"Youāre an Arch Lord. Do you only kill enemies with your mouth?"
"Honestly, among the Arch Lord powerhouses Iāve killed, you donāt even rank."
Orion was also arrogant, also savage.
It was just that his consciousness and soul were countless times stronger than those of an ordinary giant, so many of his negative emotions and his brutal nature were usually suppressed by him.
When facing Arch Lord powerhouses, these innate tendencies were the best weapons, and Orion was now unleashing them one by one.
Of course, Orion retained his rationality. Those two sentences he had just spoken were a clear insinuation aimed at Arch Lord Kian, an attempt to strike at his will.
Orion was telling Kian plainly: Arch Lords even stronger than him had been slain by Orionās hand.
Such psychological suggestion, if it failed, was inconsequential. But if it took root and sprouted, Kianās fate would very likely be the same as those Arch Lords of the past.
"Damned giant! You will pay the price for your boasts!"
Arch Lord Kian took out a ghost-face mask from within his attireāone that covered only the lower half of his faceāand donned it.
Once the ghost-face mask was on, Kianās aura surged dramatically, becoming even more bizarre, more sinister and evil.
"I will skin you, pull out your tendons, drink your blood, and use your skull to offer sacrifice to our great ancestors!"
Arch Lord Kian wore the mask. Although he was speaking, his mouth was not visible, which added an extra layer of mystery to his presence.
Boom!
Kian and Orion collided like two missiles. Sparks flew in all directions, continuously, and the harsh, ear-piercing sound of metal striking metal was incessant.
The clash of trident and lance was like a form of judgmentāa judgment upon each other.
Once that judgment was rendered, the result would be death.
At this moment, Orion and Kian were relying purely on their physical strength and transcendent power in their head-on confrontation.
After putting on the ghost-face mask, Arch Lord Kian seemed to become immune to fire and lightning, meeting Orionās direct assault without flinching in the slightest.
Elsewhere, while Orion and Kian were engaged in their weapon-clashing duel, the battle between Leonidas and Lestat was truly a savage melee.
Leonidasās hot blood was surging, his entire body blazing with roaring flames, his eyes filled with an endless, unyielding battle intent.
Lestat was no less formidable. Facing the giant dragon, he showed no fear, his hostile blue-green eyes fixed unwaveringly on Leonidas.
The dragon extended its flaming claws, sinking them deep into the Bloodreaverās body. With an outward exertion of force, the dragon attempted to tear the Bloodreaverās body apart.
The Bloodreaverās own sharp claws had also pierced the fire dragonās body, though the searing flames considerably lessened the damage it could inflict.
However, Bloodreaver Lestatās fangs, gleaming with brutality and a ravenous craving, had already locked deeply onto the fire dragonās neck, and he was, bit by bit, draining the giant dragonās blood.
Leonidas spread his wings, and once again they transformed into flame chains, binding Bloodreaver Lestatās body in coil after coil.
It was precisely this binding that slowed Lestatās speed in siphoning Leonidasās blood.
However, before his body was bound, Lestat had already split off several avatars.
A swarm of basketball-sized Bloodreavers flapped their leathery wings, circling Lestatās main body. Emitting sharp, terrifying screeches, they attempted to tear apart the flame chains and free him from his bonds.
Yet, Leonidas also had his own way of dealing with them. His dragon tail, like a steel whip, or a venomous snake, whipped and lashed out with a whistling sound, continuously driving back the swarm of smaller Bloodreavers.
The battle raged on, both sides constantly wearing each other down.
Who would ultimately emerge victorious was still unknown.
...
Titanion Realm, Human Kingdom, Rose Manor.
Kronos, now a little over one year old, could already walk, and quite steadily at that.
"Kronos, from now on, I will teach you some combat techniques specific to giants," Tarn said.
"Tell me, what weapon do you like?"
Tarn stood ramrod straight, as tall and unyielding as a lance, his burgeoning aura also making him seem like a fierce beast.
"I donāt want weapon. Donāt like. I want Bone Python. I want to be like big brother," Kronos lisped, his pronunciation still a bit unclear. But having spent much time together, Tarn could naturally understand what Kronos was trying to express.
Tarn smiled. He neither agreed with Kronos nor dismissed his dream.
The Bone Python had a fierce and imposing appearance, and its combat power was also very impressive.
However, it was not a conventional mount for giants.
In his heart, Tarn hoped that Kronos would follow in his fatherās footstepsāto be a warrior who subdued an abyssal dragon, to be the glory of the giant tribe.
Tarn continued, "Kronos, before that, I want to tell you a story."
"A story about how to subdue a Bone Python, how to obtain it."
Tarn began with the Bone Python, familiar to Kronos, and started to tell the story of the Giant King.
"In the far north, there is a place called the Black Forest."
"Our Blackstone Giantsā ancestral land is there. Some twenty-odd years ago, a frail giant was born there. His name was Orion Stoneheart."
"Later, Orionās parents suddenly disappeared..."
In the distance, on the balcony of Rose Manor castle, Princess Ava and Prince Theodore stood leaning against the railing.
Ava remarked, "Thatās his fatherās story. This is the first time Iāve heard Tarn speak of it." She gazed at Kronos, her eyes filled entirely with affection, radiating a motherly glow.
In Avaās eyes, Kronos was her everything.
Theodore added, "Undoubtedly, his father is a living legend."
"Father has mentioned to me many times that if he were in Orionās position back then, given the circumstances at the time, he might also have been able to lead the Stoneheart Horde south."
"But, the Stoneheart Horde could not have resided in the south for long." Prince Theodore was also watching Kronos, though his gaze held something more, something different.
"What do you think of Kronosās talent?" Ava asked, not particularly concerned about Orion, shifting the topic to her son.
"As the son of a Legendary-level powerhouse, Kronosās talent must be excellent," Theodore replied.
"But whether Kronos can reach the same heights as Orion, thatās hard to say."
"The growth of every powerhouse is related to his talent, the environment he is raised in, and the quantity of resources consumed."
On this point, Prince Theodore was qualified to speak with authority; his own growth was, in a way, a future reflection for Kronos.
However, Prince Theodoreās status and position were completely different from Kronosās.
Prince Theodore represented the future of the human kingdom; the resources he could enjoy were far beyond what Kronos could ever hope for.
So, Prince Theodore considered for a moment, then turned to Ava to speak his heartfelt thoughts.