Chapter 1: Python Swallows Dragon

In the brightly lit inner hall, magnificent and majestic, long-burning lamps illuminated the space. Within one lamp, a blue stone smoldered, releasing wisps of blue smoke that spiraled throughout the hall.

It was a Green Sandalwood Stone, known for releasing a unique, calming fragrance when burned, essential for cultivation. Its high cost meant that using it as fuel signified the owner's considerable status.

In the inner hall, a middle-aged man in bright yellow robes stood with his hands behind his back. His face was resolute, and his eyes held a majestic aura, clearly indicating a long tenure in a high position. Behind him, a subtle energy rose, resembling both fire and thunder, emitting a low rumble.

However, a glance at his right side revealed that his arm was missing, leaving an empty space.

Beside him stood a beautiful woman in palace attire. Her figure was slender, and her appearance was graceful and lovely, though her cheeks were notably pale and weak.

At that moment, both individuals, clearly of high status, gazed forward with a hint of tension. On a nearby bed, a boy of about thirteen or fourteen sat cross-legged. His frame was somewhat slender, his eyes were closed, and his face, which should have been full of youthful vitality, was enveloped by a peculiar bloody aura.

This eerie blood-red energy writhed beneath his skin, and faintly, a resentful dragon's roar seemed to emanate from within.

As the dragon's roar echoed, veins pulsed on the boy's forehead, his body trembled incessantly, and his face contorted in agony, as if he were enduring unimaginable suffering.

Beside the boy, a white-haired elder held a bronze mirror, from which a gentle light emanated, illuminating the boy's body. Under its soft glow, the strange bloody aura on the boy's face gradually receded.

After lasting for the duration of an incense stick, the blood-red energy finally receded completely, withdrawing into the boy's palm.

Seeing this, the white-haired elder visibly relaxed, then turned to the anxiously waiting man and woman, bowing slightly. "Congratulations, Your Majesties," he said. "The Prince has finally overcome this significant three-year hurdle. For the next three years, he should be out of danger."

Hearing this, both the man and the woman revealed expressions of joy, their tightly clenched fists slowly relaxing.

"Master Qin," the majestic man in bright yellow robes asked, looking expectantly at the white-haired elder, "Yuan'er is thirteen now. Boys of this age typically have their Eight Meridians formed and can begin cultivation. What about Yuan'er?"

Upon hearing this, the white-haired elder's expression dimmed slightly. He shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I still haven't been able to detect the Prince's Eight Meridians this time..."

The majestic man's gaze also dulled at the news.

In this world, the path of cultivation begins within the human body, which contains countless meridians. Among these, the Eight Great Meridians are the most crucial. Except in specific cases, these eight meridians typically begin to form around the age of twelve or thirteen. At this stage, they must be located, as only then can one begin cultivation by absorbing the primordial energy of heaven and earth to open them.

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

Cultivators, who transform themselves by absorbing the primordial energy of heaven and earth, are therefore known as Origin Masters.

Master Qin, seeing the despair on the middle-aged man's face, sighed softly, unable to bear it. "The Prince was originally destined to be a Saint Dragon," he said, "meant to astound the world and gaze proudly upon the heavens. Who could have foreseen such a calamity?"

The middle-aged man clenched his fists, while the beautiful woman in palace attire had red-rimmed eyes and coughed violently, covering her mouth.

"Your Majesty, please take care of your health," Master Qin quickly interjected, seeing her condition. "You previously lost a great deal of vital blood to nourish the Prince; you must not let your emotions become agitated."

The beautiful woman waved her hand, her eyes filled with sorrow as she looked at the boy sitting on the bed. "The poison in Yuan'er's body erupts every three years," she said, "and each time it's more severe than the last. To eradicate it, he must rely on himself. But with his Eight Meridians still undeveloped, what will happen in three years?"

Master Qin remained silent for a moment, then slowly stated, "In three years, external suppression will cease to be effective. If his condition remains unchanged, I'm afraid the Prince's life will be in grave danger."

As these words were uttered, the hall immediately fell silent. The middle-aged man's fists clenched, his body trembling slightly, while the beautiful woman in palace attire muffled low sobs with her hand.

"So... I only have three years left to live?" Amidst the silence, a slightly young yet calm voice suddenly broke through.

The three in the hall were startled by his words and quickly looked up, realizing that the boy on the bed had opened his eyes and was watching them.

The three exchanged glances, clearly surprised by how quickly the boy had awakened, as he usually remained unconscious for two or three days to recover.

