Chapter 505: Thunder God's Arena

Thunder boomed in the heavens, Lei En moved through the palace complex of the Storm Temple.

The scene here is unchanged from last year; the towering, magnificent buildings resemble a realm of sky gods, yet most areas are shrouded in darkness, occasionally illuminated by lightning streaking across the sky, revealing the outlines of ruins. Even the bright spots are desolate, and walking through feels like strolling in an empty, strange city, where one only occasionally meets two or three Titan Giants who cast curious glances at Lei En.

The Titan Giants do not approach to question him; most withdraw their gaze and continue on.

Some of them whisper among themselves, and Lei En's Voice of All Things catches the giants' conversation: "He's the human who visited the temple last year; he's back so quickly, must have gathered some source crystals, wants to trade for something."

"In such a short time, how much could he have collected?" a Titan Giant sneered.

"Indeed."

The giant who spoke first didn't deviate: "The Elder offers so many fine goods, it's truly wasteful. For humans, even the cheapest few items taken back to the Prime Material Plane can be sold at a very high price; his haste is quite normal."

"That's also unavoidable; the fact that he can bring source crystals is a good thing," another Titan Giant sighed. "The Storm Plane is becoming increasingly difficult to mine source crystals from; the Elder can only trade with outsiders at a premium. Otherwise, the Titan Furnace won't last a hundred years, the activated area of the temple shrinks affecting the Nurturing Hall, and our population will decline…"

The Titan Giant's voice deepened and faded, gradually receding.

Lei En did not look back at those Titan Giants, continued forward, a thoughtful look in his eyes, realizing the Storm Temple's situation had become this dire!

The Titan Giants' most glorious Second Era ended over ten thousand years ago.

Now, in Ai Lun E Si's Prime Material Plane, humans dominate; relying only on a Titan Elder demigod and two or three hundred giants makes it too hard to establish a foothold in the material world, and it's difficult to resist people's greedy eyes toward the Titan Giants. Moreover, from what was said, the continuation of the Titan Giant race depends on the temple, which in turn relies on the Titan Furnace's energy, making source crystals the most crucial resource.

Suo Li Mu Elder, for source crystals, spares no expense, putting all his assets into the trade.

The Titan Giants in the temple are accustomed to outsiders, so it's clear that the parties dealing with Suo Li Mu Elder are certainly more than just himself.

However, Lei En can be certain of one thing: within the Empire and neighboring nations, including Kangjiatuo, there should be no competitors.

Otherwise, those source crystal mines would have long been monopolized.

"I just don't know how many pounds of source crystals the Storm Temple consumes per year," Lei En thought. If he could obtain the data and gauge Suo Li Mu Elder's urgency for source crystals, he could gain some leverage in the trade, perhaps even a discount.

Even a Titan Furnace that large, even if its energy conversion efficiency rivals a nuclear reactor, must consume thousands of pounds per year, right?

Lei En roughly estimates that the Titan Furnace's efficiency is probably lower than that of a nuclear reactor.

It may be lower by one to two orders of magnitude.

The lower the efficiency, the more source crystals are consumed annually; without thousands of pounds per year it can't hold, and tens of thousands of pounds is possible. Suo Li Mu Elder can't rely solely on trading with humans; the main source is mining in the Storm Plane, or expeditions to other planes.

The more Lei En ponders, the farther his thoughts go; once he exchanges for Titan rune knowledge and masters it, he should be able to obtain accurate figures.

"Asina!"

"Purutos!"

A clamor came from the roadside leading to the furnace temple; even from several hundred meters away, Lei En could hear it clearly without the Voice of All Things. He followed the sound and saw a vast plaza, covering tens of thousands of square meters, its ground paved with a layer of Titan‑blue iron, with stone‑stepped stands on one side, and a whole row of massive stone columns surrounding the square.

Lei En read the giant script on the columns: "Thunder God's Arena."

It is a magnificent arena!

At that moment, a dozen or so Titan Giants sat on the stands, each cheering for the two giants battling in the arena. Regardless of gender, the giants' voices were as loud as thunder, echoing far in the empty Storm Temple, yet could not drown out the fierce sounds of combat.

Lei En looked at the two Titan Giants and his complexion subtly changed.

They were a man and a woman, both legends.

The male Titan Giant stood about eight meters tall, limbs sturdy as pillars, muscles extremely developed; his upper body was bare, his metallic teal skin coursed with lightning, he wore a war skirt and war boots, a spiked great helm on his head, revealing half a rustic face and eyes brimming with thunder, a golden beard on his chin, like a deity descended.

