Chapter 1122: Actually, It Is a Hunt

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-built, his complexion somewhat pale, and his features delicate and handsome.

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

The girl rested her head on the boy's shoulder; 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, a happy smile spreading across his face.

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

The girl's face lit up with a happy smile.

The boy's name was Lu Ming, and 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 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 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 in the future will certainly be a strong one." Lu Ming smiled confidently.

Lu Yao gave a faint smile, lifted the stone table's wine cup—inside was 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 wine cup and said, "Ming brother, come, let Yao'er treat you."

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, making his heart feel as sweet as the scent, but the next moment he began to feel dizzy.

"Yao'er, why do I feel a bit dizzy? Your 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—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 his heart; he roared 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, who began cultivating at six, opened two divine veins in half a year, entered the Warrior Realm, reached the Martial Master Realm at nine, and now at sixteen is one of the Four Great Talents of the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect—whereas you, frail and sickly with blocked meridians, are nothing but trash; even if you awaken your bloodline, you'll still be trash—how could you compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Such a genius is the only suitable match for me, Lu Yao; 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 sharp dagger appearing in his hand, and shouted, "Lu Ming, offer up your bloodline!"

Ah!

A piercing pain stabbed his spine, instantly overwhelming Lu Ming; he howled, his voice filled with loneliness, helplessness, and despair.

Gradually, Lu Ming sank into endless darkness.

"Lu Yao, Lu Yunxiong, why are you stealing my bloodline?"

Lu Ming bellowed, then sprang upright from the bed, causing the nanmu‑wood bed to creak 'ga—ji'.

Lu Ming was drenched in sweat, his face ashen; 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, the heir of the main branch of the Lu family of Feng Huo City, his father being the family head; while Lu Yao is the daughter of the Grand Elder of the Lu family's first branch.

Though they belonged to different branches of the same clan, they had grown up together since childhood, childhood sweethearts, inseparable, and in private had even sworn eternal 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 term for him; her words from three days ago seemed still to echo in his ears.

Creak!

At that moment, the door was pushed open and a frail‑looking middle‑aged woman entered, gazing at Lu Ming on the bed and asking with concern, "Ming'er, have you had another nightmare?"

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

Three days earlier, it was Li Ping who, worried about Lu Ming's safety, 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 all right; it was just a dream."

Seeing Lu Ming's pale complexion, 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 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, 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 Lu Yao awakened a Level 5 bloodline and even opened 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? She can forget about it."

Lu Ming let out a low angry roar, his eyes bloodshot, his teeth clenched and grinding, his teeth about to shatter, blood flowing out.

Lu Ming's father was rumored to have been killed by someone six years ago, and 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, tears streaming down, she said: "Ming'er, don't scare Mother, Mother has already lost your father, cannot lose you again."

Father... where exactly are you, Ming'er believes you won't die, but now Ming'er is powerless, even the Family Head position may not be kept.

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

This pendant, cast of bronze, the size of a pea, was sent back by someone entrusted before Lu Ming's father's accident; these six years Lu Ming has always carried it with him.

Blood seeping from his palm flowed toward the bronze pendant.

Buzz!

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

Before Lu Ming could react, the bronze pendant, with a jolt, turned into fine powder that drilled into his palm and vanished 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 mind with a buzzing.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

Continuous roars kept echoing in Lu Ming's mind, then a scorching breath emanated from the 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.

"What's going on?"

Lu Ming was completely at a loss.

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

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

Sensing the abnormality on Lu Ming's body, Li Ping grew more frightened, 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 their bloodline is stripped or damaged for other reasons, can undergo Bloodline Rebirth, regrowing a bloodline.

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

But also an extremely few people can break and then be established, undergo Cocoon Rebirth, rise from destruction, transcend the past, and awaken a supreme bloodline.

But this probability is so small it can be neglected; ancient texts record that there have hardly ever been any cases.

Transcending the past and awakening a supreme bloodline, Lu Ming didn't think about it, since the odds were too tiny; he would be very happy just to awaken a bloodline.

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

Then the abnormality on his body gradually faded, Lu Ming showed a smile and said: "Mother, I'm fine!"

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

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, Li Ping's personal maid, who had grown up with him since childhood.

"Qiu Yue, I'm fine, rest assured!"

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 used to be the head of the Lu Family, and they used to live in the Lu Family Main Residence, but this is not it.

"Ming'er, rest and recover, don't overthink!" 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 Family Head, so she should move into the Main Residence, but we aren't qualified to keep living there, so they made us move out."

Beside her, Qiu Yue clenched her silver teeth, spoke out, her pretty little face flushed with anger.

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

"You good-for-nothing, why are you shouting? Having a place to live is already a favor to you, yet you don't show gratitude."

Just then, a voice sounded from outside the door, the door opened, and a young man walked 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 still coming here?"

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

"I've come to take the sword!"

After saying that, Lu Chuan scanned the surroundings with his eyes; upon seeing a precious sword beside the bed, his eyes lit up, he immediately went over and grabbed the sword in his hand.

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

Li Ping quickly reached out to snatch it.

"Get lost!"

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

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.