Return From Another Realm

The fiery twilight painted the sky, with thick, rolling clouds  gathering over the Mysterious Heaven Realm (Huyền Thiên Cảnh), signaling a once-in-a-millennium event: Ascension . For thousands of years, countless cultivators and powerful beings had appeared in this realm, yet no one had ever transcended to the Upper Realm.

Amidst the collective awe and worship of the cultivators, an imposing figure slowly emerged.

“Look, it’s the Grand Ancestor!” “Congratulations to the Grand Ancestor on breaking through cultivation and ascending to the Upper Realm!”

The Grand Ancestor responded to the felicitations: “Today, I ascend, wishing to explore the Upper Realm. I hope you diligently cultivate. When your merit is complete , the Heavenly Dao  will naturally guide you. Achieve Immortality  my disciples, remember this!”

However, just as the light of the grand ascent enveloped him, a voice full of fury and defiance erupted, shattering the solemn peace:

“Heavenly Dao, you refuse to tolerate me this way? Using the name of rules to suffocate me. Your so-called Immortal Path  is merely your cage  It won’t be easy to expel me!”

The Grand Ancestor’s final roar of defiance provoked the wrath of the Elder Heavenly Dao. In the final moment, the Heavenly Dao did not hesitate to consume its fundamental rule essence  to deliver a fatal blow, casting the Grand Ancestor from the path of ascension.

Opening his eyes, the Grand Ancestor, now Lăng Chiêu Nhiên, found himself in a familiar yet strange setting.

“This is the 21st century…” “I have returned…”

The shock lingered as memories flooded in: “A thousand years ago, by coincidence, my soul left my body  to cultivate in the Heaven Realm. I was gone for a thousand years, yet only three years have passed in the real world!”

When I left, I was just Lăng Chiêu Nhiên—the illegitimate, foolish daughter of the Shen family (Thẩm gia), who failed to pass the university entrance exam, raised by the stepmother Tưởng Dung. In three years, the prestigious Shen family has become a small cannon fodder nest 

Sensing the condition of the body, I realized my cultivation was sealed by the Heavenly Dao by seven or eight parts, allowing me to use only a minimal amount of spiritual power. Furthermore, the spiritual energy here is extremely thin. I must quickly find a way to recover or search for spiritual energy containers , otherwise, I will be stuck here forever.

Development: My Fate is My Own

While contemplating, I was pulled into a familiar scenario: bullying. A maid nervously spoke: “Miss, I accidentally ruined your dress while ironing. With so many distinguished guests today, you would only disgrace yourself by going downstairs.”

“Such insolence, slap her!“

Slap! The sound echoed.

The one slapped was Triệu Tuyết Phi—the pampered young lady who always looked down upon Lăng Chiêu Nhiên. This happened right before the birthday party, where Triệu Tuyết Phi was with her friends, mocking Chiêu Nhiên as “incompetent, provincial, stupid, and a university exam failure.”

Amidst the crowd of distinguished guests, Lăng Chiêu Nhiên, with her soul fundamentally altered, descended the stairs, radiating an entirely different aura.

Triệu Tuyết Phi shrieked: “Lăng Chiêu Nhiên, how dare you hit me! Father, she slapped your daughter, that is a slap to the face of our Zhao family!”

I calmly faced Triệu Tổng, Tuyết Phi’s furious father: “Mr. Zhao, before questioning me, why not ask what Miss Zhao just said? The Zhao family is not to be trifled with, but is my Shen family easy to bully? Though I am the illegitimate daughter, today I stand here as a representative of the Shen family. Her insult to me is an insult to the Shen family. Or is it… this behavior of Miss Zhao learned from a father like you?”

My sharp words and imposing demeanor forced Triệu Tổng, a powerful businessman, to bow his head and make his daughter apologize. Tuyết Phi reluctantly managed: “Sorry.”

I scoffed: “Apology accepted? Of course not yet.”

Triệu Tổng seized the opportunity: “To show sincerity, she should go on stage and play a piece for Miss Lăng, considering it a birthday greeting.”

Lăng Chiêu Nhiên knew this was Triệu Tổng’s ploy: to appease the Shen family while humiliating me, as everyone knew I lacked artistic talent. Triệu Tuyết Phi went to the piano, her eyes full of challenge: “After my performance, I hope you won’t cower away, Miss Lăng?”

