Misty Rain of the Old Times

These giants were clearly a group of violent maniacs, with a warlike mentality seemingly ingrained in their bones. They were happy and excited to watch the battle, especially since the two sides were completely disproportionate in size and still dared to fight one-on-one. Their gazes toward Du Juan were filled with equal respect, rather than the initial curiosity they felt when they encountered an interesting little creature.

The giant on the field, facing the cuckoo charging head-on, clenched his fist and pounded his chest with a dull thud, letting out a hearty roar. He raised his spear and strode forward, the ground shaking with each step, the spear slicing through the air with a whistling and explosive sound.

Awakening was surrounded by pink true energy rising and swirling around her body. She moved swiftly, leaving a dazzling trail of light and shadow. As she approached the giant, her true energy surged, and the short sword in her hand emitted a clanging sound.

The next instant, the cold dagger in her hand gleamed with a blinding white light, transforming into a two-zhang-long blade of energy, so sharp that it gave one a sense of cutting even with the naked eye, and the temperature of the surrounding air dropped rapidly.

For her, the enormous and exaggerated spear was about to strike head-on, the wind it generated causing her hair to fly and her clothes to billow. Her eyes remained unchanged, and with a swift movement, she gracefully and nimbly dodged the attack. Elegant and composed, she then leaped forward, stepping over the enormous spear that had just passed her, and sped along the spear towards the giant's face. Her short sword, radiating a two-zhang-long blade of energy, slashed diagonally at the giant's chest and abdomen with a resolute and cold aura, not aiming for his vital parts.

Her speed was extremely fast, and even the well-prepared giant could hardly keep up with her pace. Her massive size did not give her an advantage in agility, and the dazzling blade light that was 'close at hand' made him subconsciously squint his eyes.

In this wondrous underground world, danger lurks everywhere. The giant, having experienced countless battles, possesses an extremely strong fighting spirit and instinctively raises his spear to block the blow.

Du Juan, expressionless, did not change the trajectory of her slash, even though she could have easily done so. The sharp blade energy slashed down, and a sharp, brief sound of impact rang out.

With her strike, the giant's sturdy wooden spear shaft, more than a sheet in diameter, snapped in two, the cut smooth as a mirror, cold and even with frost forming on it.

This scene left the giants watching in astonishment, and some couldn't help but let out a subconscious "oh" to express their surprise.

The giant fighting the cuckoo suddenly felt a lightness in his hand as a section of his broken spear fell to the ground. His pupils contracted, and he instinctively grabbed it with his other hand, stopping abruptly as he tried to retreat and create distance.

After the first strike, Du Juan did not stop there. Instead, she followed closely and leaped up, using the broken spear as leverage to reach the giant's exaggerated face. Her short sword once again shone with dazzling sword energy, which was particularly dazzling in the sunlight. The sudden sharpness caused the giant to be temporarily blinded.

Immediately afterwards, the pink true energy around her body surged suddenly, like a dazzling peach blossom blooming, eerie and mesmerizing. The giant, who was already temporarily blinded, had not yet fully regained his sight when he blinked, and Du Juan's figure disappeared under the dazzling light and shadow.

The onlookers saw that after using two methods to confuse the giant's vision, Du Juan did not launch a direct attack. Instead, she quickly turned around and circled behind the giant, like a pink meteor falling to the ground. She used the martial arts technique of "Thousand-Pound Drop" to strike the giant's foot.

Under the force of the impact, the giant, who had barely managed to blink and regain his sight, felt a sharp pain in his leg, lost his balance, and collapsed to his knees with a thud, creating a large crater in the ground and sending dust billowing up.

That wasn't the end of it. Having landed a successful blow, Du Juan leaped into the air again, using the giant's body for leverage, and arrived behind his head. Taking advantage of the giant's unsteady stance, she used the same method to strike the back of the giant's head like a meteor.

The giant was attacked on the back of the head, his head throbbed with pain and he became dizzy. He could no longer maintain his posture and collapsed to the ground with a crash.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Du Juan landed on his shoulder, and the short knife in her hand once again unleashed a two-zhang blade of energy, which was held horizontally at the giant's neck. The giant, who had fallen to the ground and had a mouthful of mud, felt a coldness on his neck, hesitated for a moment and stopped moving, but his eyes were filled with resentment and frustration.

