Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

This frigid land covered in ice and snow is difficult for most soul masters to traverse, but it was hardly a torment for the two of them.

Snow White, being an extreme ice-attribute cultivator, would find training here incredibly efficient. While Florian's attributes were incompatible, his Light Unicorn Martial Soul possessed purifying and warming powers, allowing him to withstand the strain.

More importantly, the two were well-prepared before their trip. Before setting off, Qian Daoliu personally had supplies prepared for them, including dry food, medicine, and a soul tool for heating in their storage soul tool, enough for the two to last a long time in the icy plains.

So ever since they entered the Endless Ice Plains, they have never left and have no idea what is happening outside.

The news that shook the continent—the Spirit Hall's annexation of Heaven Dou, the war between the two empires, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's withdrawal from Heaven Dou City, the Clear Sky School's emergence—none of it reached this icy wasteland.

The two of them stayed quietly in the outer area for quite some time.

Most of the ice-attribute soul beasts on the outer perimeter are of short lifespan and pose little challenge to them.

Snow White's aurora attribute became increasingly refined through actual combat, and Florian also further improved the efficiency of his Light Soul Power in the extreme cold environment.

Both of them were the type to focus on their cultivation in silence, and they didn't talk much to each other, but they worked together with surprisingly good teamwork.

Snow White led the way, with Florian covering the rear. Florian cast a holy light barrier for defense, while Snow White launched a surprise attack from the flank with ice-wing slashes. The entire sequence flowed smoothly, requiring no even a glance.

That morning, the two set up camp in a sheltered spot on an icy hill. Florian built a fire, which was actually just a warm white ball of light condensed from his spiritual energy. It had no real temperature, but just looking at it warmed one's heart.

Snow White sat to one side, holding a rough map of the far north that she had brought from Wuhun City, and looked at it for a long time.

“We’ve basically covered the outer area.” She drew a circle around the ice field on the map, then pointed to the blank area marked “unknown” outside the circle. “Anywhere beyond that is the depths of the endless ice field. The map ends here; there are no markings beyond that.”

Florian channeled some more soul power into the sphere of light, then looked up at the question: "You want to go in and take a look?"

Snow White nodded, folded the map neatly, and put it away. "We're already here. The outer spirit beasts are no longer of any use to us, and staying any longer would be a waste of time. However, no one has explored the deeper parts, so we can't be reckless. If we encounter spirit beasts we can't handle, we should retreat; we shouldn't force our way in."

Florian thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay. My Holy Light Protection Barrier is more effective in extreme cold environments than outside. Ice-attribute attacks will have a weaker corrosive effect on the Light Barrier. As long as we don't encounter a soul beast that is over 100,000 years old, we should be able to escape unscathed."

Snow White glanced at him, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly. "You're quite optimistic."

“It’s not optimism,” Florian said, putting the ball of light back into his palm, standing up and brushing the snow off his robes. “It’s confidence in you. Your aurora attribute has a natural advantage in the ice field, and my Light Martial Soul is responsible for defense and healing. Together, we can handle most emergencies. As long as we don’t act rashly, the risks are manageable.”

These words were spoken neither arrogantly nor servilely, neither exaggerating nor belittling himself, which was indeed very much in line with Florian's usual style. Snow White said nothing more, and the two packed their belongings and set off into the depths of the icy plains.

The further they went, the harsher the environment became. The wind and snow were so strong that they could barely see anything more than ten steps away, and the temperature dropped to a level that an ordinary soul master could not bear.

The ice element here is so concentrated that it is almost solidified. The ice crystals in the air refract the sunlight into a rainbow of colors, as beautiful as a dream, and as dangerous as a dream.

The ice beneath our feet was no longer smooth and flat, but had been torn into countless jagged cracks by some enormous force, each one bottomless, with ice crystals at the edges sharp enough to cut through flesh.

Snow White walked steadily. Her aurora attribute was perfectly suited to this environment. The ice element, so concentrated that it could shatter the meridians of an ordinary soul master, was more nourishing to her than the best tonic. When she inhaled it, it transformed into pure soul power that flowed through her meridians, making her condition more robust with every breath.

Florian, however, did not have it so easy.

He was enveloped in a faint golden halo, a protective layer formed by his luminous soul power, which kept the cold air at bay.

A thin layer of frost would occasionally condense on the surface of the light shield, but it was quickly evaporated by the power of light. His breathing was heavier than usual, but the rhythm remained steady.

Snow White, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped, turned her head to look at the golden aura surrounding Florian, and asked, "Is your soul power being consumed a lot?"

"It's alright, about 10%," Florian answered truthfully. "It's mainly for maintaining body temperature and resisting the cold. If we encounter a battle, the consumption will be greater. So we have to use it sparingly before we encounter real danger."

