Chapter 41: Return to the Present
Chen Sheng watched from his ethereal vantage point as Qian Daoliu stood over his son's corpse, his face weathered with the weight of countless years and disappointments.
The Level 99 Extreme Douluo turned to Bibi Dong, who still stood alert, ready for battle despite knowing the vast gap in their power.
Qian Daoliu's voice was tired, carrying neither anger nor grief—only acceptance. "My son brought this fate upon himself. I knew what kind of man he had become, yet I failed to correct him as a father should."
Bibi Dong's posture remained defensive, her eyes wary. "Will you kill me for this?"
"No." Qian Daoliu shook his head slowly. "Qian Xunji's corruption was his own doing. But there is a child—Qian Renxue. She is only five years old. Her mother just died from my son's cruelty."
Bibi Dong's expression flickered with complicated emotions.
"The child is innocent of her father's sins," Qian Daoliu continued. "I am bound to the Worship Hall and cannot leave to raise her properly. I ask that you take responsibility for teaching her, guiding her to become better than her father ever was."
He paused, his eyes meeting Bibi Dong's directly. "If you agree to this—if you take care of my granddaughter and lead Spirit Hall to true glory rather than corruption—I will forgive you for killing my son. More than that, I will support you as the next Supreme Pontiff."
Bibi Dong studied him carefully, searching for deception. Finding none, she slowly nodded. "I will raise her. Not as my adopted daughter, but as my disciple. She will earn any affection she receives through her own merit."
"That is acceptable." Qian Daoliu's shoulders relaxed slightly. "You have the strength and great talent. Lead Spirit Hall into a new era—one built on merit and justice, not fear and corruption."
With those final words, Qian Daoliu turned and walked away, his silver hair gleaming in the dim light as he returned to the Worship Hall.
Chen Sheng, still observing from the time-space layer, felt relief wash over him. Good. The timeline is stabilizing in the right direction. Bibi Dong won't become the broken, vengeful tyrant from the original story.
But before allowing time to accelerate forward, Chen Sheng materialized partially—just enough to manifest physical objects. From his system space, he pulled out a special card that glowed with golden-red energy.
[Titled Douluo Power Card (Temporary)]
He also quickly wrote a note on a piece of paper with spiritual energy, the words forming in elegant script.
Then he carefully placed both items where Bibi Dong would find them, using his space element to make them appear seemingly out of nowhere.
---
Bibi Dong stood alone in the chamber where Qian Xunji's body lay, her mind processing everything that had just happened. The weight of her new responsibilities pressed down on her shoulders.
Suddenly, a golden-red card and a folded paper materialized in the air before her, floating down gently into her hands.
Her eyes widened in shock, and she immediately scanned the room with her spiritual sense. Nothing. Whoever left this had power far beyond her ability to detect.
With trembling fingers, she unfolded the note first:
---
Bibi Dong,
This card contains the temporary power of a Titled Douluo for half an hour. Use it only in emergency situations when your life survival is at stake. It can only be used once.
You have walked a different path than your fate intended for you. Continue to grow stronger. Continue to lead with wisdom rather than vengeance. The Spirit Hall under your leadership can become a force for good on this continent.
We will meet again when the time is right. Until then, stay strong.
— Chen Sheng
---
Bibi Dong's breath caught in her throat. "Chen Sheng..." she whispered, clutching the card and note to her chest. "You're still watching over me, even now."
Tears formed in her eyes—not of sadness, but of gratitude and determination.
The mysterious man who had saved her twice, who knew what terrible fate awaited her and changed it, was still looking out for her somehow.
She carefully stored the card in her robes, keeping it close. An emergency trump card. With this, I can protect myself if the worst happens.
Looking down at Qian Xunji's body, then toward where Qian Daoliu had departed, Bibi Dong straightened her posture. "I won't let you down, Chen Sheng. I'll make myself into something worthy of your meeting."
---
Chen Sheng, satisfied with her reaction, activated the time acceleration again. Years began flowing past in rapid succession.
He watched as Bibi Dong officially became Supreme Pontiff, her leadership immediately different from Qian Xunji's corrupt reign.
She cleaned out the worst elements within Spirit Hall, established clearer rules, and focused the organization's mission on genuinely supporting Spirit Masters rather than just accumulating power.
