Chapter 1723: Fire Burning Calamity, The Burning Giants (Part 2)

The creatures were covered in countless cracks, their hair dry and withered, their eyes hollow.

What was even more striking were the massive shackles on their legs and the collars around their necks, revealing their true identities.

“Prisoners?”

Jiang Chengxuan’s eyes widened in surprise. He couldn’t understand why such a race would exist in this desolate land.

He could sense that these weren’t just illusions, but actual living beings with remnants of life energy. However, their current state was almost like being half-dead.

“They seem to be wandering aimlessly…”

After observing for a while, Jiang Chengxuan realized that these creatures seemed to have no purpose, just aimlessly walking around.

But he had a faint suspicion that these beings were intricately linked to the original runes.

“There may be more of these creatures here. I should look for them.”

Trusting his intuition, Jiang Chengxuan decided to focus more on these creatures.

He moved deeper into the land, and soon found more and more of these creatures gathering in clusters. First there were dozens, then hundreds, then thousands, even tens of thousands.

All of them were shackled, bound in chains, and burned by the blazing flames in the scorching world, as if undergoing a form of cruel punishment.

Packed tightly together, they aimlessly wandered beneath the enormous black sun, creating an eerie atmosphere.

“Is that their palace?”

When Jiang Chengxuan ventured further, he unexpectedly spotted something in the distance.

It was a series of broken walls standing in the barren land, their red tiles visible despite the wear and tear. It was possible to make out the faint traces of former grandeur.

It seemed these fire-burned prisoners hadn’t always been in this state, but had fallen into their current predicament due to some force.

But no matter why they had become like this, it had nothing to do with Jiang Chengxuan. What mattered now was only the location of the original rune.

After passing through the ruins, Jiang Chengxuan’s eyes suddenly lit up, his spirits lifting.

Amidst the maze of broken palace walls, Jiang Chengxuan distinctly sensed the presence of the original rune, and the aura was incredibly clear.

This meant it was very close.

Following the trail of the rune’s aura, Jiang Chengxuan arrived at an altar.

The altar was massive, like a small mountain, made from deep crystal and celestial materials.

In this desolate place, this altar was the only intact structure. And at its highest point, a group of celestial light radiated, within which floated a complex and ancient rune.

This was exactly the original rune Jiang Chengxuan had been searching for.

Surprised by how smoothly everything was going, Jiang Chengxuan couldn’t help but smile with joy.

Without hesitation, he stepped into the air, ascending the towering altar.

Eventually, he reached a vast platform, which was incredibly close to the enormous black sun hanging in the sky. Waves of hot wind rushed at him, and the searing heat seemed to ignite the air around him.

“Ugh… Ah…”

Suddenly, Jiang Chengxuan’s joy faded, and his eyes narrowed. Accompanied by groans of pain, he saw a figure kneeling before the original rune.

Like the creatures he had seen earlier, this figure was also enveloped in wild flames, with massive shackles on its feet and a collar around its neck.

However, unlike the previous creatures, this one was much larger, standing at nearly three meters tall, resembling a blackened giant.

For a moment, Jiang Chengxuan was uncertain. He didn’t know whether these creatures had intelligence or not. Should he try to communicate with them, or attack immediately?

But he didn’t hesitate for long, as the burning giant suddenly turned its head toward him.

Its hollow eyes were filled with dark flames, and as they met Jiang Chengxuan’s gaze, he felt a faint burning sensation.

At this moment, Jiang Chengxuan’s expression grew solemn, and his breath circulated but remained suppressed.

The burning giant before him was no weakling, and Jiang Chengxuan was ready to act at any moment.

“Roar—-!”

The kneeling burning giant let out a roar and immediately launched an attack on Jiang Chengxuan. With a powerful push of its legs, it leapt from the ground, releasing a battle cry.

As it soared through the air, its shackles jerked, pulling its massive form to a halt, causing it to plummet back down and strike at Jiang Chengxuan with the shackles in its hands!

“Boom!”

The strike was filled with immense power, carrying the force of red flames. At the critical moment, Jiang Chengxuan dodged, but the attack landed on the altar, causing it to tremble.

The explosion of sound shook the entire altar like a small mountain, and the flames from the giant’s attack spread across the platform, creating waves of fire.

“Roar—-!”

Realizing its attack had been dodged, the burning giant let out another furious roar, launching a flurry of wild attacks.

Although it was bound by shackles and chains, the giant showed no sign of being hindered. It used the chains as weapons, infusing them with the fiery calamity and swinging them at Jiang Chengxuan.

On its blackened body, deep red markings glowed like crimson bloodstains. These marks drew in destructive power, which surged into its body, causing its strength to rise.

It was clear that this burning giant was no ordinary being; it was a product of the ominous black darkness. It was likely chosen by that dark force to guard the original rune, which explained its formidable power.

“Hmph!”

But for Jiang Chengxuan, this was nothing to worry about.

After dodging the giant’s attacks several times, Jiang Chengxuan sneered and decisively took action.

The Primordial Chaos Sword appeared in his hand, surrounded by a burst of purple-gold light, and he slashed forward.

The sword’s power, at the level of a mystical artifact, exploded, tearing through the air and cutting down swathes of celestial flames.

At that moment, the burning giant raised its hand to block the attack, using its shackles as a shield.

“Buzz—-!”

The Primordial Chaos Sword collided with the shackles, producing an eerie buzzing sound, reverberating through the space and sending ripples through the air.

“Roar—-!”

To Jiang Chengxuan’s surprise, the burning giant let out a furious roar. Its muscular arms swelled with power, and it violently shook, unleashing terrifying strength.

The shackles that had bound its arms were torn apart, breaking with the crack of the sword’s strike.

This seamless motion caught Jiang Chengxuan off guard. He had expected these creatures to have lost all intelligence, leaving only their destructive instincts.

But now, he saw that this burning giant still retained some battle wisdom and could adapt to the situation.

“Interesting…”

Jiang Chengxuan, however, remained unfazed. He had expected this possibility and was not overly surprised.

But so what? Even without the shackles, the burning giant was no match for him. Jiang Chengxuan was confident in his strength.

“How about I give you another slash?”

With that, Jiang Chengxuan suddenly shouted, and the Primordial Chaos Sword swung down once more, releasing brilliant heavenly light, aiming for the giant’s blackened figure.

As Jiang Chengxuan expected, the burning giant was incredibly agile. It leaped into the air, using the shackles to pull on the chains and mimic its previous move.

The sword’s light struck the chains, causing two sharp, metallic sounds.

The two shackles broke apart with a resounding crash, shattering the giant’s restraints.