Douluo Continent: Starting with a Heavenly Fire Judgment

Chapter 396 The Storm Is Brewing

No one likes a sect of evil spirit masters. In this second semi-final, public opinion had completely sided with the Free Gate. Therefore, countless people were secretly cheering for the Free Gate, hoping that they could defeat the terrifying evil spirit master sect.

The semi-finals of the All-Continent Youth Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition began in this atmosphere.

The weather is rather gloomy today, with thick, low-hanging clouds that make it feel suffocating. It could rain at any moment.

Normally, most people wouldn't choose to go out in this kind of weather unless absolutely necessary, but today is different.

Early in the morning, the entire city of Mingdu became lively, with huge crowds heading straight to the outskirts to gather.

The Sun Moon Empire's army, responsible for maintaining order, began at dawn from the competition venue to prevent stampedes. Today, the number of spectators has reached its peak for this year's competition.

The surging crowd was densely packed and stretched as far as the eye could see.

As the saying goes, once there are ten thousand people, there is no trace of them. At this moment, the flow of people here is more than ten thousand!

Hundreds of thousands of people surrounded the competition venue, with some even more than two kilometers away. They had to rely on binoculars to see what was happening on the venue, and even then, they couldn't see very clearly.

The four teams entered the arena one after another. Having made it this far, they have all experienced many matches. Reaching the top four in this tournament is already a great honor for them, but ultimately only one team can win the championship.

Who will be the ultimate winner? No one has considered that question yet. The most important thing is who will advance from today's matches.

Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy and Zizai Sect sat together. Although the Holy Spirit Sect was technically their ally, neither of them wanted to get too close to evil soul masters, let alone sit with their soon-to-be-defeated opponent, the Snow Demon Sect.

Meng Hongchen didn't cling to Ji Lin today. She was still rational and mindful of Xu Tianran and the high-ranking officials of the Sun Moon Empire on the podium, so as not to cause trouble for her grandfather, Jing Hongchen.

Xiao Hongchen's expression was grave. Although the Snow Demon Sect had not shown too much strength before, their Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was not at its peak either. After the battle with Shrek Academy, although they had been treated by the imperial physicians, their condition had not recovered to its peak. Meng Hongchen was the same. Bei Bei was not an easy opponent.

Facing the Snow Demon Sect in an incomplete state, Xiao Hongchen had a bad feeling about today's battle.

Eight people from the Holy Spirit Sect came in total. They were easily recognizable by their figures. Tang Ya was sitting at the front. Behind Tang Ya, each member of the Holy Spirit Sect was completely covered by a black cloak.

When the Zizaimen members arrived at the rest area, they were met with a series of cold, sinister glances from the Holy Spirit Sect, giving them a feeling of being pricked by thorns.

A murderous intent flashed in Ji Lin's eyes, and golden light faintly shone on Ye Guyi's body. She almost couldn't resist unleashing her divine power to slash at her with her sword.

Gu Yuena's face was cold as she said softly, "Let me go on stage later. The competition has come to this point, and it's time for me to contribute."

"Going up there to have some fun is fine too. This time, you, Bone Robe, and I will show them what despair is!"

Ji Lin nodded, agreeing to Gu Yuena's suggestion.

Ji Lin had no intention of showing mercy to evil spirit masters; he would decide both the outcome of the battle and their lives.

Of course, Tang Ya is an exception; she still has to give face to her future brother-in-law.

The competition platform has been repaired and restored to its original gleaming appearance. In preparation for the semi-finals, not only was the surface of the platform recast and the steel plates thickened, but even the defensive soul-guided shield was rearranged. This was to prevent the soul-guided shield from being damaged during the competition.

Today, there are as many as 20,000 troops responsible for maintaining order, with swords and spears everywhere and their armor gleaming.

The armor of the Sun Moon Empire's army is all white. Regardless of the rank of the general, the color of the armor is the same, with only differences in style. The best way to distinguish between generals of different ranks is by the feathers on their heads.

Different grades have different feather colors.

It was precisely because of the large army maintaining order that the situation inside the venue remained relatively stable. No civilian dared to offend the army's authority, as that would be suicidal.

