Chapter 1109: She is no longer here

The setting sun sank westward, and rosy clouds filled the sky.

Outside Feng Huo City, on Cui Yun Peak, there was a stone table; beside it stood stone stools, and a boy and girl leaned against each other.

The boy was slightly thin, his face somewhat pale, his features delicate and handsome.

The girl wore a snow‑white long dress, her skin like jade, her beauty unsurpassed.

The girl rested her head on the boy's shoulder; in the sunset's glow they looked like a celestial couple.

"Yao'er, I truly wish we could stay like this forever!" the boy said, his face full of a happy smile, speaking softly.

"Ming‑brother, of course we can; we promised to be together for life."

A happy smile appeared on the girl's face.

The boy's name was Lu Ming; the girl's name was Lu Yao.

Looking at Lu Yao's smile, Lu Ming's gaze grew even gentler; he took her soft, boneless jade hand and said, "Yao'er, although my meridians are blocked and I cannot condense true qi, if I can awaken my bloodline, the Elder Hall will buy spirit medicine to clear my channels, and then I can cultivate."

"I will surely become a mighty martial artist and protect you for life."

"Thank you, Ming‑brother."

Lu Yao's eyes shone with emotion as she added, "Ming‑brother, a pulse tester once examined you—did you inherit your father's bloodline?"

"Yes, Yao'er, so the man you will marry will surely be a powerhouse." Lu Ming's face showed a confident smile.

Lu Yao smiled faintly, lifted the stone table's wine cup; the cup held the famous Blood Tongue Orchid Wine, exuding a light, fresh fragrance.

Lu Yao swiftly kissed Lu Ming's cheek, her face flushing; she raised the wine cup and said, "Ming‑brother, come, let Yao'er treat you."

Lu Ming took the cup and said, "Yao'er, you ask me to drink a cup of Blood Tongue Orchid Wine every day; I am truly grateful to have you by my side."

Having said that, he raised the cup and drained it in one gulp.

The wine's aroma lingered on his tongue, his heart as sweet as the scent—but the next moment he felt a bit dizzy.

"Yao'er, why do I feel a little dizzy? Your wine..."

Lu Ming leaned on the stone table, looking at Lu Yao, but at that moment he noticed her face had turned a little cold.

"Hahaha, Lu Ming, Yao'er has accompanied you for three years merely to nurture your meridians; the time has come—offer up your bloodline!"

At that moment, a middle‑aged man stepped out from the side—Lu Yao's father.

Boom—rumble—!

Like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, it exploded in Lu Ming's mind.

"Yao'er!"

Lu Ming stared at Lu Yao in disbelief, but her eyes were full of coldness.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's cold gaze was like a series of daggers stabbing into Lu Ming's heart; he roared and lunged at her.

But Lu Yao merely stepped back slightly, and he fell to the ground.

"Duanmu Lin of the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect cultivated from age six, opened two divine veins in half a year, entered the Warrior Realm, reached the Martial Master Realm at nine, and now at sixteen he is one of the sect's Four Great Talents; you, however, are weak and sickly, your meridians blocked—plainly you are trash. Even if you awakened your bloodline, you'd still be trash—how could you compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Only such a genius is worthy of being my match; to marry him I must awaken a powerful bloodline. Since you love me so much, why not fulfill me—use your bloodline to help me awaken an even stronger one?"

These cold words issued from Lu Yao's mouth.

Thud!

At that moment, the middle‑aged man planted a foot on Lu Ming's back, a dagger appearing in his hand, shouting, "Lu Ming, offer up your bloodline!"

Ah!

At the spine, a piercing pain instantly engulfed Lu Ming; he howled, his voice filled with loneliness, helplessness, and despair.

Gradually, Lu Ming sank into endless darkness.

"Lu Yao, Lu Yunxiong, why do you seize my bloodline!"

Lu Ming bellowed, suddenly sitting up from the bed; the nanmu‑made bed creaked 'ga‑ji'.

Lu Ming was drenched in sweat, his face pale; at first he thought it was a nightmare, but he quickly realized it was not a dream—it had really happened.

The scene from several days ago surfaced again in his mind.

Lu Ming, the main‑line heir of the Lu Family of Feng Huo City, his father being the Family Head; Lu Yao, meanwhile, is the daughter of the Grand Elder of the Lu Family's first branch.

They shared the same clan but different branches, growing up together since childhood—childhood sweethearts, inseparable, even privately swearing eternal vows and promising to marry.

Lu Ming never imagined that Lu Yao would join the Grand Elder in attacking him to seize his bloodline.

"Strength—everything is because I am weak; if I had extraordinary talent and great power, how could they dare treat me this way?"

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

Trash!

This was Lu Yao's nickname for him; her words from three days ago still echoed in his ears.

Squeak—!

Then the door was pushed open, and a frail‑bodied middle‑aged woman entered, looking at Lu Ming on the bed and asking with concern, "Ming'er, are you having another nightmare?"

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

Three days ago, it was Li Ping, worried for Lu Ming's safety, who went out to search and rescued him; otherwise Lu Ming would already be dead.

Since six years ago, when word spread that Lu Ming's father had been killed while traveling abroad, he and Li Ping have depended on each other.

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 beside his bed, touching his forehead, and said achingly, "It's been three days; every time you scream that Lu Yao harmed you, Ming'er—what on earth is going on? Could your injury be because of Lu Yao..."

