When I woke up, I wanted to go home.

Zhu Chongjiu lay on the ground, rubbing his stomach, and occasionally letting out a couple of burps.

Little Black was also lying sprawled on the ground beside him, licking its paws with its tongue.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Chongjiu muttered again, "Pure feline!"

After a while, Xiao Hei turned over and walked to Zhu Chongjiu's side. "Brother Jiu, there's only enough of that big octopus left for the two of us to eat. What should I do if I want to eat it again?"

Oh dear, there are other river delicacies too. We've finished the octopus, so we'll eat something else.

Xiao Hei pouted and nudged Zhu Chongjiu with its head, saying, "Nothing else tastes as good as octopus. It's crispy and tender, and if you add some of the chili powder you mentioned, it's so delicious!"

Alright, alright. If all else fails, we can go to Shenxu Lake to catch it again. It'll also be a good opportunity for you to go back and see the Shenxu King.

Upon hearing the news of Hui Shenxu, Xiao Hei immediately became excited and asked Zhu Chongjiu, "Brother Jiu, when are we going back?"

Within one or two years, that's the plan, we'll discuss the specific timeline later.

Upon hearing Zhu Chongjiu's words, Xiao Hei danced with joy.

Zhu Chongjiu knew very well that although Xiao Hei had a very close relationship with him, it had only been with him for less than two years!

However, in that mysterious and remote land of the gods, Xiao Hei had already lived for six or seven thousand years.

Back then, Xiao Hei had faced life-or-death situations several times in Shenxu, but even so, it did not affect its deep feelings for Shenxu and the Shenxu King.

That feeling is basically as warm as home and as intimate as family.

If it weren't for Shenxu King's deliberate and gradual distancing from Xiao Hei, Xiao Hei might not have willingly followed Zhu Chongjiu away from Shenxu.

After all, while strength and life are important, the genuine affection between family members is irreplaceable!

Two days later, the light emitted by the fiery red clouds fell on the barren mountain, illuminating it with a fiery red glow.

Zhu Chongjiu and his companion Xiao Hei slowly emerged from the desolate mountain, more than 20,000 li away from the imperial palace.

Just then, Zhu Chongjiu's heart suddenly stirred. With his extremely keen senses, he sensed that five powerful auras had appeared not far ahead, and all five auras belonged to Emperor-level human experts.

However, Zhu Chongjiu did not tell Xiao Hei about this situation, but continued to move forward with it as if nothing had happened.

Although Xiao Hei is quite strong, he has not yet been able to detect the threat hidden in the shadows.

As time passed by, another five days went by.

Finally, Xiao Hei also sensed the five Emperor-level human auras that had been following them.

It looked at Zhu Chongjiu somewhat nervously, about to ask a question, but saw Zhu Chongjiu gently shake his head, signaling it to continue forward.

Seeing that the five Emperor-level humans were following him closely like shadows, Zhu Chongjiu couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness.

He stopped, turned around and looked behind him, then quickly formed hand seals and unleashed a magical technique.

Suddenly, an invisible force of internal energy shot out.

They charged straight at the five human powerhouses who were always hanging behind them.

And then it transformed into a huge voice in the air: "We've been following you all this way, so hurry up and say what you need to say."

Otherwise, the five of you might have lost your lives here today, never to return to Xiao Tian's side again!

Following behind Zhu Chongjiu were none other than Xiao Tian's five attendants.

Upon hearing Zhu Chongjiu's voice and threat, the five of Xiao Tian's henchmen instantly transformed into blurry images and appeared before Zhu Chongjiu.

He cupped his hands in a fist salute to Zhu Chongjiu and said, "The five of us are following Brother Jiu because our young master has a message for us to pass on to Brother Jiu."

Oh, what did you say?

Our young master said that Ninth Brother should try not to concern himself with the trivial matters of the Flame Empire and should focus on the source of the Five Elements.

Our young master is already waiting for Ninth Brother on the Houtu Continent.

Zhu Chongjiu said with a wicked smile, "This Xiao Tian, ​​there really is nothing that can be hidden from him!"

However, I have already told him that my affairs, whether important or trivial, have nothing to do with him.

If he's in such a hurry, let him go find the source of the Five Elements himself.

Wouldn't it save more time to find them all and hand them over to me at once?

If you still want to rely on my help, then shut up.

Hmph! He doesn't dare to come himself, so he sends five shrimp soldiers and crab generals. What a joke.

After Zhu Chongjiu finished speaking, he rode Xiao Hei towards Laihuo City without looking back.

The five people behind them looked at each other, none of them knowing what to do.

Finally, the only female mage from the Wood Source World spoke up: "Young master, we have conveyed the message you asked us to send. There is no need to do anything else."

Moreover, the one in front of us really can kill us, and can kill us!

As Zhu Chongjiu and Xiao Hei approached Huocheng step by step, a tense yet mysterious atmosphere permeated every city they passed through.

In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, the most talked-about topic was the strange activity of that sacred mountain.

Some wealthy families, dressed in gorgeous clothes and behaving elegantly, were seen hurriedly packing their bags, preparing to move their entire families to the distant imperial city to escape the possible disaster.

These people, who were used to a life of luxury, were now gripped by fear and did not hesitate to flee this familiar land.

Meanwhile, those passionate young people are eager to join the army and defend their homeland with their own strength.

Their eyes gleamed with unwavering determination, as if they could already see themselves bravely fighting on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, in the corners of the city, hunting teams are secretly gathering.

These brave and fearless people recognized the opportunity presented by the chaotic situation.

