I have added this story to my Patreon. You can support me and read the latest chapters there. It also fed and motivate me to write more chapters!
Patreon Link: Patreon.com/NineClouds69
--- Chapter 479 ---
Han Tianyi was an Elder of the Spirit Pagoda, an esteemed powerhouse feared as the Illusory Brain Douluo!
His title was a testament to his terrifying spiritual power and mastery over illusion, which had advanced deep into the unprecedented Spirit Domain Realm, a realm resting a mere breath away from the realm of gods.
Even then, that breath away was still far from it.
That's why Han Tianyi had been chasing it his whole life, even going as far as leaving the Body Sect and joining the Spirit Pagoda to look for a sliver of a chance.
In the eyes of the Federation and many powerhouses, he was dubbed the man with the most powerful brain on the Douluo Continent.
Regardless of his prestige, what the world didn't know was that this final, almost divine-like breakthrough had cost him everything. The tragic irony of Han Tianyi's own cultivation was written in blood.
The moment Han Tianyi had decided to enter deep seclusion to force his breakthrough into the peak of the Spirit Domain Realm, his own son, Han Juanyang, and his daughter-in-law, Xu Bingchen, had been inadvertently caught in a chaotic, treacherous crossfire between the Holy Spirit Cult and Shrek Academy.
Ultimately, they perished in that battle.
Back then, as the skies tore apart, they had desperately called for Han Tianyi's help.
But because his mind was entirely submerged in the dangerous depths of his bottleneck, he remained ignorant of the emergency signals.
He didn't learn of their horrific, unjust deaths until he finally stepped out of seclusion, a newly crowned peak spiritual master.
Yet, instead of being happy, Han Tianyi had been utterly crushed.
He ruthlessly blamed himself for being too self-absorbed, realizing far too late that the heights of cultivation meant nothing if there was no family left to share the happiness with.
Yet, the hands of fate were not done torturing him.
Han Tianyi knew he still had a grandson, Han Yuan. He had doted on the boy, showering him with frequent gifts whenever he visited.
The moment the grief-stricken Han Tianyi learned of his son's demise, his thought was to secure the boy's safety and give him familial love and support.
Unfortunately, fate had written a far darker script for him that day.
When Han Tianyi arrived at his late son's private estate, he didn't find his grandson. He found a smoldering ruin razed to the ground, with a thick, putrid, and unmistakable evil aura permeating the very soil.
His grandson, his last remaining descendant and family to this world, had vanished into thin air.
Kidnapped by a group of Evil Spirit Masters.
For a second time, Han Tianyi's soul was violently shattered.
He hated the Evil Spirit Masters.
He hated the Holy Spirit Cult, and in his grief, he deeply resented Shrek Academy's irresponsible, incompetent fools.
He really, really, really hated them all for tearing his family away from him piece by piece.
Months passed into an agonizing void with zero intelligence or updates on his grandson's condition. Every day was a torture in slow, suffocating despair.
Until today.
The High Command of the Federation had abruptly contacted him with good news. A Regimental Commander of the Northern Army Corps had successfully saved his grandson from a den of Evil Spirit Masters.
But the good news also came with bad news. His precious grandson had been subjected to horrific, illegal human experimentation by Evil Spirit Masters.
The very news caused Han Tianyi to lose his sanity on the spot. The pure, raw rage of his leaked spiritual power had destroyed his office within the Spirit Pagoda, sending a shockwave that alarmed every powerhouse in the area.
It was terrifying, and many thought someone got killed by Han Tianyi for him to release such anger and might.
Without a single moment of hesitation, he had reached out to his Junior Brother, Mu Ye, the current Master of the Body Sect, requesting his immediate, personal escort.
Then, Mu Ye had driven his Divine-class Red Mecha, tearing a straight, cutting path through the sky toward Whale's Laugh City at hypersonic speeds.
Meanwhile, Han Tianyi bypassed the military channel using some of his connections to contact the commander who saved his grandson.
Now, standing on the dusty cliffside, the older man experienced a fresh, crushing weight settling upon his chest.
His grandson hadn't just been physically abused.
He had also lost his mind due to the horrors those scums had done to him.
The boy couldn't even recognize him.
His grandfather.
Left with nothing but a sea of sorrow and burning guilt, the Illusory Brain Douluo could only drop to his knees, tightening his desperate, protective embrace around the small boy.
"I am your grandfather, Xiao Yan... Grandpa is here," Han Tianyi murmured into the boy's hair, his silver eyes flashing with a cold, terrifying light that promised absolute ruin to their enemies. "You're safe now."
'And I will make them pay. Every single one of them... will bleed for what they did to you!'
While Han Tianyi was entirely consumed by the emotional reunion with his long-lost grandson, Mu Ye, the current Sect Master of the Body Sect, also jumped off the mecha and scanned the immediate surroundings with a heavy frown.
