Chapter 3: The Mark

Zhu Long and Zhu Feng were sitting on a couch, both looking bored out of their minds. Since they both have been waiting for hours already...

"How long does it take for the old man to come? He was looking for me, yet where is he himself?" Zhu Long said in an irritated manner.

"Kid, you got some balls for calling me old." a voice came from behind them. Both of them were dumbfounded as they turned to face the old man.

'Zhu Long you're dead' Zhu Feng laughed in his mind as he thought of what Elder Li might do as a punishment to Zhu Long for calling him "old".

"I still have more than a thousand years to live, I'm still very young!" The elderly man said.

Zhu Li was precisely Zhu Long and Zhu Yang's father. He is at the Peak of 4th level Saint stage, just one more level under the Patriarch. So he was a supreme elder of the clan, and not only does he hold prestigious status in the clan but also in the country.

"Keep talking oldie, look even your head is bald, it's starting to look like an egg." Zhu Long laughed as he looked at his father's head.

"Humph, Kid, you still have the same foul mouth of yours. It was a bad idea for letting father take care of you," Zhu Li annoyedly said. Even though at that moment he seems upset, he was very pleased to see his son, it's been years since he last saw him.

"Feng, thank you for bringing Long here, please leave me and Long alone for some moment, I need to tell him something," Zhu Li requested as he looked very serious at this moment. Zhu Yang respectfully bowed to Zhu Li and left without saying anything.

"Okay, Long, show me that mark on your chest."

After hearing his father's words Zhu Long didn't hesitate and took off his robe as well as the white cloth (bandage) covering his chest. The cloth revealed a very strange looking marking on his chest.

The mark was red and in the shape of a dragon's head. A strange yet powerful aura was emitting from the mark.

'It seems that the mark has gotten bigger and its aura has also gotten stronger as well. I better tell father about this at once' Zhu Li thought as he observed the mark on his son's chest.

"Old man, I still don't understand why this mark needs to be kept a secret from everyone but you and grandfather." Zhu Long asked, expressing such a confused look on his face.

He still remembered the night when he got that mark, in the middle of the night out of nowhere, a tremendous amount of pain struck his chest and all of a sudden the mysterious mark appeared. At first it was only a shape of an eye, but as time passed by the mark grew...

Ever since that day, his grandfather always examined the mark every month and saw that the mark was slowly taking form of a dragon's head.

One day Zhu Yang gave Zhu Long a white cloth. Though it looked ordinary, but for those with keen eyes can clearly see the inscriptions written on the cloth.

"Long, can you condense qi?" Zhu Li asked while ignoring his son's question.

"I still cannot condense qi no matter how much I try, I feel a strange force sucking all the qi when I try to condense it." Zhu Long answered. Even though he was bothered by his father's lack of manners by not answering his question, he thought there must be a reason to why his father isn't telling him anything, and only when the time is right, will he know the truth.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to condense qi soon enough. For now, visit your grandfather, I still have some things to do so, I cannot come with you." Zhu Yi said and disappeared.

"I wonder when I can reach the Void stage martial artist, then can I finally fly," Zhu Long murmured as he headed towards the Zhu mountain.

The Zhu Mountain was among the largest mountains in the country. It is the cultivation place for all supreme elders of the clan including the Patriarch.

At the peak of the mountain, an old man with a long white beard and dressed in a white robe was meditating. His robe was as white as the snow. He looked majestic and domineering. He was in fact Supreme Saint Zhu, the most powerful person in the Empire.

"Grandfather!"

When Zhu Long saw his grandfather, he was extremely happy and called him. Since Zhu Long was young, his grandfather always loved him regardless of whether he could cultivate or not.

Zhu Yong insisted in trained his grandson in the art of weapons due to this. Zhu Long skilled in handling every weapon provided to him. Even though he couldn't cultivate, Zhu Long was still considered a genius when it comes to handling weapons. If he could cultivate, he would have already been a core disciple due to his amazing skills.

"Long, it's been a while since you last visited, why don't you visit me anymore? Am I too boring to talk to?" Zhu Yong asked expressing such despair in front of his grandson.

"I'm sorry grandfather, I wanted to make you feel proud. So I thought that when I condense qi and break through to the qi condensation stage, I would visit you, but... I still can't cultivate" Zhu Long answered, feeling extremely glum.

"Kid, don't worry, You'll soon be able to cultivate, for now show me that mark" Zhu Yong said seriously.

'It seems like the reason that I cannot cultivate is linked to this mark, I hope grandfather can fix it.' Zhu Long was very happy hearing his grandfather's words.

As soon as Zhu Long took off the white cloth covering his chest, Zhu Yong's face instantly changed drastically seeing the mark.