Chapter 6: Ancestral Land and Clan Ancestral Hall

The morning sun rose, casting its warm, brilliant light upon Great Zhou City, making it gleam.

The Great Zhou Royal Palace.

When Zhou Yuan, who had been sleepless all night, arrived at the palace gates, thousands of imperial guards already stood in solemn formation, their heavy armor and gleaming spearheads radiating a formidable military presence.

Zhou Qing sat atop a fiery red steed, smiling as he watched Zhou Yuan rush over. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Today was the day of the Great Zhou Ancestral Sacrifice.

Zhou Yuan nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with surging hope. He knew that today would determine whether the eight meridians within him could reappear, allowing him to begin his meridian cultivation.

A guard led over another fiery red steed. Flames burned at the tip of its tail, and its head was, surprisingly, a slightly fierce lion's head.

This was a Fire Lion Horse, a first-grade Origin Beast known for its immense stamina, capable of galloping for a thousand li without rest.

The Fire Lion Horse, originally wild, had already been tamed, so when Zhou Yuan mounted it, it merely flicked its flaming tail before settling down.

"Father King, let's go," Zhou Yuan said, pulling on the reins, his dark eyes seemingly ablaze.

Zhou Qing smiled and nodded, then waved his hand.

The sound of a horn echoed, and then over a thousand heavily armored warriors transformed into a surging torrent, escorting Zhou Qing and Zhou Yuan in their midst. With a rumbling vibration, they streamed out of the royal palace, following the city streets directly towards the outskirts.

The site of the Great Zhou Imperial Ancestral Sacrifice was none other than the Great Zhou Imperial Mausoleum. The mausoleum was several hundred li from Great Zhou City, but given their pace, they arrived two hours later.

At the foot of a majestic green mountain, Zhou Qing and Zhou Yuan dismounted. The imperial guards dispersed, securing all the passages; even a bird flying too close would be shot down.

"This is where our Great Zhou Imperial Mausoleum is located."

Zhou Qing pointed to the majestic green mountain before them, paused in silence for a moment, then slowly said, "In those days, our Zhou family started here and eventually established the Great Zhou Dynasty. I never expected that the efforts of our ancestors would be undone in my hands."

Seeing Zhou Qing's somewhat crestfallen expression, Zhou Yuan softly said, "Father King, you needn't blame yourself. The Wu family's centuries-long machinations were deliberate, while we were unaware; no one could have foreseen such a long-term scheme. So, the fault is not yours."

Zhou Qing gave a bitter smile and said no more, simply stepping onto the bluestone stairs. "Follow me," he instructed.

Zhou Yuan nodded and followed closely.

The stone stairs, numbering nine thousand ninety-nine steps, led straight up to the peak of the green mountain, reaching into the clouds.

They ascended slowly, their expressions solemn. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they reached the mountaintop. There, an ancient and weathered black ancestral hall stood, seemingly having endured countless ages.

Standing before the ancestral hall, Zhou Yuan turned his head and looked down from their elevated position. His eyes immediately lit up. On the ground below, three mountain ranges stood vertically, subtly forming the natural character for "river" (川).

The three mountain ranges snaked and sprawled like coiled dragons, guarding the green mountain beneath their feet. It was as if three dragons were supporting a pearl, creating a powerful, majestic aura that arose naturally from the landscape.

"What a powerful aura," Zhou Yuan exclaimed in admiration. It seemed their Zhou family's ancestral land had excellent *feng shui*; no wonder they were able to establish a dynasty.

"There is destiny between heaven and earth," Zhou Qing smiled, "and this terrestrial *feng shui* accounts for a part of it. Our Zhou family was able to rise thanks in large part to this ancestral land's *feng shui*."

Zhou Yuan pursed his lips and said, "Terrestrial *feng shui* accounts for a part, but what's more important is the efforts of our ancestors. As the saying goes, 'Heaven's movement is vigorous; the noble man strengthens himself unceasingly.' As long as one is diligent and self-reliant, even the worst hand can be turned around."

"Conversely, resting on one's laurels, no matter how good the hand, carries the risk of collapse."

Though the young man's voice was somewhat immature, the underlying tenacity it revealed made Zhou Qing look at him with new appreciation, and the smile on his face grew more gratified.

"It seems the experiences of these past years haven't been entirely bad."

Zhou Qing patted Zhou Yuan's head, then entered the ancestral hall, with Zhou Yuan following close behind. Inside the grand hall, rows of spirit tablets were enshrined, enveloped in curling incense smoke. These were the ancestors of the Great Zhou Royal family. Led by Zhou Qing, Zhou Yuan offered incense and bowed before each tablet.

Finally, Zhou Qing stopped before the innermost spirit tablet, that of the Great Zhou Royal family's first founding emperor. After respectfully bowing, Zhou Qing extended his hand and gently rotated the tablet.