He wielded a two‑handed greatsword, its length from hilt to blade exceeding five meters!

This is the largest weapon Lei En has ever seen; the blade's width rivals a real door panel, its estimated weight near ten thousand pounds, likely not far off from his own Thunder God's Hammer.

The greatsword, though in the giant's grasp, shows no hint of clumsiness or slowness.

The Titan Giant's speed is great; when he swings the sword it produces a terrifying howl accompanied by flashing lightning, a single swing can unleash dreadful power, and even across Ai Lun E Si there are few legends capable of meeting it head‑on.

In fact, the Soul Eye sees him as a Legendary High‑rank Titan Giant.

Converted to a Transcendent's soul strength, that equates to level nineteen.

Moreover, the legendary giant's combat techniques are extremely refined, with a plain yet unadorned style; the intervals between sword strikes are accompanied by thunder‑and‑wind elemental spells, either attacking the opponent or buffing himself, leaving no weakness in strength, defense, or speed.

Yet at this moment he is completely suppressed by his opponent.

Lei En looks at his opponent: a female Titan Giant whose height matches the male's, also exceeding eight meters!

But her figure is more slender and proportioned, and her face appears younger.

Her skin is a light bronze, muscles solid and strong, not exploding like the male's, yet she harbors terrifying power; each clash can push the opponent back, easily gaining the upper hand.

The female Titan Giant has dazzling golden hair tied into a neat ponytail; she wears no helmet but a jeweled headband, and on a face dozens of times larger than a human's she has exquisite features, perfectly proportioned, giving Lei En a stunning impression as if he were looking at a bright‑eyed, white‑toothed maiden.

In combat, her expression shows determination and resolve, the ponytail swinging behind her; clad in battle armor forged from Titan‑blue iron, exposing arms and long legs, her figure is perfectly highlighted, her dashing, gallant aura captivating.

"Now that's what real 'long legs' are!"

Lei En mutters to himself, estimating her legs to be five meters long, clad in a metal war skirt and high‑cut war boots, exposing the area from above the knee to below mid‑thigh—not quite the classic 'absolute territory.'

He jokes in his mind, but does not dare any contempt.

The female Titan Giant's traits are obvious: bronze skin, terrifying thunder aura, and a height far beyond her age, all indicating she is a Titan Giant!

The Soul Eye also confirms this.

Her soul contains a legendary Element 'Titanic Might'; based on a twelfth‑level 'Strength', it also possesses twelfth‑level 'Endurance' and eighth‑level 'Energy Resistance', plus the combined effects of 'Rapid Regeneration' and 'Giant Battle Body'!

Additionally she has 'Lightning Form', seventh‑level 'Swiftness', tenth‑level 'Enduring Stamina', 'Blood Frenzy', 'Electrified Skin', and several other supreme Elements; her physique is terrifyingly robust, defense and magical resistance are at their peak, and over a dozen combat‑technique Elements have been honed to their maximum levels.

For example, a simple heavy strike is fifth‑level.

There are also Charge, Angry Strike, Power Burst, Swift Shadow Thrust, Shockwave, Whirlwind Slash, Battle Roar, Precise Parry, and so on—almost none are below their caps, making her an outright master‑class close‑combat figure.

Not to mention, as a Titan Giant she also commands a suite of lightning spells, comparable in number to her melee Elements, with astonishing power.

"What a young Titan Giant!"

Lei En could not help but exclaim in awe.

Titan Giants evolve from Legendary Giants, not limited to Titan Giants; other high‑rank giants can also advance. Generally, a Titan Giant is at least Legendary High‑rank, though exceptions exist where a few exceptionally gifted giants can ascend to Titan status already at the Legendary Mid‑stage.

Clearly, this female Titan Giant is such a case.

Lei En's Soul Eye sees through her details: she is only Legendary Mid‑stage, equivalent to a level‑15 Transcendent, a hair's breadth from Legendary High‑rank, and could break through at any moment.

Yet judging from her soul's cycles, she should have just come of age.

The Storm Giant's juvenile period is half as long as a dragon's; it reaches adulthood at fifty, meaning she is just a little over fifty years old.

Most Storm Giants support this young Titan, the majority being male, loudly calling her name: "Axi Na."

Lei En stopped his steps and watched the spectacular battle.

