Douluo Continent II: The Dragon King Suppresses the World!

Chapter 63 Life Core

In the center of the spacious hall of the Sea God Pavilion, there was a long table. The four deans and Elder Xuan were already seated around the table. Fan Yu stood quietly behind the two deans, Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo. In addition to them, there were also elderly people sitting on both sides of the long table.

Dean Yan Shaozhe smiled and said softly, "Children, welcome back. This time, you won the championship of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament with an incomplete team. We have heard about the whole process. We have invited you here today to announce the academy's heartfelt wishes and reward for you..."

"Now I will announce the awards," Dean Yan Shaozhe said in a deep and powerful voice: "Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Ling Luochen."

"Disciple is here." Ma Xiaotao and the other two responded in unison, their movements of stepping forward and bowing in perfect unison, displaying the demeanor of Shrek Academy's inner court disciples.

Dean Yan Shaozhe said in a deep voice, "You failed to protect your teammates during the inspection mission, resulting in serious injuries to them and affecting your participation in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament. You are hereby given a major demerit."

Dean Yan Shaozhe's words struck Ma Xiaotao and her two companions like a heavy hammer, leaving them wide-eyed and filled with disbelief.

"What?"

Yan Shaozhe said seriously, "What? Do you have any objections? If Ye Qi'an hadn't noticed something was wrong and warned you in time, you might not have returned unscathed, would you?"

Under Dean Yan Shaozhe's reprimand, Ma Xiaotao lowered her head and began to reflect on her behavior, after all, it was all true.

Dean Yan Shaozhe's tone softened a bit as he said, "You participated in the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament with your team, and you demonstrated sufficient combat power, ultimately helping the team win the final championship. The academy has decided to halve your reward and not record the major demerit in your files. I hope you can learn from this experience. You've all worked hard this time, so go back and rest."

"Yes." Although Ma Xiaotao and the other two were still unwilling, they could only accept the result and then turned to leave.

After Ma Xiaotao and the other two left, only ten people remained in the Sea God Pavilion: Wang Yan, Ye Qi'an, Gu Yuena, Bei Bei, He Caitou, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong.

After confirming Wang Yan's reward, Dean Yan Shaozhe turned his gaze to the crowd and said, "Next, it's your turn. After deliberation at the Sea God Pavilion meeting, it has been decided to award you the following rewards. There are two rewards in total. As the champions of this competition, you have received three soul bones as a reward. In addition, the academy has decided to allocate five more soul bones to each of you to complete the set, and the selection will be based on your individual abilities and characteristics."

As soon as Dean Yan Shaozhe finished speaking, Bei Bei and the others were overjoyed. A soul bone for each of them—what a generous reward! However, for Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena, the soul bones awarded by Shrek Academy were rather useless. One looked down on them, and the other simply disdained to fuse with them.

Dean Yan Shaozhe said in a deep voice, "Your second reward starts from this moment on. The academy grants you the lifetime title of Shrek Seven Devils, the reserve team members. As for Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena, from now on you can officially enter the inner academy for study, and you will participate in the next competition as regular team members..."

After Dean Yan Shaozhe finished speaking, he turned to the front of the long table and respectfully asked, "Teacher, is there anything else you need to instruct them on?"

When Dean Yan Shaozhe turned around, Huo Yuhao and the others noticed that there seemed to be a person half-lying down at the other end of the long table.

"Children, your performance has exceeded my expectations. Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and He Caitou, the cultivation levels of the four of you have all surpassed that of the Soul Master. I hereby grant you special permission to directly take the Inner Academy assessment after the end of this academic year. After passing the assessment, you will be admitted to the Inner Academy for further study."

"Ye Qi'an, Gu Yuena, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao, the five of you will remain on Seagod Island for the time being to cultivate with me. You may return to the outer courtyard only when I deem you ready to leave, and then..."

After the old man finished speaking, all the elders of the Sea God Pavilion and the four deans stood up and bowed to Elder Mu, who was reclining in the main seat.

