Chapter 513: The Burning Valley
"Heh heh..."
Leon pulled a few magic crystals from his pocket and handed them to Lord Shaun. Only then did Lord Shaun return contentedly to the Soulwalker. Leon then produced a vial of potion, crouched down, and gently poured it into Ash's mouth. "Lead us there."
"Alright, alright..."
Ash nodded furiously, like a chick pecking at grain. After drinking the potion, color returned to his face, and even his wounds healed by more than half in just a few seconds. He slowly and reluctantly got to his feet.
But when he looked at Leon, his eyes were filled with deep terror. Those past few minutes felt like a trip through hell—pain worse than any torture. Just the memory made him tremble all over.
Though he'd lost all hope for himself—now that the Forgefire Clan was destroyed, death could come at any moment—he'd rather not experience that kind of agony again.
If given the choice, he'd rather die than go through it a second time.
Besides, with the Forgefire Clan gone, there was no point in hiding the Chieftain's whereabouts anymore...
With that thought, Ash felt the burden on his heart lighten. After leaving the tent, he took the lead, guiding the entire group along a rugged path for more than half an hour before finally stopping at the so-called Sanctuary.
"It's right here..." Ash muttered nervously before Leon could even ask.
"Here?"
To be precise, what lay before Leon and the others was a valley. Even just standing at its mouth, everyone could feel a terrifying wave of heat. The mage-class members of the group were drenched in sweat, huge drops rolling down their foreheads. Less than a minute at the entrance, and their robes were already soaked through.
And this was only the entrance...
Inside the valley, only Title Archmages could probably withstand that kind of heat.
After a brief discussion between Leon and Councilor Weiss, they decided to leave all the mage-class members outside the valley. Only the Title Archmages from both factions would enter to explore.
Immediately, the group shrank to just over a dozen people...
"Let's go..." Once everything was ready, Leon glanced at Ash and said calmly, "Lead us in."
"What...?"
Ash jumped in fright, face turning deathly pale. If he could, he would never enter the Sanctuary, but refusing the young mage meant a fate worse than death. After a brief struggle, he finally nodded, joining the dozen Title Archmages as they walked side by side into the valley.
"Ah!"
But just as the group crossed the valley's threshold, Ash's body suddenly froze, his face contorted in agony as he let out a bloodcurdling scream. His whole body trembled violently. The crimson runes etched into his skin seemed to come alive, flaring with blinding red light. His skin turned a searing shade of red, radiating terrifying heat, and black smoke poured from his ears, nose, throat, and mouth.
"What's happening...?"
The sudden turn of events left everyone frozen in place, stunned by the bizarre spectacle unfolding before their eyes. These were all Title Archmages, yet none had sensed anything amiss, no magical fluctuations—yet Ash, crossing the valley's threshold, had inexplicably burst into flames.
"Bringing outsiders into the Sanctuary really does invite ancestral punishment..." Ash howled in agony, his voice thick with terror and regret. As he spoke, a tongue of flame erupted from his mouth, and in an instant, the strange fire engulfed his entire body...
Within seconds, Ash was reduced to ashes, the bizarre flame vanishing soundlessly as if it had never existed.
The world seemed to fall silent. Everyone stood there, stunned. Though Ash hadn't been the strongest, his power was at least that of a first-rank Title Archmage. Yet the sudden fire had ended his life in an instant.
"Hss..."
Everyone drew a sharp breath, a chill running up their spines. Their faces were etched with shock and fear. No one could believe it—Ash, perfectly fine moments ago, was now dead, reduced to ashes. Worry clouded every face.
Even Leon's brow furrowed.
"Let's not waste time here. Let's find the Chieftain in the Sanctuary..." Councilor Weiss, pale as a ghost, gritted his teeth. Even after witnessing the Sanctuary's strangeness, he refused to give up. They'd come too far—Black Tower had invested too much. Even if Lord Heron wanted to abandon the magical artifact, Weiss wouldn't agree.
A group of Title Archmages marched deeper into the valley, flames licking at every corner. Even the rocks underfoot were scorching hot. Strangely, some bizarre trees grew right out of the fire, radiating a vibrant, almost unnatural life...
It was a world of flame—nothing but fire as far as the eye could see.
Huh...
Soon after entering the valley, Leon could clearly sense the fire element here was so dense it was almost tangible. Nowhere else in Northend—or any other plane—could compare. He figured that casting fire spells here would be massively amplified; any fire spell would be boosted by at least two levels.
For instance, casting a fifth-level spell like Fire Dragon here would unleash power rivaling a seventh-level high spell—maybe even close to eighth.
Everyone in the valley, even those above Title Archmage, found the heat unbearable. Their robes were soaked and clung to their bodies.
If an ordinary mage had entered, they'd probably be dead or dying by now...
This place was unimaginably dangerous.
Everyone moved deeper into the valley, faces grim and cautious, relying on instinct to navigate. Scorching fire-serpents lashed out from all sides. Suddenly, the ground trembled violently—the burning rocks beneath their feet disintegrated in silence, and a terrifying aura surged upward...
Rumble...
With a thunderous roar, the ground split open, revealing a massive, pitch-black chasm. Crimson magma surged out, radiating unbearable heat, and swept upward like a curtain, threatening to engulf everyone...
"Watch out!"
Councilor Weiss shouted a warning, but it was too late. A second-rank Title Archmage from the Black Tower was closest to the fissure. As magma splashed toward him, he barely had time to react—almost petrified with fear. In a panic, he raised his staff, unleashing a blinding flash as a surge of magic formed an elemental shield.
The second-rank Title Archmage was about to breathe a sigh of relief when a sinister hissing sound filled the air, and his expression froze...
The crimson magma didn't vanish when it hit the elemental shield. Instead, it slowly ate away at the barrier, hissing as it released clouds of smoke. The most disturbing part—the shield was visibly fading, losing strength with every passing second...
Just as the shield was about to break, a pitch-black hand swept in with overwhelming force, snatching the Black Tower mage away.
A pillar of fire shot into the sky. The flames surged like tidal waves, and with a deafening crash, a massive figure appeared before everyone—a Magma Giant, hundreds of meters tall, wreathed in flame.
Its entire body radiated scorching heat, molten magma flowing across its form. With every movement, countless streams of magma splattered outward.
The crowd stared in utter disbelief...
Their attacker was a Magma Giant!
Magma Giants were nothing new, but this one was absurdly strong. The magma it hurled had nearly killed a second-rank Title Archmage.
That was what truly shocked them...
Most of the dozen Title Archmages in the group had spent years battling across the Blazeforge Realm, so they were no strangers to Magma Giants.
Magma Giants were considered high-level elementals, often summoned by orc shamans in the Blazeforge Realm's wars. Powerful, yes, but never a threat to Title Archmages—their strength was usually at the mage level.
But this Magma Giant was far beyond any mage...
What was going on here?
But there was no time to think. With a deafening roar, torrents of crimson magma flooded the sky, falling like a rain of fire. The sight made everyone's skin crawl.
The power of this magma was terrifying—even a second-rank Title Archmage's elemental shield couldn't withstand it...
"Damn it, how is this Magma Giant so strong? It must be at least level thirty-five..." Councilor Suville cursed, his aged face marked with shock. He raised an ancient staff to his chest and began chanting long, intricate incantations...
Instantly, a surge of powerful magic filled the air...
A wave of bone-chilling cold followed. Frost condensed in the air, dimming the fiery serpents and turning the sky a blinding white. Then came a sharp crack—the sky itself froze solid above their heads...
Only a Title Archmage could cast such a spell—a seventh-level high spell: Frozen Barrier!