Chapter 183 - The Giants’ Secret Valley
The four figures descended the jagged cliffs, Feiyin's steps light while the three giants' strides shook loose stones from the crags. Ahead, the valley's mouth widened, but a strange haze clung to the air, faint ripples distorting the view like heat rising from stone. Feiyin narrowed his eyes, his oscillation sense brushing against the curtain- space itself trembled.
Darak placed a massive hand upon the air. "This is the threshold to our grounds. Beyond lies the secret realm of our clan."
Feiyin felt the pulse of formation lines hidden in the fabric of reality. The energies were neither wholly artificial nor natural- they were anchored by the world itself. He stepped through, and at once the world shifted.
Light blossomed, air grew vast, and the ground stretched endlessly. The valley inside was not small but a realm unto itself. Mountains loomed taller than he had imagined, rivers as wide as lakes glistened under the sun. Yet all of it was balanced: soil rich, essence flowing, the world's rhythm harmonized. Feiyin breathed deeply and almost staggered at the density of qi- it was several times thicker than outside.
"Your clan created this?" Feiyin asked, astonished.
Darak grinned, pride flaring in his deep voice. "No- we found it. Our ancestor merged the valley with this pocket of space, weaving a world that grows with us. It is self-sustaining, feeding from the essence rivers outside. We are its keepers."
Feiyin's eyes roamed. Hills were carved into terraces where giants cultivated crops the size of trees. In the distance, he saw titanic figures hammering at a forge- sparks like falling stars. Children with legs like tree trunks ran across meadows, their laughter rolling like thunder.
And everywhere, eyes turned to him. Dozens of gazes, curious, cautious, and gleaming with surprise. Whispers carried: a human, so small, like a doll, but alive and walking among us. Some craned their necks, while others bent lower to stare. A young giant girl giggled and nudged her friend. "He's tinier than the chicken hatchlings."
Feiyin, used to scrutiny in sect halls, nonetheless flushed. His back stiffened, but he inclined his head politely at those who stared. To him, they were immense, yet their aura was not oppressive- it was like standing amidst mountains that breathed.
Darak caught his discomfort and chuckled. "Don't mind them. Most have never seen a human in flesh. To them, you are… exotic."
Feiyin allowed a wry smile. "I'll take it as a compliment."
The giants laughed, a sound like boulders rolling down slopes.
They moved deeper into the settlement. Houses the size of palaces loomed, their beams thicker than Feiyin's entire body. Carved stone murals stretched across walls, depicting scenes of war, harvest, and starry skies. Fires roared in braziers taller than Feiyin. He craned his neck constantly, unable to take it all in.
"Your people live as if the world itself is scaled to you," Feiyin murmured.
Darak's chest swelled with pride. "This is our cradle. Here, even our youngest may grow freely."
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At last, they arrived before the greatest building yet- a hall whose gates reached into the clouds. Carved upon its face was the image of a giant with outstretched arms, holding both a sun and moon. Feiyin felt the weight of will within the carving, as though the stone remembered the ancestor who left it.
Inside, the air grew solemn. The hall's pillars were so wide that Feiyin could have walked along the grooves of a single carving for hours. At its heart, seated upon a stone dais, was a giant who radiated gravitas.
Darak bent knee, his voice reverberating. "Father. We have returned."
The clan leader, Drakar, was immense even by their standards. His hair, black with streaks of silver, fell like rivers past his shoulders. His eyes burned amber, fiery as the sun, yet heavy with age and wisdom. When his gaze fell upon Feiyin, the youth felt as though weighed by mountains. But just as quickly, the weight eased, replaced by curiosity.
"So this is the human who walks with my children," Drakar said slowly, each word resonant.
Feiyin bowed deeply, his voice clear. "Junior Cai Feiyin greets Clan Leader Drakar."
A ripple of interest stirred among the gathered giants. Elders, warriors, and alchemists stood along the sides of the hall, their towering presence filling the space.
Elder Fjord stepped forward while raising a hand, laughter still rumbling in his chest. "You are in for a surprise."
Another elder with a blue beard snorted impatiently. "Enough theatrics, Fjord. Get on with it."
With a chuckle, Elder Fjord closed his eyes. His spiritual sense unfurled, threads of memory weaving through the hall. Images blossomed in the air: of their meeting with Feiyin, his power, the warm drink they shared, the revelation about Feiyin's alchemical prowess, which left the alchemists in awe, then the contest of strength in arm wrestling, where the elders looked surprised at the defeat of Darak, and even more shocked at the tie with Fjord. The clan leader himself raised a surprised brow, his usually stoic face breaking with a flicker of astonishment. Then, they saw the deal reached between them, and how Feiyin took a Vow to not reveal anything that could harm the Giants.
When the vision faded, Elder Fjord's voice carried, chuckling at their reactions, ''And that's how it went."
The chamber pulsed with shifting emotions. Some elders leaned forward, their eyes glimmering with newfound respect; others whispered in hushed voices, doubt battling against the memory they themselves had just witnessed. A few younger giants stamped their feet in thunderous approval, while the oldest among them remained silent, faces unreadable stone.
The silence held- until Drakar himself rose with a hearty laugh.
"Then so be it. Any recognized by Fjord is recognized by us all! Tonight we feast in welcome!"
The hall grew louder. Cheers thundered, the elders stamping their colossal feet until the ground beat like war drums. Servants rolled out casks of strong drink and laid down slabs of meat so large they looked torn from mountain beasts. Fires leapt into a towering bonfire, painting every face gold and red. Skewers of colossal game hissed and spat fat into the blaze, their scent thick in the air.
Drakar raised a jug as tall as Feiyin's chest, his grin splitting wide. "Tonight, we drink to Fjord's word! And to the boy who carries fate with our clan! Feiyin, come- share the first cup with us!"
Feiyin had to grip the mug with both hands, its height nearly dwarfing his torso. The giants laughed, not mockingly, but with roaring delight. Elder Fjord slapped the stone bench hard enough to make it quake. "Look at him! That's a real strong lad!"
The meat was rich, smoky, and so immense Feiyin needed a knife in both hands to carve a single bite. He marveled- this realm felt vast, even in its food. He imagined Yue here, and a smile tugged his lips. She would call it paradise.
As the night deepened, contests sprang forth. Two giants locked arms in a test of strength, the stone table beneath them groaning until a crack split its edge. Another heaved a boulder the size of a hut, sending it rolling across the ground like a tossed coin. Feiyin smiled while observing the others, swept into the rhythm of it.
Darak called across the fire, "Feiyin! Lend your voice to the cheer! Strength is not only in arms but in spirit!"
Feiyin rose to his feet with a chuckle, the firelight catching in his gray-amethyst eyes, and shouted with all his breath. The giants answered with thunder, stamping their feet, their laughter shaking the night.