A World Apart

"Coward."

Her red lips parted, and she spat out two icy words.

"You only know how to raise your blade against the weak, yet grovel before the strong."

"Someone like that truly doesn't deserve to be called a prince."

Xiao Wu puffed out her cheeks and waved her little fist, her long legs swinging in the air.

"Exactly!"

"So disgusting!"

"How can two people both named Dai Mubai be so different?"

She turned her head and gazed at the man beside her with big, watery eyes full of admiration and affection:

"That guy from the Black World isn't even fit to carry your shoes, brother!"

"You're the best!"

Dai Mubai sat on the dragon throne. Hearing Xiao Wu's words, he curled his lips into a faint smile.

He reached out and slipped an arm around Xiao Wu's slender, soft waist. With a slight tug, he drew her into his embrace.

As his large hand gently caressed her waist, Dai Mubai lowered his head and leaned close to Xiao Wu's ear, his voice tinged with amusement:

"Oh?"

"What's so good about me?"

His warm breath brushed her ear, and Xiao Wu's face instantly turned bright red.

Of course, she understood the innuendo behind the rascal's words.

"Honestly..."

Xiao Wu lightly punched Dai Mubai in the chest with her little fist and chided him coyly:

"You scoundrel!"

"You're always picking on me!"

Watching the two flirt in public, Qian Renxue, Ning Rongrong, and the others felt a little jealous, but more than that, they looked down on the Dai Mubai from the Black World.

Without comparison, there could be no hurt.

When they saw how wise, mighty, and dashing their own emperor was, then looked at that good-for-nothing who only dared to throw his weight around at home—

The difference was like heaven and earth.

Black World.

After a deathly silence, the crowd erupted into discussion.

"Th-this is way too much, isn't it?"

"I felt kind of sorry for him when I saw Dai Weisi bullying him just now. How did he turn into this in the blink of an eye?"

"Exactly! What kind of achievement is taking your anger out on a maid?"

"Even the Star Luo Emperor has given up on him. Looks like his character really is rotten."

Those who had still felt a shred of sympathy for Dai Mubai now completely changed their tune.

Even the people from Shrek Academy looked uncomfortable.

Ma Hongjun opened his mouth, wanting to say something to defend his big brother, but as he watched the "big brother" onscreen beat the maid, he just couldn't bring himself to say a single word in his favor.

Oscar awkwardly rubbed his nose, then lowered his head and pretended to look at ants.

In the middle of the crowd,

Dai Mubai was trembling all over.

He could feel the gazes that had once been filled with respect and admiration turning to scorn, disgust, and even contempt.

The sensation of being stared at from every direction made him wish he could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.

"That's not what happened..."

"I was still young back then..."

He wanted to explain himself, but his voice sounded weak and unconvincing.

Because it was the truth.

It was something he had done in the past, a disgraceful history he had desperately tried to cover up.

Now, that damned Sky Screen had laid it bare, exposing it before the whole world.

Humiliation.

Anger.

Despair.

The emotions tangled together, twisting his face into a savage grimace.

"Mu Bai."

A hand came to rest on his shoulder.

Tang San looked at Dai Mubai, who was on the verge of breaking down, and sighed softly.

"No one is perfect. Who can go through life without making mistakes?"

"You were young and ignorant back then, and your mind wasn't mature yet. It's only natural that you did some foolish things."

"What matters is the present."

"The person you are now is no longer that spoiled prince you once were."

"Don't let the past hold you back."

Tang San's voice was calm, but if one listened closely, they could hear a trace of uncertainty.

After all, bullying the weak left a stain that couldn't be washed away, no matter where you were.

Beside him, Yu Xiaogang was uncharacteristically quiet.

His face was deathly pale, cold sweat ran down his forehead, and he clutched his lower body with both hands. His body still twitched faintly.

The power of that flash of red had left him in agony.

Hearing Tang San's words, he opened his mouth, wanting to chime in and show off the wisdom of the Grandmaster.

But when he saw the blood-red Sky Screen overhead,

he swallowed the words before they could escape.

He didn't dare speak.

He really didn't dare anymore.

If he was judged to be acting against his true nature again, he might lose the half of his life he had left.

Just then, the scene on the Sky Screen changed once more.

A caption appeared.

[Age six: Martial Soul Awakening]

Onscreen,

golden light shimmered inside the Awakening Hall.

Six-year-old Dai Mubai stood inside the Awakening Array, his face full of anticipation.

A tiger's roar rang out.

The phantom of a snow-white tiger appeared behind him.

The White Tiger looked fairly mighty, but compared with the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon from the White World, it was practically a sickly cat.

The elder overseeing the awakening glanced at the crystal ball and announced in a loud voice:

"Martial Soul: White Tiger."

"Innate Soul Power: Rank Eight."

At the result, little Dai Mubai's face instantly fell.

"Only Rank Eight?"

"Not full Soul Power?"

"That's it... I'll never be able to catch up to Dai Weisi now."

The light in his eyes went out, replaced by deep despair and resignation.

If he couldn't catch up no matter how hard he tried, what was the point of trying?

The scene shifted.

After awakening his Martial Soul, Dai Mubai didn't work hard to catch up, despite having decent talent.

Instead,

he decided that since his Innate Soul Power was inferior to Dai Weisi's, and he was the younger brother, he had already lost from the starting line.

So he indulged himself in pleasure even more.

He could barely even keep up with the meditation and cultivation he was supposed to do every day.

Until one day,

at a turn in the Imperial Garden,

he ran into Dai Weisi again.

Dai Weisi was only a few years old himself, but he already had the air of someone born to rule.

When Dai Weisi approached,

little Dai Mubai's legs gave way almost instinctively.

Thump!

Before Dai Weisi could say anything—not even before he released any Soul Power pressure—

Dai Mubai dropped straight to his knees.

"B-big brother..."

He lowered his head, his voice trembling with a fear etched into his very bones.

Dai Weisi froze for a moment, then a look of utter contempt crossed his face.

He didn't even bother to lay a hand on him.

He merely snorted and stepped past Dai Mubai, who was kneeling on the ground.

Meanwhile, on a nearby pavilion,

the Star Luo Emperor had witnessed the whole scene.

Looking at the son who didn't even have the courage to speak while standing, the iron-blooded ruler's eyes held not a trace of emotion.

He only shook his head helplessly and let out a long sigh.

Then he turned and walked away, his back looking somewhat forlorn.

Black World.

Countless people fell silent at that moment.

If bullying a maid had shown that he was rotten to the core,

then kneeling before a fight had even begun showed he had no backbone at all.

"Th-this is way too cowardly, isn't it?"

"Innate Soul Power at Rank Eight! In our village, he'd be an unparalleled genius!"

"Exactly! So what if he only had Rank Eight Innate Soul Power? If he'd worked hard, he might still have surpassed someone with Innate Full Soul Power."

"But he didn't even try. He just went straight to his knees?"