Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Following Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's advice and the "Continental Academy Guide" it had somehow found, they finally chose the Beast City as their destination and the Beast Academy within the city.

"The Beast Academy, as the name suggests, specializes in accepting students whose martial souls are various kinds of beasts." That's how Tianmeng Ice Silkworm analyzed it at the time.

"Although your Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul isn't top-tier, your talent after transformation is undeniable. A twelve-year-old Soul Master is highly sought after anywhere. Going to an academy that specializes in collecting beast Martial Souls will make it easier for you to gain attention and receive more resources."

Xiao Wu thought that made sense.

What she needs most right now is a relatively stable environment where she can quickly improve her skills, while keeping a low profile to avoid arousing unnecessary suspicion.

The Beast Academy sounds like a good option.

Once inside the city, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's spiritual power, even in its weakened state, far surpassed that of ordinary people, immediately came in handy.

It was like an invisible super navigation system, easily avoiding the crowded streets and complicated alleys, leading Xiao Wu along almost the shortest straight line, directly to the magnificent gate of the Beast Academy.

The academy's gatehouse was built of massive, dark blue stones, carved with lifelike images of various spirit beasts, exuding a rugged and wild aura. The four large characters "Academy of Mythical Beasts" on the lintel were written in a bold and unrestrained style, subtly conveying a fierce and powerful feel.

Xiao Wu paused briefly at the doorway, tidying her hair and clothes, which were a little messy from rushing.

Then he stepped forward and explained his purpose—new student enrollment—to a person who looked like a guard.

The student glanced at her and pointed to a side door: "Go to the registration desk over there, check your household registration, and test your soul power."

The registration office was a small room, where a middle-aged female teacher with glasses and a serious expression sat.

"Household registration certificate." The female teacher didn't even look up as she held out her hand.

Xiao Wu quickly took out a small notebook from her bosom and handed it over.

This is a legal document that Tianmeng Ice Silkworm obtained by using its mental power to influence the local household registration management personnel when it passed through a remote town. The identity information was naturally fabricated, but the procedures were complete and flawless.

The female teacher took it, examined it carefully, then looked up and compared it to Xiao Wu's face. She nodded and put the certificate aside: "Put your hand up here to test your soul power."

She pointed to a transparent crystal ball on the table.

Xiao Wu followed the instructions and placed her palm on the crystal ball. With a slight thought, she slowly poured her soul power into it.

The crystal ball first emitted a soft white light, and then the light quickly became brighter.

"A level 33 Soul Master?"

The female teacher pushed up her glasses, a look of obvious surprise appearing on her face for the first time. She picked up the household registration certificate again and glanced at it; the registered age was twelve.

Twelve years old, a level thirty-three Soul Master?

The female teacher stood up abruptly, her movement so fast she almost knocked over the chair behind her.

"You...you come with me!" Her voice trembled with excitement. She picked up Xiaowu's household registration certificate, grabbed Xiaowu's wrist, and hurriedly walked out.

"Teacher Li, what's going on here..." the student guard at the door asked in surprise.

"Dean! Go directly to the dean!" The female teacher, referred to as Teacher Li, didn't even turn her head, pulling Xiao Wu along as they practically jogged across the academy's front courtyard.

Xiao Wu was pulled so hard she stumbled a little, and she was also a bit dazed.

She knew her talent was quite good among humans, but she didn't expect the other party to react so strongly.

Teacher Li led her through several corridors to a building that looked more ancient and grand, with a sign above the door that read "Dean's Office." She forgot to knock and simply pushed the door open and barged in.

"Dean! Dean! Please take a look at this student!" Teacher Li's voice was shrill with excitement.

In the dean's office, a tall, burly, bald old man with a full beard and wearing an animal skin vest was bent over his desk looking at some documents. Startled by the sudden noise, he frowned and looked up, about to get angry, but his gaze was instantly drawn to the somewhat bewildered girl next to Teacher Li.

More accurately, it was the household registration certificate that Teacher Li slammed on his desk with a "smack," and Teacher Li's excited voice that drew all his attention.

"Twelve years old! Soul power level thirty-three! She herself said she's a freshman here to enroll!"

Tiger, the bald-headed dean of the Beast Academy, suddenly stood up from his large chair.

He was extremely tall, standing like an iron tower, exuding a powerful aura.

He grabbed the household registration certificate, his eyes scanning the information on it like lightning, before suddenly staring at Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, and subconsciously lowered her eyes, her body tensing slightly.

"Little girl, what's your name?" Dean Tiger's voice was deep and resonant, like muffled thunder.

"Xiao Wu," Xiao Wu answered softly.

"Xiao Wu... okay, Xiao Wu."

Dean Tiger put down the household registration certificate, walked around the desk in a few steps, and stood in front of Xiao Wu. The fierce aura of a high-level offensive soul master hit her.

"Is what Teacher Li said true? You're twelve years old and a level thirty-three Soul Master? Show me your Martial Soul and Soul Rings."

His tone carried an unquestionable command.

Xiao Wu took a deep breath, knowing this was the key.

With a thought, the white Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul appeared in her hand.

At the same time, the three soul rings rose in succession, one yellow, one yellow, and one purple.

Seeing this scene, Teacher Li couldn't help but gasp again. Although she had already seen the test results once, she was still shocked to see a twelve-year-old Soul Master in person.

Dean Tiger's eyes widened, and even the hairs on his beard seemed to stand on end.

After a long while, he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and the shock in his eyes was gradually replaced by ecstasy.

"A twelve-year-old Soul Master... Good, good, good!" He said "good" three times in a row, and slapped his bald head hard with his large, fan-like hand, making a crisp "smack" sound.

"Teacher Li!" He turned to the female teacher, who was still excited.

