Chapter 3 - The Python and Sparrow Swallowing the Dragon

The brightly lit inner palace was a dazzling yet imposing sight. Green smoke rose in spirals from the green rock that burned within each oil lamp and weaved about in the palace.

The green rocks were blue sandalwood. They gave off a rare fragrance when burnt that had a meditative effect and was one of the necessities for cultivation. However, such items were not cheap. Hence, their usage as fuel was enough to show the status of the palace's owner.

A middle-aged man stood in the inner palace with his hands behind his back. Unwavering determination decorated his face, and his eyes contained a dignified aura, evidence that he had occupied a high-ranking position for a long time. A faint aura appeared to rise behind him, which seemed to fluctuate between fire and lightning as it emitted muffled rumbling sounds.

However, if one looked towards his right arm, one would find that there was nothing there. His right arm had been severed.

At this man's side was a beautiful woman in palace garments. Her lovely body was slim, and her features were natural and pretty. However, her face appeared exceptionally pale and sickly.

At this current time, the man and woman, who were clearly of substantial status, had a sliver of worry on their faces, as they looked at the about-to-be fourteen-year-old youngster seated on a bed in front of them. However, a tendril of blood Qi circled the face that should have been brimming with youthful energy.

While the strange blood Qi roamed beneath his skin, the bitter and resentful howl of a dragon faintly echoed.

As the dragon howl resounded, the veins on the youngster's forehead squirmed, while his body shook continuously. His face twisted as if he was bearing an indescribable pain, but not a single sound came out of his mouth.

By the youngster's side was a white-haired old man holding a copper mirror in his hand. Soft light shined from the copper mirror onto the youngster's body. Under this light, the strange blood Qi on the youngster's face gradually began to calm down.

The blood Qi persisted for a single incense stick of time before finally retreating. In the end, it withdrew into the youngster's palm.

The white-haired old man immediately breathed a sigh of relief as if he had been relieved of a great burden. Subsequently, he turned around and bowed to the worriedly waiting middle-aged man and beautiful woman in palace garments.

"Congratulations your majesties," he said. "His Highness has at long last passed this triennial ordeal. There should be no problems in the following three years."

Joy was revealed on the faces of the middle-aged man and woman in palace garments when they heard this, and their tightly clenched fists gradually loosened.

The dignified man in bright yellow robes looked at the white-haired elder expectantly and asked, "Master Qin, Yuan'er is already thirteen this year. Youngsters at this age usually have eight meridian channels and can start their cultivation. What about Yuan'er?"

Upon hearing this question, the white-haired elder's expression immediately dimmed somewhat, before he lightly shook his head and replied, "Your majesty, while his highness is progressing in his divine soul cultivation, I was still unable to find the eight meridian channels in his highness' body this time…"

he dignified man's expression similarly dimmed when he heard this.

In this world, the Dao of cultivation started within one's body. The body possessed countless meridian channels, and most important amongst them were the eight great meridians. Except for some unique circumstances, an ordinary person's eight meridians would gradually form when they were about thirteen years of age. It was at this time that these eight meridians needed to be found. Only by finding the eight meridians would one be able to start cultivating; by taking in the External Genesis Qi, and opening them.

This was the Eight Great Meridian Awakening Realm and was where all cultivation began.

Through this, cultivators were able to take in the Genesis Qi of the land, and completely transform themselves. Hence, they were known as Genesis Masters/Yuan Masters.

Master Qin gazed at the disappointment on the middle-aged man's face, and could not help but softly sigh, "His Highness was originally born with the sacred dragon blessing. He would have stunned the world and looked down upon the heavens. Who could have foreseen that such a calamity would occur…"

The middle-aged man's fists clenched tightly, while the beautiful lady's eyes reddened. She covered her mouth and violently coughed twice.

"My queen, please take care of yourself," Master Qin hastily said upon seeing this. "You have lost a great amount of essence blood from nourishing his highness. You cannot allow your emotions to run wild."

However, the beautiful lady in palace garments merely waved her hand. Sorrow surfaced in her eyes, as she looked at the youngster seated on the bed, "The poison in Yuan'er's body erupts once every three years. Each outbreak is more serious than the last. He can only rely on himself to eradicate the poison, yet his eight meridian channels have yet to appear. What is to be done three years from now?"

