Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

The northern border is bitterly cold, with snowstorms that never stop in the far north, making both the transport of supplies and the movement of troops subject to seasonal restrictions.

Brightmoon City is located further south, with a relatively mild climate and more convenient transportation. For her upcoming expansion plans, it is a more suitable command center than Iron Gate Pass.

Xiao Wu now has her own mansion in Bright Moon City.

The mansion was not large. Upon entering the courtyard, there were three main rooms and side rooms on each side. There was also an old locust tree planted in the courtyard.

For a Soul Master like her who joined the army alone, this treatment was already quite good.

She rose through the ranks in the Northern Allied Forces, from a new recruit who could only stand idly by on the training ground to a mid-level officer in charge of over a thousand men, every step of which was built upon her combat achievements.

Xiao Wu is completely different now compared to when she first came to the Northern Territory.

When she first arrived, she longed for war, for meritorious service, for rapid promotion through military achievements, and for the day when she could personally kill Bibi Dong to avenge her mother.

At that time, she felt that war was a straight road, and as long as she ran fast enough, she could reach the finish line in the shortest amount of time.

But after experiencing those things firsthand, she realized that war is never straightforward. It is winding, muddy, and full of thorns, with every step carrying the stench of blood and the weight of hardship.

She had witnessed too many deaths. There were soldiers from the Spirit Hall, and comrades from the Northern Frontier.

The young faces that fell before her all wore their own expressions before collapsing—some were terrified, some were bewildered, and some were frozen in that instant before they could even make a sound.

She once thought that killing the enemy would bring her pleasure, but after actually killing them, she only felt a hollow exhaustion.

Those enemies who were killed also had families, people who cared about them, and figures waiting for them to return somewhere.

She simply didn't know those names and faces, that's all.

So Xiao Wu is no longer as eager as she was when she first arrived. It's not that she doesn't want revenge, or that she doesn't want Bibi Dong to die, but she's beginning to understand that the end of this path can't be reached by sprinting.

She needs to walk it step by step, and each step must be firmly planted before she can continue forward.

Xiao Wu sat on a stone bench under the old locust tree in the courtyard, a freshly polished short blade resting on her lap. Her pink scorpion braids cascaded down her shoulders, gleaming softly in the afternoon sunlight.

She looked at the few blades of grass swaying slightly in the wind in the yard, remained silent for a moment, then stood up, sheathed her short blade, and went inside to prepare dinner.

She invited Zhu Zhuqing and Le Pei over for a get-together tonight.

The three fought side by side in the North for a long time, their relationship evolving from initial awkwardness and politeness to familiarity and ease, a journey that spanned countless missions and numerous late-night conversations.

Xiao Wu doesn't usually express her emotions very well, but she genuinely considers these two people as friends.

Not long after, Zhu Zhuqing arrived.

Today she was dressed in a dark gray outfit, no different from usual. Her long black hair was neatly tied back, and she exuded a composure that came naturally from training.

As soon as she entered the gate, she saw the old locust tree in the yard, and her gaze lingered on the canopy for a moment: "This yard is a bit tidier than when I came last time."

"I've cleaned up myself," Xiao Wu said, busy in the kitchen. "Please have a seat."

Zhu Zhuqing sat down on the stone bench, her gaze sweeping across the courtyard.

Several bundles of chopped firewood were piled up at the base of the courtyard wall, and two small dishes were placed on the stone table next to them. Although simple, it was clear that some thought had been put into them.

She withdrew her gaze and waited quietly.

Rapunzel arrived a step later than Zhu Zhuqing, carrying a small pot of steaming soup.

When she entered, her long golden hair was slightly disheveled by the wind. She casually swept it to one side, and her amber eyes curved slightly when she saw Xiao Wu.

“This place is much easier to find than the last time I came. Last time, the road wasn’t finished yet, and I had to go around in circles several times before I found it.”

"The road is fixed." Xiao Wu poked her head out from the kitchen. "Come in quickly, everything is ready."

