In the brightly lit inner sanctuary, glittering in gold, the solemn atmosphere was palpable. Ever-burning lamps were lit around the sanctuary, in which a piece of blue stone was burning. The blue smoke rose slowly and lingered around.

This was the bluestone, known for releasing a peculiar fragrance when burned. It has a calming and concentration effect, making it an essential item for cultivation training. However, its price is high, the ability to use it as fuel indicates the owner of the place holds a high status.

In the inner sanctuary, a middle-aged man in bright yellow robes stood with his hands behind his back. His face was firm and resolute, with an aura of authority in his eyes, clearly holding a high position for a long time. Behind him, a presence was subtly building up, like flames or thunder, with a low roar.

However, if you look at his right arm, you find it empty. It was a missing arm.

Next to him was a beautifully dressed woman. Her petite, delicate figure carried an air of grace and beauty, but her cheeks were unusually pale and weak.

At this point, this evidently high-status couple was nervously watching the front. On the bed in front of them sat a teenage boy around thirteen or fourteen years old. The boy's body was noticeably thin, his eyes tightly closed, and his youthful face was suffused with an unusual blood qi.

The eerie blood qi fluctuated beneath his skin. A resentful dragon-like roar seemed to be sounding in the background.

Accompanying the dragon roar, blue veins throbbed on the boy's forehead. His body kept shaking, and his face turned hideous, as if he were enduring untold pain.

Next to the boy, an old man with white hair was holding a bronze mirror that emitted a soft glow. The light shone on the boy, and under the radiance, the strange blood qi on his face gradually stabilized.

After a stick of incense's time, the blood qi finally receded entirely, ultimately retracting into the boy's palm.

Seeing this, the white-haired old man heaved a sigh of relief. He turned around and bowed to the anxious middle-aged man and beautifully dressed woman, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, Your Queen. The Crown Prince has weathered this three-year crisis. For the next three years, there should be no major issues."

The middle-aged man and beautifully dressed woman were relieved and their tight fists gradually loosened upon hearing this.

"Master Qin, now that Yuan is thirteen years old, boys of his age usually have their meridians formed and can start cultivating. What about Yuan?" The authoritative man in the bright yellow robe asked the white-haired old man with anticipation.

Hearing this, the old man's face darkened slightly. He shook his head slightly and said, "Your Majesty, this time, I still could not detect the eight meridians in the Crown Prince's body..."

The authoritative man's eyes darkened upon hearing these words.

Within this world, the path of cultivation begins with the human body. The body contains countless meridians, among which the most important ones are the Eight Great Meridians. Apart from certain special circumstances, these eight meridians typically start taking shape when a person is around twelve or thirteen years old. At this point, these eight meridians must be located, as only then can cultivation begin; to absorb the primal power of the heavens and earth, to clear the Eight Meridians.

This is known as the Meridian Opening Stage, the beginning of all cultivation.

And, those who cultivate, transforming themselves by inhaling and exhaling this primal power of the universe, are hence known as Primal Masters.

Seeing the sorrow on the middle-aged man's face, Master Qin couldn't bear it and sighed softly, "Your Highness is the embodiment of the Sacred Dragon, meant to dazzle the world and conquer the heavens; who would've thought you would encounter such a calamity…"

The middle-aged man clenched his fists, and the beautiful woman next to him, dressed in palace attire, also had red rings around her eyes. She then covered her mouth and coughed fiercely twice.

"Please take care, Your Majesty. You had lost a great amount of vital force previously to nourish the Prince; you must not agitate your mind and emotions," said Master Qin upon seeing this.

However, the woman in palace attire merely waved her hand, looking woefully at the young boy sitting cross-legged on the bed, she said, "The poison within Yuan'er's body erupts every three years; each time worse than the last. The only way to eradicate it, is for him to depend on his own strength. Now that his eight meridians are not showing, what will happen after three years?"

Master Qin remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "After three years, any external suppression will become ineffective if things continue like this. I fear for the Prince's life."

Upon these words, the palace chamber became deathly quiet. The middle-aged man clenched his fists; his body slightly trembling. The woman in palace attire was choking back her sobs.

"So… Does it mean I only have three years left to live?" Out of the silence, a rather childish yet calm voice asked suddenly.

Upon hearing these words, the three people in the room were stunned. They looked up quickly, only to see that the boy on the bed had somehow opened his eyes and was looking at them.

