Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Standing outside the training field, the sunlight was a bit dazzling. Ning Rongrong looked up at the alloy gate that had been closed again, as if she saw a barrier that isolated her from it.

"Sister Xue, when will you start formal training?" she asked softly.

Snow White thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow. The three members of the teaching committee will arrange for me to meet with the other members of the team and then develop a training plan."

"So... will you live at the academy?"

"Not for now. My father and Teacher Liuyun both want me to continue living in the palace and just come over for training every day." Snow White looked at Ning Rongrong.

"What about Rongrong? Are you planning to stay in the academy dormitory or go back to the sect?"

Ning Rongrong bit her lip.

In the past, she would have said without hesitation that she wanted to stay in the dormitory and be with Snow White. But after today, she suddenly felt that she should probably go back to the sect first.

"I...I want to go back and discuss it with my father first," Ning Rongrong said, her voice slightly downcast. "It's about joining the team."

Snow White nodded and said nothing more.

She knew that Ning Rongrong needed time to process everything that had happened today, and also needed to have a proper talk with Ning Fengzhi.

The two parted ways at the entrance of the college.

Snow White boarded the carriage to return to the palace, while Ning Rongrong walked alone towards the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Along the way, images of the training ground kept flashing through her mind: the advanced soul guidance equipment, the huge arena, and Snow White's aloof yet dazzling figure standing in the center of the arena.

"I must join the Heavenly Dou Team." Ning Rongrong clenched her fist and silently vowed in her heart, "No matter what, I will stand on that arena with Sister Xue."

……

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the school master's study.

Ning Fengzhi sat behind a large mahogany desk, holding a briefing on the recent movements of various forces in Tiandou City, his brows slightly furrowed.

Sword Douluo Chen Xin stood by the window, sword in hand, eyes slightly closed as if dozing. Yet, the faint, sharp aura emanating from him made anyone who approached feel a stinging sensation on their skin.

Gu Rong, the Bone Douluo, sat casually on a grand chair to the side, his legs crossed, toying with a piece of black soul beast bone fragment in his hand, his eyes wandering, seemingly lost in thought.

The atmosphere in the study was somewhat heavy.

Recently, there has been undercurrent in Tiandou City. First, Ge Duo's research on the defects of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul has been progressing slowly, so Ning Fengzhi's large investment of resources has not yet yielded any returns.

Then, the throne is now in a state of flux again. As Snow White's talent becomes more and more dazzling, Xue Qinghe's stable position as crown prince is becoming increasingly shaky.

Finally, the Star Luo Empire increased its military buildup on the border, seemingly to infiltrate the Heaven Dou Empire.

As one of the most powerful sects in the Heaven Dou Empire, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School naturally could not remain uninvolved.

How to navigate between various forces, maintain the sect's transcendent status, and prepare for possible future changes is a question Ning Fengzhi has been pondering recently.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the study.

"Father! Grandpa Sword! Grandpa Bones!"

Ning Rongrong's clear voice came in along with the sound of the door being pushed open.

Ning Fengzhi looked up and saw his daughter's face, which was slightly flushed from walking quickly. His brows relaxed and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Rongrong is back? How's it going at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"

Ning Rongrong ran to the desk, placed her hands on the tabletop, slightly out of breath, and looked at Ning Fengzhi with bright eyes: "Father, I went to see the training ground of the Heavenly Dou Team!"

Chapter 252 Discussion

"Oh?" Ning Fengzhi raised an eyebrow.

How are you feeling?

"That's fantastic!" Ning Rongrong's tone was full of excitement and longing.

"That training ground is huge and advanced. There are many soul guidance training devices that I've never seen before, as well as combat areas that simulate various terrains!"

She gestured animatedly as she described the various details of the training ground, her eyes sparkling.

Ning Fengzhi listened quietly, a doting smile on his face. Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo also opened their eyes and looked at the little princess they had spoiled since she was a child.

"...Then Sister Xue said that she will officially join the team and start training tomorrow!"

After Ning Rongrong finished explaining the situation at the training ground, she changed the subject, and her voice suddenly became firm.

"Father, I want to join the Heavenly Dou Team too!"

Ning Fengzhi's smile froze slightly.

He put down the briefing in his hand, leaned back in his chair, placed his hands on the table, looked at Ning Rongrong's expectant eyes, and pondered for a moment.

"Rongrong," Ning Fengzhi's voice was still gentle, but with a hint of caution.

"The selection criteria for the Tian Dou team are very strict. You are only level 31 now, which is quite a distance from the level 35 threshold. Moreover, the team already has a support-type soul master position, which is Ye Lingling, the successor of the Nine Heart Begonia. Her soul power has reached level 35 and she has been working with the team for a long time."

These words are almost identical to those of the three education commissioners.

Ning Rongrong pouted: "I know! But I just want to be with Sister Xue! Whichever team she's on, I want to be on that team!"

She paused, a hint of grievance in her voice: "Father, you know, Sister Xue is my best friend. If she's training in the first team and I'm in the second team or somewhere else, we'll see each other much less. And I want to fight alongside her!"

