The Xiao Clan nursery radiated the gentle hush of early spring. Outside, birds chattered in the budding trees, their song drifting through open windows. Sunlight pooled across polished floors, glinting off rows of silk-lined cribs. A faint breeze stirred the curtains, carrying the scent of rain-damp earth and blooming plum.
Serenity—on the surface.
In the farthest crib, swaddled in layers of linen, Xiao Ranyu lay very much awake. His world was a prison of plush and cotton, interrupted only by a parade of wooden birds and clouds dangling above. He glared at them with the practiced resentment of a man twice reincarnated and more than twice as tired.
This is my life now, he thought, watching a painted sparrow spin. Five days old. Helpless. Reborn into a world of Dou Qi and monsters, and here I am—burped in front of strangers, drooling on my own chin, stuck in a body the size of a dumpling.
He tried to sigh, but his lungs produced only a wet gurgle. Dignity, it seemed, was not part of his starter kit.
Still, the peace was a relief. Since the system branded his soul with secrets and flame, there'd been no chimes, no heavenly voices, no mystical fire eruptions—just the steady rhythm of a baby's heart, and a faint hum of energy in his core.
For now, at least.
He was just beginning to drift—letting the warmth lull him—when it came. A subtle shift. A gentle heat blooming in his belly, like the memory of sunlight. It spread, slow and inevitable, until his skin tingled and the back of his neck turned damp.
The crib creaked. Steam curled from the sheets beneath him.
…That's not normal.
The warmth surged, coiling through his limbs. Above, a tiny phoenix carved from wood shimmered—its lacquered wingtip glowing faint orange.
Oh no.
A wisp of smoke spiraled upward. The mobile overhead began to spin faster, its string catching fire with a silent hiss. The scent of char and varnish stung his nose.
He squirmed. Feeble. Powerless. The flames leapt, licking from crib rail to blanket, hungrily tracing the embroidered Xiao crest.
Inside his mind, the system stirred—cool, clinical, unfazed.
> [Warning: Host is experiencing involuntary Flame Qi leakage.
Cause: Early-stage Flame Affinity awakening.
Activating passive containment protocol.]
I'm setting my crib on fire, Ranyu thought, horror blooming behind newborn eyes. Not even a week old and already guilty of arson. Is this how my cultivation journey begins?
Down the hall, a maid approached with a tray of milk, humming. She opened the nursery door—and screamed.
"FIREEEE! FIRE! THE YOUNG MASTER—HE'S—HE'S—"
Chaos exploded. Servants flooded the room, slippers skidding on lacquered floors. Someone flung a basin of water. Another threw a blanket. A robed elder stormed in, beard askew and eyes wild.
"What devilry is this? Who dares attack a child of the Xiao Clan?!"
Ranyu could only blink, soaked and lightly steaming, as a second bucket drenched him head to toe. His blanket smoldered. The wooden phoenix overhead gave a final spark and collapsed in blackened ash.
He tried to look dignified. All he managed was a trembling lower lip and a hiccup.
Eventually, the fire was out. The crib was replaced with one lined in heat-resistant ore. Elders muttered of "abnormal talent" and "a prodigy's omen." Servants whispered of "the Fire Baby," half in awe, half in terror.
Alone again, bundled in a sheet that smelled faintly of ash, Ranyu sighed inwardly.
System, show me my spiritual sea.
The world shifted.
He floated within himself, adrift in a vast inner space. Warmth pulsed around him—gentle, focused, alive. In the center spun a seed of icy blue flame above a pool of gold—Bone Chilling Flame, dormant but stable, its edges flickering with promise.
Golden rings of script—runes of the Flame Mantra—orbited the flame, radiating power. He reached inward, and energy flowed to meet him. Even in infancy, his Eternal Flame Vassal Body worked without pause, strengthening his core with every breath.
The system's voice returned, softer this time.
> [New Feature Unlocked: Soul Meditation (Infant Variant).
Effect: Dou Qi accumulation now possible during sleep or rest.
Growth Rate: +0.02% Dou Qi core expansion per day.]
Ranyu smiled, awkward and new.
I can cultivate in my sleep. That's… completely broken. I love it.
The vision faded. Back in his body, his stomach growled. A servant peeked in, eyes wide.
"He's glowing again! BUCKETS! GET THE BUCKETS!"
Ranyu tried to laugh, but only gurgled. He drank, then drifted, warmth curling in his dantian.
Hours passed. The panic faded. His mother visited, humming a lullaby and warning him—gently but firmly—not to burn the house down again. The servants double-wrapped him in fireproof blankets. One installed a water bucket beside the crib.
Silence returned.
System, open the Host Panel.
The reply came instantly.
> [Accessing Host Status… Displaying Interface.]
---
[Host Panel – Xiao Ranyu]
Age: 5 days
Cultivation: None (Core Growth: 0.02%)
Physique: Eternal Flame Vassal Body (Semi-awakened)
Affinities:
— Fire: Excellent (+10)
Cultivation Technique:
— Flame Mantra (Yellow-tier, Evolvable)
— Stage: Foundation (Dormant Qi Gathering)
Heavenly Flame:
— Bone Chilling Flame (Dormant, Stabilized)
— Mutation Detected: Flame Sovereign Qi (Locked)
Abilities:
— Flame Assimilation (Passive)
— Soul Meditation – Infant Variant (Passive)
Practice Speed: 100%
Body Status: Infant Stage
Flame Containment: Active
Metabolism: Accelerated via internal flame refinement
Profession: None
Martial Skills: None
System Points: 20
> [Nearby Sign-In Targets: None of high interest.]
[Tip: Powerful targets = better rewards.]
---
Ranyu skimmed the details, amused.
Five days old and already housing a Heavenly Flame. What next—cultivation breakthrough before I can crawl?
One line caught his attention: Flame Sovereign Qi – Locked.
System, he asked, when does that unlock?
> [Host must reach Dou Qi Stage 1.]
So. Grow stronger. Meditate. And maybe stop lighting the bed on fire.
The system chimed again, almost smug.
> [New Goal: Reach Dou Qi Stage 1.
Reward: Unlock Flame Sovereign Qi.
Bonus: 100 System Points.]
A hiccuping laugh bubbled from his chest.
Outside, soft footsteps padded closer. The door creaked open.
Xiao Yan, still wobbly on his feet, peeked over the edge of the crib. His eyes—dark, deep, and suspicious—narrowed.
"…You're weird," he declared.
Ranyu wiggled a chubby fist in reply.
Yan wrinkled his nose. "You smell like smoke."
Another gurgle—a challenge, maybe.
"Don't explode," Yan muttered, and toddled off, leaving the door ajar.
Ranyu watched him go, flame flickering behind newborn eyes.
I've got a system, a Heavenly Flame, and a brother destined for legend.
And I just got roasted by a toddler.
He closed his eyes, laughter s
immering in his thoughts.
Let's see which of us becomes Emperor first.
As sleep took him, warmth pulsed in his core, quiet and constant—an ember waiting to ignite the world.