Rain poured in relentless sheets, soaking the city in a curtain of silver. The streetlights flickered weakly, fighting to pierce through the darkness as evening swallowed the skyline.
Xiao Ranyu dashed across the sidewalk, his hoodie drenched, his breath steaming in the cold air. He had just gotten off his shift, his mind exhausted, his soul heavier than usual. Life in the modern world had never been kind to him—empty bank accounts, fractured dreams, a future that never arrived.
But then he saw her.
A small girl—no more than six—chased a red ball into the street. Her pigtails bounced, unaware of the screeching metal death barreling down the road.
Time seemed to stop.
Xiao Ranyu's instincts roared louder than thought. Without hesitation, he lunged forward. Feet splashed through puddles. Horns blared. The little girl turned—eyes wide in confusion—as Xiao Ranyu tackled her, rolling her to the curb just in time.
The truck slammed into him.
Pain, hot and searing, flared through his body for an instant before numbness swallowed everything. He hit the ground like a ragdoll. The rain didn't stop. It mixed with the blood pooling beneath him, a crimson river fading into the gutter.
People screamed. The little girl cried. But Xiao Ranyu heard none of it.
He stared up at the sky, its clouds swirling above like dark oceans.
"So… this is how it ends…" he thought, strangely calm.
Then, everything went quiet. No pain. No sound. Just darkness.
Darkness.
He floated in it for what felt like lifetimes—weightless, thoughtless, waiting. Then came pain. Light. Air forced into lungs not yet used to breathing. A high-pitched cry burst from his throat, but deep inside, he was already aware.
> Where am I...? No… Who am I now?
His limbs were too small to move, his vision a blur. But his mind—his soul—was very much intact. As his consciousness aligned with his new body, a cold mechanical voice echoed deep within his thoughts.
---
> Ding!
[Sign-In System successfully bound.]
[Soul Synchronization: Complete.]
[Welcome, Host. You have been reborn in the Dou Qi Continent.]
[Identity confirmed: Xiao Ranyu – Fourth son of the Xiao Clan. Younger brother of Xiao Yan.]
---
> Xiao Yan...?
A jolt ran through his barely formed nerves. That name… he'd heard it before. Battle Through the Heavens. Xiao Yan—the fallen genius, the man who would one day stand atop the continent as the Flame Emperor.
> If he's real… then I'm truly inside that world?
He struggled to glance around with watery eyes. The warm hands holding him belonged to a gentle-looking woman. Her smile glowed with maternal joy as she whispered, "He'll be named Ranyu. My youngest flame…"
Xiao Ranyu's came back to reality.
Xiao Ranyu exhaled slowly, his mind steadying as the weight of his new reality settled in.
"System," he called in his mind, voice steady but cautious.
> Yes, host.
"…What exactly do you do?" he asked cautiously.
> [Sign-In System: Overview Panel Ready.]
- Sign-In Opportunity Mechanism
- The System automatically scans nearby individuals.
- If a suitable target is detected, the system notifies the host with a [Sign-In Opportunity Available] prompt.
- The host may choose to proceed or ignore the sign-in.
- Only the system can determine which person qualifies for sign-in based on internal criteria.
- Targets must be alive, important, and possess something of value.
- Rewards vary in rarity.
- Sign-In Points can be earned through quests, battles, and breakthroughs.
- Sign-in Point can be added to skills, techniques,Flame affinity,etc
- Cultivation Points can be added to profession level, Cultivation.(10 Sign in points= 1 Cultivation Point)
[ (Points needed for cultivation and professional real
1. Dou Fighter / Tier 1= 10 Cultivation points.(1-9) Star, each needs 10 Cultivation points
2. Dou Master / Tier 2 = 100 Cultivation Points.(1-9) Star,each needs 100 Cultivation Points.
3. Dou Grandmaster / Tier 3 = 1000 Cultivation Points.(1-9) Star,each needs 1000 Cultivation Points.
4. Dou Spirit / Tier 4 = 10000 Cultivation Points.(1-9) Star,each needs 10000 Cultivation Points.
5. Dou King / Tier 5 = 100000 Cultivation Points.(1-9) Star,each needs 100000 Cultivation Points.
6. Dou Emperor / Tier 6 = 1 Million Cultivation Points.(1-9) Star,each needs 1 Million Cultivation Points.
7. Dou Ancestor / Tier 7 = 10 Million Cultivation Points.(1-9) Star,each needs 10 Million Cultivation Points.
8. Dou Venerable / Tier 8 = 100 Cultivation Points.(1-9) Star/colour ,each needs 100 Million Cultivation Points.
9. Dou Saint / Tier 9 = 1 Billion Cultivation Points.(1-9) Star,each needs 1 Billion Cultivation Points.
10.Dou Di / Emperor = 10 Billion Cultivation Points.(1-9) Star,each needs 10 Billion Cultivation Points. ]
The information flooded his mind like a memory that had always been there—complete and strangely intuitive.