Ning Fengzhi sighed softly.

He knew, of course, that his daughter and Snow White were very close. The two girls, one aloof and noble, the other lively and spoiled, had very different personalities but unexpectedly got along well and became inseparable friends.

He also hoped that Rongrong could maintain a close relationship with Snow White, which would not only benefit Rongrong's personal growth but also have a positive impact on the future relationship between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the royal family.

but……

"Rongrong, this is not a game." Ning Fengzhi's tone became more serious.

The atmosphere in the study seemed to freeze slightly after he said that.

Ning Rongrong's excitement and anticipation froze. She looked into her father's usually gentle eyes, which now revealed an undeniable seriousness, and her heart skipped a beat.

“Father…” she called out subconsciously, her voice filled with grievance and confusion.

Ning Fengzhi slowly stood up, walked around the large mahogany desk, and stood in front of Ning Rongrong.

He reached out and gently patted his daughter's shoulder, his gesture tender, but his words were clear and distinct:

"Team One of the Heaven Dou Academy is the flagship team of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and a sharp weapon for the entire empire to compete for honor in the Soul Master Competition. Entering there means that you will directly face the most outstanding young Soul Masters on the continent, and that you will participate in high-intensity and even life-threatening combat.

His gaze swept over Ning Rongrong's beautiful eyes, in which his reflection was clearly seen.

"The competition between team members, the unexpected events during training, and the life-or-death battles on the field in the future... Rongrong, these are not as simple and easy as training together as you imagine."

Ning Fengzhi's voice was calm, but every word felt like a heavy stone pressing down on Ning Rongrong's heart.

"You've only broken through to level thirty-one. This level isn't enough to be considered in the Heavenly Dou Team."

He paused, not continuing, but his meaning was clear.

Ning Rongrong bit her lip, her nails unconsciously digging into the edge of the table.

Her father's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing her previous enthusiasm. But her indomitable spirit suddenly surged up.

"I'm not afraid!" She raised her head, her eyes shining brightly, her voice filled with the stubbornness unique to young girls.

"Father, I'm not a child anymore! I know the battle will be dangerous, but I still want to go! I want to stand on that arena with Sister Xue, and I want to use the Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to help my teammates win!"

She stepped forward and grabbed Ning Fengzhi's sleeve.

“Father, haven’t you always hoped that I could become stronger and truly shoulder the responsibility for the future of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School? If I can’t even cross the threshold of the Heavenly Dou Team, if I don’t even have the courage to compete with the strongest of my age, how can I lead the sect in the future?”

These words are well-reasoned and supported by evidence, and even demonstrate a maturity beyond their years.

Ning Fengzhi was stunned.

Looking at his daughter's chubby little face, which was now filled with determination, he felt a complex mix of emotions.

I feel gratified and proud, but even more so, I am worried.

As a father, how could he not wish for his daughter to spread her wings and fly high?

But as the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, he was even more aware of the cruelty of this world.

Rongrong is his only daughter, the future hope of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and he cannot allow anything to happen to her.

"Rongrong, I understand your feelings." Ning Fengzhi's tone softened a bit, but his stance remained unchanged.

"But this really won't work. You can train in the Heavenly Dou Second Team first, and once you're strong enough, then..."

"I don't want to!" Ning Rongrong abruptly shook off his hand.

"I don't want to go to the second team! I want to stay with Sister Xue! Father, do you know? Sister Xue is already a level 43 Soul Master! She's officially joining the first team tomorrow! If I can only stay in the second team, how can I fight alongside her in the future? Am I supposed to let her charge into battle while I can only watch from afar?"

Level 43 Soul Master?

Upon hearing this, not only Ning Fengzhi, but also Sword Douluo Chen Xin, who had been standing silently by the window, and Bone Douluo Gu Rong, who was sitting in the armchair, all turned their heads sharply.

A twelve-year-old Soul Master?

This is unheard of!

"Rongrong, what did you say?"

Chen Xin's voice carried a rare fluctuation, and his usually half-closed eyes were now fully open, his sharp gaze like a drawn sword.

"Snow White is already at level 43?"

Ning Rongrong nodded, "It was said by the three education committee members themselves! Sister Xue's fourth spirit ring is still ten thousand years old! They decided on the spot to let her join the Heaven Dou Team One directly and make her the captain!"

The study fell into a deathly silence.

Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong exchanged a glance, each seeing a deep shock in the other's eyes.

Twelve years old, level 43, fourth ring of the Ten Thousand Years Martial Soul, mutated Martial Soul Snow-Crested Swan, princess of the Heaven Dou Empire...

They were all too clear about what these factors meant when they came together.

Chapter 253 Request

This means that Snow White's future is at least at the Super Douluo level, and she may even be able to reach a higher level.

The talent and strength she has shown so far are enough for the entire Heaven Dou Empire to regard her as a pillar of the future.

Rongrong wanted to follow and stand shoulder to shoulder with such a person, and they understood this sentiment.