She disdainfully glanced in the direction Zhou Yuan had left in as she coldly snorted. “Genesis Runes are after all a side path. No matter how great one’s attainments, one would still be unable to transform oneself and there will remain a limit to one’s lifespan. Carelessness might even result in being killed by an ordinary person.”
She was known as Liu Xi and her father was a marquis of Great Zhou. People called him Marquis Liu, and he was naturally one of the big shots. On this topic, there could be said to be some relation of sorts between Liu Xi and Zhou Yuan.
Several years ago, Zhou Qing became aware of how powerful Qi Manor was growing. To keep them in check, he planned to place a ‘weight’ on Marquis Liu. Thus, Zhou Qing proposed a marriage between their factions; he intended for Zhou Yuan and Marquis Liu’s daughter, Liu Xi, to be married and strengthen the ties between the two clans.
Marquis Liu was somewhat hesitant with regards to Zhou Qing’s proposal. After all, the royal family of Great Zhou was in decline and the sole successor, Zhou Yuan, was unable to open his meridian channels. In addition, Marquis Liu was extremely doting on Liu Xi, and thus asked her about her thoughts. Liu Xi was an extremely proud girl and felt that Zhou Yuan was merely a crippled prince. Hence, she rejected the proposal without any hesitation, and even spread word that his highness was a toad that wanted to dine on a swan’s meat. It even became a popular joke back then.
Upon seeing her response, Marquis Liu use it as reason to reject Zhou Qing.
Although this matter had occurred long ago, Liu Xi naturally felt a little uncomfortable in her heart when she now saw Zhou Yuan, the same Zhou Yuan whom she had once called a toad.
Qi Yue laughed and nodded upon hearing her words. “The highly ranked students partaking in this newcomer exam have already cast their lot in with me. If our prince Zhou Yuan believes that he will be able to make it through with just this teensy bit of proficiency in Genesis Runes, I can only make him lose all face.”
At this point, he paused as his eyes narrowed. “However, that Su Youwei’s talent is indeed astonishing, and her future prospects are very bright. If there is a chance, we need to do all we can to pull her over to our side.”
A look of unhappiness flitted across Liu Xi’s face when she heard these words. She frowned and replied, “She is merely a lowly lass who has opened three meridian channels. If we cannot win her over, we should find an opportunity to cripple her.”
Liu Xi’s was of a noble family and was also very talented. In the past, she was undoubtedly the most dazzling pearl in the Great Zhou Institute. However, ever since Su Youwei’s appearance, the former’s radiance had been suppressed. This undoubtedly caused Liu Xi to find this commoner girl Su Youwei extremely distasteful.
Qi Yue was naturally able to hear Liu Xi’s dislike for Su Youwei. He chuckled and did not speak about it. Instead, he merely stared at Zhou Yuan’s disappearing figure.
“Looks like this Zhou Yuan no longer has any confidence in himself. That is why he intends to support a genius to rely on in future…”
“Zhou Yuan ah Zhou Yuan. The sacred dragon of the Zhou clan has truly become a crippled dragon.”
“Since that is so, your Zhou clan is going to be done for.”
Chapter 6 The Ancestral Grounds Shrine
As the sun began its ascent, warm morning sunlight shined down on the City of Great Zhou, brightening the place.
Great Zhou Royal Palace.
Zhou Yuan had been unable to sleep for the entire night. By the time he rushed to the palace gates, the imperial guards were already respectfully standing there. The thousand strong imperial guards wore heavy armour and wielded spears which flickered with cold light. It was a powerful military force.
Zhou Qing sat on a fine fiery-red horse. He smiled as he watched Zhou Yuan hurry over and asked, “Are you ready?”
Today was Great Zhou’s ancestor offering ceremony.
Zhou Yuan forcefully nodded his head while hope surged in his eyes. He knew that whether or not the eight meridian channels in his body would surface again, allowing him to begin channel opening cultivation, would hinge upon this very day.
A guard led another fiery-red steed over. Flames burned at the tip of the horse’s tail, but its head was that of a ferocious-looking lion.
