Eva and Snow White

"It was useless. I knew my own body."

Ah Rou's weak voice was like a dying candle in the wind. She looked at the little deer radiating a pure, auspicious aura, her eyes filled with gratitude.

She struggled to turn her head, her gaze gentle yet despairing as it fell on Xiao Wu. "Xiao Wu, my daughter..."

"Mom! No! There had to be a way! Hold on, Mom!" Xiao Wu clutched Ah Rou's icy hand and cried herself hoarse.

"Listen to Mom..."

Using the last of her strength, Ah Rou suddenly seized Xiao Wu's hand. A gentle yet incomparably vast energy, mixed with the purest source Soul Power of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and the Soul Ring source that bore the mark of her life, surged like a burst dam into Xiao Wu's small body without restraint.

"Ah!"

Xiao Wu let out a pained scream. Her young body was suddenly struck by energy far beyond its limits, and in an instant, she was enveloped in a soft glow.

"Live on. Live well. Take care of yourself."

Ah Rou's voice grew weaker and weaker, and her eyes began to lose focus.

At the final moment of her life, she gave Xiao Wu one last lingering look, then gazed gratefully at the Nine-Colored Deer beside her, which was anxiously channeling its auspicious light.

The next second, the enormous energy fluctuations abruptly vanished. Within the Nine-Colored Deer's auspicious light, Ah Rou's body rapidly shrank and transformed, eventually becoming an ordinary little white rabbit, snow-white all over and barely breathing, lying quietly in Xiao Wu's arms.

All her remaining energy had completely merged into Xiao Wu's body at the end of her life.

"Mom!" Xiao Wu hugged the little white rabbit and let out a heart-rending howl.

The Nine-Colored Deer watched this scene, a trace of sorrow appearing in its clear eyes.

It stopped its Healing Light, silently lowered its head, and gently rubbed Xiao Wu's hand with its warm nose. Then it tenderly touched the little white rabbit, carefully passing over a thread of its pure auspicious aura to sustain that faint life.

At that moment, two enormous figures crashed down onto the ground.

After respectfully glancing at Scarlet King and the Nine-Colored Deer, Sky Azure Bull Python Da Ming and Titan Giant Ape Er Ming turned their gazes toward Xiao Wu.

As the guardians of the Star Dou Great Forest's core region, the two of them naturally knew about the Lake of Life and the appearance of the Auspicious Beast.

The Sky Azure Bull Python lowered its bull's head. Looking at the barely breathing little white rabbit in Xiao Wu's arms and hearing her heartbroken cries, its enormous snake eyes were filled with endless grief and rage.

Titan Giant Ape Er Ming savagely pounded the ground with both fists and released an earth-shaking roar. Its violent aura was filled with pain and frenzied killing intent.

It wanted to rush out and hunt down those humans, but it did not dare leave Xiao Wu's side while she was overwhelmed with grief.

Scarlet King watched the scene before him, and all three of his heads fell silent.

His massive body lowered slightly as he vigilantly guarded the Nine-Colored Deer, preventing any possible accident.

Lake of Life.

Scarlet King stood by the lakeshore, respectfully reporting everything to Di Tian, who floated above the lake's surface.

He gave Di Tian a detailed account of how the Nine-Colored Deer encountered Xiao Wu, insisted on going to rescue her, encountered human experts, Ah Rou's death, and the arrival of Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape.

"Di Tian, that was what happened. The Auspicious Beast is unharmed, though it is saddened by the fate of those two Soul Beasts who underwent Human Transformation," Scarlet King added at last.

Di Tian fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Humans had always been like this."

Di Tian did not care about Ah Rou's death. She had always looked down on Soul Beasts that transformed into humans.

However, humans had ventured deep into the edge of the core region to hunt Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts and had nearly involved the Auspicious Beast. This was undoubtedly a grave provocation against the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Scarlet King. The Auspicious Beast is pure and kind by nature. You must not leave its side for even a step. As for that little rabbit..."

Di Tian's gaze seemed to pierce through space, seeing Xiao Wu by the lake, asleep beside the Nine-Colored Deer while holding the little white rabbit.

"Since the Auspicious Beast brought them back, and they have close ties with those two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, let them remain on the outer edge of the lakeshore for now."

"Understood." Scarlet King respectfully accepted the order.

Di Tian slowly sank back into the depths of the Lake of Life, and the lake surface returned to calm.

Time passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was time for Eva to give birth.

Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, outer hall of the Emerald Palace.

Xue Ye anxiously paced back and forth outside the hall while Qian Renxue stood calmly to one side.

Qian Renxue had not wanted to come, but she thought of the child in Eva's belly, who might very well be hers.

After hesitating again and again, she still came to the outside of the Emerald Palace.

Xue Ye rubbed his hands together, occasionally looking toward the tightly shut doors of the sleeping chamber. Worry for Eva flickered in his clouded eyes.

Qian Renxue stood quietly at one side with her hands lowered, her posture respectful and her expression placid. Yet only she knew that her heart was pounding violently.

The infant about to be born was like a sword hanging over her head, capable of cutting off everything she had at any moment.

Inner hall of the Emerald Palace.

In stark contrast to the anxiety outside, the atmosphere deep within the sleeping chamber, in a space isolated by layers of magical barriers, was remarkably leisurely.

Eva reclined against a soft velvet cushion, looking languid. Where was even a trace of the pain expected of a woman about to give birth?

A small magical water mirror floated before her, perfectly reflecting Xue Ye's anxious pacing in the outer hall and Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's forced composure.

"Heh, what two adorable fools." Eva gave a soft snort and elegantly picked up a crystal grape with her fingertips before placing it in her mouth.

Beside her, in an exquisite little cradle, lay an adorable baby girl.

She had glossy black hair like ink and snow-white, translucent skin. Her pure obsidian eyes were open, watching Eva with vigilance and complicated emotions that did not belong to an infant.

She was Snow White, who had come to Douluo Continent from the Fairy-Tale World.

"Little Snow White," Eva said, extending a finger to lightly poke Snow White's rosy cheek, her tone carrying false affection. "Be a good girl and listen to Mother, understand? We had a long life ahead of us."

Snow White slightly turned her head, wanting to avoid Eva's touch. Her brows furrowed, expressing her silent resistance.

Snow White did not want to pay attention to this vicious woman. Back in the Fairy-Tale World, Eva had been her wicked stepmother.

Now that they had come to a new world, she had not expected that she would still have to become mother and daughter with Eva.

Eva did not care at all about Snow White's reaction, as though she were looking at a small pet throwing a tantrum.

With a flick of her wrist, the Magic Mirror appeared out of thin air. A faint glimmer flashed across its surface, and it produced a small crystal vial containing several drops of liquid that shimmered with a pale golden holy radiance.

The liquid was pure and transparent, giving off a heart-stirring warmth. It was a potion made from Qian Renxue's sacred blood.

Eva gently yet irresistibly picked Snow White up. With her other hand, she opened the stopper of the crystal vial, and an aura bearing sacred majesty instantly filled the air.