Liu Erlong's and Flender's expressions barely changed at this.
"From the moment we underwent Martial Soul Awakening at six, we were no longer brothers, but enemies competing for the throne."
Dai Mubai's voice was somewhat low.
"We trained every day, competed every day, and tried everything to surpass each other in strength. Back then, the imperial family forbade us from taking each other's lives or destroying each other's ability to fight, because the competition wasn't over yet."
"Once we turned eighteen, we would have to fight a true battle to the death!"
At this point, he looked at Dai Tian before him.
Dai Tian remained seated upright in his chair and even nodded lightly, seeing nothing wrong with these words.
A trace of disgust flashed in Dai Mubai's eyes.
"When that day comes, only one person can survive."
"The survivor inherits the throne, while the dead are treated as though they never existed. That is also why the Heaven Dou-"
"What?!"
Oscar's expression changed as he listened, and he blurted out, "Brothers killing brothers? Your imperial family actually forces you to do that?"
What kind of bullshit rule was that!
He had been envying Dai Mubai's background, but now he felt nothing but a chill.
At six, when they awakened their Martial Souls, before they had even figured out the days ahead, they first had to remember that their own brothers would kill them someday?
Just imagining such a life felt suffocating.
Ma Hongjun also knitted his brows tightly.
"No wonder you've never wanted to talk about your family..."
Dai Mubai said nothing, only slowly exhaling.
These things had weighed on his heart for far too long. Now that he had actually spoken of them, it did not hurt as much as he had imagined.
Yet Dai Tian, sitting opposite