Chapter 2

In the brightly lit inner hall, resplendent and majestic, a long-burning lamp was lit, with a green stone burning inside, emitting a gentle green smoke that coiled around the hall.

That was the green sandalwood stone, which, when burned, released a unique fragrance that had a calming effect, making it essential for cultivation. However, this item was not cheap, and the fact that it could be used as fuel indicated the high status of the hall's owner.

Inside the hall, a middle-aged man in a bright yellow robe stood with his hands behind his back. His face was firm, and his eyes exuded an aura of authority, clearly indicating his long tenure in a high position. Behind him, a faint aura rose, resembling both flames and thunder, emitting a low, rumbling sound.

However, if one looked at his right arm, it was empty, clearly a severed limb.

Beside him stood a woman in palace attire, with a slender and graceful figure, her face dignified and beautiful, but her cheeks were unusually pale and weak.

At this moment, the clearly high-status couple both looked forward with a hint of tension. On the bed before them sat a boy of about thirteen or fourteen, his body slightly thin, eyes tightly closed, and his youthful face, which should have been full of vitality, was overshadowed by a strange blood aura.

The strange blood aura moved beneath his skin, and faintly, it seemed as if the sound of a dragon's roar could be heard.

With the dragon's roar, the veins on the boy's forehead bulged, his body trembled continuously, and his face became distorted, as if he was enduring indescribable pain.

Beside the boy, an old man with white hair held a bronze mirror, from which a gentle light emanated, illuminating the boy's body. Under the light, the strange blood aura on the boy's face gradually subsided.

After a while, the blood aura finally dissipated, retreating back into the boy's palm.

Seeing this, the old man with white hair let out a sigh of relief, then turned to the tense middle-aged man and the woman in palace attire, bowing and saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, Queen, the great tribulation of the past three years has finally been overcome by the prince. The next three years should be without major issues."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man and the woman in palace attire both showed signs of joy, gradually loosening their clenched fists.

"Master Qin, Yuan is now thirteen. At this age, most boys have already formed their eight meridians and can begin cultivation. What about Yuan?" The middle-aged man in the bright yellow robe asked the old man with white hair expectantly.

Hearing this, the old man's expression darkened slightly, and he shook his head, saying, "Your Majesty, this time, I still did not detect the eight meridians in the prince's body..."

The middle-aged man's eyes also darkened upon hearing this.

In this world, the path of cultivation begins within the human body, which contains countless meridians. The most important of these are the eight major meridians. Except for some special cases, most people's eight meridians form around the age of twelve or thirteen. At this time, these meridians need to be found, and only by finding them can one begin cultivation, absorbing the source energy of heaven and earth to open the eight meridians.

This is the Meridian Opening Realm, the beginning of all cultivation.

Cultivators, who transform themselves by absorbing the source energy of heaven and earth, are also known as Source Masters.

Seeing the middle-aged man's darkened expression, Master Qin felt a bit of sympathy and sighed, saying, "The prince was born with the destiny of a holy dragon, destined to astonish the world and look down upon the heavens. Who would have thought he would suffer such a calamity..."

The middle-aged man clenched his fists, and the woman in palace attire, with red-rimmed eyes, covered her mouth and coughed violently.

"Queen, take care of your health. You have already lost a large amount of essence blood to nourish the prince; you must not let your emotions get too agitated." Master Qin quickly said upon seeing this.

The woman in palace attire waved her hand, her eyes filled with sorrow as she looked at the boy sitting on the bed, saying, "The poison in Yuan's body erupts every three years, each time more severe than the last. To eliminate it, he must rely on himself. But now, with his eight meridians not showing, what will happen after the next three years?"

Master Qin fell silent for a moment, then slowly said, "After the next three years, external suppression will no longer be effective. If it continues like this, the prince's life will be in grave danger."

Upon hearing this, the hall fell into silence. The middle-aged man clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly, while the woman in palace attire covered her mouth and let out a low sob.

"Does this mean... I only have three years left to live?" In the silence, a slightly young but calm voice suddenly sounded.

