Misty Rain of the Old Times

"This is really interesting," Chen Xuan said in surprise as he watched the giantess's transformation.

Just moments before, she was no different from the other giants, but as a strange energy surged from her heart to her entire body, her whole being underwent a significant change.

Her fingernails had transformed into the claws of a feline, her eyes were dark yellow with vertical pupils, her skin was taut and she appeared to have shrunk, becoming more slender and graceful, exuding a wild and violent beauty.

The giantess lay prostrate on the ground, her vertical pupils fixed on the cuckoo a hundred or two meters away. She gave the impression of a huge feline entering a predatory battle mode, her ferocity palpable and her presence very dangerous.

Observing the female giant who had changed in an instant, Chen Xuan quickly made a guess in his mind. Her change should be a cultivation and improvement method unique to the subterranean giant civilization. Unlike ordinary giants, she had mastered extraordinary means, similar to martial arts practitioners among ordinary humans.

The reason she was admired and respected by the other Titans was probably because she had mastered such methods, which distinguished her from the other Titans and made her an elite among them. Admiring strength is the nature of living beings, and the reproduction of life always tends to be closer to the better genes.

The giantess's transformation was caused by a special energy surging from her heart. It was neither internal force nor true qi, nor was it a physical change caused by practicing external martial arts techniques. In a flash of thought, Chen Xuan could only describe it as bloodline power for the time being.

It's as if the giantess awakened a special bloodline and mastered such physical changes, greatly increasing her strength, just like an ordinary person using internal force martial arts.

However, her changes were controllable; she did not truly turn into a beast, nor did she lose her mind. Just like a martial artist's control over internal energy, such control should also have a time limit and cannot be maintained indefinitely. Just like internal energy, once it is exhausted, it is difficult to continue.

Whether it's the 'bloodline power' wielded by the giantess or the internal energy of a martial artist, the so-called depletion doesn't mean it disappears into thin air. Rather, like physical strength, excessive consumption leads to exhaustion, requiring rest to recover.

Otherwise, a martial artist would exhaust all the internal energy and true qi accumulated over decades of cultivation in a single battle, forcing them to start all over again.

As Chen Xuan was lost in thought, the wild, feline-like female giant moved, lunging forward with both hands and feet towards Du Juan, truly as if she had transformed into a ferocious beast.

After the transformation, her speed and agility were one or two times higher than before. Already enormous, she approached Du Juan in two leaps, and her large, claw-like hands slammed down on Du Juan.

Her speed and reaction ability are no less than those of a highly skilled master. In other words, Du Juan is not at an advantage in terms of speed at this moment. Coupled with the huge difference in size, she cannot deal with the giantess as easily as before. On the contrary, it is dangerous for her. It will not be so easy for her to win the battle.

Chen Xuan, still lost in thought and with his eyes vacant, watched quietly, ready to lend a hand at any moment, determined not to let anything happen to Du Juan.

Speed ​​was no longer an advantage. The giantess's overwhelming claws slammed down, and a fierce wind whipped up sand and stones. Du Juan could not dodge and dared not confront the giantess's power head-on. Her eyes narrowed, and her short sword rang out, unleashing a two-zhang-long blade of energy as she slashed directly at the giantess.

Clang! The collision of the claws and the blade energy produced a terrifying sound. The sharp blade energy shattered upon striking the claws. However, this blade energy, which could easily cleave the male giant's spear shaft with a diameter of more than ten feet, only left a half-foot-deep cut on the claws. It was utterly insignificant to the female giant. The claws were exceptionally strong, and although they were made of keratin, they were as hard as metal.

On the other hand, Du Juan was thrown backward by the terrifying force. Her blood and qi surged and her face turned slightly pale, but she was not seriously injured. At the moment of contact, she used the recoil to retreat, and most of the force was converted into the kinetic energy of her retreat.

Just as Du Juan regained her footing, the giantess pressed her advantage and attacked again. Her massive claws slammed down, and one of her legs swept across like a feline tail, resembling a giant steel whip.

