Chapter 1129: Delicious Food Is Poisonous

The setting sun sank, and rosy light filled the sky.

Outside Feng Huo City, on Cui Yun Peak, there was a stone table with stone benches, where a boy and girl leaned against each other.

The boy was slight of build, his face somewhat 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 glow 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."

The girl's face showed a happy smile.

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

Looking at Lu Yao's smile, Lu Ming's gaze grew tender as he took her soft, boneless jade hand and said, "Yao'er, although my meridians are blocked and I cannot cultivate true qi, if I can awaken my bloodline, the Elder Hall will buy spirit medicine to clear my channels, and then I can train."

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

"Thank you, Ming brother."

Lu Yao's eyes showed emotion as she added, "Ming brother, a pulse tester once checked—did you inherit your father's bloodline?"

"Yes, Yao'er, so your future husband will surely be a strong one," Lu Ming said, confidence on his face.

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

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

Lu Ming took the cup and said, "Yao'er, you give me a cup of Blood Tongue Orchid Wine every day; I'm truly grateful to have you by my side."

Having said that, he raised the cup and drank it all 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 bit dizzy.

"Yao'er, why do I feel faint? 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 been with you three years just 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 cold 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 at six, opened 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 sect's Four Great Talents. As for you—weak, sickly, with blocked meridians—you're nothing but trash; even if you awaken your bloodline, you're still trash. How could you compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Only such a talent is worthy of being Lu Yao's match; to marry him we 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 came 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 full of loneliness, helplessness, and despair.

Gradually, Lu Ming sank into endless darkness.

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

Lu Ming bellowed, suddenly sitting up; the nanmu‑made bed creaked 'ga‑ji' under him.

Lu Ming was drenched in sweat, his face pale; at first he thought it was a nightmare, but he quickly realized it was no dream—it had really happened.

The scene from several days ago surfaced again in his mind.

Lu Ming, heir to the main line of the Lu Family of Feng Huo City; his father is the Family Head of the Lu Family. Lu Yao is the daughter of the Grand Elder of the Lu Family's first branch.

They shared the same ancestry but different branches, growing up together from childhood—childhood sweethearts, inseparable, even privately swearing eternal vows and promising to marry.

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 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 name 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 Lu Ming on the bed and asking 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 look for him and rescued him; otherwise Lu Ming would have died.

Since six years ago, when news came that Lu Ming's father was 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 fine—just a dream."

Seeing Lu Ming's pale face, Li Ping sat beside his bed, touching his forehead, and said sorrowfully, "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, 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 bring her harm.

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, Lu Yao awakened a Level 5 bloodline and even opened a Divine‑level meridian; she has already gained 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 utter the head's name outright would be seen as disrespectful."

What? Lu Yao wants to take over the Lu Family? She can forget it.

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

Lu Ming's father was rumored to have been killed by someone six years ago; in these six years, the Lu family has been managed by the Elder Hall, and no new family head has been 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; 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, fresh blood continually seeping out.

This 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 and 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.

Then Lu Ming felt a scorching energy rise from his palm up his arm, and after a moment it settled at the Yintang Acupoint.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

Suddenly, a tremendous roar echoed in Lu Ming's mind, causing his mind to buzz.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

The continuous roars kept echoing in Lu Ming's mind; then a scorching breath emanated from the center of his brow and surged toward his spine.

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

"What's going on?"

Lu Ming was completely at a loss.

At this point, 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 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 an extremely rare few can break and then be reborn, 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 such cases.

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

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

At this moment, the abnormal sensations gradually faded, Lu Ming's face showed a smile, and he said: "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, 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 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 had always lived in the Lu Family Main Residence, but this is not it.

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

At the side, Qiu Yue clenched her silver teeth and spoke out, her pretty little face filled with anger.

"What? Lu Yao, you're going too far!" Lu Ming roared.

"You good-for-nothing, why are you shouting? 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 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; what are you doing here?"

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

"I'm here to take the sword!"

Having said that, Lu Chuan's eyes scanned the surroundings; upon seeing a Precious Sword by the bedside, 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, to be kept for Ming'er's use; you cannot take it!"

Li Ping hurriedly reached out to grab it.

"Get out of the way!"

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.