Seeing this, the giants watching erupted in excitement once again, shouting "tiger tiger tiger!" in unison.

All of this may sound like a long story, but in reality it happened in the blink of an eye, within four or five breaths. Du Juan ended the battle in a few swift and overwhelming moves.

Facing only a single giant, with her cultivation level, she could have won much more easily, and even killing him wouldn't have been difficult. However, Chen Xuan had said he wasn't there to make enemies, so he restrained himself with some ruthless killing methods, but still managed to win easily.

If she hadn't initially wanted to test just how powerful the giants were, she wouldn't have even experienced the feeling of being swept away by a spear and nearly crushed.

In the current situation, it's clear to everyone that the giant has lost. Since the short sword in Dujuan's hand, which unleashed a two-zhang-long blade of energy, could cut through his spear, it shouldn't be too difficult to cut off his head. Even if it can't completely sever his head, as long as his artery and trachea are severed, the giant probably won't survive without timely treatment.

Giants possess terrifying strength, but agility is ultimately their weakness. The title of "Innate Master" is truly prestigious and not just empty words. Even though Du Juan has only been an Innate Master for less than a year, with her rich experience from countless battles, she can easily defeat giants by exploiting their weaknesses, and that's only when she is restrained and doesn't go all out.

The giant who fell to the ground clenched his fist and slammed it into the ground, clearly giving up and admitting defeat. Although his expression was unwilling, he simply did not make a fuss. It is true that these giants are simple-minded.

From that moment on, the sharp edge of the short knife in Dujuan's hand disappeared. She leaped off the giant's shoulder and landed dozens of meters away. Regardless of whether the giant understood or not, she cupped her hands in a gesture of acceptance towards him.

Witnessing this, the giants watching erupted in cheers once more, their eyes filled with even greater respect. They roared with joy, as if jeering or mocking the defeated giant, though they seemed to have no ill intentions.

"Master, Sister Juan won! It was just a few moves, I didn't even see it clearly, she's amazing!" the little maid said excitedly, her eyes filled with genuine admiration as she looked at Du Juan.

Chen Xuan saw it clearly: Du Juan was indeed relaxed. Perhaps it was due to her habits from her career as an assassin. While restraining her ruthless methods, she was truly going all out. This kind of fighting style was very taxing on her. Having only reached the Innate Realm for less than a year, her true energy was limited. She couldn't maintain such a high-intensity battle for even a quarter of an hour before it would be depleted, at which point she would be at a disadvantage.

In this way, Chen Xuan gained a preliminary understanding of the giants' combat power. Without additional means, they were somewhere between the acquired and innate realms. However, this did not mean they were weak. With their terrifying power, few innate realm cultivators could directly withstand their attacks.

Furthermore, we have gained a more comprehensive understanding of Du Juan's strength. In direct combat, she is undoubtedly at the bottom of the innate level, but she has mastered too many killing techniques and methods. If she uses the methods of an assassin, even top innate masters would probably have sleepless nights.

Everyone has different strengths, and weaknesses don't define everything.

The giant on the field got up, looked at the broken spear, and was somewhat surprised by Du Juan's methods. He did not continue to harass her, but instead pounded his chest at Du Juan and said something that was not clear in meaning. Then he grimaced and walked to the side, staggering a bit. It was obvious that the two blows Du Juan had given him to the back of the knee and the back of the head were not pleasant.

Giants nearby were jeering at him, and he bared his teeth and roared a few times, as if to say, "If you're so good, then you do it."

Not understanding what these giants were trying to express, after it ended, Du Juan hesitated for a moment before turning around and heading in Chen Xuan's direction.

Just as she turned around, a loud thud came from the ground, and another giant jumped out. He seemed impatient and didn't even consult or greet the other giants, as if he was afraid that Dujuan would run away.

Du Juan looked in the direction of the sound and saw a female giant jump out. She was burly, with her hair braided into a head full of braids. She only wore a huge animal skin around her chest and waist, unlike many other giants who wore protective gear. She was holding a huge bone knife in her hand.

She jumped out and shouted at Du Juan a few times, as if to provoke her, to challenge her to a fight, or as if she was trying to get revenge for the giant.

