The Magus Era

”Ji…Hao…”

Zhu Rong Tianming screamed drawly and hoarsely while transforming into a fiery cloud and diving down from the sky. He was holding a heavy sword that was even as big as himself with both of his hands, hacking straight down towards Ji Hao’s head.

Ji Hao’s pair of eyes shone with a dazzling golden light as he firmly locked Zhu Rong Tianming’s body with his eyes.

At that moment, Ji Hao’s eyes sparkled so brightly that they even seemed like a pair of golden suns. That eye-piercing light released from his eyes made people dare not to look directly at.

Suddenly, numerous twisted, dragon-like and enormous spell symbols lit up outside the Town Hall. Next, the entire town hall and the area a hundred miles in radius around it was covered up by a great magic formation. The magic formation strengthened the ground and buildings in this area, and the ground was now covered by a dim layer of glow.

Hao Tao’s strong and resonant voice came from far away, ”Who dares to act recklessly at the pilgrimage ceremony? Zhu Rong Tianming, stop now!”

Zhu Rong Tianming grinned viciously, continuing hacking down towards Ji Hao as if he heard and saw nothing. Ji Hao had actually punched him, Prince Tianming up into the clouds. That was so, so humiliating. Thinking of this, the fire of anger instantly boosted up from his heart, and he just wanted nothing else but to hack Ji Hao straight to death.

But of course, in front of so many earls and marquis, Zhu Rong Tianming dared not to really kill Ji Hao. But at least, he had to cut one of Ji Hao’s arms off. Zhu Rong Tianming fixed his eyes on Ji Hao’s right shoulder. He wanted to cut this arm of Ji Hao entirely off.

Ji Hao sneered. He only used thirty percent of his power to launch the punch just now, which equaled to a full-power attack launched by a peak-level Magus King.

Even though Zhu Rong Tianming was sent flying away by that punch, with his power, he wouldn’t be injured. Ji Hao had already shown mercy, but Zhu Rong Tianming still wanted to continue the fight. Based on the current situation, Ji Hao didn’t want to waste more time on him.

Both of Ji Hao’s hands shook swiftly like a blooming lotus. Meanwhile, all nine secret words were condensed from his power together, roaring around inside his body like fiery beads. Waves of golden light shone in his eyes from time to time while Ji Hao fixed his eyes on Zhu Rong Tianming. Next, all nine spell symbols zipped out of Ji Hao’s hands simultaneously, each leaving an arc in the air.

‘Lin’, ‘Bing’, ‘Dou’, ‘Zhe’, ‘Jie’, ‘Zhen’, ‘Lie’, ‘Qian’, ‘Xing’!

Each of these nine spell symbols had their own specialties; they could build connections with the universe and natural power, each containing inexhaustible power. This was the first time for Ji Hao to release all nine secret words all together. The nine fiery-shooting-star-like spell symbols started to magically combine while flying. At last, they transformed into a faintly visible silhouette of a giant ax, violently striking on Zhu Rong Tianming’s face.

Zhu Rong Tianming wielded his long sword when he saw the ax silhouette, attempting to stop it. However, the ax silhouette, which was wrapped in a raging fire, was like a living creature. It managed to dodge Zhu Rong Tianming’s sword with a weirdly curved moving track, then fiercely smashed on his face. The hazy axe silhouette wasn’t too powerful, yet it contained an indescribable power. The protective divine flame surrounding Zhu Rong Tianming’s body was easily split up. The ax silhouette smashed on Zhu Rong Tianming’s nose, squeezing blood out of his nostrils in big streams. He was forced to look up while he was sent flying up into the clouds once again.

Ji Hao smilingly swung his arms, then said to all surrounding earls and marquis loudly and clearly, ”This is my family business, and has nothing to do with any public affairs. Lord Hao Tao, please forgive us.”

Man Man leaped up immediately and said towards the Town Hall with a sweet and soft voice, ”Uncle Hao Tao, it’s Man Man’s boyfriend teaching her stinky brother a lesson. This has nothing to do with any government affairs, please don’t blame us.”

No matter what, right in front of the Town Hall and when all earls and marquis from Midland waiting for the meeting with the human emperor, Ji Hao attacked Zhu Rong Tianming twice. This could be counted as a crime that might or might not be serious.

