Chapter 122: The Scarlet Bow

Zhurong Tianming? The Mandated Prince?

Ji Hao could not help but be shocked by this title. What did "Mandate of Heaven" even mean? To dare to adopt it as one's own name!

With a measure of caution, Ji Hao examined Zhurong Tianming carefully. His hair, eyebrows, and even his irises were red; his skin resembled the finest red jade, shimmering with a faint, crystalline crimson luster. Countless archaic and mysterious red runes flickered like reflections on water, flashing across his body with the speed of lightning, making him appear truly extraordinary.

This vivid, monochromatic red was a manifestation of his body being deeply saturated with the power of the Fire Essence. One could only imagine that every hair and every cell within him was brimming with immense, pure fire energy, which had forged him into this state.

Beyond this piercing crimson, Zhurong Tianming was tall, imposing, and strikingly handsome. From his nose to his fingertips, from his earlobes to his toes, every detail of his physique was as perfect as a statue, devoid of the slightest flaw.

A vast, rolling pressure emanated from him. Zhurong Tianming sat upon a chair of red gold, watching Ji Hao with a smile that was not quite a smile. A heavy, majestic weight pressed down from all sides. It felt as if a massive furnace had been hung before him; the rolling heat waves soon drenched Ji Hao in sweat, which evaporated just as quickly, leaving only faint traces of white salt on his skin.

Ji Hao remained silent, staring blankly at Zhurong Tianming, perfectly mimicking the behavior of a poor, rustic boy stunned by the presence of a high-born aristocrat. He played the part of the simpleton to the hilt.

Ying Zhu and the other officials hurried to prostrate themselves before Zhurong Tianming, kneeling on the back of the fire dragon with their foreheads pressed firmly against its scales.

"Seventh Prince, this is Ji Hao, a guest of young Mistress Man Man."

Zhurong Tianming offered a faint smile, cast a deep, measuring look at Ji Hao, and spoke at a leisurely pace: "Since when did Man Man start associating with these tribal barbarians? When Father God departed, he told us to take good care of Man Man and not let her be deceived or led astray by others."

After a pause, Zhurong Tianming pointed at Ji Hao and laughed: "Someone should investigate this thoroughly. When did this child meet Man Man? How did he even enter our Divine Kingdom? And you, Ying Zhu, why did you eagerly bring him to Man Man's palace?"

Ying Zhu replied respectfully: "This noble guest possesses young Mistress Man Man’s Fire God Token!"

Zhurong Tianming set down his wine cup and clapped his hands with exaggerated alarm. "That makes it even worse! The Fire God Token is a protective treasure bestowed upon us by Father God. Man Man is simply being reckless; it is one thing for her to act out, but how dare she give away the Fire God Token so carelessly?"

The previously pleasant expression on Zhurong Tianming’s face vanished. He pointed at Ji Hao and said coldly: "Seize him. Man Man would never give away the Fire God Token without reason. What flowery lies did this brat use to trick her? Throw him into the Divine Prison and torture him for the truth!"

Dull, thunderous roars erupted from all directions. "As the Prince commands!" the voices thundered, echoing far into the distance.

Dozens of towering, heavily armored, single-horned warriors stepped onto clouds of fire and took to the air. While still miles away, they flung the crimson iron chains they carried. The flame-spewing chains writhed like enraged dragons, transforming into countless snares that coiled toward Ji Hao.

Ji Hao sneered and pulled out Man Man’s Fire God Token, holding it high. "Prince Tianming, I am a friend of Man Man."

The chains in the hands of the single-horned warriors suddenly froze. Two flames erupted from Zhurong Tianming’s crimson pupils as he said coldly: "Man Man is of noble birth; how could she have a lowly friend like you? Seize him at once and cast him into the Divine Prison. Do not fail me!"

With a flick of Zhurong Tianming’s finger, the Fire God Token in Ji Hao’s hand began to vibrate violently. An irresistible force surged from deep within the token, shattering the five fingers of Ji Hao’s hand. In his agony, the token flew from his grasp, turning into a red streak of light that landed in Zhurong Tianming’s palm.

With the token gone, the single-horned warriors no longer hesitated. They laughed aloud as their chains, whistling through the air with a dull roar, coiled around Ji Hao, layer by layer. Even hundreds of yards away, an invisible force of restraint, like great pythons, wrapped tightly around him.

He was pinned. Completely, utterly unable to move.

Ji Hao’s body was taut, but no matter how hard he struggled, he could not resist the invisible binding force.

The weakest among these warriors was at the pinnacle of the Great Magus level, and two or three of them possessed an aura as deep and vast as an abyss, making Ji Hao afraid to even guess at their true cultivation. Runes swirled across their chains—each chain inscribed with far more runes than the ancestral treasures of the Ji Clan, a testament to their immense power.

With such terrifying cultivation and powerful treasures, and dozens of them attacking at once, Ji Hao could not escape, no matter how strong his foundation.

It was like a newly hatched dragon; even if it were destined to soar through the heavens and become the master of all beasts, a group of powerful water dragons could still easily toy with it when it first broke from its shell.

Ji Hao glared at Zhurong Tianming. He didn’t need to be told; he already knew who stood behind Jiang Bo.

The Seventh Prince of the Fire God Zhurong, the prince who dared to name himself "Tianming"—Jiang Bo and the Bi Fang tribe had indeed found themselves a formidable backer!

Zhurong Tianming smiled with effortless ease. His fiery gaze swept over Ying Zhu and the others kneeling on the dragon's back, and he said indifferently: "These trash, allowing such a lowly barbarian to infiltrate the heart of the Divine Kingdom—truly useless. Throw them all into the Divine Prison and subject them to the torture of searing flames."

Ying Zhu and the others trembled in terror, cold sweat breaking out across their bodies, forming tiny beads of moisture on their temples.

A dozen single-horned warriors let out sinister laughs as they flew toward them on clouds of fire, reaching out to seize Ying Zhu and his companions.

Suddenly, a spark of fire ignited before Ji Hao. Though the light was initially as dim as a candle flame, it flared into a roaring inferno in the blink of an eye, forming a pillar of fire that slowly parted to reveal a gateway of flames.

A tall, imposing figure stepped out from the fiery gate. Looking at the single-horned warriors, the figure let out a soft "hmph."

Zhurong Tianming, who had been composed and in total control, shuddered violently. He jumped to his feet and bowed respectfully to the figure: "Big Brother, you have left your seclusion? After three years of cultivation, your divine powers must have greatly increased, right?"

The single-horned warriors all knelt on the ground, none daring to lift their heads.

As the fire gate vanished, the man Zhurong Tianming called "Big Brother" turned around and laughed heartily:

"Ji Hao? I have your name right, don't I?"

"Man Man broke into my place of seclusion and told me about you, but that was at the most critical moment of my breakthrough. That girl... heh, it is good to finally meet you today."

"I am Zhurong Tonggong, Man Man’s own brother. You can just call me Brother Tonggong."

The corners of Zhurong Tianming’s mouth twitched violently.

With a gentle wave of Zhurong Tonggong’s hand, all the chains on Ji Hao shattered with a crisp 'crack,' and the dozens of single-horned warriors vomited blood and plummeted from the sky to the ground.