Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Yes, since the destination is predetermined and effort seems unable to change anything, what is the point of the hardships in the process?

It's better to take advantage of your young age, play more, and enjoy the days when you're pampered by Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Bone, and Daddy.

Thinking of this, Ning Rongrong immediately forgot all about cultivation and levels.

She jumped down from the windowsill and ran to her shelf, which was filled with all sorts of novel soul tools and expensive toys, and began to think about which one to play with today.

"Hmph, Sister Xue is amazing, but she's always cultivating, so she definitely doesn't have as many fun things to do as I do!" Ning Rongrong picked up a crystal ball that could project a dazzling starry sky and muttered to herself with satisfaction.

“Cultivation is so boring, this is much more interesting.”

She decided that when her father and grandfathers came to visit her in the afternoon, she would sweetly ask to go to the palace to play with Snow White again.

As for cultivation? I'll think about that when I'm in a better mood!

So, Ning Rongrong decisively reverted to her mischievous nature.

They feel amazing after making even the slightest progress in their soul power, and then they start demanding rewards with a clear conscience.

Most of the time, she was still the beloved little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, pondering the new dress styles, fiddling with all sorts of novel and interesting soul tools, or pestering Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone to take her out to play.

Ning Fengzhi was both amused and annoyed by her relapse into her old ways, but he did not criticize her excessively.

He knew his daughter's temperament; forcing her would be counterproductive. As long as she didn't fall behind in her foundation, she would eventually become sensible.

Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo spoiled Rongrong without any principles. As long as Rongrong was happy, it didn't matter if her cultivation was slow. Anyway, with them protecting her, who would dare to say a word against it?

……

Deep within the Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace, in a simulated cultivation room perpetually filled with chilling air.

Snow White slowly withdrew the soul power flowing around her, and the phantom image of the pair of snow-white swan wings with sharp, icy edges behind her gradually faded away.

She exhaled a breath of white air tinged with ice crystals, feeling the soul power within her body solidify even further, a hint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.

When she pushed open the heavy, icy door of the training room, she was surprised to see a small figure waiting outside, idly kicking the smooth floor of the corridor with his toes.

It's Ning Rongrong.

A faint look of surprise appeared in Snow White's eyes. According to what she knew of Ning Rongrong's recent cultivation plan, at this time, she should have just finished her morning lessons in the cultivation room of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, which was full of soul power, instead of appearing in the depths of the palace, which was some distance away from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

"Rongrong?" Snow White called softly, her voice like ice and snow striking a jade chime, clear and crisp with a hint of coolness.

Upon hearing the sound, Ning Rongrong immediately looked up, her previously listless face instantly blossoming into a bright smile, as if she had been injected with vitality, and she hopped over to her.

"Sister Baixue! You've finally finished your cultivation! I've been waiting for you for quite a while!"

She reached out to hold Snow White's hand affectionately, but the lingering chill emanating from her made her pull her fingers back and stick out her tongue: "Wow, sister, you're so cold!"

Snow White looked at the bright and lively girl in front of her, who was like a little sun, and the corners of her lips unconsciously turned up slightly, forming a light but genuine smile.

She deliberately suppressed the remaining chill around her, allowing her palms to regain some warmth before gently patting Ning Rongrong's head: "Why are you here at this time? Is today's cultivation over?"

Mentioning cultivation, Ning Rongrong's smile immediately faded. She pouted, her voice a mix of pouting and complaining, and said, "Ugh, cultivation is so boring! Sitting there motionless, my soul power just circulates and increases by a tiny bit. It's nowhere near as fun as coming to play with my sister! And..."

Chapter 116. Is it right just because it has always been this way?

Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes and began to find reasons for herself: "Besides, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul can only be cultivated to the Soul Saint realm at its peak. This is an innate limitation, and no matter how hard we try, we can't break through it."

"If that's the case, why should I work so hard? I can just take it slow! Anyway, I have Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone to protect me, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has so many powerful offensive Soul Masters!"