"What a formidable cat! Its fighting spirit is truly like that of a ferocious beast. It's actually not difficult to deal with, but it's a pity that some of its deadly and ruthless techniques are unsuitable for use, otherwise it would be easy. By the way, I once encountered someone who practiced beast-style boxing. Putting aside size, the paths to the same goal are essentially the same."

Faced with the attacking female giant Dujuan, she pondered for a moment, then thought of many things. A direct confrontation would not be a wise move, and she quickly came up with a plan.

The so-called disadvantage in speed is only relative. In her nearly thirty years at the Shadow Assassin Sect, she has mastered many martial arts techniques. Moreover, she has recently learned two top-notch martial arts from Chen Xuan, which she has already mastered to a basic level.

At this moment, she seemed to have no way to avoid it, but in the next instant, the pink true energy that was originally rising around her turned into a misty blue color, like blue clouds swirling around her, drifting erratically.

Beneath the enormous claws, the azalea, which seemed to have transformed into azure clouds, was scattered, and the claws landing on the ground caused a huge tremor.

In reality, she nimbly dodged the claw strikes, seemingly in grave danger, and even the giantess's sweeping kick missed its mark.

At this moment, Du Juan was using the Qingyun Piaoxu (Azure Clouds Floating) lightness skill, a top-tier lightness skill she learned from Chen Xuan. She had received personal guidance from Chen Xuan, which saved her from countless detours. Moreover, influenced by Chen Xuan's emphasis on self-preservation, coupled with her martial arts foundation, this lightness skill could barely be considered to have reached a high level. This time, when she used it to its fullest extent, she seemed to transform into a ethereal and unpredictable azure cloud.

The next moment, her figure reappeared, as if the clouds had gathered again, appearing behind the female giant. Her eyes flashed as she sheathed her short sword and unleashed a powerful palm strike down on the female giant's back.

Her true energy surged, and with a single palm strike, it transformed into a fiery red palm print nearly three zhang long, scorching hot, like a tangible flame, causing the surrounding air to rise and distort dramatically.

Of those who witnessed their battle, Chen Xuan probably saw clearly that in the short time that Du Juan appeared on the giantess's back, she rejected a number of killing moves. She abandoned hidden weapons such as throwing knives and needles, and even quickly put them away after acquiring them. In addition, she also used poison and poison arrows, and finally put away her short sword. She did not use the Nine Absolute Blade, fearing that she would kill the giantess directly. In the end, she chose to strike out with all her might, intending to slam the giantess to the ground.

The giantess's reaction was incredibly swift. Just as the cuckoo's palm struck down, she nimbly rolled over, lying on the ground. Her claw-like hand went straight for the scorching red palm print, a look of eager anticipation flashing in her beast-like eyes.

Boom! The massive claws and the equally scorching palm print collided, producing a violent buzzing sound. The palm print was shattered, and the surging scorching true energy sent Du Juan flying. However, she instantly regained her footing and vanished from the giantess's sight like a cloud.

The clash with the giantess was not pleasant; the giantess's pure violence caused her to suffer a loss, her blood churning and her face turning pale.

On the other hand, the giantess was also suffering. She couldn't help but groan in pain as her palm was burned. Her palm was charred black and burning. In particular, Du Juan realized that the giants were tough and resilient, so she did not hold back. Her scorching true energy spread along the giantess's palm and up her arm. Her hand felt like it was in molten lava, burning unbearably.

But this didn't bother the giantess much; it only hurt a little. She was incredibly resilient, and she adapted to the pain in the blink of an eye. Her powerful physique quickly dissipated the scalding true energy.

"Whoa~!" After her attack, the female giant rolled over and lay prone. With her beast-like instincts, she locked onto Du Juan's figure in the blink of an eye, let out a strange roar, and pounced on Du Juan again.

"I must say, her fighting power is truly terrifying. In her violent attack, if I were to take a single blow, I would likely be crippled, if not killed. However, in this brief exchange, I've already figured out her fighting style. Ultimately, she fights purely on instinct, completely ignorant of martial arts, unable to maximize her advantages. She's not difficult to deal with, but I can't truly kill her. Since that's the case, this is the only way. Let her lose the ability to resist. Hopefully, she'll be sensible and not the kind to cause trouble."

