Chapter 869 Seal Bearer
The Fire realm was a seismically active landscape, with streams of flowing magma and expanses of semi-molten rock and hardened purple stone. The land was studded with small volcanoes and flame spouts, which regularly spurted a flaming gas. The temperature was hot enough to melt a Body strengthening stage cultivator like a wax statue. Due to the volcanic ashes and specks of flame in the air, nothing could be clearly seen by the naked eye. If the volcanos weren't bad enough, the sandstorms and occasional thunderstorms worsened everything.
Diana slowly picked herself up from the ground and looked around her to see where she was. The curse teleported her into a canyon surrounded by semi-molten rock and flowing magma. Just the sight of it helped her realize where she was. Although the realm looked somewhat similar to the demons grave, the temperature was much higher than the demons grave. As a result, Diana realized she was teleported to the Fire Realm. Unfortunately, she was not a stranger to the Fire Realm.
"I need to find my kids," Diana mumbled under her breath. Since the orc teleported them here, Diana guessed slaying the orc might teleport them back to Pen Town. But before that, she had to find her children. She hoped they weren't in trouble. Ignoring the sandstorm, Diana made her way forward. She tore her sleeves and covered her mouth with the cloth.
The storm became worse by the second. Onward she went, searching for her children and the orc. On her way, she spread her senses to detect any threats around her. The last time Diana was here, she almost burned down the entire Hell City, the only settlement inside the Fire realm. Instead of scouring through the entire realm blindly, Diana decided to reach Hell City and hoped her children would share the same thought unless they came across the orc first. For a moment, she had to be optimistic.
When Diana's senses detected no threat or life signs around her, she quickly ascended into the air and flew out of the canyon. A few seconds later, Diana landed on a naturally formed stone structure. From atop, she could see barrel land outside the canyon. Unfortunately, she still couldn't locate Hell City. Luckily for her, she had a compass in her space ring. It was given to her by her mentor when she was training to be the next Holy Maiden. Never in a million years, Diana thought she had to use the compass once again. But she had no other choices considering flying in higher altitudes would attract monsters that roam the sky. She wanted to avoid unnecessary battles while she was in the Fire Realm.
With a flick of her wrist, Diana took out a compass made out of emerald green metal. The needle and the letters were etched with gold as the glass covering the compass had several cracks. Holding the compass in her hand brought down some memories she really wanted to forget. For a moment, she shoved these memories back into her mind and held the compass in her palm. The needle slowly moved until it stopped, pointing at the southwest side.
"Hell City," Diana heaved a heavy sigh before putting the compass back into her space ring.
Thud!
When she was about to fly toward Hell City, Diana heard something fall onto the ground with a loud thud. She turned around, and to her surprise, she saw Bai Ning, still trapped by Rowena's frost. Despite the scorching hot temperature, the frost held Bai Ning firm. Except for a few cracks, the ice shell looked unharmed by the fire realm.
"Argh," Bai Ning growled as she tried to break out of the ice crystal. But when she saw Diana, she heaved a sigh of relief.
"Diana," Bai Ning called out to Diana as she slowly made her way toward the old woman. While she was walking toward Bai Ning, her mind replayed Michael's words.
"She slaughtered thousands of people, including children, yet you all call us evil. Anyone see the hypocrisy here?" Gaya's voice sounded inside her head.
"You have to bring me to that flowing lava," Bai Ning looked at the molten lava canal flowing deeper into the canyon. The ice crystal trapped her within was created by a Hal Immortal. Usually, she could have shattered it without breaking a sweat. However, the Cold Flames boosted Rowena's power to the next level. Every spell in her arsenal got strengthened by the primordial flames, especially the spells related to the water element. That was why Bai Ning couldn't easily break the crystal. Of course, she could break out of the crystal in time, except Bai Ning didn't want to be trapped in the crystal for long. She was a sitting duck to the monsters roaming around the Fire realm. They might not be able to kill her, but it didn't mean it wouldn't hurt when they chewed through her skin and bones.
Some of the monsters in the Fire Realm were even capable of killing an Immortal and eating their souls, just like the Dark Lord absorbed the orc's soul.
"Hurry up," Bai Ning rushed Diana. In her rush to break out the crystal, Bai Ning overlooked the killing intent in Diana's eyes. But not for long. When the old woman saw how slow Diana was walking toward her, she felt something was amiss.