Ning Rongrong spoke with such conviction that she seemed to have completely convinced herself.

However, deep within her bright, expressive eyes, a fleeting hint of confusion and unease, perhaps even imperceptible to herself, flashed by.

She seemed to be using these words to persuade both Snow White and herself.

Snow White listened quietly, without immediately refuting or lecturing.

She was born with the ability to sense other people's emotions. Although it wasn't as accurate as mind reading, she could sense that behind Ning Rongrong's words was not just laziness, but also a sense of helpless acceptance of her predetermined fate and a passive escape.

At the same time, she also clearly knew that Ning Rongrong was different from her after all; she was a real child and still had the nature of a child.

Snow White remembered her teacher, Liu Yun, who would occasionally tell her about strange and wonderful things on the continent, including what seemed to be a few words about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul.

Snow White, holding Ning Rongrong's hand, walked towards the small flower hall next to her palace, which was specially used for her to rest and entertain guests. Warm milk and delicate pastries had already been prepared there.

These were all prepared daily at Qian Daoliu's behest, for fear that his great-granddaughter's cultivation would be too strenuous and that she wouldn't get enough nutrition.

The two sat down on chairs with soft cushions. Ning Rongrong was immediately drawn to a plate of pastries shaped like small animals and emitting an enticing milky aroma. She picked up a rabbit-shaped pastry, popped it into her mouth, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

Looking at her childlike appearance, Snow White spoke calmly, "Rongrong, you said that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul cannot break through to the Soul Saint realm. Who told you that?"

Ning Rongrong chewed on a pastry and answered vaguely, "Everyone says so! It's clearly recorded in our sect's history that no Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Master has ever broken through level 80. My father, and the previous sect leaders, were all at the level 79 Soul Saint."

"Just because it has always been this way, does that mean it's right?" Snow White tilted her head slightly, her light brown eyes clear and bright.

"Teacher Liu once told me that the world of Soul Masters is vast and boundless, with many unknown possibilities. The evolution of Martial Souls and the breakthrough of bottlenecks are difficult, but not without hope. Perhaps, the path suitable for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda has just not yet been discovered."

Just as Snow White uttered the question, "Just because it has always been this way, does that mean it is right?", a figure almost blending into the light paused slightly in the shadow of the pillars not far from the flower hall.

It was Qian Daoliu who had just quietly come to see if his great-granddaughter was tired after her cultivation.

With his cultivation level as a Limit Douluo, he naturally heard the conversation between the two little girls clearly.

When Snow White's words reached his ears, Qian Daoliu was stunned.

A complex look of astonishment flashed across his otherwise youthful and handsome face, which was disguised.

"Just because it has always been this way, does that mean it's right...?" He repeated this sentence silently, as if something had gently bumped into his heart.

He lived for over two hundred years, serving as the Grand Elder of the Spirit Hall and the guardian of the Angel God. He stood at the top of the continent's spirit master system, upholding many rules and orders that had always been in place.

He was used to measuring everything by strength and legacy, and never imagined that he would hear such a direct and essential question from a child.

This simple sentence embodies a valuable quality: not blindly following others, not easily believing things, and daring to explore the unknown.

This seemed subtly different from the image of his great-granddaughter that he had in mind—simple, hardworking, and occasionally a bit dull—yet it revealed a more dazzling brilliance to him.

"This child..." Qian Daoliu murmured to himself, looking at Snow White's delicate and serene profile in the flower hall, his eyes filled with indescribable satisfaction and deeper contemplation.

He suddenly realized that his understanding of his great-granddaughter was perhaps far from sufficient.

Her inner world is far more profound than she appears.

Snow White paused, watching Ning Rongrong gradually stop chewing, and continued, "Besides, even if you really can't break through level 80, a Soul Saint-level Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Soul Master is still one of the top support classes on the continent. I remember that Uncle Ning's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda can provide tremendous help to teammates. If you can become even stronger, Rongrong, wouldn't you be able to help more people you want to help and protect more people you want to protect?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Daoliu, who was hiding in the shadows, looked even more appreciative.