They attempted to risk entering the restricted area in search of wealth and precious resources.

They knew the risks were enormous, but greed and courage drove them forward.

However, not everyone is able to respond to this crisis so proactively.

The elderly, the infirm, and the disabled in the city could only stay helplessly at home, silently praying for God's protection and leaving their fate to chance.

They were either too weak to move or too old to resist, and could only hope in their hearts that the turmoil would pass as soon as possible.

These various scenes intertwine to create a vivid picture of human life.

When danger or war truly strikes, the ugliness and kindness of human nature will be revealed without reservation.

Some people are selfish and only care about protecting themselves; others step forward and are willing to give everything.

It is this complex and diverse nature of humanity that fills this world with endless stories and legends.

During the great war on the Ice and Snow Continent, after Zhu Chongjiu emerged from the Divine Void, he didn't care about anything else; his only thought was to get to the battlefield as quickly as possible.

Now, on the Flaming Mountain continent, I feel from the bottom of my heart what it means to be human and what humanity is.

Time flies, and more than half a month has passed in a flash.

On this day, Xiao Hei's strong and majestic body slowly appeared in people's sight.

With steady and powerful strides, it carried Zhu Chongjiu closer and closer to the majestic city gate of Laihuo City, located in the Flame Empire.

When the soldiers guarding the city saw a huge, imposing beast walking towards the city gate from afar, they couldn't help but widen their eyes.

A feeling of amazement and nervousness welled up inside me.

As the behemoth drew closer, the soldiers were even more astonished to discover that a unique human figure was leaning against its broad back.

The soldier composed himself, quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Zhu Chongjiu, and then cautiously inquired, "May I ask if you are Lord Ninth Brother?"

Zhu Chongjiu nodded slightly and replied, "Indeed. May I ask what brings you here?"

His voice was deep and magnetic, exuding an air of authority.

When the soldiers saw that Zhu Chongjiu had personally acknowledged his identity, their expressions became even more respectful.

He quickly bowed again and then respectfully said to Zhu Chongjiu, "Reporting to Ninth Brother, the Fire Emperor has issued a decree!"

His Majesty has instructed that if you see Lord Ninth enter the city, you must inform him that he is waiting for your arrival at the place where you were stationed last time!

At this moment, Zhu Chongjiu, leaning against Xiao Hei's back, was calmly watching the soldiers in front of him.

He wasn't surprised at all that the soldier could recognize him at a glance.

After all, it's hard for a human with such a unique skin color and so different from the locals not to attract attention.

After hearing the message from the city guard relayed by Huo Yan, Zhu Chongjiu replied, "Tell Huo Yan that I will not meet with him."

I will go directly to the holy mountain!

If he believes in my abilities, then we shouldn't send ordinary people to the holy mountain to die in vain.

As soon as Zhu Chongjiu finished speaking, Xiao Hei, as if on cue, took a step and headed towards Laihuo City.

After seeing Zhu Chongjiu's receding figure, the soldier guarding the city immediately said to his colleague, "Quickly report to Emperor Huoyan what just happened and what was said, word for word."

After entering the inner city, Zhu Chongjiu got off Xiao Hei's back.

Xiao Hei also shrunk to the size of a raccoon dog and perched on Zhu Chongjiu's shoulder.

After all, riding an Emperor-level demon beast in its true form through a city full of ordinary people was still a bit awkward for Zhu Chongjiu!

Zhu Chongjiu, accompanied by Xiao Hei, did not linger in the city.

They went straight through the city and headed towards the city gate in the direction of the Flaming Mountain forbidden zone.

At this moment, inside the military camp in Fire City, the soldiers guarding the city relayed everything that had just happened to the Fire Emperor without missing a single word.

After hearing Zhu Chongjiu's meaning, the Flame Emperor pondered for a while before issuing a command through a messenger: "Except for the Emperor-level experts, all remaining personnel shall evacuate from the Flame Mountain Forbidden Zone."

The Emperor-level expert changed the original defensive plan to a reconnaissance plan.

At the same time, if you discover the Four-Eyed Eagle Beast after an anomaly occurs, do not fight it; simply follow and investigate!

After Zhu Chongjiu and Xiao Hei left Fire City and entered the forbidden area of ​​Flaming Mountain, Zhu Chongjiu said to Xiao Hei in his arms, "Xiao Hei, less than half a year later, we're back here again."

I'll have to trouble you, Brother Hei, to give Ninth Brother a ride!

Upon hearing Zhu Chongjiu's words, Xiao Hei happily replied: "Brother Jiu, what are you saying? Xiao Hei is Brother Jiu's personal mount!"

Like a black lightning bolt, Little Black leaped from Zhu Chongjiu's warm embrace and landed lightly on the solid ground. In an instant, a jaw-dropping scene unfolded—Little Black's body rapidly expanded and grew larger at a visible speed, reaching a length of over ten zhang in the blink of an eye!

During this time spent with Zhu Chongjiu, Xiao Hei always stayed by Zhu Chongjiu's side.

Having spent so much time together, it had long since become intimately familiar with Zhu Chongjiu's habits and needs.

After countless trials and adjustments, Xiao Hei gradually figured out the optimal body size: it could react quickly and flexibly to various situations when encountering sudden dangers, while also ensuring that Zhu Chongjiu felt comfortable and secure sitting on its back.

As Xiao Hei carried Zhu Chongjiu deeper into the forbidden zone of Flaming Mountain, in a luxurious house in a city on the Houtu Continent...