Douluo: Dragon King's Divine Elegy

Chapter 98 The Federation's Shady Tactics Slap Shrek in the Face

The next day, early in the morning.

At Mingdu Central Stadium, the morning sun poured down through the translucent Soul Guidance Dome, casting dappled light and shadow on the gleaming metal floor like a waterfall of light. All 300,000 seats were already full.

The roar of the crowd from the circular stands was deafening. If it weren't for the built-in sound-dampening shield, the sheer volume of sound would have been enough to make many people's hearts ache.

The cameras and microphones of major television stations came together to provide the clearest live broadcast for people in all parts of mainland China.

At that time, the opening ceremony was in full swing.

Teams from various regions of the Sun and Moon Federation, led by ceremonial ladies carrying flags, made their entrance to the strains of the "Federal Glory March" as the hosts introduced each team.

Whenever the local Mingdu team appeared at the entrance of the passage, the stands would immediately erupt in a thunderous cheer.

Overall, the noise was only varying in volume; no boos were heard.

"Next, let's welcome the Spirit Pagoda team!" The host's magnetic voice echoed throughout the Central Stadium.

The distant soul-guided light screen immediately focused the image on the Spirit Pagoda team.

Dozens of people appeared on the screen.

Wow!
The cheers and jubilation erupted once again. The Spirit Pagoda's free awakening of martial souls for ordinary people is truly worthy of respect.

Even the contestants who had previously participated in the Federation Grand Competition were now waving excitedly in greeting.

Yuan Enhui followed Nan Liujing, gazing at the crowds roaring in the distance. Her alluring and cold face was clearly flushed with excitement.

You can clearly hear hundreds of thousands of people shouting the words "Spirit Tower," as if they were engraved into the soul, making people feel intoxicated.

Gradually, the screen focused on Nan Liujing alone, who single-handedly stole the spotlight from the entire Spirit Pagoda team.

At the same time, the host's voice rang out: "A nation needs heroes, and he is a hero! Citizens of the Federation, let us welcome with the warmest applause Nan Liujing, an honorary citizen of Tiandou City!"

Under the astonished gazes of Nan Liujing and Yuan Enyehui.

The several enormous soul-guided light screens displayed the scene of Nan Liujing killing the evil soul master on the train.

His domineering, cold, and lightning-encircled aura, combined with his handsome face, creates a beauty that many movie posters cannot capture.

Coupled with the admiring gazes of the surrounding passengers, it was like a bomb, instantly igniting the atmosphere of the entire venue.

The sound of applause was continuous.

Nan Liujing didn't expect the authorities to pull this stunt. What could he say?

All I could do was wave.

Just as they were waving, the situation suddenly changed, and the images on the several soul-guided screens changed once again.

In the scene, Nan Liujing stands on the broken competition stage, with the beautiful and elegant Holy Spirit Douluo Ya Li in front of him.

Nan Liujing paused in his waving motion, then muttered to himself, "Could it be..."

The next moment, his guess was confirmed.

With hundreds of thousands of people present and hundreds of millions watching the live stream, Yali's voice clearly rang out as she apologized to him.

"After investigation, we have confirmed that student Xu Cang did indeed secretly collude with evil spirit masters."

"Hereby, on behalf of Shrek Academy, I extend my sincere greetings to..."

The scene abruptly cuts off, switching back to a solo shot of Nan Liujing.

The shouts and applause at the scene suddenly stopped, and people stared wide-eyed. Many people then remembered who Nan Liujing was.

Oh it's you!

Isn't he the one who revealed at the Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition that he was wanted by Shrek Academy students, ultimately killed a Shrek Academy student, and demanded an apology from Shrek Academy?
Yali's apology had barely faded when the host's clearly flustered voice rang out:
"Next, let's welcome the Shrek Academy team!"

In unison, hundreds of thousands of people at the scene turned their attention away from the Soul Guidance Screen.

Following the Spirit Pagoda was the Shrek Academy team.

