bookbashuk Page 101
Page 101
"what?!"
The Fire Emperor uttered these words!
Shi Hao and Huo Ling'er were instantly stunned, as if struck by lightning!
Engaged...?!
Shi Hao stared wide-eyed at the Fire Emperor in disbelief, then looked at Huo Ling'er beside him!
Are you kidding me?!
Although he did have a good impression of Huo Ling'er, and there was some ambiguity between them, getting engaged directly? That's too...too fast, isn't it?
He's only eleven or twelve years old in this world!
Huo Ling'er was so embarrassed that she wished she could find 370 cracks in the ground to crawl into immediately!
Father! What...what are you saying?!
What engagement?!
Although... although she did... did indeed have a little bit... liking for this scoundrel?
But... this is too sudden!
"Father! What nonsense are you talking about! I... I don't want to get engaged to him!" Huo Ling'er retorted, stamping her feet in embarrassment and anxiety, her voice trembling with tears, whether from shyness or something else, it was hard to tell.
"Hehe, I'm not talking nonsense." The Fire Emperor stroked his beard and looked at Shi Hao seriously. "Young friend Shi Hao, what do you think? My Ling'er, although she is a bit spoiled, her appearance, talent, and status are all top-notch in this desolate region. She shouldn't be an insult to you, the future young supreme being, right?"
"Moreover..." A glint of light flashed in the Fire Emperor's eyes, "Once you and Ling'er are engaged, you are practically one of my own in the Fire Kingdom. No matter what crisis we encounter in the future, the entire Fire Kingdom will do its utmost to help you! In this impending calamity, you will have an extra layer of protection."
His words were full of sincerity. He not only believed in Shi Hao's potential, but also wanted to completely bind the Fire Kingdom with Shi Hao, the future supreme powerhouse!
As Shi Hao listened to the Fire Emperor's words and looked at Huo Ling'er, who was so embarrassed she was about to faint, yet was secretly glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, his heart was also filled with turbulent emotions.
Are you getting engaged?
To be honest, he really didn't expect the Fire Emperor to be so direct.
but……
He glanced at Huo Ling'er's shy and adorable appearance and recalled their encounter at Baiduan Mountain, their time together in Shicun Village, and their journey together... Although they often bickered and teased each other, the growing feelings between them were real.
He also knew that this girl... probably had already secretly fallen for him.
not to mention……
Marrying such a beautiful and capable princess as a wife doesn't seem like a bad deal, does it?
With this in mind, Shi Hao took a deep breath and finally made a decision.
He looked at the Fire Emperor, then at the Fire Spirit beside him whose palms were sweating with nervousness, and with a solemn expression, he slowly nodded:
"it is good."
He really agreed?!
Huo Ling'er felt her head go blank for a moment! Overwhelmed by a mixture of surprise and shyness!
She even forgot where she was, just standing there dumbly, her pretty face as red as a ripe apple, her heart pounding like a deer, almost jumping out of her throat!
"Hahaha! Good! Good! Good!" The Fire Emperor clapped his hands and laughed when he saw Shi Hao agree, his eyes filled with satisfaction. "Excellent! Excellent indeed!"
"Alright, now that the marriage is settled, you are family." The Fire Emperor said with a smile. "Ling'er said before that there was a fortune here to share with you. I suppose she was referring to the opportunity with the Sacrificial Spirit Master."
He gazed towards the deepest part of the ancestral land, the area shrouded in endless flames and divine light, a glint of light appearing in his eyes: "Go. The High Priest has long since awakened, and it seems He has been waiting for your arrival."
Chapter 78: Farewell to the Vermilion Bird, Shi Hao and Huo Ling'er bathe together!
Lord Sacrifice?
Shi Hao's heart stirred, and he nodded.
Then, under the gratified gaze of the Fire Emperor, Shi Hao took the hand of Huo Ling'er, who was still a little dizzy and had a rosy face, and together they walked towards the core area of the ancestral land.
After passing through layers of flame barriers and over ancient temple ruins, they finally arrived at the very center of the ancestral land of the Fire Kingdom!
This is a much larger and more sacred area!
An ancient sacred tree of unimaginable size!
It is rooted in a crimson earth that seems to be formed from flames. Its trunk is so thick that it would take a hundred people to encircle it. It is covered with ancient bark that looks like dragon scales, and it has witnessed the vicissitudes of time.
