Douluo Continent II: The Dragon King Suppresses the World!

The All-Continent Elite Soul Master Tournament is still underway. Shrek Academy and Tang Sect have both qualified, while the other teams are also fighting hard for the last few qualifying spots.

As night quietly fell, a tall figure emerged from the Mingyue Hotel, just as he always had. Outside the familiar Qingse Hotel, Chen An, ever since he stopped being a referee, would always wait respectfully at the entrance. As Ye Qi'an continued to advance in the competition, his attitude became increasingly respectful.

"Lord Ye, please come in." Chen An rushed forward to greet Ye Qi'an with a fawning expression.

"Are my things ready?" Ye Qi'an nodded.

"It's all ready, sir. Here is your soul-guided storage ring, containing the rare metals you need," Chen An said hurriedly, handing over a soul-guided storage ring.

Ye Qi'an took the soul-guided storage ring, sensed it briefly, and nodded in satisfaction: "Well done. Give me your hand; this is your reward."

Chen An paused for a moment, then quickly extended her right hand.

Ye Qi'an reached out and grasped his wrist. Instantly, Chen An felt an extremely pure soul power flow over him. In that instant, Chen An felt as if all 36 million pores on his body had opened up, his blood surged, and he felt as if he had become several years younger in an instant.

What shocked him even more was that after that pure soul power entered his body, his own soul power also fluctuated rapidly. He could clearly feel his soul power increasing, and the feeling of that increase was too obvious. Moreover, he did not sense a trace of evil aura.

"Directly advancing to Soul Emperor, how... how is this possible?" Chen An felt that his understanding had been completely overturned.

Ye Qi'an calmly said, "Nothing is impossible. If it is, it's because your understanding is insufficient."

"Yes! Yes, I understand." Chen An nodded repeatedly.

Ye Qi'an said, "Alright, take me inside."

"Yes."

Chen An, filled with excitement, escorted Ye Qi'an to the Golden Rest Hall and then left immediately. Inside the rest hall, numbers 96 and 98 had not yet arrived today, and Ye Qi'an remained silent. After all, he gave outsiders the impression of being cold and ruthless, and speaking too much would only lead to trouble.

Chen An returned shortly after leaving, bent down, and whispered in Ye Qi'an's ear, "Today's competition rules give each Soul Master five hours to create a Soul Tool, with no limit on the number they can create. Tomorrow morning, there will still be a competition. The restrictions have been reduced; the only limitation is that you can't use Soul Tools created outside of the competition, there are no other restrictions."

Ye Qi'an nodded slightly and said, "That means you can use soul skills."

Chen An nodded and said, "Yes, it's like considering not only the soul tool but also overall strength. I heard that the final competition between our three underground forces was similar. Everyone had to go to the bloody arena to compete. Only one of the nine participants from the three sides could win the final championship. Only the top three would receive a reward. It's said that the champion's reward is a level nine soul tool."

"Here's a token for you. After the competition, you can use this token to find the address on it." Ye Qi'an nodded and took out a gold medal with the three gilded characters "Dragon King Pavilion" engraved on it from his pocket, tossing it to Chen An.

Chen An accepted the token with trembling hands, his eyes filled with shock and excitement. He knew that the token represented something extraordinary and might open a whole new door for him.

"Thank you, Lord Ye!" Chen An said respectfully.

Ye Qi'an waved his hand slightly, signaling him to step back.

Chen An carefully put away the token, bowed again, and quietly left the lounge.

Just then, the door opened, and Number 96 and Number 98 walked in from outside. Both of them were still dressed in black. Seeing Ye Qi'an sitting there, Number 98 curled his lip and said, "I didn't expect you to make it to this round. You better pray you don't run into us brothers."

Ye Qi'an smiled slightly and said, "It's hard to say who will win or lose. By the way, can you beat a Contra Douluo?"

Number 98's expression changed slightly: "Contra!!! You're an eight-ringed player, this..."

