...
Flames erupted from the ground like giant trees baring their fangs and brandishing their claws.
The moving flame tips were its branches, and the billowing smoke formed its leaves. They were intertwined to form a vast black canopy.
Walking under the orange-red Cinder Tree, Thuram felt the temperature around him rising. Bean-sized beads of sweat appeared on his forehead and his back became sticky. This place was like a different world from the cold desert outside. The cold wind of the Months of Demons could not corrode the core area of the Mother Earth.
"Is this why it's called the Land of Fire..." The golden-haired Divine Lady looked around curiously. "I didn't expect there to be such an interesting place in the Southernmost Region."
After a week of getting along, Thuram had a preliminary understanding of the people brought by Iron Axe. For example, the Divine Lady who spoke was called Andrea. She was good at archery, and even the most experienced hunter of the Sand Nation could not compare with her exquisite archery skills. There was no doubt that she would participate in the upcoming holy duel with the powerful Divine Lady Ashes.
"Interesting?" Ashes twitched the corner of her mouth. "I just feel like this place is like a steamer. If an ordinary person stayed here for two days, he would probably become a human jerky."
"I'm not surprised that you would say such a thing." Andrea shrugged. "You lack taste and style, so you naturally can't appreciate the customs here."
"Don't you want to dry your sweat before you praise? You can't see any style when you're sweating all over. "
"Go away!"
Thuram could not help but agree with the golden-haired Divine Lady. The most beautiful place in the entire Southernmost Region was not the Silver Stream Oasis, which brought the Mojin Clan a place to live and multiply, but the Land of Fire and the Endless Cape, where the earth fire never ceased. Although full of danger, they also symbolized great power, were the residence of the Gods, and were where the Sand Nation's faith was. One was used to compete for status and power, and to show the Mother Earth the bravery and tenacity of the clan; the other was used as a sacrifice, hoping that the Son of the Sea could bless the clan and inject more blood into the Silver Stream, so that new oases could grow in the desert.
Especially the Land of Fire, the whole area was sunken and slightly raised in the middle, like an upside-down basin, which could almost contain several Iron Sand Cities. The never-ending fire had caused the surrounding sand to harden and solidify. Walking on it was like stepping into a palace covered with stone bricks.
Apart from the wide and solid road, there were black abysses and shafts on both sides. The underground fire was spurting out from these shafts, constantly roasting this piece of land. But the most shocking thing was the color. Any Sand Nation would be attracted by the gorgeous colors when they first entered the sacred land. Starting from the abyss, the rock walls on both sides showed a gradually changing crimson luster, and the closer it was to the surface, the darker it became, like a piece of red and translucent charcoal that was continuously cooling.
However, when it reached the ground, the color suddenly turned into a bright green. It was as if the sand was covered with a layer of crystal clear jade. It was a glass-like object formed by the crystallization of the melted gravel, reflecting a dazzling brilliance against the background of the flames.
Further up was the eternal theme of this place, the orange-red flames. Dozens of fire pillars spewed out from the basin, surrounding the high platform in the center, as if welcoming the arrival of new challengers. It was also the core of the Land of Fire, the venue for the holy duel.
The alternating red and green, together with the black water underground and the golden sand dunes in the distance, at first glance, it seemed that all the colors in the desert had been concentrated in this area. If it were not for the Months of Demons, they could still see the sunlight through the thick smoke. Only the burning Endless Cape at the bottom of the sea could be compared to such a marvelous scene.
"I also think it's beautiful here... It would be better if there were no killing and bloodshed." His new master, Princess Drow Silvermoon of Osha, suddenly said, "Just like His Majesty said, if it's only for appreciation, it will definitely become famous..."
"National Nature Park?" Another short Divine Lady Hummingbird interrupted.
"Yes, that's what he said when he checked the Devil's Town behind the snow mountain."
"No wonder he's the king of a country. He's thinking exactly the same as me." Andrea raised her chin.
"Come on, have you seen what he said?" Ashes said sarcastically.
"Can't you use your brain if you haven't seen it? Just from the literal meaning, it must be referring to a place with magnificent scenery. Of course, people with shallow knowledge and experience will definitely not understand. "
"Tsk!"
Whether it was Iron Axe or the Divine Ladies, they would inadvertently mention the name of the king of Graycastle during their conversation. Thuram was very curious about what kind of person Roland Wimbledon was that he could win the trust of the Sand Nation and the Divine Ladies, especially the latter. He remembered that the traveling merchant had once mentioned that the highly respected Divine Ladies of the Mojin Clan were merely evil targets hunted by the church in the Four Kingdoms. However, their attitude toward the king was obviously different from what the merchant had said.
When they reached the platform, the warriors of the Cut Bone clan, who had been waiting for a long time, hissed. The onlookers from the other clans looked on coldly. The earth-shattering thunder in Iron Sand City had undoubtedly shocked them. Later, Thuram learned that the stone castle where Rubaka, the chief of the Iron Whip clan, lived had collapsed in the explosion, along with his blood relatives and subordinates. As a result, the six clans had been reduced to five, and it would be a long time before they could replenish their numbers.
However, revenge was a matter of course for the Sand Nation. The blood feud between the Iron Whip clan and the Osha clan was not a secret. Moreover, the foreign warriors did not invade Iron Sand City, so Drow Silvermoon's revenge was impeccable. Therefore, the other clans were shocked and fearful, and all that was left was indifference.
Unfortunately, they did not know that the purpose of the Osha clan this time was beyond everyone's imagination. Thuram thought that the Cut Bone clan was just the beginning. Sooner or later, the other clans present would step down from the spectator seats and become Drow Silvermoon's opponents. They would either be defeated or become Drow Silvermoon's stepping stones.
The chief of the Wildflame clan, as the arbitrator, walked to the front of the crowd and said, "The chief of the Osha clan, please step forward."
Drow took a deep breath, took a step forward and said slowly, "Yes, I am."
The other party nodded expressionlessly and said, "Very well. This is not your first time participating in a holy duel, so you should understand the rules. The Cut Bone clan will send a total of 22 warriors to participate in the duel. Now, choose weapons for your warriors. You are allowed to give up or surrender, but you must not violate your oath to the Three Gods. Until there is no one left standing on the platform, the winner will win the right to enter Iron Sand City! Let's begin when you're ready. "
For the fastest and most up-to-date novel reading, please visit
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
