Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

Chapter 503 Quarterfinals

"What! It's those bastards from the Baida Empire!"

"That's fantastic! This is incredible luck!"

"The people we want to teach the most a lesson to are those from the Baida Empire. We'll finish this battle quickly, and in the next battle, we'll give those Baida Empire guys a sound thrashing."

"That's right! Let me tell you, if we defeat the Baida Empire in the Heavenly Jewel Tournament, even if we don't make it to the top four, we'll still receive hero treatment when we return home."

"This is so awesome. I definitely have to play in the next match against Baida."

The members of the Fei Li team were initially very nervous because of Shangguan Longyin's inspection, but they didn't expect that just hearing that the next match would be against Bai Da, they would all become extremely excited, as if they had been injected with chicken blood, and were ready to go all out.

Minghua and Mingyu were among the few calm people. The pretty girl leaned close to Yan's ear and whispered, "Yan, you might not be aware of this."

The Feli Empire and the Baida Empire are sworn enemies, their feud so deep it's practically insurmountable, bordering on ethnic hatred. That's why they react this way when the topic of a confrontation with the Baida Empire comes up.

At this moment, Ming Yu nodded and said, "When I led my army to fight against the Beast Empire in the north, the Baida Empire deliberately hindered us. It can be said that the people of the Feili Empire hate the Baida Empire even more than the Beast Empire."

Yan stroked his chin. "Is that so? That's really unexpected. If morale is high, then these two matches should be relatively easy. The only tough battle to get into the semifinals will be against the Baopa Empire."

Mingyu nodded and replied, "That's right. If everything goes smoothly, you can temporarily hide in the next two matches, especially the battle against the Baida Empire. Everyone will definitely go all out, and it would be best to save you for the semi-finals."

"Understood, then I wish you a resounding victory."

After Yan and Mingyu finished their conversation, they settled down on the bench and didn't move. Minghua stayed by his side, and the two became increasingly close as they chatted, which made Caicai, who was standing next to them, feel a little uneasy.

……

Three days later, the third round of the Heavenly Bead Competition began, and Zhongtian Square was incredibly lively today. The most discussed topic was a major competition that day: the match between two powerful teams from the western part of the continent.

The Feli Empire and the Bada Empire are two sworn enemies, so you can imagine that this competition will be extremely fierce, even to the point of being a fight to the death.

Although the Heavenly Bead Competition has rules and restrictions, it's not easy to stop during a fight. After three rounds of the Heavenly Bead Competition, more than one or two people have been seriously injured or even killed.

Today, the entire Emerald team mobilized, even Yan, who had always sat on the bench, moved forward a few places. Mingyu led the team's main force at the front. With Yan as their secret weapon, they were no longer going to hold back and were going to use their trump cards to fight Baida.

"The people from Team Baida have arrived."

Amidst a commotion, a group of young people dressed in yellow uniforms arrived at the other side of the arena. Their yellow outfits were embroidered with silver patterns, and each of them had a silver pendulum-like symbol on their chest.

The silver pendulum is the symbol of the Baida Empire, just like the cross-shaped shield and sword of the Feili Empire. These yellow-clad figures are all members of the Baida team.

When the members of Team Feli saw the members of Team Baida approaching, the atmosphere instantly became tense.

“Brother Mingyu, I may not be as good as you on the battlefield, but you might not be able to win on the competition field.”

The captain of the Baida team stepped forward, his gaze towards Mingyu filled with murderous intent. The two raised their hands and shook hands in full view of everyone.

When the two large hands clasped tightly together, the members of both the Baida and Feili teams could clearly feel that the air was about to explode, and a distorted light even appeared around their clasped hands.

For a full three seconds, they simultaneously released their grip as if by prior agreement. On the surface, it seemed that neither of them had suffered a loss, and their expressions remained unchanged. However, a careful observer would notice that the captain of the Baida team had a slight spasm and tremble in his right hand.

"I hope your team, Baida, can fight to the last man, instead of being cowards and deserters like you are on the battlefield."

Ming Yu gave a cold laugh, and his words almost sparked a brawl between the two sides. Although the match had not yet started, the tension between the two sides was already incredibly high. When the players passed each other, everyone could clearly feel the intense hostility emanating from the other side.