Number Ninety-Six tugged at him and nodded to Ye Qi'an before the two of them sat down to the side.

Numbers 96 and 98 arrived rather late today. They had barely sat down when staff came to inform them that the competition was about to begin.

Upon re-entering the Golden Hall, in this magnificent hall bustling with activity, they immediately became the center of attention.

With only six people remaining, the arena in the Golden Hall became much more spacious, divided into three distinct areas. Each area had two extra-large soul tool crafting tables, and in the center of the arena were three round tables. Each table was piled high with rare metals—the prizes for today's winners.

Ye Qi'an and his two companions were led to a passageway behind the competition stage, instead of entering through the main entrance of the Golden Hall as usual. In addition to the three of them, three other young men in their late twenties were already waiting there, all of them looking very excited. They were also among the final six contestants.

On stage, a handsome young man dressed in glittering gold clothes strode onto the stage and said: "Distinguished guests, I am the host of this match, A Jin. I will be providing commentary for this match."

As soon as they heard that the match was about to begin, the audience in the Golden Hall became excited, and cheers and whistles rang out one after another.

"First of all, let me introduce to our distinguished guests the powerful Soul Masters who will be participating in the final six battles today. I want to emphasize here that whether it is the information we released about these six before the competition or the analysis I will do right now, it is all based on their performance in the previous competitions. Our Xishui Alliance has never asked the respected Soul Masters what level they are or what abilities they have, because this is something they are reluctant to discuss."

The emcee, A Jin, suddenly raised his voice: "Now, please welcome the first of the six finalists, Soul Master No. 37, to enter the arena."

In the back passage, a young man standing near the front quickly walked up to the stage. He reached the stage in a few steps, walked up to Ah Jin, and put his hands behind his back.

"Our Soul Master No. 37 has defeated several powerful opponents, and even created a powerful and rare Level 5 Soul Tool in the last round of the competition. We assess him as a Level 5 Soul Master, skilled in creating various agile attack Soul Tools."

"Secondly, let's welcome Soul Master No. 85 to the stage."

Another young man quickly went up on stage and stood next to Soul Master No. 37. His introduction was similar to that of No. 37, without much distinctive features. Next was No. 44, whose introduction was also sparse and ordinary.

"The fourth one, let's invite Soul Master No. 62."

Ye Qi'an leaped onto the competition platform and stood beside the three people.

"Soul Master No. 62 has demonstrated great strength. We assess him as a level six to seven Soul Master. I personally have high hopes for this esteemed Soul Master No. 62."

After taking the stage, Ye Qi'an's long, light gray hair was draped behind his head, and his gray eyes showed no emotion whatsoever; he appeared indifferent no matter how you looked at it.

"Fifth, let's invite Soul Master No. 98."

"The esteemed Soul Master No. 98 possesses extremely powerful strength and a very peculiar and sharp carving knife. We have always suspected that it is one of the listed carving knives. His strength is assessed as that of a Level 6 Soul Master. We are almost certain that he possesses strength above Level 6."

"The last one to appear is our Soul Master No. 96. Like Soul Master No. 98, we have also assessed him as Level 6. He also possesses a carving knife that resembles a ranking carving knife. We have already announced this before, because we have given the highest assessments to the two powerful Soul Masters, No. 96 and No. 98. Now, let the drawing of lots begin!"

The method of drawing lots is very simple: inside a giant crystal ball are six smaller balls. Each smaller ball has a magnet, and there are also two magnets in each of the three areas inside the crystal ball. When the crystal ball rotates, the balls that are attracted together will become the opponents in today's match.

Balls number 96 and 98 have been absorbed into two different areas, indicating that the two players will absolutely not meet in today's match. The other four balls are at the bottom.

"Alright, now I'll activate today's lottery crystal. Spin!" The emcee, Ah Jin, pressed a button on the bottom of the crystal ball, and immediately, the crystal ball slowly began to spin.

