Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

The corridor outside the door was brightly lit by the afternoon sun, and the pillars on both sides cast neat shadows on the smooth, mirror-like stone floor.

He walked a few steps down the corridor and then stopped in front of a half-open door.

Inside the door was a simply furnished room. The bookshelves against the wall were neatly stacked with files and letters, and a pot of neatly trimmed orchids sat on the windowsill, its leaves gleaming a warm green in the afternoon light.

Ning Rongrong was sitting on a low stool by the window, holding an open book in her hand. She looked up when she heard footsteps.

She was a bit older than during the Soul Master Competition, and the lines of her once round cheeks had become clearer. The innocence in her eyes had faded, replaced by a more mature demeanor befitting her age.

But when those light brown eyes looked over, they still carried a tenderness that only appeared when facing loved ones.

"Father." She put down her book, stood up, and walked to Ning Fengzhi. "Is the meeting over?"

Ning Fengzhi nodded, sat down in the chair at the table, and gestured for her to sit down as well.

Ning Rongrong then sat down again opposite him, her hands folded on her knees, her posture upright, like someone who was used to talking to him in this way.

"You didn't go to the council chamber today?" Ning Fengzhi asked, his voice gentle.

“I went,” Ning Rongrong said, “but I sat in the side hall and didn’t go in. Today’s discussion was about military deployment, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go in. Besides…” She paused, “I knew you would tell me.”

Ning Fengzhi looked at her, a very subtle hint of relief flashing in his eyes.

In recent years, he has intentionally allowed Ning Rongrong to get involved in the core affairs of the sect. He would let her understand every meeting, every battle report, and every contact with various forces in a way that suited her.

Initially, it was just to cultivate her familiarity with sect affairs, but later he found that she learned very quickly, so quickly that he hardly needed to guide her, and she could find the key clues from the chaotic information on her own.

"So, what do you think of the current situation?" he asked.

Ning Rongrong thought for a moment, then spoke at a moderate pace, as if she were organizing her thoughts:

"On the southern front, the Star Luo Empire retreated very quickly. Although they had an advantage in troop strength, they had too few Title Douluos and simply could not withstand a frontal assault against the Spirit Hall's cluster of Title Douluos."

On the western front, both the Haotian Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect are holding their ground, but they can't make any progress and can only maintain the status quo.

She paused here, as if considering how to phrase her next sentence: "And the situation in the North... is completely different from here. The fact that they were able to repel three attacks from the Spirit Hall head-on shows that their integration capabilities are much stronger than we imagined."

Ning Fengzhi did not interrupt her, listened quietly to her finish speaking, and then nodded gently: "Your analysis is good."

He paused, his gaze falling on Ning Rongrong's face. His gaze held a temperature completely different from when they were discussing the battle situation. It was as if he were looking through her calm demeanor at the little girl who, just a few years ago, would smile with her eyes crinkling at the sight of a candied hawthorn.

"And what about your interactions with those young Soul Masters?" Ning Fengzhi changed the subject, his tone as casual as if he were asking about the weather. "Have you met anyone you get along with lately?"

Ning Rongrong's expression didn't change much, but her fingers, which were resting on her knees, curled slightly before quickly relaxing.

She knew what Ning Fengzhi was asking.

In recent years, with Ning Fengzhi's tacit approval, more and more young faces have begun to appear around her.

Some came from small to medium-sized families affiliated with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, some were young talents from other forces, and a few were introduced through internal alliance channels. They all shared a common characteristic: they were young enough, exceptionally talented, and had clean backgrounds—clean enough not to cause any unnecessary trouble or entanglement for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Ning Rongrong knew exactly what her father, Ning Fengzhi, was thinking.

After the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, he saw the hope that the sect could continue its glory and reach new heights, but this hope could not be placed solely on her.

She needs to leave behind descendants, descendants who inherit the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, so that the foundation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School can be more solid, and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School can be officially renamed the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Ning Rongrong had been angry about this for a while, feeling that her father was treating her future like a game of chess that needed careful calculation.

But she doesn't think that way anymore.

It wasn't that she had figured out any profound truths; it was just that as she became more and more involved in sect affairs, she gradually understood the weight her father carried on his shoulders.

“There are people I can chat with, but not to that extent,” Ning Rongrong said truthfully, her tone calm. “There are a few who are indeed quite good, talented, and steady. But…”

She paused, as if choosing her words carefully, "Something doesn't feel right."

Ning Fengzhi didn't press for what he meant by "something didn't feel right," he simply nodded and didn't continue the conversation.

In reality, Ning Rongrong always harbored a vague thought that those who were assigned to her side, no matter how sincere they seemed, ultimately had ulterior motives.

They treat her well because she is the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and because her martial soul is the Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. She doesn't know, and doesn't want to know, how they would view her if that identity were removed.

Ning Rongrong didn't dislike those people; in fact, she even had a few who were quite good friends with her.

But there was an inexplicable boundary in her heart that she could never truly cross.

Chapter 565 The Spreading Auspicious Aura

Therefore, Ning Rongrong treated them as usual, like any stranger coming and going in the sect, polite, courteous, and maintaining just the right distance.

I will neither deliberately distance myself nor take the initiative to get closer.

Some of the young talents thought she was aloof, some thought she was too picky, and others secretly wondered if she already had someone in her heart.

Ning Rongrong had heard these comments, but never offered any explanation.

The days passed by at a leisurely pace. The operation of the sect, the affairs of the alliance, and the progress of cultivation all required her attention, and each of them filled her time.

Ning Rongrong rarely had the leisure to think about distant things like becoming a god anymore.

In fact, she had no idea that there was a possibility of becoming a god above the Soul Master level.