"Arrange for this Xiao Wu to enroll in school immediately."

Chapter 262 A God-Sent Opportunity

Inside the Fishbone Cave, that familiar ripple of water could be heard once again.

Ursula didn't even need to look up; just by the soul power fluctuations unique to the Deep Sea Demon Whale bloodline, she knew that Lan Fuzi had come again.

She perched on the giant clam shell altar, a knowing smile flashing in her eerie green eyes, but outwardly she maintained her mysterious and languid demeanor, her tentacles casually toying with a few faintly glowing pearls.

Ursula!

Before Lan Fuzi's massive body had fully squeezed into the cave entrance, her clear voice, filled with barely suppressed excitement, already echoed throughout the cave.

Unlike before, this time her voice, in addition to its usual cheerfulness, also carried a distinct, almost overflowing urgency and a certain excitement after making a firm decision.

Ursula slowly raised her eyes to look at the blue Buddha swimming in, a perfectly timed, slightly puzzled, welcoming smile on her face.

"My dear Lan Fuzi, you sound unusually happy today? Have you discovered something interesting again?"

Lan Fuzi's enormous body glided nimbly to the front of the altar. His huge eyes, like deep-sea gems, shone with an astonishing brightness as he stared intently at Ursula. His breathing became rapid with excitement, and the water he stirred up caused the water plants at the edge of the altar to sway wildly.

Instead of showing off her gifts as usual, or rushing to ask for new toys, she took a deep breath and, with a slightly trembling voice, uttered the words that had been churning within her for so long:

Ursula! I've made up my mind!

Ursula's heart stirred slightly, but her tentacles remained steady as she placed the pearl, her face displaying a gentle expression that encouraged her to continue.

The blue Buddha's huge tail fin thrashed restlessly, causing the seawater inside the cave to surge.

"I want to go and see the human world!"

These words, like a boulder thrown into calm water, stirred up silent ripples in the dark Fishbone Cave.

Ursula's gentle smile froze instantly.

She seemed to have heard something utterly absurd; her dark green eyes widened suddenly, filled with undisguised shock and worry.

"What? Lan Fuzi, my little princess, do you... do you know what you're saying?"

Ursula's reaction was exactly what Lan Fuzi had expected, or rather, it was exactly the reaction she expected from someone who truly cared about her.

This only strengthened Lan Fuzi's resolve and made her feel that Ursula was truly considering her best interests.

"I know! Of course I know!" Lan Fuzi nodded his huge head forcefully, his tone more urgent, yet with an unprecedented clarity.

“Ussula, all those things you told me about—those lights, those cities, that liveliness… I dream about them every day! Just hearing you talk about them and seeing those little things isn’t enough! I want to see them with my own eyes, hear them with my own ears, and experience them for myself!”

Her voice was filled with longing, and her huge eyes seemed to have pierced through the darkness of the deep sea and seen the dazzling lights on land.

The shock on Ursula's face slowly faded, replaced by an expression that was a mixture of heartache and worry.

She gently shook her head, her tentacles reaching forward as if to touch Lan Fuzi, but stopped halfway and ultimately just drooped down helplessly.

“Lan Fuzi, my dear child…” Ursula’s voice lowered, carrying a deep and earnest admonition.

"I told you those stories and brought you those little human gadgets to amuse you and show you how vast and interesting the world is. But I never imagined it would give you such dangerous thoughts!"

Her tone turned serious, and her deep green eyes stared intently at Lan Fuzi.

"The human world is far more complex and dangerous than you can imagine! It's not just about lights and parties; it's also about countless conspiracies, greed, and killings! Humans are extremely xenophobic and cruel creatures. They both fear and covet soul beasts, especially powerful sea soul beasts like us!"

Ursula's voice echoed in the cave, carrying a chilling aura.

"Once your identity is exposed, you will face endless pursuit and attacks! They will do everything they can to capture you, study you, and strip you of your spirit rings and spirit bones! They might even imprison you as a trophy to show off or a specimen for research!"

With each word she spoke, her tone grew heavier, as if she were depicting a bloody scene.

"Your father, the great Deep Sea Demon Whale King, protected you in the Demon Whale Sea because he knew how terrifying humans were! He was the overlord of this ocean, but even he would not easily set foot on human territory, because the rules were different there, and dangers lurked everywhere!"

Lan Fuzi listened quietly, the initial excitement and eagerness in his huge eyes gradually replaced by hesitation and struggle as Ursula's heavy warnings came.

But she did not back down.

After Ursula finished speaking, Lan Fuzi remained silent for a moment before speaking again, her voice softer than before, but still firm:

"I know it's dangerous, Ursula. But I really can't take it anymore!"

Her voice carried a hint of grievance and an explosion of long-suppressed emotions.

"The Deep Sea Demon Whale Sea is always the same! Dark, silent, with only water and rocks, and those sea spirit beasts that run far away from me! My father and mother either cultivate or sleep, and they might not wake up for hundreds of years! I don't even have a single friend I can talk to properly!"

The blue tadpole's tail fin thrashed restlessly against the bottom of the water, stirring up murky mud and sand.

“Every single day, I’m doing the same thing over and over again! I’m going crazy! Ursula, only when I’m here, only when you tell me those stories, do I feel alive, do I feel like the world has color!”

Her huge eyes were fixed on Ursula, filled with pleading.

"And now is a good opportunity!"

Lan Fuzi seemed to remember something, and her tone became urgent again.

"My father and mother recently entered a deep slumber, a period that will last at least several decades, perhaps even a century! They won't know where I am until they wake up! This is my only chance, Ursula! If I miss it, I'll never be able to leave the Demon Whale Sea once they wake up!"