On top of Yao Mountain, Ji Hao built an altar with red jade shards and red flame iron.
The round-shaped altar was forty-five meter tall, divided into nine layers. After being burned by the Gold Crow flame, all parts of the altar blended into an internal whole, and not a single clink could be seen. Po lent a hand, embossing a pattern of an ancient Gold Crow chasing the sun on the altar. The embossment contained countless powerful talismans, and each of those talismans could release a sky-shattering power.
Ji Hao filled a great amount of fire magic crystals in the altar, then cut his own wrist open, letting his spirit blood infiltrate into the entire altar.
Mr. Crow gave a shrill caw and expanded his body to five-hundred meters. He spread his wings and swooshed right up into the air, transforming into a long stream of flame, soaring into the sky. Within the blink of an eye, he reached the height of thousands of kilometers. Mr. Crow's feathers turned scorching red while dazzling beams of golden light shone from in between his feathers. He opened the beak and breathed towards the sun. Instantly, countless streams of essence sunlight gathered over from all directions, constantly being swallowed into Mr. Crow's stomach.
Mr. Crow followed Ji Hao around for all these years, and recently, he had been listening to Ji Hao and Po discussing the great Dao. Also from time to time, he could get a few effective magic pills from Ji Hao and Po. By now, his ancient Gold Crow bloodline had awakened completely, becoming nearly powerful enough for him to grow his third leg out, at which point he would become a genuine three-legged Gold Crow.
Mr. Crow had already mastered a few of those abilities a Gold Crow was supposed to have, and absorbing the essence sunlight and gathering the sun fire was one of them.
After spending nearly an hour in the sky, a tiny pure sun fire burst out from inside Mr. Crow's stomach. Raging flame ejected out from Mr. Crow's entire body as he dove down like a blazing shooting star. He opened his beak and sent this tiny pure sun fire into the middle of the altar.
The large pile of fire magic crystal filled in the altar by Ji Hao was set ablaze by the pure sun fire immediately. Golden-red fire surged up for five hundred meters, and after being swept across by this fire, Ji Hao's spirit blood quickly merged with the altar.
Ji Hao stood on the altar, spread his pair of arms and started incanting the spell of summoning ancestors' souls and all kinds of mysterious beings. This spell was passed down by the ancestors of Gold Crow clan through generations. Fierce gales roared out from every corner of Yao Mountain as countless hazy silhouettes of mysterious beings showed up faintly within them.
These strange-looking mysterious beings floated in the air, silently looking down at Ji Hao.
Ji Hao made a connection with these natural, mysterious beings through the spell. The official document of his feoffment given by Emperor Shun was floating upon Ji Hao's head, while Emperor Shun's imperial seal glowed brightly on it, declaring to those mysterious beings living in this area that Ji Hao was now the owner of this piece of land.
Ji Hao's spirit blood was burned into streams of smoke by the fire on the altar, rising into the air. Those mysterious beings opened their mouths and inhaled that smoke, silently remembering the smell of Ji Hao's spirit blood.
From now on, only Ji Hao and his clansmen who shared the same bloodline with him could be recognized by these mysterious beings existing in this area, and be under their protection.
"My name is Ji Hao. I am enfeoffed with Yao Mountain and the title of Earl Yao. My bloodline originated from Gold Crow Clan of the Southern Wasteland. I have inherited the power of ancient Gold Crow… please authenticate!" Ji Hao held a bronze stamper with both of his hands, bit his own tongue and sprayed a mouthful of spirit blood on it. He then raised the stamper high, showing it to all those mysterious beings floating around his head.
"Gods, ghosts and all mysterious beings belonging to this land, everyone who has seen this seal of mine will accept the blood offerings presented by my, Earl Yao's people, generation after generation!" Ji Hao showed the seal and let those mysterious beings memorize the pattern of the seal, after which, he gave out an order. Following that, Zhamu and his warriors drove large groups of livestock over.
Sharp blades shone and those large livestock which were restrained by magic and disabled from struggling fell to the ground one after another. Waves of blood were rolled up into the air by sharp gales; those mysterious beings smiled delightfully, opened their mouths and started devouring the blood and souls of those livestock which were offered to them.
After accepting the blood offerings, the figures of those mysterious beings instantly turned much clearer than before, while the twisted looks on their faces became much friendlier as well.
The ten most powerful mysterious beings spread their arms, letting puffs of dim light spots drift down from their bodies and melt with the bodies of those ten million Yao Mountain people who had been kneeling on the ground. These people only felt that their bodies were suddenly lightened and after that, both their bodies and souls became especially settled and peaceful.
They spread their arms and put their hearts near the ground, feeling that they were now connected more tightly with this piece of land.
During the past big half a year, although they had built houses, opened up farmlands and already started a whole new life in here, they always felt that they were like guests that came from the outside world, that this piece of land hadn't truly accepted them.
However, now Ji Hao had built an altar and lit up the holy fire of worshiping. He presented the blood offering to those powerful, mysterious beings living in this area, and those mysterious beings accepted the offering. They then gave their blessings to the Yao Mountain people. Immediately after all this, these Yao Mountain people sensed a magical and firm connection with this piece of land.
They had now truly become the people of this piece of land, and for real had put down roots in here.
After today, no matter they went into the woods or came down to the rivers, they would be under the protection of these mysterious beings. Except for some ferocious and bloodthirsty beasts, no wild beasts would attack them. They were now much safer in this territory than before.
On the altar, Ji Hao left a seal on multiple jade tablets one after another with his stamper. Those jade tablets then flew into the air one by one and melted with the bodies of those mysterious beings. Thus, those mysterious beings were officially recognized by the humankind, and while they gave protection to human beings, they would also be under the protection of the alliance of human clans.
Because of the agreement they made with Earl Yao, Ji Hao, within Yao Mountain territory, no one was ever allowed to attack these mysterious beings by any means. The action of attacking these mysterious beings would be seen as a challenge to Ji Hao's power, and that of the entire alliance of human clans.
Through this ancient and sacred ceremony, Ji Hao had formed a symbiotic union with these mysterious beings living in his territory.
After accepting the blood offerings and making the agreement with Ji Hao, these mysterious beings satisfyingly transformed into fierce gales and dissipated among the mountains.
The raging fire was still blazing on the altar. Ji Hao stood on the altar, looking down at the ten million people who were kneeling on the ground.
All those people prostrated themselves before Ji Hao while hailing loudly.
"Earl Yao! Earl Yao!"
"Leader! Leader!"
An overwhelming power of faith started a strong wind, constantly gathering towards Ji Hao's body.
Ji Hao suddenly felt that his mind was enlightened and his thought became incomparably clear. The power contained in his body became more controllable than before, and the communication between this piece of land and himself turned a lot smoother. Quite a few difficulties that occurred when he discussed magic formations with Po and had been bothering him suddenly solved themselves, making him wondered why was he so dumb and had wasted so many days on simple questions like these!
Ten million people fixed their eyes on Ji Hao, looking at their Earl Yao, their leader and the owner of their territory.
They devoutly worshiped Ji Hao, prayed for him to bring happiness and peace to everyone, to let his people work and live in contentment and have as many children as they want.
Po stood beside him, looking at Ji Hao smilingly while constantly nodding and said, "Brother, I assume you have already understood how beneficial the faith and fortune of humankind can be, haven't you?"
A shooting star roared down from the sky. Along with a ground-shaking swooshing noise, a five-thousand meter tall God landed on top of Yao Mountain by treading on a cloud. He popped his eyes out, staring at Ji Hao as he asked with a thunderous voice, "Are you Earl Yao? Is it you who wants to build a city?"