Wei's eyes snapped open, greeted by a scorched wasteland stretching endlessly before him. The air was thick with the terrified screams of unseen souls, and the acrid stench of burned flesh and death assaulted his senses, churning his stomach with nausea. He couldn't scream, couldn't speak, couldn't move—trapped as a helpless observer to the destruction of his home. Above him loomed a grotesque monster, its = red eyes gleaming with malice as it smashed his father to the ground with a single blow.
His grandfather roared in defiance, unleashing the clan's inherited flame at its peak, a blazing torrent that seared the demon's face. The attack bought a fleeting moment—enough to save one life. His.
His grandfather stood silent, his reddened eyes and hunched shoulders heavy with grief as he summoned a spatial gate and shoved Wei through it. Only then could Wei move. He stretched out desperately, his voice cracking with anguish as the distance between them widened. "GRANDPA!"
He jolted awake, arm still outstretched, heart hammering in his chest, throat parched and raw. Fumbling, he pulled a mug of water from his storage ring and gulped it down, struggling to regulate his ragged breathing. The loss was too fresh, the wound too deep to heal so soon. He choked back a sob, clenching his teeth to keep from sinking into despair, channeling his pain into a smoldering hatred that fueled his resolve for the future.
A soft sigh echoed through the room, familiar yet not his own. His body trembled, eyes widening as he unleashed his soul power without restraint, sweeping through every corner of the space.
A room away, Madam Yue felt the surge brush past her. 'What tragedies have befallen you, little Wei? You're far too young for this cruel world' she thought, her heart heavy as she offered a silent prayer for the young man before turning away.
Wei's soul power found nothing, but doubt clawed at his mind, threatening to unravel his sanity. A sudden spark of intuition hit him. He yanked the bead necklace from his neck, his grandfather's cherished treasure, one he'd claimed was worth as much as his own life. Probing it with soul power revealed nothing, but when he infused it with spiritual energy, he was instantly pulled inside.
A vast paradise unfolded before him, a realm brimming with potent spiritual energy. Rare herbs glowed with unimaginable value, and mighty beasts roamed, their power far surpassing his own—a hidden world of alchemy, exclusively his. Yet no treasure in the universe could rival the hope now flickering in his heart.
His gaze locked onto a small room a few hundred meters away. With fierce determination, he sprinted toward it, blasting the door open with a surge of energy. Inside, a translucent old man floated before a table, engrossed in writing.
"I didn't raise you to be so reckless, little Wei," the familiar figure chided gently. "You could at least knock first." Wei barely registered the words. Tears welled up as he lunged forward, voice breaking. "GRANDPA!"
His grandfather's arms caught him, holding him tightly as he sobbed, his tears a torrent of pain laced with the faint joy of reunion. The old man said nothing more, only rubbing Wei's back as minutes passed, letting his grandson's grief pour out.
Embarrassed by his outburst, Wei pulled back, wiping his eyes.
The sight of his grandfather as a remnant soul pierced his heart anew, but he forced himself to stay composed. His grandfather's gaze was warm, filled with quiet kindness. "You've endured so much these past days, little Wei. Tell me everything that's happened since you arrived in this realm."
Wei nodded, recounting every detail since his arrival—the village, Madam Yue, the formation, all of it. He clung to this moment, unwilling to squander what might be fleeting time, uncertain of his grandfather's condition. Sensing his fear, the old man offered a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, little Wei. This remnant soul is but a shadow of my former self, yet it holds soul power equivalent to an Earth Supreme. It could unleash a single attack at that level before slipping into a deep sleep. If used sparingly in battles around the Supreme realm, it could last a few years. Simply existing, it should endure for fifty years or more, sustained by the treasures of this alchemy world."
Wei's eyes brightened, a wave of relief washing over him. Even one survivor from the clan's destruction was a lifeline, a spark of hope. He swore silently to find a way to restore his grandfather's life, no matter the cost. But a burning question pressed at him. "Grandfather, why were we attacked by demons? Our continent is so far from the main battlefront."
The old man's face darkened, his shoulders sagging as if a great burden had settled upon him. After a long silence, he sighed heavily. "It's my fault, little Wei. With my time running short, I sought to leave a remnant soul to guide the clan. But the world's greater threats demanded more than guidance—they required strength. So, I worked to create a pill capable of reviving Heavenly Supremes from remnant souls. If successful, it could have rallied a force of Heavenly Supremes, restoring the clan to its former glory given time."
His grandfather's back hunched further, his eyes meeting Wei's with deep guilt. "In my haste to strengthen the clan, I brought disaster upon us. The news for the pill leaked, drawing the attention of multiple powers. Most respected my position as a guest elder in Diqian Palace, but the top superpowers of the Great Thousand Worlds had no such restraint.
One demanded the recipe outright. I explained it was a failure—incapable of supporting Heavenly Supremes, only effective for Earth Supremes and below, and at a cost far outweighing the result. I showed them proof, and they backed off." He paused, his voice growing softer, heavier.
"Later, I had another idea: to use spiritual power assimilation to revive a powerhouse from a lower realm and train them to greater heights. I kept this project a secret, even from your parents. I succeeded—that's where your uncle Zhang Jin came from."
Wei's eyes widened as the truth settled in. Uncle Jin had always been an oddity. It was rare for a lower-realm powerhouse to ascend to the Great Thousand Worlds, and rarer still for them to join a clan unless compelled by circumstance.
Now Wei understood why Jin served as a guest elder and why his grandfather entrusted him with his daughter's safety. "That explains Uncle Jin," Wei said, his voice steady but curious. "But how does it tie to the demon attack?"
His grandfather's expression grew grimmer still. "The powers of the Great Thousand Worlds dismissed the failed recipe as not worth their trouble, but the demons saw it differently. For fifty thousand years, we've been losing ground to them in this endless war. When they learned of the pill, they feared it could be refined and improved, shifting the balance against them. To prevent that, they struck to crush the possibility—and us—before it could take root, ensuring they wouldn't face a disadvantage."
Understanding crashed over Wei like a tidal wave. His teeth clenched, fists tightening until his knuckles whitened. He looked at his grandfather with unyielding determination. "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll avenge the clan. I'll destroy every last demon in existence."
Hidden Title: Nightmare, Shock and Surprise, My Own ring Grandfather.