Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

The team immediately sprang into action.

The teachers led their assigned students to set up tents, gather firewood, start a fire, and prepare dinner.

Although the students were tired, the novelty of spending the night outdoors for the first time made them excited and chatter incessantly.

Cinderella did not participate in setting up camp. She walked alone to the edge of the camp, stood on a slightly higher rock, and scanned the outline of the mountains in front of her that were gradually being swallowed by the twilight.

Her spiritual power spread forward silently, like invisible tentacles.

A moment later, she withdrew her mental energy, jumped off the rock, and returned to the camp. A campfire had already been lit, and several teachers were cooking soup around it. Students sat in twos and threes in front of their tents, some cleaning their weapons, others checking each other's equipment.

The dean brought a bowl of hot soup to her and handed it to her. "Have some, warm yourself up. It's cold in the mountains at night."

Cinderella took the bowl, thanked him, but didn't drink immediately. She sat down on a rock by the campfire, holding the bowl, watching the flames dance. After a moment of silence, she spoke, "Dean, I'd like to discuss tomorrow's arrangements with you."

The dean sat down opposite her, his hands tucked into his sleeves, waiting for her to continue.

“I just sensed it,” Cinderella said calmly. “There are quite a few spirit beasts in the outermost area of ​​the mountain range, ranging from ten to a hundred years old. However, their quality varies greatly, and most are not suitable for making spirit rings. If you want better spirit rings, you need to go deeper into the mountains. There are more hundred-year-old spirit beasts there, and their attributes are purer.”

The dean's brow twitched slightly, and a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes.

He thought for a moment and then said, "Cindy, as you know, the academy used to bring students here to hunt for spirit rings, and they always just took whatever came their way."

After all, we have limited manpower and strength; every moment we stay in the wild increases the risk. Normally, if we encounter one or two spirit beasts of similar age, we'll take them down if we can.

He sighed, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "This is how it's always been. Our greatest success is ensuring our students acquire their spirit rings safely and return home peacefully. As for the quality of the spirit beasts… we wouldn't dare be picky."

Cinderella listened quietly without interrupting. She waited until the headmaster finished speaking before speaking, her tone still calm: "Headmaster, that was before. Things are different now."

She looked up, her amber eyes gleaming warmly in the firelight.

"I'm here. With me here, choosing a few good soul beasts won't be difficult. A soul master's first soul ring is related to the foundation of their cultivation for the rest of their life. If they can choose the better ones within their capabilities, why not?"

The dean opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but looking into Cinderella's calm and determined eyes, he swallowed the words back.

He knew Cinderella was right; a Soul Emperor leading them did indeed have the confidence to be picky.

"Won't that be too much trouble for you?" The dean finally voiced his biggest concern. "Just accompanying us on this trip is already exhausting enough, and now you have to go through the trouble of selecting the soul beasts..."

“No trouble at all,” Cinderella replied crisply and without hesitation. “Since I’m already here, I might as well get things done. Tomorrow, once we’re in the mountains, I’ll go first, and you all follow behind. I’ll let you know when I see a suitable spirit beast, and then I’ll arrange for the appropriate students to go and kill it.”

The dean looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly nodded.

He knew that Cinderella wasn't just being polite; she meant what she said.

“Alright.” The dean stood up, brushing the bits of grass off his robes. “Then we’ll do it your way. I’ll go and talk to the other teachers, so they’re aware of the plan.”

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards another campfire.

Cinderella picked up the bowl of soup again, brought the rim to her lips, and took a sip. The soup wasn't very hot anymore, but it had a faint aroma of meat and ginger. The warmth slid down her throat and slowly spread in her stomach.

Silent all night.

The next morning, as dawn broke, the group broke camp and set off, following a path worn by hunters and soul masters into the border mountains.

Unlike the sparse mixed forest on the outskirts, the deeper you go, the denser the trees become, and the light gradually dims.

The air was filled with the damp smell of earth and the faint sour smell of decaying vegetation. Occasionally, the low roars of unknown spirit beasts could be heard from afar, causing the students who were entering the mountains for the first time to shrink back.

Cinderella walked at the very front, her steps light and quick, without the slightest hesitation.

Her spiritual power, like invisible tentacles, spread in all directions, taking in every rustle of grass and the slightest movement within a radius of hundreds of meters.

Soon, she had a goal.

"Fifty paces ahead to the left, behind the bushes, there is a century-old iron-backed porcupine."

Cinderella stopped and gestured for the group to halt. She turned to the dean behind her. "Over two hundred and forty years of cultivation. A powerful offensive type with decent defense, suitable as your first spirit ring. Are there any students interested in absorbing the Ironback Porcupine's spirit ring?"

The dean paused for a moment, then reacted, quickly turning around and shouting to the group, "Those who need the first spirit ring of a power-attack type, step forward!"

A commotion broke out in the line. Several students looked at each other, and finally a chubby-faced boy mustered up the courage to step forward.

"I...can I?" His voice was a little nervous, but the longing in his eyes was unmistakable.

Cinderella glanced at him and nodded. "Follow me. Don't be afraid; you just need to finish the job."

The little boy nodded vigorously, gripped the small dagger in his hand, and followed Cinderella, carefully pushing aside the bushes as they walked forward.

Fifty steps is a distance that will be covered in the blink of an eye.

Behind the bushes, a large porcupine with a stiff, iron-gray mane was burying its head in the tree roots, completely unaware of the impending danger.

Cinderella didn't release her martial spirit, nor did she make any unnecessary movements. She simply stepped forward and gave a light kick.

Snapped.

A small pebble shot out like a bullet, hitting the iron-backed porcupine's hind leg joint precisely.