Master Qin was silent for some time, before he slowly replied, "After three years, external suppression will lose its effect, and if this situation persists, I'm afraid that his highness' hopes are bleak."

The moment these words were said, silence blanketed the inner palace. The middle-aged man's fists tightly clenched, as his body faintly shook, while sobbing noises were emitted through the covered mouth of the lady in palace garments.

A rather young yet calm voice suddenly emerged within this silence.

"Does that mean… I only have three years left?"

The three people in the palace were stunned upon hearing this. They quickly looked up, only to find that the youngster on the bed had opened his eyes at some unknown time, and was now staring at them.

The three exchanged a look. It was evident that none of them had expected the youngster to awaken so quickly. In the past, he had remained unconscious for a whole week before slowly awakening.

The name of this youngster was Zhou Yuan(Our Protagonist), the middle-aged man and lady before his eyes were the king and queen of the Great Zhou Empire, Zhou Qing, and Qin Yu.

Zhou Yuan's young face was rather pale, after being constantly tortured by this dragon's resentment poison, while he was not as physically weak as his original self, still this feeling of his flesh being devoured inch by inch, made him feel what could be called pain beyond death.

A dark blood-red lump could be seen at the center of his palm, which seemed to be embedded in the deepest part of his flesh. It slowly wiggled and squirmed, looking just like a threatening blood dragon. A faint yet extremely bitter and resentful aura seemed to rise from within it, causing one to shiver although it was not cold.

"Father, Mother… I believe it is time to tell me exactly what is happening to me, right?"

While Zhou Yuan knew the story, he still did not act early in fear that some butterfly effect could disrupt his meeting with Cang Yuan.

When they heard Zhou Yuan's words, Zhou Qing and Qin Yu's faces lost a substantial amount of color. Zhou Qing in particular, tightly clenched his fists, as extreme remorse and self-blame surfaced on his face.

This silence lasted for a long time. Even the atmosphere seemed to grow rather heavy, before Zhou Qing finally inhaled deeply, and said in a hoarse voice, "That is the Dragon's Resentment Poison."

While Zhou Yuan knew this he still pretended to be surprised' "Dragon Resentment Poison?"

Zhou Qing's hands trembled somewhat as he tousled Zhou Yuan's hair and continued, "It is time for you to know of these matters. Yuan'er, you should know that you are the sacred dragon of our Zhou Clan!"

Zhou Qing sat down at Zhou Yuan's side. His voice was low as he spoke, "Yuan'er, the current Great Zhou Empire can perhaps only be considered a small and unimportant country, but what you do not know, is that fifteen years ago, Great Zhou was a powerful nation. Every country came to pay homage to us, and our might was overwhelming to all."

"Do you know of the Great Wu Empire?" Zhou Qing slowly spoke each word of this name, as if he intended to carve it into his heart.

"The Great Wu Empire?" Zhou Yuan nodded. Of course, he knew these bastards very well.

After their betrayal and stealing HIS Sacred Dragon Blessing, The Great Wu Empire became one of the top-level empires of this vast continent(Cangmang Continent). It was a flourishing nation that contained countless Genesis Masters. In comparison, Great Zhou was akin to a dwarf before a giant.

Zhou Qing's eyes were dyed red bit by bit at this moment. Deep hatred was revealed within them, "Then do you know that fifteen years ago, the current royal family of Great Wu was merely one of the subjects of the Great Zhou Empire?"

To keep the act going he asked with a fake look of surprise, "Then… then how did things turn out like this?".

"When Great Zhou was established several hundred years ago, the Wu clan followed at our side, as we waged war all over. They were loyal and devoted vassals. Later on, Great Zhou established a country, and in recognition of their service, we conferred upon the Wu clan the hereditary title of King Wu, allowing them to enjoy an endless amount of privilege and power. And so in the next hundred years, the Wu clan guarded the Great Zhou's borders, intimidating anyone who saw them."

Zhou Qing's body faintly shook, as veins of blood climbed out in his eyes, "However, who could have expected that the Wu clan would suddenly rebel fifteen years ago? Only then did our Zhou royal clan realize that after hiding their strength and biding their time over the years, the Wu clan already possessed extremely great power, and even the numerous conferred kings had been enticed to their side.