This creature was known as the Fire Lion-Horse, and was a grade 1 Genesis Beast. It was able to gallop a thousand miles without rest.
The originally irritable Fire Lion-Horse had long since been tamed. Thus, when Zhou Yuan mounted it, it merely swung its flaming tail for a moment before calming down again.
Zhou Yuan pulled the horse reins. The youth’s pitch-black pupils seemed to burn as he opened his mouth and said, “Let’s go father.”
Zhou Qing chuckled and nodded his head, before waving his hand.
Woooo!
A horn sounded and the thousand-men force swiftly turned into a torrent that engulfed Zhou Qing and Zhou Wei, protecting them within it. Next, they surged out of the royal palace with rumbling sounds of movement, travelling along the city streets as they hurried towards the city exit.
...
The Great Zhou royal clan ancestral land was also where the Great Zhou royal tomb was located. Although the royal tomb was about a hundred miles from Great Zhou city, given their pace, they would reach their destination in four hours.
Under a lofty green mountain, Zhou Qing and Zhou Yuan got off their horses while the imperial guards spread out and positioned themselves at the various entry points. Even a bird would be killed if it neared.
“This is where the tomb of our Great Zhou royal clan is located.”
Zhou Qing pointed at the majestic green mountain before their eyes. After being silent for some time, he slowly said, “Back then, this was where our Zhou clan began and after much hard work, we eventually created the Great Zhou Empire. I just never imagined that our forefathers’ efforts would be beaten back to its original shape at my hands.”
Zhou Yuan looked at Zhou Qing’s somewhat dejected face and softly said, “Father should not blame himself, the Wu clan were scheming and heartless and no one could have predicted that they would plot for a hundred years. The fault does not lie with father.”
Zhou Qing bitterly laughed. He did not speak any further on the topic and merely walked towards the stone steps. “Follow me.”
Zhou Yuan nodded and quickly caught up.
The stone steps led to the peak. There were nine thousand and ninety nine steps which reached straight into the clouds.
The two wore solemn expressions as they slowly ascended. An incense stick of time later, they finally reached the peak where a black shrine stood. The shrine was ancient and seemed to have bathed in the rays of countless moons.
These three mountain ranges snaked along the ground like hidden dragons. They surrounded and protected the green mountain below Zhou Yuan’s feet like three dragons coiling around a pearl. A majestic aura seemed to rise spontaneously when one watched them.
“What a powerful presence.” Zhou Yuan praised. Looks like their Zhou clan ancestral grounds had excellent fengshui*. No wonder they had been able to establish an empire.
Zhou Qing smiled and said, “Luck exists in this world, and this land contains a part of it. The fact that our Zhou clan was able to rise to power is mostly thanks to the fengshui* of our ancestral land.”
Zhou Yuan pursed his lips and replied, “The land’s fengshui* did play a part, but the greater part was still due to our forefathers’ efforts. As the saying goes, the universe never stops so the nobleman must ceaselessly strive. As long as one works hard to improve, there will be a chance to change one’s fortunes no matter how bad the hand one is dealt.”
“Likewise, regardless of how great one’s hand, the one that reaps what others have sown will always be in danger of being defeated.”
Although the youth’s voice sounded somewhat immature, the determination that faintly seeped out was taken note of by Zhou Qing as the smile on his face grew even w
ider.
“Looks like the bitter experiences over the years were not completely bad.”
Zhou Qing tousled Zhou Yuan’s hair before walking into the shrine. As Zhou Yuan followed, he saw the many memorial tablets within the large shrine amidst the lingering incense smoke, tablets which belonged to the forefathers of the Great Zhou royal clan. Under Zhou Qing’s lead, Zhou Yuan offered joss sticks and bowed at every tablet.
In the end, Zhou Qing’s steps paused before a memorial tablet at the deepest part of the shrine. This was the first emperor of their clan that had founded Great Zhou. After Zhou Qing paid his respects, he reached out and lightly turned the tablet.
Rumble.
A rumbling noise was immediately heard when the tablet was turned. Zhou Yuan watched in astonishment as as a thick and heavy set of secret stone doors slowly cracked open on the wall behind the memorial tablet.
