Three years passed like embers in the wind—quiet at first, but always leaving behind something scorched.
From the outside, Xiao Ranyu remained the same odd, well-mannered child. A bit too quiet. A bit too calm. Most wrote it off as "maturity."
They didn't see the truth.
They didn't see the fire.
---
By age four, Xiao Ranyu had mastered two things: blending in and blowing things up.
Usually with Gu Xun'er.
Every few days, the clan would hear a shout of "Why is the herb garden on fire again?!" or "Who burned these training dummies again?"
Behind every explosion: Gu Xun'er's cheerful laughter, and Xiao Ranyu quietly walking away from the scene with glowing fingers and soot-free robes.
They were inseparable. Fire twins. Mischief makers. The only difference: Xun'er just thought it was fun.
Ranyu knew it was training.
> "Every flame I set teaches me something," he once whispered to the system. "Control. Flow. Destruction."
> "And besides," he added mentally, "it's not like they use those training dummies anymore."
---
Xiao ranyu at 5 years old
At first, Ranyu didn't bother with his third brother.
Xiao Yan was loud. Overconfident. Dangerous.
And worst of all? He radiated rich protagonist luck like a walking treasure chest.
> "System," Ranyu muttered. "Sign in to Xiao Yan."
> [Warning: High Luck Host Detected.]
[One-Time Free Sign-In Will Activate.]
Ranyu blinked.
> "...Free?"
> [Yes. First free pull from high-luck individuals is exempt from cooldown.]
> [Sign-In Initiated.]
---
> [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?!"
But the system immediately followed up with:
> [Warning: Key treasure has been extracted. Cannot sign into Xiao Yan again.]
> [System Rule Unlocked: If host obtains the target's "key item," further sign-ins are blocked.]
> [Specific item lock needed.]
> "So I only get one shot per character if I hit the key item...
> [Yes.]
> [Additional Rule Unlocked: Only items from the Dou Qi Continent can be drawn currently. To obtain rewards from the Great Thousand World, host must physically enter it.]
> "No cheating across planes. Got it."
He grinned.
> "But if I target specific rewards…"
> [Manual Targeting Available – Risk Enabled. Low chance of failure if item is rare, sealed, or out of sync with timeline.]
> "So I can pick flames... but might get nothing."
> "That's fine," he muttered. "I'd rather gamble on fire than luck."
He immediately set Xiao Yan and Gu Xun'er as Heavenly Flame Targets.
> [Target Registered.]
How can I sign in again?
> [ For specific item based sign-in it's takes 10000 sign-in points to sign in.]
> [Current sign in points = 130]
> [ BREAKTHROUGH POINTS DISTRIBUTION
Dou Fighter = 10 Points
Dou Master = 100 Points
Dou Grandmaster =1000 Points
Dou Spirit = 10000 Points
Dou King = 100000 Points
Dou Emperor = 1 Million Points
Dou Ancestor =10 Million Points
Dou Venerable = 100 Million Points
Dou Saint = 1 Billion Points
Dou Great Emperor= 10 Billion Points ]
"...Things are getting hard." He mutterd after seeing this
---
On his sixth birthday, under a moonlit sky thick with qi, Xiao Ranyu broke through.
The flames inside him surged as his Dou Qi Cyclone became, then empty. Qi rushed into every meridian like molten lava.
> [Congratulations. Breakthrough to Dou Grandmaster achieved.]
[New Sign-In Eligibility: Gu Xun'er – Unlocked.]
>[Sign-in Points = 1130]
> [ Points exceed 1000]
> [ System store - Unlocked]
"It's time."
He reached for the system, narrowed his thoughts, and targeted her name.
> [Sign-In to Gu Xun'er – Activated.]
[Attempting to extract Heavenly Flame…]
> [Success.]
> [You have obtained:
– Heavenly Flame: 4th Ranked – Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame]
Ranyu exhaled slowly, hands trembling with excitement.
Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame hovered in his spiritual sea beside the Bone chilling cold flame and Mysterious Yellow Flame—serene, devastating, and potent beyond anything he'd felt before.
