Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Pushing open the door, a murky smell, a mixture of cheap beer and sweat, hit me.

The tavern was small, with seven or eight crooked tables. In the corner, a lame old man was playing an out-of-tune tune on a worn-out harp.

Several men dressed in coarse cloth shorts were gathered around the bar, drinking and bragging, their voices so loud they could lift the roof off.

Lin Wan ordered a glass of ale and sat down by the window. The liquor was cloudy and bitter, far inferior to the fruit wine on Poseidon Island, but he didn't care. He picked it up and took a sip, while listening to the loud conversation of the men at the next table.

"Have you heard? The Spirit Empire has advanced another thirty miles! Several Soul Saints have died on the Star Luo side, and even Title Douluos are fighting each other!"

"Your news is outdated! The Anti-Spirit Alliance is launching a counterattack! Did you know the Clear Sky Sect has emerged? They possess the number one weapon spirit in the world! With those titled Douluo appearing, even the Spirit Hall will have to think twice!"

"I heard that the Anti-Spirit Alliance fought several tough battles on the border of the Star Luo Empire, pushing back the vanguard of the Spirit Empire. Now the battle line is stuck 300 miles south of the old capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, and neither side can push the other."

Someone asked, "Who has the advantage?"

A burly man with a thick beard put down his wine bowl at the bar, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and struck a pose of knowing everything.

"It's hard to say who has the advantage. The Spirit Hall has a lot of Title Douluos, but the Anti-Spirit Alliance is not bad either. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School sent two, the Blue Lightning Tyrant School sent one, and the Clear Sky School brought out three or four at once. Add to that the Star Luo Empire's own tributes, and together they can barely hold their own."

It's unrealistic for the Spirit Empire to wipe out Star Luo in one fell swoop, and it will be difficult for them to retake Heaven Dou City. The fighting is a stalemate; today you push me thirty miles, tomorrow I'll push you thirty miles."

Lin Wan swirled the murky liquid in her glass; the war had indeed reached a stalemate.

The Spirit Hall has a numerical advantage in the number of Title Douluos, but its high-end combat power is scattered across a long battlefront and cannot be concentrated in the short term.

Although the Anti-Soul Alliance is slightly weaker overall, it has the advantage of terrain, and the addition of the Clear Sky Sect has greatly boosted morale, allowing it to barely maintain a balance. This battle will likely last a long time.

He placed the glass back on the table, the bottom of the glass making a soft clinking sound as it hit the surface. Amidst this jumble of information, he hadn't yet heard anything of particular interest.

The Martial Soul Empire and the Anti-Martial Soul Alliance were locked in a stalemate, much as he had predicted.

As the discussion among the burly men gradually turned to some trivial matters, Lin Wan was preparing to get up and pay the bill.

"Hey, have you heard? The remaining nobles of the Heavenly Dou Empire have put forward a new leader." A skinny man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face lowered his voice and leaned forward mysteriously.

Lin Wan was already getting up. His fingers had just touched the edge of the table, the last sip of ale in his glass was still swirling, and a seabird flew past the eaves outside the window, casting a fleeting shadow. But the skinny man's next words made him stop.

"This person is extraordinary. She has everything: status, strength, and methods. As soon as she appeared, she united those old nobles of the Heaven Dou Sect who were all unwilling to submit to each other. Now, in the entire Anti-Spirit Alliance, the team she leads is the most aggressive. The Spirit Hall has suffered several losses at her hands, and I heard that even a Title Douluo was lost."

The men nearby were skeptical: "You're kidding, right? The Heavenly Dou Empire has people like this? Who is it, and how is he so powerful?"

"I'm afraid it will scare you if I tell you." The skinny man picked up his wine bowl, took a swig, and glanced at the curious gazes of the crowd with satisfaction before lowering his voice and saying, word by word, "Eve, the former Empress of Tiandou."

Lin Wan's expression froze for a moment.

No, Eva?

Didn't she cooperate with Qian Renxue? How come she suddenly joined the Anti-Soul Alliance and became the leader of the remaining nobles of the Heaven Dou Sect?

He withdrew his fingers from the edge of the table and sat up straight again.

