Chapter 1112: He actually came to the door on his own

The setting sun sank westward, rosy clouds filling the sky.

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

The boy was slight of build, his complexion 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, a happy smile on his face, speaking softly.

"Ming, 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 as 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 purchase spiritual medicine to clear my meridians, and then I will be able to cultivate."

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

"Thank you, Ming."

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

"Yes, Yao'er, so the man you will marry will certainly be a strong one," Lu Ming said, a confident smile on his face.

Lu Yao smiled faintly, lifted the stone table's wine cup—inside was the famous Blood Tongue Orchid Wine, exuding a faint, pure fragrance.

Lu Yao swiftly kissed Lu Ming's cheek, her face flushing, then raised the cup and said, "Ming, come, Yao'er offers you a drink."

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 spoken, 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 spell of dizziness.

"Yao'er, why do I feel a bit dizzy? This wine…"

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

"Hahaha, Lu Ming, Yao'er has accompanied you for three years merely to nurture your veins; 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 filled only with coldness.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's cold gaze was like a series of sharp daggers piercing 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 began cultivating at six, opened two divine veins in half a year, entering the Warrior Realm; at nine he reached the Martial Master Realm; now sixteen, he is one of the sect's Four Great Talents. And you? Weak and sickly, your meridians blocked—plainly, you are trash. Even if you awaken your bloodline, you'll still be trash. How can you compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Only such a talent is worthy of being my match; to marry him I must awaken a mighty bloodline. Since you love me so much, why not fulfill my wish—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 stepped on Lu Ming's back, a dagger appearing in his hand, shouting, "Lu Ming, offer up your bloodline!"

Ah!

At his spine, a piercing pain instantly engulfed Lu Ming; he howled, his voice full of 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 had been a nightmare, but he quickly realized it was not a dream but an actual event.

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

Lu Ming, heir of the Lu Family's main line in Feng Huo City—his father is the Lu Family patriarch. Lu Yao, meanwhile, is the daughter of the Lu Family's first branch Grand Elder.

They shared the same ancestry but different branches, growing up together since childhood—childhood sweethearts, inseparable, having even sworn private vows to stay together for life.

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 possessed extraordinary talent and great strength, 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 name 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 lovely woman was Lu Ming's mother, Li Ping.

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

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 all right—just a dream."

Seeing Lu Ming's pale complexion, Li Ping sat beside his bed, touching his forehead, and said achingly, "It's been three days; every time you cry out that Lu Yao harmed you, Ming'er—what on earth is happening? 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 a moment, then said, "Ming'er, from now on you must not call Lu Yao's name directly in front of others. Two days ago Lu Yao 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 is going to take over the Lu Family? She can forget it."

Lu Ming let out a low angry roar, his eyes bloodshot, his teeth clenched and creaking, his teeth about to be crushed, and fresh blood flowed out.

Lu Ming's father was rumored to have been killed by someone six years ago, and in 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 panicked, merely holding Lu Ming's head as tears streamed down, saying, "Ming'er, don't scare Mother, Mother has already lost your father; I cannot lose you too."

"Father... where exactly are you? Ming'er believes you won't die, but now Ming'er is powerless, unable even 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 fresh 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.

Fresh 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.

Next, Lu Ming felt a scorching energy rise from his palm up his arm and then settle in the Yintang acupoint between his brows.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

Suddenly, a tremendous roar echoed in Lu Ming's mind, shaking his mind 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 the center of his brow and surged toward his spine.

The next moment, the roars ceased, but waves of numbness and itch spread from his spine, and his whole body became scorching hot.

"What's going on?"

Lu Ming was completely at a loss.

At this moment, the numbness and itch in his spine intensified, as if something were slowly growing.

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

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

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

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

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

But there are also an extremely few individuals who can break and then be reborn, breaking the cocoon to be reborn, rising from destruction, transcending the past, and awakening an ultimate bloodline.

But the odds are so small they can be neglected; ancient records show that hardly any such cases have ever occurred.

Transcending the past and awakening an ultimate bloodline, Lu Ming didn't even think about it, since the odds were too slim; 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 this 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 said with a smile.

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 is not it.

"Ming'er, 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 were driven out. Lu Yao said she would soon become the family head and should move into the main residence, while we have no right to keep living there, so they made us move out."

At the side, Qiu Yue clenched her silver teeth, spoke up, and her pretty little face was filled with anger.

"What? Lu Yao, you're going too far!" Lu Ming roared.

"You good-for-nothing, 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 walked out.

"Lu Chuan, is that you!"

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

"Lu Chuan, we've all left the main residence; what are you doing here?"

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

"I've come to take the sword!"

Having said that, Lu Chuan scanned the surroundings with his eyes; 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 Ming'er's father, meant to be kept for Ming'er's use; you cannot take it away!"

Li Ping hurriedly reached out to snatch it.

"Get lost!"

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 and she almost fell to the ground.

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.