Seeing this, Du Juan stopped in her tracks. She really didn't understand what the other person was talking about, and subconsciously looked in Chen Xuan's direction to follow instructions.

Upon arriving, Chen Xuan was unfamiliar with the giants' aesthetic sense. Putting aside their physique, the twelve-zhang-tall female giant had a fairly well-proportioned and slender figure, with clearly visible abdominal muscles and abs. In particular, her chest was like two small mountains. In any case, many giants around her seemed to look at her with admiration, though he didn't know if it was just his imagination.

She must have stepped forward on her own initiative. The giant, who was quite imposing, had yelled at her twice, and she responded with a couple of words but remained standing in the arena, refusing to leave.

Chen Xuan's thoughts and expression were still somewhat blank, but he looked towards Du Juan and pondered, "Sister Juan, she's probably eager to spar with you, just like many martial artists encountering different opponents. She hasn't attacked directly; she's still playing by the rules. If you're interested, you can spar with her a bit; if not, that's fine too." Hearing this, Du Juan thought for a moment and said, "Master, I haven't expended much energy before, so I'd like to continue communicating with her. That way, you can learn more about these giants from a different perspective."

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "In that case, Sister Juan, please continue. Actually, you don't need to worry about me; I know what I'm doing. But you should be careful. We're new here and don't know much about this giant civilization. I always feel that she's different from the previous giants. I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I noticed earlier that she came from the city later, not with those dozens of giants from before."

Du Juan indicated that she understood, then looked at the female giant opposite her, cupped her hands in a gesture of invitation, and expressed her willingness to accept the challenge.

The female giant opposite her immediately smiled. Unlike the male giant before her, she didn't pound her chest. Instead, she nodded, lowered her body, and held her huge, pale bone sword horizontally in front of her, assuming a fighting stance.

Her already enormous size made her seem like a warrior, and Du Juan, who had easily defeated the male giant, suddenly felt pressure and danger.

In light of this, Du Juan, who had been walking the line between life and death for many years, trusted her intuition and dared not be careless. Moreover, Chen Xuan had warned her beforehand that this female giant might be different. Therefore, she planned to take the initiative rather than wait for the other party to launch the first attack and then respond passively.

Without hesitation, Du Juan, who had already made her decision, moved forward at a distance of one or two hundred meters from her opponent. Pink true energy rose around her body again, and she sped ahead without getting close to her opponent. The short sword in her hand shone with a dazzling light, and the two-zhang sword energy slashed towards her opponent from a distance, like a bright crescent moon. It went vertically close to the ground and tore a thin crack in the ground.

It seems that the giants do not practice martial arts. They are merely curious rather than surprised and incredulous about Dujuan's extraordinary abilities. It is likely that this magical underground world is home to many strange beasts with supernatural abilities, and they must be very knowledgeable.

Du Juan took the initiative and attacked, while the female giant opposite her was filled with burning fighting spirit.

Faced with the rapidly approaching, sharp blade energy, she instinctively dodged to the side. Perhaps sensing the sharpness and coldness of the blade energy as it passed her, a look of curiosity flashed in her eyes.

The blade energy dissipated and disintegrated after flying a hundred feet or so, without having any substantial impact on the giantess.

However, the giantess's reaction was beyond Du Juan's expectations. Her agility far surpassed that of the previous giants. Based on the previous giants' performance, she should have been unable to dodge the blade's speed at all; she should have either withstood it or blocked it with her weapon. But she chose to dodge instead.

This was just a probing attack by Du Juan. Due to the distance, even if the blade energy landed on the giantess, it would only cause superficial wounds at most. After all, true energy becomes less powerful the farther away it is.

The giantess, dodging the blade's energy, charged towards Dujuan with a massive bone sword. The two, one large and one small, were essentially moving in opposite directions, closing in as quickly as they could breathe. The pale bone sword whistled through the air as it slashed straight at Dujuan.

Having experienced the strength of the giantess firsthand, Du Juan naturally dared not be careless and confront her head-on. She used her lightness skill to dodge, while planning to use her speed to get behind the female giant and strike her back to incapacitate her.

Having experienced fighting against giants, Du Juan has already developed a preliminary strategy for dealing with them.

