Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

"Snow White, on the other hand, is different. She is younger, and her talent is unparalleled throughout history! Now she also has a powerful ally like Lin Wan..."

"I heard that His Majesty dotes on Snow White, providing her with almost unlimited resources, and even building a simulation training room on a whim."

"If...if the future princess is interested in that position, with Lin Wan and other potential supporters, it's not impossible..."

Some families that were originally neutral, and even some marginal forces that were originally inclined to support the crown prince, began to have their minds stirred.

Investing in a princess with exceptional talent and strong potential support in advance carries considerable risk, but the rewards, if successful, will be incredibly substantial.

Therefore, some of the most astute individuals have already begun to try to extend goodwill to Queen Eva or forces associated with Snow White through various clandestine channels, making tentative bets.

These subtle changes naturally did not escape the eyes of Qian Renxue, who had been secretly observing and controlling the situation in Tiandou City.

Inside the Crown Prince's study, Qian Renxue dismissed her attendants and stood alone by the window, gazing at the still bustling Tiandou City outside. Deep within her eyes, disguised as black, surged extremely complex emotions.

She witnessed Lin Wan's victory firsthand, and the shock she felt from that moment has not subsided to this day.

She had to admit that this boy was a true monster; his growth rate and control over the battle situation far exceeded her expectations.

Such a variable appearing in Tian Dou, right before her eyes, did indeed make her feel some pressure and threat.

But what made Qian Renxue feel even more complicated was the shift in the undercurrents of power triggered by this victory.

Those fence-sitters started to side with Snow White, which should have angered her, but Snow White was, after all, her own daughter!

The purest six-winged angel bloodline flows through his veins!

On one hand, as Qian Renxue of the Spirit Hall, she needs to ensure the stability of Xue Qinghe's identity so that she can eventually take over the Heaven Dou Empire smoothly.

On the other hand, as a mother or father, seeing her daughter so outstanding and gaining more and more recognition and potential support, she felt a sense of indescribable comfort, or even a slight wavering, deep in her heart.

But Qian Renxue's rationality quickly suppressed this wavering; her plan had to proceed.

The Heaven Dou Empire is an obstacle that the Spirit Hall must remove to unify the continent; personal feelings should not affect the overall situation.

"We must stabilize the situation..." Qian Renxue muttered to herself, a resolute glint in her eyes.

She knew very well that under the current circumstances, forcibly suppressing or eliminating these opportunistic forces would only cause internal strife and give Xingluo an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

The best approach is to go with the flow, or even actively promote it, bringing this emerging force under your control, or at least ensuring it doesn't disrupt your plans.

The key lies with Eva; she needs to reach an understanding with Eva again.

……

That night, a hidden figure quietly entered Eva's bedroom.

Having shed her disguise, Qian Renxue and the elegant Queen Eva sat facing each other once more.

The atmosphere wasn't as cold as it had been last time, but it was still filled with calculation and caution.

“It seems my cousin has given everyone a huge surprise.” Eva spoke first, a meaningful smile on her lips, as she personally poured Qian Renxue a cup of flower tea.

Qian Renxue took the teacup but didn't drink it. She simply said, "After the surprise, trouble often follows. You should know how many eyes are watching you and Bai Xue right now."

Eva chuckled: "That's how the power dynamics work. If someone is optimistic, someone will naturally invest. This isn't a bad thing; at least it shows that our Little Snow White is worth investing in, isn't it?"

She stared intently at Qian Renxue, "After all, the blood flowing in her veins is that of the incomparably noble angels."

Qian Renxue frowned slightly; she knew Eva was reminding her.

She put down her teacup and looked directly at Eva: "I know that Cher is my daughter, and I will naturally plan for her future."

Chapter 114 Xingluo's Departure

"Oh? How do you plan to do it?" Eva asked with great interest.

"Should we let her remain a carefree princess forever, or go a step further?"

Qian Renxue was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "It's too early to talk about these things now. She's still young, and the most important thing right now is her cultivation. A tall tree catches the wind, and it's not a good thing to be pushed into the limelight too early."

Eva nodded in agreement: "That's true. So, how do you plan to deal with this current situation where things are not going smoothly?"

Qian Renxue revealed her plan: "We need to appear close in public. You are the Queen, who is deeply trusted by the Emperor, and I am the Crown Prince, the Regent. We are a community of shared interests. I will take the initiative to express my love and expectations for Snow White in public, emphasizing that it is a blessing for the Empire to have such a genius, and implying to everyone that Snow White is devoted to cultivation and has no interest in worldly power."