As its rotation speed increased, the four small balls below were gradually thrown up and spun rapidly. Only the three places with grooved magnets remained still. Soon, the result of the draw was clear.

"Number 37 versus Number 96. Zone 1."

Number Thirty-Seven looked dejected. He knew he had absolutely no chance.

"Number 62, facing off against Number 98, Zone 2."

Ye Qi'an and Number Ninety-Eight's expressions instantly turned strange.

The last draw was also a foregone conclusion: number 44 versus number 56, in the third zone. It was clearly a battle between two noobs.

"Alright, the draw is over. Now, we have a quarter of an hour for our distinguished guests to place their bets. The quarter-hour countdown has begun. We also ask the three pairs of Soul Masters participating in the competition to take their positions. The next five hours will be tough for you, but the final winners will receive the rare metals prepared for you in the center of the competition stage."

After the draw, the entire Golden Hall immediately became bustling with activity.

Ye Qi'an walked towards area number two, and number ninety-eight followed him.

"Kid, you're dead meat. Giving up now is your only chance to live," Number Ninety-Eight said smugly.

Ye Qi'an turned his head to look at Number Ninety-Eight, frowned and said, "Where did this fly come from? I'll swat it to death sooner or later." As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Qi'an arrived at the soul tool manufacturing table in Area Two.

Number 98 also took the opportunity to come to the soul tool manufacturing table opposite Ye Qi'an.

The fifteen-minute betting period ended quickly, and the gamblers returned to their seats.

"The competition begins." As soon as the chief referee announced the start of the competition, the soundproof barrier instantly rose, and the emcee was already outside the competition stage.

With the announcement that the competition was about to begin, the six Soul Masters moved simultaneously.

Ye Qi'an casually picked up a piece of rare metal and began his crafting. His fingertips rubbed the surface of the metal, and shavings flew everywhere he went. Soon, a small soul tool was made. Since it could be used with soul skills, the soul tool he made this time was just a casual creation.

In contrast to the quiet atmosphere on the competition stage, the entire Golden Hall was bustling with activity, as everyone was engaged in heated discussions with their familiar partners.

Five hours is indeed a long time. The light in the entire Golden Hall was dimmed over time, with only the light on the competition stage remaining strong.

Time passed second by second, and one finished product after another was gradually produced. The people on the competition stage were very focused, and no one wanted to waste a single moment. Of course, Ye Qi'an was an exception. After completing a soul tool, he stopped working. In front of him was just a small, gleaming silver gun.

Whenever a soul tool is completed, the soul master will raise their hand to signal the referee, who will then inspect it to confirm that it has just been made and that its function has been verified. Only after the referee confirms that the soul tool has been made can the soul master put it away for use in later competitions.

When an hour and a half had passed, Soul Master No. 98 had completed two works, while Ye Qi'an still only had one, and spent the rest of the time recuperating.

Three hours had passed, and Number Ninety-Eight had completed four of his works, which was an astonishing speed. All four of his works were level five soul tools.

During breaks in production, Number Ninety-Eight would occasionally look up at Ye Qi'an, who was resting with his eyes closed, and couldn't help but wonder—what was this kid doing? How could a finished product possibly beat him?

The production of the soul tools was proceeding at a rapid pace. As the number of times the six soul masters raised their hands gradually increased, the gamblers who had been resting earlier also gradually woke up.

The five-hour competition was drawing to a close. Among the six Soul Masters, only Ye Qi'an had completed one finished product so far. As time passed, the other five Soul Masters had finished their creations.

"The competition time is up. All participating Soul Masters, please stop. The three judges, please inspect the Soul Tools they have made." The emcee, A Jin, had returned to the competition stage. The soundproof Soul Tool was lowered, and the noise immediately flooded the stage.

The three referees had already come to the stage, and their first target was Ye Qi'an. They wanted to determine whether Ye Qi'an, who only had one soul tool, was still qualified to continue the competition.