The three exchanged glances, apparently not expecting the boy to wake up so quickly. Before this, he would remain unconscious for two to three days before recovering.

"Yuan'er…"

The boy referred to as Yuan'er's full name is Zhou Yuan. The middle-aged man and the beautiful woman in front of him are the King and Queen of the Great Zhou Dynasty, namely Zhou Qing and Qin Yu.

Zhou Yuan pressed his lips together, his youthful face was somewhat pale. Perhaps because he had always been physically weak from childhood, which forced him to focus on reading, he appeared somewhat scholarly. After a moment of silence, Zhou slowly extended his palm.

In the palm of his hand, there was a mass of dark, blood-red color. This sinister hue appeared to have seared into the deepest part of his flesh, slowly writhing. It looked for all the world like a blood dragon baring its fangs and claws. Faintly, it seemed to radiate an intense aura of resentment and hatred, such that anyone who witnessed it would shiver, despite the lack of cold.

"Father, Mother... This time, you should tell me what is happening to me, right?"

Zhou Yuan stared at the entity in his palm that looked like a tiny blood dragon, clenching his teeth to stop them from chattering. This thing... It was this thing that made him experience what it felt like to wish for death over life.

Every three years, this object would act up, as if it intended to devour his flesh inch by inch, inflicting unending pain.

Upon hearing Zhou Yuan's words, the faces of Zhou Qing and Qin Yu drained of blood. Especially the former, his fist tightening, his face etched with deep regret and guilt.

After a long silence in which the air seemed to freeze, Zhou Qing finally took a deep breath and spoke in a hoarse voice, "This is... "Grief Dragon's Poison."

"Grief Dragon's Poison?" Zhou Yuan furrowed his brows, puzzled.

Zhou Qing's hand trembled slightly, as he caressed Zhou Yuan’s head, "You should know this by now Yuan’er, remember, you are the Saint Dragon of our Zhou family!”

Zhou Yuan couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. Was there ever a Saint Dragon this miserable? He couldn't even find the eight pulses in his body.

Zhou Qing sat next to Zhou Yuan, his voice low and gloomy, "Yuan’er, our Great Zhou Dynasty might be considered a small country on this endless mainland, but did you know that fifteen years ago, we were a mighty empire, amazing all nations, powerful in all quarters.”

A look of surprise spread across Zhou Yuan’s young face. There were many kingdoms and empires on this vast continent, and their Great Zhou Dynasty didn’t seem to be very remarkable among them. However, they used to be so prestigious?

"Do you know of the Great Wu Dynasty?" Zhou Qing asked, each word heavy, as if they were engraved in his heart.

"Great Wu Dynasty?" Zhou Yuan nodded. The Great Wu Dynasty was known as a top-tier kingdom on this vast continent, in its prime, full of Master Originators. Compared to their Great Zhou, they were like giants to dwarfs.

However, Zhou Qing's eyes reddened at this moment, a deep hatred etched within his gaze. "And did you know, fifteen years ago, the now Great Wu Royal Family used to be subservient to our Great Zhou Dynasty?"

Finally, a hint of shock appeared in Zhou Yuan's eyes. The present Great Wu Royal family had once been under their Great Zhou? The Great Zhou was that powerful fifteen years ago?

"Why...why did it turn out this way?" Zhou Yuan couldn't help but ask.

"Over the hundreds of years since the establishment of our Great Zhou Dynasty, the Wu family has always been by the side of our Zhou family, following us in our campaigns in all directions, displaying utmost loyalty. When we founded the Great Zhou nation, recognizing their contributions, we even conferred the hereditary title of 'Martial King' to the Wu family, bestowing them boundless authority. Within a century, the Wu family was guarding our Great Zhou's borders, deterring all sides."

Zhou Qing's body trembled slightly, the blood veins in his eyes surfacing now. "However, no one expected that fifteen years ago, the Wu family suddenly launched a rebellion. By this time, our royal Zhou family realized that after all these years of keeping a low profile, the Wu family had amassed an extremely formidable power. Moreover, many kings within the dynasty were all swayed by them."

"In less than a year, our Zhou family fell into ruin, fleeing south towards the homeland where our Zhou family first emerged, which is now the territory of our Great Zhou."

"I don't know why the Wu family would betray us. The status they enjoyed under our Great Zhou was not inferior to the royal family at all--"

"It wasn't until later when our spies obtained some information from the Wu family; it was a prophecy that had been circulating within the Wu family for hundreds of years..."

