Chapter 1126: with translation of chapter title

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 were stone stools, and 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 glow of the setting sun they looked like a pair of immortals.

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

"Brother Ming, 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 was Lu Yao.

Gazing at Lu Yao's smile, Lu Ming's eyes 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 channels, and then I will be able to cultivate."

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

"Thank you, Brother Ming."

Lu Yao's eyes shone with emotion as she added, "Brother Ming, 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 strong one," Lu Ming said, a confident smile on his face.

Lu Yao gave a faint smile, lifted the stone table's wine cup; inside was the famous 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, "Brother Ming, 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 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 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—!

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 training 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 he is one of the Four Great Talents of the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect; as for you, weak and sickly with blocked meridians—plainly put, you are trash. Even if you awaken your bloodline, you'll still be trash. How can you compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Such a genius is the proper match for me, Lu Yao; 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?"

A cold voice 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, and shouted, "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 boundless 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.

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 before 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 of the Lu Family; while Lu Yao is the daughter of the Grand Elder of the Lu Family's first branch.

They shared the same clan but different branches, having grown up together since childhood—childhood sweethearts, inseparable, and in private they had even sworn vows of eternal love and pledged themselves to each other.

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 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.

Squeak!

At that moment, the door was pushed open and a frail‑bodied middle‑aged woman entered; looking at Lu Ming on the bed, she asked 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 who, worried for 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 shout that Lu Yao harmed you, Ming'er—what on earth is going on? Could your injury be because of Lu Yao..."

Lu Ming said, "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 telling her would only bring her harm.

Li Ping hesitated a moment, 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 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 Family Head. To address the Family Head directly would 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, deep angry roar, eyes bloodshot, teeth clenched and grinding, making a creaking sound, teeth about to shatter, fresh blood flowing out.

Lu Ming's father was rumored to have been killed by someone six years ago; over these six years, the Lu Family has been continuously managed by the Elder Hall, with no new Family Head appointed.

Seeing Lu Ming like this, Li Ping panicked, just holding Lu Ming's head, tears streaming down, saying: "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; now, Ming'er is powerless, even the Family Head position cannot be kept."

Lu Ming tightly gripped the pendant on his neck; due to too much force, his nails dug into his flesh, fresh 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.

Fresh blood from his palm seeped out, flowing toward the bronze pendant.

Hum!

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 from his palm, up along his arm, and after a moment it settled 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.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

Continuous roars kept echoing in Lu Ming's mind; afterward, a scorching breath originated from the brow and surged toward his spine.

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

"What's going on?"

Lu Ming was completely at a loss.

At this moment, the numbness and itchiness on 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 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 low-grade and of little use.

But also an extremely few individuals can break and then establish, break the cocoon and be reborn, rising from destruction, transcending the past, awakening a supreme bloodline.

But this probability is so tiny 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 even think about it—after all, the odds were too small; he would be very happy just to awaken a bloodline.

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

At this time, the abnormal sensations on his body gradually faded; Lu Ming's face showed a smile, saying: "Mother, I'm fine!"

"Young Master, it's great that you're alright; these past few 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, saying: "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; 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, rightly entitled to reside in the Main Residence, while we had no qualification to continue living there, so they made us move out."

Beside her, Qiu Yue gritted her teeth, speaking out, her pretty little face filled 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 let you stay is already a favor; you should be grateful."

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

"Lu Chuan, is that you!"

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

"Lu Chuan, we've all left the Main Residence, why are you still coming here to do what?"

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

"I'm here to take the sword!"

After saying that, Lu Chuan's eyes scanned around; upon seeing a precious sword beside the bed, his eyes lit up, he immediately walked over and reached out to grab 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 use; you cannot take it away."

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, her body staggered backward, almost falling to the ground.

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.