In Ning Rongrong's current understanding, the Title Douluo is the pinnacle of a Soul Master, an end that countless Soul Masters cannot reach even after a lifetime of effort.

She still has a long way to go to reach that destination, and she has never even thought about those higher levels of existence.

Sometimes, Ning Rongrong would stop what she was doing on a quiet afternoon and vaguely recall herself when she participated in the Soul Master Competition a few years ago.

At that time, she fought her way to the finals with the team from the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy. Standing on the stage and looking at her opponent, she had only one thought in her mind: to win.

Life was much simpler back then. There was no need to consider sect affairs, weigh the pros and cons of alliances, or find a balance between various forces.

She had friends then. Real friends.

Ning Rongrong put down the book in her hand and her gaze fell on the orchid on the windowsill, which was warm and translucent in the afternoon sun. The image of a person involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

snow White.

Since Xue Qinghe surrendered the country and the Heaven Dou Empire was merged into the Spirit Hall, Princess Snow White left Heaven Dou City and traveled to various parts of the continent to cultivate.

At first, they were able to keep in touch through letters. The handwriting on the letters was still neat and beautiful, and the contents were mostly about their experiences on the journey and their insights into cultivation.

Later, the intervals between letters became longer and longer, from once a month to once every two months, and then to once every six months.

Later, even the letters that used to come every six months stopped.

Ning Rongrong didn't know where Snow White was now, or how she was doing.

All she knew was that her friend, who had once stood shoulder to shoulder with her in the ring, was walking her own path somewhere she could never reach.

Sometimes she wondered if those unforeseen events hadn't happened, if the Heavenly Dou Empire hadn't fallen, if Xue Qinghe hadn't surrendered the country, would they still be able to spar occasionally on the training field, drink tea in the garden, and share their girlish secrets under the eaves late at night, just like before?

But these thoughts were fleeting, like ripples on the water, spreading out a few times before disappearing.

Ning Rongrong has no time to dwell on the past that cannot be changed. She has her own path to walk, just as Snow White has her own path to walk.

Deep in the far north, in a world shrouded in eternal snow and wind, Snow White floats in a secret realm composed of pure aurora.

There was no earth, no sky, no distinction between up, down, left, and right; only a flowing, liquid-like substance slowly swirled around her.

The light displayed countless colors, from pale blue to deep purple, from light pink to dark gold. Each color was constantly changing, merging, and separating, like some ancient yet vibrant life form slowly breathing around her.

She floated cross-legged in the very center of the light, her long, ink-black hair gently swaying in the windless void, surrounded by a faint halo that was somewhere between transparent and colorful. The halo wasn't intense, yet it carried a unique charm that resonated with her surroundings.

The rhythmic frequency, similar to that of the aurora borealis, was as if she were adjusting herself to the same breathing rhythm as this space.

Snow White has been here for a long time.

The Aurora God's test differed from that of other gods. Since the Aurora God had already perished, no god set numerous obstacles for her. Therefore, her test consisted of only one thing: comprehending the rules of the aurora and deepening her affinity with the Aurora Godhood.

This is an ongoing process with no clear end point or specific phased goals.

Snow White needs to immerse herself in this light again and again, allowing those ancient laws to gradually seep into the depths of her soul, until her resonance with the aurora reaches a level sufficient to bear the complete divine status.

This process was neither intense nor rushed.

It's more like a slow soaking, like immersing a piece of dry wood in water, allowing the moisture to seep into the interior little by little from the surface until the entire piece of wood is thoroughly soaked.

This process cannot be accelerated or skipped; it can only be accumulated slowly over time.

So Snow White sat here day after day, watching the colors flow, change, and blend around her, feeling the ancient laws gradually settle, take root, and grow within her.

Sometimes she would feel a deep resonance vibrating within her, as if a rule had finally found its rightful place and fallen into the groove where it was meant to be.

Sometimes she would just float quietly, without any feeling, as if she were floating in an empty void.

Snow White wasn't in a hurry.

She didn't set a deadline, nor did she make any plans that she had to complete.

She simply sat there, contemplating, waiting, letting time flow forward in a way she couldn't perceive.

Florian left a few months ago.

He had accompanied Snow White into this aurora paradise, and during the time she began to try to understand the rules of the aurora, he quietly stayed by her side to ensure her condition remained stable.

However, the Aurora God's divine test does not require a guardian. Her process of enlightenment is independent and introverted. The presence of outsiders is not helpful to her; on the contrary, they may interfere with her perception of the rules due to the interference of their aura.

Furthermore, Florian also has his own divine trials to complete.

He waited for a long time at the edge of the secret realm. His short golden hair shone with a warm luster under the aurora, and his azure eyes held a sense of security that came from confirming that she was in stable condition.

"I should go now." His voice was very soft, as if he was afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the space.

"My exam preparation needs to be accelerated; delaying it any longer is not a solution."

Snow White was contemplating a rule about color change; her consciousness was immersed in a slow, immersive state, like observing the movement of light and shadow from beneath the surface of water, and she did not respond to him immediately.

Florian didn't wait for her response. He took one last look at her, then turned and stepped into the void that connected the outside world with the secret realm.

The golden figure was quickly swallowed up by the colors of the aurora and disappeared without a trace.

From then on, Snow White was the only one left in this secret realm.

There is no difference between day and night here; time, in her perception, becomes something vague and fluid.

She would occasionally break free from her reverie, open her eyes to watch the ever-shifting aurora borealis around her, then close them again and sink back into that slow, meditative state of awareness.

Snow White had no idea how much time had passed in the outside world, how far the war on the continent had progressed, or where her friends who had fought alongside her were now.

All she knew was that her divine trials were still ongoing, and that she still had a long way to go before she could truly attain the Aurora Godhood.

……

On the other side, in the Starry Sky Forest, lies the Lake of Life.