She paused, then continued, "In this way, we can both appease the restless hearts of those who are agitated, nip potential power struggles in the bud, and temporarily unite this nascent force to maintain stability in the Heavenly Battle. As for the future..."

A glint of light flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes: "Who can say for sure what the future holds? But in any case, Xue'er is my daughter, and everything about her will eventually be arranged in the best way."

Eva understood Qian Renxue's meaning. At this stage, maintaining superficial harmony, jointly absorbing the political benefits brought by Lin Wan's victory, and avoiding internal friction are in the interests of both parties.

“A very good suggestion.” Eva smiled and raised her teacup.

"For the stability of the empire, and for our shared future, it is a pleasure to cooperate."

Two delicate teacups gently clinked together, producing a crisp sound, signifying the temporary formation of yet another tacit alliance.

In the following days, the public opinion in Tiandou City indeed began to show subtle changes.

In a public speech, Qian Renxue highly praised the fighting spirit of the Tiandou Royal Academy team, especially commending Lin Wan's amazing strength and Snow White's hard work, calling them the hope for the future of the empire.

At a court banquet, she affectionately held Snow White's hand, showing everyone the deep bond between siblings, and said with emotion, "Having a sister like Snow White is my blessing, and also the blessing of the empire. I only hope that she can always maintain this innocence and single-mindedly pursue the pinnacle of the Soul Master's path, which would be the greatest contribution to the empire."

Queen Eva also expressed her support for His Highness the Crown Prince's wise oversight on various occasions, as well as her satisfaction with Snow White's lack of ambition for power and her dedication to spiritual cultivation.

This show has temporarily silenced the restless forces that were originally poised to act, and they have begun to observe the situation again.

On the surface, the core of power in the Heaven Dou Empire seemed to have become more united and stable because of a victory in a competition.

However, the real undercurrents never ceased to surge. Everyone knew that the current calm was only temporary.

Snow White's talent and Lin Wan's rise have gradually begun to change the power structure of the Heaven Dou Empire.

……

The Star Luo delegation stayed in Tian Dou City for three more days. These three days felt like an eternity to Zhu Tianlin and Davis.

The unexpected and crushing defeat in the exchange competition was like a thorn of shame, deeply embedded in their hearts. Especially at a time when they should have been feeling triumphant after initially establishing contact with Ge Duo, this loss seemed particularly glaring.

During these three days, they declined most of the banquets offered by the Heavenly Dou government and, apart from necessary courtesy meetings, almost never went out.

Zhu Tianlin busied himself compiling the details of his trip to Tiandou, especially the effects of the Geduo Pill and their cooperation intentions, into a highly encrypted secret letter. He then sent it back to the Star Luo Imperial Capital through special channels and presented it to Emperor Dai Tianfeng.

While comforting the injured Dai Linyu and Zhu Zhuyun, Davis secretly used all his connections and resources to collect materials that might be needed for Ge Duo's list of customized pills, sparing no expense.

Lin Wan's strong performance served as a wake-up call, making him feel an unprecedented sense of urgency. He had to improve his own strength and that of his forces as soon as possible.

On the morning of the fourth day, the Star Luo delegation finally set off to leave Tian Dou City.

The atmosphere within the group was oppressive and silent, a stark contrast to the subtle arrogance they had displayed upon arrival. The rumbling of the carriages and the heavy guard could not conceal the oppressive atmosphere.

Zhu Tianlin sat expressionlessly in the most spacious carriage, which was covered with thick animal hides and luxuriously decorated, but he had no interest in appreciating it.

His fingers tapped unconsciously and rhythmically on a jade box reinforced with a special metal beside him. Inside the box were the pills that Ge Duo had given him.

These elixirs will be their most important material gain from this trip, and will also be key evidence to answer His Majesty's questions upon their return and to advance the next phase of in-depth cooperation with Godot.

The carriage wheels rolled along the official road, and the majestic city walls of Tiandou City gradually shrank until they disappeared from sight.

Only then did Zhu Tianlin slowly open his eyes, which had been slightly closed. A flash of light appeared in his eyes, breaking the silence in the carriage.

His voice was deep and carried an undeniable authority as he addressed Davis, who was traveling with him: "Weis, this return to the country will surely cause turmoil in the court. The responsibility for the defeat in the exchange competition lies with me. I neglected to be vigilant against the new generation of the Heavenly Dou. I will explain this clearly to His Majesty and take full responsibility."

