Chapter 2

In the vast, boundless primeval forest of Southern Wasteland, toxic miasma swirls around the treetops of towering ancient trees. The scorching sunlight shines down, and the originally colorless and odorless miasma reflects a rainbow of colors, creating a splendid rainbow in the sky above the forest.

A floating landmass, several hundred miles in area, glides through the air, with dozens of waterfalls cascading down from its edges like white dragons. As a high-altitude hurricane blows by, the waterfalls scatter into a vast mist, and dozens of rainbows undulate in the mist, complementing the colorful miasma at the treetops.

Ji Hao stands at the edge of the landmass, looking down from a height of several miles to the Southern Wasteland forest below. The colorless wind stirs his thick, long hair, and beneath the strands, his clear, resolute face is illuminated by a pair of deep, shining eyes. When Ji Hao focuses intently on something, nine dim purple-golden seals around his pupils suddenly flash, exuding a majestic and mysterious aura that dares not be looked at directly.

His straight eyebrows extend to his temples, his prominent nose, and his well-defined lips, along with a face that is slightly curved but with clean, sharp lines. A faint, mocking smile always lingers at the corners of his mouth, making the handsome and charming Ji Hao seem carefree about everything.

A simple leather skirt is wrapped around his waist, and his slender, tall body stands firm like a pine tree in a hurricane, rooted firmly on the rock, exuding a powerful and indomitable aura that can withstand any storm or lightning.

A large crow, with wings that occasionally spread to over thirty zhang wide, stands beside Ji Hao. Its red eyes flicker with fire, and it occasionally turns its head to look around vigilantly.

"Old Crow, it's just a casual stroll, no need to be so tense," Ji Hao pats the crow's claw forcefully and says loudly, "Let's catch a big snake first to fill your belly, then go to Black Wind Valley to see if we can find some 'Wind Dragon Grass' to take back for Dad to strengthen his body."

The crow 'coos' softly, lowering its head to affectionately rub its beak against Ji Hao's head.

Stretching his arms and yawning contentedly, Ji Hao looks up to the sky, "Comfortable, so comfortable. No need to accompany those old men, pondering those roots, tree barks, snake fangs, and poison sacs. It's so comfortable!"

"Hey, are there really some fearless ones? These stinky snakes, don't they know this forest has already been taken over by our Fire Crow Tribe? This is our territory now!" Looking around, Ji Hao suddenly widens his eyes and points to the forest below.

A group of tall, muscular men, over two meters tall, with numerous scars on their bodies, are walking confidently through the forest, carrying various prey on their shoulders. Ji Hao looks closely and sees that the prey includes tigers, leopards, and bears, each several zhang long, like small mountains of meat carried on their shoulders.

"Damn, this is our Fire Crow Tribe's hunting ground, and these beasts are our property! These big guys, even the smallest one is enough to feed a child in the tribe for a year; the cleaned skins can be exchanged for three wives!" Ji Hao shouts, spreading his arms and forming a seal with his fingers. The nearest waterfall suddenly roars, and the water, which was falling straight down, is deflected by a mysterious force, tilting thirty degrees and rushing towards the men in the forest.

A dozen men from the Black Water Black Snake Tribe walk proudly through the forest. The waterfall hits their heads, turning into a torrential downpour. They laugh and raise their heads, opening their mouths to greedily drink the clear, sweet water falling from the sky.

A black snake, over a zhang long with a single horn on its head, stands up from the waist of the leading man, its tongue flickering as it joyfully sways in the rain. The single-horned black snake is a unique battle beast of the Black Water Black Snake Tribe, and only the elite warriors of the tribe have the right to tame one to assist them in battle.

In the heavy rain, countless raindrops suddenly form a line, and a dozen transparent water ropes emerge from the rain, wrapping around their necks.

"Enemies... Ambush!" The leading man of the Black Water Black Snake Tribe screams in fear.

They were actually attacked by water magic?

However, ambushing enemies in the rain is a specialty of the Black Water Black Snake Tribe. In this mountain forest, the Fire Crow Tribe, their lifelong enemies, are known for setting fires, and there has never been a report of any of their shamans mastering water magic.

Ji Hao flicks his finger, and the seal formed by his fingers changes. The dozen water ropes in the forest below suddenly tremble violently, and the men with their necks caught are thrown into the air, their bodies crashing into the trees, and they faint from the impact.

Only the leader struggles to his feet, grabbing the water rope around his neck and tearing it apart, turning it into countless water droplets. The tree trunk behind him is left with a hole the size of a water vat, showing how strong his body is.

"Only cowards who dare to ambush, come out!" The man pulls out a spear and roars in anger.

The single-horned black snake on his waist darts out, moving swiftly through the rain, occasionally opening its mouth to spray a few wisps of pale black cold air.

"Old Crow! Charge!" Ji Hao laughs, jumping onto the back of the giant crow. The crow spreads its wings, lets out a sharp cry, and dives from the floating landmass, plummeting straight towards the enraged man in the forest.

The floating landmass is only a dozen miles above the ground, and the giant crow dives rapidly, reaching the forest in just a few breaths.

The men of the Black Water Black Snake Tribe look up in terror and despair at the diving giant crow, their faces contorted almost beyond recognition, and they scream, "Fire Crow! Fire Crow! The guardian warrior of the Fire Crow Tribe's holy land!"

The giant crow opens its massive claws and grabs the man, and his body is instantly shattered into a spray of blood by the black, tungsten-like claws. The single-horned black snake turns in fear and tries to escape, but after crawling a dozen zhang, the giant crow opens its mouth and spits out a stream of red, lava-like flames.

The single-horned black snake lets out a mournful cry and turns to smoke in the flames, and several ancient trees are set ablaze, burning like torches.

The giant crow, proud and triumphant, spreads its wings and hovers above the treetops, cawing to the sky.

Ji Hao pats the giant crow's head and nimbly jumps into the forest. Not far away, a towering ancient tree is entangled with countless vines. Ji Hao skillfully selects several 'Dragon Sinew Vines' that have grown for hundreds of years, weaving them into ropes to bind the unconscious men and all the prey together.

"First, let's send the prey back, Old Crow, let's speed up!"

Jumping back onto the giant crow's back, Ji Hao lets out a long whistle. The giant crow grabs the captives and prey, flaps its massive wings, and flies south. After a few flaps, it soars to a height of several miles, and a faint layer of firelight sprays from its black feathers. The giant crow turns into a streak of fire and disappears in a few breaths.

After flying for an hour, a giant peak blocks the way. At the top of the towering mountain, several thousand-zhang-tall mulberry trees stand majestically.

Dozens of large bird nests are clearly visible on the giant mulberry trees, and over a hundred giant crows, larger than the one Ji Hao rides, are circling and cawing around the trees, their calls so loud that the thick clouds in the sky cannot approach the mountain.

A hundred miles from the mountain, a streak of fire shoots forward, and a towering man nearly three meters tall stands on the fire, roaring at Ji Hao, "Hao! You little brat, you snuck out again? How big are you, not afraid of being carried away by a big bird?"

Looking at the captives and prey in the giant crow's claws, the man 'haha' laughs and waves his fist, "No wonder you are Ji Xia's son, where did you catch these stinky snakes? Now the mines in the back mountain will have enough slaves to mine!"

Pausing, the man frowns and says, "Let's go back and see. Ji Xia's distant cousin has brought his people... This guy is not well-liked, and he didn't come with good intentions!"

Ji Hao's face changes, and he stomps on the giant crow's head, making it speed up and quickly fly towards a deep valley at the base of the giant mountain.