Douluo Continent II: The Dragon King Suppresses the World!

Douluo Continent, spatial rift.

Ye Qi'an sped forward within the spatial rift, the light emanating from the Dragon God Core illuminating the strange spatial turbulence around him.

"Dragon cemeteries are really hard to find. If I can't find one soon, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on."

Ye Qi'an gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, sweat dripping down his cheeks and instantly turning into vapor by the power of the spatial turbulence. He kept adjusting the output of his soul power, trying to maintain stability in this dangerous space.

Suddenly, a strong energy fluctuation appeared in front of him, like an invisible barrier, and slammed into Ye Qi'an. He groaned and flew backward, and it took him a lot of effort to stabilize himself. The shimmering Dragon God Core seemed to be affected as well, and its light became somewhat disordered.

"A barrier? Could this be the dragon's graveyard?"

A look of excitement flashed in Ye Qi'an's eyes. Ignoring the pain in his body, he slowly summoned the Heavenly Punishment Sword, and at this moment, he held the Heavenly Punishment Sword and the Nine Heavens Sword in his hands respectively.

He gripped the Heavenly Punishment Sword and the Nine Heavens Sword tightly with both hands, his eyes flashing with cold light, his soul power surging and surging. With a loud shout, he charged towards the invisible barrier like an arrow released from a bow. The Heavenly Punishment Sword and the Nine Heavens Sword shone brightly, as if two light dragons were wrapped around the swords.

The moment the sword tip touched the barrier, a powerful recoil force came, but Ye Qi'an showed no sign of backing down. He continuously poured his soul power into the two swords, and the light on the swords became increasingly dazzling, gradually suppressing the light of the barrier.

"Break!" Ye Qi'an roared, thrusting his two swords forward with all his might. A crisp cracking sound rang out, and countless cracks appeared on the barrier, like shattered glass, before turning into specks of light and dissipating into the spatial turbulence.

The barrier was torn apart, and seven-colored light spread outward, revealing a huge gap. Staring at the pitch-black gap, Ye Qi'an was also dumbfounded. He had never seen such a strange sight before.

Without hesitation, Ye Qi'an rushed towards the black opening. His figure disappeared into the opening. After entering the opening, Ye Qi'an felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, followed by a dizzying spin. Everything around him became blurry, and there was a feeling of spatial distortion.

The pulling force didn't last long. Suddenly, the darkness disappeared, the light reappeared, and what followed was no longer a feeling of distortion, but a feeling of weightlessness.

Ye Qi'an subconsciously looked down and saw himself falling like a free fall. He immediately realized that a special energy seemed to have entered his body, and his soul power was completely suppressed and could not be exerted at all. Even his battle armor returned to his body.

"The Dragon Burial Grounds truly live up to their reputation."

Ye Qi'an shook his head slightly, instantly calmed down, and began to observe the surrounding environment. He was already very close to the ground when he crashed straight down. With a loud "boom," the huge impact created a large crater in the ground, and dust flew everywhere.

As the dust settled, Ye Qi'an looked up at the sky. The sky was a clear blue, but there was no trace of anything else. The gap from before had disappeared.

"It's actually a small world. I can merge it with my Void Plane in the future, but I have important matters to attend to right now." Ye Qi'an said, his gaze falling on the Heavenly Punishment Sword. With a wave of his hand, Gu Yuena, Ye Xiyao, Zhang Lexuan, and Ye Guyi from the Void Plane appeared simultaneously in a flash of light.

Zhang Lexuan and Ye Guyi clearly didn't know where they were. Ye Guyi had just come out of the void plane and saw Ye Qi'an. She subconsciously prepared to draw her sword and stab him.

Ye Qi'an simply raised his hand and lightly touched the longsword, and the longsword cracked with a "crack" before shattering into dust that scattered in the air.

Ye Guyi's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief: "Who exactly are you?"

"The Ye Liuyun you know isn't my real name; it's Ye Qi'an. I saved you from many evil soul masters, and you still want to kill me? You're really good to your benefactor," Ye Qi'an said, waving his hand.

