"What do we need to do now?" Black Spider asked, puzzled.
"wait."
It's unclear how much time passed, but the Storm Duke seemed quite patient and remained motionless.
The more than twenty people following him could only wait quietly.
Soon, the sound of the Mosuo people came from the tree canopy, and several small monkeys emerged from it, leaving behind more than twenty vines and a few black leaves.
Duke Storm said, "Learn from me."
He picked up a vine from the ground, cut his finger and dripped blood on it. The vine seemed to come alive, like a small snake, and tightly bound the Storm Duke's wrists.
Then, the Duke of Storms crushed a black leaf and applied its juice to his eyes.
The other judges did as instructed, but Black Spider felt all his strength vanish as the vines wrapped around his wrists. He seemed to have become an ordinary person again, unable to break free of the vines no matter how hard he tried.
"Duke, this is..." Black Spider asked in confusion.
"There are many more secrets about the Giants Dynasty than you can imagine," Duke Storm said calmly with his eyes closed.
The black spider asked again, "How can I break free from the vines?"
"Just cut off their hands."
All the judges then smeared their eyes with the juice of the black leaves, and soon, everyone's vision went completely black, and they could see nothing.
It was only at this moment that the judges realized they had never truly understood the duke.
No one knows why the Duke of Storms is so familiar with the secrets of the Giants Dynasty.
After centuries of war between the Kingdom of Roosevelt and the House of Giants, a duke arrives at the royal court as if returning home…
It's terrifying to think about.
Only after they had finished doing all this did the giant approach and lead Duke Storm and his party forward.
At first, Black Spider tried to rely on his memory to determine the route. He thought that as long as he remembered his steps, stride, and direction, he could find the location of the Giants Dynasty's royal court.
But after calculating for a long time, just when she thought she had gone in circles and returned to the Prophet's Wall, she heard dense and heavy footsteps. Someone applied fragrant water to her eyes, and the world regained its brightness.
The black spider looked around. All around were magnificent buildings constructed of huge stones, each exuding a sense of grandeur and antiquity.
Countless giants surrounded them, most of their bodies naked, their bodies painted with black and green camouflage that matched the color of the forest. In the Forbidden Forest, such camouflage made it difficult to spot the giants from a distance.
Then, the giants slowly parted, and an old giant with a hunched back walked slowly to Duke Storm, stroked his head, and said in a human language, "Welcome home, my child of the forest."
Duke Storm declared, "War!"
(My king, I have returned.)
The judges were all horrified; this Duke of Storms could actually communicate directly with giants in their language.
There's only one possibility... Duke Storm has the blood of giants!
Long ago, Duke Storm was ridiculed by his classmates as the bastard of a giant because of his enormous size.
However, everyone knows that he is the son of the previous Storm Duke, and that some human mothers died in childbirth because of him.
Everything is verifiable.
What no one knew was that it was all a fabrication by the previous Duke of Storms.
The old duke, with a hidden purpose, raped a captured giantess and gave birth to the strange Duke Storm. Surprisingly, this duke not only had amazing talent in cultivation, but also possessed racial talents.
Those who knew all of this were taken to their graves by the Duke when he died. Now, the secret has finally been revealed, and it seems the time has come to show the truth.
The adjudicators began to panic, unsure of what fate awaited them.
Now that you know the secret of the Storm Duke, can you still live?
Duke Storm declared, "War!"
(The Roosevelt Kingdom has suddenly become suspicious of me, but I don't know what happened, or if anything has leaked from our side?)
The aged giant king said, "The eagle from afar brought news: the friend from the great prophecy has finally crossed the ocean and arrived at the Forbidden Forest. He is the one who asked us to cooperate; he does not know your identity."
Duke Storm asked, "Then may I know his identity? I need his help."
However, at that moment, a young giant walked over from afar, and even the king of giants bowed slightly to him.
Duke Storm lowered his head: "Prophet, the creatures of Blackleaf Plains will forever heed your call."
The young giant looked down at Duke Storm: "I cannot tell you the identity of that friend yet. Now, please tell me the purpose of your return."
Chapter 862, The Black Spider!
The royal court of the giants was vast, covering an area almost indistinguishable from that of a human city.
Huge stone houses can be seen everywhere, and the roads are paved with gray boulders.
Standing before such a building, one feels as if they are at the foot of a mountain.
Duke Storm asked, "Can't you tell me his identity?"
The prophet shook his head: "No."
Duke Storm raised his wrist and the vine, looking at the prophet with a hint of anger in his eyes: "Doesn't my daring to come here demonstrate my loyalty to the Royal Court? I've come, yet you refuse to tell me who betrayed me? He has made me questioned and doubted in the Roosevelt Kingdom, but I can't even know who he is. Am I not a child of the forest?"
“I believe my grandfather’s prophecy, so his plan is the giants’ plan,” the prophet confessed. “I haven’t been able to fully trust you either.”
Duke Storm frowned: "Among the giants, there are those with telepathic abilities; they can sense my thoughts."
The prophet shook his head: "After you ascended to demigod status, no one among the giants could sense your thoughts anymore. Tell me, what do you need us to do this time?"
The prophet remained silent about Qing Chen's identity.
This prophet was four meters tall, with a clean-shaven head and a delicate face, looking like a handsome young monk.
This made him stand out and appear refreshing among the giants.
