Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

"You're the Snow White who ate the magic herb and instantly became a Great Soul Master? Really? Are you really a Great Soul Master?"

Her question was direct, even a little impolite.

Ning Fengzhi's face hardened, and he was about to reprimand them when Qian Renxue stopped him with a look. Adults shouldn't interfere too much in the communication between children.

Snow White looked at the bright and lively little girl in front of her, who made no attempt to hide her curiosity, and felt no offense.

Compared to the people in the palace who spoke indirectly and had complicated thoughts, Ning Rongrong's straightforwardness was quite novel to her.

She nodded, her voice clear and calm: "It's true. Teacher Liu led me to find a very special ice-attribute immortal herb in the Star Dou Great Forest."

She didn't release her spirit rings as proof, but her calm and confident attitude carried a persuasive power.

"Wow!" Ning Rongrong exclaimed in surprise, her slight doubt instantly replaced by envy.

"You're so lucky! Is there really such a treasure in the Star Dou Great Forest? I really want to go and see it too!"

She instantly forgot about who was stronger and instead became extremely interested in this magical herb that could boost one's level.

Children's topics always jump around quickly, and Ning Rongrong immediately started chattering away, asking, "Was it fun in the forest? Was it dangerous? What kind of spirit beasts did you encounter? What did that fairy herb look like? Was it delicious?"

Snow White was somewhat taken aback by the series of questions, but she still picked the ones she could answer and briefly described the vastness and mystery of the Star Dou Great Forest, as well as the appearance and effects of the elixir that Qian Daoliu had told her about.

The two little girls, one speaking simply and the other asking lively questions, actually started chatting.

Ning Fengzhi and Qian Renxue watched from the side, exchanging a smile. The situation was even better than they had expected.

Qian Renxue suggested at the opportune moment, "Let the children play here by themselves. Sect Leader Ning, shall we go to the study to have a chat?"

Ning Fengzhi understood and instructed the maids to take good care of the two little princesses before leaving the hall with Qian Renxue.

With the adults gone, Ning Rongrong relaxed even more. Holding Snow White's hand excitedly, she said, "Forget about the adults! I'll take you to see my treasures! My daddy, Grandpa Bone, and Grandpa Sword bought me so many fun things!"

Without saying a word, Ning Rongrong pulled Snow White towards her room.

Snow White was practically being half-dragged along; she was somewhat helpless, but she was also happy to make new friends.

The afternoon was spent with Ning Rongrong showing off her various novel toys and soul tools, and chattering about all sorts of interesting things about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Snow White is mostly a quiet listener, but occasionally she will chuckle at Ning Rongrong's exaggerated expressions and interesting stories.

Seeing the faint smile on Snow White's face, Qian Daoliu, who was secretly protecting her from the shadows, felt extremely gratified and almost shed tears of joy.

It worked! Making friends really works! His little Snow White is finally starting to look like a child again!

Just as the two princesses of Tiandou City were beginning to establish a friendship, a storm caused by Snow White's adventure was brewing in the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Have you heard? The little princess of the Heaven Dou Empire found a magical herb in the Star Dou Great Forest and instantly rose to the level of a Great Soul Master!"

"It's not just a rumor! It's all over Tiandou City now! Everyone's saying that there's a rare treasure hidden deep in the Star Dou Great Forest that can boost one's cultivation level!"

"Damn it, what are we waiting for? Let's team up and go in to try our luck! If we find it, I can rise to the top in one step!"

Such conversations are constantly taking place in various Soul Master Taverns and Adventurer Guilds.

Countless Soul Masters, noble private soldiers, and even outlaws, all harboring dreams of instant success, flocked to the Star Dou Great Forest like sharks smelling blood.

Unlike Qian Daoliu, who possessed invincible strength and precise perception, they could only wander aimlessly through the forest like headless flies, digging up any strange-looking plants they encountered and killing any soul beasts that might be guarding their treasures.

For a time, chaos reigned in the outer and even central areas of the Star Dou Great Forest. Many low-level soul beasts suffered undeserved calamities, disturbed and even slaughtered by these greedy humans.

