"Die before surrendering?"
Dai Weisi chewed over those words, looking into Dai Mubai's eyes, which burned with the last of his defiance. He smiled without a sound.
Kill him?
Too simple, and far too merciful.
Indeed, the choices the system had given him made that clear!
Choice one: Pardon?
Dai Weisi sneered inwardly.
A woman's mercy would only leave endless trouble in its wake.
Those words had never existed in the Star Luo Imperial Family's dictionary.
Choice two: Kill?
Clean and decisive, a solution once and for all. But... it was far too dull. Was a stepping stone's only value the little sound it made when kicked aside?
Choice three: Humiliate.
Dai Weisi's eyes lit up slightly.
Now that was interesting.
Let him live, and with those defiant eyes, watch as Dai Weisi ascended the throne he had dreamed of;
Let him listen to the people sing Dai Weisi's praises;
Let him see Dai Weisi lead the Star Luo Empire to unprecedented glory.
Let him be utterly swallowed by the shadow named "Dai Weisi" in the deepest darkness of the imperial dungeon, amid despair that lasted day after day, until the last trace of his proud spirit turned to mud.
That was the ultimate punishment.
System, I choose three.
Dai Weisi made his decision.
Then information about the astonishingly generous rewards flowed through his consciousness, indicating that they had been deposited in the system warehouse!
Dai Weisi looked away from Dai Mubai, slowly turned, and looked toward the host.
There, Salas, the Platinum Bishop from Spirit Hall, was still immersed in the Sacred Hell White Tiger's world-shattering blow.
Only when Dai Weisi looked his way did he awaken as if from a dream and jump to his feet.
"The winner of this match-the First Prince, Dai Weisi!"
After a brief silence, the entire Royal Plaza erupted like a lake struck by a boulder!
"Your Highness Dai Weisi!"
"Magnificent!!"
"Crown Prince! Crown Prince! Crown Prince!"
Cheers like a roaring mountain and a surging sea poured in from every direction, converging into a torrent called "devotion."
Countless nobles and officials now made no attempt to hide their awe and fervor for the victor, their future ruler.
Amid the deafening roar, Dai Weisi walked down from the arena and came before the imperial throne.
"Father."
On the throne, the Star Luo Emperor slowly rose.
"Dai Weisi, you have not disappointed me."
"Dai Mubai... how do you intend to deal with him?"
The Star Luo Emperor asked, his voice betraying neither joy nor anger.
Dai Weisi raised his head and met his father's gaze openly:
"Father, though Dai Mubai has lost, he is still of imperial blood. I will not kill him lightly. I beg you to leave him in my care. I will surely give him a 'dignified' end, to preserve the imperial family's honor."
The Star Luo Emperor stared at him for a moment, then burst into booming laughter.
"Good! Good! Good! Truly worthy of being my son, with courage and a sense of responsibility!"
His laughter ceased, and the Star Luo Emperor's voice rang out across the plaza.
"In the name of the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, here and now, I proclaim to the world!"
"I hereby appoint the First Prince, Dai Weisi, Crown Prince of the Star Luo Empire!"
"From this day forth, Crown Prince Dai Weisi shall oversee the realm and govern in my stead!"
Boom-!
If the earlier cheers had been waves, the entire plaza now exploded!
The Crown Prince had been appointed!
He would oversee the realm and govern in the emperor's stead!
This was almost the same as placing half the empire in Dai Weisi's hands! What trust and glory this was!
"Ten thousand years to His Highness the Crown Prince!"
Countless people knelt, shouting at the top of their lungs.
Having spoken, the Star Luo Emperor raised a hand. "After the ceremony, come with me to the imperial study."
"Yes."
Dai Weisi rose to his feet. He was now the heir apparent, the focus of every eye.
"Weisi, how do you intend to deal with..."
Zhu Zhuyun had come to his side at some point, a trace of worry on her face.
Dai Weisi glanced at her, his tone softening somewhat:
"Zhu Yun, take Zhu Zhuqing back to the Zhu Family. Find the best healing-type Soul Master to treat her, see that she's settled, and wait for word from me."
"Yes."
Zhu Zhuyun answered respectfully. She understood that from this moment on, she and Dai Weisi were no longer merely an engaged couple, but sovereign and subject.
She walked over to Zhu Zhuqing and carefully picked up her younger sister. Her gaze lingered on Dai Weisi's back for a moment, complicated emotions in her eyes, before she turned and hurried away.
Then Dai Weisi's gaze fell on Dai Mubai.
"Guards, take Dai Mubai to the lowest level of the imperial dungeon."
His voice had turned cold again.
"Without my orders, no one is to visit him or have contact with him."
"As... as you command, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
After taking care of everything, Dai Weisi straightened his robes and followed the Star Luo Emperor toward the depths of the imperial palace, beneath the awed gazes of the crowd.
Imperial palace, ancestral temple.
This was not the imperial study, but a forbidden place where the ancestral tablets of the Star Luo Empire's past generations were kept.
The air was filled with sandalwood incense and a solemn atmosphere steeped in the passage of time. Rows of spirit tablets stood silently in the dim candlelight, as though watching the father and son enter without a word.
The Star Luo Emperor did not stop before any of the tablets. He walked straight to the far end and turned his back to Dai Weisi, his voice sounding somewhat weary.
"Do you know why I brought you here?"
"I do not, Father."
Dai Weisi stood with his hands at his sides, waiting quietly.
He now looked every bit the loyal subject.
Yes, he could have acted arrogantly, but as things stood, there was no need.
The Crown Prince had been appointed, and the overall situation was settled!
The Star Luo Emperor turned around, his tall frame casting a long shadow in the candlelight.
Now, stripped of the domineering bearing of a ruler of the world, he looked more like a father about to lay down a heavy burden.
"Dai Weisi, I intend to pass the throne to you within a year."
Dai Weisi's pupils contracted slightly at those words.
One year?
That was far too soon!
As if seeing through his confusion, the Star Luo Emperor sighed and gestured toward the spirit tablets.
"Succession in the Star Luo Empire has always been this way. The strong rise, the mediocre fall."
"The strength and temperament you displayed today have already far surpassed my expectations for a worthy successor."
He paused, lowering his voice further.
"More importantly, the times are changing."
"Spirit Hall's ambition grows by the day, like a beast lying in wait, ready to choose its prey and devour it at any moment."
"And Heaven Dou may seem peaceful, but undercurrents are stirring beneath the surface. Our Star Luo Empire may appear strong, but dangers lurk on every side."
A sharp light flashed in the Star Luo Emperor's eyes. "I am old. This throne and the bottleneck at level 89 have worn away at my fighting spirit for far too long."
"But you, Dai Weisi, are like a peerless divine weapon just drawn from its sheath, your edge fully revealed and impossible to stop!"
"The empire needs your edge to cut through those shackles and carve out an entirely new path."
"Over the next year, I will pave the last stretch of road for you."
"One year from now, this entire Star Luo Empire will be placed in your hands."