The giant glanced at Qian Ye, then at the broken spear in his hand, with disbelief filling his eyes. He could not fathom that someone as small as Qian Ye, barely reaching his knee, could possess such formidable power.
No matter how he looked at it, Qian Ye seemed as frail as an ant. Being bested by an ant was a humiliation he could hardly bear.
He raised his colossal hand and brought it down with immense force, but halfway through, he realized something was amiss.
It was too late; as his hand fell, a sudden protrusion appeared on the back of his palm, as if he had struck a nail. The skin on his hand stretched to its limit, then split open, spraying a mist of blood. A sword tip emerged, and Qian Ye leaped into the air, sword in hand.
The verdant blood sword was incredibly sharp, honed over the years by Howard’s blood energy, rendering it unbreakable. The giant’s two tree-like spears, even when smashed with full force, left no damage. The giant’s skin, no matter how tough, was no match for the unique wood of this inner world. Hence, slapping Qian Ye only resulted in impaling his own hand.
Qian Ye spiraled in the air, flickering behind the giant, colliding into his back like a force bullet. The giant was sent flying, as if struck by a void beast. But his reaction was swift; he unfurled a pair of black wings, hovering in the air, and then kicked Qian Ye away with a powerful reverse kick.
Qian Ye was flung a hundred meters, toppling several strange trees before coming to a stop.
Both combatants were battered from their exchange. The giant’s eyes, once filled with disdain and arrogance, now held shock and gravity.
Qian Ye’s gaze fell upon the giant’s wings. Though short, they seemed to possess some control over space, allowing the giant to perform incredible maneuvers in the air.
As he looked at the black wings, Qian Ye felt a strange sense of familiarity.
The giant landed, inspecting his back. A bloody hole, spewing blood like a fountain, had formed there. The simple hide armor was no match for the sharpness of the verdant blood sword.
Qian Ye rose from the ground, stretching his body, then sheathed the verdant blood sword and beckoned the giant with a crooked finger.
Though they spoke different tongues, the taunting gesture was universal. The giant, initially hesitant, was incensed by the provocation and charged with a ferocious roar.
This time, Qian Ye met him with bare fists. The ensuing battle was fierce, with each blow hitting flesh, turning the sky and earth dark with their struggle.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Qian Ye roared, grabbing the giant’s leg and swinging him around like a heavy hammer, smashing him into the ground, creating a large crater. This move, though powerful, caused Qian Ye to lose his grip, sending the giant flying.
The giant tumbled, breaking countless trees before finally stopping hundreds of meters away. He struggled to stand, but each attempt ended in failure.
Qian Ye, pale-faced, was also exhausted from the purely physical combat. Yet, his breaths began to grow deeper, and he strode towards the giant. His body, refined by chaotic primal force, granted him unparalleled stamina.
Still not drawing his sword, Qian Ye intended to capture the giant alive. Clearly, the giant was a sentient being, and though they couldn’t communicate, they would eventually find a way. When power reached a certain level, communication through willpower became possible. Capturing the giant would unveil many secrets of this inner world.
As the giant’s fate seemed sealed, Qian Ye suddenly sensed a piercing threat. He halted, looking around.
Strange rustling sounds emanated from the forest, and gradually, numerous shadowy figures emerged. They were similar to the creatures Qian Ye had been tracking, like smaller versions of the giant.
For the first time, Qian Ye got a clear look at them.
They stood about two meters tall, with disproportionately long limbs and narrow bodies, giving them a comical appearance. Most wore primitive hide armor and wielded spears or javelins. Their weapons and armor, much like the giant’s, were rudimentary.
Behind each of these smaller beings were two underdeveloped wing-like protrusions.
Though their weapons were crude, their speed was incredible, making both their spears and javelins dangerously effective. In sufficient numbers, they became a formidable threat.
At this moment, hundreds of them appeared before Qian Ye.