"Meeting adjourned." Old Master Mu's voice seemed even calmer, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

Almost instantly, all the elders disappeared, leaving only Elder Xuan, the four deans, and Fan Yu behind.

"You all go too, just leave the five little ones here." Old Mu waved his hand, his voice tinged with weariness.

"Yes." Dean Yan Shaozhe respectfully agreed and led everyone away quietly. Their figures gradually disappeared into the hall, leaving only silence.

"Come here," Old Master Mu beckoned to the five of them, his voice full of affection.

Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao hurriedly walked around the long table, all three of them bowing their heads slightly, their eyes filled with awe. Meanwhile, Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena calmly walked from the other side to Elder Mu's side.

"Grandpa, we meet again." Ye Qi'an took Gu Yuena's hand and greeted the old man in front of him.

Upon hearing Ye Qian'an's voice, Huo Yuhao and the other two almost instinctively looked up, exclaiming in unison, "It's you?"

"You haven't mistaken me for someone else. I am that old man. Ye Qi'an, you don't seem surprised at all," Old Mu said slowly, a hint of a smile in his voice.

Ye Qi'an nodded and said, "Grandpa, have you forgotten that I received your guidance? We've spent so much time together. Others might not recognize you, but I certainly can."

Looking at Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena, Elder Mu's eyes revealed a hint of satisfaction. He said, "You are all exceptionally talented and have unlimited potential. You must cherish this opportunity."

"Yes."

Old Mu raised a hand and said, "Help me up."

Ye Qi'an stepped forward, took Mu Lao's hand, and slowly stood up from the recliner.

Old Mu pointed in a direction, and Ye Qian helped him move forward slowly, while Gu Yuena, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao followed behind.

The group arrived in front of a wall. Elder Mu raised his hand and pointed slightly. Instantly, a golden light shone, and a rich golden halo enveloped them. They felt their feet sink into the ground, and the next moment, when they stepped onto solid ground, the golden light around them had quietly disappeared.

The original Sea God Pavilion was gone, and they found themselves in a spacious hall with several passageways on both sides, leading to unknown destinations.

"Wang Dong, go into the first passage on your right. There's a door about ten meters away. Go inside and sit on the futon to cultivate," Elder Mu said calmly and gently.

Wang Dong paused for a moment, hesitating slightly. Huo Yuhao quickly nodded to him, and he followed Elder Mu's instructions, his figure gradually disappearing into the passageway.

"Xiao Xiao, go through the third passage on the left, then the second door, and cultivate inside as well. It's the same for all of you. When you wake up from your meditation, you can return to the outer courtyard," Elder Mu's voice rang out again.

"Yes," Xiao Xiao replied and walked to the other side.

Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao both left, leaving Huo Yuhao, Ye Qi'an, and Gu Yuena to stay with Elder Mu.

Elder Mu smiled slightly and said, "Huo Yuhao, you should go too. Take the first passage on the right, go to the end, there's a door there. Go in and start meditating."

Huo Yuhao nodded and walked towards the first passageway on the right.

Elder Mu glanced at Ye Qi'an and Gu Yuena and said, "You two go to the middle passageway, all the way to the room at the end, and cultivate together in that room."

Ye Qi'an nodded and walked with Gu Yuena toward the central passage. After walking for a while, the two arrived at their destination. The door was made of wood. They raised their hands to push the door open, without using much force.

The moment the door opened, Gu Yeqi'an and Gu Yuena felt an incredibly rich life force rush towards them. As they stepped into the room, their eyes widened in disbelief, and many of their previous guesses became clear at that moment.

Ye Qi'an snorted coldly and said, "No wonder the life force of the life core doesn't spread to the entire continent. Suppressing the evolution of the plane is truly a good method."

Gu Yuena frowned slightly and looked at Ye Qi'an, asking, "What's going on?"

