Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

A triumphant smile flashed in Ursula's eyes, but on the surface she readily agreed: "Of course. And..."

She deliberately dragged out her words, and her single eye lit up again as she looked at Lan Fuzi.

"Next time you come, I might be able to think of a way to bring you one or two small items that are actually from the human world. So you can see them with your own eyes and touch them with your own hands."

"Really?" Lan Fuzi was so surprised she almost jumped up, though she only floated up slightly in the water.

"It's a promise! Ursula, you're so kind! I'll definitely come back to see you next time!"

Satisfied with this promise, Lan Fuzi chatted casually with Ursula about how to play with the new toys. Then, she eagerly rolled up her pile of treasures, her huge body nimbly turning around, her tail fins swaying happily, and rushed out of the fishbone cave.

Her figure quickly disappeared into the dark seawater, clearly eager to return to her nest, playing with her toys while processing that exhilarating dream about the human world.

Hu Shan and Jia Shan came closer, looking at Ursula with awe.

Ursula looked in the direction where Lan Fuzi had disappeared, her smile slowly fading, leaving only unfathomable calculation in her dark green eyes.

She gently stroked the high-quality ocean energy crystal, her tentacles tightly entangling it.

“Items from the human world…” Wusu murmured to himself.

"It seems we need to send Hu Shan and Jia Shan to the sea area closer to the land to collect some driftwood."

Ursula's deep, hoarse voice echoed in the empty Fishbone Cave, carrying a hint of the pleasure of a successful plan.

Her eerie green eyes swept over Hu Shan and Jia Shan, and the two electric eels immediately lowered their heads respectfully, indicating that they understood.

"Go on, my little darlings." Ursula waved one of her tentacles.

“Go to the waters where human ships frequently pass and keep an eye out for shipwrecks. Or, occasionally help one or two less sturdy ships sink, and then bring back small gifts that represent the human world. Remember, pick the pretty and interesting ones.”

With a hissing sound, Hu Shan and Jia Shan twisted their bodies and, like two streaks of blue-purple lightning, swiftly darted out of the Fishbone Cave to carry out Ursula's orders.

Ursula watched the direction in which they disappeared, her tentacles slowly caressing the high-quality ocean energy crystal she had obtained from Lan Fuzi, feeling the powerful yet gentle energy within it, a deep smile curving her lips.

Lan Fuzi... truly a treasure delivered to our doorstep.

Simple, wealthy, and backed by the true overlord of this ocean.

As long as we firmly grasp this line, how can our strength not grow rapidly? How can our faith not spread?

She could almost see that, through the passage of Lan Fuzi, her tentacles were about to reach the deep-sea demon whale king that even she felt a chill in her heart.

Even if it only leaks a little bit through her fingers, it would be enough to benefit her immensely.

“A little gadget from the human world…” Ursula repeated in a low voice, a calculating glint in her eyes.

“Description alone is not enough. She needs to see it with her own eyes and touch it with her own hands, so that her longing for that world is as deep and unfathomable as the ocean trench.”

……

The eye of ice and fire.

The red and blue spring waters still flowed in distinct lines, and the misty air, carrying two completely different energies of extreme cold and extreme heat, enveloped the valley like a fairyland.

Godot stood in front of her crystal house, her deep purple skirt almost trailing on the ground, her pale fingers habitually toying with the twisted wooden staff.

Her eerie green eyes gazed toward the entrance to the valley, where the poisonous miasma and illusions were silently parting to either side.

The first to step in was a figure as straight as a sword. The old man had white hair and beard, a cold and stern face, and held a long sword in his arms. Just by standing there, he naturally exuded a sharp aura that could cut through everything. It was none other than Sword Douluo Chen Xin.

His gaze swept across the valley with an almost tangible intensity, lingering for a moment on Gedo, with a subtle scrutiny and warning.

Ge Duo didn't care at all; a faint smile even appeared on her lips. Her gaze passed over Chen Xin and landed on the figure behind him.

Ning Rongrong.

The little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Ning Fengzhi's daughter, and the future hope of the school.

She came again today.

Watching Sword Douluo Chen Xin lead Ning Rongrong step by step into the valley, Ge Duo revealed an impeccable, slightly lazy smile.

Initially, Ge Duo had no plans regarding the selection of researchers for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

In her opinion, anyone who comes is fine, as long as they have a martial soul from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, so that she can study the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul and try to break the level 80 barrier.

It's just research material; who it is doesn't matter.

However, Ge Duo did not expect that the person who accompanied Ning Fengzhi to his first official research visit a few months ago would be Ning Rongrong.

Chapter 172 The Hidden Contract

This surprised Ge Duo greatly; she hadn't expected Ning Fengzhi to actually dare to send Ning Rongrong over.

After all, this was his precious jewel, the most dazzling pearl of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. If anything were to happen to it while it was in his possession, the consequences would be dire…

In this regard, Ge Duo had to admire Ning Fengzhi's courage.

After all, not everyone dares to take such a risk, and she also knew that Ning Fengzhi had high hopes for Ning Rongrong, expecting her to break the sect's fate.

Of course, after seeing that the person who came was Ning Rongrong, Ge Duo's mind started to wander.

The value and additional significance beyond research of an ordinary disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and a little princess who is regarded as a treasure by the sect leader and even two titled Douluo are completely different.

Returning to her senses, Ge Duo stepped forward a few paces, her posture elegant and composed, and nodded slightly to Chen Xin.