The porcupine howled in pain, its massive body jerking to one side. Before it could even struggle, Cinderella appeared before it, her palm pressed against its thick neck.

He unleashed his soul power.

The porcupine didn't even have time to grunt before it collapsed to the ground, completely losing consciousness.

The whole process was so fast that it took only a few breaths.

“Come here.” Cinderella beckoned behind her. “Kill it, then absorb its spirit ring.”

The little boy stared dumbfounded at the iron-backed porcupine lying on the ground, then glanced at Cinderella's relaxed and composed appearance, swallowed hard, ran forward quickly, raised his hoe, and smashed it down hard on the porcupine's head.

A pale yellow spirit ring slowly rose up.

Under the dean's guidance, the little boy sat cross-legged and began to guide the spirit ring into his body. Cinderella stood aside and watched for a moment, confirming that his absorption process was smooth and orderly, before turning around and continuing to walk forward.

With the first student's success, the subsequent students became bolder.

Thanks to Cinderella's precise selection, six more students successfully obtained their desired century-old soul rings in the following period.

Someone absorbed the Hundred-Year-Old Wind Shadow Wolf and gained a soul skill that boosted speed.

Someone absorbed the hundred-year-old Ironclad Turtle and gained a defensive soul skill.

Another person absorbed a hundred-year-old Crimson Flame Fox, and their martial soul itself acquired a trace of fire attribute.

By noon, the group had ventured deep into the heart of the mountains. Cinderella stood by a stream, watching several students chattering amongst themselves about the use of soul skills around a hundred-year-old blue-winged bird that had just fallen.

Just as she was about to remind them not to get too excited and to be on guard, a familiar voice suddenly came from the woods behind them.

"Hey, isn't this Cinderella?"

The voice carried a hint of exaggerated surprise and indescribable warmth, its tone so familiar that Cinderella couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

She turned around.

At the edge of a forest clearing, two figures stood side by side, slowly emerging from the shadows of the trees.

The one on the left has short brown hair, a nonchalant smile on his lips, and eyes that shine as if he's just discovered some incredible treasure.

His nose bridge is higher than average, but overall he is considered handsome.

The man on the right had short, neatly combed blond hair, a handsome face, and a calm expression. He had his arms crossed, and his golden eyes held a hint of surprise, but more so the peacefulness of reuniting with an old friend.

Pinocchio.

Levin.

Cinderella looked at the two figures that suddenly emerged from the forest, a hint of surprise flashing in her amber eyes, but it was quickly replaced by understanding.

"What are you all doing here?" she asked, her tone neither warm nor cold.

Pinocchio strode over, his mouth never stopping once he started talking: "We're traveling! We're going to wander around and see the sights, and maybe even complete our divine test. We took a detour to the south, and then we happened to come here."

As soon as I entered the mountain, I sensed a fluctuation of soul power ahead. I came to check, and lo and behold, it was you!

As he spoke, his gaze passed over Cinderella and landed on the group of students behind him who were chattering around the corpse of the soul beast. His eyes immediately lit up.

"You're... bringing students out to get spirit rings? Not bad! You're a teacher now? Tsk tsk tsk, you're doing pretty well!"

“Not a teacher,” Cinderella interrupted him, her tone flat. “Just helping out.”

She glanced at the dean who had followed her and briefly explained the situation.

The students at the Notting City Junior Soul Master Academy were trying to obtain their first soul ring, and she happened to be nearby, so she offered to help.

After hearing this, Pinocchio exaggeratedly patted his chest: "Then I really have to praise you. You truly are a model representative among us. Being both a bodyguard and a hunter, if others knew, wouldn't they rave about you?"

Levin walked up and nodded slightly to Cinderella as a greeting.

He was much more composed than Pinocchio, and his short, golden hair gleamed with a warm luster under the dappled shadows of the trees.

“What a coincidence,” Levin said calmly. “We just arrived recently. Pinocchio said there were a few places around here that might be suitable for hunting spirit beasts, so we followed that direction for a while, and unexpectedly ran into you.”

Cinderella's gaze lingered on each of them for a moment, sensing the fluctuations of their soul power.

Pinocchio's aura was much stronger than during the Soul Master Competition. Although it still carried that faint, elusive feeling, one could sense that his foundation had become more stable.

Levin, on the other hand, was more composed, like a piece of jade that had been polished to a smoother, warmer finish. His surface showed no sharpness, but the power within him was clearly more profound than before.

"What stage are you at in terms of cultivation?" Cinderella began, her tone casual, "What level are you at now?"

Pinocchio chuckled, making no attempt to hide anything, and said directly, "Soul Emperor. Level 65. How about that, aren't you surprised?"

He puffed out his chest as he said this, with an expression that said, "Come on, praise me!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, he glanced at Cinderella again, then changed the subject, his tone becoming slightly probing: "And you? You seem to be making good progress in your cultivation as well. How are you now?"

“Level 66,” Cinderella said.

Pinocchio's smile froze for a moment, then crumbled. "Tsk, still a level below you. I thought I could catch up this time."

Levin, standing to the side, twitched his lips slightly, as if he was trying to suppress a laugh.

But he didn't respond; he simply stood quietly to the side, watching Pinocchio and Cinderella talk back and forth.

The dean stood not far away, watching Cinderella talk to the two young soul masters who had suddenly appeared. He hesitated for a moment, but still did not go forward to disturb them.

He could tell that these three people were old acquaintances, and that they were all extraordinary individuals.

Therefore, he tactfully stepped back a few paces and led the students to continue dealing with the corpse of the blue-winged bird.

Chapter 543 Situation

Although the students were dealing with the carcass of the blue-winged bird, they couldn't help but keep looking back.

Finally, under the dean's low command, they could only obediently turn their gaze away and focus on the task at hand.