Three years had slipped by like embers drifting on an autumn breeze—quiet, subtle, but always leaving behind traces of heat and scorch marks.
To most in the Xiao Clan, Xiao Ranyu was still the same strange, well-behaved child. Too calm for his age. Too quiet during gatherings. Many whispered it was maturity beyond his years.
But no one saw the fire beneath.
By the time he was four, Ranyu had mastered two things: blending into the background and setting things ablaze.
Usually with Gu Xun'er.
Every few days, a shout would echo across the clan estate: "Who burned the herb garden again?!" or "Why are the training dummies smoking?"
Behind every blaze was the same duo—Gu Xun'er's bright laughter mingling with Ranyu's quiet footsteps, his fingers glowing faintly, robes untouched by soot.
To Xun'er, it was all play—a dance of sparks and mischief.
To Ranyu, every flicker was a lesson.
"Every flame I light teaches me control, flow, and destruction," he'd told the system once, voice barely a whisper.
"And besides," he added quietly, "those training dummies were already slated for replacement."
At five, Ranyu hardly bothered with his third brother, Xiao Yan. The boy was loud, brash, and dangerously lucky—as if fate itself favored him.
"System," Ranyu muttered one day, "sign in to Xiao Yan."
[Warning: High Luck Target Detected.]
[One-Time Free Sign-In Available.]
Ranyu blinked.
"Free?"
[Yes. The first free sign-in from a high-luck individual is exempt from cooldown.]
He smirked and nodded.
[Sign-In Initiated.]
Moments later, the system confirmed the haul:
[Congratulations! You have obtained:]
– Alchemy Talent: Emperor Tier
– Heavenly Flame: 23rd Ranked – Mysterious Yellow Flame
Ranyu nearly choked.
"Alchemy talent and a flame? From one sign-in?"
Before he could celebrate, the system warned:
[Key treasure extracted. Further sign-ins from this host are blocked.]
[System Rule: Obtaining a target's 'key item' locks further sign-ins.]
"So one shot per person if I hit the key item," he mused.
[Yes.]
[Additional Rule: Only items from the Dou Qi Continent can be drawn currently. To obtain Great Thousand World rewards, physical entry is required.]
"No cheating across planes. Got it."
He grinned wider.
"But if I target specific rewards…"
[Manual Targeting Enabled – Risk Present. Low chance of failure if item is rare, sealed, or out of sync with timeline.]
"Better to gamble on flames than luck," Ranyu muttered.
He promptly registered Xiao Yan and Gu Xun'er as Heavenly Flame targets.
[Targets Registered.]
"How do I sign in again?"
[Specific item sign-in costs 10,000 points.]
[Current sign-in points: 130.]
Ranyu's smile faded a bit.
--
On his sixth birthday, beneath a moon thick with qi, Ranyu broke through again.
Flames roared inside him as his Dou Qi cyclone swirled, transforming, then vanished—empty, ready to be refilled.
Molten energy surged through every meridian like lava.
[Congratulations! Breakthrough to Dou Grandmaster achieved.]
[New Sign-In Eligibility: Gu Xun'er – Unlocked.]
[Sign-in points: 1,130.]
[System Store Unlocked.]
"It's time."
He focused, narrowing his thoughts.
[Sign-In to Gu Xun'er – Activated.]
[Success.]
[Obtained:]
– Heavenly Flame: 4th Ranked – Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame
Ranyu exhaled slowly, hands trembling with excitement.
The Gold Emperor Incinerating Flame hovered in his spiritual sea alongside the Bone Chilling Flame and the Mysterious Yellow Flame—serene, devastating, and unlike anything he'd felt before.
"With these… I can start alchemy for real."
"And prepare to save my mother."
Taking a deep breath to steady his racing heart, Ranyu recalled the earlier system notification—something about a store being unlocked.
"System, open the store."
The interface blossomed before him, glowing panels unfolding like petals.
Rows of categories appeared, each promising untold power:
Martial Arts
Cultivation Techniques
Alchemy Notes
Pill Recipes
Weapons
Other
Curious, he tapped "Other" first.