As Du Juan unleashed her top-tier lightness skill, Qingyun Piaoxu, she quickly devised a plan. Under this skill, even if the giantess could react quickly, she couldn't keep up with her pace.

The next moment, the elusive cuckoo appeared behind the giantess's head. Just as the giantess turned her head to counterattack, the cuckoo flicked its wrist, and a pale golden thread, over ten feet long, coiled around the giantess's neck in an instant, with some still remaining.

The fine thread in Du Juan's hand seemed to appear out of thin air. It was thicker than ice silkworm silk but thinner than a hair, and it was incredibly tough and sharp. Even at the Innate Realm, she carried it with her at all times, knowing it would be useful in crucial moments. This showed that the fine thread had extraordinary properties, and even someone with her Innate Realm cultivation could rely on it greatly.

To be honest, Chen Xuan had no idea how many strange things were hidden on Du Juan's seemingly normal and beautiful body, given that she was an assassin. After all, he hadn't honestly checked her. Even if Du Juan was willing to do it, he figured if he had examined her carefully, she would have found some little things in unexpected places.

The fine threads are almost invisible unless you look closely, and they reflect a sharpness that is difficult to discern with the naked eye under sunlight.

A thin thread was wrapped around the giantess's neck. The cuckoo led her head with the grace of a flower plucker. Just as the giantess was about to launch an attack, the cuckoo simply waved her hand and pulled. The thread tightened around the giantess's neck, tearing her skin and drawing blood.

Well, this scene is like a cuckoo taming a beast, holding the reins. She didn't really kill it, so she just tightened the thin thread. Otherwise, the thread would have been enough to sever the giantess's neck. Maybe the bones wouldn't break, but the trachea and arteries would definitely be severed.

Titans are tough and resilient, and blunt force attacks are almost ineffective against them. However, these tiny cuts are their nemesis. A small scratch is all it takes. The Female Titan wasn't wearing any protective gear, and even if she used her bloodline abilities to make her skin even tougher, it wouldn't stop her.

The giantess who had just made the sudden move felt a sharp pain in her neck. She instinctively realized that if she continued, she would suffer a great loss, or even die. So she stopped her hand from striking Du Juan and remained motionless.

It seems she still has some sense of propriety; after all, she's not a real beast. Seeing this, Du Juan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself, "This giantess is truly dangerous; the pressure of a direct confrontation is too great."

Seeing that her opponent was hesitant to act rashly, she flicked her wrist and retrieved the golden threads, which remained spotless. Using the giantess's support, she leaped into the air and landed on the ground. Regardless of whether her opponent understood, she cupped her hands and smiled, saying, "You flatter me."

At this moment, the giantess looked at Du Juan. The blood power that had surged from her heart to her whole body flowed back to her heart and disappeared. She quickly recovered and returned to her previous state. She subconsciously touched her neck and felt wet blood. A trace of fear flashed in her eyes.

Blood was seeping from around the female giant's neck, her skin was cut, and her head looked like it was about to fall off at any moment. It looked frightening, but it was actually harmless.

After a moment of lingering fear, the female giant's expression shifted. She stood up, said something ambiguous to Du Juan, nodded, and turned to walk away. Her gaze held a hint of melancholy and resentment, but she didn't persist; her actions were decisive. As she walked away, a group of giants surrounded her, chattering amongst themselves, seemingly offering comfort. Many more giants pointed and whispered at Du Juan, their expressions annoyed, clearly dissatisfied with her methods. Yet, none of them dared to provoke a fight; they were displeased, but they held back.

To be fair, Du Juan did take a shortcut, but it's also true that she subdued the female giant.

Never underestimate the abilities of an assassin. They dance on the edge of a knife, utilizing everything at their disposal. It's either life or death; as long as they achieve their goal, morality and etiquette are not their concern.