He quickly reviewed the existing information in his mind: the core of the cooperation between Eva and Qian Renxue was that Eva would help Qian Renxue ascend the throne, and Qian Renxue would promise to give Eva greater power and resources in the future.

Logically speaking, Eva should now belong to the Spirit Hall's side.

But she ran away and became a key figure in the Anti-Soul Alliance.

This action was truly surprising. Lin Wan tapped her fingers lightly twice on the table, producing a dull sound.

The group of men in the tavern were still chattering amongst themselves. "Eva? The one who served as empress of the Heavenly Dou Empire twice?"

"Yes, that's her! I heard she's the mother of Snow White!"

……

As Lin Wan listened to these discussions, she gradually began to formulate her own plans.

In fact, it's not entirely Ariel's fault for not telling him.

Poseidon Island is far from the mainland, and news travels at least ten days to half a month behind. Eva joining the Anti-Soul Alliance was a recent event, so it's perfectly normal that Ariel didn't know.

Lin Wan wasn't the only one puzzled by Eva's baffling actions.

There is also Qianrenxue.

She didn't understand either. She didn't understand why Eva would do that. They had a child together. Snowy was Eva's daughter, whom she had raised single-handedly, and she was the strongest bond between them.

Even disregarding the transaction and the interests involved, Eva had no reason to do this just for Snow White's sake.

Moreover, their deal is not yet complete. Eva helped her ascend the throne of the Heavenly Dou Empire, and now it is her turn to fulfill her promise and give Eva more power and resources.

She was already doing it, but Eva wouldn't even wait.

Qian Renxue's fingers unconsciously curled up, her fingertips touching the cold window frame, the chill spreading from her fingertips all the way to her palm.

She suddenly remembered the night before Eva left. That day, Eva brought in a bowl of lotus seed soup, saying it was newly made by the imperial kitchen and wanted her to try it. She took a bite, found it too sweet, and put it down.

Eva smiled, said nothing, and simply stood behind her, watching her quietly for a while. Then she said, "Get some rest," and turned to leave.

Qian Renxue didn't turn around at the time. She thought it was just an ordinary night.

Looking back now, that bowl of lotus seed soup was probably Eva's farewell.

Qian Renxue closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, the confusion in her clear, cold eyes was gone, replaced by an intensely suppressed calm.

She couldn't understand it, but she also knew that Eva must have her reasons for everything she did. That woman had always been like that; she had her own set of logic for everything she did, which no one could fathom or stop.

Meanwhile, in a tavern a thousand miles away, Lin Wan finished the last sip of ale in her glass, placed a silver soul coin on the table, and got up to walk towards the door.

He could guess most of the things that Qian Renxue couldn't understand.

Most likely, it's for reputation points. After all, when he summoned these fairytale characters to Douluo Continent, the core task he gave them was always the same: to gain reputation points.

After Eva became the empress of the Heaven Dou Empire for two terms, her prestige did indeed skyrocket. The title of "Empress of Heaven Dou" brought her immense attention; nobles, commoners, and soul masters throughout the Heaven Dou Empire all knew her name and her identity.

But now that everyone knows she's the Empress, her reputation has inevitably plateaued. Going forward, the rate of increase will only slow down, eventually leveling off.

Therefore, she had laid out her plan long ago. Cooperating with Qian Renxue and the Spirit Hall in exchange for future power and resources was only the surface of the deal.

The deeper calculation was that she had long foreseen that her reputation would plateau at some point, and at that time, she would need a bigger stage.

But now, with the descent of the divine test, the situation has changed again.

Merida passed the test of the goddess of the hunt, Leah was chosen by the god of fire, and Cinderella embarked on the path to godhood...

These fairy tale characters, who were summoned by Lin Wan along with her, gained the favor of the gods one after another.

However, because of her advanced age, no deity included her on the shortlist.

Chapter 505 No Choice Needed

This is an extremely dangerous sign for Eva.

She couldn't wait any longer.

The power and resources Qian Renxue promised her were indeed tempting, but those things couldn't be delivered in a short time.

She can only achieve her goals when the Spirit Empire unifies the continent?

Are you kidding me? That'll be ages before it happens. By then, all the other fairy tale characters will probably be gods, and she'll still be queen on earth. How can that be?

Therefore, Eva chose the simplest and most effective method: to stir up trouble and manipulate power in a chaotic world.

