Chapter 542: Conclusion and Surprise

The setting sun cast a blaze of glow across the sky.

Outside Windfire City, on Emerald Cloud Peak, there was a stone table with stone stools beside it, and a pair of young lovers were snuggled together.

The youth was somewhat thin, with a pale complexion and delicate features.

The girl wore a snow-white long dress, her skin like jade, her features stunningly beautiful.

With her head resting on the youth's shoulder, bathed in the sunset light, they looked like a divine couple.

"Yao'er, I wish we could be like this forever!" the youth said softly, a blissful smile on his face.

"Ming gege, of course we can. We promised to be together for life."

A happy smile bloomed on the girl's face.

The youth was named Lu Ming, and the girl was named Lu Yao.

Gazing at the smile on Lu Yao's face, Lu Ming's eyes grew even more tender. Holding her soft, boneless jade hand, he said, "Yao'er, even though my meridians are blocked and I can't condense true qi, once I awaken my bloodline, the Council of Elders will buy spirit medicine to clear my channels, and then I can begin cultivation."

"I will definitely become a martial arts powerhouse and protect you for your whole life."

"Thank you, Ming gege."

Lu Yao's eyes showed emotion, and she added, "Ming gege, did a pulse measurer really once say that you inherited your father's bloodline?"

"Yes, Yao'er. So your man will surely become a strong one." Lu Ming wore a confident smile.

Lu Yao smiled gently and picked up the wine glass on the stone table. Inside was the famous Blood-tongue Orchid Wine, giving off a faint, fragrant aroma.

Lu Yao quickly planted a kiss on Lu Ming's cheek. Her face flushed as she raised the glass and said, "Ming gege, here—a reward for you."

Lu Ming took the glass. "Yao'er, you treat me to a glass of Blood-tongue Orchid Wine every day. I'm truly grateful to have you by my side."

With that, he raised the glass and drained it in one gulp.

The wine's fragrance lingered on his tongue, and his heart felt as sweet as the aroma. But the next moment, he began to feel dizzy, as if the world were spinning.

"Yao'er, why am I feeling dizzy? This wine…"

Lu Ming steadied himself against the stone table and looked at Lu Yao, only to find her expression turning cold.

"Haha, Lu Ming, Yao'er stayed with you for three years just to nurture your bloodline. Now the time has come—offer up your bloodline!"

At that moment, a middle-aged man stepped out from the side. It was Lu Yao's father.

Boom!

Like a thunderclap from a clear sky, the words exploded in Lu Ming's mind.

"Yao'er!"

Lu Ming stared at Lu Yao in disbelief, but her eyes were filled with nothing but coldness.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's icy gaze pierced Lu Ming's heart like knives. He let out a roar and lunged toward her.

But with a slight step back, she dodged, and he crashed to the ground.

"Duanmu Lin of the Profound Origin Sword Sect started cultivating at six, opened two divine meridians in half a year and broke into the Warrior realm, reached the Martial Master realm at nine, and at sixteen is one of the four great prodigies of the Profound Origin Sword Sect. As for you, you're frail, your meridians are blocked—in short, you're just trash. Even if you awakened your bloodline, you'd still be trash. Can you compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"That kind of genius is my, Lu Yao's, true match. To form a marital alliance with him, I must awaken a powerful bloodline. Since you love me so much, why not fulfill my wish and use your bloodline to help me awaken an even stronger one."

The cold voice came from Lu Yao's lips.

Thud!

At that moment, the middle-aged man stepped on Lu Ming's back. A sharp knife appeared in his hand, and he shouted, "Lu Ming, hand over your bloodline!"

Ah!

An excruciating pain at his spine instantly overwhelmed Lu Ming. He screamed, his voice filled with loneliness, helplessness, and despair.

Gradually, Lu Ming fell into boundless darkness.

"Lu Yao, Lu Yunxiong, why did you steal my bloodline!"

Lu Ming let out a roar and jolted upright in bed, causing the nanmu bedframe to creak loudly.