Having fought the giants one after another, if Chen Xuan hadn't said beforehand that peace was the priority, Du Juan's skills and cultivation would have likely killed countless giants, no matter how strong they were.

A master of innate skill is said to be able to go anywhere in the world. In addition, she is also a skilled assassin who can kill. She will stop at nothing. She is not to be trifled with. No matter how strong you are, you will always have a weakness. She is good at targeting weaknesses. She will take advantage of any weakness and never cause trouble.

After a series of battles, which were indeed very dangerous, Du Juan managed to cope with them all. However, the intense battles had taken a heavy toll on her, both in terms of her internal energy and physical strength. In particular, she was also somewhat exhausted from having to use her brain to analyze the giant's every move. However, she was still a long way from being unable to fight any longer.

But she felt there was no need to continue. She had already calmed the crowd down and the giants had quieted down. She had achieved her goal, so she glanced at the giants, bowed, nodded, and returned towards Chen Xuan.

I have fulfilled my mission. After following Master for so long, I can finally share his burdens. It is all worth it, no matter how dangerous it is. Master should be very happy. As long as Master is happy, everything I have done is meaningful.

Having entrusted her body, soul, and future to Chen Xuan, Du Juan's every action revolves around him. She is not without a sense of self, but that self is built upon the premise of her master. Others may feel sorry for her, but she finds it meaningful. In the past, when she was an assassin, she was like an emotionless machine, which was truly meaningless. At least now she feels that she has her own thoughts and self, even if those thoughts and self are all centered around one person.

When Du Juan returned to Chen Xuan's side, she hadn't gone far and hadn't even had a chance to report to Chen Xuan when another giant stepped forward from the crowd, holding a jet-black, shiny bone club in his right hand and a string of bones in his left.

Upon arriving at the center of the arena, the bald giant, who was about fourteen feet tall, shouted something at Du Juan's back.

Du Juan paused, frowned, and turned around, thinking, "Is this never going to end? This is clearly a challenge."

Just as she was about to teach the newly emerged giant a harsh lesson to silence the giants, a clear voice rang out throughout the entire arena. Upon hearing this voice, all the giants fell silent, their expressions stunned, and they instinctively looked in the direction of the sound.

Noticing the giants' reaction, Du Juan also looked in the direction of the sound.

However, everyone's attention was focused on Chen Xuan.

At this moment, Chen Xuan, standing atop the boulder, was no longer lost in thought. With a kind smile, he surveyed the giant. The voice he had just heard was clearly emanating from him and had reached everyone's ears.

The little girl stood beside Chen Xuan, looking at him blankly and asking, "Master, what did you just say? Why don't I understand? Why are they all looking at you?"

"What I just spoke was in the language of these giants. It roughly means that we came here by chance and didn't know them before. After a friendly exchange, we hope to have a friendly exchange with them," Chen Xuan explained with a smile.

The little girl blinked in astonishment and said, "Master didn't make many sounds, yet he conveyed so much meaning. No, Master, how could you speak their words? Are you just trying to fool me because I'm not well-educated?"

Hearing this, Chen Xuan chuckled and gave her a light flick on the forehead, saying, "Why would I coax you, Master? There's candy for you. As for why I said those things, I just learned them. You didn't really think I was just standing there in a daze while Sister Juan was busy on the side, did you?"

"Huh? Master just learned that? How did he learn it? He learned it just by standing here?" the little girl asked, puzzled.

Chen Xuan said, "I just fully opened my senses, covering about one-tenth of this area and the giant city. Within this area, there are tens of thousands of giants. Their every move and word is within my senses. Countless pieces of information converged, and with their communication, I summarized and organized them, and then I learned their language."

Seeing that the little girl was still confused, Chen Xuan simply said, "Let me put it this way, an infant is completely ignorant. It only takes a few years for them to learn to speak and recognize things. It's built up little by little. I've just shortened this process to within a quarter of an hour. With their powerful senses, they can gather information from all aspects. That's how it is. Do you understand?"

"Oh, I see. I still don't understand, but Master is really amazing," the little girl said with a smile, no longer worrying about it. In her eyes, her master was practically omnipotent except for giving birth to children.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan was speechless, realizing he had wasted so much time talking to her.