Qian Renxue grew under Bibi Dong's guidance and Qian Daoliu's care. At age six, she awakened her Seraph martial soul with innate full spirit power—a rare prodigy.
The relationship between Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue was professional and respectful. Bibi Dong was a strict but fair teacher, and Renxue admired her strength and wisdom. There was no hatred, no maternal rejection—just a mentor guiding a talented student.
Eventually, Qian Renxue still undertook the mission to infiltrate Heaven Dou Empire, disguising herself as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe. But her motivations were different—not desperate need to prove herself worthy of love, but genuine dedication to Spirit Hall's interests and trust in her teacher's strategy.
The timeline has fundamentally changed, Chen Sheng observed with satisfaction. Qian Renxue is still strong and ambitious, but not broken. Bibi Dong is still powerful and commanding, but not consumed by vengeance. Spirit Hall under this leadership will be completely different.
Time continued accelerating.
Chen Sheng saw other major events unfold—the rise and fall of various Spirit Masters, political conflicts between empires, the establishment of academies.
Then he saw his own birth.
In Star Luo Empire's imperial palace, a baby was born—Prince Dai Sheng, son of a lowly maid and the emperor's brief affair. The White Tiger martial soul manifested with unusual purity even in infancy.
Chen Sheng watched with detached interest as the Empress, holding her own son Dai Mubai, looked upon the bastard prince with cold calculation.
Beside the Empress stood another woman—a duchess from the Zhu family—holding a newborn girl with black hair. This was Zhu Zhuqing.
An engagement contract was drawn up between the two infants—Prince Dai Sheng and Lady Zhu Zhuqing, uniting the White Tiger and Hell Civet bloodlines as tradition demanded.
Three months later, Chen Sheng watched his infant self being cared for by his birth mother, the maid who had given him life. She was weak, her body never recovering from the difficult birth, and she died quietly one night while holding her baby.
The very next day, the Empress summoned her most loyal servant—a Soul Saint guard who had served the royal family for decades.
"Take this child," the Empress commanded coldly, looking at the infant Prince Dai Sheng without a trace of sympathy. "Abandon him in Heaven Dou Empire. Some remote village where he'll never be found. Make sure no one knows his true identity."
The guard bowed deeply. "Yes, Your Majesty."
That night, under cover of darkness, the guard spirited the infant away from Star Luo Empire, traveling for days until reaching Heaven Dou territory.
Chen Sheng watched as his infant self was left in a basket outside but on the way of Holy Spirit Village, with only a noble blanket but no identifying marks.
But before the timeline could move forward, Chen Sheng noticed something critical.
Back in Star Luo Empire, the Empress stood in her private chambers. She held the engagement contract between Dai Sheng and Zhu Zhuqing in her hands, along with several other documents.
"With the bastard gone, this contract is meaningless," she muttered. "My Mubai will take a proper bride, not be overshadowed by that woman's spawn."
She held the contract over a candle flame, about to burn it.
The paper caught fire, edges beginning to char and curl—
And then the Empress's expression froze completely. Her hand stopped moving. Her eyes went blank.
The burning contract suddenly vanished from her hand as if it had never existed.
Chen Sheng, having materialized at that exact moment, held the engagement contract in his hand. He'd used his Mind Manipulation ability to freeze the Empress in place, then employed his space element to teleport the document directly into his grasp.
I can't let this be destroyed, he thought, examining the official document. This contract proves that Zhu Zhuqing is MY fiancée, not Dai Mubai's. When the time is right, this will be very useful.
The contract was beautifully written on high-quality paper, with official seals from both the imperial family and the Zhu family. It clearly stated the engagement between Prince Dai Sheng and Lady Zhu Zhuqing.
Chen Sheng carefully stored it, then released his hold on the Empress's mind.
The woman blinked in confusion, looking down at her empty hand. "Where did it... was I holding something?"
She shook her head, dismissing the strange feeling. "No matter. The bastard is gone, and that's what matters. Mubai's future is secure."
Chen Sheng watched her leave, then smiled beneath his mask. She doesn't even remember the contract vanish. Perfect.
---
Time began accelerating again, and Chen Sheng observed the rest of his own childhood—Village Chief Jack finding and raising him, his growth in Holy Spirit Village, eventually leading up to the present day when his past self suddenly disappeared like never existed.