"Is there a monster nearby?" Bai Ning quickly asked Diana when a sword materialized in the latter's hand.
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"Yes," Diana coldly answered Bai Ning.
"You have to hurry. If I don't get out of this, we are both doomed," Bai Ning urged.
"Can you see how strong the monster is?" Bai Ning asked as she tried to sense the monster herself. When she sensed no monsters around, Bai Ning creased her old brows.
"It's right in front of me," Diana coldly answered Bai Ning again. The calm and kind woman Bai Ning knew was nowhere to be found in the woman before her. She seemed different, like a natural-born killer, a wounded predator. Those eyes staring at her burned rage and pain.
"What are you blabbering about, woman?" Bai Ning growled.
The old woman was losing her patience with Diana until she saw something she couldn't believe. The ball of light blinded Bai Ning and made her close her eyes.
"Primordial flames," Bai Ning muttered. The bright light blinding her was a Primordial Flame, Bai Ning had no doubts whatsoever. Nothing else could radiate such pure energy. The question was how this weak, feeble woman wielded the Primordial flame. Even with her eyes closed, she could see the brilliance of the primordial flame. Under the Light Flame's heat, the crystal around Bai Ning began to melt down.
When Bai Ning felt the crystal loosening, she slowly opened her eyes. She had so many questions in her mind, but before she could ask, Diana raised her sword. Bai Ning's eyes sparkled, seeing the primordial flames coiling around the black sword. As Bai Ning opened her mouth to question Diana, she sent the sword through the old woman's mouth.
"Grrghh," The old woman groaned as crimson-red fumes escaped out of her mouth. Bai Ning squirmed like a worm trapped within the frost crystal. The Light Flames vaporized the blood while melting Bai Ning's skin on her face. If Bai Ning had any artifacts or runes to protect her life, she might have had a chance to escape Diana's wrath. Unfortunately for Bai Ning, she had nothing. In other words, Bai Ning was too cocky as she thought who would dare to attack an Immortal and the Skyhall's elder.
It was natural to develop such cockiness when one had lived thousands of years without having an enemy. Moreover, Bai Ning never expected Diana to possess a Primordial flame. How could she ever expect a Body Strengthening stage weakling to have not only Primordial flame but a weapon capable enough to withstand one?
Suppose Diana didn't have Light Flames and her black sword, any other swords would have shattered into pieces when she stabbed Bai Ning. But the Light Flames changed the outcome of the battle completely. Plus, Bai Ning was trapped within Ice crystals made of Cold Flames. So one could say Bai Ning had to overcome two Primordial flames, and it was impossible for her.
Diana pulled out her sword and stabbed Bai Ning in the eyes again and again, venting all the rage buried within her. Finally, the ice trapping Bai Ning shattered under the Light Flame's heat. Even after Diana stabbed Bai Ning repeatedly, the old woman's body squirmed on the ground with life.
"All these years, I have to see you hold my little girl hostage," Diana snarled as she stomped Bai Ning's chest.
"I watched you turn her into the Holy Maiden, a weapon to be used against my sons," Diana kept stomping Bai Ning's chest until her ribs shattered. The boiling rage she felt activated the ancient god's blood in her body, temporarily boosting her cultivation power to the Half Immortal stage. Diana even tripped down in pure rage and hit the ground on her knees. 𝚋ｅｄ𝚗𝚘𝚟ｅ𝚕．𝚗ｅｔ
"You will manipulate her no more," Diana started to stab the old woman and went crazy. Blood spurted out, painting Diana's white robes red. She didn't stop stabbing her until the old woman's body was in pieces. When she stopped, there was no body on the ground for her to stab; just some pieces of burnt flesh remained. Finally, Diana let go of the black swords and put out the Light Flames. She started to breathe heavily as she fell down to the ground beside Bai Ning's pieces.
When Diana thought everything was over, a black lightning bolt struck the ground where she killed Bai Ning and blasted Diana away. The black lightning existed for just a split second. During that split second, a glowing rune resembling a black skull appeared from Bai Ning's blood and vanished along with the lightning bolt. Unknown to Diana, she destroyed a seal designed by the past Dark Lord. As a result, the array placed between the mortal realm and the god realm weakened. If all those seals were destroyed, the war between the mortals and the gods would finally start.