Actually, it's just that Chen Xuan's cultivation level isn't high enough, which is why he used such a clumsy method. If he were to reach the Tribulation Transcending Realm, his spiritual will would be able to interfere with reality and begin to touch the essence of the world. At that time, he would most likely only need one sentence from the other party to deduce the civilization language of these giants. How to describe it? It's as simple as understanding the rule that one plus one equals two and then being able to deduce advanced mathematics.

While they were talking, the giants who had been quietly stunned finally came to their senses. One of the most respected giants stepped forward and looked in Chen Xuan's direction, babbling in surprise.

He seemed incredulous. Chen Xuan, who had learned their language, translated his words as: "Who are you? Where do you come from? How can you be so small? Why do you speak our language?"

Hearing this, Chen Xuan smiled and first looked in Du Juan's direction, saying, "Sister Juan, come back. I suppose we don't need to keep fighting with them."

After Du Juan left the giant who had re-emerged and walked over, Chen Xuan looked at the giant who had spoken and laughed in their language: "We come from a very far place, to be specific, from the outside world. Perhaps that's not quite right, but we shouldn't be from your world. Do you understand? This is the first time we've encountered giants like you. We're truly surprised. As for why we speak your language, we learned it on the spot after observing your every word and action."

After hearing Chen Xuan's words, the giant clearly didn't dwell on so much. He grasped the key point that mattered to him and asked in astonishment and surprise, "You mean, you came from the Outer Heavens?"

These giants were indeed simple-minded; they weren't curious at all after he said so much. Hearing his words, Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow and said in a daze, "The Outer Heavens?"

The other party nodded and scratched his head, saying, "You are so small, yet you possess miraculous abilities that allow you to contend with us. Just like in the legends, you undoubtedly come from beyond the heavens. Legend has it that only beyond the heavens can there be people like you. Actually, I should have realized it sooner."

The "heaven beyond heaven" he mentioned probably refers to the outside world. In that case, we might actually be able to learn about this magical underground world from them.

With a flicker of thought, Chen Xuan asked curiously, "Could you tell me about what you know about the Outer Heavens? Actually, we've just arrived and have a lot of questions for you."

At this moment, all the giants looked at Chen Xuan and his companions with curiosity, pointing and whispering, creating a noisy buzz. They were all asking each other about their origins and the so-called Outer Heaven, completely forgetting about continuing the battle. The giant who had jumped out stood there alone, feeling quite awkward, and simply went back to join the curious crowd.

The giant who had been speaking to Chen Xuan continued, "I know nothing about the Outer Heavens either; I only know bits and pieces of hearsay. If you hadn't said you weren't from our world, I wouldn't have even thought of it. Our tribe's wise man should know more. In any case, you are guests from afar, and we cannot welcome you on behalf of our tribe. Let us take you to see the wise man; he should be very happy to see you."

Only then did he realize what he had said, scratching his head sheepishly and apologetically saying, "I saw you out of curiosity. My people have never seen you before. If there was anything wrong with you, I apologize on this occasion. I hope you won't hold it against us. We meant no harm."

A wise man? I suppose he's one of the smartest people among the giants. Come to think of it, such a race can't last long by violence alone; they must have a wise man to lead them forward.

So Chen Xuan smiled and said, "We are guests, so we should follow your lead. We look forward to meeting your wise men. Please lead the way."

"Hehe, you guys talk so strangely. Anyway, come with us. Or you can stand on my shoulders? That'll be faster," the giant said in a simple and honest manner.

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan said, "That would be too impolite. Just lead the way, we... um?"

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Xuan looked into the distance and felt the earth tremble, as if a terrifying wave was sweeping towards them. On the distant horizon, visible dust was rising.

Woo~!

At the same time, a mournful horn sounded urgently from the nearby giant city.

The sudden sound of the horn caused all the giants present to change their expressions, becoming extremely tense, and they no longer cared about Chen Xuan and the others.

...(End of chapter)