"For the glory of the empire."

The members of the Emerald team shouted at the same time in the lounge, while the Bada team on the other side made a similar shout.

The members of the other teams couldn't help but smile. The competition hadn't even started yet, but the two main protagonists of today's highlight match were already giving it their all. Without a doubt, this would be a life-or-death battle, like a collision of planets.

As the matches came to an end, the atmosphere in the arena gradually heated up. When the referee announced that the match between the Fei Li team and the Bai Da team was about to begin, nearly a million people around Zhongtian Square erupted in cheers that were like a landslide and a tsunami.

"Lin Jiang, you're up for the first match."

Inside the lounge of the Emerald Empire, Mingyu's gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on a tall, muscular man.

After standing up, Lin Jiang excitedly shouted, "Captain, don't worry, leave the first match to me."

"Be careful, don't hold back, just play all your cards."

Ming Yu gave him instructions, and after hearing Ming Yu's instructions, Lin Jiang first glanced at Ming Yu, then looked at Yan who had been sitting calmly, and nodded. Then, representing the Fei Li Empire, he slowly walked onto the competition stage.

Although his expression was calm, a strong fighting spirit could be seen in his eyes. Somewhat unexpectedly, the person who stepped forward from the Baida Empire was a handsome man, but he looked pale and weak, not at all like someone with strong combat power.

The man from the Baida Empire walked very lightly, making no sound as he stepped onto the competition stage, as if he had floated up from below. His eyes were unusual, possessing a deep and dark quality.

Yan glanced at him briefly, then lowered his voice and said to Ming Yu, "This person's mental strength is not weak. Tell Lin Jiang to be careful of his control methods."

"Mental power? That's a tricky ability!"

Lin Jiang's expression darkened slightly, then he nodded and made a gesture, which was naturally relayed by people arranged by the Fei Li Empire below.

This method may seem unfair, but in reality, there is no absolute fairness in such competition between nations. It's a skill for our country to be able to figure out your secrets; it's a lack of skill for your country to be able to ascertain them as well.

On the field, after the referee announced the start of the match, a sudden scene shocked everyone. Lin Jiang suddenly closed his eyes, and then the four pairs of dzi beads on his body flashed at the same time, with the four fiery red gem dzi beads bursting out with a shocking flame.

"Boom!"

A burst of fire erupted instantly, colliding with another person who couldn't dodge in time. Then came a deafening explosion of flames. The scorching flames rolled and engulfed the two figures, bursting into a terrifying fireball with a diameter of over ten feet. Even the diamond-forged arena was shattered, sending some fragments flying. This demonstrated the power of the explosion.

"Boom!"

A figure was thrown out of the rolling sea of ​​flames, while another person barely stopped after sliding across most of the arena. The person who was thrown out crashed heavily in front of the Baida team's rest room, even leaving a dent in the ground.

The members of the Baida Empire team rushed forward, only to find their teammate charred black and barely breathing. Even if he could be saved, such severe burns would essentially cripple him.

Under these circumstances, how could the captain of the Baida team tolerate it? He immediately roared, "Mingyu, you're courting death!"

Mingyu stared coldly at the other party, "Feili and Baida are sworn enemies. What's the point of you saying that?"

Captain Baida stared intently at Lin Jiang on the stage and said hatefully, "Very good, very good. So you've unleashed your arcane fire warrior power? You think only your Feili Empire has a trump card?"

"Hehe! I'm waiting for your trump card. My Feili Empire concedes defeat in the second round, and Lin Jiang will not be playing again."

Ming Yu smiled coldly and proceeded with the arrangements as planned. This quarterfinal tournament was essentially a series of matches, and the winners could serve as potential substitutes, but Ming Yu was cautious and unwilling to take that risk.

Lin Jiang has already unleashed a burst of power, so he can't unleash much more combat strength. If we are greedy for that little advantage and let him fight another round to wear down his opponent's stamina, we might actually give him an opportunity to exploit.

Baida and his men now hate Lin Jiang to death. If they get even the slightest chance, they might kill him outright. Since they've already won a one-for-one trade, why risk continuing?

After Lin Jiang left the field, the third match between Baida and Fei Li began, and the two immediately engaged in a fierce battle as soon as they stepped onto the field.