I observed Triệu Tuyết Phi, recognizing her strong fate aura (khí vận): “Ah, so this is the Daughter of Destiny (khí vận chi nữ) of this world, the female lead in the script, favored by the Heavenly Dao. Triệu Tuyết Phi, by being close to her, is covered in the female lead’s aura, hence her smooth sailing. Too bad, you shouldn’t have used me as a stepping stone. So what if you are the female lead? This Lord fears not even the Heavenly Dao, much less a mortal favored by it.”

As Triệu Tuyết Phi finished her performance, I spoke coldly: “Since I played the music, then you dance. Let’s settle it. Music! Play La Cumparsita (Tango).”

The Tango music started, a notoriously difficult dance. Everyone expected Chiêu Nhiên to make a fool of herself. But then, Tưởng Dung (the stepmother, now acting as my mother) unexpectedly joined me on stage. Tưởng Dung, once considered meek, now moved gracefully with the music.

“Rouran, it’s been a long time since I’ve danced, just follow my lead.”

After the dance, I looked at my mother with deep affection: “Mother, today is my birthday, and also the day you endured hardships. Rest assured, from now on, I will not let you suffer any more.”

The performance utterly humiliated Triệu Tuyết Phi.

I mused: “Just a slight change in identity (stepmother to real mother) already caused a recoil from the Heavenly Dao. Does the rule of this realm value you so much? Interesting. I want to see what you can do to me.”

I began to reassess my new family members:

• Thẩm Diệ Chi (Eldest Brother): Overbearing, cold CEO, the Heaven’s Darling (before provoking the male lead. His fate is tragic: company bankruptcy, estranged from relatives, dying on a cold street due to gambling.

• Thẩm Tử (Third Younger Brother): Rebellious, arrogant youth, eventually had his leg broken by Tống Bạch, served 20 years in prison, and died in a wheelchair accident.

• Thẩm Tình Tuyết (Second Sister): An outwardly cold female powerhouse, but an absolute love-struck idiot (não yêu đương) inside. Because of her infatuation with Tống Bạch, she antagonized the female lead Diệp Tô Tô, and was eventually sold by Tống Bạch to a Southeast Asian scam hub, becoming a “piglet”  for human trafficking.

I realized the Shen family was not a prestigious family, but a large cannon fodder nest, with everyone being an NPC (non-player character) in the Heavenly Dao’s script.

The next day, I made a shocking decision: “Tomorrow, come with me to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Divorce, let’s leave this den of troubles, the Shen family.”

Mother Tưởng Dung was stunned: “Divorce?”

“I already said, from now on, my mother and the Shen family will have no more connection.”

However, I quickly recognized the Heavenly Dao’s intent: “The Heavenly Dao pushed me down here, it must be secretly lurking. I might not be able to escape just by running away.”

I shifted my strategy: “The urgent matter is still finding a way back to the Mysterious Heaven Realm. Perhaps by altering their destinies, I can also impact the Heavenly Dao’s seal.”

I decided to interfere with Thẩm Tử’s fate by managing his allowance, indirectly preventing trouble.

In class, I encountered both Tống Bạch (Son of Destiny) and Diệp Tô Tô (Daughter of Destiny).

I surprisingly achieved a perfect score on a test, equaling Tống Bạch, stunning everyone.

Next, I stopped Thẩm Tử from starting a fight. Thẩm Tử, usually aggressive, obeyed after I repeatedly docked his allowance.

When Thẩm Tử took me to fight a gang, I taught him a lesson on strategy:

“All warfare is based on deception . The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting , the next is to subdue them through diplomacy , then to attack their armies , and the lowest is to besiege fortified cities . Understand? Simply put, resorting to force is the worst strategy. The highest level of battle relies on this (the brain).”

Meanwhile, Diệp Tô Tô’s younger brother was arrested for inciting a brawl. Diệp Tô Tô tearfully begged Tống Bạch for help. I saw Tống Bạch making promises, but I also saw the manipulation and the script at play.

I decided to intervene in Thẩm Tình Tuyết’s destiny.

At Thẩm Tình Tuyết’s upscale mall, I witnessed her clearing out customers to make way for Tống Bạch’s shopping trip, hoping to win his affection.

I coldly questioned her: “You ordered customers out just to clear the place for Tống Bạch? Do you think that by showing special care, actively serving him clothes, he will be moved? A simp has no value (Liếm cẩu không có giá trị).”