Inside lay strange and varied items:
– Basic Storage Ring (1,000 Points)
– Tier 4-6 Demon Core (4,000 - 6,000 Points)
– Heavenly Qi-Infused Water (12,000 Points)
– Spirit Nourishing Tea Set (Cosmetic) (1,200 Points)
Near the bottom, a faintly glowing entry caught his eye:
Special Item: Random Miraculous Item Crate
Cost: 10,000 Points
A sealed, one-time-use crate containing one of the following:
– Heavenly Flame
– Special Body Awakening
– Beast Bloodline Crystal
– Broken Dou Great Emperor Relic (???)
"Special body…" Ranyu murmured, eyes narrowing.
His Eternal Flame Vassal Body was already extraordinary, but a second body trait or bloodline might elevate him beyond all competition.
He hovered over the description.
[Warning: Extremely low chance of constitution gain. Risk: High.]
Suddenly, the system reminded him:
[Host's Eternal Flame Vassal Body is a Supreme Constitution.]
[No known physique of equal or greater tier exists in the current store database.]
[Random Miraculous Item Crate cannot provide body upgrades beyond current physique.]
Ranyu blinked.
"…Tch."
So the hype about awakening another body was pointless—for him.
He leaned back, a little annoyed but mostly smug.
"Of course there's nothing better," he muttered.
Still, fingers tapping his chin thoughtfully, he mused,
"But the crate might still drop heavenly flames… rare herbs… maybe even a bloodline crystal?"
His eyes glinted.
One last glance at the crate's description, then he closed the tab.
"Later. I'll bleed this system dry when the time's right."
Instead, he scrolled to Alchemy Notes and Pill Recipes, filing options in his mind.
He didn't want just to fight—he wanted to create, master flame and life itself.
"I'll earn every point I can… make the store my treasury."
The fire in his chest flared brighter.
His next path had begun.
"I have the talent now and the flames. What I need next… is knowledge."
He swiped to the Alchemy tab.
The interface restructured, splitting into two glowing categories:
Alchemy Notes
Pill Recipes
--
Alchemy Notes
This wasn't just formulas—it was the foundation of pill crafting. Methodologies, flame control techniques, cauldron manipulation, ingredient handling, rare herb identification.
A tiered progression appeared:
Tier 1 – Basic Flame Control Theory (400 Points)
Tier 2 – Foundational Pill Compression Techniques (700 Points)
Tier 3 – Intermediate Flame Weaving and Cauldron Bonding (1,200 Points)
Tier 4 – Meridian-Targeting Pills and Qi Circulation Mapping (2,500 Points)
Tier 5 – Multi-Spirit Herb Handling and Dual-Effect Pill Structuring (4,800 Points)
Tier 6 – Flame Fusion: Balancing Multiple Heavenly Flames in Refinement (8,000 Points)
Tier 7 – Purity vs. Potency: Theory of Alchemical Tradeoffs (12,000 Points)
Tier 8 – Life-Altering Elixirs: Theory & Risk (16,000 Points)
Tier 9 – Soul Pills, Resurrection Drafts, and Elemental Conversions (22,000 Points)
Then a locked tab glimmered gold:
Emperor-Level Alchemy Notes (??? Points – Unlocked by Special Conditions)
Ancient knowledge from extinct sects and emperor-level alchemists. Forbidden formulas, soul tempering, and alchemy beyond the known limits.
Ranyu's eyes narrowed at the lock icon.
"Emperor level… later."
But Tier 6 caught his attention.
'Balancing Multiple Heavenly Flames…' Exactly what I need.
Pill Recipes
This tab was chaotic—no tiers, just a sea of known, unknown, forgotten, and experimental recipes. Each listed flame intensity, cauldron compatibility, spiritual force needed.
Several stood out immediately:
Qi Condensation Pill (Common – 300 Points)
Marrow Cleansing Pill (Low-Tier – 1,200 Points)
Spirit Awakening Pill (Rare – 3,000 Points)
Bone Reinforcement Pill (Mid-Tier – 4,500 Points)
Bloodline Stimulation Pill (Rare – 6,000 Points)
Heavenly Flame Nourishment Elixir (Extremely Rare – 10,000 Points)
Soul Reconnection Pellet (Unknown – 7,000 Points)
Unnamed Pill of Reversal (Unknown Origin – 50,000 Points)
[Note: Unknown pills are theorized or lost techniques. Success depends on alchemist skill and flame co
mpatibility.]
Ranyu exhaled and leaned forward.
Power wasn't just in strength—it was in knowledge, in creation.
And with these flames, these notes, and this system at his back, he would shape his destiny with fire and alchemy alike.
The next chapter of his life was only beginning.