Lu Ming was drenched in sweat, his face pale. At first, he thought it was a nightmare, but quickly realized that this was not a dream—it was a fact that had already happened.

The scene from a few days ago replayed in his mind.

Lu Ming was the main lineage heir of the Wind Fire City Lu Clan; his father was the clan leader. And Lu Yao was the daughter of the Great Elder of the Lu Clan's first branch.

The two belonged to the same clan but different branches. They grew up together, childhood sweethearts, practically inseparable. In private, they had even sworn vows of eternal love and betrothed themselves to each other.

Lu Ming never imagined that Lu Yao and the Great Elder would attack him and seize his bloodline.

"Strength—it's all because I lack strength. If I had extraordinary talent and great power, how would they dare treat me like this?"

Lu Ming clenched his fists, his whole body trembling, his eyes bloodshot.

Trash!

That was how Lu Yao had called him. Her words from three days ago seemed to echo in his ears.

Creak!

At that moment, the door was pushed open and a frail middle-aged woman walked in. Looking at Lu Ming on the bed, she asked with concern: "Ming'er, have you had another nightmare?"

This beautiful woman was Lu Ming's mother, Li Ping.

Three days ago, it was Li Ping who, worried about Lu Ming's safety, went out to look for him and thus saved his life; otherwise, Lu Ming would have died.

Ever since word spread six years ago that Lu Ming's father had been killed while traveling abroad, he and Li Ping had depended on each other for survival.

Lu Ming looked at Li Ping, his gaze softening, and said, "Mother, it's nothing. Just a dream."

Seeing Lu Ming's pale face, Li Ping sat by his bedside, touched his forehead, and said with heartache: "It's been three days. Every time you yell that Lu Yao harmed you. Ming'er, what is going on? Is your injury because of Lu Yao..."

Lu Ming said, "Mother, it's nothing. You misheard."

Lu Ming did not tell Li Ping that it was Lu Yao and the Great Elder who had done it, because Li Ping did not practice martial arts; telling her would only put her in danger.

Li Ping hesitated for a moment and said, "Ming'er, in the future, you must not address Lu Yao by her name in front of others. Two days ago, Lu Yao awakened a fifth-grade bloodline and also opened a divine-class meridian. She has now been acknowledged by the Council of Elders. At the clan meeting two months from now, she will take charge of the Lu Clan and become its clan leader. To directly call the clan leader by name would likely be considered disrespectful."

"What? Lu Yao is going to take charge of the Lu Clan? Over my dead body."

Lu Ming let out a deep, low roar. His eyes were bloodshot, his teeth grinding audibly as if he would bite them to pieces, blood seeping out.

After word spread six years ago that Lu Ming's father had been killed, for the past six years the Lu Clan had been managed by the Council of Elders, and no new clan leader had been appointed.

Seeing Lu Ming like this, Li Ping was terrified and at a loss. She just hugged his head, tears streaming down, and said, "Ming'er, don't frighten your mother. I've already lost your father; I can't lose you too."

"Father... where exactly are you? Ming'er believes you aren't dead. But now, Ming'er is powerless, and I can't even keep the clan leader position."

Lu Ming tightly gripped a pendant hanging around his neck. He squeezed so hard that his fingernails dug into his flesh, blood seeping out continuously.

This pendant was cast from bronze, about the size of a broad bean. It was sent back from outside by Lu Ming's father through someone before his accident. For these six years, Lu Ming had always kept it with him.

The blood from his palm seeped out and flowed onto the bronze pendant.

Hum!

Suddenly, the bronze pendant began to tremble slightly and turned scorching hot.

Before Lu Ming could react, the bronze pendant vibrated and disintegrated into fine powder, which drilled into his palm, entered his hand, and vanished.

Then, Lu Ming felt a burning energy flow from his palm up along his arm, and after a moment, it settled in the Yintang acupoint between his eyebrows.

"Nine Dragons Undying, Bloodline Reborn!"