With a deafening roar, both men unleashed their full power in a desperate struggle, each afraid of failing to kill the other.

The Baida Empire had learned its lesson, but the Feili Empire was already prepared to reveal its trump cards and unleashed its full combat power.

Such a match was almost a life-or-death struggle, with the strongest players from both countries either injured or crippled in the end, as both sides fought with their true fury.

However, having learned from the unfortunate example of the first match, both teams remained extremely vigilant in subsequent battles. When they fell into a disadvantageous position, they reacted decisively, admitting defeat when necessary and not giving the other side any chance to finish them off.

As the matches continued, the fifth round finally arrived, and Mingyu faced off against the opposing team's captain.

The captain of the Baida Empire is also from the military. He once fought against Ming Yu on the battlefield, but suffered a crushing defeat. He wants to avenge himself this time, but given the current situation, it is very unrealistic.

After a fierce battle, Mingyu nearly crippled his opponent at the cost of a chest injury. With this match over, the quarterfinals were settled. The next opponent for the Feili Empire was the Baopa Empire, one of the four seeded empires and supported by the Youqing Valley, one of the five holy lands.

Chapter 504 Blancpain's Underestimation of Its Opponent

At Zhongtian Square, in the final round of the preliminary rounds, all eight teams that had reached the finals arrived at the venue, with the Fei Li team arriving at the rest room early.

These days, the most popular gambling establishments in the Zhongtian Empire have been making a fortune, and this Heavenly Bead Competition has once again brought the Zhongtian Empire's officials a huge profit.

But when they reached the second round of the qualifiers, far fewer people were betting. This is because, normally, by the time the quarterfinals reach the semifinals, the outcome is almost never in doubt.

Inside the dressing room of the Feli team, all the team members were waiting anxiously. The Feli Empire was a formidable force, with each team typically making it into the top eight, but they almost always stopped there, their highest ranking being fifth, never even reaching the top four.

They weren't very confident about making a breakthrough this time, but Yan suddenly appeared and gave them a glimmer of hope, so this trip was filled with tension and anticipation.

"I heard that the odds of Fei Li betting against Blancpain are 100 to 1. Would any of you be interested in placing a bet?" In the lounge, Yan calmly looked at an ancient book, his face showing no sign of tension. His demeanor reassured everyone.

Ming Yu said in a deep voice, "The ace of the Blancpain team is a disciple of the Valley of Love. Although their team is mostly good at joint attacks, they are not weak in one-on-one combat, not to mention the time attribute, one of the four holy attributes. Are you confident?" Ming Hua also whispered, "Yan, don't underestimate your opponent. The experts from the five holy lands are not so simple. Among the five holy lands, the Heavenly Evil Sect is known for its evil and dark attributes, and its first generation of evil attribute members can be ranked among the four holy attributes. The Crimson Prison is known for its fire and light attributes, and the Danton Empire is supported by them. The Snow God Mountain of the Beast Empire..." Possessing both spiritual and divine attributes, the Lord of Snow God Mountain is hailed as the strongest in the world. The Manifestation Pearls of the Vast Palace are renowned for their vast and multifaceted attributes; their core lineage often possesses Alexandrite Cat's Eye Manifestation Pearls, a unique advantage among the five holy lands. The current Lord of Vast Palace possesses the attributes of Light, Space, and Life. Coupled with the continent's first Vast and Limitless Set passed down through generations, he can barely rival the Lord of Snow God Mountain. Meanwhile, the Valley of Affection of the Baopao Empire, ranking only below Snow God Mountain and Vast Palace among the five holy lands, possesses one of the four holy attributes: Time.

"The Five Holy Lands? Do you think I care about that?" Yan slightly raised his head, giving Minghua a meaningful look, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"The time attribute is indeed very powerful, but their cultivation level is too low. Such a powerful attribute skill requires sufficient cultivation to exert its full effect. In the early stages, there's nothing to be afraid of." Yan's confident words calmed the members of the Fei Li team considerably, while Ming Hua was extremely embarrassed and annoyed by his gaze, her face burning.

