Chapter 3

Inside the inner chamber, a heavy silence hung in the air, the atmosphere so oppressive it made it hard to breathe.

Zhou Yuan looked at Zhou Qing, who sat beside him. The usually stern face of the latter was now filled with helplessness and dejection, clearly indicating that the incident from years ago had been a significant blow to him.

To have one's own flesh and blood son taken away by an enemy, his fortune stolen and his bones broken right before his eyes, while he could do nothing about it—such a humiliation would be unbearable for any father.

Zhou Yuan bit his lip tightly. He knew Zhou Qing's character; if it hadn't been for the need to protect the millions of citizens of the Great Zhou, he might have chosen to fight the Martial King to the death.

"So this is why my eight meridians have never shown, making it difficult for me to cultivate. The Martial King truly has a heart of stone," Zhou Yuan said, looking at the dark red mass slowly writhing in his palm, his eyes filled with anger.

The Martial King had not only stolen his fortune and destroyed his Sacred Dragon Root but also intended to eliminate him completely, forcing him to die slowly from the Grievance Dragon Poison.

What enraged Zhou Yuan the most was that his mother had been left severely weakened, with less than ten years of life remaining.

Zhou Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing the surging anger in his heart. He looked at Qin Yu, who was pale and unconscious, feeling as if his heart were being cut by a knife. "Father, what about Mother? Her lifespan..."

Zhou Qing fell silent for a moment before saying slowly, "There are heavenly treasures in the world that can extend one's lifespan. If we can obtain them, we can prolong your mother's life, but..."

He then smiled bitterly, "Such treasures are extremely rare. I have exhausted all the resources of the Great Zhou to search for them, but to no avail."

"Our Great Zhou is not what it used to be. We are now confined to a corner, barely able to protect ourselves."

Zhou Yuan clenched his fists. At this moment, he finally understood the benefits of having power. If he had power, he could explore even the most dangerous situations and find those heavenly treasures that could extend one's lifespan.

But with his eight meridians still not showing, he lacked even the strength to protect himself.

Zhou Yuan gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Father, can I really never become a Source Master?"

His mother had sacrificed her essence and shortened her lifespan for him. As a son, how could he stand idly by? Moreover, the Wu family's actions against the Great Zhou and him could not be easily forgiven now that he knew about them.

But all of this required him to have sufficient strength.

And in this world, the ones who wielded the greatest power were the Source Masters!

Hearing Zhou Yuan's words, Zhou Qing furrowed his brows, as if deep in thought. After a long while, he said softly, "Are you really unwilling to give up?"

Zhou Yuan shook his head slightly. The hardships of the past years had not only tormented him but also made him mature and resilient beyond his years.

He knew that from the moment the Wu family rebelled and stole his fortune, the two sides were already locked in a life-or-death struggle.

The Great Zhou's survival now was entirely due to the ancestral oath made by the Martial King. It was clear that once the hundred-year mark was reached, the Wu Dynasty would be the first to wipe out the Great Zhou to eliminate any future threats.

Therefore, to change this outcome, he must have sufficient strength.

Zhou Qing was somewhat comforted by Zhou Yuan's determination. After a moment of silence, he placed a heavy hand on Zhou Yuan's shoulder and said, "Good! Not giving up easily, you are worthy of being my son! Since you have this wish, I will do my utmost to help you!"

"Do you have a way?" Zhou Yuan's eyes lit up with surprise and joy.

Zhou Qing nodded slightly, then smiled bitterly, "Don't be too happy yet, because even I cannot be certain if this method will work."

"What method?" Zhou Yuan's eager expression finally showed some youthful vitality.

"Three days from now is the Ancestral Sacrifice. This time, you will accompany me to the Ancestral Grounds."

Zhou Qing did not elaborate, only smiled, then paused and continued, "But I have one condition."

"What condition?" Zhou Yuan was taken aback and asked in confusion.

Zhou Qing said seriously, "Regardless of whether you can open your meridians, you must not give up on learning the art of Source Patterns. You must understand that if your eight meridians do not open, cultivating Source Patterns will be your last resort. And if you reach a high level in Source Patterns, you might be able to suppress the Grievance Dragon Poison in your body."

In this world, Source Masters were the mainstream, but they were not the only path. Many other paths had been developed, such as the art of Source Patterns, which was the most profound and extensive.

During the time when his eight meridians had not shown, Zhou Yuan had been instructed by Zhou Qing to study the art of Source Patterns. After all, having multiple skills was always beneficial, and many Source Masters would learn some Source Patterns.

Zhou Yuan nodded slightly, understanding the deeper meaning behind Zhou Qing's words. He was worried that if Zhou Yuan's meridians did not open, he might give up and abandon his last hope.

Zhou Qing nodded, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

"Rest for a day, and tomorrow, continue your studies at the Great Zhou Academy. In three days, I will take you to the Ancestral Grounds."

"Alright!" The young man's voice was filled with eager anticipation.

Zhou Qing patted Zhou Yuan's head and then carried the unconscious Qin Yu, walking out of the inner chamber with Qin Shi.

Zhou Yuan watched Zhou Qing's back, the usually stern figure now appearing powerless and aged, making his heart ache. He knew that his father must have once had great ambitions, but they had been gradually eroded by the harsh realities of life.

And the root cause of all this was the Martial King.

Zhou Yuan's lips were tightly pressed together, and a cold expression appeared on his slightly weak and youthful face.

"Wu family, Martial King... We will settle these debts one by one in the future!"

...

The next day.

As dawn broke, Zhou Yuan left the palace under the protection of a guard, heading straight for the northwest district of the Great Zhou City, where the Great Zhou Academy was located.

