Chapter 301: Storm Temple

In the past, passing through a portal was only a moment.

But this time, Lei En found the teleportation lasted over ten seconds, as if traveling through a long corridor.

Because the Key of Doors granted super affinity to the void, he could see the surrounding space twisted to the extreme, vast spacetime energy forming a temporary safe route, like a bridge linking two distant worlds.

His gaze pierced the void; beyond the "bridge" lay the Star Realm.

It was an endless silver sea, yet not water, with no up or down, strands of gray and white light constantly roiling like distant stars.

In the Star Realm there was no concept of distance; the whole world flashed by like a fleeting image, as if in a dream.

Lei En's vision brightened; the teleportation ended.

When he came to his senses, he found himself standing on a wide plaza. Looking around, a vast, magnificent palace complex immediately came into view.

All the palaces shared one trait: they were towering!

They seemed built of some unknown material, a blend of rock and metal, with stone pillars a hundred meters tall supporting colossal temples like the heavens, plus towers taller than the temples, arranged in staggered layers, each linked by long stone steps and ornate corridors—every structure massive and awe‑inspiring.

These structures perched atop mountain peaks, yet the scenery below the mountains was hidden by thick dark clouds, giving the impression of floating high in the sky.

The plaza where Lei En stood was actually a platform at the edge of the palace; his small stature made him mistake it for a plaza at first glance.

There was no sun in the sky, nor any stars.

Looking far away, countless gales and dark clouds roared and rolled endlessly, their horizon invisible even to Lei En's eyes.

Almost every second, lightning flashed across the sky, streaking over his head, followed by deafening thunder, a cataclysmic roar as if the world's end had arrived.

Lei En felt a slight tingling in his skin, his hair standing on end.

He glanced at his phone screen; the weather read a low temperature near zero, and the energy distribution was abnormal: the Wind Element accounted for 25, the Thunder Element surged to 34, seven to eight times the normal density. Casting dual‑element spells here would amplify their power dramatically!

In a normal material world or plane, such unique energy values are impossible.

Only one place could be like this: the Storm Plane.

This plane lies between the Wind Element Plane and the Thunder Element Plane, a transitional zone of the two great Elements, and is one of the more renowned inner planes.

The teleportation gate behind him closed.

Lei En looked down; beneath his feet was a similarly arranged rune array, its light gradually contracting. Several other arrays sat on the platform, unopened, their destinations unknown.

A deep voice sounded: "Hm? Bulaimeite, why have you returned again?"

Lei En turned his head and saw a towering figure standing beside the teleportation array.

The other stood about five meters tall, requiring one to look up to see the whole form, like a human male magnified several times, a broad torso like a wall, clad in grand metallic armor.

The armor comprised a helmet, cuirass, gauntlets, skirt armor, and war boots, exposing strong arms and legs; the defined muscle blocks held explosive power, and faint lightning coursed beneath the pale blue skin, resonating with the surrounding Thunder Element.

Storm Giant!

Lei En couldn't help to examine him closely.

His stature was already tall among humans, yet beside the Storm Giant he felt like a five‑ or six‑year‑old child, his height comparable to the giant's calf.

For a dwarf, it was even more tragic; a jump could only reach the giant's knee.

This Storm Giant's power reached Legendary Mid-stage, clearly an adult for a long time; his soul indicated an age of about three hundred years, with a mature face and a short beard.

His soul indeed contained a Thunder Affinity Element.

In addition, he possessed numerous Thunder spells and over a dozen Physique Elements, granting the Storm Giant a robust physical strength; beyond his casting ability, he was the foremost Legendary warrior!

In his hand he held a sharp spear taller than himself, its shaft etched with runes, usable both for melee and as a casting staff.

The Storm Giant's eyes shone like lightning, falling on Lei En, hinting at a degree of wariness.

With a crack, fine lightning erupted from his spear.

"Human, who are you?" the Storm Giant demanded sharply: "Bulaimeite, why did you bring an outsider into the Storm Temple?"

Bulaimeite hurriedly explained: "Luodal, he is Lei En; Elder Suolim asked me to invite him to the Storm Temple as a guest."

The Storm Giant's expression softened, and he nodded.

"So it's the elder's guest," he said, smiling, speaking in imperfect Empire language: "Welcome to the Storm Temple, I am Luodal, guardian of the teleportation platform."

"Lord Luodal," Lei En replied with measured respect.

He spoke in Giant language; with the aid of a translation dictionary his tone was very proper, and though his vocabulary was limited, simple communication was easy.

Luodal was extremely surprised, and couldn't help but observe Lei En closely, full of curiosity.

Bulaimeite said, "Luodal, let's talk later; we'll go see Elder Suolim first, we can't keep him waiting."

