Chapter 39: Changing the Past
That night, Chen Sheng returned to his hotel room and locked the door behind him.
He sat cross-legged on the bed, taking a deep breath to calm his mind after the day's events.
Time to see what rewards the system has prepared for me.
With a thought.
[Opening Treasure Chest...]
[Congratulations to Host! Obtained: God-Given Soul Ring - 1,000,000 Year Divine Grade]
Chen Sheng's eyes widened as a magnificent golden ring materialized before him, pulsing with overwhelming divine energy. The pressure it emanated was so powerful that even the air in the room seemed to vibrate.
A million-year soul ring! This is exactly what I needed for my seventh ring!
Without hesitation, Chen Sheng released his Ancient White Tiger martial soul. The white tiger emerged with crackling lightning, and the divine golden ring slowly descended toward it, beginning the absorption process.
The moment the ring made contact with his martial soul, Chen Sheng's body was flooded with unimaginable power. His spirit power surged dramatically:
Level 71... 72... 73... 74... 75... 76... 77... 78... 79... 80!
The bottleneck between Spirit Emperor and Spirit Sage shattered like glass. Chen Sheng felt his entire body transforming, his spirit power becoming denser and more refined with each passing level.
Finally, after what felt like hours but was only minutes, the absorption completed.
[Seventh Soul Ring Successfully Absorbed! Spirit Power: Level 80 - Spirit Sage]
[Seventh Soul Ability: Ancient White Tiger True Body]
Perfect. With this true body transformation, my combat power has increased exponentially. This avatar form grants me the power boost of ten times.
He dismissed the avatar and smiled with satisfaction. Level 80 at age thirteen—he was probably the youngest Spirit Sage in continental history.
But he wasn't done yet.
Chen Sheng opened the next treasure chest.
[Opening Treasure Chest...]
[Congratulations to Host! Obtained: Time and Space Element (Primal Elements)]
Two streams of energy—one silver representing Time, one purple representing Space—emerged from the chest and immediately shot toward his Twenty-Winged Archangel martial soul.
The elements fused automatically, and Chen Sheng felt his Sacred Angel Domain expanding and transforming. The domain now contained two more primal elements:
Light, Holy Fire, Darkness, Ice, Life, Death, Earth, Wind, Time, and Space.
Ten elements... my Archangel martial soul is becoming truly supreme. Time and Space are the most powerful fundamental forces in existence.
He opened the next chest.
[Opening Treasure Chest...]
[Congratulations to Host! Obtained: Mind Manipulation Ability (Professor X - X-Men)]
Knowledge and power flooded into Chen Sheng's mind. He suddenly understood how to read thoughts, control minds, create illusions, and manipulate consciousness itself. The ability was incredibly versatile and powerful. His mind power is close to the divine origin realm.
This will be useful. Very useful indeed.
He continued opening the remaining chests, obtaining various mundane items—some gold coins, decorative objects, a few books—nothing particularly noteworthy compared to the first three rewards.
Then he formed his potential cores according to his knowledge.
Spiritual Core: Located in consciousness - enhances mental power
Blood Core: Located in chest - enhances physical power
Soul Power Core: Located in dantian - enhances spirit power
Chen Sheng felt the three cores within his body, each one pulsing with different types of energy.
He took a moment to consolidate his gains, feeling the vast increase in his overall power. Then his thoughts turned to something he'd been planning for a while.
Chen Sheng reached into his system space and pulled out the Time Travel Belt—the divine artifact that could send him back up to 50 years into the past with the ability to change events.
It's time. I need to prevent one of the most tragic fates in the original timeline.
His target: Bibi Dong.
In the original story, Bibi Dong had been a beautiful and talented Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall with twin martial souls. She fell in obsessive love with hypocrite Xiaogang, but he betrayed her trust, using her to access Spirit Hall's knowledge to try to cure his own defective martial soul.
Later, her teacher Qian Xunji—consumed by anger and lust—had drugged and assaulted her in a secret chamber. The trauma destroyed her, turning her from an innocent girl into a cold, vengeful woman who would eventually become the Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall and one of the most dangerous people on the continent.
She even gave birth to Qian Renxue from that assault—a daughter she could never love because of how she was conceived.
*I need to prevent that tragedy. Not just because I want to save her, but because a Bibi Dong who isn't traumatized and broken will be a completely different person.
Chen Sheng began calculating the timeline carefully.
Tang San is currently almost thirteen years old. When Tang San was born, Qian Renxue was already about seven years old. That means Qian Renxue is currently around twenty years old.
Qian Renxue is Bibi Dong's daughter from that traumatic assault. If I want to prevent that tragedy, I need to go back to before it happened—approximately 24 years ago.
Chen Sheng put on the Time Travel Belt, adjusting the settings carefully.
[System Warning: Host is about to use Time Travel Belt. Please carefully consider all consequences before making changes to the past. Even small changes can create major butterfly effects in the timeline. However, System will ensure the main timeline remains stable after your changes.]
I understand. But this is worth the risk. Bibi Dong's fate was too tragic, and preventing it will fundamentally change Spirit Hall's future trajectory for the better.
He set the belt for 24 years into the past and pressed the activation button.
Immediately, his entire body was enveloped in golden light—a protective shield that would guard him from time-space anomalies and paradoxes during the journey.
The hotel room around him began to distort and blur. Time itself seemed to unravel like thread from a spool. Chen Sheng felt himself being pulled backward through the years, watching as events rewound in fast-motion like a film playing in reverse.
Buildings appeared and disappeared. Seasons changed in seconds. People moved backward through their lives.
And then, with a flash of golden light, Chen Sheng's feet touched solid ground.
He stood on a rooftop in Soto City—but a Soto City of 24 years ago.