The Great Zhou Academy, established by Zhou Qing a few years ago, was staffed with military experts as instructors. The academy admitted students regardless of their social status, even allowing commoners with talent to enter and cultivate.

Over the years, the Great Zhou Academy had produced many talents for the Great Zhou, thus its status within the Great Zhou Dynasty had steadily risen. Even Zhou Yuan, the prince, studied here.

The entrance to the Great Zhou Academy was heavily guarded, with armored guards strictly checking the identity badges of all entrants. However, Zhou Yuan was naturally exempt from this procedure, as almost no one in the Great Zhou City did not recognize him.

"Your Highness!"

When Zhou Yuan appeared at the entrance, the guards all bowed respectfully.

"Your Highness." Many students of the Great Zhou Academy were also passing by, all smiling at Zhou Yuan with a look of respect.

Zhou Yuan smiled and returned their greetings, knowing that most of these students were commoners. Their respect for him was largely due to his father's establishment of the Great Zhou Academy, which gave them the opportunity to improve their status and change their fate.

In the West Garden of the Great Zhou Academy.

In a spacious and bright classroom, desks were neatly arranged, and many young men and women were kneeling in front of them, the atmosphere quiet.

Zhou Yuan also knelt at a desk in the front row. On his desk was a smooth jade board, and a dark red long pen lay flat beside it.

This pen, made of red jade, had a tip crafted from the softest fur of a Flame Rat's belly, fine and shimmering, making it a Source Pattern pen.

If asked what was most important in creating Source Patterns, everyone would say three words: Source Pattern pen.

All Source Patterns required a Source Pattern pen as a medium to draw the intricate and profound patterns, thus invoking the Source Qi of the world and unleashing great power.

Therefore, the importance of a Source Pattern pen was self-evident. Without it, even the most skilled in Source Patterns would find their creations less effective.

Zhou Yuan held the red jade Source Pattern pen, his gaze fixed on the front of the room, where a middle-aged instructor was calmly lecturing.

"Source Patterns are created by guiding the soul to the tip of the pen, drawing the Source Traces. Each stroke must be made with the soul as ink, so the Source Pattern can invoke the Source Qi of the world."

"Remember, when drawing Source Patterns, your mind must be as calm as still water, with no distractions. Treat the Source Pattern pen as an extension of yourself, so your soul can focus at the tip of the pen, allowing your movements to be fluid and seamless."

"..."

"Continue practicing the three Source Patterns I taught you a month ago. I hope someone can successfully complete one of them today," the instructor said after finishing his lecture.

At this, a chorus of groans filled the classroom. The young men and women looked distressed, as practicing Source Patterns, though seemingly simple, always left them mentally drained.

"Hmph, groaning won't help. The three Source Patterns I taught you—Bull Strength, Light Body, and Iron Skin—are only beginner level," the middle-aged instructor scolded, his voice filled with frustration.

The students, seeing the instructor's anger, shrank back and began to draw on their jade boards with their Source Pattern pens.

Zhou Yuan smiled, held the Source Pattern pen, and focused his mind. The surrounding noise was instantly blocked out, and his mind became as calm as a still pond. He stared at the smooth jade board, a faint light appearing between his brows, and the tip of the Source Pattern pen began to glow faintly.

Zhou Yuan's pen moved smoothly across the jade board, leaving intricate Source Traces. These traces, like the horns of a mountain goat, exuded a certain charm, and when combined, seemed to possess a mysterious power.

Each Source Pattern was formed by a combination of Source Traces. Generally, the more Source Traces a Source Pattern had, the higher its grade and power.

Zhou Yuan was now drawing the Iron Skin Pattern, a beginner-level Source Pattern with over a hundred Source Traces. However, perfectly drawing these complex traces required a lot of practice.

Zhou Yuan's pen moved like flowing water, without a single pause, creating a beautiful, fluid motion.

Over the past year, due to his eight meridians not showing, he had spent almost all his time learning Source Patterns, making his foundation much stronger than that of the other students.

Most importantly, he could feel that his soul was stronger than that of ordinary people. It seemed that although his fortune had been stolen and his Sacred Dragon Root destroyed, his soul had not been damaged. At the time, he was too young for his soul to have fully formed, thus escaping the disaster.

The pen moved smoothly, and a few minutes later, as Zhou Yuan's slender hand made a final diagonal stroke, a light suddenly shone from the jade board. A complex and charming Source Pattern slowly formed on it.

"Good, very good. The pattern is complete and flawless, showing a divine touch. This Iron Skin Pattern is a fine example of success," a praising laugh came from beside him.

Zhou Yuan looked up to see the instructor standing next to him, looking at the Source Pattern on his jade board with an appreciative smile.

The other students in the classroom also looked up, their eyes filled with admiration. Some of them had not even started, yet Zhou Yuan had already succeeded.

The instructor's mood improved, and he sighed, "If you all could learn as efficiently as him, that would be wonderful."

The students all smiled and shook their heads. Clearly, Zhou Yuan had a natural talent for this, and it was unrealistic to expect everyone to match his efficiency.

However, amidst the laughter, a strange laugh suddenly sounded.

"Ha, Instructor, you are mistaken. Our main focus is on opening our meridians, so we cannot devote ourselves entirely to studying Source Patterns like Prince Zhou Yuan. Otherwise, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?"

The laugh was slightly grating, causing the classroom to fall silent. Many eyes turned to the source.

Zhou Yuan raised an eyebrow and looked over, seeing a young man in fine clothing looking at him with a mocking smile, lazily twirling his Source Pattern pen.

The smile on his lips was tinged with ridicule.