In the heart of the forest, beside the Lake of Life.

The nine-colored deer, its body radiating nine-colored light, sensed the panic and sorrow permeating the forest. Its clear and pure eyes revealed obvious unease and sadness.

It is naturally close to nature and can sense the emotions of all living things. The fear and pain of those soul beasts make it uneasy.

"Damn humans! It's them again!" Xiao Wu clenched her fists, her eyes red with anger.

Although she had taken human form, her heart was always with the soul beasts. Therefore, when she heard Da Ming and Er Ming talking about the crazy behavior of the humans on the outskirts, she wanted to rush out and teach those guys a lesson.

"For the sake of some elusive treasure, they recklessly destroy forests and harm lives..."

Looking at the dejected Nine-Colored Deer, Xiao Wu tenderly stroked its soft fur. "My Lord Beast, don't be sad. When I become stronger, I will definitely drive them all out!"

The nine-colored deer gently nuzzled Xiao Wu's hand, letting out a low, sorrowful whimper.

Ning Fengzhi, one of the instigators of all this, was currently in the study of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, listening to his subordinates report that the search for rare and precious materials had made no progress, and sighed helplessly.

It seems that such a predestined connection with the immortals is ultimately something that can only be encountered by chance and cannot be sought after.

His gaze shifted to the window, looking towards Ning Rongrong's courtyard, and a smile returned to his face.

Immortal herbs are hard to find, but the friendship of this princess may be an even more important treasure for the future of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

After a day of novel and lively social activities, Snow White returned to her mimicry training room.

She looked at her face in the mirror, which seemed to have become a little more lively, and silently clenched her small fist.

Friends are fun. Playing is enjoyable. But becoming stronger is more important!

Only when you are strong enough can you control your own destiny, instead of waiting for a prince to save you or falling into a deep sleep after eating a poisoned apple, like in fairy tales.

The break is over, time to continue practicing!

Chapter 86 Ning Rongrong and Snow White

Since their first meeting that afternoon, Ning Rongrong seemed to have found a fun new toy. Every few days, she would beg her father, Ning Fengzhi, to send her to the palace, ostensibly to discuss cultivation experiences with Snow White.

Ning Fengzhi was happy to see this happen and always readily agreed, even carefully preparing various snacks and toys that little girls liked for Ning Rongrong to take with her.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is incredibly wealthy, so naturally all of these things are of the highest quality.

Thus, Snow White's original daily training routine, which consisted only of ice and cultivation, was forcibly interrupted by a series of tea parties that belonged to young girls.

"Sister Snow! Look, look! This is a crystal swan that my father bought from a caravan in the south! Isn't it beautiful? It's for you!" Ning Rongrong presented a crystal sculpture that was crystal clear and reflected seven colors under the light, and stuffed it into Snow White's arms.

Snow White looked at the expensive crystal swan in her arms, then at Ning Rongrong in front of her, whose eyes were sparkling and whose face was full of praise, and felt a little lost.

She wasn't used to receiving such enthusiastic gifts from others.

"It's too expensive," she said softly, declining.

"Oh dear! What's so valuable about this!"

Ning Rongrong waved her hand dismissively, picked up a pastry shaped like a little rabbit, took a bite, and said indistinctly, "Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School may not have much else, but we have plenty of money! I'm glad you like it! Oh, by the way, this snowflake pastry is also delicious, you should try it!"

Snow White was given a piece of pastry by her. Watching the other person eat it with relish, Snow White subconsciously took a small bite herself.

It's sweet but not cloying, melts in your mouth, and has a subtle milky aroma and a cool sensation; it's really delicious.

Ning Rongrong is a chatterbox who can't sit still. From the argument between Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo in the sect over who should play with her, to her new soul tool that can project little stars, to complaining about how boring cultivation is... she can always find countless topics to talk about.

Snow White mostly listened quietly, only occasionally responding with a word or two.

But this lively, companionship-filled feeling was novel to her and she didn't dislike it.