On the platform, Crown Prince Xu Tianran had arrived, accompanied by civil and military officials. The mysterious national teacher was still on his left, and Ju Zi sat on his right. Jing Hongchen was also present. The first match today was the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy's competition, so how could he possibly be absent?

Xu Tianran looked relaxed today, with a smile on his face. It was only midday, and although the weather was bad, it didn't affect his mood much.

Having defeated Shrek Academy, he had already achieved half of his goal, so it would be strange if he wasn't in a good mood.

In the upcoming matches, it would be best if the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy team could win the championship, but it wouldn't be a big deal if they couldn't. He also knew that none of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy team's main players could recover to their peak condition in a short period of time, and the opponents they would face were undoubtedly very strong.

Xu Tianran knew very well that the Body Sect would definitely send someone to participate in the competition, and would be hiding among the participating sect teams. Now that the top four have emerged, two of them are teams from their Sun Moon Empire, so the Body Sect could not be among them. The Free Gate only has eight people, with no substitutes, and the main players who are on the field have nothing to do with the Body Sect. It is obvious which team the Body Sect is hiding in: the Snow Demon Sect, which is undoubtedly the opponent of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy today.

Facing the renowned Body Sect, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, which was not at its peak, had a very small chance of winning, but Xu Tianran no longer cared.

The match time finally arrived. On the stage, the Unbreakable Douluo Zheng Zhan walked to the center of the stage with a solemn expression.

The next few matches are all important, and the match between Zizaimen and Shenglingzong in the afternoon is of paramount importance. As the referee, the pressure on him is unimaginable.

"The first match of the semifinals, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy versus Snow Demon Sect, both teams' players, enter the waiting area!" Zheng Zhan shouted as always. His voice carried far through the amplified soul tool he carried.

"Be careful. The Snow Demon Sect is very strong. Your safety is the most important thing. I don't want to see you get hurt. It wouldn't look good if you had scars on your body."

Just as Meng Hongchen stood up, Ji Lin's voice rang in her ears.

A happy smile appeared on Meng Hongchen's lips, and she felt a warm glow in her heart. She knew that Ji Lin cared about her and didn't want to see her get hurt.

Even if Ji Lin didn't say anything, she would still be careful. Besides, they have already defeated Shrek Academy. Their goal for this competition has been achieved. Even if they lose the next competition, it won't matter. Moreover, the public will understand if they are not in good condition.

On the other side, the Snow Demon Sect members had also gotten up and were heading towards the waiting area next to the arena.

To the audience's surprise, the main members of the Snow Demon Sect who had participated in the previous matches, including Mu Xue, all remained seated. Those who stood up were mostly substitutes who had never played before.

The only familiar face was Princess Vina, who walked at the very back of the Snow Demon Sect's procession, with her long hair tied in a ponytail, looking neat, gentle, and lovely.

Yes, among the seven members of the Snow Demon Sect who appeared, Mu Xue, who is quite strong, did not appear. Instead, Vina appeared with the group, which in itself implies a lot.

Facing the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, even the Body Sect could no longer hide its strength, and Vina's appearance demonstrated her power.

The match proceeded as Ji Lin had anticipated. The Snow Demon Sect's strength was already superior to that of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. Apart from Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen, only Lan Xiu from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was worth watching. The others were completely suppressed by the Snow Demon Sect's members. The Snow Demon Sect had also sent out their hidden Soul Saint and Soul Emperor, while Meng Hongchen was in poor condition and showed no intention of fighting to the death.

Lacking both fighting spirit and superior strength, the Snow Demon Sect was undoubtedly the victor in this semi-final.

The audience could also see that the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy team was not in good condition. When they thought of Shrek Academy, which was defeated by the Sun Moon team, the audience felt relieved. After all, it was the number one academy on the continent and the uncrowned king of the continent-wide advanced soul master academy fighting competition. How could they maintain their full strength after defeating this nemesis? It was normal for them to be injured.