Axi Na held a huge round shield in her left hand and a single‑handed sword flashing with electricity in her right. She did not simply crush her opponent with force; her footwork was swift and varied, and each time her foe Pu Ertos swung his sword, she accurately blocked it with the shield and then counter‑attacked.

Lightning clung to her blade, always breaking through Pu Ertos's defense from the most cunning angles, leaving a scar on him.

Yet she remained unhurried and steady.

She repeatedly evaded his spells or braced against them, becoming lightning to widen the gap or close in; the two giants' silhouettes flickered and chased each other across the massive arena, each clash erupting in sky‑full lightning and deafening booms.

The watching Storm Giants waved flags and shouted, their excitement turning their faces red.

Lei En had already seen that Axi Na's strength far surpassed her opponent's; winning would be easy, but she seemed unwilling to expend her full power too early, preferring to hone her skill through the fight.

He watched for a few minutes.

Gradually, the wounds on Pu Ertos multiplied; the lingering lightning on the injuries slowed his recovery, rapidly draining his stamina, and he began to falter, unable to keep up with the opponent's heated tempo.

In contrast, Axi Na still appeared very relaxed.

She was never hit by Pu Ertos's great sword—either blocked or dodged—and though a few spells struck her, she resisted them easily, her skin bearing no scar.

Victory and defeat were clear at a glance.

Lei En shook his head; while Pu Ertos's strength was considered a Legendary Peak in the outside world, he was merely an ordinary Legendary Giant, without advancement and lacking Legendary Elements; his highest Element was Level‑11 "Strength," far from the threshold for advancement, and the power accumulated from age alone could not erase the Titan Giant's advantage.

His thought just finished, and he heard a "Dang"—a huge crash.

In a shield block, Axi Na deflected Pu Ertos's great sword, surged forward, shattered his defensive stance, countless bolts of lightning erupted in his chest, and the towering giant's body was blown upward, landing heavily dozens of meters away.

The shouting ceased, and the Storm Giants showed no surprise at the result, as if they had long been accustomed to Axi Na's victories.

"Cough cough… I lost again…" Pu Ertos's mouth corner bled as he glanced at his wounds, shook his head and laughed, "This time I held out shorter than last time; your strength improves so fast! Tell me, how much power did you use today, was it seventy percent?"

"This is my full power."

Axi Na had already sheathed her weapons, slung the shield behind her, and hung the sword at her waist; with a "Pala" sound it turned into lightning before her, and she extended her hand.

Pu Ertos was pulled up to stand, his face full of disbelief, and he said helplessly, "You needn't worry about my dignity; if I cared, I wouldn't keep accepting your challenges."

He had watched Axi Na grow up, and he knew the junior's temperament well.

Over the years, the giants in the Storm Temple had been almost entirely challenged by Axi Na; aside from a few Titan Giants, no one could match her.

Axi Na's talent, even if placed in the Giant Empire era ten thousand years ago, was a once‑in‑a‑lifetime genius.

Elder Suolim doted on her, sparing no resources to accelerate her growth, personally forging her weapons and armor, and often finding time to give guidance. At first, the giants in the temple resented this favoritism, but later no one dared oppose it and instead gave strong support.

All the clan members were soon subdued by Axi Na.

Axi Na also displayed talents beyond combat; when she went out she always led the charge, yet she was not reckless, seeming to see through enemy tactics on the battlefield, leading her clan to victory at minimal cost, earning great merit many times.

Moreover, Axi Na's beauty was extraordinary, a rarity among the towering giants, easily winning the affection of all unmarried male giants.

Unfortunately, no young giant could match her, not even one of comparable strength.

Axi Na had no interest in that; whenever someone expressed admiration, she directly challenged them, beating them black‑and‑blue. Even so, this did not dampen the giants' enthusiasm, who went wild cheering during the battles.

"Enough, that's it for today. I'll heal my wounds and then spar with you again." Pu Ertos saw that Axi Na did not concede and asked no further.

He bent down to pick up his great sword, suddenly noticing Axi Na's gaze turn toward the distance, her expression shifting.

He turned his head and saw a short figure.

"Human…"

Pu Ertos frowned; the elder had granted permission for some external races to trade crystal sources for entry into the Storm Temple, so a human appearing here was not strange. Judging by the direction he left, he was probably just passing by to visit the elder.

Yet Axi Na seemed to notice something; her eyes brightened, she hesitated a few seconds, and with a "Pah" sound she became lightning and chased after him.

(End of chapter)