Snow White looked away and continued walking. Florian assumed she was just asking a routine question and didn't think much of it, quickening his pace to catch up.

The two walked forward for about half an hour, and then a few warm yellow halos appeared faintly in the wind and snow ahead.

It was a campfire for a group of people. The closer you got, the clearer the details became: several crudely made, thick-skinned tents were loosely arranged in a circle, looking like a small icefield tribe from a distance.

Seven or eight burly men sat around the campfire, sharing a pot of steaming meat soup. Their rough laughter drifted intermittently on the cold wind.

Next to him, a burly man with a thick beard was stuffing half-charred pieces of meat into his mouth, grease dripping down his stubble, while mumbling something incoherently.

Florian instinctively reached for the hilt of his sword at his waist. Snow White, however, didn't react much. Her gaze swept over the mercenaries, and she quickly made a judgment: their auras were not weak, but they posed no threat.

What really caught her attention was a young man in a corner of the camp, head down, holding a sausage and muttering to himself.

The young man wore a thick fur coat and had a full beard, but his striking almond-shaped eyes were particularly eye-catching. They recognized his face.

“Cinderella’s teammate.” Snow White’s tone was as calm as if she were saying that the weather was nice today, “The food-type soul master among the Shrek Seven Devils, named Oscar.”

Florian followed her gaze and nodded. "I saw him at the Soul Master Competition. A food-type Soul Master, his martial soul is sausage, and his support abilities are quite good. I suppose he's already broken through to Soul Grandmaster. I didn't expect him to come here."

Snow White nodded and said nothing more. Her impression of the Shrek Seven Devils was limited to the fact that they had fought in the arena.

"Let's go." She withdrew her gaze, turned around, and prepared to leave in another direction.

Florian also looked away and followed behind her. Neither of them liked dealing with strangers, and encountering a group of mercenaries in this desolate wilderness was a case of better safe than sorry, so they simply went around them.

However, before they could take more than a few steps, a rough voice came from behind them.

"Hey, you two over there!"

Snow White paused, exchanging a glance with Florian.

Florian frowned slightly, his fingers returning to the hilt of his sword, but Snow White gently shook her head. She turned to look at the burly man waving at them.

The man was the same burly, bearded man who had been sitting by the campfire gnawing on chunks of meat. He stood up, took a few steps toward them, but didn't get too close, stopping about ten paces away.

The distance is crucial; it's about maintaining a distance where the other person can hear you clearly without feeling threatened.

"Please don't misunderstand, you two!"

The burly man with the thick beard spread his hands to indicate that he meant no harm.

"We're just mercenaries trying to make a living in this icy plain, not some bad guys. We saw you two coming from the west, and you didn't look disheveled at all, so we knew you were capable."

We're grilling some meat here, and considering it's freezing cold and hot, it's hard to find anything warm. If you two haven't had breakfast yet, you can come over and have some with us."

After he finished speaking, he took half a step back, his face full of smiles. But the smiles were not fawning; they were more like an instinct honed over years of navigating the world of gangsters. He maintained respect for the strong and friendliness towards strangers, expressing goodwill first to avoid being mistaken for an enemy.

The burly men behind him nodded in agreement, one of them even raising a skewer of meat in his hand to indicate that they were indeed eating a proper meal.

Florian was somewhat surprised. He had seen many mercenaries, most of them were desperate criminals who had lived on the edge of a knife. Those who could survive in this kind of place had all had blood on their hands.

But the group of people in front of them were genuine, polite, and humble. They clearly realized that he and Snow White were not ordinary people, and fearing misunderstandings, they simply made their attitude clear from the start.

Chapter 501 Oscar

Florian looked at Snow White, wanting to see what she thought.

The two were now companions, and encountering a group of unidentified mercenaries in this freezing, desolate place was hardly a wise choice. But leaving immediately would seem overly cautious and arouse suspicion. They needed to discuss how to proceed.

Snow White's gaze swept over the bearded man, then glanced at the group of burly men behind him who were still gnawing on meat.

Those men looked rugged, but their eyes were clean, lacking the sinister and greedy look often seen in people who have spent a long time on the edge of a knife.

Sensing that they meant no harm, Snow White nodded to Florian.

"Let's go check it out. We've been in the ice field for too long; we should find out what's going on outside."

The two headed towards the camp. Seeing this, the burly man with the thick beard grinned and turned to shout, "Come on, make room for your two friends! Let's reheat that pot of broth!"

Several burly men quickly moved aside, making room for the two warmest stones near the campfire. Snow White and Florian thanked them and sat down.

The burly man with a thick beard claimed to be surnamed Tie and was the leader of this mercenary squad; everyone called him Lao Tie (Old Tie).

