Chapter 1: Douluo Continent

Xingluo Empire, Imperial Palace

A heavy snowfall blanketed the imperial palace in white, and the biting north wind howled through the halls, making it unbearable to step outside.

"Hey, come and eat!"

A eunuch in a thick cotton jacket sneered as he shoved a cold lunch box through a small hole in the wall of the cold palace. His voice carried a mocking tone as he banged on the stone.

The hole was no bigger than a dog hole.

From inside, a frail, yellowed hand with thin fingers hesitated before reaching for the box. The moment the fingers touched the icy metal, they recoiled instantly. In this bitter winter, the iron container was like frozen steel.

A faint moan of pain echoed from within the cold palace.

After a moment's hesitation, the same red-tinged fingers stretched out again, trembling but determined. This time, they clutched the lunch box tightly despite the numbing cold.

With a soft scrape, the box was dragged through the hole.

Laughter erupted from the eunuch and the surrounding maids.

"Haha! Eat well, little brat!"

"'Little prince,' even if the food is cold, you should be grateful. Don't fight it—your skinny arms and legs won't last long anyway. And if you die, how would we explain it to the queen?"

"That woman dared to offend the queen. Even in death, she won't have peace. As her son, you're just repaying the debt!"

"Eunuch Li, you've done such a fine job these past years. The queen will surely reward you. Don't forget us when that happens!"

"Of course!"

The group left with laughter, their voices filled with excitement as if riches and promotions were just within reach.

Inside the Cold Palace

A five-year-old boy sat beside the retrieved lunch box, silent for a long moment. Gritting his teeth, he yanked his frozen finger away from the iron lid. A sharp sting shot through his hand, and blood immediately oozed from the torn skin.

The cold had bonded his flesh to the metal.

His expression twisted in pain, but he instinctively shoved his finger into his mouth to stop the bleeding. Then, he wobbled towards the broken-windowed chamber.

With a kick, he shut the door behind him, blocking out the snowstorm. Yet the wind still howled through the shattered window.

He tossed the lunch box aside and quickly removed the remnants of the window frame. From beneath the worn-out bed, he pulled out two flints and some charcoal dust.

With careful hands, he arranged the charcoal in a shallow groove on the ground and struck the flints together. Sparks flew.

A faint ember caught.

With patience, he added splinters of wood from the broken window frame. Soon, a small fire crackled to life.

Its warmth was weak but precious.

He nudged the lunch box toward the fire with his foot, hoping to warm the frozen meal inside. His chapped hands itched terribly in the heat, but he didn't care.

This warmth was a luxury.

His name was Dai Yao. He was the son of the current Xingluo Emperor. But his mother, once a consort, had fallen victim to the queen's envy. Banished to the cold palace, she had withered away and died, leaving him behind.

For six years, Dai Yao had endured humiliation. Under the queen's orders, the palace staff tormented him at every opportunity.

In summer, when he found shade under a tree, they cut it down the next day. If he stayed near the pond too long, they drained the water.

The broken window had been reported countless times. No one ever came to fix it.

If not for the White Tiger Family's Elder Council, which ensured the survival of the royal bloodline, he would have been beaten to death long ago. But even their protection was limited.

Six years in isolation had nearly driven him insane.

As he ate the reheated food, his thoughts grew darker.

"Tomorrow, I turn six. My martial soul will awaken. If it's weak, the Elder Council won't protect me forever."

"That would be the end of me."

His fingers curled into fists.

"If that's the case, I might as well have frozen to death all those winters ago. I've endured this suffering for one reason—to awaken a powerful martial soul and take revenge for my mother!"

Though she had died in exile, he knew the truth. She had been murdered.

His breathing quickened, his fists clenched tighter.

"That woman… I will make her pay in blood!"

The cold moonlight spilled through the high palace walls, adding an eerie glow to the freezing night.

Dai Yao tossed another piece of wood into the fire, watching the flames flicker. He let out a bitter laugh.

"In all those Douluo fanfictions, the protagonist gets lucky. They inherit hidden legacies, pick up girls, and roam the continent. But why am I suffering like this?"

Yes, Dai Yao was a transmigrator.

In his previous life, he had been an ordinary man on Earth. A student, then a worker—he had no talent, no achievements.

Nothing extraordinary.

Not handsome, not ugly. Just… plain.

His parents had raised him to be kind, to be honest, to avoid troubling others. But adulthood had taught him the harsh truth—kindness was a weakness.

"I will not be an honest man again in this life."

The humiliation, the pain, the loneliness—he had endured enough.

"This world follows the law of the jungle. It was like that in my past life, and it's even more so in Douluo Continent. If I don't become strong, I will never escape this hell."

A Late-Night Visitor

A knock at the door startled him. Snow from the eaves tumbled to the ground.

Dai Yao instantly extinguished the fire. If the eunuchs found out, they would make his life even worse.

He cracked the door open cautiously.

Outside stood a middle-aged man.

"Third Uncle?" Dai Yao whispered in surprise.

Dai Hengyu, third brother of the Xingluo Emperor, gazed down at the boy with a mixture of guilt and sorrow.

He had been close to Dai Yao's mother. Before she died, she had entrusted her son to him. But he had no real power. Rescuing Dai Yao from the queen's reach was impossible.

But that might change tomorrow.

"Tomorrow is your martial soul awakening. I need to tell you something," Dai Hengyu said softly.

"What is it?"

"It's about your future. You might not have to stay in this cold palace much longer."

He sighed and knelt to Dai Yao's eye level.

"Our Dai family has inherited the White Tiger Martial Soul for generations. But the stronger the martial soul, the harder it is to inherit. That's why the Xingluo emperors always marry women from the Zhu family—they possess the Nether Spirit Cat, which increases the chances of inheritance."

His voice turned bitter. "But your mother did not have the Nether Spirit Cat. That means your chances of awakening the White Tiger are low."

"If you don't inherit it, staying in the palace will be a nightmare. That's why I'll take you to the Elder Council after your awakening."

Dai Yao's expression remained unreadable.

"I understand, Third Uncle. But even if I hide, the queen will never let me live."

Dai Hengyu was stunned at the boy's maturity—it was unnatural for a six-year-old to speak like this.

"If I awaken a powerful martial soul, I'll carve my own path. If not… then I'll have to rely on you."

After Dai Hengyu left, Dai Yao relit the fire and stared into the flickering flames.

"Tomorrow decides everything."