"Hmm..." Mu Ye's sharp eyes glanced at the smoking, melted slag of the Mobile Spirit Awakening Device, and then shifted to the visibly unnerved Guo Zhenfeng.
Even under pressure, Mu Ye could tell this young man had a bright future, as he had reached the rank of Title Douluo at a relatively young age, and his realm was very stable.
He wasn't a monster. Yet, he has the potential.
"What happened here?" He asked, his voice booming slightly.
Guo Zhenfeng rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before explaining how the military-grade device had violently overloaded, destabilizing and dissolving into metal slag the exact second it finished awakening Han Yuan's spirits.
"What?!" Mu Ye's eyes widened in genuine shock. He knew precisely how advanced modern Soul Guidance technology was, and these military-grade devices wouldn't malfunction without a reason.
There was only one logical explanation. The awakening process itself was too powerful for the device to handle.
"What martial souls did he awaken?" Mu Ye demanded, staring intently into Guo Zhenfeng's eyes.
"This... I can show you the log, but..." Guo Zhenfeng's mouth twitched slightly as he recounted the brief, earth-shattering phenomena he had just witnessed.
He explained that the Twin Martial Souls Han Yuan had awakened might be God-level spirits, and he might possess the legendary Innate Spirit Power of Level 20.
Mu Ye sucked in a sharp, cold breath, his gaze locking back onto the tiny, silver-haired boy with an awed expression. "This kid... he has the potential to become God!"
Han Tianyi, with his peak Spirit Domain perception, overheard every word of the intense exchange between Guo Zhenfeng and his junior brother. However, hearing that his grandson had awakened two God-level Spirits brought him no joy. Instead, a wave of deeper guilt washed over him.
He knew all too well that such unprecedented talent meant the boy would inevitably carry a huge, dangerous burden in the future.
All Han Tianyi wanted for his grandson now was peace and happiness, especially after the dark, twisted horrors the boy had endured at the hands of those Evil Spirit Masters.
"Grandpa... I have a grandpa?" Han Yuan blinked up at Han Tianyi, his silver eyes perfectly mimicking a child's newfound wonder.
Hearing that hesitant question, Han Tianyi's heart ached with profound sorrow. Forcing a warm, gentle smile, he softly patted his grandson's silver hair.
"Yes, Xiao Yuan. I am your grandpa. You can call me Grandpa Han." He said with certainty.
"Come, let's go back home."
"This... Senior Brother, don't you think...?" Mu Ye stepped forward.
He knew the timing was abrupt and insensitive given the emotional weight of the reunion. Even then, as the leader of a fading Body Sect, he couldn't simply ignore a prospect of this level, a boy who was, by extension, his own grandnephew.
If the Body Sect could absorb such a genius capable of becoming a God, even if the boy didn't possess a Body Martial Soul, it would guarantee their grand comeback on the continent.
Han Tianyi huffed indifferently, his silver eyes chilling over as he cast a sharp glance backward. "As long as I am breathing... do not even think about touching my grandson, Junior Brother."
"And it is not just you."
"The Federation, the Spirit Pagoda, the Tang Sect, Shrek, and most of all... the Holy Spirit Cult."
"I will personally tear down anyone who dares to touch a single hair on my dear grandson's head!"
With that dead-chilling declaration, Han Tianyi effortlessly scooped Han Yuan into his arms and leaped directly up into the red mecha.
Turning back toward the cockpit, he looked down at the officer, who had saved his grandson. "Benefactor Guo, I will send my personal regards to you soon."
"It is a small token of my gratitude, and I hope you accept it. Also, if you ever find yourself in need of assistance, you may call me any time."
"Um, bye-bye, Uncle!" Han Yuan said, waving his small hand at dazed Guo Zhenfeng.
Guo Zhenfeng blinked, awkwardly smiling and raising a hand to wave back. "Uh... bye, kid..."
"Mu Ye, move out!" Han Tianyi ordered, completely ignoring his brother's status as he gently settled his grandson into the most luxurious, shock-absorbent seat within the cockpit.
Mu Ye's mouth twitched violently, his eye throbbing in exasperation. 'This is my goddamn mecha, and you're barking orders at me like I'm your personal driver!'
'Damn it all... You are incredibly lucky to have a grandson like that, Senior Brother!'
"Fine, fine," Mu Ye grumbled under his breath, sliding back into the pilot's seat. With a flick of his soul power control, he activated the spirit energy thrusters, sending the Divine-class Red Mecha rocketing away from the cliffside, tracing a blazing line back toward the central headquarters of the Spirit Pagoda.
Guo Zhenfeng stood entirely alone on the desolate, dusty cliff, his uniform rustling in the lingering heat of the mecha's exhaust and violent seaside wind.
He stared into the distant horizon for a long moment, a highly complex expression playing across his features before settling into a relaxed, genuine smile.
"Han Yuan... kid, make sure you live your absolute best life," He murmured into the wind. "A monstrous genius like you... I am certain you will change the face of this world sooner or later. And I'll be watching you."