The three sat around a stone table in the courtyard, on which were laid out several home-style dishes.

The dishes weren't particularly fancy, but the portions were generous, and they were piping hot, carrying a warm, everyday feel.

Chapter 570 Surrender and Offense

time flies.

The sky over Douluo Continent seemed to have been shrouded in an invisible shadow for far too long, so long that the ordinary people living in the midst of war had almost forgotten what it felt like to have the sun shining on their faces.

The fall of the Star Luo Empire was like a boulder thrown into a deep pool, the ripples of which gradually spread outward, intertwined, and merged, ultimately reshaping the entire continent into a completely different landscape.

On the land where the Star Luo Empire fell, the two forces completed the demarcation of their respective territories almost simultaneously.

The Spirit Hall, which governs the Spirit Kingdom, occupies a large area of ​​southern territory. With Spirit City as its heart, it extends southward to the heartland of the former Star Luo Empire and westward to the border area that once bordered the Heaven Dou Empire.

After a war, they formally integrated the newly incorporated region into their ruling system, and new provinces, new garrisons, and a new tax system were rapidly replacing the old order.

Meanwhile, in the north, Eva's newly established fairytale empire completed the integration of the northern region of Xingluo in a similarly swift but more deliberate manner.

Brightmoon City became the core of the Fairy Tale Empire, and within just a few months, the city expanded from a medium-sized border town into a capital city capable of supporting the operation of a massive administrative system.

Trade routes were reopened, the tax system was rebuilt, and the army was reorganized. A brand-new regime was up and running in a very short time.

The two forces completed their expansion on the ruins of the Star Luo Empire, and their boundaries formed a subtle intersection near several major transportation routes.

They made no direct contact, nor did they retreat voluntarily. They were like two beasts, each possessing half of their prey, cautiously assessing each other's appetite.

Between the two, the remnants of the former Anti-Soul Alliance, now renamed the Comprehensive Alliance, are in an unprecedented predicament.

Their situation was worse than anyone had anticipated.

The territory of the Comprehensive Alliance was originally located at the intersection of the western part of the Star Luo Empire and the controlled area of ​​the Three Sect Alliance. After the Star Luo Empire was destroyed, their territory was like a grain of wheat sandwiched between two millstones. Whether it was the Martial Soul Theocracy in the south or the Fairy Tale Empire in the north, as long as either side pushed a little, their territory's boundaries would shrink inward.

Initially, the alliance was able to barely maintain the situation. After all, they had the support of three powerful forces: the Clear Sky Sect, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect, and their number of Title Douluos was still considerable on the surface.

But gradually, they realized that the situation was deteriorating in a way that they could not control.

The western front was the first to encounter problems.

The army of the Fairy Tale Empire advanced nearly a hundred miles overnight, encountering no strong resistance along the way.

The garrison troops in those border towns laid down their weapons upon seeing the Fairy Tale Empire's massive army and fluttering flags.

Then came the southern route.

The army of the Martial Soul Kingdom captured several cities in a row within a few days, as if the city walls and fortifications were just a thin sheet of paper in front of them.

Through repeated retreats, the generals of the Alliance gradually realized that the Soul Masters under Eva's command, nurtured by Godo's elixirs, possessed combat power far exceeding their expectations.

Those Spirit Hall Title Douluos who were once considered "prisoners" are now standing on the battlefield of the Fairy Tale Empire, serving their new masters.

The territory of the integrated alliance is shrinking at a visible rate.

Ning Fengzhi had also seen through the situation early on and sent a letter of surrender to Eva.

He sat behind his desk, with several intelligence reports about the recent battle situation spread out in front of him, and a map of the area that had been repeatedly marked and whose edges were badly worn.

His gaze slowly swept across the territories marked with different colors on the map, finally settling on the borders of the comprehensive alliance's controlled areas, which were slowly but steadily shrinking inward.

He looked very carefully, as if confirming a judgment that had long been formed in his mind but had never been fully settled.

Then he lowered his head and looked again at the reply letter that was neatly folded and placed on the table.