Xiao Ranyu muttered, "A system that steals or copies skills… one chance per day…"
He looked at his hands. He was no longer the same man who worked himself into the ground back on Earth. He was a stranger in a strange world—with a chance.
A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Not one of joy, but one of defiance.
"Alright, system. Let's see just how far this goes."
> [System Notification: sign-in available.]
> [System Notification: sign-in available.]
A rustle of fabric.
Nearby, a young boy no older than one, still wobbly on his legs, clung to a caretaker's hand and stared at the newborn in curiosity. His sharp black eyes shimmered with an innate calmness unusual for his age. But what caught Xiao Ranyu's attention was the plain black ring on the child's right hand.
> The ring…
Yao Lao is in there.
He's dormant right now. That means…
---
[Sign-In Opportunity Detected]
> Target: Xiao yan
Location: Standing in front
Status: 1 year old
Sign-In Eligibility: No [To High Luck]
[Sign-In Opportunity Detected]
> Target: Yao Chen – Soul Fragment (Dormant)
Location: Black Ring on Xiao Yan's hand
Status: Weak, Unconscious
Sign-In Eligibility: Yes
Sign-In Now?
→ [Yes]
→ [No]
> Yes.
---
> Ding! Sign-In Successful.
Rewards Obtained:
Cultivation Technique: Flame Mantra (yellow-tier, Evolvable)
Heavenly Flame: 11th Ranked-Bone Chilling Cold Flame
+10 Flame Affinity
+20 Sign-In Points
---
His spiritual sea stirred. In an instant, the Flame Mantra etched itself into his soul like golden runes burned by ancient fire. And deep within him, a pale blue flame flickered to life—calm, cold, and impossibly potent.
His newborn body trembled faintly. The flame affinity boost was overwhelming, but something in his body absorbed and stabilized the energy without harm.
> Eternal Flame Vessel detected.
Dormant protection layer active.
Backlash nullified.
Eternal Flame Vassal Body
Description:
A rare and ancient physique. Those who possess the Eternal Flame Vassal Body are no longer mere humans—they become living vessels of primordial fire, capable of housing, nurturing, and evolving Heavenly Flames without being consumed.
This body passively harmonizes with flame-based energy, granting the host an unmatched affinity with all types of fire—be it natural flame, beast flame, or Heavenly Flame. Unlike ordinary cultivators who struggle to refine or subdue powerful flames, the Eternal Flame Vassal Body invites the flame into itself like a sovereign welcoming its vassal.
Said to originate from the ancient Flame Ancestor who burned through planes of existence in search of enlightenment, this body type was once passed down to a single successor every ten thousand years. In the current age, it was believed extinct—until now.
Core Abilities:
Flame Assimilation:
Instantly adapts to and partially absorbs the traits of any flame-based attack. Weaker flames are devoured; stronger flames are pacified over time.
Heavenly Flame Compatibility:
The host can house multiple Heavenly Flames simultaneously without backlash. Flames will naturally evolve and stabilize within the body.
Dou Qi Mutation – Flame Sovereign Qi:
All Dou Qi transforms into a higher-grade flame-type energy that burns through conventional defenses and leaves lingering soul damage.
---
A faint breeze passed through the courtyard.
Xiao Yan blinked and turned his small head, frowning slightly. His gaze landed on the newborn wrapped in his mother's arms. A brief flicker of warmth—or was it something else?—crossed his eyes.
> "He feels… hot," he murmured.
Their mother laughed softly. "That's your little brother, Xiao Ranyu. You'll protect him, won't you?"
The boy didn't reply. He simply looked again at his ring, then back at his brother—his curiosity unknowingly triggered by the tiniest ripple in the spiritual space within the ring.
Meanwhile, the child in her arms had already begun to dream—not of crawling or walking, but of flame. Of power. Of destiny.
> Flame Mantra… Bone Chilling Flame… Eternal Flame Vessel…
I've already taken my first step.
This time, I'll rise with my own fire