Chapter 1131

The setting sun sank westward, rosy clouds filling 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 slight of build, his face somewhat pallid, 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 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; 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 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 your future husband 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 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 treat me to 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 bit dizzy.

"Yao'er, why do I feel a little faint? This 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—!

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 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 cultivating at six, opened two divine meridians in half a year, entered the Warrior Realm, reached Martial Master at nine, and now at sixteen he is one of the sect's Four Great Talents; you, meanwhile, are frail and sickly, your meridians blocked—plainly you are trash. Even if you awaken your bloodline, you'll 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 planted a foot on Lu Ming's back, a dagger appearing in his hand, shouting, "Lu Ming, offer up your bloodline!"

Ah!

At the spine, a piercing pain instantly engulfed Lu Ming; he bellowed, 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 creaking "ga—ji".

Lu Ming was drenched in sweat, his face pallid; at first he thought it a nightmare, but 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 main‑line heir of the Feng Huo Lu clan, his father being the clan head; Lu Yao, meanwhile, is the daughter of the Elder of the Lu clan's first branch.

Though of the same ancestry but different branches, they grew up together from childhood, childhood sweethearts, inseparable, and in private had even sworn vows and pledged themselves for life.

Lu Ming never imagined that Lu Yao would join the 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 nickname for him; her words from three days ago still echoed in his ears.

Creak!

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, did you have 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 Lu Ming 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 pallid face, 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 exactly 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 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's name directly in front of others. Two days ago she awakened a fifth‑tier bloodline and even opened a divine‑level meridian; she has already gained the Elder Hall's approval, and at the clan assembly in two months she will take charge of the Lu family and become its head. To address the head by name outright would likely be seen as disrespectful."

"What? Lu Yao is going to take over the Lu clan? She can forget it."

Lu Ming let out a low angry roar, his eyes bloodshot, his jaws clenched so tightly they creaked, his teeth about to break, blood flowing out.

It was rumored that Lu Ming's father had been killed by someone six years ago; in 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 his head as tears streamed down, saying, "Minger, don't scare Mother; Mother has already lost your father, I cannot lose you too."

"Father... where exactly are you? Minger believes you won't die, but now he is powerless, unable even to hold onto the position of family head."

Lu Ming gripped the pendant on his neck tightly; using too much force, his nails dug into his flesh, blood continually seeping 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 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 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 it so that his thoughts buzzed.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

The roars continued, echoing nonstop in Lu Ming's mind; then a scorching breath issued from the point between his brows and surged toward his spine.

The next instant, the roars ceased, but a tingling sensation spread along 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.

"Minger, what's wrong with you? Don't scare Mother."

Sensing the abnormality in Lu Ming's body, Li Ping grew even 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 severed or damaged for other reasons, can undergo Bloodline Rebirth, regrowing a bloodline.

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

But an extremely rare few can break and then be established, break the cocoon to be reborn, rise from destruction, transcend the past, and awaken a supreme bloodline.

But this probability is so tiny it can be neglected; ancient records show hardly any cases.

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

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

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

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, Li Ping's personal maid, 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 he said, "Mother, where is this? This is not 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.

"Minger, just 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 have been driven out. Lu Yao says she is about to become family head and should move into the main residence, while we have no right to stay there, so they made us move out."

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

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

"You good-for-nothing, why are you shouting? Having a place to live is already a favor; you should be grateful."

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

"Lu Chuan, is that you!"

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

"Lu Chuan, we've all 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's eyes scanned the surroundings; 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 Minger's father, to be kept for Minger's future use; you cannot take it."

Li Ping hastily reached out to snatch it.

"Get out of the way!"

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

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.