Be patient and persuasive, guiding gently and patiently, raising thought-provoking questions while also offering encouragement based on reality.

This kind of mindset is truly rare.

He didn't show himself to disturb them, but simply stood quietly in the shadows with an incredibly gentle smile on his face.

Perhaps, letting children grow naturally with occasional guidance is better than excessive intervention.

Snow White spoke softly and slowly, without a trace of preaching, as if she were sharing a simple idea.

Instead of directly criticizing Ning Rongrong's laxity, she offered a different perspective on the issue.

Ning Rongrong was stunned after hearing Snow White's words.

Does something being done this way always mean it's right?

These words, like a small pebble, were thrown into her somewhat listless heart.

She had only ever heard the saying "the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda stops at the Soul Saint level" since she was a child, and had long regarded it as an insurmountable barrier. She never thought that this rule itself could be broken.

The second half of Snow White's words touched a soft spot deep within her heart.

Help those you want to help, protect those you want to protect...

She thought of her beloved Sword Grandpa and Bone Grandpa, her father who, though busy, always cared for her, and all the uncles and elders in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School who had watched her grow up...

If I could become incredibly powerful, wouldn't I no longer need to be protected under someone's wings, and instead become someone they could rely on?

The thought flashed through her mind, giving her an unprecedented thrill.

But Ning Rongrong was, after all, a spoiled little princess, and that kind of laziness wasn't so easy to overcome.

She pouted, suppressing her feelings, and muttered softly, "But cultivation is so boring! Besides, I'm doing pretty well now..."

Chapter 117 Poor Cinderella

Seeing Ning Rongrong's conflicted expression, Snow White didn't continue the topic.

She knew that some seeds only needed to be planted gently, and that overwatering could be counterproductive.

She pushed a plate of snowflake crisps in front of Ning Rongrong and smiled, "Try this. It was made by the new pastry chef. It is said that it uses a certain milk source from the far north, and the taste is very special."

Ning Rongrong's attention was immediately diverted. She cheered and began to taste the new snacks, quickly forgetting her earlier little troubles.

She started chattering away to Snow White about the interesting things she'd heard recently, like how a new shop selling all sorts of strange soul tools had opened outside the sect, and how Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone almost got into a fight over who would accompany her to the soul beast show.

Snow White mostly listened quietly, occasionally nodding or responding with a faint smile.

Sunlight streamed through the glass windows of the flower hall, bathing the two women. Ning Rongrong was as lively as a lark, while Snow White was as serene and beautiful as a painting.

However, in a corner unseen by Ning Rongrong, Snow White's gaze towards her carried a subtle understanding and a faint expectation.

She knew that this seemingly willful and spoiled girl was not as indifferent to everything as she appeared.

She just needs time, and a strong enough reason, to ignite the potential buried by her comfortable life.

Snow White herself, however, reaffirmed her determination to become stronger. She no longer wanted to be like the characters in fairy tales, passively waiting for fate to take its course or relying on others for salvation.

She needs to have enough power to control her own destiny, and perhaps in the future, she can bring light and hope to the people in this new world that she cares about.

……

It was late at night at Notting Junior Soul Master Academy.

Inside the dormitory, the other three girls were already fast asleep, their breathing even.

On the bed by the window, Cinderella was wide awake. She nestled in the soft blankets, her bright blue eyes shining through the darkness as she stared intently at the system chat room in her mind.

The chat room was still the same familiar scene to her.

Pinocchio is flooding social media with pictures of today's delicious grilled pork ribs at the Star Luo Royal Academy cafeteria. He describes them as so tough they could break your teeth, and how he cleverly avoided the practical class teacher's focused attention.

Like a diligent salesperson, Godot regularly updated her potion list, with today's main offerings being a potent soul-gathering potion and a basic mental-strengthening potion.

【Geduo】: A potent soul power condensation potion that slightly increases the speed of soul power cultivation, with effects lasting for twelve hours. Requires 20 reputation points to exchange.