Finally, the golden light of the time-space layer began to fade. The rushing flow of years slowed, then stopped.
Chen Sheng felt solid ground beneath his feet again.
When he opened his eyes, he was standing in his hotel room in Soto City. Early morning light filtered through the window—he'd returned to the exact moment he'd left, as the Time Travel Belt was designed to do.
In his hand, he held the engagement contract between himself and Zhu Zhuqing.
[Time Travel Complete. Returned to present time. Changes successfully integrated.]
[Remaining Uses: 1]
Chen Sheng examined the contract carefully, reading the official language:
"By imperial decree and mutual agreement between the houses, Prince Dai Sheng of Star Luo Empire and Lady Zhu Zhuqing of the Zhu Family are hereby betrothed. This union shall strengthen the alliance between White Tiger and Hell Civet bloodlines..."
So Zhuqing has been my fiancée all along, Chen Sheng thought with amusement. She has no idea that the "Prince Dai Sheng" she was engaged to as an infant is actually me, not Dai Mubai. When she finds out...
He stored the contract carefully in his system space. I'll reveal this when the time is right. First, I need to let our relationship develop naturally. If I just suddenly show her a contract, she might feel trapped by obligation rather than genuine affection.
Chen Sheng dismissed the Time Travel Belt, storing it safely away.
He walked to the window and looked out at Soto City in the early morning light. The streets were just beginning to wake up, with merchants opening their shops and spirit masters heading to the Great Spirit Arena for morning training.
Everything is in place. Bibi Dong's fate has been completely changed—she's now a strong, capable leader rather than a broken tyrant. The Spirit Hall dynamics are fundamentally different. Qian Renxue had a normal childhood rather than growing up hated by her mother.
And I've secured the proof of Zhu Zhuqing's true engagement. Although no one can stop him from getting Zhu Zhuqing but I find this contract method interesting.
Ok! I need to maintain my focus on the present situation first.
He changed out of the clothes he'd been wearing and selected a fresh set. After making himself presentable, he quietly opened his door and stepped out into the hotel corridor.
The sounds of the waking hotel drifted through the hallways—footsteps, distant conversations, the clatter of breakfast being prepared in the dining hall below.
Chen Sheng made his way down the stairs, his expression calm and composed despite having just spent subjective hours changing the past and altering the continent's future.
Bibi Dong sat in her private chambers, reviewing reports as she did every morning. At forty-two years old, she remained stunningly beautiful, her purple hair flowing elegantly down her back.
On her desk lay multiple intelligence reports about various matters across the continent. But one caught her particular attention—a report from Snake Lance Douluo about unusual activity at Shrek Academy in Soto City.
She picked up the report, reading about a thirteen-year-old genius called "White Tiger God" who displayed combat power far beyond his apparent level, who had defeated the Imperial Fighting Team with ease.
"What's his real name?" She carefully searched the investigated details send by her student Qian Renxue
White Tiger martial soul... exceptional talent... his name... Chen Sheng!
Bibi Dong's hand unconsciously moved to her robes, where she kept the Titled Douluo Power Card that Chen Sheng had given her twenty-four years ago. She'd never needed to use it, having grown strong enough on her own, but she kept it as a precious memento.
Could it be...? No, that's impossible. Chen Sheng would be in his late thirties or early forties now, not thirteen. Unless...
She shook her head, dismissing the thought. But something nagged at her intuition.
"Snake Lance," she called out.
The Titled Douluo appeared from the shadows. "Yes, Your Holiness?"
"This report about the 'White Tiger God' at Shrek Academy—I want continuous surveillance. Detailed reports on his abilities, his background, his relationships. Everything."
"Of course, Your Holiness. May I ask why you're particularly interested in this case?"
Bibi Dong was silent for a moment, staring at the report. "Just... a feeling. Something tells me this boy might be very important."
After Snake Lance Douluo departed, Bibi Dong stood and walked to her window, looking out over Spirit City.
Chen Sheng, wherever you are... I've kept my promise. I've made myself into something worthy. I've raised Renxue well. I've grown strong—Level 99, on the verge of becoming a god.
You said we'd meet again when the time was right. Is that time approaching?
She touched the card in her robes again, a small smile playing at her lips.
I'll wait. As I've been waiting for twenty years. And when we finally meet again... I'll like to see your face.
---