"In the short period of less than a year, our Zhou clan was utterly defeated, and could only escape towards the south. We fled towards our Zhou clan's ancestral land, which is also now the current Great Zhou's territory.

"I do not know why the Wu clan rebelled, the status they enjoyed in Great Zhou was not the least bit less than the royal clan…

"It was only later, that a spy obtained some information from the Wu clan. A certain prophecy that had been passed down in the inner circle of the Wu clan for several hundred years…"

"Python and sparrow swallow the dragon,

and the Great Wu will rise and flourish"

"Python and sparrow swallow the dragon, and the Great Wu will rise and flourish?" Zhou Yuan repeated with a look of Disdain and Anger flashing in his eyes, he would make sure to crush the Great Wu empire with his own hands and crush both those fakers who stole his destiny, he would crush their false pride and superiority and rub them into the ground so much so that they would tremble upon even hearing his name.

Zhou Qing's eyes turned scarlet red at this moment. Incomparable grief flooded his eyes as he stared at Zhou Yuan, "Back then, I did not understand the exact meaning behind these words, until a certain day…"

"After Great Zhou was completely defeated, I led what was left of our people, and continuously retreated. The Wu clan tightly pursued us till we came to this Great Zhou City beneath our feet. However, the Wu clan merely surrounded us and did not attack, as if they were waiting for something."

"What were they waiting for?" Zhou Yuan asked.

Zhou Qing stared at Zhou Yuan. From the expression on the former's face, it was as if he was crying inside. The mixture of such despair and anger made Zhou Yuan's heart tremble with sadness and anger.

"They were waiting for you to be born."

By the side, Zhou Yuan's mother, Qin Yu, was already covering her mouth. Sobs that had been suppressed to the limit were emitted.

"Do you know what it was like when you were born?" Zhou Qing gazed at Zhou Yuan with red eyes. "Yuan'er, the moment you were born, a mystical sign appeared in the heavens. Dragon Qi swirled around you, and a dragon roar shook the land. It was the sign of the sacred dragon."

"Your eight meridian channels naturally opened at birth, allowing you to skip the Channel Opening stage, and reach the Qi nourishing level."

"This is known as the legendary one-in-a-billion sacred dragon blessing, which bestows upon one the potential to reach the greater cultivation stages. As our Zhou clan's unprecedented sacred dragon, you would have shined as brightly as the sun and moon, and have the vitality of the land!"

Zhou Qing's voice was overflowing with emotion, while his entire body violently shook. One could imagine just how emotionally moved he had been when Zhou Yuan was born. The heavens had not forsaken the Zhou clan and allowed them to welcome the birth of a sacred dragon during such a calamity.

Zhou Qing's emotional voice came to an abrupt halt. The brilliance in his eyes seemed to vanish completely at this moment. There was only deep sadness within them, as he explained in a dejected manner, "The moment you were born, King Wu's wife also gave birth to a son and daughter outside the city. Python Qi coiled around the baby boy, while spirit sparrow Qi was present around the baby girl's head. Both were also blessed by destiny!"

"Moreover, according to the information we obtained, King Wu's wife had been pregnant for a whole three years without giving birth, yet she suddenly gave birth that day…"

"I never understood why before, but it finally became clear at that moment. It is said that those born in the same year, month, and day may devour each other's destiny. It turns out that the many years of plotting by the Wu clan were not simply targeted at Great Zhou but at the dragon of our Zhou clan!"

While Zhou Yuan knew this he still felt chills in his body, this bastard Wu Xuan was heartless he even went as far as to use all kinds of methods to delay his children's birth for 3 years to match Zhou Yuan's birthday, which caused deterioration in his wife's health.

Zhou Qing continued in a hoarse voice, "It was a scheme. The Wu clan had patiently waited in Great Zhou for several hundred years. They had fought our battles for us and gained our full trust. However, who could have expected that their century-long wait was all for your arrival!?"

"That day, King Wu entered the city and threatened us with the lives of hundreds and millions of Great Zhou citizens. He wanted to seize your sacred dragon blessing in front of your mother and me…" At this point, tears of blood flowed out from Zhou Qing's eyes.

