Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Xiao Wu was only level 54 during the Soul Master Competition, and now she's already level 66.

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her eyes, suppressing the complex emotions that surged within her at that moment.

The higher a Soul Master's level, the slower their cultivation speed. From level 50 to level 60, it takes an ordinary Soul Master several years or even more than ten years, and even those with good talent need several years.

Xiao Wu, however, only took such a short time.

That's a true genius.

She is not someone who can be compared to an ordinary person like her who barely keeps up with the pace through hard work and luck.

Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath, wrote Xiao Wu's rank on the roster, then pushed the roster aside and looked up at Xiao Wu.

“A level 66 Soul Emperor is beyond my authority to arrange.” Her voice remained cold, but her tone carried a hint of businesslike calm. “Please wait a moment, I’ll call my superior.”

Xiao Wu nodded without saying anything more. She stood in front of the registration desk, her gaze sweeping over the Soul Masters waiting in line in the hall.

Their gazes towards her held curiosity, envy, and a hint of unspoken apprehension. Xiao Wu didn't care; she was long used to such looks.

Zhu Zhuqing stood up and walked towards the back of the hall. Her steps were quick, but each step was steady, and her boots made a rhythmic sound on the bluestone floor.

There was a moment of silence in the hall, then whispers resumed.

Some people were whispering about Xiao Wu's age, some were speculating about her background, and some were calculating where a level 66 Soul Emperor would rank in the Northern Allied Forces.

Xiao Wu ignored him.

She stood there, her gaze fixed on a mirror hanging on the wall behind the registration desk.

The mirror was small, oval-shaped, with a silver frame engraved with intricate patterns. The surface was very bright, reflecting her face clearly.

But Xiaowu always felt that something was off about that mirror. Not its shape, not its size, but the aura emanating from it.

The aura was so faint that she wouldn't have been able to detect it at all if her mental strength hadn't been sharp enough.

But it's there.

Like a closed eye, it quietly watches over everyone in the hall.

Xiao Wu frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed.

She subtly withdrew her gaze and continued to wait.

Zhu Zhuqing returned in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Following behind her was a burly middle-aged man, dressed in a dark blue Alliance standard battle robe, with a broad-bladed longsword hanging at his waist. He had a resolute face and sharp eyes.

The middle-aged man walked up to Xiao Wu, his gaze sweeping over her, and then he asked, "You're Xiao Wu?"

"Yes."

"A level 66 Soul Emperor?"

"Yes."

The middle-aged man nodded, stepped aside, and gestured for him to come with him. "Follow me."

Xiao Wu followed him through the hall, up to the second floor, and stopped in front of a wooden door.

The middle-aged man pushed open the door and went inside. Xiao Wu followed behind him.

The room was small and simply furnished. There was a desk, two chairs, and a bookshelf with several thick rosters and files on it.

Against the wall, there was a full-length mirror. Like the one downstairs, it had a silver frame with intricate patterns.

The difference is that this mirror is larger and brighter, so bright that it can almost reflect the finest pores on a person's face.

Xiao Wu's gaze lingered on the mirror for a moment before shifting away.

The middle-aged man sat down behind the desk and gestured to the chair opposite him. "Sit."

Xiao Wu sat down, her back ramrod straight.

The middle-aged man looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Let me introduce myself first. My name is Zhao Heng, and I am the head of the Soul Master Management Office of the Northern Allied Forces. I'm going to ask you a few questions, and you can answer them truthfully."

Xiao Wu nodded.

Zhao Heng took a small mirror, about the size of his palm, from the drawer and placed it on the table.

The mirror was made of the same material as the full-length mirror in the room, with a silver frame, intricate patterns, and a surface so shiny that it reflected people's images.

“This is a soul tool crafted by Lady Eva,” Zhao Heng said calmly and steadily.

"She has imbued the mirror with her soul skills and magic, which can detect whether you are lying. When you answer a question, the mirror will reflect whether you are lying."

Xiao Wu's eyebrows twitched slightly.

She looked at the small mirror on the table, then at Zhao Heng's expressionless face.

