Chapter 221: The Return of the White Tiger Prince
When Xiao Qiang opened his eyes again, he saw a familiar ceiling.
"Brother, you're awake!"
Xiao Lan and Nana helped Xiao Qiang sit up. Looking around, he realized that he had returned home. Both Nana and Xiao Lan were here, along with Meng Hongchen.
"What happened after I lost consciousness?" he asked.
"Brother, after you and Zhang Lexuan defeated that Titled Douluo, you collapsed from soul power and mental exhaustion. Zhang Lexuan stayed behind to protect you in the forest until Sister Qingxue arrived. It was Sister Qingxue who brought you home," Nana explained.
Xiao Qiang nodded. At least the Snow Empress hadn't needed to intervene in the end—that was an acceptable outcome.
"You're really bold," Meng Hongchen said sourly from the side. "Daring to stand in front of a level 98 Titled Douluo for that woman… You must be truly fearless. But let me warn you—those who grovel for others rarely have good endings."
Her tone was laced with jealousy. Meng Hongchen didn't believe for a second that Xiao Qiang had no feelings for Zhang Lexuan. Who would willingly put themselves in front of a level 98 Titled Douluo without a powerful emotional reason?
"Senior Meng, you've misunderstood. There's nothing between Zhang Lexuan and me. If it had been you in that situation, I would have done the same."
"Hmph, that's more like it. Wait—if you're saying you have nothing to do with her but would still protect her, then doesn't that mean you and I also have nothing between us?"
"No, of course Senior Meng is different."
"It better be, or else…" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "But how do you explain the martial soul fusion skill? Neither you nor I have one!"
"I don't know. Who can say for certain how martial soul fusion skills work?"
"Hmph…" Meng Hongchen continued to stare him down, clearly unconvinced.
"Alright, Senior Sister Meng," Xiao Qiang said patiently, "she and I just happened to have compatible martial souls. She may have the Kong family's bloodline and spirit, but she grew up in Shrek. We're destined to be enemies. Letting her go first was only due to the master's instructions."
"You better really believe that," Meng Hongchen huffed.
While Meng Hongchen, Xiao Lan, and Nana talked with Xiao Qiang inside his room, someone else was listening quietly outside.
Zhang Lexuan had come to check on him. Hearing that he was safe, she smiled faintly and left without saying a word.
Meanwhile, in the Star Luo Empire — White Tiger Duke's Mansion
"ROAR!"
A thunderous tiger roar echoed through the training grounds. The source of the roar was a Soul Emperor adorned with two yellow, two purple, and two black soul rings—Dai Yuheng, the eldest son of the White Tiger Duke.
"Finally," the Duchess breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes misty with joy. "My son has recovered."
In the last All-Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament, Dai Yuheng—then a six-ring Soul Emperor—was humiliatingly defeated by a fifteen-year-old Soul King with only five rings. The Ice-Blue Emperor's terrifying power had shattered his confidence, leaving behind a man both physically intact and mentally broken.
Worse still, the look of disappointment in his father's eyes—the message that he was unworthy of the White Tiger bloodline—had crushed his spirit even further.
He became both the disgrace of Shrek Academy and the shame of the White Tiger Duke's line. Rumors spread like wildfire. A six-ring Soul Emperor defeated by a child? A nineteen-year-old unable to surpass a fifteen-year-old? He had become the subject of ridicule and scorn.
Though his body recovered, his spirit didn't. For over two years, Dai Yuheng remained trapped at level 65. He stopped cultivating. He wanted only to die, thinking that his death might somehow cleanse the shame he had brought upon his family.
But the Duchess never gave up.
She brought him home from Shrek and sought every possible healer. When all else failed, she even knelt for three days before the reclusive Medical Immortal Douluo, Wang Xian'er—a man with a deep disdain for Shrek.
Wang Xian'er was reluctant, but the Duchess wasn't just anyone—she was a royal princess of the Star Luo Empire. In the end, the pressure forced him to act, healing Dai Yuheng's physical wounds.
But not his heart.
For two years, Dai Yuheng lay in bed, dead to the world. Then, not long ago, the Duke returned.
The moment Dai Hao slapped the Duchess during an argument about their son's future, something inside Dai Yuheng snapped awake. Seeing his once-dignified mother—with her hair half-turned white and her back slightly hunched from worry—sparked something long buried: guilt.
While he wallowed in shame and fear, his mother had fought for him.
She had exhausted every connection, burned every favor, and stood between him and his own father just to keep him safe.
Dai Yuheng, who once sulked in self-loathing, stood tall again. He roared with the pride of the White Tiger and the determination to reclaim his honor.
"I'm sorry, Mother. I made you worry for too long."
The Duchess embraced him, tears in her eyes. "It doesn't matter now. I always knew my son would rise again. Twenty-one years old and level 65—this is still a strong foundation. You'll definitely become a Title Douluo one day—maybe even a Super Douluo! Let them all see: my son is not weaker than anyone!"
"Don't worry, Mother. I will become a Super Douluo." Dai Yuheng clenched his fists tightly. His confidence had returned.
But the celebration didn't last.
Suddenly, a furious voice exploded from outside the mansion—
"You White Tiger bastards are bold indeed! How dare you bully someone from the Body Sect?!"