"Alright, you may go," the Storm Giant saw the two off as they departed.

Leaving the teleportation platform, they entered the palace complex.

Lei En looked at the stone steps, each over half a meter high, finding them troublesome; they were built for giants, making them inconvenient for humans.

Bulaimeite skillfully restored the Earth Bear to its massive size, then leapt onto it, saying, "Before the 'Great Horn' existed, I hated moving around the Storm Temple; it was sheer torment."

Lei En laughed heartily and climbed onto the Earth Bear's back.

The dwarf, while urging the pet to run, said, "The Storm Temple is the supreme sanctuary of the Storm Giant clan, once housing the Giant God. In the Second Era, the Storm Plane had up to six temples, but as far as I know, this is the only one that survived."

The Earth Bear traversed the building complex.

Lei En observed the surrounding majestic palaces, courtyards, towers, and exquisite corridors and gardens, each showcasing brilliant civilization and superb craftsmanship.

This god‑like giant realm made him feel minuscule, as if immersed in a dream.

Not far from the platform, Lei En saw other Storm Giants.

They were few, gathering in small groups, either sparring in a massive arena or chatting in courtyards.

Some Storm Giants meditated atop towers, practicing spells against the endless storm.

Most Storm Giants were adults, with roughly a two‑to‑one male‑to‑female ratio; each possessed formidable strength, wore uniformly styled armor, bore Thunder Affinity in their souls, and the more gifted also had Wind Affinity, easily mastering dual‑element spells.

When the Earth Bear passed nearby, the giants cast glances toward it.

They seemed familiar with Bulaimeite, occasionally greeting him, then each looked curiously at Lei En.

Clearly, very few humans visited the Storm Temple, instantly drawing the giants' attention.

Along the way we encountered three or four dozen Storm Giants, most of them high‑rank giants, and there were also seven or eight Legendary ones, all proficient in close combat and magic, their strength far surpassing that of ordinary legendary transcendents.

Lei En also saw a Titan Giant!

This Titan Giant was clearly taller and more massive than the other giants, standing over eight meters tall, sitting alone on a platform, contemplating the distant storm, undisturbed by any other giants.

Even though it sat motionless, hundreds of meters away, Lei En could still sense a terrifying aura emanating from the Titan Giant.

Lei En shifted his gaze from the Titan Giant, looked at the vast Storm Temple, and thought:

"There are too few giants."

The overwhelming majority of the temple's areas were desolate.

He noticed that the Storm Temple employed a kind of thunder‑electric energy, and the power for all facilities, lighting, and talismans seemed to originate from a source deep within the temple.

This thunder‑electric energy resembled electricity, sustaining the temple's operation.

More than seventy percent of the structures lay in darkness, a dead silence; beyond the giants' activity zones, many palaces had collapsed into ruins from lack of energy and the erosion of time.

The scarcity of population is the Storm Giants' Achilles' heel; they cannot even restore the temple, let alone recreate the splendor of ten thousand years ago.

A moment later, the Earth Bear halted before a massive palace.

Lei En looked up; the palace stood at the heart of the Storm Temple, over a hundred meters tall, its stone columns so massive that dozens of people were needed to embrace them, arranged on hundreds of steps. The main gate was broad and bright, larger than a city gate, wide enough for five or six giants to walk side by side.

On both sides of the main gate stood two massive statues.

The statues resembled Storm Giants but were even bulkier, standing ten meters tall, cast entirely from a deep‑blue metal, with lightning runes on their limbs and torsos; their eyes glowed with electric light, and when Lei En approached, a roar of energy emanated from within, turning to face him.

The surrounding thunder‑electric elements boiled, producing a harsh crackling of current.

Lei En sensed danger and quickly halted his steps.

Bu Laimi Te said, "These are the Thunder‑cast Giant Statues that guard the temple; it's your first time here, they don't recognize you…"

Mid‑sentence, the dwarf's words were cut off as the Thunder‑cast Giant Statues seemed to receive a command, and their energy ceased.

They resumed a standing posture, like statues.

Lei En observed with amazement; these statues were more powerful than the mechanic's mechanical puppets, not only possessing rudimentary intelligence but also driven by an extraordinary energy, clearly a technology superior to rune‑steam engines.

He was very curious how to power a statue weighing at least dozens of tons.

If only he could get a chance to touch one.

Lei En thought that a metallic touch lasting just a second could sense the statue's structure, giving him some insight into its craftsmanship.

At that moment, a resonant, magnetic voice rang out from the palace, as if coming from a distant era, reaching straight to the soul and inspiring awe.

"Honored guest from afar, please come in."

It's the third watch today, looking for a few votes… recommendation votes or monthly tickets are fine, thanks!

(End of chapter)