Chapter 1127: Pandora's Magic Box

The sun set in the west, rosy clouds filled the sky.

Outside Feng Huo City, on Cui Yun Peak, there stood a stone table with stone stools beside it, 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; bathed in the sunset, 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.

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

A happy smile appeared on the girl's face.

The boy was named Lu Ming, the girl Lu Yao.

Looking at Lu Yao's smile, Lu Ming's gaze grew gentler as he held her soft, boneless jade hand and said, "Yao'er, though my meridians are blocked and I cannot condense true qi, if I awaken my bloodline the Elder Hall will buy spirit medicine to clear my channels, then I can 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 asked, "Ming brother, a pulse tester once examined you—did you inherit your father's bloodline?"

"Yes, Yao'er, so your future husband will surely be a strong one." Lu Ming smiled confidently.

Lu Yao smiled faintly, lifted the wine cup on the stone table; inside was the famed Blood Tongue Orchid Wine, exuding a faint fragrance.

"Lu Yao swiftly kissed Lu Ming's cheek, her face flushing, she raised the cup and said, 'Ming brother, 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, his heart as sweet as the scent—but the next moment he felt a spell of dizziness.

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

Lu Ming leaned on the stone table, looking 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 nothing but cold.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's icy gaze was like a barrage of daggers piercing Lu Ming's heart; he roared and lunged at her.

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

"Xuan Yuan Sword Sect's Duanmu Lin 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 sect's Four Great Talents; you, meanwhile, are weak and sickly, your meridians blocked—plainly you are trash, and even if you awaken your bloodline you remain 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, do me a favor—let your bloodline 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!

A piercing pain shot through 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 do you seize my bloodline?"

Lu Ming bellowed, suddenly sitting up; the nanmu‑made bed creaked loudly.

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

Though of the same clan but different branches, they had grown up together since childhood, inseparable sweethearts, even having sworn eternal love in private 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 were supremely talented and powerful, 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.

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 anxiously, "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 he would have died.

Since the news six years ago 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 anguishedly, "It's been three days; you keep shouting that Lu Yao harmed you, Ming'er—what is going on? Could your injury be because of Lu Yao..."

Lu Ming replied, "Mother, 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's name directly in front of others; two days ago she awakened a Level 5 bloodline and opened a Divine‑level meridian, gaining the Elder Hall's approval, and at the clan meeting in two months she will take charge of the Lu family and become its head—speaking the family head's name outright might be seen as disrespectful."

"What? Lu Yao will take over the Lu family? Not a chance!"

Lu Ming let out a low angry roar, his eyes bloodshot, his teeth grinding with a creaking sound, as if they would 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 in this state, 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, unable even to hold onto the position of family head."

Lu Ming tightly grasped the pendant on his neck, using so much force that his fingernails 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; for these six years Lu Ming has always kept it close.

The fresh blood seeping from his palm 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 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 thoughts into a buzzing haze.

"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 Yintang and surged toward his spine.

The next instant, the roars faded, but a tingling sensation spread across his spine, and his whole body grew scorching hot.

"What's going on?"

Lu Ming was completely at a loss.

At this moment, the tingling 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 even more frightened and felt at a loss what to do.

"Bloodline Rebirth? Could I really be experiencing Bloodline Rebirth?" Lu Ming wondered.

Ancient texts record that only very few people, after having their bloodline stripped away or damaged for other reasons, are capable of Bloodline Rebirth, regrowing a new 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 minuscule as to be negligible; ancient records show hardly any cases.

Transcending the past and awakening a supreme bloodline—Lu Ming didn't dare hope for that, given how tiny the odds were; he would be overjoyed just to awaken any bloodline.

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

Then the strange sensations 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; these past few days you've scared us to death!"

At that moment, a girl walked over and spoke.

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, rest easy!"

Lu Ming smiled and said.

Then Lu Ming glanced around, his expression suddenly changing, and he said, "Mother, where is this? This isn't 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 place is not it.

"Ming'er, rest and heal your wounds, 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 thus should move into the main residence, while we are no longer qualified to stay there, so they have made us move out."

Beside her, Qiu Yue clenched her silver teeth, spoke up, and her pretty face flushed with anger.

"What? Lu Yao, you're bullying people 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 was 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 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 reached out to seize the sword.

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

Li Ping hurriedly 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, nearly falling to the ground.

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.