Chapter 73: Offerings
Nine of the most gigantic Fire Crows stood around the altar in a circle. All nine of them raised their wings and held their heads high, while gazing at the blazing sun in the sky.
It was midday, the lava-like scorching hot sunshine spread down, making it look as if wings of the Fire Crows were covered with gold; a layer of golden, water-like light was rippling on their bodies.
If one would look carefully, deep in the pupils of each Fire Crow that stood around the altar, a small round spell symbol could be seen flashing. This spell symbol was gold and round, circled by a layer of fiery light, just like the sun in the sky, giving an ancient and holy vibe that was beyond description.
Other gigantic Fire Crows were silently floating in the air. All of them were staring at the altar, which seemed unspeakably mysterious and solemn. These gigantic Fire Crows even held their breaths, and their bodies were slightly trembling; their feathers which were as hard as iron were slightly clashing against each other and making silvering noises.
“Haha! Haha! Hahahaha!” laughed Black Water Jiao madly, and said, “Never did I think that I would be to witness this ancient secret special ancestors’ blood-offering ceremony of your Fire Crow Clan with my own eyes! Ji Hao, you got some balls, you little bastard, you really got some balls! Your Fire Crow Clan didn’t even use this ’nine suns above the sky’ blood offering ceremony during your centurial ancestral worship ceremony, how dare you use it like this?! You little bastard!”
Ji Hao was fiddling with the three black thorns of life and death, which were as dark as ink, while looking at Black Water Jiao, who had nearly gone mad, with a faint smile on his face and said, “The secret blood offering, the ’Nine suns above the sky’, was not performed by my grandpas during the centurial ancestral worship ceromony, because they didn’t have qualified offerings at that moment.”
“After all, in the Holy Land’s Ancestral Temple we worship all our ancestors’ souls, most of which were the souls of real three-legged Gold Fire Crows that had existed since the beginning of the time, ...they had seen and been through so much, which is why they wouldn’t even throw a glance at ordinary offerings.” Ji Hao stuck the three black thorns back into his hair, rubbed his hands and continued.
He shrugged, and said with a smile, “If we has used the ’Nine suns above the sky’ secret blood-offering during the ceremony rashly, and had awakened the souls of the ancient Gold Frie Crows, but wouldn’t have qualified oblations to offer them, then we would have to apologize to them by offering our own blood and souls to them. Those grandpas of mine are all strong and energetic, they’re not prepared to die yet.”
Qing Ying came over with a few tall and strong Fire Crow Clan’s warriors, grabbed Black Water Jiao’s legs and arms and put him in the center of the altar.
Black Water Jiao screamed hoarsely while struggling with all of his remaining strength. However, all of his Magus Acupoints were pierced by Ji Hao with the three black thorns of life and death, which contained the deadly poison that it had gathered by being used by the Qing Yi Clan’s Maguspriests through countless years; the poison had taken control of Black Water Jiao’s body, and had deprived his power of resistance.
“Ji Hao, You little bastard!” Black Water Jiao yelled, “How dare you?! There are one-hundred and fifty-eight Senior Magi and seventy-nine Maguspriests and elders from thirty-two clans, don’t you dare to offer us all to your ancestors!”
“Why not?” laughed Ji Hao relaxed, and said, “one-hundred and fifty-eight Senior Magi and seventy-nine Maguspriests and elders, even the souls of the ancient Gold Fire Crows wouldn’t be too picky for that. Hmmm, this time, our ancestors must bless me with gifts!”
Not only Black Water Jiao, but also all those Senior Magi from the other clans, their Maguspriests and elders had started screaming madly. They were also being controlled by the black thorn’s poison, and were unable to move even a finger, only their tongue’s senses were acting normal.
“Ji Hao, please, we know that we made a mistake, we’re all willing to take the punishment, and we’re willing to follow the Fire Crow Clan!”
“Lord Ji Hao, we were wrong, we were wrong! My clan is willing to follow you and be one of your dependency clan!”
“God! I don’t wanna die, I don’t wanna die! Ji Hao, good lord Ji Hao, please! Let me live, let me live! It’s all because of Jiang Yao, that bitch! It’s all her fault! We never wanted to offend the Fire Crow Clan!”
These people, who had high status in their own clans, were all now even crying their heart out and begging Ji Hao to spare their souls.
