After the fourth round ended, the teams that advanced to the finals were given a three-day rest period. Three days later, the fifth and final round would be held in the square in front of the Pope's Palace.
In a private room at the back of a restaurant in Spirit City, two women who looked very similar sat facing each other.
They were Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun.
Zhu Zhuqing stared at Zhu Zhuyun across from her with a complicated expression.
She had never expected Zhu Zhuyun to request a meeting with her at this time.
Strangely enough, it was a twist of fate that had brought her here.
Yet even though they were blood sisters sitting side by side across the table, an unfathomable gulf seemed to separate them.
After a long silence, Zhu Zhuqing finally spoke.
"What do you want from me?"
Zhu Zhuyun slowly and carefully sipped her wine. Every one of her movements carried the elegance and grace unique to a mature woman.
"Tomorrow, Weisi and I will return home," she said casually.
Since every team from the Star Luo Empire had already been eliminated, they naturally had no interest in watching the battles of the Heaven Dou side or Spirit Hall's championship run.
It was better to leave early. Out of sight, out of mind.
Zhu Zhuqing interrupted her.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"I only wanted to see how my little sister is doing. Is that not allowed?" Zhu Zhuyun said quietly.
What was meant to be a caring greeting between sisters was interpreted by Zhu Zhuqing as a provocation.
Zhu Zhuqing's face turned cold. She slammed her hand on the table and leaned forward. The anger and resentment she had suppressed for years finally erupted.
"Zhu Zhuyun, there's no one else here. There's no need to put on an act in front of me. I will never forget what you did back then!"
"Oh?"
A cold smile appeared on Zhu Zhuyun's lips.
"If I had truly wanted to kill you, do you think a mere two-ringed soul master like you could have escaped my hands and arrived safely in the Heaven Dou Empire?"
Zhu Zhuqing's body stiffened, and her pupils trembled slightly.
"What… do you mean by that?"
Zhu Zhuyun took a deep breath. Her voice carried a sense of helplessness.
"Zhuqing, you're not even fifteen yet, but your soul power is already at level 36. Your talent and hard work put me to shame."
"If we were the same age, I would definitely be inferior to you."
"But the reality is that there is a seven-year age gap between us, and in the end you still chose that useless Dai Mubai."
"Let me ask you — what exactly do the two of you have that can compete with us?"
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her eyelids. A few strands of hair hung down and covered her eyes.
Her dark pupils were filled with a mixture of confusion, indignation, despair, and other complicated emotions.
In the end, all of those emotions transformed into resentment.
She did not hate Zhu Zhuyun. Rather, she hated Dai Mubai, the one who should have been by her side.
Back then he had abandoned her and fled alone, yet she had not hated him.
She had left her hometown, endured countless hardships to find him, and still felt no hatred!
Watching him wallow in self-pity and spend his days surrounded by women, she had only felt deep disappointment.
Yet she had clung to a faint hope.
She had dreamed that Dai Mubai would pull himself together so the two of them could face this detestable fate together.
But in this moment, Zhu Zhuyun's words, combined with the look of relief in Dai Mubai's eyes during today's match, felt far too real.
They were like steel needles that mercilessly shattered the last remaining illusion she held.
She finally admitted it — she hated Dai Mubai.
She hated that even though he had more talent than Dai Weisi, he had wasted time and degenerated.
If he could cultivate with all his might despite the age difference, there should never have been a seven-level gap in soul power between him and Dai Weisi.
She also hated herself.
Today, watching from the spectator seats as Xiao Wu single-handedly blocked the combined attack of Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun, she had felt extreme envy.
There was only a one-year age difference between the two of them. Why was the gap so huge?
Looking at Zhu Zhuqing's appearance, Zhu Zhuyun sighed inwardly.
Reality was cruel. Especially for daughters of the Zhu family, who from the moment of birth had no right to decide their own lives.
But it was better to learn the truth sooner rather than later.
"Zhuqing, stop clinging to that tiny bit of hope. Otherwise, next time it won't be me who takes action."
"You should know the rules of Star Luo!"
As she spoke, Zhu Zhuyun stood up and placed a gold soul coin card in front of Zhu Zhuqing.
"Here's some gold soul coins. This should be enough for a while. After the competition ends, leave Dai Mubai, use a fake name, live in a remote place, and never show yourself again."
With that, she left the private room without looking back.
She had done everything she could.
If Zhu Zhuqing continued to be stubborn, she would no longer show mercy.
She now appeared to have a firm position as the Crown Princess.
But in reality, her situation was only slightly better than Zhu Zhuqing's.
The two sisters were nothing more than insignificant sacrifices under the cruel rule of the Star Luo Empire.
After Zhu Zhuyun left, Zhu Zhuqing sat alone in the empty private room for a long time as the sky outside the window gradually darkened.
She reached out and picked up the gold soul coin card on the table. Her fingertips felt a little cold.
Leave Dai Mubai?
This thought had actually floated through her mind countless times, but each time she had suppressed it with her own tiny wishes.
Now that the truth was clear, she should face reality.
Dai Weisi had lost the match and failed to enter the top three.
Yet this defeat had not shaken his reputation or status in the slightest.
They still had countless supporters and enjoyed the best resources in the entire empire.
Although Dai Mubai had entered the top three, it was obvious he could not win the championship.
They no longer had the right to speak further.
Rather than sinking into despair together, it was better to end things separately.
But after it ended, where was she supposed to go?
The continent was vast, yet she might find it difficult to find a place for herself.
Live anonymously?
Easy to say!
It wasn't as if no one had tried.
But in the end, hadn't they all been brought back by the Star Luo imperial family and the Zhu family?
Their endings were no different from death.
On this continent, what other force would be willing to protect her from the pursuit of the Zhu family?
What price would she have to pay?
Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath, put away the gold soul coin card, stood up, and pushed open the door of the private room.
The moment she stepped out of the restaurant, the night wind wrapped around her, carrying the unique solemnity and coolness of Spirit Hall.
The streets were brightly lit, but pedestrians were sparse.
In the distance, the Pope's Palace stood majestically in the night, like a ferocious beast crouching on the ground.
Zhu Zhuqing did not hurry back to the Shrek Academy dormitory. Instead, she walked slowly alone along the street.
The night wind blew her hair, revealing her cold and distant expression.
She would have a lot to think about tonight…
In the blink of an eye, three days passed, and the final round of the finals arrived as scheduled.
Early in the morning, the three teams that had made it to the final selection were led by designated personnel and had already gathered in the square in front of the Pope's Palace.
The square in front of the Pope's Palace was roughly the same size as the previous arena. It was paved with a precious stone called Black Jade Rock.
The most distinctive feature of Black Jade Rock was its hardness, and it also possessed the ability to absorb energy.
Even a Soul Emperor-level expert might not be able to shatter a fragment of Black Jade Rock with a full-powered energy attack.
The entire square being made of Black Jade Rock spoke volumes about Spirit Hall's wealth and power.
Lin Yang looked down at his own feet and thought to himself that he had truly learned something new.
Should he make an Infinite City version as well?
....