Ye Guyi bit her lip, a complex look flashing in her eyes. Though still suspicious, she no longer acted impulsively: "Even if you saved me, where am I? What is your purpose in bringing me here?"

"You're quite confident. If you want to know anything, just follow us." Ye Qi'an said as he walked to Gu Yuena and Ye Xiyao's side.

Zhang Lexuan looked at this extraordinary scene. It was clear that this was no longer Douluo Continent. Although she did not know why she had come here, she saw Gu Yuena and Ye Xiyao in the moment before she lost consciousness.

"Qi An, where is this?" Zhang Lexuan asked, mustering her courage.

"Now that things have come to this, Senior Sister Le Xuan, I will no longer hide it from you. Gu Yuena and Ye Xiyao are not actually human. One is the Silver Dragon King, the ruler of all soul beasts, and the other is the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, an imperial auspicious beast. From the very beginning, our purpose in entering Shrek Academy was not pure. Whether it was to improve our strength or to hide ourselves, our goal has always been the same: to ensure the survival of the entire soul beast race. And I am the Golden Dragon King of the soul beast race," Ye Qi'an said in a deep voice.

Zhang Lexuan and Ye Guyi were both shocked after hearing Ye Qi'an's words. Zhang Lexuan, in particular, understood everything after connecting the condensation of bloodline, qi and blood soul rings, and elemental soul rings. Everything Ye Qi'an did was for the sake of the soul beasts.

Ye Guyi's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief: "The ruler of all soul beasts? An imperial auspicious beast? You... what exactly do you intend to do?"

Ye Qi'an said with a serious expression: "Human hunting of soul beasts has forced the soul beast race to the point of having no choice but to resist. As the leaders of the soul beast race, the Golden Dragon King and the Silver Dragon King, humans must be curbed. We are all considering our own interests from our own perspectives. What I can do is very limited. As for other things, they are not our concern."

Ye Guyi sneered, "Hmph, that sounds nice, 'thinking of your own interests,' but your so-called suppression of humanity is nothing more than starting a bloody massacre. And you call it 'limited'? The consequences will be extremely serious!"

Zhang Lexuan also looked worried: "Qi'an, I understand the difficult situation of soul beasts, but this approach will really plunge Douluo Continent into an abyss of no return. Can't we think of other ways?"

Ye Qi'an sighed helplessly: "Senior sister, we wish we had a better way, but the persecution of soul beasts by humans has never stopped. If I remember correctly, the Star Dou Great Forest has launched several beast tides. If we weren't forced to, who wouldn't want to survive safely?"

Gu Yuena sighed softly, "Each beast tide is a desperate struggle for the soul beasts, but humans, with their powerful soul skills and soul tools, have repeatedly repelled them. The soul beasts have suffered increasingly heavy casualties, and their living space has been compressed smaller and smaller."

Ye Xiyao nodded in agreement: "Moreover, in order to obtain more powerful soul rings, humans will even hunt soul beasts that have not yet fully grown up, giving soul beasts no chance to reproduce and develop, which makes the future of the soul beast race very bleak."

Hearing this, Ye Guyi's expression softened slightly, but she still stubbornly said, "We can't use such extreme methods to deal with humans. There must be other ways to go."

Ye Qi'an looked at Ye Guyi and said slowly, "But before that, we must make humanity realize the seriousness of the problem and stop letting them run rampant."

"Aren't you afraid of divine retribution?" Zhang Lexuan asked.

"Divine retribution? What is divine retribution? Let me tell you a story you don't know. In ancient times, the Douluo Continent was ruled by the Dragon Clan. The Dragon God, the strongest among the Dragon Clan, cultivated into a god with his unique talent and established the Dragon God Realm. Initially, there were no human gods in the Dragon God Realm. It was the Dragon God who allowed some humans to become gods. Among them were Destruction, Life, Goodness, Evil, and Asura. They were the first batch of human gods accepted by the Dragon God. These human gods formed the God Realm Committee. Because they feared the Dragon God's power, the God Realm Committee wanted to restrain him. So they began to spread rumors in the God Realm, claiming that the Dragon God's power was too great and that if it was not restrained, it would one day plunge the entire God Realm into crisis. These rumors caused panic among some gods in the God Realm, and the God Realm Committee took this opportunity to propose to check and balance the Dragon God's power."

