Chapter 1119

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

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

The boy was slight of build, his face somewhat pallid, 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, and in the glow of the setting sun 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 a lifetime."

The girl's face showed a happy smile.

The boy's name was Lu Ming, the girl's name 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 then purchase spirit medicines to clear my meridians, and then I will be able to cultivate."

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

"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 in the future will certainly be a powerhouse." Lu Ming's face broke into a confident smile.

Lu Yao gave a faint smile, lifted the wine cup on the stone table; the cup held the famed Blood Tongue Orchid Wine, exuding a light, fresh fragrance.

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

Lu Ming took the cup and said, "Yao'er, you treat me to 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, Lu Ming's heart felt as sweet as the scent, but the next moment he began to feel dizzy.

"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 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—!

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 let out a loud roar and lunged at her.

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

"Duanmu Lin of the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect began training at six, cleared 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 Four Great Talents of the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect. As for you—frail, sickly, with blocked meridians—plainly put, 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 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 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 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 creaking with a "ga‑zui" sound.

Lu Ming was drenched in sweat, his face pallid; 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 rose 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.

Though of the same clan but different branches, they grew up together from childhood, childhood sweethearts, inseparable, and in private they had even sworn vows and pledged themselves to each other 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!

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

Squeak!

At that moment, 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, worried for Lu Ming's safety, who went out searching 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 face, Li Ping sat beside his bed, touched his forehead, and said achingly, "It's been three days; every time you scream that Lu Yao harmed you, Ming'er—what exactly 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, because Li Ping does not practice martial arts, and informing her would only endanger her.

Li Ping hesitated, then said, "Ming'er, from now on you must not call Lu Yao by name in front of others; two days ago she awakened a Level 5 bloodline and even cleared a Divine‑level meridian, gaining 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 directly would likely be seen as disrespectful."

"What? Lu Yao is going to take over the Lu Family? In her dreams!"

Lu Ming let out a low, angry roar, his eyes bloodshot, his teeth grinding with a creaking sound, as if they were about to shatter, and fresh blood flowed out.

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, "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, and even the Family Head position may not be held."

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 Bronze Pendant, 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.

Buzz—

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 after a moment it settled in the Yintang Acupoint.

"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 continuous roars kept echoing in Lu Ming's mind, and then a scorching breath emanated from the Yintang Acupoint, surging toward his spine.

The next moment, the roars ceased, but waves of numbness and itch spread from his spine, and his whole body turned 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 Lu Ming's abnormality, Li Ping grew even more frightened, at a loss what to do.

"Bloodline Rebirth? Could I really achieve 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, regrowing a bloodline.

However, the regenerated 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 a supreme bloodline.

But this probability is so small as to be negligible; ancient texts record that hardly any cases have ever occurred.

Transcending the past and awakening a supreme bloodline, Lu Ming didn't even dare to think about it, since the odds were too slim; he would be overjoyed just to awaken any bloodline.

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

At this moment, the strange 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 wonderful 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 smiled and said.

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

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

"Ming'er, rest and recover from your injuries, 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 the Family Head and should move into the Main Residence, but we have no right to stay there, so they forced us to 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 good-for-nothing, what are you shouting for? 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 elder brother of Lu Yao, and a bit older than Lu Ming.

"Lu Chuan, we've already left the Main Residence—what are you doing 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 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 future use; you cannot take it!"

Li Ping quickly reached out to grab 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, almost falling to the ground.

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.