White Emperor of Heaven! Zhu Zhuqing Sheds Tears! The Gap Between Parallel Worlds!

Not far away.

Zhu Zhuqing stood there quietly.

Her gaze never once left the Sky Screen.

Watching her younger self in the image, so bravely expressing her love, so happily nestled in the boy's arms.

The corners of her eyes had become moist without her even realizing it.

Envy.

She was actually feeling envious of her self in that world.

So, she wasn't born to be this cold, nor was she born to wrap herself in a hard shell.

She, too, had once been a little girl who knew how to act spoiled, how to blush, and how to love someone without reservation.

It was just that.

In this world, no one had ever given her such a chance.

Within the Sky Screen, the light and shadow did not end with that warm embrace.

The dark, dense forest gradually grew quiet.

The previously heartwarming atmosphere froze instantly because of the boy's next words.

In the Black World, on Star Luo Square.

Countless people were waiting for that boy's answer.

Perhaps a shy acceptance, or a grand, heroic promise.

After all, that was the script a childhood sweetheart relationship was supposed to follow.

However.

The young Dai Mubai in the Sky Screen did not show the touched expression everyone expected.

He merely lowered his head.

In those double pupils, there was not a trace of passion; instead, there was only clarity, and even a hint of scrutiny.

He reached out and gently pushed away the hand Zhu Zhuqing had on his sleeve.

The movement was not heavy.

But the meaning of rejection was obvious.

The young Dai Mubai looked at the girl he had just saved, his tone terrifyingly flat:

"Marry me?"

"As you are now, you are too weak."

A few simple words.

No mockery, no contempt, merely stating a fact.

The young Zhu Zhuqing was stunned, the light in her star-like eyes dimming instantly.

Dai Mubai clasped his hands behind his back.

"My path is destined to be a road to the heavens, paved with thorns and blood."

"The woman I want is not a canary that can only tremble behind my back."

The boy turned around, leaving the girl with a back that was not broad, yet exceptionally upright.

"First, learn how to survive in this man-eating world, and become strong—strong enough to keep up with my pace."

"Otherwise, you don't even have the qualifications to stand by my side."

As his voice fell.

The scene did not become oppressive because of this.

On the contrary, the camera gave a close-up of the young Zhu Zhuqing.

She did not cry.

The fear and weakness that had been in her eyes vanished miraculously at this moment.

She stared fixedly at the boy's retreating figure, her small fists clenched until they turned white, her nails almost digging into her flesh.

In those black eyes, a fire ignited.

A fire named ambition.

"I will become strong!"

The childish voice echoed through the dense forest, firm to the point of being jarring.

The boy in the distance paused and turned his head slightly.

A trace of a smile finally appeared on his face.

It was not mockery, but a form of anticipation tinged with appreciation.

"Fine."

"I'll be waiting."

The image gradually faded, freezing on the silhouettes of the two as they walked one after the other.

At this very moment.

In the Black World, the entire continent fell into a deathly silence.

Immediately following that, a clamor erupted like a volcanic explosion.

No one had expected that the Dai Mubai of that world would be arrogant to such an extent!

He actually refused?

And he used that kind of reason!

Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Dugu Yan's mouth hung open, her bewitching face filled with disbelief, followed by deep shock.

"So cool..."

"This is what a real man is!"

"Unlike that blockhead Yu Tianheng, who only knows how to cultivate all day long without a shred of dominance."

"A woman needs to be pampered, but even more so, she needs to be encouraged to grow. This Dai Mubai, he sees things so clearly."

Beside her, Ye Lingling's beautiful eyes sparkled.

"If I were that Zhu Zhuqing, I would also cultivate with my life on the line."

"To be looked down upon by such a man is a disgrace, but to be motivated by such a man is a driving force."

"No wonder the Zhu Zhuqing of the White World was able to become so strong later on; the root cause was actually here."

Martial Soul Hall, Pope Palace.

Bibi Dong's hand, gripping her scepter, tightened slightly.

She stared at the Sky Screen, a complex light flashing in her eyes.

"To stand side by side..."

"To look down upon the world together..."

She muttered to herself.

Wasn't this exactly what she had once longed for most?

It was a pity that the man from back then couldn't give it to her, and that trash Yu Xiaogang certainly couldn't either.

"This child is truly a born emperor."

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan stood to the side, flicking his orchid fingers, his face full of amazement.

"Your Holiness, this little White Tiger is quite interesting."

"At such a young age, his temperament is so resilient. He isn't swayed by beauty, but instead uses it to motivate the other party."

"He is simply a monster."

Shrek Academy.

The group, who had been immersed in the warmth of the previous scene, now wore expressions of varying kinds.

The sausage in Oscar's mouth fell to the ground.

"I can't take it."

"This guy is such a show-off, but the key is that he pulls it off so smoothly that I actually think he's right."

"I'm too weak..."

"If it were me, and Zhuqing told me she wanted to marry me, I'd probably be so happy I'd lose my mind on the spot. I wouldn't even care if she was weak or not."

Ma Hongjun also wore a constipated expression.

"This is the gap."

"If our Boss Dai had been this firm back then, Zhuqing wouldn't have been so cold and indifferent toward him when she first arrived at the academy."

The two subconsciously looked at Zhu Zhuqing, who was not far away.

At this moment, the Black World Zhu Zhuqing was trembling all over.

Not because of anger.

But because of excitement.

She stared fixedly at the Sky Screen, her breathing rapid, her chest heaving violently.

So... that was it.

Was it because of these words that the version of herself in that world became so strong?

She looked at Dai Mubai beside her, a trace of disappointment flashing in her eyes.

Back then, aside from running away and lingering among women at the Rose Hotel, had Dai Mubai ever offered her a single word of encouragement?

Had he ever said the words "become stronger" to her?

He only knew that he wasn't good enough, and then he fled.

He threw all the pressure onto her, who was still in the Star Luo Empire.

"You are not as good as him."

Zhu Zhuqing spoke suddenly.

Her voice was cold and soft.

But to Dai Mubai, it sounded like a thunderclap.

Dai Mubai's face turned livid, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He wanted to retort.

He wanted to say that the other Dai Mubai was just putting on an act.

But the words died on his lips, and he couldn't bring himself to say them.

Because he, too, had been shaken by the spirit of that young man.

That domineering aura, viewing romantic attachments as mere bones and seeking only the Great Dao, was something he had never possessed.

"I..."

Dai Mubai opened his mouth, but in the end, he could only lower his head in defeat.

White World.

Star Luo Imperial Palace, back garden.

A group of beautiful women were sitting around under the Sky Screen.

Xiao Wu held a carrot in her hand, took a crunchy bite, and stared with wide eyes at the stunning woman sitting in the main seat.

"Sister Zhuqing, so that's how the boss tricked you into being with him back then?"