Leading the group were Yu Hanshuang, Yan Rong, and other inner court students.

The cheers for the various teams were gone; instead, there was only a strange kind of staring, and the atmosphere was extremely bizarre.

Nobody cared whether it was a live broadcast mishap; it had already happened.

Yu Hanshuang and the other Shrek Academy students were initially applauding to give Nan Liujing face, but when the accusation fell on them, their faces instantly turned extremely ugly. Facing the cameras and the audience's gaze, they wished they could bury their heads in the ground.

The trainees, who were supposed to represent the academy in the junior group competition, were also dejected, no longer displaying the same carefree attitude they had shown earlier.

"Bastard!"

As the team leaders took their seats, Long Yeyue, her face contorted with rage, was about to charge toward the podium, where the Federal Speaker, Vice Speaker, and various ministers were present.

It was them, it must have been them who arranged it.

Otherwise, why would the academy appear right after the Spirit Pagoda, and why would it happen to be showing the embarrassing stories of Shrek Academy that have long since been turned over?
"Elder Long, don't be impulsive!"

The two elders and Lan Muzi, the senior disciple of the inner court, quickly pulled Long Yeyue back to stop her from causing trouble.

This is the Central Stadium. If an outbreak occurs here, how many civilians could die in an accident?

That's an extreme consequence that Shrek Academy can't afford.

The leaders of the other factions around them exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions quite interesting.

He sighed inwardly, thinking how ruthless the Federation was, bringing up old matters in front of the entire Douluo Continent, giving Shrek Academy a severe slap in the face.

The public outcry had clearly died down, but because of that incident, it's likely that it will return to the trending topics list.

There's so much melon to eat every day!

Lan Muzi stopped the teacher and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, teacher, I will appeal."

"I'd like to see how they plan to explain this." Long Yeyue's eyes were bloodshot, and she was panting heavily.

Looking at the formation where the Spirit Pagoda was located, especially at Nan Liujing's back, her eyes grew increasingly cold.

The opening ceremony continued, with tens of thousands of participants gathered. After the speech by the elegant Federal Speaker, countless fireworks lit up the sky, and the teams dispersed in an orderly manner. A series of unique cultural performances followed, warming up for the official competition in the afternoon.

...

"Temporary worker?"

At noon, inside the Mingdu Grand Hotel, Long Yeyue suddenly slammed her cane down, her face grim.

The Shrek Academy students looked at their senior brother, Lan Muzi, with solemn expressions.

After the opening ceremony, Lan Muzi personally approached the officials for an explanation, but to her surprise, they used the excuse that the employee involved was a temporary worker who had already been dismissed to brush her off.

Lan Muzi sighed and said, "I have already reported this matter to the Pavilion Master. The Pavilion Master's idea is that he will handle this matter and we should calm down and participate in the competition."

"Bullshit! The Federation has blatantly slapped us in the face. How can we compete with a calm mind?" Long Yeyue suppressed her anger and said in an icy voice, "In the upcoming matches, as long as it's a team from Mingdu, you all have to go all out against them."

"Anyone who doesn't fight with their life on the line will bear the consequences!"

After saying that, Long Yeyue vanished in a flash.

“This…” Lan Muzi said helplessly.

"Senior Brother, what should we do?" Yu Hanshuang asked, frowning.

Lan Muzi shook her head and said to everyone, "The Federation is doing this simply to provoke us. Anger makes people lose their minds. We must use our true strength to win back our reputation and shut up all those who are hostile to Shrek."

"Yes!" the crowd roared with enthusiasm.

Far away in another part of the hotel, Nan Liujing hung up the phone with her uncle.

He scoffed, "This Federation certainly knows how to stir up trouble, using me as a tool to fan the flames."

Qian Gu Qingfeng sat on the sofa and said, "With Long Yeyue leading the team, the Federation's higher-ups inevitably had ulterior motives. I have already sent someone to negotiate with the Federation in the name of the Spirit Pagoda. You can focus on the competition."