They did not immediately attack, instead, they let out low wails, their eyes showing a mix of ferocity and wariness. They brandished their weapons, slowly advancing as their numbers grew.
Some of the larger and stronger ones pulled out a ghastly white powder from leather pouches at their waists, smearing it on their faces. The powder reeked intensely, its stench overwhelming even from a distance.
They believed the powder would instill fear, and their advance quickened.
Qian Ye was bewildered. What was the purpose of this foul smell? Could they think that the stench would drive him away? Qian Ye, even without breathing for hours, could sustain himself using primal force.
However, the sheer number of foes was undeniably daunting.
As they closed in within a hundred meters, a flash of light appeared in Qian Ye’s eyes. He flickered into their midst, grabbing one of the warriors and disappearing into the distant sky with a series of rapid flashes.
The warriors fell into chaos, chasing after Qian Ye, ignoring the injured giant on the ground. But Qian Ye’s speed in the void was too fast, and he vanished almost instantly.
Below, the warriors refused to give up, pursuing Qian Ye even as he disappeared.
Half a day later, Qian Ye appeared in a natural cave, tossing the captured warrior onto the ground. The warrior lay motionless, eyes tightly shut.
“Enough, stop pretending. I know you’re awake,” Qian Ye said, accompanying his words with a direct mental assault. This was a method of communication used by the Empire and Eternaria’s elite when facing unknown intelligent races, originally learned from the void beasts.
To Qian Ye’s surprise, the warrior understood and leaped to his feet, pressing himself against the cave ceiling, his limbs twisted and hanging there.
“Impressive,” Qian Ye said impatiently. “Come down. Whether it’s in this cave or outside in the forest, I can catch you anytime.”
The warrior’s tension and hostility slowly eased, and he dropped to the ground, remaining crouched and ready to flee, though it was futile.
Staring at Qian Ye, he suddenly asked, “What do you want…?”
Qian Ye was astonished. This warrior could communicate through willpower, expressing himself clearly and fluently in his own language, a skill usually mastered by those of ducal rank or higher. Yet, the warrior’s overall strength was only equivalent to a marquis.
Nonetheless, communication was now possible. Qian Ye sat down and said, “I want to know everything about this place. Where is here, who are you, how do you live, why is the sun black, and so on.”
The barrage of questions overwhelmed the warrior, who struggled to comprehend, clutching his head in pain.
“This, this place…” he seemed at a loss for words.
Qian Ye understood. For the native, this inner world was as natural as the world of Eternal Night for him. Describing its unique features was challenging.
“Alright, let’s set that aside. Who are you?”
“People? We call ourselves Atuwa, the children of darkness and dawn. We have thirteen tribes, each corresponding to one of the stars between darkness and dawn. I am the son of the second tribe’s chief.”
Qian Ye stepped out of the cave, gazing at the sky. A black sun hung high, without a halo, indicating night. Yet, the deep darkness revealed no stars.
“What do you mean by stars?” Qian Ye asked.
“Stars are stars. They appear at night, radiating light to guide lost travelers…” the chief’s son explained.
Qian Ye understood. These were what he knew as stars. The Atuwa had their own terms, but in the willpower-based communication, the meaning was clear.
Qian Ye went to the cave entrance again, still seeing no stars. He examined the Atuwa’s distinctive dark red pupils, then switched to different visual spectrums.
No matter what primal force spectrum he used, he saw no stars, only the overwhelming black sun radiating invisible primal force.
Deciding to give up, Qian Ye dragged the chief’s son to the cave mouth, pointing at the night sky. “Where are your stars?”
The chief’s son pointed to his head, confused. “Stars are in our hearts. Why would you look in the sky?”
“In your hearts?” Qian Ye’s anger rose.
“Of course, where else would they be?” the chief’s son replied, matter-of-factly. “The holy stars are far from our world, unseen by the eye, but felt in the heart. Different tribes sense different stars based on their lineage.”
With that, he added, “Different bloodlines perceive different holy stars.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage