Wu Tian did not know what he was supposed to feel. With time still frozen, he stared at the image of Austin Griffin before him.
He felt both joy and deep unease. After all, Austin Griffin was not only one of the two most powerful Gods, but also the most hated and feared existence across all cycles.
Possessing this spirit and its inheritance also meant taking on the risk of being hunted by the Divine World.
But after a while, the feeling of joy took over.
So what if I became an enemy of the Divine World? By the time they discovered that I possessed the inheritance of Austin Griffin, I would already be strong enough to stand on my own. Besides, I never had a choice to begin with. And even if I did, what fool would choose a weak lizard spirit over Austin Griffin?
The moment Wu Tian reached that conclusion, the spirit of Austin Griffin transformed into a beam of light and struck him. A terrifying roar echoed deep within his soul. Yet there was no time to feel fear, for at the same instant, overwhelming pain flooded his entire body.
His bones shattered one by one, only to be reshaped by an unknown force moments later. Cracking sounds echoed from within his body, and with every breath he took, the pain only grew more intense.
I fought with all my strength to avoid losing consciousness. A voice within me warned that I had to keep my mind clear—otherwise, something terrible would happen.
With time frozen, Wu Tian had no idea how much had passed. Yet he felt as though the duration exceeded the combined length of both of his lives.
At last, the inheritance of Austin Griffin was branded into the deepest core of Wu Tian's soul.
In that instant, it felt as though an invisible seal had been engraved upon him. The mark carved into his soul core was irreversible. This inheritance had become a part of him—something that could neither be rejected nor erased. Wu Tian could feel that his fate had been completely rewritten.
The change was not only spiritual—it was physical as well.
Nearly eighty percent of his white hair turned black. At the same time, his frail, skinny six-year-old body transformed into one that was exceptionally healthy. His lightly wheat-coloured skin became as pale as immortal jade.
His face had once been merely handsome; now, it possessed a presence that challenged even
Just a few seconds before losing consciousness, the divine sigil of Austin Griffin appeared on Wu Tian's forehead.
At the same moment, the shadow of a nine-headed chimera manifested behind him.divine concepts.
The very moment Wu Tian lost consciousness, an inexplicable tremor spread through the depths of the Divine World.
The heavens woven from gold and white light darkened for a fleeting instant. The foundations of the divine palaces quivered, and runes embodying sacred laws flickered chaotically. Beings who watched over time and fate raised their heads simultaneously.
"This sensation…"
"This cannot be a mistake."
The Five Great Gods watched the unfolding events with fear in their eyes.
One of them, Hui Mie, clenched his fists and spoke in a grim voice:
"This aura… there is no room for error.
The God of Heavenly Calamity has been reborn."
The moment those words were spoken, a deadly silence fell upon the divine realm. None of the others dared to refute it. For even among gods, that name was forbidden.
The Asura God spoke:
"We must find him and kill him before he grows stronger.
Otherwise, this will be the end of all of us."
The Goddess of Life frowned slightly, her beautiful brows knitting together as she spoke:
"That is nearly impossible. His divine status is higher than ours, which means we cannot locate him through karma or the path of fate. He will only reveal himself if he chooses to do so."
Thus, the Divine World was forced—against its will—into a state of passive waiting.
While all of this was happening, time in the Mortal World began to flow once more.
It even rewound itself back to the moment just before Grandpa Jack burst into the room—back to the instant when Wu Tian had just awakened.
Wu Tian's eyes slowly opened. The blue eyes he once had were gone, replaced by deep violet eyes, more beautiful than any gemstone in the entire universe.
Holding his aching head, Wu Tian murmured:
"Was all of this… just a dream?"
At that moment, the door swung open sharply.
Grandpa Jack stepped into the room, striking the floor with his cane as he grumbled:
"Wu Tian! Wake up already. The sun has long risen."
Wu Tian lifted his head in surprise. Grandpa Jack's gaze lingered on his face for a brief moment—something felt different… yet he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Seeing this familiar scenario, Wu Tian quickly issued a command for the system interface to open.
[System Interface]
Name: Wu Tian
Title: Heir of the God of Heavenly Calamity
Race: Half-Human / Half-Spirit Beast
Age: 6
Level: 10 (Innate Full Spirit Power) [Not Awakened]
Spirit: Fire Chimera – Nine-Headed Chimera (Austin Griffin) (God-Tier+) [Not Awakened]
Luck: 100 [Max. 100]
Charisma: 100+ [Max. 100]
Potential: 100 [Max. 100]
The interface was magnificent. With the drastic changes in my statistics, I realised that this was the only thing left of the system.
Now, I could see nothing but my stats.
At the same time, in the background, Grandpa Jack was scolding me and, as always, giving a tedious lecture about how I should take Tang San as my example.
I paid no attention to it—his words went in one ear and out the other.
Wu Tian closed the system interface. Then, with a gentle smile, he looked at Grandpa Jack and spoke:
"Yes, you're right, Grandpa Jack. I really do need to work hard. From now on… I'll truly work hard."
Grandpa Jack froze for a moment, unsure of how to respond to those words.
"…Very well," he finally said.
Then he turned around and left the house.
Wu Tian got out of bed, stepped outside through the door, and looked at the rising sun.
With a faint smile on his lips, he murmured:
"The real story is only just beginning."