Its branches and leaves are so dense they block out the sun! Each leaf is like a burning flame, displaying the purest crimson color! Natural flame patterns are engraved on them! Radiating endless light and heat!
The entire divine tree was enveloped in a layer of blazing, inextinguishable crimson divine flames! It resembled an eternally hanging sun! It exuded a terrifying aura capable of incinerating all things, yet also brimming with boundless vitality!
And on the highest branch of this enormous divine tree, which resembles a world of flames.
It's a bird's nest, entirely golden, emitting a strange, pleasant fragrance!
At the edge of the golden nest, perched a small red bird, about the size of a fist, with a fiery red body, bright and beautiful feathers, and large, black gem-like eyes that darted around, looking somewhat arrogant.
"what?!"
Shi Hao stared wide-eyed at the little red bird and the golden nest beneath it!
This...this isn't...
"It's you?! That little kid from Ishimura?!"
Almost at the same time that Shi Hao recognized it, the little red bird also spotted him!
It was taken aback at first, and then its large, black, gem-like eyes were instantly filled with surprise.
With a "chirp," it leaped up from the edge of the nest, its crimson feathers bristling, and pointed at Shi Hao, shrieking:
"You...how did you find your way here?!"
Its voice was clear and melodious, but the wariness in its tone and the subtle hint of panic were unmistakable.
Shi Hao was slightly taken aback when he saw the "little red bird" in front of him, which was both familiar and unfamiliar. Then a playful smile appeared on his face.
It really is it!
Back then, on the outskirts of Baiduan Mountain, there was that unlucky guy who fought fiercely with ancient creatures like the Devouring Sky Sparrow and Qiongqi in order to seize the mountain treasure. He was severely injured and fell into Stone Village like a fiery meteor!
At that time, it was on the verge of death. If it hadn't been kind-hearted and asked the Willow God to help it, exchanging the so-called "Vermilion Bird Treasure Technique" for it, it would probably have turned into ashes long ago.
Shi Hao still remembers that after the "transaction" was completed, the Willow God seemed to have erased its memory of the magic trade, leaving only the gratitude for being saved by the Willow God.
Unexpectedly, not long after they parted ways, this guy actually ran back to this so-called "ancestral land of the Fire Kingdom," and even... transformed himself into a sacrificial spirit of the Fire Kingdom?!
"Hey! Isn't this Little Red Bird? Long time no see!" Shi Hao flashed his signature "mischievous kid" smile, waved his little hand, and greeted him in a deliberately familiar tone, "I was just about to ask you! What are you doing here? Is this your house? It looks pretty grand!"
"A little... a little red bird?!"
Upon hearing this name, which was full of connotations of "dark history," the Vermilion Bird instantly bristled! Flames erupted all over its body, and it almost jumped off the nest!
"You, you, you...you little brat! Who are you calling Little Red Bird?! I've already said! This spirit has a name and a surname! I'm not called Little Red Bird!" It jumped around on the branch in anger, its big black gem-like eyes glaring fiercely at Shi Hao.
"Oh?" Shi Hao raised an eyebrow and asked, feigning curiosity, "So what's your name? I can't keep calling you 'Hey' or 'that bird,' can I?"
"I..." Suzaku hesitated again. It seemed... it really didn't have a proper name for itself? Before, it was either called "Descendant of Suzaku" or... Little Red...
The mere thought of being called "Little Red" made it furious!
"Hmph! How could you mortals possibly know the name of this sacred spirit?!" It stubbornly tried to save face, raising its little head arrogantly once again and using its wings to preen its non-existent "messy" feathers.
Shi Hao chuckled inwardly at its stubbornness, too lazy to tease it any further, and instead asked directly, "Alright, alright, I won't mess with you anymore. How did you become the Fire Kingdom's sacrificial spirit?"
Mentioning this, the little red bird's smug expression deepened. It puffed out its little chest and said in a tone filled with supreme glory, "Hmph! This sacrificial spirit is a prodigy! Possessing the purest Vermilion Bird blood! Returning to the ancestral land to cultivate is only natural! As for this position of sacrificial spirit..."