If Ji Hao was only going to kill them, they wouldn’t be so afraid, some of them were even willing to die - In the Southern Wasteland, dying in battle for the clan’s benefit was the greatest honour, and their souls would come back to the Ancestral Temples of their clans, join their ancestors’ souls, and accept offerings of their clansmen.
However, Ji Hao was not only going to kill them, he would also offer them to the Fire Crow Clan’s ancestors as oblations!
Their souls would never be able to go back to their clan’s Holy Land after that, instead, they would be swallowed and absorbed by the Gold Fire Crow’s souls, becoming a part of them. The Gold Fire Crow’s souls, worshiped by the Fire Crow Clan, would grow powerful because of their sacrifices, but in return they would vanish forever from this world.
Therefore, they were badly frightened; they were crying in fear, faces covered in tear; some of them had even peed in their pants, dropped their dignities and continuously begged Ji Hao to not do so.
“Hurry, the blazing sun is high in the sky, this is the perfect moment for the offering ceremony,” said Ji Hao with a cold voice, “Uncle, quick, kill these clans leaders, then you can take those thirty-thousand warriors without any hidden trouble.”
Qing Ying moved more quickly; he threw those Senior Magi, Maguspriests and elders whose faces all were covered in tears and snots, onto the altar, piled up like firewood.
The nine gigantic Fire Crows that were standing around the altar let out slight caws of satisfaction. Even they had never seen this ’Nine suns above the sky’ secret blood-offering ceremony with their own eyes, even though it was passed down through their own bloodlines. The oldest one amongst these nine Fire Crows was nearly a thousand years old, however, within a thousand years, the Fire Crow clan had never performed this ’Nine suns above the sky’ secret blood-offering ceremony.
A very long time ago, when there were still Magus Kings, even Divine Magi in the Fire Crow Clan, the clan would prepare enough offerings and perform a ceremony like this every century.
That was the peak period of the Fire Crow Clan’s growth, the clan’s power had been even greater than powerful clans like the Bi Fang Clan and Rosefinch clan. Even these Fire Crows were charmed by the glory back then.
This time, Ji Hao had prepared over two-hundred Senior Level powerful Magi and Maguspriests as offering, added with more Junior Magi and Novice Magi warriors as backup; only if there was a need, they would be thrown onto the altar as offerings anytime.
This blood-offering ceremony must be succeeded!
The nine gigantic Fire Crows were all very excited, even their bodies were slightly shaking. These Fire Crows took glances at Ji Hao with praise in their eyes. They had traveled so fast to help and fight with Ji Hao, only this ’Nine suns above the sky’ secret blood-offering ceremony was worth the journey.
Soon, all Senior Magi, Maguspriests and elders from different clans were thrown onto the altar, and thousands of elite Junior Magi were dragged beside the altar, standing on the large totem painted on the ground. A great, raging fire suddenly rose from the nine gigantic Fire Crows’ bodies, and an extremely sharp, resonant caw came from the altar, which reached the sky.
“Ji Hao! Don’t you want to know the truth about the attack that your Abba and Amma had suffered back in the Gold Black Mountain, in your own Ancestral Temple ten years ago?!” Black Water Jiao abruptly screamed out hoarsely, “Inside your Holy Land in the Gold Black Mountain, they're elders and our...”
Ji Hao raised the long spear high and punctured Black Water Jiao’s throat.
Black Water Jiao stared at Ji Hao stunned, the gradually dimmed pupils of his were filled with shock and confusion.
“It’s not for you to say. Both Abba and Amma had already known that someone in the Holy Land had colluded with your assassin’s team. But Abba didn’t want to dig...and I already know who the person was. Why do I need you to tell me about that?” Ji Hao stared at Black Water Jiao coldly, while twisting his wrist. Suddenly, blood gushed out of Black Water Jiao’s wound like springs.
From the sky very far away, a beam of fiery light was darting over.
“Hao!” Ji Xia’s growl came afar.
“Offering, start!” Ji Hao raised his right arm and waved his fist hard in the air.
The nine gigantic Fire Crow cawed out simultaneously; at the same time, a translucent, three-legged Gold Fire Crow slowly emerged above the altar, and all of the offerings on the altar were shrouded by a great, golden, translucent flame.
The golden fire rose high into the air, dyed the jungle in the circumference of hundreds of miles into a magnificent golden colour.