He handed over two bowls of steaming hot meat soup. Snow White took one and sipped it, while Florian held the bowl to warm his hands. Neither of them spoke immediately.

Lao Tie was a very outgoing person and didn't mind their silence, so he started introducing himself.

Their team spends most of their time on the outskirts of the ice plains, making a living by taking on tasks such as hunting low-level soul beasts and collecting medicinal herbs from the ice plains.

I came out this time because I took on a job that wasn't too big or too small: to help a newly promoted Soul Master hunt for his fourth Soul Ring.

The soul master was the young master of the employer's family, and he was currently resting and recuperating in the tent, waiting to set off tomorrow.

"Business is tough these days." Old Tie took a swig of meat soup and wiped his mouth. "We used to take jobs in the northern border of the Heavenly Dou Empire. We knew the way, we could do it with our eyes closed. But now, everything's a mess."

Florian caught the words "Northern Territory of the Heavenly Dou Empire," and his hand holding the bowl paused slightly: "Everything's in chaos? What do you mean?"

Old Tie was stunned for a moment, then looked him up and down: "You don't know? Where did you come from?"

"I've been in the ice plains for a long time," Snow White said calmly, putting down her bowl. "I've been cultivating inside and haven't come out."

"No wonder." Old Tie slapped his thigh, his expression becoming somewhat complicated, as if he wanted to say a lot but didn't know where to start. "You guys have been out there for a long time, and things have changed. The Heavenly Dou Empire is gone."

The campfire crackled twice.

Florian frowned slightly. Snow White's fingers, holding the bowl, tightened slightly, then relaxed again.

"How so?" Snow White's voice remained calm.

Old Tie lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard by someone he shouldn't: "The Spirit Hall swallowed up Tian Dou. The emperor of Tian Dou City, what was his name again... Xue Qinghe, he announced it in public at the Grand Court Assembly, saying that in order to be with his Consort forever, he might as well merge the empire into the Spirit Hall. All the Tiger Tally were handed over, the city defenses were completely replaced, and overnight, Tian Dou City was filled with the flags of the Spirit Hall."

Florian glanced at Snow White instinctively.

Snow White's expression remained unchanged. Her gaze was fixed on the flickering campfire, the flames reflected in her clear eyes, making it impossible to discern what was churning within them.

Old Tie was still rambling on. The Spirit Hall had been renamed the Spirit Empire, Bibi Dong was now both Pope and Empress, and Heaven Dou City had been renamed Eastern Capital and become a secondary capital.

Some of the original ducal kingdoms of the Heaven Dou Empire surrendered directly, while others were still observing. Several counties in the northern border united a group of escaped nobles to form a resistance army. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Blue Lightning Tyrant School both joined the alliance against the Spirit Empire. It is said that even the Clear Sky School has come out of seclusion.

"The Star Luo Empire has also made moves. Martial law has been declared along the entire border, and troops are being reinforced at the border every day. The two sides have not officially started fighting yet, but judging from the situation, it is only a matter of time before a war breaks out."

The old man sighed at the end and gulped down the remaining broth in his bowl.

The burly man with a thick beard next to him chimed in, his voice muffled: "We can't interfere in the affairs of those big shots. When gods fight, mortals suffer. We just try to make a living in this icy plain. If the Martial Soul Empire and the Star Luo Empire really go to war one day, this icy plain probably won't be peaceful anymore."

Snow White listened quietly without saying a word.

She hadn't expected Qian Renxue to act so quickly. Since she left Wuhun City, the Heaven Dou Empire had already ceased to exist.

It happened both quickly and slowly. Qian Renxue had been preparing for this day for over a decade.

The continent will be in chaos for a while. Once the two behemoths, the Spirit Empire and the Star Luo Empire, officially go to war, the entire continent will be dragged into the flames of war.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the Blue Lightning Tyrant School, and the Clear Sky School—the three upper schools—have all stood on the opposite side of the Spirit Empire. The duchies and city-states that are still observing will eventually have to choose sides, and no one can remain unaffected.

But Snow White had nothing to worry about regarding whether the Spirit Empire could unify the continent.

She knew all too well the strength of the Spirit Hall.

Bibi Dong's cultivation level is already unfathomable. With Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, and the group of old-timers in the Hall of Worship, plus the younger generation cultivated by the Spirit Hall in recent years, once this power is fully released, no force on the entire continent can withstand it alone.

For the Spirit Hall, unifying the continent is only a matter of time.

Florian had also considered this possibility; his brow furrowed slightly, but he said nothing. They exchanged a glance, both seeing the same judgment in each other's eyes.

Snow White put down her empty bowl and stood up. Florian also stood up and returned the bowl to his friend.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Snow White's tone remained politely distant. "Farewell."

The old man quickly stood up and clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Oh, you're too kind! Take care on the road!"