Suddenly, a tremendous roar sounded in Lu Ming's mind, causing his brain to ring with buzzing.

"Nine Dragons Undying, Bloodline Reborn!"

"Nine Dragons Undying, Bloodline Reborn!"

The roars continued to sound repeatedly in Lu Ming's mind. Then, a scorching aura emanated from between his eyebrows and surged toward his spinal column.

The next moment, the roars ceased, but a tingling numbness spread along his spine, and his entire body became burning hot.

"What is happening?"

Lu Ming was completely baffled.

At that moment, the tingling on his spine grew even more intense, as if something was slowly growing.

"Ming'er, what's wrong? Don't scare your mother."

Sensing the abnormality in Lu Ming, Li Ping grew even more scared and was at a loss.

"Bloodline rebirth? Can I really undergo bloodline rebirth?" Lu Ming wondered.

Ancient texts record that only very few people, after having their bloodline stripped or damaged for other reasons, can undergo bloodline rebirth and grow a new bloodline.

But most reborn bloodlines are of very low grade and are useless.

However, there are also an extremely few people who can break through and stand anew, emerge from the cocoon, rise from destruction, transcend the past, and awaken a supreme bloodline.

But the probability is so small it's negligible. According to ancient texts, there have been only a few cases throughout history.

Transcending the past and awakening a supreme bloodline—Lu Ming didn't think about that; after all, the chances were too small. He would be overjoyed just to awaken any bloodline.

With a bloodline, he could cultivate the martial path and change his destiny.

At this moment, the strangeness on his body slowly faded. Lu Ming smiled and said, "Mother, I'm fine!"

"Young master, it's so good you're fine! These past few days, you really scared us to death!"

At this moment, a young girl walked over and said.

The girl was about the same age as Lu Ming and was extremely beautiful.

Lu Ming naturally recognized her. The girl was named Qiu Yue, Li Ping's personal maid, who had grown up with him since childhood.

"Qiu Yue, I'm fine. Don't worry!"

Lu Ming said with a smile.

Then, Lu Ming swept his gaze around, his expression suddenly changing. "Mother, where is this? This isn't the Lu Family Main Mansion!"

Lu Ming's father had been the head of the Lu family, and they had always lived in the Lu Family Main Mansion, but this was not it.

"Ming'er, focus on healing and don't worry!" Li Ping said, but the fleeting sorrow and tears in her eyes were still caught by Lu Ming.

"Mother, what exactly happened?" Lu Ming asked.

"Young master, let me explain. We were driven out. Lu Yao said she was about to become the family head and should reside in the main mansion, and that we were not qualified to continue living there, so she made us move out."

Beside him, Qiu Yue gritted her silver teeth and told the story, her pretty face brimming with anger.

"What? Lu Yao, you go too far!" Lu Ming roared.

"You waste, what are you yelling about? Having a place to live is already a favor to you. Why aren't you grateful?"

Just then, a voice sounded from outside the door, then the door opened and a young man walked out.

"Lu Chuan, it's you!"

Lu Ming shouted angrily. This person was named Lu Chuan, Lu Yao's elder brother, slightly older than Lu Ming.

"Lu Chuan, we've already left the main mansion. What are you doing here?"

Li Ping said, instinctively shielding Lu Ming with her body, as if afraid Lu Chuan would harm him.

"I'm here to take the sword!"

With that, Lu Chuan's eyes scanned around. When he saw a precious sword beside the bed, his eyes lit up, and he immediately walked over, reached out, and grabbed the sword.

"Lu Chuan, this sword is the only keepsake left by Ming'er's father, intended for Ming'er to use in the future. You cannot take it away."

Li Ping quickly reached out to snatch it back.

"Get out of my way!"

Lu Chuan exerted force, shaking the scabbard, sending out a burst of power. Li Ping was not a cultivator, so she couldn't withstand it. She stumbled backward, nearly falling to the ground.

"Mother!" Lu Ming shouted loudly.

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