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

Zhou Qing gritted his teeth, word by word he said: "The python and the peafowl swallow the dragon, the Great Wu shall rise."

"The python and the peafowl swallow the dragon, the Great Wu shall rise?" Zhou Yuan murmured, but he didn't understand its meaning. He asked, "What does this mean?"

At this moment, Zhou Qing's eyes turned blood-red. He stared at Zhou Yuan, his gaze filled with immense sorrow. "I also didn't understand what it meant initially...Not until that day..."

"Our Great Zhou fell into defeat. I led the remaining forces of the Great Zhou, continually retreating. The Wu family relentlessly pursued us until we reached the city below, our Great Zhou city. However, the Wu family just surrounded it and did not attack, as if they were waiting."

"Waiting for what?" Zhou Yuan felt an unsettling sensation.

Zhou Qing stared at Zhou Yuan, an expression surfacing on his face that seemed to subtly blend sorrow and despair. The feeling of utter despair and fury made Zhou Yuan's heart tremble.

"They were waiting for your birth."

Zhou Qing's words completely shocked Zhou Yuan, leaving him utterly unprepared.

By the side, Zhou Yuan's mother, Qin Yu, was already covering her mouth, emitting a cry that was suppressed to the extreme.

"Do you know what it was like when you were born?" Zhou Qing, looking at Zhou Yuan with bloodshot eyes, said, "Yuan, the moment you were born, there were anomalies in the sky, the air was filled with purple mist, there was dragon aura swirling around you. The dragon roar shook the heaven and earth, it was a sign of a divine dragon."

"You were born with eight meridians naturally opened, as soon as you were born, you had stepped over the boundary of opening meridians and reached the stage of nurturing qi."

"This is the legendary "Divine Dragon Luck", one in billions, in the future you can enter the Great Realm, share the same light with the heaven and earth, live as long as the sun and the moon. You are the unprecedented Divine Dragon of our Zhou family!"

Zhou Qing spoke with unmatchable excitement, his body shaking violently. One could imagine his excitement when Zhou Yuan was born. The heavens hadn’t forsaken the Zhou family and in this moment of crisis, they had witnessed the birth of the divine dragon.

Zhou Yuan was also wide-eyed, unable to imagine that at his birth, he had such an extraordinary phenomenon.

"But...why..." He gently touched his body with trembling hands. If he was born with eight meridians naturally opened, then why couldn't he find those eight meridians within his body now?

Zhou Qing’s excited voice abruptly stopped, the light in his eyes seemed to fade away, only a heavy note of sorrow remaining there. He said with a devastated look, “Because, the moment you were born, the wife of the city's martial king also gave birth to a boy and a girl. The boy had the aura of a flood dragon, the girl had the aura of a spiritual bird over her head. They both were born with luck!”

"According to the information we obtained, the wife of the martial king has been pregnant for three full years and had not given birth. However, today, she suddenly gave birth..."

"I didn't understand at first, but then I finally realized. It is believed that those born on the same year, same month, and same day can devour each other's luck. It seems that the Wu family has been plotting for years, not only against the grand Zhou but also aiming for the dragon of our Zhou family!"

Zhou Yuan opened his mouth wide, a chill began to rise from his feet and surged up to the crown of his head: "This is a conspiracy!"

How could such a coincidence happen in the world? This was clearly a huge conspiracy against their family Zhou, or even... specifically against him.

For this, they even employed extreme measures, allowing the wife of the martial king not to give birth for three years, just waiting for him!

Zhou Qing nodded, his voice hoarse, “Indeed, it is a conspiracy. The Wu family has been patient for hundreds of years under our great Zhou, serving the wars in the south and the north, winning our trust. However, no one expected, their hundreds of years of patience were all for you!"

"On that day, the martial king entered the city and threatened with the lives of millions of Great Zhou people, trying to seize your divine dragon luck right in front of your mother and me..." As he spoke this, tears oozed out from Zhou Qing's eyes.

At the side, Master Qin showed a face of sorrow and said in a deep voice, "That day, the King risked his life to protect the prince, fought with King Wu on Great Zhou Mountain, but failed. He was defeated and lost an arm. If King Wu wasn't afraid that others would ruin the prince's sacred dragon destiny and perish together, I'm afraid even the King would have perished under his hand."

"And in order to smoothly seize the prince's destiny, the founding ancestor of King Wu made a vow that for a hundred years, Da Wu would not step foot in Da Zhou."

