Aside from Yu Xiaogang himself, those who knew his circumstances—like his father Yu Yuanzhen, Sect Master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect—watched the heavenly curtain with disbelief. The contrast the screen promised was staggering: a man they knew as a waste had become a Titled Douluo in another world. Even before the broadcast began, everyone wondered how that Dragon God Yu Xiaogang had rewritten his fate.
The images started to play.
Now broadcasting: Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.
A courtyard within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. A newborn's cry. Yu Yuanzhen, proud and excited, named his son Yu Xiaogang. As the Sect Master's son and the child of the family's only Titled Douluo, the boy was adored from birth. Elders were gentle, powerhouses deferential, and the younger generation vied for his favor. In those days, Yu Xiaogang was the sect's center.
Watching those scenes, Yu Xiaogang's fists tightened and his eyes reddened. What could sting more than seeing himself so cherished—knowing what the future held? Tang San watched him with a cold look, warning in his eyes: whoever orchestrated this display had invited trouble.
The heavenly curtain continued.
Favored and loved, Yu Xiaogang grew arrogant. He accepted elders' kindness as his due, took the family's respect for granted, and scorned the younger generation's flattery. Before his Martial Soul awakened, he already believed his birthright guaranteed greatness. He refused to acknowledge anyone whose Innate Spirit Power was below level seven.
Across the Douluo Continent, reactions rippled. Some scoffed at his arrogance; others shrugged, blaming fate. "He's the son of a Titled Douluo," they said. "But Martial Soul Awakening doesn't care about lineage." The mockery that would later follow was already being foretold.
Under Yu Yuanzhen's guidance, the boy began studying Spirit Master knowledge early. Yu Xiaogang showed a keen interest—especially in spirit rings and their combinations. He asked pointed questions: why this ratio of spirit rings for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon? Would different rings yield better results?
Yu Yuanzhen smiled and dismissed the queries. The family's spirit ring combinations were the product of generations of refinement—an optimized system that reliably produced powerhouses. For scattered Spirit Masters without such backing, spirit ring acquisition was a matter of luck; many talented individuals failed because they chose poorly. As a son of the family, Yu Xiaogang would have his path arranged.
"Do you understand now, Little San?" Yu Xiaogang would tell Tang San later, using the lesson as a teaching point: spirit ring acquisition shapes your future; experience matters.
On the heavenly curtain, Bibi Dong watched the young Yu Xiaogang with a soft, wistful expression. She remembered the boy who had once studied in the Spirit Hall library and felt a sudden longing. Yu Yuanzhen, watching from his chamber, felt helpless. He had planned his son's path, but the boy's Spirit had undone those plans. He, too, wondered what choice in the parallel world had allowed another Yu Xiaogang to become a Titled Douluo. Perhaps, he thought, some change in the parents' actions had altered the child's Innate Spirit Power.
The broadcast moved forward.
Soon, the year Yu Xiaogang turned six approached—the year of his Martial Soul Awakening.