Another Meeting in the Bath

At last, Diana got her wish and followed her mother toward the mysterious, towering treasure vault, her steps light and full of anticipation. She would soon wield the Amazon Tribe's supreme divine artifact-the Godkiller.

They entered the vault and saw divine equipment arranged in orderly tiers from top to bottom, all painstakingly forged by the various gods specifically for Zeus's lover, the Amazon queen Hippolyta, and her tribe.

The equipment gave off mysterious halos in the soft light, as though recounting ancient myths.

To prepare for Ares's invasion, Hippolyta solemnly took the Divine Shield and the War God Armor from the weapon rack and gently handed them to Diana. The gesture was like passing on an incomparably precious mission.

Inside a private changing compartment nearby, Diana slowly removed her standard Amazon armor, fully revealing her jade-white skin and athletic, graceful figure. Her body was shapely and perfectly proportioned, as though painstakingly sculpted by the gods.

She put on the predominantly gold-and-blue War God Armor. The two exquisite protective bulges over her chest were particularly eye-catching, like two brilliant stars embedded in it.

The War God Armor fit her figure perfectly and could make minute adjustments to match her movements, like a living second skin, ever vigilant against enemy attacks.

Clad in the War God Armor, Diana looked even more valiant and imposing, like a true god of war descended to earth. Holding the Divine Shield, she stepped confidently out of the compartment.

Hippolyta and the guards behind her were instantly stunned by the sight. They stood rooted to the spot, admiration welling up within them for this true princess of the Amazon Tribe.

On the next level of the vault, an ancient, imposing longsword stood embedded amid exquisite golden ring decorations. Its blade radiated a soft yet dazzling golden light, like a miniature sun. This was the god-slaying treasure forged through the combined efforts of the gods-the Godkiller.

After receiving Hippolyta's permission, Diana finally took the Godkiller in her hand, her eyes shining with excitement and anticipation.

She lightly hefted it, judging its weight at around twenty or thirty kilograms, then swung it a few times. The blade whipped through the air with a whoosh. Compared with the standard Amazon weapons she had used before, it was nothing short of a qualitative leap.

Queen Hippolyta gazed fondly at her child, hesitating over whether to tell Diana the truth about the Godkiller now. But after a little thought, she quickly dismissed the idea.

She slowly slipped the Silver Bracelets of Protection off her wrists. They gleamed softly in the lamplight, as though holding the protective power of the ages.

She placed the bracelets in Diana's hands and softly told her that these were the Silver Bracelets of Protection, refined from a shattered divine artifact belonging to Zeus, king of the gods. They, too, were exceptionally rare pieces of divine equipment.

Naturally, Diana was unwilling to accept them. After all, the Silver Bracelets of Protection had accompanied her mother for thousands of years, silently protecting the Amazon queen all that time. Mother and daughter argued over it several times before Diana finally accepted the precious gift and carefully put them on over her bracers.

Now fully armed, Diana looked like a god of war descended to earth, her pride and strength at their peak. At that moment, she was filled with the urge to find that scoundrel Ares and settle who was stronger.

Watching her daughter's eager expression, Hippolyta felt a jumble of emotions. She truly could not judge whether this was good or bad.

After leaving the vault, they parted ways along the road and returned to their respective chambers.

Diana returned to her palace full of joy and gently laid the Godkiller on her soft bed. Only after calming down did she suddenly remember Li Qi, who had risked her mother's reprimands and the invading outsiders' gunfire to come see her.

She had been so absorbed in the council members' fierce verbal sparring and the joy of obtaining the wondrous equipment she had long desired that she had completely forgotten her good friend. She could not help reproaching herself.

"I really am awful." As she spoke, she gently pinched her arm a few times, easing her guilt a little.

She immediately left her palace and headed to the hot spring palace to find her good friend, silently vowing that she would persuade him to leave Paradise Island.

Outside the palace, two dutiful female warriors were guarding the gates with meticulous care. Diana gently waved a hand, signaling for them to attend to other matters, then strode firmly into the hot spring sanctuary.

She followed the winding paths through the palace's interior, where all manner of rare and unusual stones were displayed. They emitted crystalline, dazzling rainbow light, illuminating the entire palace like a dream. The murmur of flowing water echoed through the quiet palace, adding to its sacred atmosphere.

After rounding a bend in the water, Diana finally found her good friend Li Qi in a steaming hot spring. His eyes were closed, his face full of ease and relaxation, as though he were immersed in a beautiful dream.

Diana wore divine War God Boots integrated with the War God Armor, which made clear, pleasant chimes as she walked. Awakened by the sound, Li Qi slowly opened his eyes. At the sight of the little princess Diana glowing gold before him, his eyes brightened and delight spread across his face.

After that brief doze, his body was brimming with strength again. Li Qi slowly rose from the hot spring, water streaming down his body and gleaming in the lamplight.

He wore only close-fitting underwear, and his athletic, powerful body stretched out fully before Diana's eyes.

Easygoing by nature, Diana felt none of the awkward restraint about contact between men and women. Instead, she took a few more steps forward to the edge of the hot spring pool, an excited smile on her face, and said to Li Qi,

"Li Qi, what do you think of my new equipment? My mother gave it to me specifically to deal with that villain." With that, she raised both arms and struck them together, making the divine bracelets ring with crisp chimes.

Li Qi instinctively flinched away a little. He still remembered the power of the divine lightning those bracelets released. But he knew Diana must have a way to control their force, and she had not unleashed any divine power just then.

Li Qi stepped out of the hot spring pool and walked barefoot across the stone floor toward the stone coffee table where his clothes lay. He casually picked up his shirt and jeans and put them on without trying to hide from Princess Diana, all the while praising the beauty, loveliness, and martial splendor of her new equipment.

Naturally, Diana could not stop smiling at her good friend's praise. After a little more idle conversation, her expression suddenly grew urgent. She gripped Li Qi's arm tightly, trying to pull him out of the palace with her and take him off Paradise Island, while rattling off,

"Li Qi, listen to me. The whole island is on full alert now, ready at any moment to face that evil disgrace of a god. This place has become a battlefield for gods. It's no place for mortals to stay anymore. So I have to hurry and send you away, far from this dangerous place. Once I defeat that evil son of a god, I'll leave Paradise Island and come find you."

After following her for a couple of steps, Li Qi firmly stopped. No matter how hard Diana tugged, his body, as strong as a god's, remained immovable.

With a gentle smile, he patiently explained to Diana, "Diana, don't send me away. I came here precisely to help you defeat the evil god of war. Don't worry. With me here, Ares won't be able to cause any trouble at all. Trust me, I can definitely play an important role here. Please don't send me away."

Only after a great deal of persuasion and a lengthy explanation did Li Qi finally get Diana to agree to let him stay. However, they laid down ground rules: Diana would not allow Li Qi to charge directly into battle against that evil son of a god.

Of course, Li Qi readily agreed aloud, but in reality, how could he possibly listen to this innocent, fanciful little princess Diana?

The two then sat at a stone table and chairs made from uneven rock and chatted about recent events on Paradise Island and the current state of the human world.

Li Qi told Diana about the prosperity and bustle of modern cities, as well as the lives of simple, kindhearted humans, successfully stirring her fierce determination to visit the outside world and enjoy herself once she defeated Ares, that evil, traitorous god.

This was exactly the result Li Qi wanted. But in his mind, eliminating the threat of Ares was the top priority right now.