Mountain Giant

Under the shadow of a large tree, a person lay prone. It was a man with curly chestnut hair, brown eyes, a high nose, and fair skin – a standard Western face. He paid no mind to the sharp stones digging into his body, completely focused on the instrument in his hands. The device resembled a police baton from Earth, with a knob at the grip and an otherwise unremarkable exterior; if dropped, even a scavenger wouldn't bother picking it up.

However, to Sunny Corleon, and indeed the entire Corleon Family, this baton-like object was their most crucial secret, the key to the Corleon Family's comeback!

It was called a "Shielding Device," a rather ordinary name, but the meaning it represented was anything but. Its purpose was to block various force fields that could affect people – especially the detection force fields of the Si Nan Family.

For a thousand years, the Si Nan Family had used their signature detection Supernatural Abilities to establish a comprehensive intelligence-gathering mechanism, thereby building a vast intelligence network. As the saying goes, know yourself and your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles. The Si Nan Family always obtained intelligence one step ahead, keeping track of the Corleon Family's movements and resolving issues before conflicts erupted. Consequently, the Corleon Family had been suppressed for a millennium. The once balanced situation of two great families standing side-by-side had long since tilted in favor of the Si Nan Family. When anyone mentioned the foremost family in Tianyuan Kingdom, they thought of the Si Nan Family; the Corleon Family was relegated to being their foil.

But now, things were different! If they could shield the Si Nan Family's greatest asset – their detection – they could fundamentally change everything!

After adjusting the Shielding Device, Sunny sighed softly.

"The family's rise..."

Many were convinced that the Shielding Device would help them defeat the Si Nan Family. However, Sunny harbored doubts. Even if they could nullify the Si Nan Family's intelligence network by blocking detection, it would merely put the two families on an equal footing. Due to the Si Nan Family's long-term suppression, the Corleon Family still couldn't match them in terms of manpower and resources. If a real conflict broke out, their chances of victory were slim... But why did the family's high-ranking core members seem so confident?

Given the shrewdness of those old foxes in leadership, they surely wouldn't bet everything on this small Shielding Device. They must have other trump cards, enough to crush Si Nan Changzheng's ultimate trump card – the Si Nan Family's strongest combatant!

Still, with his own limited influence, thinking too much was useless. Sunny now had only two wishes: for the Si Nan Family members to finish up quickly and leave; and for the others who came with him not to do anything foolish on impulse.

Rumble--

"Huh? Is that thunder?" Lorraine beside him looked up at the sky curiously. The sky was a clear azure, cloudless.

"That's weird, it doesn't look like rain at all--"

BOOM--!!!!!!

Before he could finish speaking, a deafening roar erupted, making their heads spin. Sunny and Lorraine quickly looked in the direction of the sound, and the sight that greeted them left them dumbfounded.

Accompanied by billowing smoke, the distant mountaintop had been blown flat.

Returning to a short while ago--

"Alright, Miss, don't be so down..." Si Nan Yuan comforted Si Nan Ying, whose expression was gloomy.

"It's not about being down, I'm just a little disappointed."

"Not to be depressed even when things don't go as planned, that's the bearing of a strong person."

"That's a rather sly way of putting it..."

Si Nan Ying's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had a brilliant idea.

"I've tried a few times and still can't control the power well. Maybe I'll just stop controlling it from now on."

"What do you mean?"

"I can work for the family in the future, specializing in demolition, mountain carving, and bunker busting. I wouldn't need to bother suppressing the power for those kinds of jobs."

"Please don't oversimplify things. The jobs you mentioned require meticulous calculations and directional blasting beforehand. Simply having great explosive power isn't enough."

"Then, I could be a civil servant..."

"Speaking of which, Elder Hong was complaining about your written exam scores last time."

"...Are you sure you're trying to comfort me?"

"You two over there, stop whispering! Hurry up and move, we're not far from the assembly point!" Elder Hong, walking at the forefront of the group, had a voice like a booming bell. Despite being over seventy, his walking speed was no less than that of a young adult. Elder Hong had been a fierce general during the previous patriarch's reign. Though he hailed from a small family serving the Si Nan Family, he had braved mountains of knives and seas of fire. His Supernatural Ability to erect protective barriers had saved the lives of many important family members. He was granted the surname Si Nan at the age of thirty, and due to his outstanding contributions, his status steadily rose to that of an elder. His strength was evident!

They had now reached a small hill; crossing it would lead them to the assembly point – the mountainside of the main peak. The mountain path was rugged, and the altitude increased steadily. However, ability users could replenish their stamina by continuously absorbing Spiritual Energy from the atmosphere, and with the aid of various Spiritual Medicines, everyone could march at a rapid pace without collapsing. The surrounding vegetation had become sparse, with no trees to obstruct their view. At a glance, there didn't seem to be many Demonic Beasts. Yet, experienced individuals knew this was precisely when they needed to be most vigilant. The Demonic Beasts that had long inhabited this area were very cunning and skilled at camouflage. They could suddenly leap out from caves or from beneath piles of rocks at any moment.