The Arbiters and the Black Spider could clearly sense that the Giant Prophet did not entirely trust the Storm Duke, otherwise he would not have kept the vines loose until now.
Moreover, the Giant Prophet refused to reveal who the 'friend in the Great Prophecy' was, and even withheld from the Storm Duke the method to reach the Royal Court.
Under such circumstances, the fact that Duke Storm still dared to come alone demonstrates his courage and boldness.
Throughout the kingdom, Duke Storm's courage and boldness have long been renowned. Twenty years ago, when the old duke passed away, he faced attacks from his brothers and once single-handedly stormed into the army group controlled by his brother, persuading the Storm City army group to help him seize the ducal throne.
Most importantly, he actually succeeded.
In terms of strength, courage, and boldness, this Duke of Storms truly deserves the title of duke.
At this moment, Duke Storm simply found a stone stool, sat down with his sword drawn, and said coldly, "It doesn't matter if you don't tell me, but I also know about that prophecy. I am also a member of the giant race."
Duke Storm certainly knew this prophecy, as did every giant.
This prophecy is so famous!
Giants all have big mouths!
"One day, a giant's friend will arrive at the edge of the ocean. That friend wields thunder in his hands, and golden light shines deep in his eyes. He is the faith of the mountain peaks, a creature of the waves, and an eagle of the sky. He can understand our language and will ignite a new flame for the giant race, ushering in a new era. He will save us from fire and water and guide us in the right direction," Duke Storm pondered.
Black Spider couldn't help but exclaim, "Isn't that the Joker? This is the Joker!"
This prophecy is practically just missing the Joker's ID number!
Therefore, the one in Storm City must be fake; the real Joker has already arrived in the Forbidden Forest!
At this moment, the giant prophet had already frowned.
The King of Giants spoke too quickly, revealing too much information to the Duke of Storms. They shouldn't have let him associate it with the prophecy in the first place.
Once the connection was made, it became clear that the 'friend in the great prophecy' was Qing Chen from the Eastern Continent.
Kill Duke Storm? That would be a good way to protect Qingchen.
Unfortunately, the giant prophet's predictions were too random; he had not yet reached the level of the first generation of prophets and was unable to see the future.
This prophet is still very young; he needs time to grow.
Killing a demigod's ally when the situation is unclear would be too hasty.
Therefore, before confirming the Storm Duke's loyalty, the Giant Prophet did not want to kill him, but he also wanted to protect the friend mentioned in the prophecy.
The prophet calmly said, "That friend is already on his way to the royal court. If you stay a little longer, you can speak with him in person."
Duke Storm shook his head: "No, I can't stay here for more than 24 hours. I won't have a chance to see him."
He continued sincerely, "Since he is a friend from the prophecy, I understand his importance to the giants, so I won't ask any more questions. However, I hope that next time he can distinguish between friend and foe and not ruin my plans. In my plan, once I obtain Outpost No. 9, I can immediately open the throat for the giants to reach the central capital. At that time, we will drive all the ferocious beasts of the Forbidden Forest straight in. Even if the Fate Master can foresee it, he won't have time to mobilize all his troops to defend."
Duke Storm continued, “The Storm City army has turned against us, and with the power of our giants, the entire continent’s格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall situation or landscape) will change. But things are different now. The royal family has become suspicious of me, the previous plan is no longer feasible, and even I myself am in danger.”
The prophet asked, "So, what do you need us to do?"
Duke Storm drew a map on the ground with a twig: "You have opened a breach in Outpost 6. The royal family is now wary of me returning to Outpost 9, but I have decided to gamble everything and abandon that place, to tear a hole in Outpost 6 with you. Attacking the Central Royal City is no longer possible, but there is still much we can do. We can go through the mountains and raid Outpost 5, then destroy them. The Central Royal City will be left to fend for itself."
The main force of the army groups in Blackwater City and Phoenix City gathered at Outpost No. 5.
The aged giant king asked in a deep voice, "Do you intend to change your allegiance and completely side with the giants?"
“Yes,” said Duke Storm, “I am the son of the forest. Having endured humiliation and hardship, I must now return to its embrace. Blackleaf Plain is my home, and I am going home.”
The prophet pondered for a moment: "What about the City of Silver?"
Duke Storm said, "The Black Knights of Silver City have never liked to participate in wars, and they don't even always obey the royal orders. They don't care who becomes king. Once Blackwater City and Phoenix City are defeated, they will choose to stay out of it."
The prophet closed his eyes and waited for half an hour before opening them: "I agree."
Duke Storm stood up and took out a piece of paper from his pocket: "Then I'll be going now. The paper contains the specific battle plan and timeline. Next will be the era when my giant race overthrows the rule of the Roosevelt Kingdom."
The prophet did not speak.
The King of Giants asked, "Who came with you?"
Duke Storm said, “Their loyalty is not to me. Once we decide to go to war with the Roosevelt Kingdom, we cannot keep such wavering people around. Kill them all.”
All the Arbiters, along with the Black Spider and all the giants, stared in utter shock at the towering Storm Duke.
This was a core member of the organization of more than twenty Arbitrators, accounting for one-third of the total number of core members, and yet they just killed him without hesitation!
One of the elders cried out, "Duke Storm, why are you doing this to me!"
Duke Storm sneered, "Do you think I don't know you're Duke Phoenix's man? You've been keeping watch over me for 23 years. Did you really think you were hiding so well?"