Nan Liujing said no more. If the Federation dared to use him and didn't offer appropriate compensation, he shouldn't blame the Federation for giving them a big surprise in the future.

One p.m.

Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, Grand Soul Arena.

The arena, modeled after the ancient gladiatorial arena, boasts over 150,000 seats, second only to the Central Stadium.

This place was designated by the federal government as the venue for the semi-final matches of the youth group individual competition.

While the individual competition isn't as popular as the seven-on-seven format in the Sun and Moon Federation, it's widely recognized as the most prestigious competition. As a team sport, even if a player underperforms, they can still advance thanks to their teammates.

But individual competitions are different; how far you go depends entirely on your actual ability.

At that time, the Great Battle Arena was already packed to capacity, and its scale was no less than that of the Central Stadium.

The youth group individual competition had a total of 300 participants, all of whom were in the waiting area.

The sounds of conversation rose and fell around me.

Nan Liujing closed his eyes to rest.

He was the youngest, and some people were already staring at him with ill intent.

The Tianhai Alliance Tournament made him famous, and because of this, countless people wanted to step on him to advance to the next round.

The individual competition is not based on a points system; it's a single-elimination match.

"The competition is about to begin. Contestants, please get ready." The announcer's voice rang out, and the noisy stands gradually quieted down.

"Contestant number one, please enter!"

On the giant soul guidance screen, the waiting area was displayed. Under the gaze of countless people, Nan Liujing calmly stood up and walked lightly towards the competition stage.

According to the rules, the first five matches will be played one at a time as a warm-up, and then all five matches will be played simultaneously, since there will be enough venues.

All eyes fell on Nan Liujing. At that moment, a young man excitedly stood up and walked towards the competition stage.

Envy immediately filled the waiting area.

"Tsk, he got lucky."

"What incredible luck."

"They've been guaranteed a spot in the next round."

Only the contestants from Tang Sect, War God Temple, and a few other top forces chose to remain silent and observe. Only a fool would believe that someone would dare to participate in a competition beyond their level without any real skills.

Standing still, Nan Liujing glanced at his opponent, who appeared to be about nineteen years old. His soul power fluctuated evenly, suggesting he had the cultivation of a low-level Soul King.

The referee, from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, said in a deep voice, "Once I announce the start of the match, you can begin. Remember, once your opponent is no longer able to fight, you must stop, otherwise you will be declared the loser."

Nan Liujing and his opponent nodded in agreement.

"Each of you step back 100 meters," the referee ordered.

hum~
An invisible shield of soul power rose up, and all eyes in the arena fell on the competition stage.

"As is customary, those who draw the top five spots are required to warm up for the competition and are allowed to say provocative things." The young man said with a confident smile, "I'm honored to have drawn the opportunity to advance to the next round by stepping on you."

His words reached every corner of the arena, immediately igniting a roar of excitement from the spectators.

In a battle between Soul Masters, if you don't utter some harsh words, are you even a Soul Master?

Nan Liujing raised an eyebrow. He hadn't really felt much about the preliminary rounds before, but after hearing this, he suddenly got excited.

He immediately responded with a smile:

"Then you'd better make sure you step on it firmly, and don't fall."

"Game start!"

Once the protective shield was fully erected, the old referee's voice rang out.

hum~
Beneath the young man, five spirit rings—two yellow and three purple—rose rapidly, crackling with electric arcs, revealing him to be a lightning-attribute spirit master.

Nan Liujing couldn't help but click his tongue.

After activating his fourth spirit ring, the young man pointed to the sky, and the raging lightning elements gathered, transforming into a deep thundercloud, from which several bolts of lightning suddenly shot out.

The lightning bolt was incredibly fast, scorching the air and giving off a burning smell, and arrived above Nan Liujing's head in an instant.

Lightning is generally considered to be the most destructive of all attributes. Even if the young man is only a low-level Soul King, a mid-level Soul King would not dare to underestimate him.

However, right under everyone's noses, a scene that left everyone speechless appeared.