Davis quickly sat up straight and said respectfully, "Your Excellency is too kind! Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. It's just that Lin Wan's performance in that battle was too unpredictable. A fourth-ranked player for ten thousand years is unheard of. Who could have predicted that they had such a trump card? This is not a fault of our strategy..."

He was trying to exonerate Zhu Tianlin, and also himself.

Zhu Tianlin waved his hand, interrupting him, his tone still calm but with a hint of coldness: "A defeat is a defeat. In Xingluo, results matter more than anything. There's no need to make excuses. What's important is how to deal with it next."

"That Lin Wan, along with Queen Eva behind him, and even Her Majesty Gedo who can refine such elixirs, all mean that the future of the Heavenly Dou Empire will become increasingly uncertain. As one side rises and the other falls, if we cannot respond in time, today's small defeat may become tomorrow's major threat."

His fingers stopped tapping and rested on the jade box: "Therefore, the custom-made pills mentioned by His Majesty Godot are the best, and perhaps only, way for us to quickly improve our high-end combat power and close the gap in the short term. After returning home, we must persuade His Majesty to use the power of the empire to search for the materials on the list with all our might, prioritizing them to the highest level! If necessary, we can open part of the royal treasury!"

Davis was startled. Open the Royal Treasury?

This is a major move that is rarely made, which shows that Zhu Tianlin attaches great importance to this matter and has elevated it to a strategic level.

Chapter 115 I Don't Want to Cultivate

Davis immediately replied solemnly, "Yes! I understand! Upon returning home, I will do my utmost to cooperate with the Duke in advancing this matter!"

Zhu Tianlin nodded, closed his eyes, and leaned back in the soft chair, seemingly resting. But in his mind, he was rapidly calculating how to explain the advantages and disadvantages to Emperor Dai Tianfeng after returning to China, how to balance the possible opposition in the court, and how to make the most of the communication channels established with Ge Duo.

That kid Dai Mubai...

A thought quietly surfaced in Zhu Tianlin's mind.

Since Dai Mubai secretly left for Sunset Forest that night, he had not shown his face again until the delegation left. He quietly returned to the group, his face seemed a little pale, but his spirit had an indescribable excitement.

Zhu Tianlin instinctively felt that something was wrong. With Dai Mubai's strength and resources, what could he possibly get from Ge Duo?

Did he really meet Godot and make some kind of deal?

Although the possibility was extremely slim, Zhu Tianlin's intuition, honed over years of battle, made it impossible for him to completely ignore this anomaly.

"Perhaps, when we get back, we should have someone keep an eye on Mu Bai's movements and see what he will do next."

The thought flashed through Zhu Tianlin's mind, after all, there were more important and urgent imperial matters that required his attention.

The slight abnormalities of an insignificant, doomed prince are not yet of any concern to him.

Soon, Zhu Tianlin's thoughts were again overwhelmed by concerns about the future of the empire and the rising power of the Heavenly Dou forces.

……

Meanwhile, in Tiandou City, inside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School castle.

In a room decorated as lavishly as a princess's palace, Ning Rongrong lay listlessly on the windowsill covered with soft velvet, watching the butterflies fluttering in the garden outside, her little mouth pouting high.

Several days have passed since that exchange competition that shocked the entire city. The passion for cultivation that Ning Rongrong had been ignited by Snow White's inspiration, after a period of gritting her teeth and persevering, quickly deflated like a balloon punctured by a needle.

"Ugh, so boring..." she complained, drawing out her words as her slender fingers twirled a strand of hair that hung down her chest.

“Cultivation is the most boring thing. You just sit there all day, your soul power spinning around, there's nothing fun about it.”

Ning Rongrong recalled how she had actually gone to the cultivation room on her own initiative a while ago and stayed there for an entire day. She still found it unbelievable.

He must have been so provoked by how amazing Sister Xue was that he got carried away!

She tried hard to find reasons for herself in her heart, and comforted herself, "I'm the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, a noble support-type Soul Master! Isn't it normal for support-type Martial Souls to cultivate a little slower? Fighting and killing are the business of Battle Soul Masters. Besides..."

Her face fell, a hint of dejection she herself didn't want to delve into: "Besides, no matter how good my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is, I can only cultivate it to level seventy-nine. Anyway, I'll reach that level sooner or later, it's just a matter of a few years earlier or later. Since that's the case, why should I work so hard? Isn't it better to enjoy life now?"

Once the thought arose, it grew wildly in her heart like weeds.