Lu Ming replied, "Mother, nothing's wrong; you misheard."

Lu Ming did not tell Li Ping that it was Lu Yao and the Grand Elder who did it, for Li Ping does not practice martial arts, and informing her would only bring her harm.

Li Ping hesitated, then said, "Ming'er, from now on you must not call Yao'er's name directly in front of others. Two days ago Yao'er awakened a Level 5 Bloodline and even opened a Divine‑level Meridian; she has already gained the Elder Hall's approval. At the clan assembly in two months she will take charge of the Lu Family and become its head. To address the Family Head by name outright would likely be seen as disrespectful."

"What? Lu Yao will take over the Lu Family? She wishes!"

Lu Ming let out a low angry roar, his eyes bloodshot, his teeth grinding with a creaking sound, as if they would shatter, and blood began to flow.

It was rumored that Lu Ming's father was killed by someone six years ago, and for these six years the Lu family has been managed by the Elder Hall, with no new family head appointed.

Seeing Lu Ming like this, Li Ping was terrified and at a loss, merely holding Lu Ming's head as tears streamed down, saying: "Minger, don't scare Mother, Mother has already lost your father; I cannot lose you too."

"Father... where exactly are you? Minger believes you won't die, but now Minger is powerless, even unable to hold onto the position of family head."

Lu Ming tightly gripped the pendant on his neck, using so much force that his nails dug into his flesh, and blood continually seeped out.

This pendant, cast of bronze and the size of a pea, had been sent back by someone entrusted by Lu Ming's father before his accident, and Lu Ming had carried it with him for these six years.

Blood seeped from his palm and flowed toward the bronze pendant.

Hum!

Suddenly, the bronze pendant trembled slightly and became scorching hot.

Before Lu Ming could react, the bronze pendant shuddered and turned into fine powder that drilled into his palm, disappearing inside.

Then Lu Ming felt a scorching energy rise from his palm up his arm, and after a moment it settled at the Yintang acupoint between his brows.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

Suddenly, a tremendous roar echoed in Lu Ming's mind, shaking his thoughts with a buzzing resonance.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

The roars continued, echoing nonstop in Lu Ming's mind, after which a scorching breath emanated from his brow and surged toward his spine.

The next moment, the roars ceased, but a tingling sensation spread across his spine, and his whole body grew scorching hot.

"What's going on?"

Lu Ming was completely at a loss.

At this point, the tingling on his spine intensified, as if something were slowly growing.

"Minger, what's wrong with you? Don't scare Mother."

Sensing the abnormality in Lu Ming's body, Li Ping grew more frightened and was at a loss what to do.

"Bloodline rebirth? Could I really be undergoing 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 regrow a bloodline.

However, the reborn bloodline is mostly of low grade and of little use.

But there are also an extremely few who can break and then be established, reborn from the cocoon, rise from destruction, transcend the past, and awaken a supreme bloodline.

But this probability is so tiny as to be negligible; ancient records show hardly any cases.

Transcending the past and awakening a supreme bloodline, Lu Ming didn't even consider it, since the odds were minuscule; he would be thrilled just to awaken any bloodline.

With a bloodline, he could cultivate martial arts and change his fate.

Then the abnormal sensations on his body gradually faded, Lu Ming's face broke into a smile, and he said: "Mother, I'm fine!"

"Young Master, it's great that you're all right; you've scared us to death these past few days!"

At that moment, a girl walked over and said.

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

Lu Ming naturally recognized her; the girl's name was Qiu Yue, a personal maid of Li Ping who had grown up with him since childhood.

"Qiu Yue, I'm fine, don't worry!"

Lu Ming smiled and said.

Then Lu Ming glanced around, his expression suddenly changed, and he said: "Mother, where is this? This is not the Lu Family Main Residence!"

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

"Minger, just rest and recover, don't overthink it," Li Ping said, but the fleeting sorrow and tears in her eyes were still caught by Lu Ming.

"Mother, what exactly is going on?" Lu Ming asked.

"Young Master, let me explain: we have been driven out. Lu Yao says she is about to become family head and thus should move into the main residence, while we have no right to stay there, so they made us move out."

Beside her, Qiu Yue clenched her silver teeth, spoke up, and her pretty face was filled with anger.

"What? Lu Yao, you're bullying people too much!" Lu Ming roared.

"You worthless wretch, why are you shouting? Having a place to live is already a kindness; shouldn't you be grateful?"

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

"Lu Chuan, is that you!"

Lu Ming shouted angrily; this person was Lu Chuan, the older brother of Lu Yao, a bit older than Lu Ming.

"Lu Chuan, we've already left the main residence; why are you coming here?"

Li Ping said, instinctively stepping in front of Lu Ming as if fearing Lu Chuan might harm him.

"I've come to take the sword!"

Having said that, Lu Chuan's eyes scanned the surroundings; upon seeing a precious sword beside the bed, his eyes lit up, he immediately walked over and grabbed the sword in his hand.

"Lu Chuan, this sword is the sole token left by Minger's father, to be kept for Minger's future use; you cannot take it away."

Li Ping hurriedly reached out to snatch it.

"Get out of the way!"

Lu Chuan exerted force, the sword sheath trembled, and a burst of energy erupted; Li Ping, not a cultivator, could not withstand it, her body staggered backward, almost falling to the ground.

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.