However, Si Nan Ying's team hadn't encountered any particularly formidable Demonic Beasts. This was thanks to the bespectacled woman – Si Nan Jing. Like Si Nanlong, she was a detection specialist on the team, but far superior to Si Nanlong, a true standout.

"Wait, something's happening."

Si Nan Jing, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke. Everyone immediately stopped moving. Since she had spoken, it must be a matter of great importance concerning their safety.

"What is it, A'Jing? Another Demonic Beast?"

"Behind that rock face," Si Nan Jing pointed to a large boulder, "there's a big cavity. There's something inside. It's not moving, but it's best to be cautious."

"Can you tell what it is?"

Si Nan Jing showed a rare expression of difficulty. "I'm not sure. The shape is very strange. It's less like a complete Demonic Beast and more like a large chunk of flesh--"

Suddenly, Si Nan Jing fell silent. She adjusted her detection force field to its highest precision and scanned back and forth across the entire rock face. As her detection deepened, her expression grew increasingly grave.

"I see... No wonder I thought there were no Demonic Beasts here before," she turned around with a serious expression. "It was my oversight. It's not that there aren't any, but rather... it's too big."

"Too big?"

"It's behind this entire rock wall, roughly from here--" she pointed to one end of the rock face, "--to here," she pointed to the other end. "In any case, let's take a detour. Judging by the size, it's most likely--"

Before she could finish--

A dull thud, like the sound of a door slamming, echoed from the other side of the rock face.

"Everyone, prepare for battle!"

Everyone immediately assumed a combat stance. No one wanted to run – if it was what they suspected, it was too late to escape now; it was better to fight directly!

Thud-- Another dull thud, this time accompanied by a cracking sound as something split open. Cracks appeared all over the rock face, a shocking sight.

"All ranged attackers, prepare--" Amidst the tense atmosphere, Si Nan Yuan's remarkably calm voice rang out. All team members skilled in ranged attacks immediately stepped forward, while melee combatants automatically moved to the sides.

With a deafening roar, the entire rock face shattered. Through the massive opening, a grotesque stone head could be seen, frozen in a punching pose, its gaze somewhat vacant as it looked outwards. It slowly walked out of the rock face, its massive body appearing clumsy, yet its movements were surprisingly fluid. Its entire body was composed of stone. Standing in the sunlight, it resembled a stone tower, exuding an aura of invincibility.

The Demonic Beast looked around. Upon seeing Si Nan Ying and the others, a hint of hostility flickered in its previously vacant eyes.

"—Attack!"

Beams, hurricanes, and shells rained down on the colossal creature. The sounds of wind-breaking, explosions, and shattering merged into one, yet there was no roar from the Demonic Beast. The Demonic Beast—officially named Mountain Giant—remained silent, mechanically shielding its head and retreating repeatedly under the barrage.

"Elder Hong!"

"Do I need you, a junior, to tell me?"

Spiritual Energy from heaven and earth was absorbed into Elder Hong's body at an astonishing speed. Accompanied by a low growl, a massive light screen appeared above the Mountain Giant. Compared to the previous one, this light screen was as solid as if it had substance. With Elder Hong's command, it directly suppressed the Mountain Giant!

The light screen descended upon the Mountain Giant with incredible momentum, actually halting its retreat! Upon closer inspection, as the light screen continued to press down, the ground beneath its feet began to visibly indent! The indentation grew larger and larger, and its legs, as hard as rock, started to tremble! Finally, with a rumble, the Mountain Giant's posture completely collapsed. It knelt on one knee, its hands, which had been protecting its head, now forced to push upward against the light screen to resist the immense pressure!

"Now's the time, finish it in close combat!"

Following Si Nan Yuan's command, three burly men wielding heavy weapons swarmed forward, attacking the Mountain Giant's head. Si Nan Ying, who had been protected in the rear the entire time, only saw a blur before her eyes before the Mountain Giant's stone head turned into shattered fragments!

The headless stone statue crashed to the ground, shaking the earth. The Mountain Giant was crushed before it could even throw a punch. This wasn't because it was weak. Efficient action, perfect coordination, and timely command—these combined factors meant the outcome of the battle was decided from the very beginning!

...It's just that our poor second young lady didn't get a chance to participate from start to finish.

"Captain, do we still want its Essence Core?"

"The Mountain Giant's corpse is too large. To find the Essence Core, we'd have to dismember it piece by piece, which would take too much time."

"Wait!" Si Nan Jing suddenly shouted.

"What is it!?"

"Second Young Lady, watch out below!"

"Huh?"

Before Si Nan Ying could react, the ground behind her suddenly cracked open, and a giant stone hand, accompanied by a hurricane, slammed towards her!