Yan'er, Yan'er! What's wrong with you!"
A tense shout echoed in his ears.
A wave of weakness, one Xiao Yan hadn't felt in tens of thousands of years, washed over him, making him unbearably uncomfortable.
Blinding white light flickered before his eyes, and a cacophony of sounds rang in his ears.
With great effort, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes.
"Where… am I?"
As his vision cleared, Xiao Yan instinctively tried to mobilize his soul power to scan the surroundings.
But the spiritual sense that once spanned entire realms now barely reached a few meters.
The sudden change made his eyes widen.
In front of him, two familiar faces slowly came into focus .....one larger, one smaller.
The older one had a square face with thick eyebrows; the authority in his expression had been replaced by deep concern.
The man who had just called "Yan'er" was clearly his father.
The younger one's face was as fair as jade.
Though still a little girl, her beauty already hinted at a peerless grace .....like a lotus about to bloom.
But now, her face was filled with worry, crystal tears brimming in her eyes.
These two faces… Xiao Yan could never mistake them.
They were his father, Xiao Zhan, and his wife, Xun'er.
Yet Xiao Zhan had long been brought into the Great Thousand World by him.
Even with poor talent, Xiao Yan had raised his father to the Heavenly Supreme realm using divine pills and treasures.
As for Xun'er, she was one of the Great Thousand World's greatest beauties, her cultivation reaching the Saint Peak.
But now, she looked like a child of only eleven or twelve.
"What… is happening?"
Xiao Yan was stunned and tried to rise.
He clearly remembered fighting the heavenly tribulation, striving to break past the Domination Realm.
But—
His arm went limp, and his body felt completely drained.
When he tried to stir his inner energy, almost nothing responded .....only faint traces of weak power.
"This… this is Dou Qi?"
Xiao Yan's eyes widened in disbelief.
Lying weakly on the pillow, he glanced around at many familiar faces ....some anxious, some worried, some secretly pleased.
Memories from tens of thousands of years surged back.
After a deep breath, Xiao Yan accepted reality.
"I… have returned… to when I was twelve!"
Looking at the faces around him, Xiao Yan felt a surreal calm ..... as if time itself had reversed.
Was this rebirth, or merely a dream?
He tried every method he knew to break the illusion, but all failed.
After a while, he accepted the truth.
He was once again a boy with Dou Qi level 3, but this time, there was no fear on his face ..... only calm confidence.
Because he was no longer just a boy.
He was the Flame Emperor ....Xiao Yan!
"Brother Xiao Yan, are you alright?"
Beside him, little Xun'er asked anxiously, noticing his shifting expressions.
"I'm fine. I just made a misstep in cultivation. I'll be back to normal after some rest."
Looking into her worried eyes, Xiao Yan smiled softly.
No matter how much time passed, his wife always cared the most.
Thinking this, he gently took her small white hand and patted it lightly to comfort her.
This simple action instantly flushed the little girl's face bright red.
"Brother Xiao Yan, even now you still have time to tease me!"
She quickly pulled her hand away, flustered, leaving Xiao Yan momentarily stunned ....then he couldn't help but laugh.
In his previous life (for convenience, referring to his life before rebirth), he and Xun'er had been husband and wife for tens of thousands of years.
Such gestures meant nothing between them.
But this young Xun'er was still a little girl .....how could she handle that intimacy?
"Yan'er, are you really okay?"
Xiao Zhan, seeing his son smile, finally exhaled in relief.
As a father, his first concern was his child's safety ..... not talent or strength.
"Don't worry, Father. I'll recover soon."
Xiao Yan smiled calmly, as if nothing serious had happened.
"Well, rest properly. I'll discuss with the elders how to treat your injuries."
Xiao Zhan nodded, though the worry in his eyes remained.
Xiao Yan knew his father well ..... dropping to Dou Qi level 3 couldn't be hidden from the elders.