C13 A Clay Puppet

The sound of howling wind echoed deeply around him.

The Giant Village Chief, with Ye Kong in tow, raced across the land.

Eventually, they reached a humble mountain temple.

A clay idol was enshrined within—a tangle of yellow, grass-like hair, a gaunt face, and skin like blackened leather clinging to its form.

Who was this figure, and why was a human clay idol venerated here in Giant Valley?

Gazing at the idol, Ye Kong's mind brimmed with questions.

"Ye, are you certain you can still grasp the essence of the Divine Script?" The Village Chief's expression was grave.

"Chief, you've asked me a hundred times already. Yes, I'm certain."

The Village Chief remained doubtful. "Yet, you're only in the Middle Period as a Martial Cultivator. You've already grasped the supreme essence of a Divine Script. By all accounts, your psychic force shouldn't withstand a second one."

Ye Kong confidently slapped his chest, "Worry not! I had already grasped the Divine Script before becoming a Martial Cultivator. Now that I've ascended, my sea of consciousness is far more robust. One Divine Script is no issue, let alone two or three."

"Very well! We'll give it a shot. But if anything goes awry, call out immediately. I'll sever your connection to the Divine Script at once."

Ye Kong felt a twinge of awe. The old Village Chief's power was indeed formidable—to sever the bond with a Divine Script!

Ignoring Ye Kong's look, the Village Chief approached the idol, knelt thrice, and bowed deeply nine times.

Ye Kong stood aside, bowing his hands in a gesture of respect to the idol.

The ritual complete, the Giant Village Chief produced a massive hammer and swung it with might.

The hammer soared skyward.

Crack.

A brilliant flash of lightning descended.

The electric charge met the hammer, crackling intensely.

"Open!" The Village Chief's punch, mighty and inexorable, thundered through the air.

A piercing sonic boom followed.

"Gu Ye, it must not be done." Two voices, weathered by time, echoed forth.

Simultaneously, an immense palm intercepted the Village Chief's punch.

His expression darkening, the Village Chief demanded, "Tomb keepers, do you dare obstruct me now?"

"Gu Zhi, we've heard about the incident with Yvran. We're outraged too, but we must approach this with a strategic mindset, not rashly."

The two guardians of the tomb, one tall and one short.

The shorter one appeared to be using ventriloquism.

"Strategize, strategize... I've heard that refrain for millennia. Our Giants' existence is increasingly precarious. Must we really wait until we're on the brink of extinction to consider change?"

The taller one tapped the ground softly with his cane.

"We tried to stop Yvran from leaving back in the day, and you were all for it. Now look at the mess we're in, and you're still causing trouble."

"Causing trouble?" The Village Chief's face turned ashen with anger upon hearing this.

"Had I not sought change over the years, using human crop seeds to meet our food needs, our youth would've perished from hunger by now."

"Not so. We Giants are under divine protection. When we're truly desperate, a miracle will manifest."

"God? Where is this God? Even if there is one, He's too preoccupied to bother with our fate."

The short, stout man offered a bow to the clay figure.

"God, please forgive Gu Zhi's irreverence."

The Village Chief yanked the stout guardian closer, "I don't need you to plead with God for me. If I've committed blasphemy, let Him punish me."

"You... you rebellious child, your actions could spell doom for our kin."

"Enough." The Village Chief raised his hand to the heavens.

"This seal has imprisoned our race for ten thousand years."

"The spiritual essence of Giant Valley can no longer sustain us."

"We mustn't be obstinate, clinging to unchanging rules."

"Perhaps ten thousand years ago, he did indeed watch over us."

"But the world has changed drastically since then."

"We remain confined."

"Are we to wait another ten thousand years?"

"Our annals state that the Northern Kingdom was once the domain of the Giants."

"And now, as you've also heard,"

"The realm beyond is ruled by the Darkling Spectre."

"I've had this nagging feeling for years that the Order Race has undergone a transformation," I said.

"Enough, we have company!" both tomb keepers exclaimed in unison.

Ye Kong's heart raced, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

"It seems I've stumbled upon a significant secret. Could the Order Race be a branch of the Giants?"

He forced himself to stay calm, waiting for the three giants to turn and look at him before shrugging. "I find your argument to be quite pointless."

"Insolent boy, watch your tongue, or I'll drown you in spit," the short, stout one said with icy eyes.

"The observer often sees more of the game. Let's hear him out," the village chief murmured.

Ye Kong straightened his clothes and spoke with measured calm, "I caught bits and pieces of your conversation. While I don't grasp the full picture, I've gathered enough to get the gist of it. You're debating whether the gods still watch over the Giants and if it's worth attempting to break the seal. Am I correct?"

The old village chief gave a nod.

Ye Kong went on, "To me, the solution seems straightforward."

The two tomb keepers looked on with scorn.

A simple matter of the gods?

Let's see what this youngster has to say. If it's nonsense...

He'll regret it.

"If the god is present, we can't break his seal. If he's absent, breaking the seal won't bring punishment upon us," he explained, then looked at the three with a wry smile. "Unless I'm mistaken, this seal is made of Divine Script, right?"

"Indeed, and that's precisely why I brought you here. You've mastered the ultimate essence of a Divine Script," the village chief responded candidly, giving a knowing look to the other two.

It was as if to say, "Take note! This young man is no ordinary fellow; he's grasped the ultimate essence of a Divine Script."

Hearing this, the two tomb keepers regarded Ye Kong with newfound respect.

With a smile, Ye Kong added, "If it's Divine Script, then the solution is even simpler. If the god lives, his supreme Divine Script is beyond our control, and the seal cannot be broken."

"In other words, if we break the seal, it could mean that the god has already..."

Upon hearing this, the faces of the three giants blanched.

"The god might have perished!"

Could even the supreme god fall?

They had never entertained such a possibility.

Yet today, a mere human had suggested it.

Simply by attempting to break the seal, they could determine whether the god was still alive.

A diminutive human, freshly arrived, had the audacity to speculate on the god's mortality.

The notion was utterly inconceivable.

Even the village chief had gone ashen. In that moment, he felt a twinge of panic.

Had it been a mistake to bring this individual here?

Silence ensued.

A prolonged, heavy silence.

Finally, the village chief turned to the two venerable guardians and inquired, "Elders, what are your thoughts?"

The two old men appeared to have aged years in moments.

In hushed tones, they spoke, "Perhaps it's true that we've grown old, and the humans are indeed the most pioneering of races.

Let's do as he suggests and find out if our god still watches over us."

"Very well, it's settled then. I will take full responsibility for the outcome."

"No, you are the village chief. The tribe still needs your guidance. Should the god be with us, let us two weathered souls bear the brunt of any divine retribution!"

Without giving the village chief a chance to respond, the two guardians' spirits soared.

A cane and a long whip transformed into two golden dragons, ascending to the heavens.

"The fog clears, and the Divine Script reveals itself."