Chapter 541 A Giant

"The Xiao Clan's forbidden area is so bizarre. But given the Nether Dark Energy here, it's a rather good place for cultivation, assuming that you're a heterodox warrior, of course. Once an orthodox warrior attempts to perform the same feat, the longtime exposure will lead to them being driven to madness." Zachary never let his guard down and constantly checked his surroundings with cautious eyes. "Beautiful as that woman is, she's clearly well aware that this place is incredibly dangerous. And still she sends me here. She's really looking to make things a little more difficult for me, isn't she? Not that I hold it against her. I just find it strange that she would go through these lengths to make things difficult for me. I wonder who she really is..."

Before his voice could fade into the gloom, a black shadow materialized through the mist, massive enough to blot out the sky. It was large enough to envelop Zachary completely, like a smothering blanket the size of two grown men and with an inhuman strength. It was the strangest thing he had ever seen.

The hairs on his arms rose as he sensed the dark figure's approach, blackening the world around him. Zachary raised his head to see two beacons of light, like venomous lanterns in the dark. The shadow rose further into the air and it rippled like a ghostly flame, where it cast an eerie gloom everywhere.

"What the hell...?" Zachary choked out in shock, forced back one step. Whatever this thing was, he was certain that it wasn't a martial beast by the way it breathed. It was an aspect of horror, an eldritch creature that he had never seen or heard of before.

But before he could wrack his brain, trying to figure out what exactly he was gazing at right now, the figure gave out a heavy sigh. It surged violently as a powerful suction started up, as though it was breathing in the fog all around them.

Zachary realized that the suction was starting to pull at him with all the strength of a tornado. He stood rooted down, unable to break free from the force. Abruptly, he was torn from the ground and straight up into the air, sending him spiraling towards the tremendous shadow.

"Alright, that's it!" Color soared into Zachary's face as he pushed aside the shock and began gathering strength. He didn't know what was going on here but he wasn't going to let himself be blown towards certain death without a fight. Summoning up his martial energy, he sent it cascading through the air in a shockwave as he triggered the Ice Dragon Skill.

"Ice Dragon Hand!" Zachary howled through the thick air. A dragon's tremendous hand burst from his right hand, growing exponentially as it did. Not unlike the spiritual skill itself, it was nevertheless even more powerful, and the gargantuan dragon rushed towards the black shadow in a head-on collision.

Bang!

An earth-shattering crash rocked the area on impact. The dark figure staggered and shuddered, swaying unsteadily and threatening to collapse. And then, like an avalanche of darkness, it tipped over and fell back

uite a few. In spite of this place being forbidden to ordinary men, many impudent warriors like you try to sneak in for one reason or another. They practice or hunt for treasures and beasts. Ordinarily, I let them go about their business as it doesn't bother me. But there is still a body count every year, just a few people, but it's enough to summon up a large group to come and seek them out. The commotion is too troublesome for me and I'd rather not have them here disturbing my peace!" The giant was growing testy at the mere thought.

"I see. I understand what you mean. You've lived here all this time? Alone?" Zachary stared, even more fascinated now.

The giant nodded somberly.

"And how long have you lived here, then?" Zachary inquired, head cocked.

"Since the day I was born. Honestly, I haven't any clue how long I've lived here. Certainly for ages." The giant's tone now grew lonely. It was possible that he had lived in the forbidden area for quite a long time.

"Since you were born? But leaving you to live here by yourself is torture! Who could possibly do that to anyone, especially someone like you? Just look at you; from the size of you, no ordinary people could've possibly managed to raise you. Certainly someone must've come by every now and again to see you, right?" Zachary paced disdainfully. There was no doubt that the giant was more than what met the eye. He was a uniquely strange entity, with a gait and a bearing similar to those of warriors, and yet not quite the same.

"There's been someone." The giant's reply was a truthful one.

"Who is it, then?" Zachary asked, surprised.

"I don't know his name, but I call him Leader." The giant shrugged in answer.

"Leader? Would that be the leader of the Xiao Clan, by any chance?" Zachary's interest was piqued. "Does he come see you very often?"

"No, not too often, I'd say. But every once in a while, he'd come by to see me and even teach me some things." The giant scratched his head thoughtfully with his long, rough finger.