Ye Qi'an's face was grim as he explained, "This golden tree probably doesn't belong to Shrek Academy; it was clearly transplanted here. A golden tree with such abundant life force couldn't possibly grow here. You see, a plane often has a plane lord, but for a plane to evolve, it needs a vast amount of life energy, which we call the plane's life core. The plane lord and the plane's life core complement each other; neither can be lacking, otherwise the plane cannot evolve."

Gu Yuena nodded thoughtfully and said, "So, someone transplanted this golden tree here to stop the evolution of this plane?"

"I'm afraid it's more than that. To be able to imprison and suppress the life core, I think that person must want to replace it. If the life core is like this, the fate of the plane lord will probably be even worse." Ye Qi'an shook his head, his voice filled with anger.

Based on his memories of transmigrating to the Douluo Continent, ten thousand years later, the ruler of the Douluo Continent plane is Tang Hao, and the core of life is the Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin. Without Tang San's secret planning and scheming, Ye Qi'an would never have believed this.

Gu Yuena looked solemn and said, "If what you say is true, then this matter is of utmost importance. I don't think anyone other than a god could accomplish this."

Ye Qi'an nodded slightly and said, "We can't act rashly right now. Let's use the Dragon God Core to cultivate first. The original Dragon God was born from Douluo Continent and eventually became a god. The Dragon God was considered the chosen one of that era, and we are the offspring of the Dragon God. If she doesn't want to be replaced, she will definitely come looking for us."

Gu Yuena nodded in agreement, and the two sat cross-legged, using the Dragon God Core and its powerful life force to cultivate. During the cultivation, Ye Qi'an could clearly feel his strength constantly improving, while Gu Yuena used this life force to quickly recover from her injuries.

To their surprise, no matter how much life force they absorbed, the life force in the room remained abundant, as if it were taking special care of them.

Time passed slowly, and after an unknown amount of time, a strange fluctuation suddenly surged in the room. A blurry female figure gradually appeared in the room. Her figure was like a dream, inspiring awe in everyone. She walked up to the two of them, raised her hand and placed it on Ye Qi'an's body, then disappeared into his body.

Ye Qi'an felt something enter his sea of ​​consciousness. He was startled, but before he could react, a beautiful figure appeared in his sea of ​​consciousness. The figure emitted a soft light and seemed to have a sacred aura.

Ye Qi'an stared wide-eyed in shock at the woman who had suddenly appeared in his mind's sea.

The woman nodded slightly, a hint of meaning in her eyes, and said softly, "Little one, don't be alarmed, I mean no harm."

Sensing that the woman before him meant no harm, Ye Qi'an asked疑惑地问道, "Who are you? Why are you in my sea of ​​consciousness?"

The woman sighed and said softly, "I am the life core of Douluo Continent, and this golden tree is my true form. Now someone is vying with me for the power that belongs to me. That person has already taken 40% of the power from me, and if this is not stopped, the remaining 60% of my power will fall into her hands. She will replace me and become the new life core."

"How could you think we have the ability to help you? Even though we are part of the Dragon God, I, as the Golden Dragon King, am only a Soul Master, and the Silver Dragon King is also seriously injured. His current strength is not even at the God level." Ye Qi'an thought for a moment and said.

The woman whose life core had changed sighed softly, "Although your current strength is limited, you are still growing and have enormous potential. You will surely be able to reach the strength of the Dragon God in the past. As long as you are willing to help, you may be able to turn the tide at a crucial moment."

Ye Qi'an pondered for a moment, then looked up at the woman in front of him and said, "We can help you, but you also need to give us corresponding assistance so that we can improve our strength more quickly."

The woman nodded slightly. "That's natural. I will bring the remaining six powers of my Path of Power, along with my consciousness, into your body to assist your growth and help the Silver Dragon King recover."

Ye Qi'an frowned and said, "What if that person finds out? And what will happen to the Lord of the Plane without you?"

The woman said in a deep voice, "I will use the Dragon God Core within you to set up a barrier so she will mistakenly believe I am still here. As for the Plane Lord, although he is currently in a difficult situation, he will not be in great danger in the short term. As long as I am safe, the Plane Lord will not have any problems."