She is not afraid.

She never intended to lie.

“Go ahead and ask,” Xiao Wu said.

Zhao Heng nodded, looking directly into Xiao Wu's eyes. "Why did you come to the Northern Border?"

"I want to join the Anti-Spirit Alliance to fight against the Spirit Empire," Xiao Wu answered quickly, without any hesitation.

The mirror remained perfectly still, without the slightest ripple.

"Why did you join the Anti-Spirit Alliance? Was it for revenge, for profit, or for something else?"

Xiao Wu was silent for a moment.

The image of her mother, Arou, sacrificing herself flashed through her mind. The figure falling in a pool of blood, the figure pushing her away with her last strength, the voice calling her name in her final moments.

"Revenge." Xiao Wu spoke, her voice not loud, but each word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth. "The Spirit Hall killed my family, and I will make them pay with their blood."

The mirror remained calm.

Zhao Heng's gaze lingered on the mirror for a moment before returning to it.

He didn't ask questions like "Who are your family members?" or "Why did the Spirit Hall kill them?"

In the North, everyone who joins the army has their own story.

He doesn't need to know the details; he only needs to know whether the person is trustworthy.

"One last question," Zhao Heng said calmly. "After you join the Northern Alliance, will you do anything that harms the alliance's interests because of personal grudges?"

Xiao Wu looked at him.

"will not."

Two words, concise and to the point, without any unnecessary words.

The mirror remained calm.

Zhao Heng was silent for a moment, then nodded.

He put the small mirror on the table back into the drawer, took out a silver token from another drawer of the desk, and handed it to Xiaowu.

"This is your identity token. Keep it safe. From today onwards, you are a member of the Northern Allied Forces Elite Battalion."

Xiao Wu took the token and glanced down at it. The token was made of silver, slightly cool to the touch, with her name and rank engraved on the front and the words "Elite Camp" on the back.

“The elite battalion’s camp is on the east side of the military camp. Someone will take care of things when you get there.” Zhao Heng stood up and extended his hand to Xiao Wu. “Welcome to the Northern Alliance.”

Xiao Wu also stood up, extended her hand, and shook hands with him.

"Thank you."

Zhao Heng nodded and said nothing more. He walked to the door, opened it, and stepped aside. "Go ahead."

Xiao Wu walked out of the room and down the corridor.

In the lobby, Zhu Zhuqing was still sitting behind the registration desk, writing something with her head down. Hearing footsteps, she looked up, glanced at Xiao Wu, and then looked down again.

Xiao Wu didn't disturb her and walked straight out of the stone building.

Sunlight streamed down from the gray sky, falling on her face with a faint warmth.

Xiao Wu narrowed her eyes and walked towards the city gate.

She had to report to the military camp first.

Then, she began her life in the North.

……

a few days later.

Northern Allied Forces, Elite Battalion Garrison.

Xiao Wu has been in the elite camp for several days now.

The treatment in the elite camp was much better than she had expected.

The single room has a bed, a table, and a wardrobe. Three meals a day are provided, and there is also a dedicated training room and training ground.

But Xiao Wu didn't feel comfortable living there.

It's not that the conditions are bad, it's that they're too good.

It was so good that every night she would lie in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, always feeling that something was missing.

The sound of wind has disappeared.

The chirping of insects has disappeared.

The sound of Da Ming and Er Ming snoring is gone.

The quiet figure of the auspicious beast lying on the dark green boulder, its body shimmering with nine-colored light, was gone.

Xiao Wu rolled over and buried her face in the pillow. She missed home.

But she also knew that she couldn't go back now.

She hasn't found a chance to get close to Bibi Dong, hasn't avenged her mother, and hasn't finished doing what she wants to do.

She can't go back.

Xiao Wu took a deep breath, sat up in bed, put on her clothes, pushed open the door, and went out.

The morning light spread across the eastern mountain ridge, bathing the entire military camp in a warm golden hue.

The soldiers had already begun their day of training, their shouts of battle deafening, and dust billowing across the parade ground.