In the shadows, Qian Daoliu, perfectly concealed by his Limit Douluo cultivation, watched as the softer lines on Snow White's face became more pronounced than a few days ago, and even occasionally the corners of her mouth would curve slightly at Ning Rongrong's playful words. He was overjoyed.

"Great! Great! Making friends is definitely the right thing to do! Look how happy our little Baixue is!" The old man was so moved that he wanted to immediately award Ning Rongrong a medal for being the best source of joy.

Qian Daoliu even felt that although the little girl from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was a bit spoiled, she was not a bad person at heart. She was lively and cheerful, which could bring out the dullness in Xiao Xue'er.

Meanwhile, Eva was also watching this heartwarming scene of sisterly affection through the magic mirror.

"The little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is quite a good pawn."

She gently swirled her wine glass, her eyes gleaming with ambition.

Eva didn't care whether Snow White truly had friendship; what she cared about was the political value behind that friendship and its future influence on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Ning Rongrong's approach was exactly what she wanted.

……

After another tea party ended, Ning Rongrong was picked up by a carriage from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Snow White stood alone under the veranda, watching the carriage drive away, still holding the small, exquisite music box soul tool that Ning Rongrong had forced upon her.

She looked down at the little figures spinning inside the music box, slightly lost in thought.

"Your Highness seems to be in a good mood," a clear, melodious voice rang out from the side.

Snow White looked up and saw that her teacher, Mr. Liu, had appeared beside her at some point, his handsome face bearing a gentle smile.

"Teacher Liu." Snow White composed herself and carefully put the music box away.

"Ning Rongrong is very lively."

“It’s good that you’re lively. At Your Highness’s age, you should have more friends like this. Cultivation is important, but relaxation and joy of mind are equally indispensable. I think Miss Ning is straightforward and gets along quite well with Your Highness,” Qian Daoliu said with a smile, his tone full of encouragement.

He paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and took out something from his storage soul tool: "Speaking of which, your teacher also has a small gift for Your Highness."

It was a necklace with a chain woven from mithril wire and a pendant that was an ice-blue teardrop-shaped gemstone, with what appeared to be ice and snow flowing slowly inside, radiating a soft and pure chill.

"What is this?" Snow White was somewhat surprised as she sensed the pure energy contained within the gemstone.

“This is a thousand-year-old ice marrow heart,” Qian Daoliu said casually, as if he were talking about an insignificant trinket.

"Wearing it on your body can calm your mind and slightly increase the cultivation speed of ice-attribute soul masters. In critical moments, it may even help you withstand a mental shock. I see that Your Highness is cultivating diligently day and night, so this item should be of some small help to you."

A little help?

Although Snow White was young, she knew how precious a treasure that could increase cultivation speed and protect the mind was! This was definitely not some gift that could help her in the slightest!

“Teacher, this is too precious, I can’t…” She instinctively wanted to refuse.

Teacher Liu has already been very, very good to her; she cannot accept such a generous gift.

"Your Highness," Qian Daoliu said without waiting for a reply, and personally put the necklace on her.

The Ice Marrow Heart touched her skin, sending a comfortable and cool sensation through her body, as the pure energy slowly nourished her.

"How can I refuse a gift from a teacher to a student? As long as you wear it well, that's the best reward for me."

The necklace was the perfect size, and the icy blue teardrop pendant made her skin appear even whiter, as if it were meant for her.

Feeling the benefits the necklace brought, and seeing the teacher's undeniably concerned gaze, Snow White ultimately swallowed her words of refusal.

"Thank you, teacher," she whispered, her little hand unconsciously grasping the cool gemstone.

"Okay, go ahead. Don't push yourself too hard in your cultivation today, just focus on consolidation." Qian Daoliu patted her hair with satisfaction, then his figure quietly disappeared.

After leaving, Sendoru was extremely excited, finally able to touch his great-granddaughter's head!

Snow White stood there, touched the ice marrow heart around her neck, and then remembered the music box Ning Rongrong had given her. After a moment of silence, she turned and walked towards the mimicry training room.