Chapter 1123: I Need a New Identity

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

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

The boy was slender, his face slightly pale, his features delicate.

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

The girl rested her head on the boy's shoulder; in the sunset's light 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.

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

The girl's face showed a happy smile.

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 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 medicines 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‑gege."

Lu Yao's eyes shone with emotion as she added, "Ming‑gege, 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 smiled confidently.

Lu Yao smiled faintly, lifted the stone table's wine cup—inside was the famed Blood Tongue Orchid Wine, exhaling a light fragrance.

Lu Yao swiftly kissed Lu Ming's cheek, her face flushing, then raised the cup and said, "Ming‑gege, 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'm 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? 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 been with 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—!

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 nothing but cold.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's icy gaze was like a thousand 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 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—whereas you are frail and sickly, your meridians blocked; put bluntly, you're 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 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 stamped his foot on Lu Ming's back, a dagger appearing in his hand, shouting, "Lu Ming, offer up your bloodline!"

Ah!

A piercing pain shot through his spine, engulfing 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 ashen; at first he thought it a nightmare, but quickly realized it was no 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, the daughter of the Lu Family's first branch's Grand Elder.

They shared the same clan but different branches, growing up together since childhood—sweethearts inseparable, having even sworn private vows of lifelong union.

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

"Strength—everything is because I am weak; if I were gifted with 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!

That 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‑looking middle‑aged woman entered, gazing at the bedridden Lu Ming and asking anxiously, "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 he 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; you keep shouting that Lu Yao harmed you, Ming'er—what's going on? Could your injury be because of Lu Yao…"

Lu Ming replied, "Mother, there's nothing; 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 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 fifth‑tier bloodline and opened a divine‑level meridian, gaining the Elder Hall's approval; at the clan meeting in two months she will take charge of the Lu Family and become its head. To address the head directly would be seen as disrespectful."

"What? Lu Yao will take over the Lu Family? In her dreams!"

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

Lu Ming's father was rumored to have been killed six years ago; 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, at a loss, merely holding Lu Ming's head, tears streaming down, she said: "Minger, don't scare Mother, Mother has already lost your father, cannot lose you again."

"Father... where exactly are you, Minger believes you won't die; now, Minger is powerless, even the Family Head position cannot be kept."

Lu Ming tightly gripped the Bronze Pendant on his neck, using too much force, his nails dug into his flesh, fresh blood continually seeping out.

This Bronze Pendant, cast in 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.

Fresh blood seeped from his palm, flowing 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, after a while settling in the Yintang Acupoint between his brows.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

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

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

The roars continued, echoing nonstop in Lu Ming's mind; then a scorching breath rose from his brow and surged toward his spine.

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

"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.

"Minger, 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 having their bloodline 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 there are also extremely few who can break and then rise, undergoing Cocoon Rebirth, rising from destruction, transcending the past, awakening an ultimate bloodline.

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

Transcending the past and awakening an ultimate bloodline, Lu Ming didn't even think about it—the odds were too slim; he would be thrilled just to awaken a 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 showed a smile and said: "Mother, I'm fine!"

"Young Master, it's great you're alright; 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, 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 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 is not it.

"Minger, heal well and 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 Family Head, rightly entitled to reside in the Main Residence, while we had no qualification to keep living there, so they made us move out."

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

"What? Lu Yao, you're bullying too far!" 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 opened, and a young man stepped out.

"Lu Chuan, is that you!"

Lu Ming shouted angrily, this person named Lu Chuan, the elder brother of Lu Yao, 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, seemingly afraid Lu Chuan might harm Lu Ming.

"I came 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 Lu Ming's father, meant for Lu Ming in the future; you cannot take it."

Li Ping hurriedly reached out to snatch it.

"Get lost!"

Lu Chuan exerted force, the sword sheath trembled, releasing a burst of power; Li Ping, not a cultivator, could not withstand it, stumbling backward and nearly falling.

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.