"Sword Douluo, thank you for your hard work."

Chen Xin remained expressionless, simply taking Ning Rongrong a step forward and saying in a deep voice, "Rongrong is now in Your Majesty's care. I will come to fetch her again in three days."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable power, as if to say that if Ning Rongrong were to lose even a single hair at sunset, the Seven Kill Sword in his hand would never allow it.

Ge Duo seemed oblivious to the deeper meaning in his words, her smile unchanged, and she naturally reached out to take Ning Rongrong's hand from Chen Xin's.

Ning Rongrong was wearing a delicate light pink dress and had her hair styled in an adorable updo, making her look like a porcelain doll.

But there was no smile on her face; her lips were slightly pouting, clearly indicating that she was still reluctant to come here to cooperate with the research.

When Ge Duo's cold hand grasped hers, she instinctively flinched, but managed not to shake it off.

"Your Majesty Sword Douluo, please rest assured, Rongrong will be very safe here." Ge Duo lowered her head and gave Ning Rongrong what she thought was a kind smile.

Chen Xin gave Ge Duo a deep look, his gaze so sharp it seemed to pierce through people's hearts, but he ultimately said nothing more.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School chose to place limited trust in this mysterious and unpredictable alchemist, and the foundation of this trust, besides that vague hope, was the Seven Kill Sword in Chen Xin's hand.

He nodded slightly, and with a flicker of his body, he vanished from the spot as if he had merged into the air, leaving only the slightly fluctuating poisonous miasma at the entrance of the valley.

Beyond the eye of ice and fire, deep within the forest at sunset.

A sword light landed silently on the top of the canopy of a towering ancient tree, without even the slightest tremor in its branches and leaves.

Chen Xin stood quietly, holding his longsword.

His gaze pierced through the layers of branches and leaves, landing precisely on the entrance to the valley shrouded in illusions and poisonous miasma.

He did not leave.

He had done this every time before. He would send Rongrong into the valley, then find a place at the entrance, either standing or sitting, waiting for the research to finish before safely bringing the girl back to the sect.

It contains hope, but also unknown risks.

He cannot place the future of the sect entirely on the integrity of others.

Standing guard here serves as both a deterrent and a source of peace of mind. As long as his sword remains, no one can harm the little girl inside. This is his heartfelt promise, needing no words.

Inside the valley, the atmosphere seemed to relax for a moment after Chen Xin left.

Ge Duo held Ning Rongrong's cold little hand, her smile fading slightly, returning to her usual languid and aloof demeanor.

She looked down at the exquisitely beautiful little girl, a barely perceptible glint of light flashing in her deep green eyes.

Ning Rongrong felt that gaze and subconsciously shrank her neck, muttering softly, "Your Majesty, what are we supposed to do today?"

Ge Duo released Ning Rongrong's hand and casually pointed to a smooth, warm jade platform next to her.

"As before, release your martial spirit, then meditate and circulate your soul power."

"Oh..." Ning Rongrong obediently walked to the jade platform, climbed up and sat down.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm her somewhat nervous feelings.

A moment later, a dazzling seven-colored light rose from her palm.

A seven-story pagoda, about a foot tall and crystal clear, slowly emerged, its body shimmering with a dreamlike halo.

The Seven-Jeweled Glazed Pagoda.

The number one support-type weapon spirit in the world.

Gedo stood to the side, watching quietly. Her spiritual power, like invisible mercury, silently spread out and wrapped around the magnificent pagoda.

At the same time, a more subtle soul force, carrying her unique aura, like the finest tendrils, probed into Ning Rongrong's body along the meridians of her wrist.

She was indeed sensing the martial soul structure of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and also observing the direction of the soul power within Ning Rongrong's body.

This was part of the deal, a necessary process for her to research how to break through the eighty-level barrier.

Ning Fengzhi paid a huge price for this.

But that's not all.

Under the cover of perception and observation, a faint trace of dark purple energy, almost fused with Ge Duo's own soul power, was slowly seeping into the depths of Ning Rongrong's soul origin along her meridians.

This energy was faint and hidden, its fluctuations perfectly concealed by Ge Duo's powerful mental strength.

Let alone Ning Rongrong, who was only a Soul Master, being completely unaware, even a Title Douluo-level expert would find it extremely difficult to detect anything unusual unless they deliberately used their spiritual power to probe deep into Ning Rongrong's body inch by inch.

It meandered through Ning Rongrong's meridians, avoiding the main pathways of soul power, like a cunning venomous snake, silently constructing a complex and eerie magical pattern.

This is a contract.

A contract unlike the one she signed with Dai Mubai, which clearly defined the master-servant relationship and was characterized by overwhelming power.

This contract is more subtle and covert, like a vine parasitizing a towering tree. In the early stages, it has almost no effect on the host and is even difficult to detect.

It quietly took root deep within Ning Rongrong's soul, forming a secret connection with her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul.

Its power will not manifest immediately, but will slowly grow as Ning Rongrong's soul power increases and her control over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul deepens.

The function? Naturally, it's the same.

It subtly influences the mind of the contracted person, causing her to unconsciously lean towards the contracting person when making crucial choices.

This caused her to develop an inexplicable fondness and trust in the contract giver, ultimately etching the mark of obedience deep into her soul. Her life, death, honor, and disgrace all depended on the contract giver's single thought.