Chapter 6, Ancestral Hall of the Homeland

The sudden turn of events startled Zhou Qing, who was outside the stone platform. He quickly looked towards Zhou Yuan, and then he was shocked to see that as the light converged, Zhou Yuan, who was sitting cross-legged within it, actually... vanished into thin air...

Zhou Qing smiled and nodded, then waved his hand.

Mother has suffered greatly for my sake, and her lifespan has been significantly diminished

... ...

This is where the royal tombs of the Great Zhou dynasty are located

A guard led a fiery red steed over, its tail tip ablaze with flames, yet at the head, there was a somewhat fierce lion's head.

There is a flow of energy between heaven and earth, and the geography and feng shui of this land also play a part. The rise of the Zhou family is largely thanks to the feng shui of this ancestral land said Zhou Qing with a smile

At the end of the cave, there stands a stone platform

It seems that the experiences of these years are not entirely negative

Father, let us go. " Zhou Yuan grasped the reins, his dark eyes seemingly ablaze, as he spoke.

As the spirit tablet rotated, a deep sound suddenly resonated, and then Zhou Yuan was astonished to see that a heavy and concealed stone door was slowly opening on the stone wall behind the spirit tablet

As the sun rises, the warm morning light shines upon the city of Da Zhou, radiating brilliance

Within the stone gate, there is a slight darkness, a profound depth, which appears mysterious

When Zhou Yuan, who had not slept all night, arrived at the palace gate, there were already soldiers standing solemnly. Thousands of imperial guards, clad in heavy armor and wielding spears, glimmered with a cold light, exuding a strong military might

Today marks the day of the Grand Zhou Ancestor Sacrifice

Zhou Yuan nodded and followed closely behind

Zhou Qing directly approached the front of the stone platform. At this moment, Zhou Yuan finally noticed that the surface of the stone platform was engraved with numerous ancient source patterns, which formed an inscrutable design.

Zhou Yuan pressed his lips together and said: "The influence of geomancy accounts for a portion, but more importantly, it is the efforts of our ancestors. The way of heaven is vigorous, and a gentleman strives for self-improvement. As long as one is diligent and self-reliant, even the worst hand can have a chance for a turnaround"

Feeling the flow of blood, Zhou Yuan's already somewhat delicate and youthful face suddenly became even paler. He stared intently at those intricate source patterns, his heart pounding like thunder.

Zhou Yuan took a deep breath, his heart pounding, yet he mustered the courage to step onto the stone platform and sat cross-legged amidst the ancient and mysterious source patterns.

Therefore, I shall change all of this; I shall restore the lifespan of my mother, the queen, and revive the ambitions of my father, the king. I will ensure that the people of the Great Zhou no longer live in fear, and I will reclaim everything that I have lost.

Beneath a towering green mountain, Zhou Qing and Zhou Yuan dismounted. The Imperial Guards dispersed in this area, guarding various passages. Even a bird in flight, if it approached, would be shot down.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan's expression became significantly tense, his palms clenched tightly, and his gaze was filled with anxiety. Regardless of how mature he appeared for his age, he was still merely a youth, and in the face of such a crucial matter that determined whether he could open his meridians and cultivate, he was unable to maintain absolute composure.

Zhou Qing gazed at the stone door, his expression somewhat complex, and said: "Whether you can open your meridians and cultivate depends on this place."

At this point, he looked at Zhou Yuan and said: "Therefore, I brought you here to see if you can unlock this great opportunity. If successful, it should not be difficult to resolve the issue of your eight meridians not manifesting."

Looking at Zhou Qing's somewhat dim expression, Zhou Yuan said softly: "Father, there is no need to blame yourself. The Wu family has both intention and unintentionality; after hundreds of years of scheming, no one could have predicted this, so it is not your fault, Father."

Zhou Qing let out a bitter smile, said no more, and simply stepped towards the stone steps paved with blue stones, saying: "Follow me."

The originally fierce fire lion horse has long been tamed, so when Zhou Yuan mounted it, the fire lion horse merely flicked its fiery tail and then quieted down

Although the boy's voice sounded somewhat immature, the subtle resilience it conveyed made Zhou Qing take notice, and the smile on his face reflected his appreciation

Neither of the two spoke, and in the entire corridor, only the faint sound of footsteps could be heard

The Royal Palace of the Great Zhou

Finally, Zhou Qing's footsteps came to a halt before the spirit tablet at the deepest point. This tablet belonged to the first founding emperor of the Great Zhou royal family. After respectfully bowing, Zhou Qing extended his palm and gently turned the spirit tablet.

With Zhou Yuan's current mastery of source patterns, he was fundamentally unable to discern the rank of these source patterns. He merely sketched them vaguely in his mind and immediately felt a significant drain on his spirit, leading to a slight dizziness, prompting him to quickly withdraw his gaze

Zhou Qing sat atop a fiery red steed, smiling as he looked at the hurriedly approaching Zhou Yuan, and said: "Are you ready?"

