Xiao Wu lifted her head, her soft, rosy face filled with admiration. Her big eyes glistened:
"If only I'd met Your Majesty back then."
"I would've become Your Majesty's kitten right away. I wouldn't have been a rabbit."
As she spoke, she even deliberately imitated a cat: "Meow~"
Her sweet, silly manner made people's hearts itch.
Dai Mubai reached out and pinched her delightfully soft cheek, smiling as he said:
"You're a rabbit. Why are you meowing like a cat?"
"You're neither one thing nor the other."
Though his words sounded like a scolding, his tone was full of indulgence.
Qian Renxue, sitting nearby, couldn't take it anymore.
She elegantly peeled a lychee and held its glistening flesh to Dai Mubai's lips, while discreetly nudging Xiao Wu with her elbow.
"Your Majesty, have a lychee."
Qian Renxue's voice was gentle, with a hint of dignified allure:
"Don't listen to that rabbit's nonsense."
"When you awakened the Radiant Holy Tiger, the whole continent was shaken."
"I heard Grandpa mention it at the Worship Hall. He said that an unparalleled prodigy had appeared in the Star Luo Empire."
"Back then, I wondered what kind of person could make Grandpa take him so seriously."
"Now I see that Grandpa was still being conservative."
"You're no mere prodigy. You're clearly a ruler Heaven sent to the mortal world."
Dai Mubai opened his mouth and ate the lychee.
"Xue'er really knows how to talk."
"Unlike a certain rabbit, who only knows how to act cute."
Ning Rongrong had been waiting nearby with a teacup in her hands for quite some time.
Seeing that the two had a moment to spare, she hurried over and held the cup to Dai Mubai's lips, her voice sickeningly sweet:
"Your Majesty, have some tea to wash away the sweetness."
"Although I didn't witness what happened back then, I know the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's records describe it clearly."
"That night, Grandpa Sword stared toward the Star Luo Empire for the entire evening."
"He said a sharpness had shot into the sky—so overwhelming that even his peerless sword intent couldn't suppress it."
"So the roar of a tiger he heard was from Your Majesty awakening."
Dai Mubai drank from her hand, feeling pleased.
This was the life.
This was the sort of pleasure an emperor deserved.
As for the version of himself in the Black World?
He could keep struggling in that cesspool.
The images on the Sky Screen shifted.
[White World]
[Time: After the awakening ceremony, upon returning to the Prince's Mansion]
On the screen,
six-year-old Dai Mubai was led by the hand by the Star Luo Emperor himself, with a grand procession following behind them.
Father and son chatted and laughed together.
The Star Luo Emperor's smile hadn't faded once; the wrinkles on his face had spread into a beaming grin.
Just then,
an ill-timed voice rang out.
"Third Brother is certainly lucky."
Everyone turned toward the voice.
A boy who looked to be in his teens stood in the middle of the road, blocking their way with several attendants.
It was the eldest prince, Dai Weisi.
Though Dai Weisi was still young, his eyes already held a hint of malice.
He looked at Dai Mubai, whom his father was leading by the hand, jealousy concealed deep in his gaze.
Usually, his father had been strict with him, but had still valued him.
But ever since this Third Brother had revealed his talent, his father had seemed to have eyes for no one else.
Why?
I'm the eldest son!
I'm the one who should be the future emperor!
Dai Weisi suppressed his resentment and said with a false smile:
"I heard Third Brother awakened an extraordinary Martial Soul. He even blew up the crystal ball."
"Your elder brother has come to congratulate you."
"But talent alone isn't enough. Actual combat is the only test of a strong person."
"Since Third Brother is such a genius, why don't I spar with you?"
"That way, I can see just how powerful the legendary Radiant Holy Tiger really is."
As he spoke, Soul Power surged around Dai Weisi.
After all, he was several years older than Dai Mubai and had trained for years, so his Soul Power was no weakling.
Dai Weisi intended to put Dai Mubai in his place in front of everyone.
He wanted to crush him psychologically before he had a chance to grow, and destroy his belief that he was invincible.
This was a common tactic in royal power struggles.
It was also the method Dai Weisi used most often against Dai Mubai in the Black World.
However,
before young Dai Mubai could say a word,
a thunderous shout suddenly rang out.
"Impudent!"
The roar came from none other than the Star Luo Emperor.
The Star Luo Emperor's expression darkened at once. The kindly smile vanished without a trace, replaced by an emperor's fury.
"Smack!"
A loud slap struck Dai Weisi across the face.
He was knocked off his feet and slammed to the ground, half his face swelling up at once.
He clutched his cheek and stared at his father in disbelief.
"F-Father?"
"You hit me?"
"I only wanted to spar with Third Brother..."
"Silence!"
The Star Luo Emperor pointed at Dai Weisi, his finger trembling:
"A spar?"
"Don't think I don't know what you're up to!"
"Jealous of the talented! Narrow-minded!"
"He's your own younger brother! He's the future hope of the Star Luo Empire!"
"As his elder brother, you should be thinking about how to protect him. Instead, you want to suppress him while he's just awakened and hasn't found his footing yet?"
"Who gave you the nerve?"
"..."
The Star Luo Emperor strode forward and looked down at the trembling Dai Weisi:
"I'm warning you, Dai Weisi."
"Put away those filthy tricks of yours."
"From this day on, if Mubai so much as loses a hair, you'll answer to me!"
"Get back to your mansion! You're confined for three months! Without my permission, you're not to set foot outside your room!"
With that,
the Star Luo Emperor turned around. The moment he looked at Dai Mubai, his face was once again filled with a warm smile.
The speed of his change in expression was astonishing.
"Mubai, are you all right?"
"Don't mind that good-for-nothing of an elder brother. He's just jealous of you."
"Come on. Father will take you to choose a Spirit Bone."
When this scene played,
Dai Mubai from the Black World completely broke down.
He stared at the Star Luo Emperor on the screen, who had publicly slapped his eldest son to protect his younger child.
Then he remembered the father in his own memories: cold and ruthless, letting Dai Weisi bully him, and even saying it was "survival of the fittest."
The enormous contrast shattered his defenses completely.
"Why..."
"Why is it like this..."
"!!!"
Dai Mubai dropped to his knees, clutching his head with both hands as he let out a pained wail.
"So it wasn't that Father was heartless."
"So the rules of the imperial family could be broken."
"So as long as your talent is great enough, as long as you're outstanding enough, the rules can be changed!"
"Father... he really would protect his own!"
He had always believed the cruelty of the Star Luo Imperial Family was absolute law, an inescapable fate.
So he had chosen to run away, to give up.
But now the Sky Screen was telling him:
He had been wrong.
It was only because he hadn't been strong enough, astonishing enough, or impressive enough to make that man break his principles to protect him.
Before you continue