Chapter 123: Setting Out on the Expedition

Man Man Palace, the main hall.

Zhurong Tonggong sat at the center, while Ji Hao and Zhurong Tianming faced each other at separate tables below him.

Seated in a magnificent chair inlaid with gold and jade, Ji Hao gazed around the grand hall with curiosity. Like the secret realm of the Fire Crow Tribe in the mulberry forest on Golden Crow Ridge, the hall had clearly been created through an incomparably profound shamanic art that folded space. The hall alone was ten miles wide.

There was not a single pillar in the enormous chamber. A vast, curved dome stretched ten miles across and hung more than a hundred yards above the ground, like the vault of heaven covering the entire hall.

At the very center of the dome stood a statue of the God of Fire, its entire body blazing with flames. Countless rare birds and mythical beasts—phoenixes, fire dragons, fire steeds, qilins, fire tigers, fire lions, and many others—surrounded it in worship. In the statue’s hands burned a crimson flame the size of a water vat. Visible torrents of heat surged continuously from it, filling the hall with rising fire. A layer of fire clouds three feet thick drifted over the floor.

Sitting within the hall, Ji Hao’s pores opened of their own accord. More than two hundred Golden Crow meridians blazed within him, frantically devouring the substantial fire essence around him. The power of the Golden Crow grew steadily, section by section.

Ji Hao made a rough estimate. Cultivating here for one day was equivalent to three months of arduous cultivation in the secret realm of the mulberry forest on Golden Crow Ridge.

Man Man’s palace was an unrivaled blessed land for anyone who cultivated fire-based shamanic arts. Yet this palace was merely where she lived and went about her daily affairs. She had a dedicated cultivation ground, whose conditions were sure to be a hundred or even a thousand times better than those here.

A large procession of robust women came striding forward. Their bodies were powerfully built, their muscles hard as iron lumps, and they wore heavy armor. In their hands they carried enormous jade basins and plates, bringing up countless delicacies: rare fruits, roasted meat, strong liquor, and more.

Before long, the long tables several yards wide in front of the three men were piled high with exquisite dishes. Rich aromas of meat, fruit, and wine drifted through the hall. The moment Ji Hao caught the scent of the roasted meat, the multicolored flame in his lower abdomen began swaying almost frantically.

He glanced at the dignified Zhurong Tonggong, then at the false smile on Zhurong Tianming’s face. After thinking for the briefest moment, Ji Hao rose to his feet and laughed loudly at Zhurong Tonggong.

“Brother Tonggong, after traveling all this way, I’m starving. So, I won’t stand on ceremony!”

As he spoke, Ji Hao seized the largest item before him: a roasted flood dragon leg lying in a jade basin a full eight feet across. He opened his mouth and bit down fiercely.

The flood dragon leg was only six feet long, but it was extraordinarily heavy. With Ji Hao’s current strength, he could barely lift half of it.

Even the body of a Grand Shaman-level ferocious beast could not possibly be so heavy.

Ji Hao knew perfectly well that the roasted meat Zhurong Tonggong had served his guests was actually the flesh of a Shaman King-level ferocious beast.

In the Fire Crow Tribe, Ji Hao might not have had the chance to taste a piece of meat like this even after another hundred years. Yet in the Zhurong Divine Kingdom, it was perhaps nothing more than an ordinary dish to accompany wine for Zhurong Tonggong and the others.

Without the slightest hesitation, Ji Hao opened his mouth and tore into the flood dragon’s leg, swallowing mouthful after mouthful of its rich, fragrant flesh. The Shaman King-level beast had been prepared by the chefs of the Zhurong Divine Kingdom using a secret method, rendering the meat tender and delicious. Otherwise, with Ji Hao’s current strength, he might not even have been able to bite through it.

The moment a mouthful of flood dragon meat entered his stomach, the multicolored flame suddenly expanded dozens of times, transforming into a mass of firelight that completely enveloped the meat.

In the blink of an eye, the flood dragon meat transformed into countless streams of multicolored radiance and seeped into Ji Hao’s body. From his marrow to his skin, earth-shaking changes took place within him. Every cell in his body rejoiced. From the deepest recesses of Ji Hao’s body came the faint sound of a dragon’s roar, but he forcibly suppressed it within himself.