The interior of the stone doors were filled with a deep darkness, and appeared rather mysterious.
Zhou Qing’s expression was somewhat complicated as he gazed at the stone doors and said, “Whether or not you will be able to open your meridian channels and start cultivating will depend on this place.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan’s expression grew nervous as his fists clenched tightly. No matter how mature he was, he was after all still a child and was hence unable to maintain his calm before important matters related to opening his meridian channels.
Zhou Qing glanced at Zhou Yuan before walking past the stone doors. Behind them was a long stone corridor. Lamps burned on the floor of the corridor, giving the place a dusky lighting.
The two did not speak. Only the faint sound of footsteps filled the corridor.
After walking for about a dozen minutes, Zhou Qing’s and Zhou Yuan’s footsteps finally stopped. They had reached the end of the corridor, and a vast ancient cavern had appeared before their eyes.
At the end of the cavern stood a stone platform.
Zhou Qing headed straight for the stone platform. Only at this moment did Zhou Yuan discover that the numerous ancient Genesis Runes were carved onto the surface of the stone platform. These Genesis Runes formed a certain picture.
With Zhou Yuan’s current understanding of Genesis Runes, he was completely unable to recognize what grade these Genesis Runes were. Just vaguely trying to picture them in his mind made his spirit greatly exhausted, leaving him feeling a little light-headed. Hence, he immediately withdrew his gaze.
“Father…” Zhou Yuan looked towards Zhou Qing. Could the solution to the gordian knot of his missing eight meridian channels be found here?
Zhou Qing’s expression grew more solemn as he gazed at the ancient Genesis Runes on the stone platform and said, “A certain secret saying has been passed down in our Zhou clan. It says that a great destiny is hidden in this secret room that can help our Zhou clan truly flourish for ten thousand years.”
“The key to this great destiny is the blood of our Zhou clan’s successor. However, although every successive emperor has come here in an attempt to unlock the great destiny with his blood, every single one of them ultimately failed.”
At this point, he looked towards Zhou Yuan before continuing. “That is why I have brought you here to see if you are able to unlock this great destiny. If you are successful, solving the problem of your eight meridian channels should not be hard.”
“Eh?”
Zhou Yuan gazed at the ancient stone platform in amazement. He had evidently never expected that such a secret saying had been passed down in their Zhou clan.
“Go on.” Zhou Qing said as he patted Zhou Yuan’s shoulders.
Zhou Yuan took in a deep breath. His heart was thumping like a drum, but he still mustered his courage and walked onto the stone platform before seating himself amongst the many ancient and mysterious Genesis Runes.
He took out a small sharp knife and gritted his teeth as he moved it across his wrist. Fresh blood immediately flowed out and spread along the groves of the Genesis Runes.
In the short span of several breaths, the Genesis Runes on the stone platform had taken on the color of fresh red blood.
Outside the stone platform, Zhou Qing watched this scene with eyes filled with anxiety as his fist subconsciously clenched tightly.
As Zhou Yuan felt the flowing fresh blood, his young and somewhat scholarly face instantly turned even paler. His unwavering gaze was fixed on the complicated Genesis Runes while his heart thunderously beated.
“Is this my last chance…”
Zhou Yuan tightly gritted his teeth and endured the waves of dizziness that battered at this mind. At this very moment, the scene of his mother, Qin Yu, vomiting blood once again surfaced before his eyes, causing waves of piercing pain to spread in his heart.
“For my sake, mother’s health was greatly affected and her lifespan was cut!”
“For me, father lost an arm to king Wu!”
“My destiny was stolen, my sacred dragon root damaged and poison gnaws at my life!”
“Great Zhou is a mess inside while danger lurks outside. We risk being overthrown at any time!”
“Therefore, I want to change all of this. I want to help mother recover her lost lifespan and father regain his aspirations. I want to ensure that my people no longer have to worry or be afraid. I want to take back everything that I have lost!”
“... this great destiny is mine!”