The three people in the hall were startled and quickly looked up, only to see that the boy on the bed had opened his eyes and was looking at them.

They exchanged glances, clearly surprised by how quickly the boy had woken up. Previously, he would have to sleep for two or three days to recover.

"Yuan..."

The boy, named Zhou Yuan, and the middle-aged man and the woman in palace attire were the Emperor and Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Zhou Qing and Qin Yu.

Zhou Yuan pursed his lips, his young face slightly pale. Perhaps because of his frail body from a young age, he had to read more, giving him a scholarly air. He remained silent for a moment, then slowly extended his palm.

In the center of his palm, there was a dark, blood-colored mass, as if it was imprinted deep into his flesh. It slowly wriggled, resembling a blood dragon with its fangs bared, emitting a strong sense of resentment that made one shudder.

"Father, Mother... this time, you must tell me what has happened to me, right?"

Zhou Yuan stared at the small blood dragon in his palm, his teeth clenched. This thing had made him experience a pain worse than death.

Every three years, this thing would start to act up, as if it were trying to devour his flesh and blood, causing endless pain.

Upon hearing Zhou Yuan's words, Zhou Qing and Qin Yu's faces turned pale, especially the former, whose fists were clenched, and his face showed deep regret and self-blame.

The silence continued for a while, the air becoming heavy. Finally, Zhou Qing took a deep breath and said in a hoarse voice, "This is the Resentful Dragon Poison."

"Resentful Dragon Poison?" Zhou Yuan frowned, not understanding.

Zhou Qing's hand trembled as he touched Zhou Yuan's head, saying, "These things, you should know now, Yuan. Do you know, you are the holy dragon of our Zhou family!"

Zhou Yuan couldn't help but laugh bitterly. Was there such a tragic holy dragon? Even his eight meridians couldn't be found.

Zhou Qing sat beside Zhou Yuan, his voice low, saying, "Yuan, our Great Zhou Dynasty, on this vast and boundless continent, may only be a small country, but you don't know that fifteen years ago, our Great Zhou was a mighty nation, with other countries paying homage, and its power shook the four directions."

Zhou Yuan's face showed a hint of surprise. On this vast continent, there were many dynasties and empires, and their Great Zhou Dynasty was not particularly prominent. He never imagined it had such a high status in the past.

"Do you know the Great Wu Dynasty?" Zhou Qing said the name slowly, as if it was deeply etched in his heart.

"The Great Wu Dynasty?" Zhou Yuan nodded. The Great Wu Dynasty was one of the top-tier dynasties on this vast continent, with a thriving state and countless Source Masters. Compared to their Great Zhou, it was like a giant compared to a dwarf.

Zhou Qing's eyes turned red, filled with deep hatred, "Do you know that fifteen years ago, the current royal family of the Great Wu Dynasty was just a vassal of our Great Zhou?"

Zhou Yuan's eyes finally showed a hint of shock. The current royal family of the Great Wu Dynasty was once a vassal of their Great Zhou? Their Great Zhou was so powerful fifteen years ago?

"Why... why did it become like this?" Zhou Yuan couldn't help but ask.

"For hundreds of years, the Wu family has followed our Zhou family in battles on all fronts, loyal and dedicated. After our Great Zhou was established, we rewarded the Wu family for their contributions by granting them the hereditary title of Martial King, with boundless power. The Wu family guarded the borders of the Great Zhou for a hundred years, intimidating the surrounding regions."

Zhou Qing's body trembled slightly, the bloodshot veins in his eyes becoming more prominent, "However, no one expected that fifteen years ago, the Wu family suddenly rebelled. By then, we realized that after years of hiding, the Wu family had become extremely powerful, and many of the enfeoffed kings within the dynasty had been swayed by them."

"In less than a year, our Zhou family was defeated, retreating south to our ancestral land, which is now the territory of our Great Zhou."

"I don't know why the Wu family rebelled; their status in our Great Zhou was no less than that of the royal family..."