She, a direct descendant of the Heavenly Evil Sect, was easily subdued by this little thief. And yet, she had just boasted about how powerful the experts from the Five Holy Lands were, and now she was... Minghua lowered her head, hoping there was a crack in the ground she could crawl into.

"Yan, it's good that you're confident. Next, let Mingyu and Lin Jiang wear down the opponent's strength. It's just a pity that yesterday's fierce battle with Baida exposed many of their trump cards. Baopao should be on guard now." Beside Yan, Princess Caicai, the team leader, laid out the information about the Baopao team and then instructed Yan, "Prepare well. Mingyu and the others can probably only fight two or three opponents at most. You may need to fight three matches in a row." Yan glanced down at the information about the Baopao team, shook his head, and said, "No need for that. I can handle them by myself." As soon as he said this, everyone was stunned and speechless. Caicai and Minghua even doubted whether he was overconfident. How could this person be so willful when it came to the important matter of the Heavenly Pearl Token?

"Don't worry! I won't joke about this. After all, I want the Heavenly Pearl Token." Yan spoke calmly after a moment of silence. His demeanor suddenly gave everyone confidence. Mingyu, Minghua, Caicai, and the others exchanged glances and nodded, as if they really believed him.

With the referee's whistle, the final round of the match officially began. The rest room of the Fei Li team became exceptionally quiet, with everyone filled with anticipation.

Perhaps because the final round of qualifiers was largely decided, today's matches went very quickly.

Not long after, it was the turn of the Emerald Team and the Blancpain Team to compete. On the martial arts arena in Zhongtian Square, the referee announced loudly, as if it were a routine matter, "Second group, Blancpain Team versus Emerald Team. First-round players from both sides, please come to the stage." The referee and the audience seemed a bit unenthusiastic, probably because so many matches today had been just going through the motions. He didn't take this match too seriously, already thinking about how to arrange the ranking matches for the final four that afternoon.

"Someone from the Fei Li team actually came out."

Are they planning to send someone in?

"Are they crazy?! Beating one Baida has made them so arrogant?"

"This person doesn't seem to have played before. Could he be a secret weapon?"

"Impossible! I think they're afraid it would be too embarrassing to just admit defeat directly, so they're going through the motions."... Countless spectators around the arena were surprised to see the figure walking out of the Fei Li team's rest room. This was quite different from what they had expected.

On the stage, the referee, who hadn't yet conceded defeat, was somewhat bewildered, staring blankly as the figure walked steadily onto the stage.

He subconsciously rubbed his eyes, wanting to make sure he wasn't seeing things. On the other side, the Blancpain Empire team, who were just going through the motions, also sent someone up. When he saw that someone from the Emerald team had actually come up on stage, he couldn't help but be stunned.

Just like the referee, Blancpain Team never expected that Emerald Team would send someone out. The referee was stunned for a long time, and only reacted when Yan quickly walked to the center of the stage.

"You want to participate in a competition?"

"Isn't this supposed to be a match between the Emerald Team and the Denton Team? Why isn't it happening?" Yan's voice was deep and powerful, and the entire square fell silent as soon as he said this.

The crowds on the periphery, the important figures in the stands, and the teams in the various rest rooms around the competition stage all heard it clearly.

After a brief silence, the lounges outside of Fei Li and Blancpain erupted in an uproar, and the surrounding audience also became excited.

At this moment, countless people are cursing the Fei Li team for being reckless and courting death.

"Are you guys at Emery a bit too confident? You actually want to challenge Blancpain?" The Blancpain team member who went on stage was filled with surprise, and even a bit of anger. Since the start of the Dzi Bead Competition, they were the first seeded team to be challenged.

The four seeded teams have dominated the Dzi Bead Tournament for too many years, especially the Blancpain team, whose overall ranking is second only to the Zhongtian team. They have long considered themselves the authority, and being challenged suddenly is like suffering a great humiliation for them.

Yan had no interest in responding to this self-important guy. He glanced at the referee and said calmly, "Referee, can the match begin?" The referee had recovered from his surprise and his expression returned to normal. He said in a deep voice, "Both sides announce their names! The match begins!" When the referee announced the start of the match, the Blancpain team members in the lounge below the stage were extremely surprised.

None of them expected this situation to arise, and they were all caught off guard. But now that the person was on stage, they couldn't replace him immediately.