"Yuan'er..."

The boy, addressed as Yuan'er, was named Zhou Yuan. The middle-aged man and the beautiful woman were Zhou Qing and Qin Yu, the King and Queen of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Zhou Yuan pursed his lips, his young face appearing somewhat pale. Perhaps due to his frail constitution since childhood, which had led him to focus more on studies, he had a scholarly demeanor. After a moment of silence, he slowly extended his palm.

In his palm, a dark, blood-red mass was visible, seemingly branded deep into his flesh. It slowly writhed, resembling a menacing, fanged blood dragon. Faintly, a dense aura of resentment and hatred emanated from it, sending a chill down one's spine.

"Father... Mother... This time, you must tell me what truly happened to me, mustn't you?"

Zhou Yuan stared at the tiny, blood-red dragon-like entity in his palm, clenching his teeth involuntarily. This was the very thing that had subjected him to suffering worse than death.

Every three years, it would flare up, seemingly devouring his flesh inch by inch, bringing boundless agony.

Hearing Zhou Yuan's words, both Zhou Qing and Qin Yu's faces drained of color, especially the King's, whose fists clenched as profound regret and self-reproach appeared on his face.

Silence hung heavy for a long moment, the air thick with tension. Finally, Zhou Qing took a deep breath, his voice hoarse as he spoke, "This is the Resentful Dragon Poison."

"Resentful Dragon Poison?" Zhou Yuan frowned, confused.

Zhou Qing's hand trembled slightly as he gently stroked Zhou Yuan's head. "You should know these things now, Yuan'er," he said. "Do you know? You are the Saint Dragon of our Zhou family!"

Zhou Yuan couldn't help but give a bitter laugh. Could there truly be such a wretched Saint Dragon? One who couldn't even locate his own Eight Meridians.

Zhou Qing sat beside Zhou Yuan and spoke in a low voice, "Yuan'er, our Great Zhou Dynasty might now be considered merely a small, remote kingdom on this vast continent. But what you don't know is that fifteen years ago, our Great Zhou was a majestic empire, with nations coming to pay tribute, its power shaking the four directions."

A hint of surprise appeared on Zhou Yuan's young face. On this vast continent, there were numerous dynasties and empires, and their Great Zhou Dynasty was not particularly conspicuous among them. He hadn't imagined it once held such a prestigious position.

"Do you know the Great Wu Dynasty?" Zhou Qing asked, enunciating each word as if it carried profound, unforgettable weight.

"The Great Wu Dynasty?" Zhou Yuan nodded. The Great Wu Dynasty was indeed one of the top-tier dynasties on this vast continent, with a flourishing destiny and countless Origin Masters. Compared to their Great Zhou, it was like comparing a giant to a dwarf.

Zhou Qing's eyes, however, slowly turned bloodshot at this point, revealing deep hatred. "But do you also know," he continued, "that fifteen years ago, the current Great Wu Imperial Family was merely a vassal of our Great Zhou Dynasty?"

Finally, a hint of shock appeared in Zhou Yuan's eyes. The current Great Wu Imperial Family had once been a vassal of their Great Zhou? His own Great Zhou, fifteen years ago, had been so powerful?

"Then... why did things change so drastically?" Zhou Yuan couldn't help but ask.

"For hundreds of years since the founding of our Great Zhou, the Wu family faithfully followed our Zhou family in conquering the land in all directions. After our Great Zhou established its kingdom, in recognition of their contributions, we even enfeoffed the Wu family as hereditary Kings of Wu, granting them immense power. For a century, the Wu family guarded the borders of Great Zhou, deterring any threats."

Zhou Qing's body trembled slightly, and blood vessels appeared in his eyes. "However, no one could have predicted that fifteen years ago, the Wu family would suddenly launch a rebellion. Only then did our Zhou Imperial Family discover that, after years of biding their time, the Wu family had amassed formidable power, having also won over many of the vassal kings within the dynasty."

"In less than a year, our Zhou clan was routed, fleeing south towards the ancestral lands where our clan originated, which is the very region our Great Zhou now occupies."

"I still don't understand why the Wu family rebelled. Their status within our Great Zhou was in no way inferior to that of the Imperial Family..."

"It wasn't until much later that our secret agents obtained intelligence from the Wu family—a prophecy that had circulated within their clan for hundreds of years..."

"A prophecy?" Zhou Yuan was slightly taken aback.

