The Fourth Prince with Evil Eyes and Double Pupils

Star Luo City, Royal Training Ground.

"Little brother, tomorrow is your Martial Soul Awakening."

"I hope you'll face reality then and stop putting up this futile struggle."

"The more you struggle, the sooner you'll die!"

"Believe me. That's your elder brother's advice."

Watching Dai Xuanyu continue to train diligently, Dai Mubai finally lost patience and began "instructing" him in the tone of someone who knew better.

But Dai Mubai's self-important advice

looked to outsiders nothing like the conduct of an elder brother. He resembled a petty man consumed by jealousy.

Jealous of a younger brother who refused to give up and kept working hard, Dai Mubai had made a complete clown of himself.

Sweat streaming down his face, Dai Xuanyu ignored Dai Mubai and kept his head down, practicing as his instructor had taught him.

"Dai Xuanyu, don't you know how to respect your elder brother?!" Dai Mubai's face flushed red.

Being ignored made him feel humiliated, as though he had lost face in front of everyone.

Just as he rose to teach Dai Xuanyu a lesson, someone stepped in his way.

Dai Xuan met Dai Mubai's gaze without servility or arrogance and "advised" him in an even voice:

"Your Highness, Third Prince, please don't interrupt the Fourth Prince's training."

In other words, Dai Mubai could go wherever he pleased, as long as he left Dai Xuanyu alone.

"Fine! Fine! Fine!" Dai Mubai laughed in fury, feeling that his status as a prince had been disregarded.

But he knew perfectly well that if he stayed any longer, he really would become a clown.

So Dai Mubai turned and left the training ground.

What Dai Mubai did not know was that many within the Star Luo Imperial Family and among the Star Luo Empire's upper ranks had long regarded him as a good-for-nothing and a clown.

Honestly, Dai Mubai really is useless. Pausing to set down his exercise equipment, Dai Xuanyu glanced in the direction Dai Mubai had gone.

As a transmigrator, Dai Xuanyu thought very little of this elder brother of his.

The Star Luo Imperial Family's ruthless, iron-blooded Throne Succession Rule meant that only one prince could emerge victorious.

For every loser, there was only death!

The eldest prince, Dai Weisi, held far too great an advantage in age.

The second prince had already been eliminated completely, losing his life along with his fiancée.

So Dai Mubai, the third prince, had resigned himself to his fate and sunk into utter self-abandonment.

He had been born with Evil Eyes and Double Pupils and had drawn considerable attention since childhood;

on the day of his Martial Soul Awakening, his Innate Soul Power had been high, and his talent had shown great promise.

Yet Dai Mubai was so cowardly that he barely dared keep in touch with his own betrothed. He had disappointed many people.

And that was the real reason Dai Mubai had come to resent his younger brother, Dai Xuanyu.

If Dai Mubai and Dai Weisi had been the only direct descendants of the current Star Luo Imperial Family,

everyone would have simply ignored Dai Mubai's decline.

With the outcome no longer in doubt, he could be a good-for-nothing if he wanted.

But the crucial point was that the fourth prince, Dai Xuanyu, was still there.

People could bear almost anything except comparison.

To the outside world, Dai Xuanyu, the youngest prince, had seemed even more extraordinary at birth than the third prince.

And after learning of the imperial family's brutal competition and the fate awaiting him,

he had not abandoned himself or given up. Instead, he had worked hard from childhood, choosing to fight his fate.

That set him in stark contrast to the third prince, Dai Mubai.

As a result, Dai Mubai's cowardice, already looked down on by many, became the talk of the town once more.

To a coward like Dai Mubai, why struggle when death was certain?

Worse, Dai Xuanyu's efforts made Dai Mubai's own position painfully embarrassing.

Over time, Dai Mubai had come to hate Dai Xuanyu.

"Young Master, it's time to go back."

"Your Martial Soul Awakening is tomorrow. You should conserve your strength and avoid overexerting yourself."

After Dai Xuanyu had trained for over two hours, Dai Xuan approached and reminded him softly.

"All right, Uncle Xuan. Let's head home." Dai Xuanyu nodded.

Once he had tidied up, Dai Xuanyu left the Royal Training Ground and climbed into his carriage.

Dai Xuan, his steward, stayed close behind to protect him.

The Fourth Prince would make a perfect heir. If only he weren't so young... Still, he isn't without a chance.

Inside the carriage, Dai Xuan watched his young master study his lessons. He was deeply pleased, though he could not help feeling some regret.

Born with Evil Eyes and Double Pupils, striking in appearance, bright, upright, and full of ambition...

But there was no getting around Dai Xuanyu's enormous disadvantage in age.

If Dai Xuanyu had been even a little older, the number of people and factions willing to back his bid for the throne would have doubled.

Then Dai Xuan thought of the third prince, Dai Mubai, and felt a surge of disgust. That third prince does more harm than good. He had a decent advantage, yet gave up so early and chose to be a coward. If the Young Master had enjoyed that advantage...

In the Star Luo Imperial Family's contest for the throne, age was indeed a major advantage.

But across its thousands of years of history, there had been latecomers who had turned the tide against the wind, even struck back from the brink of defeat.

That was why every imperial family member competing for the throne could find people and factions willing to support him, no matter how great his disadvantage.

After all, as the saying went, high risk brought high reward.

It was a tremendous gamble, and the odds of failure were high.

But if the wager paid off, the returns would be immense, almost beyond imagining.

Some great families even placed bets on several princes at once.

Whichever prince won, the family would benefit. The only question was how much.

Tomorrow is my Martial Soul Awakening. I'm not asking for much, but I at least need to meet the standard expected of an imperial family member.

Only then will more factions be willing to bet on me.

Dai Xuanyu closed the book in his hands and gazed silently out the window.

His Martial Soul Awakening was tomorrow. Even as a transmigrator, he could not pretend he was not excited.

Born with Evil Eyes and Double Pupils, he had attracted even more attention than Dai Mubai had with his Evil Eyes.

He had prepared since childhood, nurturing his body and gathering support. But even the best preparations could not rule out the unexpected.

How he performed at tomorrow's Martial Soul Awakening would determine whether more people and factions invested in him.

Dai Xuanyu was indeed a transmigrator, and he knew of the opportunities on the Douluo Continent that could defy fate.

Even if his talent proved poor, he could seize those opportunities, change his fate, and claim the position of crown prince.

But the factions without his knowledge of the future saw things differently.

If the talent he awakened tomorrow fell short, those still watching from the sidelines would surely hesitate.

For Dai Xuanyu, that would be bad news.

After all, the more power he had at his disposal, the better he could use his foreknowledge to pursue those opportunities and lay his plans accordingly.