That terrible scene from that year resurfaced from the deep depths of his mind. Qin Yu, who was standing at the side, could no longer contain her emotions. She knelt before Zhou Yuan, holding him tightly, and burst into heart-wrenching tears.

"You're my poor child! I'm sorry, Yuan!"

The cruel memory from that day was once again brutally called up. She clearly remembered that Zhou Yuan, who was just born, was used as a formation eye and placed on the altar set up by King Wu.

And in the altar, there were also the newborn son and daughter of King Wu.

However, one was taken away, and two were obtained.

The stripping of destiny was like being skinned alive, the pain was unimaginable.

And at that time, Qin Yu, who was just joyous about having a child, could only watch as her own child on the cold altar endured endless pain, crying until his voice became hoarse.

That feeling of desperation and powerlessness almost made her faint.

Suddenly, due to her emotional fluctuations, Qin Yu's face turned pale in an instant, and she couldn't help but vomit a mouthful of blood, dyeing Zhou Yuan's hair red.

"Mother?! Are you alright?" Zhou Yuan was greatly alarmed and quickly wiped the blood from the corner of Qin Yu's mouth.

Master Qin quickly approached, his palm emitting a soft energy that flowed into Qin Yu from her crown, helping her stabilize her qi and blood. He glanced at the pale-faced Qin Yu, then lamented to Zhou Yuan, "Your Highness, please don't blame the King and Queen for failing to protect you well. The King had fought desperately that year and almost died in battle."

"The Queen was even more so. After your destiny was stripped away, she injected her own essence and blood into your body, and since then has supplied blood to you year by year. Only thus could you have lived until today. However, the Queen paid a great price for this. Each time she supplied you blood, her lifespan would be reduced by three years. In the past twelve years, her lifespan has been reduced by thirty-six years and she has suffered greatly. Her life expectancy now is less than ten years."

"What?! What did you say?!"

Zhou Yuan was startled upon hearing this, just as if he had been struck by lightning. Strands of blood-red veins were frantically climbing up his eyes. Even when he had previously heard that his own luck had been stolen, he had never experienced such strong emotional upheaval. After all, these things happened when he was young and unable to remember. Therefore, he didn't have a strong sense of belonging to the so-called "Dragon Qi of the Sacred Dragon." Even if it was deliberately stripped away, he was just a bit shocked.

As for the Wu family’s plot against him for a hundred years, although it stirred his heart, he was able to suppress it. However, they drained his beloved mother's life force to exhaustion, which ignited a killing intent in Zhou Yuan's heart for the first time, an intent he couldn't rein in.

So, when he heard Master Qin’s words, Zhou Yuan could no longer contain his emotions. His whole body trembled, his blood was rushing crazily to his brain, making his face become bloody red. His pretty and youthful face became grotesque with rage.

"Wu family, dare to persecute my mother! You deserve to die!"

Zhou Yuan was shaking all over, his eyes were bloodshot, and an enormous anger and murderous intent surged from his heart.

Zhou Qing lifted Qin Yu up, allowing her to lean on the jade bed. His hair seemed to turn gray at this moment, his majestic aura completely dissipated. He said listlessly, "The existence of luck is known in the world. The Wu family has shallow roots. If they want to establish a country, continue their lineage, and deter all sides, they must require adequate luck. Your Sacred Dragon luck is exactly what they need."

"King Wu took your luck, gifted it to his son and daughter, and since then, the great Wu country has the protection of the dragon and phoenix. The prosperity of the Great Wu Dynasty was all due to the theft of your luck."

"The Sacred Dragon luck that you carried was forcibly snatched away by the life of the python and peacock. Naturally, this resulted in a strong resentment. King Wu intentionally sealed this resentment within your body, forming the venom of the Resentful Dragon. It swallowed your vigor and continuously grew stronger until one day it erupted maturely and would completely devour your vitality.”

"At the same time, your Sacred Dragon origin was broken, and your innate eight meridians regressed, up to today, the eight meridians have never reappeared, making your cultivation journey difficult..."

Zhou Qing's voice was bleak, transmitting a boundless feeling of powerlessness. It was hard to imagine the despair they felt on that day.

That day, outside the city the python and peacock chirped harmoniously, transforming under the radiant glow.

That day, inside the city, the sacred dragon wailed, turning into blue smoke, gradually disappearing.

This is the Python and Peacock devouring the Dragon.