A low rumble sounded.

As the spirit tablet rotated, a low rumbling sound emerged, and to Zhou Yuan's surprise, a heavy, concealed stone door slowly cracked open in the stone wall behind the tablet.

Beyond the stone door lay a deep, slightly dark expanse, shrouded in mystery.

Zhou Qing gazed beyond the stone door, his expression somewhat complex. "Whether you can open your meridians and cultivate will depend on this place," he said.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan's expression grew considerably more anxious. His hands clenched, and his eyes showed apprehension. No matter how mature he seemed for his age, he was still just a youth, and faced with such a crucial matter concerning his ability to open his meridians and cultivate, he could not maintain absolute calm.

Zhou Qing glanced at Zhou Yuan, then stepped into the stone door. Beyond it was a long corridor carved into the rock, dimly lit by perpetually burning lamps.

Neither of them spoke, and the only sound in the entire corridor was the subtle echo of their footsteps.

After walking for about ten minutes, Zhou Qing and Zhou Yuan stopped. The corridor had reached its end, opening into a wide, ancient cavern before them.

At the far end of the cavern stood a stone platform.

Zhou Qing went directly to the stone platform. It was then that Zhou Yuan noticed the ground of the platform was inscribed with numerous ancient Origin Runes, forming an unfathomable pattern.

With Zhou Yuan's current mastery of Origin Runes, he couldn't possibly discern the grade of these runes. He merely made a vague mental sketch, instantly feeling a massive drain on his spiritual energy and a slight dizziness, so he quickly withdrew his gaze.

"Father King..." Zhou Yuan looked at Zhou Qing. Could this place solve the problem of his unmanifested eight meridians?

Zhou Qing gazed at the ancient Origin Runes on the stone platform, his expression turning more serious. "In our Zhou family," he said, "there has always been a secret prophecy passed down by word of mouth. It speaks of a great opportunity hidden in this chamber, one that could truly help our Zhou family flourish for ten thousand generations."

"The key to unlocking this great opportunity is the bloodline of our Zhou family's inheritors. However, though every emperor of our Zhou family throughout the generations has come here, attempting to unlock it with their bloodline, they have all, without exception, failed."

At this point, he looked at Zhou Yuan. "That's why I've brought you here," he said, "to see if you can unlock this great opportunity. If you succeed, then solving the problem of your unmanifested eight meridians should not be difficult."

"Oh?"

Zhou Yuan gazed at the ancient stone platform before him, greatly surprised. He clearly hadn't expected such a prophecy to exist within their Zhou family.

"Go on," Zhou Qing said, patting Zhou Yuan's shoulder.

Zhou Yuan took a deep breath, his heart pounding, but he mustered his courage and stepped onto the stone platform, settling down cross-legged amidst the ancient and mysterious Origin Runes.

He took out a sharp small knife, gritted his teeth, and sliced directly across his wrist. Blood immediately gushed out, spreading along the etched grooves of the Origin Runes.

In just a few breaths, the Origin Runes on the stone platform turned a vibrant crimson.

Outside the stone platform, Zhou Qing watched the scene, his hands involuntarily clenching and his eyes filled with tension.

As he felt the blood draining, Zhou Yuan's already somewhat delicate young face grew even paler. He stared intently at the complex Origin Runes, his heart pounding like thunder.

"Is this my last chance..."

Zhou Yuan clenched his teeth, enduring the waves of dizziness in his mind. At that moment, the scene of his mother, Queen Qin Yu, spitting blood reappeared before his eyes, causing a sharp pang in his heart.

"My mother gravely injured her vital essence and severely depleted her lifespan for me!"

"My father had an arm severed by King Wu, for me!"

"My own destiny was stolen, my Sacred Dragon Root was shattered, and poisonous energy consumed my life!"

"My Great Zhou is plagued by internal strife and external threats, constantly on the verge of collapse!"

"Therefore, I must change all of this! I will restore my mother's lifespan, rekindle my father's ambition, free my Great Zhou citizens from fear, and reclaim everything I have lost!"

"...This great opportunity, I, Zhou Yuan, will seize it!"

A roar suddenly echoed within his heart. At that instant, Zhou Yuan's body seemed to tremble violently, and faintly, an angry and unwilling dragon's roar resonated from the deepest part of his being.

*Buzz! Buzz!*

And at that very moment, the ancient Origin Runes on the stone platform, now covered in blood, erupted with brilliant light. The light gathered like mercury, rapidly enveloping Zhou Yuan.

The sudden turn of events startled Zhou Qing, who was standing outside the stone platform. He hurriedly looked at Zhou Yuan, and then, to his shock, he saw Zhou Yuan, who had been sitting cross-legged within the light, vanish into thin air.