By the side, Master Qin also wore an expression of sorrow, as he continued in a low voice, "That day, to protect Your Highness, his majesty fought King Wu on the Great Zhou mountain but was no match for the latter, and one of his arms was severed. If King Wu was not afraid that the others would destroy his highness' sacred dragon blessing, even his majesty would likely have died at King Wu's hands."

"To smoothly seize His Highness' destiny, King Wu made an oath. Great Wu would not take even half a step into Great Zhou for the next hundred years."

As that frightening scene once again surged out from the depths of her mind, Qin Yu could no longer restrain her emotions. She fell to her knees before Zhou Yuan, tightly hugging him, as she started to sob in a heart-wrenching manner.

"Yuan'er! My son! Mother has let you down!"

The cruel memories from that day were once again bloodily torn open. She recalled how the recently born Zhou Yuan was used as an array eye, and placed on the altar that King Wu had set up.

Joining him on the altar were King Wu's recently born son and daughter.

However, one was being stripped of his blessing while the other two were stealing it.

The stripping of fate was akin to peeling off one's flesh. Such pain was unimaginable.

The Qin Yu at that time had been glowing with joy mere moments before. She could only helplessly watch her child bear an endless amount of pain, so much so, that even his young cries became hoarse.

Such overwhelming despair and powerlessness had caused her to faint right there.

"Urgh"

Due to this sudden surge of emotions, Qin Yu's face instantly paled. A mouthful of fresh blood was involuntarily vomited, dyeing Zhou Yuan's hair red.

Zhou Yuan hurriedly placed her on the bed and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with his sleeve.

Master Qin also rushed over from the side. Gentle energy spread from his palm, and poured into Qin Yu through the top of her head, helping her steady the Qi and blood in her body. He looked at the pale Qin Yu, before he sighed towards Zhou Yuan, "Your Highness, please do not blame his majesty and her majesty for being unable to protect you. Back then, his majesty had given his all, and almost died in battle."

"As for Her Majesty, after your destiny was stolen, she infused her essence blood into your body. Subsequently, she gave you blood every year, allowing Your Highness to live till this day. However, her majesty had to pay an extremely huge price. Every time she gave her blood, her lifespan would be cut by three years. Over the past twelve years, her lifespan has already been shortened by thirty-six years. This is an enormous blow to her health, and she now has less than ten years to live."

Although Zhou Yuan did not have too much connection with his mother and father, his blood still boiled when he heard this.

Zhou Yuan's golden eyes turned red. Overflowing rage and killing intent surged in his heart, while his entire body shook.

Zhou Qing carried Qin Yu and leaned her against a jade couch. His hair seemed to be a little whiter, and his dignified aura had practically vanished as he numbly said, "It has been said that since the Wu clan's foundations were weak, sufficient blessing is needed for them to establish a country, allow their line to continue, and awe everyone with their power. With regards to all this, your sacred dragon blessing was the ideal."

"King Wu seized your destiny and granted it to his son and daughter. Henceforth, Great Wu was protected by the dragon and phoenix, allowing their country to prosper. The flourishing Great Wu Empire owes everything to your stolen destiny."

"Meanwhile, forcibly taking away your sacred dragon blessing naturally gave rise to intense resentment. Wu Xuan purposely sealed this resentment in your body, thus creating the Dragon's Resentment Poison. It continuously strengthens itself by devouring your essence blood until a certain day when it will finally mature. Then, it will erupt and completely devour your life force."

"Meanwhile, your sacred dragon root was damaged, causing your naturally formed eight meridians to disappear. Till now, your eight meridians have yet to show themselves, making your journey of cultivation extremely difficult…"

Zhou Qing's tone was rather bleak and contained an endless feeling of powerlessness. It was difficult to imagine how much despair that day had been to their Zhou clan.

On that day, the python and sparrow cried outside the city. Multi-colored lights had exploded, while they seized the opportunity to transform.

On that day, the sacred dragon wailed inside the city, turning into green smoke that rose in spirals, before fading away.

This was the phenomenon of the python and sparrow swallowing the dragon.

.

.

.

END

3361 Words