When Tình Tuyết was enraged, I offered a challenge: “In seven days, I will help you conquer Tống Bạch.”

“On what basis should I believe you?”

“If you don’t believe me, do you have any other choice?”

I started the plan: telling Thẩm Tình Tuyết to refuse Tống Bạch’s date and instead go to dinner with another man. Thẩm Tình Tuyết hesitated but followed through.

During the dinner, Tống Bạch unexpectedly showed up as a waiter, witnessing Thẩm Tình Tuyết on a date with her rumored boyfriend. He was furious.

Tình Tuyết tried to chase after him to explain, but I stopped her: “No matter what happens, continue the date, do not leave!”

When Tình Tuyết left, her phone rang, reporting that she had been immediately dismissed as General Manager due to “causing a negative impact on the group’s stock” – part of the Heavenly Dao’s script.

I reflected: “If you want to take something, you must first give it (Dục tiên thủ chi, tất tiên dư chi). If you don’t have something, you desperately want it; once you get it, you naturally won’t want it anymore.”

Climax: Shattering the Heavenly Dao’s Chessboard

The 80th birthday banquet of Elder Tống was the crucial turning point in the script. Tống Bạch was to be publicly declared as the heir, shedding his illegitimate status, and subsequently, the Shen family would face disaster.

Tống Bạch was smug: “Tonight, Grandpa will publicly announce my identity and name me the next heir of the Tống family. By then, Thẩm Tử, Thẩm Tình Tuyết, everyone who looked down on me will be utterly humiliated. It’s truly something to look forward to.”

Lăng Chiêu Nhiên brought Thẩm Tình Tuyết to the banquet.

Thẩm Tình Tuyết, with a heart torn by love and hate, saw Tống Bạch comforting Diệp Tô Tô and promising to save her brother.

I spoke coldly: “Go, go slap Tống Bạch to death. This two-timing scumbag.”

Amidst Tình Tuyết’s hesitation, I intervened, subtly giving her a final push. Slap!

Thẩm Tình Tuyết, under the last surge of emotion, rushed forward and delivered a resounding slap to Tống Bạch.

“Tống Bạch, consider me having been blind. This slap is a lesson I teach you. From today onward, we go our separate ways.”

Tống Bạch was stunned and humiliated: “Thẩm Tình Tuyết, how dare you hit me? Later, when Grandpa announces my heir status to everyone, don’t you dare regret it!”

At that moment, Elder Tống stepped out and declared:

“I hereby officially announce the heir of my Tống family… Tống Kiêu. He is intelligent, studious, filial, and understanding, and will inherit the Tống family’s legacy!”

Simultaneously, Tống Bạch’s mother, Cô Thư Đình (the former mistress, a call girl), unexpectedly appeared, further ruining Tống Bạch’s reputation in front of everyone.

The Heavenly Dao roared in the void: “Lăng Chiêu Nhiên, every time you interfere, you are accelerating the collapse of this world. You finally couldn’t resist showing yourself.”

I retorted: “Your so-called collapse is merely things not going according to your script. The script is order, and order ensures existence. Their sacrifices are for greater stability. Returning to your place is your only choice.” “If order requires the flesh and blood of the innocent to be sacrificed on the board, then I will destroy this chessboard! Their fates belong to them, and also to me, but definitively not to you!”

Tống Bạch completely collapsed, turning on his mother: “Mother! Who allowed you to come here? You’ve ruined me!“

Thẩm Tình Tuyết, facing the harsh truth, was finally cured of her love-struck idiocy. She thanked me for the intervention, which helped her see Tống Bạch for who he was.

Conclusion: Changing Fate

Lăng Chiêu Nhiên, after shattering the Heavenly Dao’s biggest plot point, felt the change. Although many troubles still needed resolution (the Shen family, Diệp Tô Tô), the people around me had started writing their own new destinies.

Thẩm Tình Tuyết had broken up with Tống Bạch. Thẩm Tử had learned to use his mind instead of brute force. Mother Tưởng Dung had been freed from the Shen family’s constraints.

The strategy had achieved its initial success. The change in destiny of these cannon fodder NPCs was helping me to impact the cultivation seal.

The battle with the Heavenly Dao had only just begun, but I had gained allies, people who had started on the path of self-determination.

“Their fate must be written by their own hands. As for me, I will continue my cultivation path until I can directly confront the Heavenly Dao and return to the Mysterious Heaven Realm.”