> "With these… I can begin alchemy for real."
> "And start preparing to save my mother."
---
After taking a deep breath to steady himself, Xiao Ranyu recalled the earlier system notification—something about the store being unlocked.
> "System, open the store," he commanded silently in his mind.
Ranyu's eyes gleamed as the interface shifted.
> [System Store – Opened.]
It expanded before him in panels of softly glowing light. Rows upon rows of categories appeared—each promising a path to power.
Martial Arts
Cultivation Techniques
Alchemy Notes
Pill Recipes
Weapons
Other
He tapped on "Other" first—his curiosity piqued.
Inside were items as varied as they were strange:
> – Basic Storage Ring (1,000 Points)
– Tier 4-6 Demon Core (4,000 - 6000 Points)
– Heavenly Qi-Infused Water (12,00 Points)
– Spirit Nourishing Tea Set (Cosmetic) (1,200 Points)
But what caught his eye was a faintly glowing entry near the bottom:
Special Item: Random Miraculous Item Crate
> Cost: 10,000 Points
A sealed, one-time-use crate containing one of the following:
Rare Heavenly Flame Fragments
Special Body Awakening Herbs
Bloodline (Beast)
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 even a bloodline?
He hovered over the description.
> [Warning: Extremely low chance of constitution gain. Risk: High. Use wisely.]
As he hovered over the Random Miraculous Item Crate, the system suddenly issued a calm, mechanical reminder:
> [Reminder: Host's Eternal Flame Vassal Body is a Supreme Constitution.]
[No known physique of equal or greater tier exists within the current store database.]
[Random Miraculous Item Crate cannot provide body upgrades beyond current physique.]
Ranyu blinked.
"…Tch."
So all that hype about awakening another body was pointless—for him.
He leaned back, slightly annoyed but also… smug.
> "Of course there's nothing better," he muttered under his breath.
Still, his fingers tapped his chin thoughtfully.
> "But the crate can still drop flame fragments… rare herbs… maybe even a bloodline crystal?"
His eyes glinted.
He gave one final glance at the crate's description, then closed the tab—for now.
> "Later. I'll bleed this system dry when the time's right."
Instead, he scrolled toward the Alchemy Notes and Pill Recipes, filing away options in his mind.
He didn't just want to fight. He wanted to build, create, master every corner of flame and life itself.
> "I'll earn every point I can… and make the store my personal treasury."
The fire in his heart flared brighter.
The next stage of his 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 itself instantly, dividing into two glowing categories:
> [Alchemy Notes]
> [Pill Recipes]
---
[Alchemy Notes]
This section wasn't just about formulas—it was the foundation of pill crafting. Methodologies, flame control techniques, cauldron manipulation, ingredient handling, and rare herb identification.
A new panel slid open, revealing a tiered progression:
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 – Meridians-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 final tab, locked in gold:
> Emperor-Level Alchemy Notes (??? Points – Unlocked by Special Conditions)
Ancient knowledge from extinct sects and immortal-level alchemists. Includes forbidden formulas, soul-tempering methods, and theoretical alchemy far beyond Tier 9.
Xiao Ranyu's eyes narrowed as he stared at the glowing lock icon.
> "Emperor level… that's for later."
But Tier 6 already spoke to him.
> 'Balancing Multiple Heavenly Flames…'
Exactly what I need.
---
[Pill Recipes]
The next tab was almost chaotic in comparison.
There was no tier here—just a sea of recipes: known, unknown, forgotten, and theoretical.
Each recipe was detailed with flame intensity needed, cauldron compatibility, and spiritual force requirements.
Some 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 Point
s)
Heavenly Flame Nourishment Elixir (Extremely Rare – 10,000 Points)
Soul Reconnection Pellet (Unknown – 7000 Points)
Unnamed Pill of Reversal (Classified as 'Unknown Origin' – 50,000 Points)
> [Note: Unknown Pills are theorized formulas or lost techniques. Success rate depends on alchemist skill and flame compatibility.]