Heaven Dou EmpireFlame Valley City
Six years passed in the blink of an eye. Yan Tian grew up as the son of a humble family in a small city under the influence of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
His father, Yan Wei, was the city's chief and a powerful Soul Master—wielding the Fire Bird Martial Spirit with the strength of a Rank 53 Soul King in his early forties.
His mother, Chen Qing, possessed only a secondary Martial Spirit — a simple sewing needle. Their family did not belong to the main lineage of the Glazed Tile Pagoda; instead, they were loyal retainers serving in logistics and city defense at the sect's border territories.
Yan Tian understood one truth about this world — strength was everything. He was thankful to be born male, for in this feudal world, gender often decided one's fate. Power was the only path to freedom.
"Young Master, the Lord and Lady are calling for you downstairs!"A childish voice called from outside his room.
"Alright, thank you, Ying'er," Yan Tian replied, jumping off his bed. He opened the door to find a ten-year-old girl waiting, her doll-like face and large eyes shining with innocence and beauty, even in her modest servant's dress.
"Are you nervous, Young Master? Today's your Martial Soul Awakening! The Lord and Lady told me to wake you up — they were worried you might oversleep," the girl said with a giggle.
"Nervous? Of course not," Yan Tian grinned. "I'll awaken the Fire Bird Martial Soul just like Father — and one day, I'll become a Titled Douluo! You can call me the Fire Emperor Douluo then."
He walked confidently toward the dining hall, his small footsteps echoing down the corridor.
The wooden walls of the Yan family home were adorned with carvings of dragons and firebirds — symbols of their noble yet minor status under the great Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The air was thick with the scent of herbs and incense, a familiar fragrance that always calmed Yan Tian's heart.
At the head of the long dining table sat Yan Wei, a stern man with long black hair tied neatly behind him. A faint heat radiated from his body, even when he wasn't channeling his spirit power. Beside him, Chen Qing smiled gently as she stirred a bowl of spiritual rice porridge infused with ginseng essence.
"My son has grown so quickly," Yan Wei said with pride in his voice."Six years already… It feels like just yesterday I was holding you in my arms."
Yan Tian smiled faintly. Yet behind that smile lingered the remnants of another life — the hum of computers, the endless overtime hours, and the cold fluorescent lights of a corporate office in modern-day Jakarta.
Now, his body was small, warm, and brimming with a new kind of energy flowing beneath his skin.
"This… is my second life. I won't repeat the same mistakes again."
"Yan Tian," his mother's gentle voice broke his thoughts. "The elder from the Pagoda School will arrive soon to perform the awakening ceremony. Don't be nervous, alright?"
"I'm not nervous, Mother," he replied with a confident smile. "I'll make Father proud."
Yan Wei chuckled. "Heh, if you really inherit the Fire Bird Spirit like me, I'd better start preparing your training regimen."