Zhou Qing gritted his teeth, enunciating each word: "The Python Sparrow devours the Dragon; the Great Wu shall rise!"

"The Python Sparrow devours the Dragon; the Great Wu shall rise?" Zhou Yuan repeated softly, not understanding its meaning. "What does that mean?"

Zhou Qing's eyes turned bloodshot at that moment. He stared at Zhou Yuan, his gaze filled with immense grief. "At first, I didn't understand what it meant," he said, "until that day..."

"Our Great Zhou was routed, and I led the remnants of our forces in a continuous retreat. The Wu family pursued us relentlessly until they cornered us here, in this Great Zhou City. But instead of attacking, they simply surrounded us, as if waiting for something."

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

Zhou Qing gazed at Zhou Yuan, his face twisted into an expression that was neither a cry nor a blank stare, a mix of despair and rage that made Zhou Yuan's heart tremble.

"They were waiting for your birth."

Zhou Qing's words sent a shockwave through Zhou Yuan, leaving him utterly stunned.

Beside them, Zhou Yuan's mother, Qin Yu, covered her mouth, letting out suppressed, heart-wrenching sobs.

"Do you know what it was like when you were born?" Zhou Qing asked, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at Zhou Yuan. "Yuan'er, the moment you were born, there were auspicious signs in the heavens: purple qi surged, dragon qi enveloped you, and a dragon's roar shook the earth. It was the manifestation of a Saint Dragon."

"You were born with your Eight Meridians naturally opened. The moment you were born, you had already surpassed the Meridian Opening Realm, directly reaching Qi Nurturing."

"This is the legendary 'Saint Dragon's Fortune,' something seen once in billions. In the future, you could enter grand realms, shining as brightly as the heavens and living as long as the sun and moon. You are the unprecedented Saint Dragon of our Zhou family!"

Zhou Qing's voice was filled with intense emotion, his body trembling violently. One could imagine his profound excitement at Zhou Yuan's birth—it was as if Heaven had not forsaken the Zhou family, allowing them to welcome the birth of a Saint Dragon in their moment of greatest peril.

Zhou Yuan's eyes widened too; he clearly found it impossible to imagine that such extraordinary phenomena had accompanied his birth.

"Then... why..." His hand trembled slightly as he ran it over his own body. If he had been born with his Eight Meridians naturally opened, then why could they not be found within him now?

Zhou Qing's excited voice abruptly ceased. The light in his eyes seemed to vanish at that moment, replaced only by profound sorrow. With a defeated expression, he said, "Because at the very moment you were born, outside the city, the King of Wu's wife also gave birth to a boy and a girl. The boy was enveloped in the aura of a flood dragon, and the girl's head bore the aura of a spiritual sparrow—both also possessing great fortune!"

"And according to intelligence we gathered, the King of Wu's wife had been pregnant for a full three years without giving birth, yet on that very day, she suddenly delivered..."

"Previously, I had not understood why, but then it finally became clear. It is rumored that those born on the same year, month, and day can mutually devour each other's fortune. It turned out that the Wu family had plotted for years, not merely to usurp our Great Zhou, but to usurp the very Dragon of our Zhou family!"

Zhou Yuan's mouth fell open, and a chill shot from his feet to the crown of his head. "This was a conspiracy!"

How could such a coincidence exist in the world? This was clearly a grand conspiracy, brewing for a century, targeting the Zhou clan, and even... specifically targeting him.

For this purpose, they had even employed means to prevent the King of Wu's wife from giving birth for three years—they were simply waiting for him!

Zhou Qing nodded, his voice hoarse. "It was indeed a conspiracy. The Wu family endured within our Great Zhou for centuries, fighting battles across our lands and gaining our complete trust. Yet, no one ever imagined that their century of forbearance was all for you!"

"That day, the King of Wu entered the city, threatening billions of Great Zhou citizens, demanding to seize your Saint Dragon Fortune right before your mother and me..." As he spoke, bloody tears welled up in Zhou Qing's eyes.

Beside him, Master Qin's face was also etched with sorrow. He spoke in a low voice, "That day, to protect the Prince, His Majesty fought the King of Wu at Great Zhou Mountain. He was no match, however, and had an arm severed. Had the King of Wu not feared that others would destroy the Prince's Saint Dragon Fortune in a desperate act, His Majesty might well have perished by his hand."

"And to ensure the smooth acquisition of the Prince's fortune, the King of Wu swore an ancestral oath: the Great Wu would not set foot in the Great Zhou for a hundred years."

