Chapter 97: Predicament

Five days later, beside a turbulent river in the mountains.

Three warriors of the Jia clan, accompanied by over a hundred servant soldiers, had surrounded Ji Hao and Manman in a tight circle. The Jia clan warriors, brandishing heavy weapons, moved with the swiftness of the wind, launching a frenzied assault on Ji Hao. Occasionally, when a strike landed on Ji Hao’s body, a muffled thunderous boom would erupt.

These Jia clan warriors were all formidable figures of the Grand Shaman level, their blows capable of shattering mountains.

Yet the armor forged by A’bao was extraordinarily resilient. A seemingly inconspicuous sheen of azure light flowed across its surface, where clusters of lotus flowers, each no larger than a palm, clung to Ji Hao’s body. No matter how fiercely the blades struck or the axes hacked, these lotuses spun gently, dissolving the vast majority of the force into nothingness.

Ji Hao himself activated his innate divine power, the Golden Crow Sky Robe, so that countless runic feathers shimmered over his skin, flowing like ripples of water. Under the onslaught of the Jia clan warriors, though their attacks could not injure him, they should have been enough to send him tumbling through the air, unable to find his footing. Yet the Golden Crow Sky Robe possessed a remarkable ability to deflect and dissipate force, and all impact was absorbed by the feathered robe, leaving Ji Hao to bear only an insignificant remainder.

So, even as the three Jia clan warriors joined forces to besiege him, Ji Hao wielded his sharp sword and fought them with vigor and skill.

Five days was enough time for Ji Hao’s tenacious vitality to recover nearly half his injuries; at the very least, swinging his sword was no longer a problem.

The divine light of the Golden Crow blazed in his eyes, and nine clusters of golden seals revolved slowly around his pupils. Though the three enemies moved as swiftly as the wind with unpredictable footwork, their every action was seen through by Ji Hao with clarity, their feints and intentions laid bare.

Whenever his sword flashed, an uncanny arc would brush dangerously close to the weapons of his opponents, each time striking precisely at their eyes, mouths, or throats—those most vulnerable places.

Though Ji Hao did not unleash the secret art of the Nine-Star Falling Meteor and was unable, by force alone, to break through their defenses, every three to five breaths, he would land a blow on one of their vital points. The three Jia clan warriors fought with growing alarm and dread.

They had followed the Bloodfang Company across the Southern Wilds, capturing and selling countless slaves, surviving in the jungles for two or three centuries and enduring thousands of battles.

The warriors of the Southern Wilds, much like their temperament, adhered strictly to the hierarchies of strength. Warriors of the Shaman level could not defeat Lesser Shamans; Lesser Shamans could not defeat Grand Shamans; and among Grand Shamans, the disparities in power were clear and indisputable, determined by bloodline and the number of shamanic apertures opened.

In the Southern Wilds, overstepping one’s rank in battle was all but unheard of.

Yet here was Ji Hao—a youth whose aura revealed him to be but an early-stage Lesser Shaman, newly awakened to his bloodline—holding his own against three Grand Shaman-level warriors. Though he was at an absolute disadvantage in terms of raw strength, the contest itself remained evenly matched.

Indeed, if one judged by the effectiveness of attacks, Ji Hao’s sword had repeatedly struck at their vital points, making his assault all the more threatening.

“This little monster cannot be allowed to live!” one Jia clan warrior roared. “Use everything you have—capture him alive! Otherwise, when others arrive, we’ll have to share the credit with them!”

The three Jia clan warriors were at the end of their patience. Five days had passed since Ji Hao and his companions had slain another Jia clan warrior from the Bloodfang Company. For five days and nights, they had been hunted through the dense forests, during which two more Jia clan warriors and hundreds of servant soldiers had fallen to the combined might of Ji Hao and Manman.

Such losses left Diluo at a complete loss, his strategies in disarray.

The elite of the Bloodfang Company, undefeated in five centuries of rampage across the Southern Wilds, had never before suffered casualties among their Jia clan warriors. Now, they were nearly driven mad.

They had privately turned the capture of Ji Hao and Manman into a high-stakes gamble. Beyond Diluo’s ever-increasing bounty, these elite warriors had set extravagant wagers among themselves.

“Give it everything—seize him alive!”

The thought of the rewards awaiting them should they capture Ji Hao alive made the three Jia clan warriors drool with anticipation. Focusing all their strength, they poured their full attention into the battle, completely ignoring Manman, who huddled on the ground in a tiny, pitiable ball.

As the Jia clan warriors unleashed their full power, two of their eyes turned an earthy yellow—their bodies swelled as if filled with air, bands of heavy yellow light rippling across their skin. From over three meters tall, they grew to nearly six meters, each blow now ten times more powerful.

The third warrior’s four eyes turned a sharp, icy silver. His figure did not change much, but with every motion he exuded a chilling aura.

This cold could not strike at distant enemies like a shamanic spell, but clung to his body and weapons, attacking anyone in close range.

Yet the cold was bone-piercing. Twice Ji Hao was struck by the warrior’s sword, leaving a thin layer of frost on his skin, halving his speed in both attack and defense.

With a series of booming impacts, the two enlarged Jia clan warriors landed crushing blows on Ji Hao, their heavy hammers pounding his body like smiths forging iron.

At this point, even A’bao’s armor and the Golden Crow Sky Robe could not shield him completely.

Wave after wave of immense force seeped into his body; though his armor and the Golden Crow Sky Robe deflected ninety-nine percent of the impact, the final portion still caused Ji Hao to spit blood, his bones cracking audibly.

“What bones this brat has! Is he truly just a Lesser Shaman newly awakened to his bloodline?” The three Jia clan warriors grew more agitated the longer they fought. They had used all their innate divine powers, and still could not bring Ji Hao down.

What kind of monster was this, and who could have possibly trained him?

As anxiety filled their hearts, Ji Hao suddenly opened his mouth, unleashing the breath of the Golden Crow. Thick, magma-like golden-red flames surged out, engulfing an area dozens of yards wide. The three Jia clan warriors and over a hundred servant soldiers were swallowed by the divine flames.

Under the terrifying heat, the servant soldiers were instantly reduced to ash. The armor of the three Jia clan warriors burst with dazzling light, barely resisting the onslaught of the Golden Crow flames. All manner of colored lights clashed and ground against one another, filling the air with thunderous noise. The three warriors covered their faces with their hands, desperately shielding themselves from the searing heat.

All this time, Manman had remained motionless. Suddenly, she leapt up with a roar, as agile as the keenest monkey. She climbed onto the shoulder of a Jia clan warrior, seized his massive head in both hands, and with a sharp twist—crack!—ripped it clean off.

One, two, three—in the span of a breath, Manman had torn off the heads of all three Jia clan warriors, so swift and savage that they never even saw her coming.

Three towering bodies crashed to the ground, blood gushing everywhere.

Ji Hao gasped for breath, then spat out a mouthful of blood.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps rang out from all directions. Diluo arrived, leading several hundred Jia clan warriors and thousands of servant soldiers, closing in from all sides.

Not only the forest ahead, but even the great river behind Ji Hao and Manman erupted with activity, as large numbers of servant soldiers rode blade-spider mounts ashore.

***