The letter was Eva's reply to him. Her handwriting was neat, the lines were evenly spaced, and every stroke was clear and smooth, revealing a calm and unhurried demeanor.

The letter itself didn't say much; the wording was polite and restrained, showing neither excessive enthusiasm nor any hint of alienation.

However, given that the two sides were already in a state of actual hostility, the reply itself was enough to illustrate the point.

Ning Fengzhi read the letter again, confirmed the location of several key statements, then folded it again and put it into his soul tool.

He leaned back in his chair, watching the sky outside the window gradually darken. He remained silent for a moment, then gently exhaled.

He didn't see it as betrayal.

Given the current situation, he must find a way for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to continue to exist.

Eva's fairytale empire has already established a firm foothold in the north, and her expansion speed is so fast that the comprehensive alliance simply doesn't have time to make an effective response.

If we wait until the Fairy Tale Empire's army advances to the edge of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's controlled territory before considering a retreat, it will be too late.

In the days that followed, Ning Fengzhi began to adjust his pace of action in an extremely cautious manner.

The internal intelligence reports from the alliance that were supposed to be delivered on time began to show some minor delays or discrepancies.

Sometimes, news about the movements of the Fairy Tale Empire's army would reach the Integrated Alliance's command system half a day later than the actual time of the event.

He did it extremely discreetly, each adjustment appearing to be within the normal deviation range of routine work. Without sufficiently keen observation, it would be almost impossible to connect these subtle changes into a complete picture.

However, the atmosphere at the Haotian Sect's residence was completely different.

In a brightly lit council chamber, several elders sat around a large round table, on which lay several of the latest battle reports and maps.

They had just concluded a discussion about whether to remain in the comprehensive league, but as with every discussion before it, this one did not reach any clear conclusion.

The Fifth Elder's white beard trembled slightly in the candlelight. His thin hands pressed against the edge of the table, and his voice carried a hurried urgency, as if something had been repeatedly pressed down but could never be calmed down:

"What are we even discussing here? The Fairy Tale Empire to the north and the Martial Soul Cult to the south are both pushing in our direction. Every day, someone is giving away territory. If this continues, before we've even figured out what to choose, the land will be gone."

The Seventh Elder sat opposite him, his fingers tapping lightly on the edge of the table as if weighing something: "So what do you plan to do? Retreat back to the mountain? Or seek refuge with Eva?"

"Retreating back to the mountain will at least preserve our foundation," the Fifth Elder said.

"We've been building up our defenses in the mountains for so many years. As long as we withdraw our main force, even if Eva and the Spirit Hall want to attack, they won't be able to break through for a while."

"And then what?" The Seventh Elder's voice remained calm.

"Wait until the outsiders have divided up the mainland before we come out? What will we have left then?"

The Fifth Elder opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found himself unable to find a suitable rebuttal.

The Second Elder sat silently at one end of the round table, his figure somewhat blurred in the candlelight, his expression unreadable.

Only after the Fifth Elder and the Seventh Elder had quieted down did he slowly speak, his voice unhurried: "It's not impossible to rely on Eva."

The council chamber fell silent for a moment. All eyes were on the Second Elder, as if they hadn't expected him to make such a statement.

The Second Elder continued, "Her strength is sufficient, and after she took over the northern part of Xingluo, the number of Title Douluos under her command is no less than ours."

Most importantly, there is no direct territorial conflict between her forces and ours. Her expansion is mainly in the south, while our current control area is to her west.

This in itself means she has plenty of room to accommodate us.

The Fifth Elder's gaze lingered on the Second Elder's face for a long while, as if to confirm that he wasn't being sarcastic.

But when he saw the Second Elder's expression, he noticed that there was no evasion in those murky eyes.

"Then... what is the stance of the Haotian Sect?" someone asked in a low voice. "If we side with Eva, will the Haotian Sect still be the Haotian Sect?"

"As long as the strength remains, the sect will not disappear." The Second Elder's voice remained calm.