Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends.

A faint look of surprise appeared in Snow White's eyes. According to Ning Rongrong's recent cultivation plan, as far as she knew, she should have just finished her morning lessons in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's cultivation room, which was full of soul power, at this time, instead of appearing deep in the palace, 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, crisp and with a hint of coolness.

Upon hearing the sound, Ning Rongrong immediately looked up, her previously listless face instantly breaking 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 affectionately reached out to hold Snow White's hand, but the lingering chill emanating from her made her pull her fingers back, sticking 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 clear and genuine smile.

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

Mentioning cultivation, Ning Rongrong's smile immediately faded. She pouted, her voice a mix of coquettishness and complaint, 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, the 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 trace of confusion and guilt, 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 complete apathy, but also a hint of helpless acceptance and passive avoidance of her predetermined fate.

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 tales from the mainland, including what seemed to be a few words about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul.

Snow White took Ning Rongrong's hand and walked towards the small flower room next to her bedroom, which was specially used for her to rest and entertain guests. Warm milk and exquisite 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 her nutrition insufficient.

The two sat down on chairs with soft cushions. Ning Rongrong was immediately attracted by 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 contentedly.

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, "That's what everyone says! 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 all the previous sect leaders, were 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 entirely hopeless. Perhaps, the path suitable for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda has just not been discovered yet."

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 exhausted after her cultivation.

With his cultivation as an Ultimate Douluo, he could hear the two little girls' conversation clearly.

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

A complex look of astonishment flashed across his disguised, young, and handsome face.

"Just because it has always been this way, does that mean it's right..." He silently repeated the question, 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. Standing at the top of the continent's Soul Master system, he upheld many rules and orders that had never been established before.

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

This simple sentence embodies a precious quality: not blindly following others, not easily believing, 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 somewhat dull—yet it revealed a more dazzling brilliance to him.

"This child..." Qian Daoliu murmured to himself, looking at Snow White's exquisite 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 abilities on the continent. I remember that Uncle Ning's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could bring tremendous help to his teammates. If Rongrong, you can become even stronger, 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, showed even greater admiration in his eyes.

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

This kind of mindset is truly rare.

He did not appear to disturb us, but 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.

Just because something has always been this way, does that mean it must be 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 latter 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 about her, and all the uncles and elders in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School who had watched her grow up...

If I could become truly, truly 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 is, after all, a pampered little princess, and that inertia is not so easy to overcome.

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

Chapter 117 Cinderella in Poverty

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

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. I heard it uses a certain type of milk from the far north, so the taste is very special."

Ning Rongrong's attention was immediately diverted. She cheered and began to savor the new snacks, quickly forgetting the little trouble she had just experienced.

She started chattering away to Snow White about the interesting things she had heard recently, such as a new shop selling strange and unusual soul tools that had opened outside the sect, and how Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone almost got into a fight over who would accompany her to see the soul beast show.

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

Sunlight streamed through the glass windows of the flower hall, bathing the two of them. 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 needed 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 passively wait for fate to strike, like in the fairy tales.

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

……

It was late at night at the 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 scene she was familiar with.

Pinocchio is flooding social media with pictures of today's delicious grilled pork ribs at the Starry 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.

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

【Gedo】: 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.

【Godot】: Basic Mental Energy Enhancement Potion, slightly increases mental energy activity and perception range. Requires 25 reputation points to exchange.

Cinderella looked at the clearly marked price, then glanced at her pitiful, almost unchanged reputation balance on her system panel, and let out a long, helpless sigh.

"Ugh……"

The sigh was so long it seemed to contain all the grievances she had accumulated in both worlds.

It's so hard! It's really so hard for her!

Think about the other fellow villagers who were summoned; didn't they all bring their own accessories?

Ursula, the Deep Sea Witch, can stir up trouble and manipulate contracts in the fairy tale world. Now that she's on the Douluo Continent, she still dominates the deep sea and fools the not-so-bright sea spirit beasts.

Gothel, a veteran alchemist, occupies the precious land of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. The potions she concocts are so sought after that even the high-ranking officials of the two great empires demand to buy them, earning her a fortune in reputation and resources.

Then look at those prince types, like Prince Florian, who I heard was immediately noticed by the higher-ups of the Spirit Hall as soon as he awakened his martial soul.

The Frog Prince Levin also thrived at the Star Luo Royal Academy because of his innate full soul power.

Pinocchio, who also came from an ordinary background, was a bit of a chatterbox, but he was at the Star Luo Royal Academy, so his reputation was probably much higher than hers.

But what about Cinderella?

In the fairy tale world, she is just an ordinary duke's daughter. Besides being pretty, kind-hearted, and able to talk to animals, what other special abilities does she have?

No! Not at all!

Later, although she encountered a fairy godmother, it was only a temporary magical aid; essentially, she remained the same person who needed to rely on others to change her fate.

Summoned to this world by the system and randomly placed, he was born into a strange and difficult situation. If it weren't for his talent for communicating with small animals, he would have almost starved and died of thirst at the very beginning.

She was finally adopted by Tang Hao and A Yin, thinking she had found a powerful backer. But before long, her peaceful days were over. A Yin sacrificed herself, Tang Hao was crippled, and they had to hide with her and Tang San, eventually settling in the poor and remote Holy Soul Village.

Yes, she became the older sister of the protagonist Tang San by a twist of fate. With the mind of an adult and the resilience and wisdom of a Cinderella, she successfully turned Tang San into a deeply devoted sister-complex.

This seems like an advantage, but does it directly help her quickly gain reputation points?

At present, there are almost none!

How big is Notting City? How many students does Notting Junior Soul Master Academy have?

Even though she is somewhat famous in the academy because of her beauty, talent and unique martial soul, and is even called a goddess by some students in private, the reputation value converted from this fame is simply a drop in the ocean!

Unlike Lin Wan, who could stir up trouble, or Eva, who could infiltrate the palace and create chaos.

Unlike Ursula, who could manage a deep-sea power, she could only follow the routine of attending school and cultivating in this small town, gradually accumulating meager prestige.

Even if she wanted to enter the Royal Academy and obtain resources like them, it wouldn't be very realistic. After all, with Tang Hao around, she could only stay in Notting City for now.

"Why is it so hard to become stronger..." Cinderella buried her face in the soft pillow, thinking to herself.

She desperately craved Gordow's potions, especially those that could boost her soul power cultivation speed and mental strength! With enough potions, she believed her cultivation speed would be even faster!

However, without reputation points, it's all just empty talk.

The system's open functions, such as viewing its own status, basic communication, and most importantly, the exchange function, all require reputation points to drive or unlock higher privileges.

She's like someone guarding a treasure mountain, but without the key to enter.

"Do I really have to wait until the All-Continent Elite Tournament of Advanced Soul Master Academies, or even longer, before I have a chance to make a name for myself and earn a lot of reputation?" Cinderella thought somewhat unwillingly.

"By then, the daylilies will be too late! She'll be way behind everyone else by then!"

She turned over, gazing at the hazy moonlight outside the window, a hint of stubbornness flashing in her azure eyes.

No, we can't just sit here and wait!

Since external conditions are limited, let's make full use of all available resources!

Chapter 118 The Degenerate Tang Hao

First, Yu Xiaogang, this theoretical tool, must be used to its fullest potential.

Although he was useless in actual combat, had a low level of soul power, and might not have learned much knowledge, the theoretical knowledge and classic texts he collected were genuine.

Next, we need to more subtly extract all the knowledge from him about soul power cultivation, mental power tempering, soul skill development, and secrets of the mainland.