The horrific scene from that day surged back from the depths of her memory. Beside them, Qin Yu could no longer contain her emotions. She knelt before Zhou Yuan, embracing him tightly, and wept bitterly, her cries tearing at the heart.

"Yuan'er! My poor child! Your mother is so sorry!"

The cruel memory of that day was brutally torn open once more. She vividly remembered baby Zhou Yuan, barely born, being placed as the array's core on the altar set up by the King of Wu.

On the same altar were the King of Wu's newly born son and daughter.

The difference was, one was having something taken, while two were receiving.

The stripping of one's fortune was akin to the tearing away of flesh—a pain beyond imagination.

At that time, Qin Yu, despite the recent joy of childbirth, could only watch helplessly as her own child lay on the cold altar, enduring boundless agony, his tender cries turning hoarse.

Such despair and helplessness nearly caused her to collapse.

*Cough.*

Her emotions overwhelmed her, and Qin Yu's cheeks instantly paled. A mouthful of fresh blood involuntarily spurted out, staining Zhou Yuan's hair red.

"Mother?! What's wrong?" Zhou Yuan exclaimed in alarm, quickly wiping the blood from the corner of Qin Yu's mouth.

Master Qin quickly approached, a gentle aura emanating from his palm as he infused it into Qin Yu's crown, helping to stabilize her vital energy. He glanced at her pale face, then sighed as he turned to Zhou Yuan. "Prince, do not blame Their Majesties for failing to protect you," he said. "Your Father fought with all his might that year, nearly dying in battle."

"And after your fortune was stripped, your Mother infused her own vital blood into your body, and has given you blood transfusions every year since. That is how you have survived until today. However, your Mother has paid an enormous price for this; each transfusion shortens her lifespan by three years. In twelve years, she has lost thirty-six years of life, gravely damaging her vitality. She now has less than ten years left to live."

"What?! What did you just say?!"

When Zhou Yuan heard this, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and blood vessels surged wildly in his eyes. Even when he had learned that his fortune was stolen, he hadn't experienced such intense emotional turmoil. After all, these events occurred when he was too young to remember, so he felt no strong personal connection to the so-called "Saint Dragon Fortune"; he had only been somewhat shocked by its engineered deprivation.

While the Wu family's century-long plot had stirred his emotions, he had managed to suppress them. But the revelation that they had driven his beloved mother to the brink of life exhaustion ignited an uncontrollable killing intent in Zhou Yuan's heart for the first time.

Thus, upon hearing Master Qin's words, Zhou Yuan could no longer control his emotions. Blood rushed violently to his head, turning his face crimson, and his normally handsome, youthful features contorted into a somewhat distorted expression.

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

Zhou Yuan trembled, his eyes bloodshot, as an overwhelming surge of rage and killing intent erupted within him.

Zhou Qing lifted Qin Yu and helped her lean against the jade couch. At that moment, his hair seemed to have whitened further, and his majestic aura was entirely gone. In a wooden tone, he said, "There is a concept of fortune between heaven and earth. The Wu family's foundation was weak; to establish a nation, prolong their lineage, and command respect, they desperately needed sufficient fortune to support them. And your Saint Dragon Fortune was the ideal target."

"The King of Wu seized your fortune and bestowed it upon his son and daughter. From then on, the Great Wu was protected by a dragon and phoenix, and its national destiny flourished. The prosperity of the Great Wu Dynasty was entirely due to the seizure of your fortune."

"And the Saint Dragon Fortune you possessed, forcibly plundered by the Python Sparrow's destiny, naturally generated a strong aura of resentment. The King of Wu deliberately sealed this resentment within your body, forming the Resentful Dragon Poison. It feeds on your vital blood, constantly growing stronger, until one day it matures and erupts, completely extinguishing your life force."

"At the same time, your Saint Dragon Root was shattered, and your innate Eight Meridians faded. To this day, your Eight Meridians have not reappeared, making your path of cultivation extremely difficult..."

Zhou Qing's voice was desolate, conveying boundless helplessness. It was difficult to imagine the depth of despair that day had brought upon their Zhou clan.

On that day, outside the city, pythons and sparrows chirped in unison, brilliant rays of light illuminated the sky, signifying a transformation fueled by their momentum.

On that same day, inside the city, the Saint Dragon wailed, transforming into wisps of blue smoke that slowly dissipated.

This was the Python Sparrow devouring the Dragon.