However, Nan Liujing had no intention of releasing his soul rings or martial soul. He grabbed the lightning bolt that was powerful enough to pierce the lapis lazuli boulder, and held it in his hand like a well-behaved pet.

Like teasing a dog, he gently stroked the lightning bolt, and tossed it away expressionlessly under the astonished gazes of the young man and the audience.

The lightning bolt roared back, and the raging lightning element seemed to have been bestowed a title by an emperor. The surging lightning snakes streaked across the sky, leaving broken trails, showing a resolute intention to sacrifice the Jade Dragon for the emperor.

The young man's pupils contracted, his third soul ring lit up instantly, and lightning mist surged from his body, transforming him into a humanoid thundercloud, with flickering electric light faintly visible.

The incredibly penetrating lightning snakes pierced through his body and shattered him. This move effectively dodged the attack, but the soul power shield behind him was hit, blooming with thousands of lightning marks, as obvious as scars, which took a long time to heal.

The young man's body returned to normal, but he was shaken. His third soul skill was supposed to be immune to all elemental attacks, yet he still felt a trembling sensation, as if a high-level bloodline was suppressing a low-level bloodline.

"Ok?"

Before he could recover from the shock, he felt his arm being grabbed.

His pupils met a pair of indifferent eyes, and a knee that was already thrusting upwards.

How can it be?

I was clearly a hundred meters away from him!

boom!
A loud explosion rang out, and an invisible gust of air swept through the air. A sharp pain, as if his internal organs were being twisted and crushed, suddenly shot through the young man's abdomen. His handsome face instantly contorted, his mouth gaped wide, his eyes bulged out, and his body stiffened. His Soul King-level physique was instantly breached.

boom!
With his arm released, the young man collapsed to the ground like a curled-up lobster, his eyes glazed over. He tried to breathe, but the excruciating pain prevented him from screaming. Veins bulged on his neck, and cold sweat poured out.

Nan Liujing stood to the side, looking down at the young man, and said indifferently:

"I thought you were a decent dish, but it turns out you're a real disappointment."

"May I announce the results?"

He turned to look at the referee.

'These young people nowadays are all terrifying,' the referee thought to himself, and immediately announced the verdict.

As the soul power shield faded, a thunderous cheer erupted.

"Nan Liujing!"

"Nan Liujing!"

Students from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, as well as the native inhabitants of Mingdu, expressed their opinions without reservation.

Looking at his opponent being carried away on a stretcher, Nan Liujing shook his head slightly, thanking the federal high command; now he had truly become a big star.

Especially as a frontline figure against Shrek Academy, his fame here is astonishing.

More than fifty female students have asked him for his contact number.

As they walked back to the waiting area, the other participants from the Spirit Pagoda, including the team leader, rushed over to greet them with smiles and congratulations, their expressions even bordering on obsequious.

Nan Liujing wasn't averse to it; it's normal for people to want to improve.

Oh, those who were planning to step on him to get ahead now have cleared their eyes a lot.

"How does it feel?"

In the rest area of ​​the Temple of War, a woman with wheat-colored skin smiled and asked her two friends.

Xiao Pojun said with a solemn expression: "His speed, at least for now, seems to be comparable to a speed-type Soul Emperor who doesn't use Soul Skills."

Long Tianwu said in a deep voice, "Speed ​​is secondary; we need to be wary of his methods. Lightning element is known for its unruly nature. If he can treat other people's lightning element soul power as a pet, the lightning dragon soul he possesses is probably more powerful than we imagine."

"As expected of a top-tier martial soul possessing a dragon soul, he is indeed qualified to fight across levels."

"Please come up to the stage, contestant number two."

The host's voice interrupted their conversation. Suddenly, their expressions changed slightly as they saw a young man with light blue short hair stand up and step out of the Tang Clan's rest area, amidst the farewells of his colleagues.

"Xu Zihuang".

The three, who saw each other as their biggest rivals, quickly focused their gazes.

All factions, including Nan Liujing, also became focused.

(End of this chapter)