On the surface, Dai Weisi undoubtedly knew certain things about Dai Mubai—his soul power level, his martial spirit evolution, and so on.
"You know full well that you and Zhu Zhuyun aren't a match for me and Zhu Zhuqing anymore, yet you talk about holding back? What's wrong with your head?" Dai Mubai sneered, his expression amused.
Dai Weisi fell silent for the first time.
He knew the truth. Neither he nor Zhu Zhuyun could defeat their younger siblings now.
But the traditions of the Star Luo Empire weren't so easily broken.
Unless he ascended the throne as Star Luo Emperor and gained the strength to crush all opposition, he would remain bound by those unyielding customs.
His father, the current Star Luo Emperor, was a true Titled Douluo. Together with the Empress, they could unleash a martial spirit fusion skill of unimaginable power.
Dai Weisi sighed and glanced at Dai Mubai again, thinking to himself:
You know the empire's traditions. Neither you nor I can change them.
On his way to Spirit City, Dai Weisi had already prepared himself to die. But now, he wondered if Dai Mubai had other ideas.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Maybe Father is interested in you, but I'm not!" Dai Weisi tried to regain some ground.
Dai Mubai shook his head with a resigned smirk. "Oh, my dear brother, you're determined to dig your own grave, aren't you? If you die, then Zhu Zhuyun—well, ahem! People can't, or at least, they shouldn't…"
Dai Weisi shivered at the sharp look Dai Mubai shot him, inexplicably sensing something… wrong.
After a pause, Dai Mubai changed the subject.
"Alright, let's set that aside for now," he said. Then, after a moment of thought, he continued, "Big brother, if you had a choice—"
"Would you choose to become the Star Luo Emperor, potentially the most powerful ruler on the Douluo Continent? Or would you choose the opportunity to become a god?"
Dai Weisi froze, completely thrown off guard.
Godhood? Emperor?
Was this even a choice?
Shouldn't they be discussing strategies to deal with each other? Or taunting one another? How had the conversation jumped to this?
Still, Dai Weisi couldn't help but consider the question.
As emperor, the ultimate goal would be immortality, ascending to godhood, and escaping death…
Every Star Luo Emperor before him had shared this dream, yet none had achieved it.
Half-believing the question was hypothetical, Dai Weisi decided to humor his brother.
"Is there really such a thing as a god?" he asked skeptically.
The Star Luo royal family's ancient archives contained references to deities, but no one had ascended in thousands of years. The records were dismissed as mere myths.
Dai Mubai nodded without hesitation.
"Yes. On the Douluo Continent alone, several individuals have ascended to godhood. They began as mortals and cultivated their way to becoming true deities."
While most gods were just powerful individuals elevated to divinity, to the people of Douluo, they were nothing short of omnipotent.
Dai Weisi studied his brother, trying to gauge his motives. Could Dai Mubai have uncovered a path to godhood?
After all, his martial spirit had inexplicably evolved, and his soul power level now surpassed Dai Weisi's.
Despite himself, Dai Weisi shook his head. Reaching rank 100 and becoming a god was far too remote a possibility.
With a faint smile, he replied, "Then I choose—"
"Great! You'll be the Star Luo Emperor. Decision made!"
Before Dai Weisi could finish, Dai Mubai clapped him on the shoulder, his tone earnest.
Dai Weisi: "…"
Dai Mubai's intentions were as clear as day—he had no desire to become emperor.
And honestly? Dai Weisi had to admit his brother wasn't suited for the role.
"Alright, I'll take it as a joke to lighten the mood," Dai Mubai said, grinning. "But seriously, big brother, once I defeat you and Zhu Zhuyun, you'd better sit tight as Crown Prince.
"Since you can't beat me, you'll have to do as I say. But if, down the line, you really don't want the throne, I'll see what I can do about helping you and Zhu Zhuyun ascend to godhood."
Dai Weisi fell silent again. Something about Dai Mubai's tone made it hard to dismiss his words as a joke.
"Still as naive as ever, aren't you, Mubai? The old guard would never allow such a thing.
"No matter who wins, only one of us will walk away intact. The loser will either be crippled—stripped of their martial spirit and imprisoned for life—or dead!"
"Our situation may be better than past royal siblings, thanks to your martial spirit's evolution, but the outcome won't change."
"They'll agree," Dai Mubai said, his confidence radiating like an unshakable force.
Tang Hao's death had brought Dai Mubai tremendous benefits, allowing him to break through to rank 80.
Once he secured victory in the tournament and received the divine-bestowed spirit ring, Dai Mubai would be a Soul Douluo.
With that level of power, the Star Luo royal family would have no choice but to comply.
"Let's leave it at that for now," Dai Weisi sighed. He didn't put much stock in the talk of godhood. Even with knowledge of the process, ascending was an insurmountable challenge.
"By the way, you've certainly been living the good life these past few years, haven't you? Tell me, does Zhuqing know about all the other women?"
The atmosphere lightened as Dai Weisi smirked, dropping the formalities.
For the Star Luo royal family, having multiple wives was par for the course. But Dai Mubai seemed to have taken it to an extreme even by their standards.
Dai Weisi could hardly look past it. Zhuqing had endured so much in Star Luo City and had traveled all the way to Soto City to find Dai Mubai, only to discover his… flamboyant lifestyle.
"Uh…"
Dai Mubai scratched his head awkwardly. As far as he knew, Dai Weisi was rather devoted to Zhu Zhuyun and hadn't fully embraced the royal family's customs.
Maybe that would change if he became Crown Prince and had to accept political marriages, but for now…
"Big brother, I'm actually pretty loyal," Dai Mubai said, trying to defend himself.
Dai Weisi raised an eyebrow and nodded thoughtfully before smiling slyly.
"Sure, loyal… to beautiful women.
"I heard you're involved with the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the granddaughter of Poison Douluo. Quite impressive!"
His words were tinged with both teasing and genuine admiration.
If Dai Mubai kept this up, even losing the fight wouldn't be enough for the elders to punish him harshly.
(End of Chapter)