Chapter 363
“Since the Blazing Flame Stone has already chosen a master, it no longer has anything to do with you,” Nina said calmly. “That said, you’ve guarded it for many years and contributed greatly to its protection. Because of that, I’m willing to offer compensation p>
“How can it have nothing to do with us?” Freen snapped immediately. “The Blazing Flame Stone has remained in Blazing Flame City for thousands of years. It belongs to us. You must return it p>
Several elders exchanged glances.
Greed flickered in their eyes, and they quickly voiced their agreement.
“That’s right. It’s been part of Blazing Flame City for generations p>
“Since you’ve become its master, we’re willing to allow you to stay as well. You’ll receive the highest status and the finest treatment our city can offer p>
“Exactly. You cannot take the Blazing Flame Stone away, but you can remain here and become one of Blazing Flame City’s females p>
Their intentions were obvious.
Although the relic had acknowledged Nina, they had no desire to part with it.
In fact, the situation presented an even greater opportunity.
As the Blazing Flame Stone’s master, Nina could unleash its full potential. If they could keep both her and the relic within the city, Blazing Flame City would gain benefits far beyond anything they had enjoyed before.
And if she refused to stay willingly p>
Well, there were always other methods.
Not every elder joined the discussion.
Some remained silent.
Deep down, they understood that Nina was technically correct. They had always been guardians, not owners.
Yet after protecting the Blazing Flame Stone for countless generations and benefiting from its power for so long, who could truly accept losing it?
The difference was that they still possessed enough pride to avoid voicing the shameless arguments some of their colleagues were making.
A cold smile appeared on Nina’s lips.
What a greedy group.
They spoke as though they were offering her a privilege, but she could see through them effortlessly.
They didn’t want her because they respected her.
They wanted to use her.
And if she refused, they likely had no intention of letting her leave alive.
Around her, Odian and the others watched the elders with icy expressions.
Allow Nina to stay?
Since when did she require anyone’s permission?
They understood the elders’ calculations perfectly.
The old men simply wanted to squeeze every last drop of value from her.
Setan’s eyes filled with apology.
“Nina, don’t concern yourself with them. Don’t worry about me either. Just leave p>
He had already anticipated something like this might happen.
That was one of the reasons he had tried so hard to send her away beforehand.
The greed of his own people had exceeded even his expectations.
And under the current circumstances, the situation was clearly unfavorable for her.
Nina squeezed his hand reassuringly.
Then she looked at the elders.
“I won’t stay p>
Her voice was steady and unwavering.
“And none of you have the ability to make me p>
The sheer number of warriors surrounding them would certainly make a battle troublesome.
Still, she wasn’t afraid.
If necessary, she could fight her way out.
Ideally, however, she preferred avoiding unnecessary casualties among her own side.
The system’s teleportation array could not transport people across vast distances like Odian’s formation, but escaping the encirclement would be easy enough.
Of course, breaking through by force remained an option.
She simply preferred the solution with fewer losses.
Freen let out a cold laugh.
“Whether you stay or not isn’t your decision p>
If Nina remained, he had countless ways to deal with her.
She had humiliated and injured him.
There was no chance he would let that go.
Nina glanced at him as though looking at an annoying insect.
“You intend to stop me p>
A dangerous glimmer entered her eyes.
“If you’re so eager to die, I can grant your wish p>
Before anyone could react, several thick vines shot from the ground.
They wrapped around Freen’s body in an instant.
Another vine coiled around his throat and tightened mercilessly.
His eyes widened.
His face quickly turned crimson.
“You… let… let me go p>
He clawed desperately at the vines constricting his neck.
Every word emerged as a strained gasp.
“If… if you dare… kill me… Blazing Flame City… will never… forgive you p>
Panic flooded his chest.
Breathing was becoming increasingly difficult.
He had never expected Nina to be this fearless.
Earlier, she had nearly killed him in battle.
That was one thing.
But this was different.
Now she was threatening his life in front of the entire city.
If she killed him here, it would be a direct challenge to the dignity of Blazing Flame City itself.
“Female, release Elder Freen immediately p>
One elder stepped forward.
“This is Blazing Flame City’s territory. Your arrogance has limits p>
Another elder joined in.
“Let him go at once. Do you truly wish to make an enemy of our entire city p>
Anger burned in their eyes.
Nina’s actions had crossed a line they could not tolerate.
No matter how powerful she was, she was openly attempting to execute one of Blazing Flame City’s most respected elders before their eyes.
If they allowed that to happen, the city’s reputation would become a laughingstock.
None of them knew that Freen had already escaped death once earlier that day.
Seeing the elders rally behind him, Freen’s fear lessened somewhat.
Confidence returned to his eyes.