Floating in the air above the golden hall, in a VIP room in the center, seven or eight people were seated. In the very center sat a woman in a long black robe, the wide robe completely covering her body, and her gender could only be identified by the curves of her body.

A cloak covered her head, and a black veil covered her face, revealing only a pair of very strange blue-gray eyes that were quietly gazing outside. The entire VIP room was very quiet at this moment, and everyone was looking outside but no one made a sound.

"Third brother, what do you think about the situation of number sixty-two?" the woman sitting in the middle asked.

The man she called "Third Brother" was an elderly man in his sixties with long, silver-gray hair draped behind his head. Despite his advanced age, his eyes were quite sharp.

"Vice Master, that young man is no ordinary person. Since he was able to reach the top six, he is definitely not someone to be underestimated. That soul tool might bring us unexpected surprises. If possible, I would be very willing to take him under my wing."

An elderly man sitting on the other side of the vice leader smiled and said, "Since the third brother has taken a liking to talent, in that case, after the competition, I'll have someone talk to him and see what he thinks."

The vice-leader asked in surprise, "Third brother, do you think he can defeat your precious disciple?"

The third brother shook his head and said, "It's hard to say. Of my two apprentices, Huang Zheng is more composed and steady in his actions. As the senior brother, he is very competent. But in terms of talent, Merck is a bit better. However, this kid has a major flaw, which is that he is easily arrogant. He's a little better in front of me, but in front of outsiders, he always looks down on people. I've told him many times, but he just can't change. I actually hope that he can lose to that number sixty-two today; it won't be a bad thing for his future growth."

On the competition stage, after a quick inspection, the three judges confirmed that Ye Qian had created a successful soul tool. However, just like the Third Elder and the Vice Sect Leader's doubts, the judges also did not understand why Ye Qian would create such a soul tool.

Soon, the soul tools of the six soul masters were appraised. Except for Ye Qi'an, who only had one soul tool, No. 98 had made six soul tools, No. 96 also had six, and the other three each had three.

The chief referee said in a deep voice, "Now I will conduct a routine inquiry. The soul tool making process is over. Since this is the final six battle, no matter how good the soul tools you made are, they must be tested in actual combat. Only by passing the test of actual combat can the power of the soul tools you made be demonstrated. Now I ask you, anyone who feels that their soul tool is not enough to fight against their opponent can choose to withdraw. Otherwise, once you enter the combat state, you will be responsible for any injuries or deaths."

Upon hearing this, a tense atmosphere immediately filled the arena. A large number of staff members went up to remove the six soul tool crafting tables and temporarily moved the rare metals intended as rewards away. Clearly, this circular arena would be where the six soul masters would determine the victor; no one was backing out. With such generous rewards, who wouldn't want to try their luck? Even if they lost, at least they could concede.

"Very good. Since no one has withdrawn, let's begin the competition immediately. First up, please welcome Soul Master No. 96 to face off against Soul Master No. 37."

Number 37 was already at a disadvantage in terms of momentum against Number 96. Without any suspense, Number 96 achieved an overwhelming victory in just five minutes.

Next up was the match between number 44 and number 56. It can only be said that these two made it into the top six entirely by luck. Fortunately, only one of them could win, and number 44 was clearly the lucky one.

Two of the three matches have already concluded, with numbers 96 and 44 securing their spots in the next round. Now, the main event is finally about to begin.

The gamblers' breathing became noticeably rapid. The previous two rounds had ended, with some happy and some sad, but this third round had the highest odds, especially for those gamblers who had bet on Ye Qi'an. At this moment, everyone was filled with trepidation.

The gamblers who had bet on Soul Master No. 98 weren't worried at all. Six Soul Tools against one—unless the opponent had a decisive method, the advantage was far too obvious. They had absolutely nothing to worry about.

…(End of this chapter)