Chapter 1, The Hunter

The colorless wind stirred Ji Hao's thick long hair, and beneath the strands, a delicate yet resolute face was illuminated by a pair of deep, shining eyes. When Ji Hao focused intently on a certain point, nine dim purple-gold sigils suddenly flickered around his pupils, exuding an air of majesty and mystery that made one hesitant to gaze directly at them

Glancing at the captives and prey clutched in the claws of the fire crow, the burly man let out a few strange chuckles and swung his fist with force: "No wonder you are the son of Brother Ji Xia, where did you catch this group of stinking skin snakes? Now the mine in the back mountain will have enough slaves for mining!"

Dozens of enormous bird nests are clearly visible on the giant mulberry tree, while over a hundred giant crows, larger than the fire crows beneath Ji Hao's feet, are circling and soaring around the giant mulberry. The cawing of the crows reverberates so powerfully that the thick clouds rushing through the sky cannot approach the giant peak even by a step

A simple leather skirt wrapped around his waist, Ji Hao's slender and tall figure resembled a green pine in a hurricane, firmly rooted in the rocks, exuding an indomitable and unyielding aura that remained steadfast against the raging winds, torrential rains, and the flashes of lightning, as solid as a mountain and impossible to destroy

The deadly miasma swirled around the treetops of the towering ancient trees, as the blazing sunlight poured down, causing the originally colorless and odorless miasma to reflect a spectrum of dazzling colors, laying a brilliant rainbow over the jungle canopy

"Crow Lord! Charge!" Ji Hao laughed heartily and jumped onto the back of the giant crow. The giant crow spread its wings and let out a sharp cry, its massive body diving straight down from the floating continent, plunging towards the muscular man in the jungle who was leaping about like thunder.

"Crow Lord, it's just a casual stroll, no need to be so tense." Ji Hao said loudly while forcefully patting one of the giant crow's claws, "First, we'll catch a big snake to fill your belly; then we'll head to Black Wind Valley to see if we can find a few 'Wind Dragon Herbs' to take back and help Father recover his health."

Ji Hao flicked his fingers, and the hand seals he formed shifted. Below, in the jungle, several water ropes trembled violently, causing the large men who were ensnared by them to be uncontrollably flung into the air, their bodies crashing heavily against the large trees, and they fell to the ground, their vision darkening as they fainted.

More than a hundred miles away from the Giant Peak, a beam of fire shot towards the front. A burly man, nearly three meters tall, stood in the firelight and bellowed at Ji Hao: "Hao! You little brat sneaked out again? How old are you, you little rascal? Aren't you afraid of being taken away by a big bird?"

The man from the Black Water Serpent tribe looked on in terror and despair at the giant raven swooping down, his twisted face barely resembling that of a human, as he screamed hoarsely: "Fire Raven! Fire Raven! The guardian warrior of the sacred ground of the Fire Raven tribe!"

Two straight sword-like eyebrows extend to the temples, a prominent nose bridge, sharply defined lips, and a face with slightly curved yet clean and neat lines. Accompanied by a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corners of his mouth that always carries a hint of mockery, the handsome and charming Ji Hao seems to take nothing to heart

With a pause in his tone, the man furrowed his brow and said: "Let’s go back and take a look. Ji Xia's distant cousin has come with his clan... This fellow is not well-liked, and he certainly does not come with good intentions this time!"

The unicorn serpent let out a mournful cry, transforming into blue smoke amidst the flames, along with several ancient trees ignited by the fire crows, burning fiercely like torches

Only the burly team leader struggled to rise from the ground, fiercely tearing at the water rope around his neck with both hands, forcefully ripping it apart into countless droplets. Behind him, the trunk of a large tree bore a hole the size of a water vat, clearly indicating the extent of his formidable strength.

First, send the prey back, Crow, let us accelerate

The fire crow proudly spread its wings and hovered at the treetop, looking up to the sky and cawing "gaga".

Leaping back onto the back of the Fire Crow, Ji Hao let out a long howl. The Fire Crow swiftly grabbed the captives and prey from the ground, flapping its enormous wings as it flew southward. After a few flaps of its wings, the Fire Crow soared to an altitude of several miles above the ground, a faint glow of fire emanating from its pitch-black feathers. The Fire Crow transformed into a streak of fire, disappearing from sight in just a few breaths.

"Hey, is there really anyone who isn't afraid of death? This group of stinking snakes doesn't know that this jungle has already been conquered by our Fire Crow tribe? This place is now the territory of our Fire Crow tribe!" As he looked around, Ji Hao suddenly widened his eyes and pointed towards the jungle below.