"Later, our spies obtained some intelligence from the Wu family, a prophecy that had been passed down for hundreds of years within the Wu family..."

"A prophecy?" Zhou Yuan was slightly stunned.

Zhou Qing gritted his teeth, saying each word clearly, "Python and sparrow devour the dragon, the Great Wu shall rise!"

"Python and sparrow devour the dragon, the Great Wu shall rise?" Zhou Yuan repeated softly, not understanding, "What does this mean?"

Zhou Qing's eyes turned bloodshot, staring at Zhou Yuan with an expression of deep sorrow, "I didn't know what it meant at first, but on that day..."

"Our Great Zhou was defeated, and I led the remnants of our forces in constant retreat. The Wu family pursued us relentlessly, until they reached the city of Great Zhou. However, they surrounded the city without attacking, as if they were waiting for something."

"Waiting for what?" Zhou Yuan felt a sense of unease.

Zhou Qing stared at Zhou Yuan, his face showing a mix of sorrow and anger, making Zhou Yuan's heart tremble.

"They were waiting for your birth."

Zhou Qing's words made Zhou Yuan's heart shake, and he was taken aback.

Beside him, Zhou Yuan's mother, Qin Yu, covered her mouth and let out a suppressed cry.

"Do you know what happened when you were born?" Zhou Qing looked at Zhou Yuan, his eyes bloodshot, "Yuan, when you were born, there were strange phenomena in the sky, with purple vapor rising, and a dragon aura wrapping around you. The dragon's roar shook the heavens and earth, a sign of a holy dragon."

"You were born with your eight meridians already open, and you had already crossed the Meridian Opening Realm and reached the Qi Nourishment stage right after birth."

"This is the legendary 'Holy Dragon Fortune,' one in a billion, with the potential to reach great realms, shining as brightly as the heavens and the sun and moon. You are the unprecedented holy dragon of our Zhou family!"

Zhou Qing's voice was filled with excitement, his body trembling violently. When Zhou Yuan was born, he was incredibly excited, feeling that the heavens had not abandoned the Zhou family, and in this time of crisis, a holy dragon had been born to their family.

Zhou Yuan's eyes widened, clearly unable to imagine the strange phenomena that occurred when he was born.

"But... why...?" He touched his body slightly, his hand trembling. If he was born with his eight meridians already open, why couldn't they be found now?

Zhou Qing's excited voice suddenly stopped, the light in his eyes fading, leaving only deep sorrow. His face was ashen as he said, "Because at the moment of your birth, the wife of the Martial King outside the city also gave birth to a boy and a girl. The boy was wrapped in python aura, and the girl had a sparrow aura, both possessing fortune!"

"According to the intelligence we obtained, the wife of the Martial King had been pregnant for three years but had not given birth until that day."

"Previously, I didn't understand why, but then I realized that those born on the same day, month, and year can devour each other's fortune. It turns out that the Wu family had been plotting for years, not just to overthrow our Great Zhou, but to target the dragon of our Zhou family!"

Zhou Yuan opened his mouth, a chill running up his spine, "This is a conspiracy!"

How could such a coincidence exist in the world? This was clearly a conspiracy that had been planned for a hundred years, targeting their Zhou family, and even... specifically targeting him.

To achieve this, they even used every means to make the wife of the Martial King not give birth for three years, just to wait for him!

Zhou Qing nodded, his voice hoarse, "Indeed, it was a conspiracy. The Wu family endured for hundreds of years in our Great Zhou, fighting for us in battles, gaining our trust. But no one expected that their centuries of endurance were all for you!"

"On that day, the Martial King entered the city, using the millions of people of the Great Zhou as leverage, to take your holy dragon fortune in front of me and your mother..." As he said this, blood tears streamed down Zhou Qing's face.

Beside him, Master Qin also looked sorrowful, his voice low, "On that day, to protect the prince, the Emperor fought the Martial King on the Great Zhou Mountain but was defeated, losing an arm. If the Martial King hadn't feared that others would destroy the prince's holy dragon fortune and die with him, the Emperor might have been killed in the battle."