"The Dragon God also led the divine beasts of the divine realm in launching the Dragon God War, attempting to break through the constraints of the Divine Realm Council, unify the divine realm, and fight against the gods commanded by the five Great God Kings. In the end, the Dragon God was defeated by the combined forces of the God of Good and the God of Evil, and was later killed by the God of Asura. In this war, the gods of the divine realm also suffered heavy losses, with nearly half of the divine positions vacant, and it took hundreds of years to recover."

"The Dragon God possesses extremely high individual combat power, making him one of the strongest deities, surpassing any of the five Great God-Kings at the time. He possesses two divine attributes: Creation and Destruction, wielding the power of destruction and creation inherent in the universe. However, the combined strength of the five Great God-Kings should not be underestimated, and they ultimately succeeded in defeating the Dragon God."

"Before the Dragon God died, he forcibly split into the Golden Dragon King and the Silver Dragon King. The Silver Dragon King is me, and the Golden Dragon King is Ye Qi'an, who was chosen. The place we are in now is the Dragon Cemetery, where the dragons who fell in the war are buried."

Gu Yuena looked at Zhang Lexuan and Ye Guyi and said.

Zhang Lexuan and Ye Guyi were stunned after hearing Gu Yuena's words, and remained speechless for a long time.

After a long silence, Zhang Lexuan finally managed to speak: "So, was all of this predetermined from the very beginning? You were destined to be enemies of humanity?"

Ye Qi'an shook his head: "We are not destined to be enemies, but we hope that humanity can change its attitude towards soul beasts. We do not want to start a war, but we cannot sit idly by and watch soul beasts become extinct."

Ye Guyi frowned deeply: "But what you are doing now is no different from provoking a war. Once the conflict breaks out, the Douluo Continent will surely be devastated."

"How can a crushing war cause such widespread destruction? Humanity is not completely wiped out, but sects, empires, and aristocratic families must disappear, and soul tools will also vanish into thin air," Ye Qi'an said.

"But such a price is too heavy." Zhang Lexuan looked reluctant. "There are many innocent people in those sects, empires, and aristocratic families. They don't all want to exterminate soul beasts. Moreover, the existence of soul tools has also promoted the development of Douluo Continent. If we just let them disappear like this, Douluo Continent will probably regress by many years."

Ye Guyi nodded in agreement: "Yes, we can't punish everyone because of the mistakes of a few. There must be a gentler way to resolve the conflict between soul beasts and humans."

"This is what we most hoped to see, and it is also the last act of mercy we leave for humanity. The remaining humans will also have leaders. Orange, Sister Lexuan, Ye Guyi, Ji Juechen, and others from the Sun Moon Empire, you are the leaders we have chosen," Ye Qi'an nodded and said.

Zhang Lexuan and Ye Guyi were stunned by these words, their faces filled with disbelief.

Zhang Lexuan's eyes widened: "Qi An, what... why are you suddenly suggesting we be the leaders of humanity? We've never considered taking on such a responsibility, and how can we represent all of humanity?"

Ye Guyi shook her head as well: "Yes, this is too sudden. Besides, we already have a different stance from you soul beasts. How can we possibly lead humanity now?"

Ye Qi'an looked at them, his expression serious yet filled with anticipation: "Senior Sister, Gu Yi, I know this is sudden, but think about it. You already have some understanding of the situation of soul beasts, and you understand the conflict between humans and soul beasts. Moreover, you are kind-hearted, not those greedy people who only know how to hunt soul beasts. If you lead the remaining humans, it is more likely to promote harmonious coexistence between humans and soul beasts."

Zhang Lexuan hesitated. She knew how arduous the task was, but she couldn't bear to see Douluo Continent descend into endless strife and destruction: "But even if we're willing to try, will the others listen to us?"

"Trust me, they will succeed. After the existing empires, sects, and families are eliminated, the remaining humans will definitely reorganize into an empire, and the Douluo Continent will be unified in a roundabout way. Ju Zi has strong leadership skills, and she will lead the new empire. What the rest of you need to do is become the support for the remaining humans," Ye Qi'an nodded and said.