Struggling against the vines, he glared at Nina and forced out several breathless words.
“Well… what are you waiting for p>
“Release me… now p>
If the vines didn’t loosen soon, Freen was certain he would die.
Agonizing pain burned through his throat. The air in his lungs was rapidly disappearing. His limbs grew heavier with every passing second, and dark spots began to dance across his vision.
His consciousness was slipping away.
Nina merely sneered.
Instead of releasing him, she tightened the vines even further.
A strangled sound escaped Freen’s throat.
The crushing pressure intensified.
The world around him dimmed as darkness crept inward from the edges of his sight. A sharp ringing filled his ears, drowning out everything else.
The elders exchanged uneasy glances, debating whether they should attempt a rescue.
Before any of them could act, a deep, powerful voice suddenly echoed across the sky.
“What insolent female dares harm an elder of the Lion Clan p>
The voice rolled across the battlefield like thunder.
Moments later, a tall figure descended from the heavens and landed before Nina.
The elders of Blazing Flame City lit up with excitement.
The former City Lord had returned.
Relief swept through the crowd.
They had been struggling to figure out how to deal with Nina’s overwhelming strength. Now they no longer needed to worry.
With the former City Lord here, surely this troublesome female could be subdued without difficulty.
Their confidence instantly returned.
Hanging on the edge of death, Freen’s dimming eyes suddenly brightened with hope.
“C-City Lord p>
He struggled desperately to speak.
“S-Save me p>
The newcomer, Rin, fixed his gaze on Nina.
“Female, release our elder immediately. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being discourteous p>
“That’s right p>
One of the elders quickly stepped forward.
“Our former City Lord is incomparably powerful. Someone like you cannot hope to compete with him p>
The arrogance that had vanished moments ago immediately resurfaced.
With Rin standing before them, they no longer feared Nina.
From the back of the crowd, Yian rolled his eyes so hard they nearly disappeared into his skull.
Of all times to show up.
Why now?
If the old man had arrived a little later, that troublemaker Freen would already be dead.
And frankly, Yian would have been perfectly happy with that outcome.
Did this old fool have any idea that Freen had nearly gotten his grandson killed?
Nina glanced at Rin with calm indifference.
Then she raised an eyebrow.
A sharp crack suddenly echoed through the clearing.
Everyone froze.
Freen’s body went limp.
The last traces of life vanished from his eyes.
The battlefield fell silent.
Nina casually released the vines and let the corpse drop to the ground with a dull thud.
Then she lifted her gaze toward the elders.
“Anyone who tries to stop me will end up exactly like him p>
The words landed like a slap across their faces.
The elders instinctively took a step backward.
No one even realized they had moved until afterward.
Their eyes drifted toward Freen’s lifeless body.
Several swallowed nervously.
This female was truly insane. She had actually killed him.
Not only that, she had done it directly in front of them after receiving a warning from Rin himself.
Nearby, Yuna’s eyes sparkled.
Maya looked equally impressed.
What a bold female.
Yuna secretly stole another glance at Nina.
Perhaps Setan’s devotion wasn’t so difficult to understand after all.
Maya unconsciously curled her fingers.
For the first time, she felt she understood why Setan had fallen for Nina.
The woman’s confidence was impossible to ignore.
Across from them, rage exploded in Rin’s eyes.
“How dare you!” His voice thundered across the battlefield. “You actually killed one of our elders p>
This female had completely disregarded him.
Not only had she ignored his warning, but she had also executed Freen right in front of him.
The audacity was astonishing.
No matter what happened today, he would teach her a lesson.
Nina remained utterly unbothered.
“He disrespected me.” Her voice was cool and steady. “So I killed him. What of it p>
More importantly, Freen had tried to kill Setan.
For that reason alone, she would never have allowed him to live.
Rin’s expression darkened further.
“Very well.” His aura surged violently. “Today I’ll personally teach you what it means to respect your elders p>
Not far away, Bran narrowed his eyes as he studied Nina.
The more he observed her, the more convinced he became that she was no ordinary female.
Then a sudden thought struck him.
Earlier, what had Setan called her?
Nina.
That name… His eyes widened.
Without hesitation, he turned toward one of his subordinates.
“The City Lord of Barbarian City that I asked you to investigate before. What was her name p>
The subordinate answered immediately.
“My lord, the City Lord of Barbarian City is named Nina p>
Bran’s pupils contracted sharply.
Nina.
The same name.
A wave of shock crashed through him.
It couldn’t be p>
Could it?
Before anyone could react, he rushed out from the crowd.
Stopping a short distance from Nina, he stared at her in disbelief.
“You His voice trembled slightly. “You are the City Lord of Barbarian City p>