Nourished by dragon blood, Ji Hao’s body had undergone a wondrous transformation and now possessed the same foundation as the dragon race. Yet all this time, he had never possessed enough energy to grant his body the formidable strength of a true dragon.

This flood dragon leg, however, belonged to a Shaman King-level existence. The essence contained in a single mouthful of its flesh far surpassed the combined vital essence of an entire Grand Shaman.

Ji Hao devoured the leg in great mouthfuls, his table manners exceedingly disheveled.

Zhurong Tianming had initially regarded Ji Hao with some wariness. But upon seeing his disgraceful appearance, he once again regained the arrogance and disdain he had displayed upon first arriving. Resuming his lofty bearing, he casually lifted his wine cup and began sipping from it with delicate care.

Zhurong Tonggong, meanwhile, watched Ji Hao with great interest. Once more than half of the flood dragon leg had been gnawed away, he threw back his head and laughed.

“Brother Ji Hao, you certainly have a hearty appetite! A man of the Southern Wasteland must eat well to have strength. That is what makes a true hero!”

Pointing at the jade basin, Zhurong Tonggong laughed.

“This vicious flood dragon was one of my subordinates. It was hunted only a few days ago to celebrate my emergence from seclusion. Since you like it, Brother Ji Hao… Someone, bring up the entire dragon!”

An entire flood dragon more than twenty feet long was carried in. Ji Hao swallowed the whole thing without changing expression.

The flood dragon was not especially large, but its cultivation was formidable. Every inch of its flesh contained an immense amount of vital essence. After swallowing it, Ji Hao broke into a sweat as though drenched in rain, and waves of heat poured from every pore of his body.

How powerful was a Shaman King?

Ji Hao could not accurately assess the flood dragon’s strength, but after swallowing it and obtaining roughly one percent of its vital essence, the power within his body surged wildly. In terms of sheer strength alone, he was already comparable to a newly advanced Grand Shaman.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Ji Hao bowed to Zhurong Tonggong.

“Thank you, Brother Tonggong. I have behaved most improperly.”

“Improper is putting it mildly…” Zhurong Tianming drawled from the side with a mocking laugh. “What is one little flood dragon? Normally, I—”

Zhurong Tianming had intended to humiliate Ji Hao with his words, but before he could finish, Zhurong Tonggong’s stern gaze forced every remaining word back down his throat. With an awkward smile, Zhurong Tianming lowered his head, gripped his wine cup tightly, and began pouring cup after cup down his throat.

After silently warning Zhurong Tianming, Zhurong Tonggong turned to Ji Hao with a smile.

“Little Brother Ji Hao, you saved Man Man’s life, which means you saved mine as well. If anything had happened to her, Father God would at the very least have beaten me half to death and exiled me to the Far Desolate Lands to hunt primordial ferocious beasts. I would never have been allowed to return for the rest of my life.”

After a moment of silence, Zhurong Tonggong continued solemnly, “Man Man has been unable to spare any time these past few days. Whatever matter you have, speak to me directly. In the Southern Wasteland, there are very few things our Zhurong clan cannot accomplish.”

Hearing this, Ji Hao had no time to ask what had happened to Man Man. He hurriedly described the siege of Cold Creek Valley.

“That is the situation. I ask that Brother Tonggong send elite troops to lift the siege of Cold Creek Valley and rescue my father, mother, and the rest of my family.”

“Heh. Heh heh.”

Zhurong Tonggong gave three cold laughs, then turned to Zhurong Tianming.

“Seventh Brother, what is the meaning of this business with the Bi Fang Tribe?”

After a long silence, Zhurong Tianming replied calmly, “Perhaps they merely wish to earn some merit. It is rather amusing that you should ask me, Big Brother. The lands to the north have always been under your charge. Could I possibly have any connection with the Bi Fang Tribe?”

Silence reigned in the hall for a long while.

Then Zhurong Tonggong suddenly burst into laughter.

“Guards! Mobilize the army. We march!”