Ye Qi'an pondered the feasibility of the plan, and after a moment said, "Won't your entry into my body have any adverse effects on me?"

The woman gently shook her head. "Don't worry, I will only assist you in your cultivation and will not cause you any harm. Moreover, you will become a child of nature, and there will be no bottlenecks in your future cultivation. You will receive the blessing of the entire plane, and the plane will prioritize you for any benefits."

Ye Qi'an nodded slowly and said firmly, "In that case, let's begin."

The woman smiled slightly, and a green light flashed around her, enveloping Ye Qi'an. At the same time, she used the Dragon God Core within her body to set up a barrier, isolating Ye Qi'an from the outside world.

Ye Qi'an felt a vast yet gentle power spreading through his body, as if he had established an inseparable connection with the natural forces of the entire Douluo Continent. The surrounding life force continuously flowed into his body, making him feel incredibly comfortable and warm.

Gu Yuena, who was sitting cross-legged opposite him, could naturally sense Ye Qi'an's changes. It was clear that the consciousness of the life core had come to him, and the two had reached some kind of deal.

Ye Qi'an closed his eyes slightly, his face calm. He could clearly feel his soul power rapidly increasing, and every cell in his body was undergoing miraculous changes. As time passed, the aura emanating from his body grew stronger and stronger. With the assistance of the life core, his cultivation speed far exceeded that of the past, as if he had entered a completely new realm.

As time passed, Ye Qi'an's aura grew stronger and stronger, and the life force around him swirled around him like a vortex. Gu Yuena could clearly feel that the life force seemed to be cheering for Ye Qi'an's growth.

Ye Qi'an himself didn't know how much time had passed—perhaps a day, perhaps a month. Completely fusing the essential power of the life core was no easy feat, and only today had Ye Qi'an finally fully integrated with it.

At this moment, the woman formed from the life core appeared in Ye Qi'an's spiritual sea and said in a calm voice, "Little guy, you have already fused with 60% of the life core of authority, and your soul power level has now reached the Soul King level. As long as you break the fifth seal, with my blessing, you will be invincible below the demigod level."

"I will certainly live up to your trust," Ye Qi'an said firmly.

"By the way, that divine consciousness within you is quite interesting; it will be a good help." The gentle voice of the woman, who was formed from the core of life, rang out again.

Ye Qi'an was slightly taken aback, his mind racing. He quickly realized that the woman was referring to Ilex in the Spirit Dragon Eye. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes as he asked, "Can he sense your presence?"

The woman, formed from the core of life, shook her head slightly. Her silky long hair swayed gently, radiating a soft light. She said softly, "Little one, you should know that I directly merged with your soul. To a certain extent, you now represent the core of life of Douluo Continent. First of all, our levels are different. He is just a remnant soul. However, as your strength increases and our fusion deepens, he may discover it."

Ye Qi'an nodded thoughtfully, his brows furrowing slightly as he fell into deep thought. After a moment, he asked, "If he discovers your presence, what will be the consequences?"

"It won't have any impact. Right now, no one but you and the Silver Dragon King will notice me. Now continue your cultivation. I will keep an eye on your progress and provide guidance when necessary." With that, the woman's figure gradually faded from Ye Qi'an's mental sea.

"Um... how should I address you? I can't keep calling you the Core of Life," Ye Qi'an said hesitantly.

The woman's voice echoed gently in Ye Qi'an's spiritual sea: "You may call me Spirit."

Ye Qi'an silently repeated the name in his heart—Ling. The name filled him with a strange sense of familiarity. Then, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at Gu Yuena, who was also cultivating opposite him. Gu Yuena seemed to sense something and opened her eyes as well.

"The life force here is no longer of any use to us, let's go," Ye Qi'an said, standing up.

Gu Yuena stood up and replied, "Okay."

The two walked out of the door together, and after exiting the passageway, they arrived at the spacious hall they had just left. They immediately saw Old Master Mu leaning against a recliner in the center of the hall.

.........

(End of this chapter)