maintaining order raised their weapons in unison and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" in a booming voice. The people quickly noticed the Emperor's appearance and joined in the shouts. The members of the four battle teams also rose and paid their respects to His Majesty the Emperor.

Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena shook their heads slightly as they watched the scene unfold before them, thinking to themselves: Let them be happy for a few more years, after which a great purge awaits them.

Surrounded by four Title Douluos, the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire ascended the arena. Facing the Star Luo Square, a smile graced his face as he said, "My people, rise."

Once the square had gradually quieted down, he continued with a smile, "Today, the semi-finals will begin later, and this year's Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament will soon come to an end. The draw for the top four is the last draw of this tournament, therefore, I have decided to personally preside over this draw."

Of the four elders who accompanied the emperor onto the stage, the one on the left took two steps forward, facing the rest area, with a solemn expression, and said in a deep voice: "Please invite the captains of the four teams to come up to the stage to draw lots." In an instant, an indescribable powerful aura suddenly burst forth from this elder.

Ye Qi'an looked at the emperor of the Star Luo Empire and thought to himself, "I wonder if you can still be so calm when you see the corpse of the Guardian Douluo Cheng Gang?" Then he turned his head away.

The Star Luo Emperor smiled and explained, "To ensure the safety of both teams during the semi-finals and finals, I have decided that in every match to come, the Imperial Guardian Douluo will serve as the referee. Today's draw and the first match will be presided over by Senior Huang Jinxu, whose title is Heavenly Fiend."

At this moment, the captains of the four teams representing the final four teams had already taken to the stage. Shrek Academy's captain was the dashing Ma Xiaotao, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy's captain was the composed and reserved Ma Rulong, Di'ao Academy's captain was a spirited young man, and the one representing the Star Luo National Academy was Princess Jiu Jiu of the Star Luo Empire.

The four captains representing the four academies have arrived on the stage. The drawing of lots has begun. Under the close watch of the four titled Douluo, the four captains approached His Majesty the Star Luo Emperor.

Emperor Xingluo smiled slightly and said, "I will throw out four balls with their draw numbers marked on them later. You will all rush to grab them at the same time. Are you ready?"

The four academy captains nodded in succession.

"Pay attention." Emperor Xingluo narrowed his eyes slightly, and saw four golden lights suddenly rise into the sky at the same time.

Ma Xiaotao was already poised for action. Whether it was her, the Imperial Academy, or Ma Rulong, they all made the same choice: to leap into the air and hurtle towards the golden ball at top speed. Only Princess Jiujiu remained motionless, still standing there with a smile on her face.

Jiu Jiu was the first to call out her number, "I'm number one."

Ma Rulong said in a deep voice, "Number Two."

Ma Xiaotao's gaze fell directly on Princess Jiujiu's pretty face: "Number One."

At this point, although the Imperial Academy has not yet announced the assigned numbers, the draw results are already in.

The Star Luo Emperor smiled and said, "I wish all four teams the best of luck in the upcoming matches. The draw is over, please prepare yourselves. Today's first team battle will be Shrek Academy versus Star Luo National Academy, and the second will be Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy versus Imperial Academy."

After Ma Xiaotao stepped down from the stage, Wang Yan said with a solemn expression, "Everything will proceed as planned. Now I will announce the team battle lineup: Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Ye Qian, and Gu Yuena. All seven of you will be coming out together."

Wang Yan called Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena to him and whispered, "If you don't make a move, then all is well; but once you do, you must completely crush them."

"Mm," Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena nodded in response.

Wang Yan took a deep breath and extended his right hand: "What are we?"

One right hand after another landed on his palm, and the crowd shouted in unison, "We are the champions!"

Meanwhile, things were much calmer at the Star Luo National Academy. One by one, the team members who were about to go into battle stepped forward. Princess Jiu Jiu stood at the very front, her gaze calmly sweeping over Shrek Academy. She wasn't looking at anyone else, but at Ye Qi'an.

As Ye Qi'an turned his head, he also looked in their direction, and their eyes met. Seeing their prolonged gaze, Ye Qi'an sensed a hint of provocation in it and coldly snorted, "Provoke me? You think you're worthy?"

His eyes were filled with disdain and arrogance. Ye Qi'an's eyes turned red, and he glanced at her indifferently.

Princess Jiujiu, who was in the distance, felt as if she were being watched by some terrifying beast. Her body shivered involuntarily, and a nameless fear welled up in her heart, but she quickly calmed down.

"Shrek Academy, Star Luo National Academy, team members, enter the arena."

The referee in charge of today's team battle is none other than the Heavenly Fiend Douluo from before. The Star Luo Emperor has returned to the imperial city under the protection of the other three Title Douluos and is watching the battle from the city wall.

Ma Xiaotao led the way, followed closely by Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, Ye Qi'an, Gu Yuena, Bei Bei, and Xu Sanshi. The two teams took to the stage at the same time.

.........

(End of this chapter)