But things didn't go as Du Juan expected. She tried to dodge nimbly, but the old bone knife, clearly made of strong force, stopped its momentum and slashed again in the direction she was trying to dodge, as if the giantess could predict it.

Du Juan, secretly amazed, still dared not confront the attack head-on. She dodged again, but the giantess seemed to anticipate her movements, and the massive bone blade changed direction and slashed towards the direction she was dodging.

The bone knife was far too large for Du Juan, and it enveloped her like a shadow.

'This giantess doesn't know any martial arts at all; her attacks are completely haphazard, let alone any skill in generating power. How did she manage to accurately predict my dodge direction? It's almost instinctive. Master was right; this giantess is indeed extraordinary.'

With no way to avoid it in a flash of thought, Du Juan stopped dodging. Although she couldn't withstand the opponent's attack due to the size difference, it didn't mean she had no way to deal with it.

With a sharp look in her eyes, facing the bone knives that seemed to be slashing down from all sides, Du Juan's short knife rang out with a bright silver light, and in an instant, a bright silver blade of light swept out, giving people a sense of sharpness that could cut through everything.

A flash of silver light appeared, not dazzling, yet sharp and unparalleled.

Under the sweep of this silver blade light, the bone blade that had been slashing down on Du Juan was momentarily frozen, then shattered into more than ten fragments that shot out in all directions.

This scene left the giants watching in utter astonishment, and a brief silence fell over them.

Even the giantess who accurately judged the direction of the cuckoo's dodge was slightly stunned, seemingly unable to believe that her bone knife had shattered like that. She was shocked and almost instinctively held the broken bone knife and retreated to create distance.

After the attack, Du Juan's true energy was greatly depleted. Even though she shattered the enemy's weapon with a single strike, the terrifying force still sent her flying backward, carving a hundred-meter-long trench in the ground before she finally stopped.

Chen Xuan, who witnessed all of this, was somewhat surprised by the female giant's reaction ability. It wasn't a matter of how fast she was; even if she was more agile as a woman, she wasn't much faster than other giants. But she was able to judge Du Juan's movement trajectory perfectly and take targeted measures. That kind of combat instinct was surprising.

In addition, there is Du Juan. The slash that shattered the giantess was quite remarkable. It was a move from the Nine Absolute Blades, a top-tier martial art she herself taught. It was unstoppable and aimed at shattering everything. It was powerful, but it also consumed a lot of her energy.

Du Juan hasn't been practicing this sword technique for very long, and she's already entered the basics, but her skill level isn't high enough. Otherwise, the huge bone sword wouldn't have shattered into a dozen pieces, but would have been completely reduced to dust.

With over twenty years of martial arts training as a foundation, it's not surprising that she mastered the basics in a short time. However, her talent is limited, and even with over twenty years of experience, it's not enough for her to cultivate this top-tier sword technique to a high level. She can only unleash one-tenth of its power, but it's still quite remarkable.

At this moment, the two sides separated. The giantess looked at the destroyed bone knife, but she didn't seem particularly heartbroken. Instead, her gaze showed some surprise, as if she couldn't understand how Dujuan had managed to do it.

But this only fueled her fighting spirit. She threw away her last bone knife, lay prone on the ground, and let out a wild roar.

With that incomprehensible roar, the giantess's eyes turned a dark yellow, and even her pupils became vertical. At the same time, the skin of her massive, crouching body visibly tightened, her body shrank, and even her fingernails instantly transformed into sharp claws!

At this moment, the female giant was still in human form, but in Chen Xuan's eyes, she clearly transformed into a huge feline animal that was about to hunt.

Although they weren't very far apart, Chen Xuan clearly sensed that the cause of her change was a surge of special energy emanating from her heart!
Upon realizing this, Chen Xuan thought to himself, "No wonder I vaguely felt that this female giant was different from the other giants; she actually possessed extraordinary abilities."

If we consider the other Titans as ordinary people, then this female Titan is equivalent to a normal person who has mastered martial arts. In that case, she should be an outstanding figure among Titans, which explains why she receives admiring and worshipful glances from many Titans around her.

Then Chen Xuan realized that this underground giant civilization might not practice martial arts, but they had alternative ways to improve their strength.

...(End of chapter)