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!”
The golden fire rose high into the air, dyed the jungle in the circumference of hundreds of miles into a magnificent golden colour.