The Snow Demon Sect revealed a Soul Saint-level expert, and not just one Soul Emperor-level expert. The Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy faced this hidden formidable enemy with injuries, so it was normal for them to lose. The audience applauded the exciting match between the two sides. After defeating Shrek Academy, the people of the Sun Moon Empire felt relieved and were now in a state of calm and composure.

The morning's matches ended quickly, but the scheduled match times are not easily changed.

To maintain their good condition, the members of Zizaimen and Shenglingzong also left one after another and returned to their hotels to rest.

The sky grew increasingly gloomy. At noon, the light was as dim as dusk, and the heavy clouds in the sky pressed down even lower. The oppressive atmosphere made one feel truly uneasy.

Because the morning matches ended quickly, the waiting time between them and the afternoon matches was quite long.

At this point, most of the audience members were sitting on the ground, and after eating the dry rations they had brought, they were all drowsy.

Although the weather was a bit chilly and the overcast skies were oppressive, it was still much better than being scorched by the sun. Moreover, with so many people around, it was hard to feel cold, since winter hadn't arrived yet.

Finally, as people began to climb onto the platform again, the audience gradually woke up from their listless state.

Looking at the sky, it seems that the afternoon match is not far off.

The competition stage underwent repairs and reinforcement during the midday period, so you can easily guess how intense the afternoon's competition will be.

In many people's eyes, this was even a final match held ahead of schedule. In terms of overall strength, the Zizai Sect, with its Soul Saints and all Soul Emperors, was much stronger than the Xuemo Sect. As for the Evil Soul Masters, their combat power could not be judged by their levels at all.

In most people's eyes, the Free Gate and the Holy Spirit Sect are stronger than the Snow Demon Sect, even if the Snow Demon Sect defeated the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

The people from Zizaimen have arrived.

Ji Lin walked at the front, his expression calm, showing no change despite his opponent being an evil soul master.

The audience, now back to their senses, started discussing again. In the upcoming second semi-final, the Zizai Sect was full of beautiful girls except for the captain! Even the captain, Ji Lin, had many female fans because of his handsome appearance. Although he hadn't made a move in this competition, the audience, especially the female audience, were still looking forward to seeing him compete.

Today, the Zizai Sect is about to face off against the powerful Holy Spirit Sect. I wonder if we'll see Ji Lin make a move?

The audience's emotions gradually rose again, and as the discussions grew louder, the atmosphere in the venue began to heat up.

The members of Zizaimen appeared calm. Wang Dong'er and Nan Qiuqiu knew that they would hardly have a chance to make a move next, and it would be Ji Lin and his group's turn to shine.

This is also why Ji Lin had them participate in the matches so frequently. When he and Gu Yuena were involved, Wang Dong'er and the others wouldn't have a chance to shine. This was their last time participating in the All-Continent Advanced Youth Elite Competition, and they couldn't be left out like last time. They needed to have some sense of participation.

Soon, the people from the Holy Spirit Sect also arrived.

There were nine people from the Holy Spirit Sect. Leading the way was a Title Douluo-level evil soul master, which showed how much importance the Holy Spirit Sect attached to this match.

Behind that evil soul master titled Douluo was Tang Ya and a group of evil soul master team members.

The arrival of the Holy Spirit Sect members immediately raised the atmosphere of the entire venue once again.

Whether the Free Gate can stop their advance is a topic that easily excites the audience.

The eliminated Tianlongmen, Xingluo Royal Academy, Shrek Academy, Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, and Xuemozong, who have already advanced to the finals, also did not miss this competition and came to the audience. They are also very concerned about the upcoming matches.

Unbreakable Douluo Zheng Zhan took to the stage again. The morning's matches ended quickly, which gave him a great sense of relief. He was full of energy at this moment. Of course, he knew that the upcoming match would be the most difficult one for him to officiate in this competition. However, he had already received instructions from above that he only needed to relax the standards and let them do as they pleased without interfering too much.

With this order in place, Zheng Zhan felt much more relaxed.

He himself also despised evil spirit masters. The thought of having to save an evil spirit master during the competition made him very unhappy. Now that he had orders from above, he could slack off without worrying about whether the evil spirit master lived or died.

(End of this chapter)