In the livestream room, after the broadcast ended and the question was posed, the screen was flooded with a frenzy of responses.
...
[Zhang Fugui: In the future shown in the livestream, Dai Mubai's fate is that he will lose in the competition for the throne and be killed!]
[Zhang Fugui: In the future shown in the live stream, Dai Mubai's fate is to be defeated by Davis and then exiled!]
[Zhang Fugui: In the future shown in the live stream, Dai Mubai's fate is that he will defeat Davis, become the winner, and ascend to the throne of Xingluo Emperor!]
[Li Laifu: In the future shown in the live stream, Dai Mubai's fate is to be defeated by Davis and then killed!]
[Zhou Wangcai: In the future shown in the live stream, Dai Mubai's fate is to be defeated by Davis and then exiled!]
[Xiang Hunshi: In the future shown in the livestream, Dai Mubai's fate is that he will defeat Davis, become the final victor, and ascend to the throne of the Xingluo Empire!]
...
The virtual screen rapidly flashed with over a hundred responses within a span of six or seven seconds before disappearing. Once everyone finished answering, many factions anxiously awaited the livestream's response. Would their attempt to exploit the loophole succeed this time?
After a brief moment, a blood-red message appeared before everyone, followed by the chilling voice:
[System Prompt]: Lin Yu's answer: "In the future shown in the livestream, Dai Mubai's fate is that he will defeat Davis, become the final victor, ascend to the throne of Xingluo Empire, and eventually become a god" is correct!
[Reward]: The ability to grant two spirits the power to perform a Martial Spirit Fusion technique has been issued!
What?! Dai Mubai will defeat me, become the final victor, and even become a god? That's impossible!!
When Davis saw that Lin Yu's answer was marked as correct, he was both shocked and enraged. How could this possibly happen? Dai Mubai was always indulging himself in pleasure, whereas Davis had been working diligently. How could Dai Mubai not only defeat him but also ascend to godhood?
Becoming a god was something out of legend, and yet this useless brother of mine gets to do it?!
At the same time, many other factions were just as shocked as Davis. While people like Ning Fengzhi had considered the remote possibility that Dai Mubai might miraculously turn the tables, the reality of it was still incredibly hard to swallow.
From the way Dai Mubai had been behaving in the live stream—completely giving up, indulging himself in excess—it seemed impossible for him to beat Davis.
The outcome was simply inconceivable.
Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing, who had also been watching, was equally stunned. Her thoughts were more personal though. If Dai Mubai won the throne, did that mean she eventually compromised and married him?
Marry this disgusting man who abandoned me to suffer in Xingluo while he went off gallivanting?
Unlike the original story, where Zhu Zhuqing's spirit was already broken by the time she left for Shrek Academy due to years of oppression from her elder sister, this timeline was different. The pressure from her sister, Zhu Zhuyun, only started half a year ago, right after her Martial Spirit awakening. She hadn't fully resigned herself to her fate yet. More importantly, with the appearance of the livestream, she saw hope for a different future.
After learning the truth about Dai Mubai's character, Zhu Zhuqing felt nothing but revulsion.
And now, knowing that in one possible future, she might submit to him, even though it meant survival, was unbearable. Why should she marry this despicable man when she could live a better life without him?
The revelation that Dai Mubai would ultimately emerge victorious and ascend to the throne left many factions bewildered. People like Davis were seething with anger and frustration.
However, before Davis could question Lin Yu about how this was possible, the livestream continued announcing penalties.
[System Prompt]: Visitor Zhang Fugui maliciously exploited a loophole in the system. Although the rules did not explicitly forbid multiple responses, this action is considered a violation of balance. Since this is the first offense, the punishment will be cumulative but not multiplied!
[Penalty]: 30 years of lifespan deducted!
At the Snowstar Prince's estate, a middle-aged man in tattered clothes let out a blood-curdling scream as the system announced the punishment. Green light particles were ripped from his body, and his hair quickly turned from black to grey, his face wrinkling, as he aged thirty years in a matter of moments.
[System Prompt: Li Laifu's answer: "In the future shown in the livestream, Dai Mubai's fate is to be defeated by Davis and killed" is incorrect!]
[Penalty: 10 years of lifespan deducted!]
[System Prompt: Zhou Chengzong's answer: "In the future shown in the live stream, Dai Mubai's fate is to be defeated by Davis and exiled" is incorrect!]
[Penalty: 10 years of lifespan deducted!]
[System Prompt: Lin Heishi's answer: "In the future shown in the live stream, Dai Mubai's fate is to be defeated by Davis and exiled" is incorrect!]
[Penalty: 10 years of lifespan deducted!]
...
As the system's cold voice repeatedly announced punishments, it did not declare the answers from those who predicted Dai Mubai's victory to be wrong. This was because, in a way, their answer was also correct.
The key turning point in Dai Mubai's future was defeating Davis and claiming the throne—becoming emperor of Xingluo was the pivotal moment that changed his fate. Whether or not he ascended to godhood was secondary.
It's like when someone asks what you think their future holds. You can say they'll become a great boss, or you could say they'll die—both could be true, depending on how you look at it.
"Damn! So much lifespan was deducted this time! There must have been over a thousand years in total!" exclaimed Lin Yu, sitting in a hotel in a remote western city of the Heaven Dou Empire, listening to the notifications about all the stolen lifespans being stored in the system.
This is a huge win!
However, as Lin Yu reflected on what had just happened, he felt a wave of relief. According to the system, Dai Mubai's victory and ascension to the throne of the Xingluo Empire was the key part of his fate. Becoming a god wasn't as important. Fortunately, Lin Yu answered immediately after the question was asked, using his livestream host privileges to secure the correct answer.
Had he hesitated, the question might have been snatched by someone else!
But something else caught his attention. The names of the people who answered incorrectly sounded so ordinary. There didn't seem to be any major powers behind them.
Lin Yu couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious.
Author's Note:The competition between Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun couldn't have started from infancy, as a baby would be too easy to eliminate. It wouldn't serve the purpose of a true "survival of the fittest" contest. So, I've set the beginning of their rivalry to after their Martial Spirit awakenings. Similarly, Dai Mubai's engagement to Zhu Zhuqing could have been arranged after their awakenings as well.