Ji Hao's expression changed suddenly, and he forcefully stepped on the head of the Fire Crow. The Fire Crow accelerated again, swiftly flying towards a deep valley beneath the towering peak ahead

After flying for an hour, a towering peak obstructed the way ahead. At the summit of the towering mountain, more than a dozen mulberry trees, each reaching a height of a thousand feet, stood majestically.

The floating continent is only a few dozen miles above the ground, and the giant raven swiftly dives, reaching the treetops in just a few breaths.

Ji Hao shouted loudly, his arms wide open, fingers forming seals. Suddenly, with a thunderous roar, the nearest waterfall, which was about a zhang in thickness, no longer fell straight down. A mysterious force controlled the flow of the waterfall, diverting it by more than thirty degrees, rushing towards the strong men in the jungle.

Southern Wilderness, an endless expanse of primordial jungle

The unique horned black serpent at his waist darted out, skillfully maneuvering rapidly through the rain, occasionally opening its mouth to emit a few wisps of faint black cold air

Bastard, this is the hunting ground of our Fire Crow tribe, and these beasts are the property of our Fire Crow tribe! These big fellows, the smallest among them could feed a child in the clan for an entire year; the pelts of these beasts, once cleaned and processed, could be exchanged for three wives!

A floating landmass spanning hundreds of square miles glided through the air, with dozens of waterfalls resembling white dragons cascading from its edges. As the high-altitude hurricane swept by, the waterfalls released vast plumes of mist, and dozens of rainbows danced within the mist, creating a delightful contrast with the colorful miasma at the treetops.

A massive crow, with a wingspan occasionally stretching over thirty zhang, stood beside Ji Hao. Its crimson eyes glimmered with a faint fire as it periodically turned its head, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

The enemy... is launching a surprise attack!" The leader of the Blackwater Serpent tribe shouted in fear, his voice filled with terror.

A dozen or so robust men from the Black Water Xuan Snake tribe walked proudly through the jungle, as the waterfall cascaded overhead, transforming into a torrential downpour that roared down. They raised their heads with laughter, opening their mouths in delight, eagerly gulping down the pure and sweet water that fell from the sky

In the torrential rain, countless raindrops suddenly formed a line, and more than a dozen transparent water ropes abruptly emerged from the downpour, ensnaring their necks

The fire crow spread its enormous claws and grabbed down, the body of the strong man was gently struck by the black, tungsten-steel-like claws, suddenly exploding into a mist of blood that splattered everywhere. The one-horned black serpent turned in terror to flee, having just crawled a distance of over ten zhang, when the fire crow opened its mouth and a thick, lava-like crimson flame spewed forth.

They were actually attacked by water magic

Ji Hao patted the head of the fire crow and nimbly jumped into the woods. Not far away, a towering giant tree was entwined with countless vines. Ji Hao skillfully selected several strands of 'Dragon Tendon Vines' that had grown for hundreds of years and wove them into a rope, binding the unconscious men on the ground together one by one, with all the prey also tied up together.

The leading man had a dark serpent over a yard long, with a single horn on its head, raising its upper body and playfully swaying as it basked in the rain that brought it immense pleasure. The single-horned dark serpent is a unique battle beast of the Heishui Xuan Snake tribe, and only the elite warriors of the tribe are qualified to tame a single-horned dark serpent as their battle beast to assist them in combat.

The giant crow cooed softly a few times, lowered its head, and affectionately nuzzled Ji Hao's head with its sharp beak

Stretching out his arms and yawning contentedly towards the sky, Ji Hao said, "So comfortable, so very comfortable. I don't have to accompany those old men, pondering over things like grass roots, tree bark, snake fangs, and poison sacs, how comfortable!"

Ji Hao stood at the edge of the land, looking down from a high vantage point at the southern wilderness forest several miles below

However, launching a surprise attack on the enemy during a torrential rain is the exclusive domain of the Blackwater Serpent Clan; in this mountainous forest, their age-old nemesis, the Fire Crow Clan, is most adept at setting fires to burn people. It has never been heard that any shaman of the Fire Crow Clan has mastered water-based sorcery.

"Coward who only dares to launch sneak attacks, come out!" The burly man drew a spear and roared angrily.

A group of robust and towering men, each over two meters tall and with their upper bodies exposed, swaggered through the jungle, their shoulders bearing various types of game. Upon closer inspection, Ji Hao noticed that these game included tigers, leopards, and bears, each measuring several zhang in length, resembling small mountains of meat being carried on the shoulders of these strong men