Zhang Lexuan and Ye Guyi exchanged a glance after hearing Ye Qi'an's words, their eyes still full of doubt.

Zhang Lexuan frowned and said, "Qi An, even if what you say is true, the upheaval involved is too great. Those empires, sects, and aristocratic families have deep roots; their sudden elimination will inevitably cause great chaos. People will be filled with fear, so how can a new empire be successfully rebuilt? And where do we even begin to become their support?"

Ye Guyi chimed in, "Yes, this isn't something that can be done just by talking. Besides, even if Ju Zi has strong leadership skills, she can't handle so many complex situations on her own. Also, how do we balance our relationship with the soul beasts? We can't let humans think we're biased towards the soul beasts and don't genuinely care about them."

Ye Qi'an frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "I've considered these issues as well. During the process of eliminating those forces, we will try our best to control the situation and reduce unnecessary casualties and chaos. As for Ju Zi, she's not acting alone; we will assist her. And what if you also become gods? I think the chances of becoming a god are definitely very high."

Zhang Lexuan and Ye Guyi were taken aback by these words.

Zhang Lexuan's eyes widened: "Qi An, become a god? That's easier said than done. It's not something you can do casually. And even if you become a god, there's no guarantee you'll be able to solve these problems smoothly."

"But having strength to rely on can solve most problems. As for your strength improvement, this place is also an opportunity for you," Ye Qi'an said.

Zhang Lexuan frowned and said, "Qi An, although it's good to improve your strength, becoming a god is not that easy. The difficulties and obstacles involved are unimaginable."

Ye Guyi chimed in, "Yes, this so-called opportunity sounds good, but it's too difficult to actually implement."

Ye Qi'an hurriedly explained, "Senior Sister, Gu Yi, opportunity favors the prepared. Now the opportunity is before you, and the remaining humans need protectors." Ye Qi'an continued, "Think about it, if you can seize this opportunity and become gods, you will have greater confidence and ability to handle conflicts between humans and soul beasts. Facing potential chaos, with divine power, you can better maintain order and protect everyone's safety. Humans will have you, and the soul beast race will have us; neither side will interfere with the other."

Zhang Lexuan still looked worried and said, "Qi'an, even if becoming a god has those benefits, the risks involved are too great. If something goes wrong on the path to godhood, it won't solve the problem; it might even cause more trouble. And even if we do become gods, getting humans and soul beasts to accept our coordination won't be easy."

Ye Guyi frowned and chimed in, "That's right, it's not something that can be done just by talking. How can we guarantee that after becoming gods, we can handle all the relationships perfectly? If humans feel that we are just using our divine status to oppress them, then the conflict will be even more difficult to resolve."

Ye Qi'an nodded slightly and said solemnly, "I will handle everything. I will make you heroes on the side of humanity. The prerequisite is that I will have a battle for everyone to watch. As for the process of the battle, that's up to us, isn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lexuan and Ye Guyi's eyes widened in astonishment.

Zhang Lexuan said anxiously, "Qi An, what are you saying? How can we become heroes through a deliberately arranged battle? Everyone isn't stupid."

"How can they judge a battle between gods? The remaining humans only want to see what they want to see and don't care about the authenticity of the battle. Life is like a play, all about acting skills. If you can fool everyone, then you are real. After all this is done, the rest is up to Ju Zi." Ye Qi'an said.

Zhang Lexuan and Ye Guyi remained silent. Although they were not leaders, from a leader's perspective, Ye Qi'an's prediction was indeed correct. After some struggle, the two finally nodded.

"Alright, our conversation ends here, now let's go."

As Ye Qi'an spoke, he took the initiative to walk in front with Gu Yuena, while Ye Xiyao followed behind them. Zhang Lexuan and Ye Guyi exchanged a glance and then followed as well.

Only then did they carefully observe their surroundings. The place they were in seemed to be a hilly area, with vegetation growing around them, but it was not lush. Standing on the small hill at their feet, they could not see far into the distance because of the faint mist in the air.

…(End of this chapter)