"To smoothly take the prince's fortune, the Martial King made a vow that the Great Wu would not step into the Great Zhou for a hundred years."

The terrifying scene from that day resurfaced in his mind, and Qin Yu, unable to bear the emotions, knelt before Zhou Yuan, hugging him tightly and sobbing, her cries heart-wrenching.

"Yuan! My poor child! Mother is sorry!"

The cruel memories of that day were torn open again. She clearly remembered that when Zhou Yuan was born, he was placed as the focal point of the altar set up by the Martial King.

In the altar, there were also the newly born children of the Martial King.

However, one was to be taken, and two were to be given.

The fortune was stripped away, like flesh being torn, causing unimaginable pain.

At that time, Qin Yu, who had just given birth, could only watch helplessly as her child endured endless pain on the cold altar, his voice hoarse from crying.

The despair and powerlessness almost made her faint.

Pfft.

Due to the emotional turmoil, Qin Yu's face turned pale, and she couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, staining Zhou Yuan's hair.

"Mother?! What's wrong with you?" Zhou Yuan was shocked, quickly wiping the blood from Qin Yu's mouth.

Master Qin quickly came over, his palm emitting a gentle aura, which he infused into Qin Yu's head to stabilize her internal blood and qi. He looked at Qin Yu's pale face and sighed, "Prince, don't blame the Emperor and Empress for not protecting you well. The Emperor fought with all his might that day, nearly dying."

"After your fortune was stripped away, the Empress injected her essence blood into your body and has been giving you blood transfusions every year. This is how you have been able to survive until today. However, the Empress has paid a great price, losing three years of her life with each transfusion. Over twelve years, she has lost thirty-six years of her life, and now she has less than ten years left to live."

"What?! What are you saying?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan was struck as if by lightning, the bloodshot veins in his eyes spreading wildly. Even when he heard about his fortune being taken, he didn't have such a strong emotional reaction, as these events happened when he was too young to remember, and he didn't have a strong sense of ownership over the so-called "Holy Dragon Fortune." Even being designed against only made him feel shocked.

The Wu family's hundred-year plot, while causing him to feel a wave of emotions, he could still suppress it. But the fact that they had driven his loving mother to the brink of death made Zhou Yuan feel a surge of uncontrollable killing intent for the first time.

So, when he heard Master Qin's words, Zhou Yuan could no longer maintain his composure, his blood rushing to his head, making his face turn red, and his usually delicate face became somewhat distorted.

"The Wu family, how dare you harm my mother! You truly deserve to die!"

Zhou Yuan's body trembled, his eyes bloodshot, a surging anger and killing intent rising in his heart.

Zhou Qing lifted Qin Yu, letting her lean against the jade bed. At that moment, his hair seemed to turn slightly white, his majestic aura completely gone. His voice was wooden, "In this world, there is the concept of fortune. The Wu family had a weak foundation and needed sufficient fortune to establish a nation, continue their lineage, and intimidate the surrounding regions. Your holy dragon fortune was the best choice."

"The Martial King took your fortune and bestowed it upon his son and daughter. Since then, the Great Wu has been protected by the dragon and phoenix, with a thriving state. The prosperity of the Great Wu Dynasty is entirely due to taking your fortune."

"Your holy dragon fortune, forcibly taken by the python and sparrow, naturally produced a strong sense of resentment. The Martial King deliberately sealed this resentment in your body, forming the Resentful Dragon Poison. It consumes your essence and blood, growing stronger until it matures and erupts, completely extinguishing your life force."

"Simultaneously, your holy dragon roots were broken, and your eight meridians regressed. Until today, the eight meridians have not reappeared, making your path of cultivation difficult..."

Zhou Qing's voice was desolate, filled with boundless helplessness. It was hard to imagine the despair that day brought to their Zhou family.

That day, outside the city, the python and sparrow roared together, with a thousand rays of light, transforming.

That day, inside the city, the holy dragon mourned, turning into green smoke, slowly dissipating.

This is the python and sparrow devouring the dragon.

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