Howls abruptly rang out in Zhou Yuan’s heart. In that split second, Zhou Yuan’s body seemed to shake violently, as if a furious and unresigned dragon roar was echoing from the deepest recesses of his body.
Buzz buzz!
It was at this very moment that blinding light exploded from the bloodied ancient Genesis Runes. The light converged like silver water and rapidly swallowed Zhou Yuan.
This sudden turn of events caused Zhou Qing to be stunned. He hastily looked towards Zhou Yuan and watched in shock as Zhou Yuan vanished into thin air...
Chapter 7 A Mysterious Place
Blinding light flooded the eyes, followed by a barbaric pulling force. Zhou Yuan was hit by vertigo as if he had fallen into a whirlpool.
Fortunately, the pulling sensation did not last for long. Zhou Yuan felt a huge force rush towards him and his body was flung into the air.
Bang!
Zhou Yuan’s body landed heavily on the ground, causing him to eat a mouthful of soil in the process. However, he was rather quick-witted. Ignoring the pain when he landed, Zhou Yuan swiftly rolled on the ground, distancing himself from where he had originally landed.
At the same time, the Metal Skin Rune, that had been prepared in advance on his arms, started to flicker with a faint glow, ready to activate at any moment.
Fortunately, the ambush he had expected did not come, and Zhou Yuan’s tense body gradually relaxed. Only then did he leisurely inspect the surroundings.
“This is?”
Zhou Yuan was wide-eyed as he looked around him. The cavern had long since disappeared, and in its place was a quiet and peaceful ancient forest. Giant trees thrust into the sky, while their dense leaves covered the heavens.
A clear stream flowed by the side, emitting the sounds of running water. It was a tranquil sight.
“What is this place?” Zhou Yuan was completely baffled. He remembered being in the secret cavern inside the shrine just moments ago. How had he come to this unfamiliar place in the blink of an eye?
“Strange.” Zhou Yuan frowned slightly as he observed his surroundings. Could it be that the so-called great destiny was this land?
“But there are no signs of any people.” Zhou Yuan mumbled to himself. As his gaze swept back and forth, his pupils abruptly shrunk while the expression on his face froze as if he had seen a ghost.
It was because he had just discovered that a beautiful figure had unknowingly appeared under one of the giant trees to his front.
At closer inspection, it was a girl in green. The girl’s body was slender and she was currently leaning with her b
ack against the tree trunk as a pair of bright eyes calmly observed him.
When Zhou Yuan’s gaze met her own, an indescribable feeling of numbness spread across his scalp.
However, Zhou Yuan’s mental resilience was after all pretty good, and he very quickly calmed himself. A smile immediately emerged on his immature face, trying his best to appear harmless, as he cupped his fists together and said, “Big sis, may I know where this is? I am Zhou Yuan and I did not mean to trespass. Please forgive me if I have offended you in an manner.”
The girl before his eyes looked to be of similar age to himself. However, a little politeness at such a time was never a bad thing.
However, the mysterious girl in green did not seem to take any notice of Zhou Yuan’s respectful mannerisms. Her slim and fair hand pulled back a strand of black hair in front of her forehead, before she walked towards Zhou Yuan.
When she walked out of the shade, light immediately sprinkled down on her body. As she approached, Zhou Yuan was finally able to clearly see her, and a look of amazement involuntarily flitted across his eyes.
The girl had snow-white skin. Her fine black hair was lightly bundled up, while her simple green clothes outlined her wonderful curves. She had a very exquisite set of facial features. In particular, her bright eyes seemed to contain a certain aura of mysteriousness, causing them to appear both unpredictable and distant.
At this very moment, the girl seemed to tread on shards of sunlight against the backdrop of towering ancient trees. A gentle breeze blew past and lifted her fringe, allowing one to catch a glimpse of an extremely ancient rune between her brows, a sight that gave off an aura of indescribable mysteriousness. This scene was so beautiful that it made Zhou Yuan breathless for a moment.
“Big sis.” Zhou Yuan displayed a smile. Although this scene was breathtaking, he still maintained a little cautiousness. After all, both this foreign environment and the mysterious girl before him were unknowns.
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 8