Chen Sheng looked around, taking in the unfamiliar yet familiar sights. The city was smaller, less developed. Many buildings that existed in his time hadn't been built yet.
He spread his Hell Wings and took to the sky, flying high enough to survey the surrounding area. His enhanced vision scanned the landscape.
As expected—Shrek Academy doesn't exist yet in this era. Flender hasn't founded it. The land where it will eventually stand is still empty forest.
Chen Sheng descended and pulled a black robe from his jade pendant, wrapping it around himself and covering his face with a mask. He needed to remain anonymous—being recognized 24 years in the past would create serious complications.
Now, to head to Wuhun City. That's where Bibi Dong should be now, studying as the Holy Maiden under Qian Xunji's tutelage.
Using his incredible speed, Chen Sheng traveled toward Wuhun City—the headquarters of Spirit Hall, the most powerful organization on the continent.
---
After an hour of travelling, Chen Sheng arrived in Wuhun City. The massive Spirit Hall headquarters dominated the skyline, its six wings spreading out like a sacred symbol.
Chen Sheng concealed his presence and began searching, using his enhanced senses and newly acquired mind manipulation ability to subtly scan the thoughts of people in the city.
There. I can sense her presence—young, bright, hopeful. And next to her... Yu Xiaogang. Perfect timing.
Chen Sheng moved silently through the streets, following the mental signatures until he spotted two figures walking together down a quiet avenue.
The young woman had beautiful purple hair tied in a ponytail, delicate features, and eyes full of innocence and admiration. She wore the elegant robes of Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden. This was Bibi Dong—young, unscarred, still full of hope and kindness.
Beside her walked a young man in his early twenties, dressed like a righteous scholar with an intellectual bearing. This was Yu Xiaogang, already beginning his manipulation.
Chen Sheng's enhanced hearing picked up their conversation:
"Xiaogang, you're really so knowledgeable!" Bibi Dong said with genuine admiration in her voice. "I've learned so much from our discussions."
Yu Xiaogang smiled humbly, though Chen Sheng could sense the calculation beneath it. "Dong'er, it's a pity I'm stuck in my research of martial soul mutations. If only I had access to more advanced theoretical knowledge..."
He sighed dramatically, playing on her sympathy.
Bibi Dong's expression turned sympathetic. "Our Spirit Hall library's second floor contains vast information about martial souls and their variations. Using my token, you can enter and leave as you please. I'll arrange it for you!"
"Really? Dong'er, you're too kind to me—"
WHOOSH!
Chen Sheng appeared directly in front of them in a blur of black robes, moving so fast they barely registered his approach.
Both Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang startled, jumping back in shock.
"W-who are you?!"
Yu Xiaogang stammered, his face paling at the sudden appearance of this mysterious masked figure.
Chen Sheng didn't reply with words. Instead, his hand shot out with lightning speed, grabbing Yu Xiaogang by the throat and lifting him off the ground.
"Gck—!"
Yu Xiaogang choked, clawing at the iron grip.
With casual strength, Chen Sheng threw Yu Xiaogang backward. The young scholar flew through the air and crashed hard against a wall twenty meters away, slumping to the ground with a pained groan.
Then Chen Sheng released his overwhelming spiritual pressure directly on Yu Xiaogang. The young man's eyes widened in terror as invisible force crushed down on his consciousness.
"AHHH!"
Yu Xiaogang screamed, clutching his head.
[DETECTED! Yu Xiaogang Emotion (Terror, Panic) Congratulations to Host! Treasure Chest acquired!]
"Stop! Do you know who I am?!"
Bibi Dong stepped forward angrily, her spirit power beginning to surge. "I am the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall! If you harm us, Spirit Hall will hunt you to the ends of the continent! Release him immediately, or face the consequences!"
Her voice carried authority and courage, but Chen Sheng could sense the underlying fear—she was brave, but not foolish.
[DETECTED! Bibi Dong Emotion (Anger, Fear, Protectiveness) Congratulations to Host! Treasure Chest acquired!]
Chen Sheng finally spoke, his voice cold and distorted by the mask. "Tell me. Why did you approach her?"
His question was directed at Yu Xiaogang, and his pressure increased.
"W-why, Senior?"
Yu Xiaogang gasped out with difficulty, his face twisted in pain. "Senior must know who I am! Let me tell you—I am the young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan! Please give me some face! There must be some misunderstanding—"
"Speak the truth," Chen Sheng's voice dropped to a deadly whisper, "or die."
Thunder rumbled ominously in the sky above Yu Xiaogang, and small arcs of lightning began dancing around his body. The young man felt the genuine crisis of death in those words.
His mind raced frantically. Does he know? How could he possibly know my true intentions? But if I admit it in front of Dong'er, everything will be ruined!
"Senior, I don't have any ulterior motives!"
Yu Xiaogang gambled desperately, choosing to lie. "Dong'er and I are simply friends who share intellectual interests! Please, there's been a mistake!"
"Enough! As the Holy Maiden, I order you to release him!"
Bibi Dong commanded, her own martial soul beginning to manifest—the Death Spider Emperor. She thought this mysterious person might be some enforcer from Spirit Hall testing them.
"Last time," Chen Sheng said quietly, and the pressure on Yu Xiaogang tripled.
"AHHHHH!"
Yu Xiaogang screamed in agony, feeling like his skull was splitting open.
Thunder roared directly above him, the sound deafening. Small lightning bolts struck the ground around his body, leaving scorch marks.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang's continued hesitation to speak the truth, Chen Sheng's mouth curled up beneath his mask.
I see. He's too afraid to admit his manipulation while she's watching. Then I'll have to take a more direct approach.
[DETECTED! Yu Xiaogang Emotion (Desperation, Fear of Exposure) Congratulations to Host! Treasure Chest acquired!]
---