However, Ji Hao and Man Man called this ‘family business’…Even Emperor Shun didn’t have the right to step into Zhu Rong’s family business, did he?

Hao Tao’s voice came again from afar, ”This will not happen again. If anyone else dares to make any trouble, don’t blame me for having no mercy…If anyone has family business to deal with, you shall wait until you get home. This is not the place for you kids to mess around.”

A large group of emperor guards wearing long black robes walked out from the Town Hall and lined up orderly in front of the Town Hall.

Zhu Rong Tianming fell down from the sky while roaring ragingly. His nose was still bleeding intensively. Same as the first punch, Ji Hao didn’t use too many strength again. However, after the nine spell symbols combined, some strange transformation that even Ji Hao didn’t understand seemed to occur. As a consequence, the effect of that attack Ji Hao launched just now was raised largely.

Ji Hao silently memorized the transformation that happened to the nine spell symbols and the large ax silhouette. It seemed that the nine secret words somehow triggered some mysterious universe power and then initiated some unknown power contained in the Sky-Opening move. Under the effect of this, the attack launched with sun power turned into a physical attack that was similar to an attack launched by some kind of magic treasure.

This transformation was rather mysterious and indescribable, and Ji Hao had to go back and look deeply into it after the ten-year-meeting.

Zhu Rong Tianming growled ragingly, still wanting to attack Ji Hao, but the magic formation suddenly released a great pressure and disabled him from moving. Lie Mountain Xu and Yi Shen walked to him and dissuaded him with a low voice, added with the warning given by Hao Tao earlier, Zhu Rong Tianming finally swallowed his anger back down, angrily cast a threatening glance at Ji Hao, and then a glance at Gong Gong Wuyou.

Gong Gong Wuyou sneered while fiddling with the black bamboo flute. Wuzhi Qi, who was standing beside him, said slowly, ”Good, Zhu Rong Tianming and Ji Hao are not on the same side, this is great.”

Gong Gong Wuyou slightly nodded, showing a trace of pleasure in his sneer.

Earls and marquis started to line up in front of Town Hall according to their serving years, power levels and clans. Each earl or marquis had an emperor guard standing with him, showing him his position.

Every marquis was allowed to bring twenty clansmen into the Town Hall, while every earl was only allowed to bring ten people in. The other entourages of theirs all had to wait outside the Town Hall.

Emperor guards in long black robes explained rules to the new earls and marquis in low voices. After big half an hour, all earls and marquis lined up, took their people and walked into the Town Hall. The inner space of the Town Hall was suffused by a mist, as a great power vibration pressed on everyone’s body like a giant mountain, such that ordinary Senior Magi would feel hard to move in here.

Over ten-thousand earls and marquis took over a hundred thousand of their people and walked into the main hall, after which, the magic formation set inside the Town Hall was fully activated, creating an enormous space to contain all these people. Emperor Shun sat in the innermost area of the main hall, looking at all these people blandly with a faint smile.

The long ceremony began.

According to serving years, positions and powers, some marquis stepped out of the crowd one after another in sequence. Each of them would salute to Emperor Shun, pay homages and greet him. Afterward, Emperor Shun would ask a few simple questions regarding all kinds of political affairs, and after that, the earl or marquis would present Emperor the list of offerings he brought for this ten-year-meeting.

The number of earls and marquis in Midland had reached over ten-thousand. If every one of them had to meet with Emperor Shun face to face alone, this ceremony might last for at least a whole month. Therefore, marquis who were qualified to step out of the crowd and stand in front of Emperor Shun and talk to Emperor Shun were carefully selected representatives. These marquis all came from most powerful clans that had the longest history, and they had all served in the human government for a very long time.

Whole thirty-six marquis as representatives of all over ten-thousand earls and marquis met with Emperor Shun in sequence. After that, a happy music started in the main hall, as all earls and marquis found their seats and the banquet began.

Ji Hao’s seat was located near Zhu Rong Tianming. Once he sat down, a man with white outfit moved over from beside Zhu Rong Tianming.

”Earl Yao, I am Bo Qiujia.”