War is the best catalyst for reputation. Winning a battle, annihilating an army of the Spirit Hall, and incorporating a group of former Heaven Dou forces—each victory will spread her name throughout the continent, and her reputation will soar.

With enough reputation points, she can find an opportunity to become a god within the system.

In fact, Eva did just that. As early as when Qian Renxue publicly announced the merger of the Heaven Dou Empire and the Spirit Hall in the imperial court, Eva had already made two preparations.

While continuing to play the role of a virtuous and kind queen, she secretly dispatched some of her confidants and private soldiers to leave Tiandou City ahead of time and secretly station them in the northern border.

These people had been lying in wait in the shadows for months, just waiting for her order.

When news of Eva's departure from Tiandou City reached the Northern Territory, her pre-arranged pawns began to move swiftly. Her identity—the late emperor's queen and Snow White's mother—naturally carried an aura of legitimacy.

In the midst of the chaos and leaderlessness, the exiled former nobles of Tiandou suddenly found a woman of noble status, formidable strength, and who also led an army, and they quickly gravitated towards her without much hesitation.

Having a certain status isn't enough; in chaotic times, you need strength to command respect. After joining the Anti-Soul Alliance, Eva's first act was to demonstrate her Title Douluo-level strength.

The addition of a titled Douluo is enough to change the power dynamics within the alliance.

Moreover, she also commands a considerable private army and military force, which she has secretly cultivated over the years. These forces are well-equipped and highly trained, far superior in combat power to the hastily assembled ragtag armies within the alliance.

Identity, strength, and military power—playing these three cards simultaneously caused Eva's influence within the Anti-Soul Alliance to skyrocket.

Just as the skinny man in the tavern said, her influence is now on par with that of the Haotian Sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect, and the Star Luo Empire.

With the addition of Eva's new force, the war between the Anti-Spirit Alliance and the Spirit Empire has been brought back to a head, and the balance of power has been restored.

Her team fought fiercely and with strict discipline, targeting the Spirit Hall's weak points. After several battles, the Spirit Hall suffered considerable losses, with even a Title Douluo losing one in an ambush. The two sides once again fell into a delicate stalemate.

Meanwhile, in the Papal Palace of Wuhun City.

Bibi Dong sat on the throne that symbolized the highest power of the Spirit Hall, holding a battle report that had just been sent back from the front lines.

The battle report detailed Eva's actions after joining the Anti-Spirit Alliance: incorporating the old troops of Tiandou, integrating the Northern Army, and repelling the Spirit Empire's attacks on the main battlefield multiple times.

With each line of text she scanned, the mocking smile on her lips deepened.

At the end of the battle report was Eva's last public declaration: "The Heavenly Struggle has not ended, a new emperor shall be established."

These eight words alone sparked an overwhelming response within the Anti-Martial Soul Alliance.

Bibi Dong casually tossed the battle report onto the table, raised her eyes, and looked at Qian Renxue standing in the hall.

Qian Renxue was dressed in a moon-white casual outfit, her back straight and her face calm as still water, as if she had long expected Bibi Dong to use this matter to cause trouble.

Standing beside her was Hu Liena, who was wearing a deep purple palace dress today. Her long, dark hair was styled into an elegant updo, and her charming eyes were lowered as she stood quietly beside Qian Renxue.

"Is this your good ally?"

Bibi Dong's voice came from above, not loud, but as cold as a poisoned needle, each word precisely piercing Qian Renxue's most sensitive nerve.

The light inside the hall seemed to be dimmed by the fluctuations of her soul power, casting deep shadows on her exquisite face.

Qian Renxue frowned slightly.

She didn't understand Eva's actions and still couldn't figure out why Eva would leave Heaven Dou City and join the Anti-Martial Soul Alliance at this time.

Just because she can't understand it doesn't mean she wants to hear her mother, who never respects her, use this incident to mock her.

She raised her eyes, her clear, cold eyes devoid of any extraneous emotion, only a calm as still as a frozen lake.

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, each one like a hammer blow to Bibi Dong's mocking face.

“Eva has already fulfilled her deal with us. She helped me ascend the throne of the Heavenly Dou Empire, and that deal was already finalized long ago.”