It seemed to remember something, its tone pausing slightly, tinged with a barely perceptible sadness, but it quickly regained its haughty demeanor: "The previous generation of spirit priest, my grandmother, recently exhausted her lifespan and passed away. Before her death, she wisely recognized my talent and, against all odds, entrusted me with the heavy responsibility of protecting the Fire Kingdom! So, I am now! The supreme and revered new generation of spirit priest of the Fire Kingdom! How about that? Isn't that amazing?!"
It held its little head high, with an expression that said, "Come and worship me."
After hearing this, Shi Hao understood.
It turns out that it was only after the previous generation of sacrificial spirits perished that it "picked up" the position.
However, the fact that he was recognized by the previous generation of sacrificial spirits also shows that this guy is indeed extraordinary.
"So it was a case of choosing the best among the worst," Shi Hao muttered under his breath, stroking his chin.
"What did you say?!" The little red bird's ears were incredibly sharp; it heard her instantly and immediately bristled again! "You little brat! Say that again?! Do you believe I, this spirit, will roast you eight-tenths cooked right now?!"
Its entire body burst into flames once more, and the terrifying heat caused the surrounding void to distort!
"Oh dear! Your Highness, please calm down! Please calm down!" Huo Ling'er, startled, quickly stepped forward to smooth things over. It was the first time she'd seen her supposedly incredibly dignified Highness with such a "lively and energetic" personality? And he even knew this rascal?
“He…he’s praising you, right? You little rascal!” she said, pinching Shi Hao’s arm hard.
"Ouch... Yes, yes, yes!" Shi Hao winced in pain, nodding hurriedly in agreement, a "sincere" smile plastered on his face. "I mean... Lord Sacrificial Spirit, you have such discerning eyes! You saw my extraordinary talent at a glance! Truly... well, farsighted! With such keen insight!"
"Hmph!" The little red bird looked at him suspiciously. Although it felt that his words were a bit strange, it was ultimately appeased and the flames on its body gradually subsided.
It ignored Shi Hao and turned its gaze to Huo Ling'er. When it saw the faint Vermilion Bird mark between her eyebrows, a hint of satisfaction flashed in its large, black gem-like eyes.
"You must be a descendant of this generation's awakened true blood, right? Hmm, your aptitude is not bad." It nodded, its tone regaining some of the majesty befitting a sacrificial spirit. "That old fellow, the Fire Emperor, paid a considerable price to get you in. Now that you're here, head to the Holy Emperor's Palace. How much fortune you gain there depends on your own abilities."
"Thank you, Lord Spirit Master!" Huo Ling'er was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly bowed respectfully.
"Alright, alright, stop dawdling and hurry up!" The little red bird flapped its wings impatiently, then, as if remembering something, glared at Shi Hao with hostility and warned, "And you! You little brat! Behave yourself when you enter the Holy Emperor's Palace! If you dare to cause trouble inside, or... dare to covet those treasures inside! Hmph! I, the Holy Emperor, will not forgive you!"
It remembered perfectly well that this guy dared to steal even the spiritual herbs planted by Willow God in the novel group 852 back in Stone Village! Now that he's entered the Holy Emperor's Palace, which is full of treasures, wouldn't he be like a rat falling into a rice jar?
"I know, I know, you're so long-winded," Shi Hao replied dismissively, pursing his lips.
Then, guided by the little red bird, Shi Hao and Huo Ling'er stopped and flew towards the magnificent palace—the Holy Emperor Palace—that was suspended at the base of the Wutong Divine Tree and forged from the Flame Divine Crystal.
……
At the Holy Emperor's Palace, in front of the palace gate.
The raging crimson-gold flames, like two guardian dragons, coiled on either side of the massive stone gate, radiating terrifying heat and power capable of incinerating even a Venerable One!
This is the first test to enter the Holy Emperor's Palace—the Holy Gate True Fire!
"You rascal... be careful." Huo Ling'er looked at the flickering flames, her pretty face filled with worry again. She herself, bearing the true blood of the Vermilion Bird, already felt the pressure; could Shi Hao, an outsider, really withstand it?
"Don't worry." Shi Hao smiled confidently, giving her a reassuring look. "Watch me!"
After saying that, he didn't hesitate any longer and stepped into the Holy Gate under the tense gazes of Huo Ling'er and Little Red Bird!
boom--! ! !
The crimson-gold Vermilion Bird True Fire, which was more than ten times more violent than the one Huo Ling'er had endured before, erupted instantly as if it had found an outlet! It completely engulfed Shi Hao's figure!