Zhou Qing pointed at the towering green mountain before him, fell silent for a moment, and then slowly said: "Back in the day, our Zhou family started from here and eventually built a great Zhou dynasty. However, I never expected that the efforts of my ancestors would be undone in my hands"

He took out a sharp knife, gritted his teeth, and directly sliced across his wrist. Instantly, blood gushed out, then spread along the engraved patterns.

Our great Zhou faces internal troubles and external threats, always at risk of being overturned

Zhou Yuan nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with a strong sense of hope. He knew that whether the eight meridians within him could be revived and whether he could begin the cultivation of the meridians depended on today.

Buzz!

This is the Fire Lion Horse, a first-class source beast, known for its enduring stamina, capable of galloping a thousand miles without rest

The roar suddenly resounded in his heart, and in that moment, Zhou Yuan's body seemed to tremble violently. Faintly, it was as if an angry and unwilling dragon's roar was rising from the depths of his being.

The key to unlocking this great opportunity lies in the bloodline of the heirs of the Zhou family. However, although the emperors of our Zhou family throughout the generations have come here, attempting to unlock it with their bloodline, they have ultimately all failed without exception

Zhou Qing gently patted Zhou Yuan's head, then stepped into the ancestral hall. Zhou Yuan followed, and upon entering the main hall, he saw numerous spirit tablets enshrined, with incense smoke swirling around. These were the ancestors of the Great Zhou royal family. Under Zhou Qing's guidance, Zhou Yuan paid his respects by offering incense and bowing to each spirit tablet.

Zhou Qing gazed at the ancient source patterns on the stone platform, his expression becoming somewhat grave, and said: "In our Zhou family, there has always been a secret saying passed down orally, which states that within this secret chamber lies a great opportunity that can truly assist our Zhou family in achieving everlasting prosperity."

After proceeding for approximately ten minutes, Zhou Qing and Zhou Yuan came to a halt, as the corridor had reached its end. Before them appeared a vast ancient cave.

Zhou Qing glanced at Zhou Yuan, then walked into the stone door. Beyond the stone door was a long corridor with stone walls, illuminated by ever-burning lamps that cast a dim light.

The three mountain ranges wind and crawl like hidden dragons, guarding the green mountain beneath their feet, resembling three dragons supporting a pearl, giving rise to an overwhelming aura

Zhou Yuan gazed at the ancient stone platform before him, filled with astonishment, clearly not expecting that such a secret saying was still passed down in their Zhou family

Father..." Zhou Yuan looked at Zhou Qing, wondering if the issue of his eight meridians not manifesting could be resolved here

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

In just a few breaths, the patterns on the stone platform transformed into a vivid red hue

Outside the stone platform, Zhou Qing gazed at this scene, his palm involuntarily clenching tightly, his eyes filled with a sense of tension

Go ahead," Zhou Qing said, patting Zhou Yuan on the shoulder.

Zhou Yuanya tightly clenched his teeth, enduring the waves of dizziness in his mind. At this moment, the scene of his mother, Qin Yu, spitting blood once again surfaced before his eyes, causing sharp pangs of pain in his heart

The stone steps lead to the summit of the green mountain, with a total of 9,999 steps, ascending straight into the clouds

Standing before the ancestral hall, Zhou Yuan turned his head. From this height, as he looked down, his eyes suddenly brightened slightly. He saw three mountain ranges standing vertically on the ground, which, in a subtle way, formed a natural character resembling the Chinese word for "river".

What a strong momentum! Zhou Yuan exclaimed, observing that their ancestral land had excellent feng shui, no wonder it was able to establish a dynasty

To sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor, even the best hand can face the danger of overturning

At that very moment, on the stone platform, the ancient source pattern covered in blood suddenly erupted with a brilliant light, which gathered like mercury, swiftly enveloping Zhou Yuan

My own fortune has been taken, the sacred dragon's root has been destroyed, and the poison devours life

Boom

My father sacrificed an arm for me, severed by King Wu

Wū

Is this my last chance...

With the sound of a horn resounding, thousands of heavily armored warriors transformed into a torrent, surrounding Zhou Qing and Zhou Yuan for protection. Then, accompanied by a rumbling sound, they surged out of the palace, following the streets within the city, and headed straight for the outside of the city.

Two individuals ascended slowly, their expressions solemn. After a stick of incense had burned, they reached the summit of the mountain, where a black ancestral hall stood tall, ancient and weathered, as if it had endured the passage of time

The ancestral worship site of the Great Zhou royal family is precisely where the Great Zhou royal tomb is located. The royal tomb is several hundred miles away from the Great Zhou city, but with their pace, they will arrive in two hours.

Oh?