Chapter 1141

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 stood stone stools, and a boy and girl leaned against each other.

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

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, speaking softly.

"Brother Ming, of course we can; we promised to be together for life."

A happy smile appeared on the girl's face.

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 purchase spirit medicine to clear my meridians, and then I will be able to cultivate."

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

"Thank you, Brother Ming."

Lu Yao's eyes showed 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 marry will surely be a powerful one." Lu Ming's face showed a confident smile.

Lu Yao smiled faintly, lifted the stone table's alcohol cup; 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 alcohol cup and said, "Brother Ming, come, Yao'er offers you a drink."

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 said that, he raised the alcohol cup and drained it in one gulp.

The alcohol'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 bit dizzy? This alcohol..."

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, Lu Yao 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 appeared from the side—Lu Yao's father.

Boom—rumble—!

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 full of coldness.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's cold gaze was like a series of daggers stabbing into Lu Ming's heart; he let out a loud roar 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 cultivated from age six, opened two divine veins in half a year, entering the Warrior Realm; at nine he entered 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 are nothing but trash; even if you awakened your bloodline, you'd still be trash. How could you compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Only such a talent is worthy of being my match; to marry him I must awaken a powerful 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 stepped on Lu Ming's back with one foot, a dagger appearing in his hand, shouting, "Lu Ming, offer up your bloodline!"

Ah!

A piercing pain in his spine instantly overwhelmed 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 let out a great shout, 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 was a nightmare, but he quickly realized it was not a dream but what had actually 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 of the Lu Family; Lu Yao, meanwhile, 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 since childhood—childhood sweethearts, inseparable, and in private they had even sworn lifelong vows, pledging 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 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 still echoed 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 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 painfully, "It's been three days; you keep shouting that Lu Yao harmed you, Ming'er—what exactly is going on? Could your injury be because of Lu Yao..."

Lu Ming said, "Mother, it's nothing; 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 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, Lu Yao awakened a Level 5 Bloodline and 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 head; to address the Family Head by name outright 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 clenched and grinding, about to shatter, blood flowing out.

Six years ago, rumors said Lu Ming's father was killed by someone; 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 panicked, merely holding his head, tears streaming down, saying: "Ming'er, don't scare Mother, Mother already lost your father; I cannot lose you too."

"Father... where are you? Ming'er believes you won't die, but now Ming'er is powerless, even the Family Head position may be lost."

Lu Ming tightly gripped the pendant on his neck, using so much force his nails dug into his flesh, 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.

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 shook 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 it so it buzzed.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

The continuous roars kept echoing in Lu Ming's mind; then a scorching breath originated from the Yintang 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.

"What's happening?"

Lu Ming was completely at a loss.

At this moment, the numbness and itch on his spine intensified, as if something were slowly growing.

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

Sensing Lu Ming's abnormality, 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.

But the regrown bloodline is mostly low grade, of little use.

But also an extremely few people can break and then be established, undergo Cocoon Rebirth, rise from destruction, transcend the past, and awaken a supreme bloodline.

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

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

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

Then the abnormalities on his body gradually faded, Lu Ming showed a smile, saying: "Mother, I'm fine!"

"Young Master, it's great you're fine; these past days you've scared us to death!"

Then 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 changed, and he 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; they used to live in the Lu Family Main Residence, but this is not it.

"Ming'er, just heal your wounds, 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 right to stay there, so they made us move out."

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

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

"You worthless wretch, why are you shouting? Having a place to live is already a kindness; shouldn't you be grateful?"

Just then, a voice sounded 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, elder 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 Lu Ming.

"I came to take the sword!"

After saying that, Lu Chuan scanned the area with his eyes; upon seeing the precious sword by the bedside, his eyes lit up, he immediately walked over and grabbed the sword.

"Lu Chuan, this sword is the sole token left by Ming'er's father, meant for him 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.