Chapter 1142

The setting sun, rosy clouds filling the sky.

Outside Feng Huo City, on Cui Yun Peak, there is a stone table; beside it, stone stools; a boy and girl lean against each other.

The boy is slight of build, his complexion slightly pale, his features delicate.

The girl wears a snow-white long dress, her skin like jade, her appearance absolutely beautiful.

The girl rests her head on the boy's shoulder; in the sunset's glow, they resemble a celestial couple.

"Yao'er, I truly wish we could stay like this forever!" Brother Ming said, a happy smile on his face, speaking softly.

"Brother Ming, of course we can; we did say we would be together for life."

A happy smile appeared on the girl's face.

The boy's name is Lu Ming; the girl's name is Lu Yao.

Gazing 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 spiritual medicine to clear my meridians, and then I will be able to cultivate."

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

"Thank you, Brother Ming."

Lu Yao's eyes showed emotion, and she said again, "Brother Ming, there really was a pulse tester who tested you; did you inherit your father's Bloodline?"

"Yes, Yao'er, so your future husband will surely be a strong one." Lu Ming's face showed a confident smile.

Lu Yao smiled slightly, lifted the stone table's alcohol cup; the cup contained the famous Blood Tongue Orchid Wine, emitting a faint fragrance.

Lu Yao swiftly kissed Lu Ming's cheek, her face blushing; she lifted the alcohol cup and said, "Brother Ming, come, Yao'er presents this to you."

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

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

The alcohol's fragrance lingered on his tongue; Lu Ming's heart felt as sweet as that fragrance, but the next moment he felt the world spin.

"Yao'er, why do I feel a bit dizzy? This alcohol..."

Lu Ming leaned on the stone table, looking at Lu Yao, but at this moment he noticed her face was a bit 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 this moment, a middle-aged man appeared from the side; it was Lu Yao's father.

Boom—!

Like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, it exploded in Lu Ming's mind.

"Yao'er!"

Lu Ming looked at Lu Yao in disbelief, but Lu Yao's eyes were full of coldness.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's cold eyes were like sharp daggers stabbing into Lu Ming's heart; he let out a loud shout and lunged at Lu Yao.

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

"Xuan Yuan Sword Sect's Duanmu Lin, who began cultivating at 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 Xuan Yuan Sword Sect's Four Great Talents. As for you, weak and sickly, with blocked meridians—put bluntly, you are trash; even if you awaken your Bloodline, you remain trash—how can you compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Only such a talent is worthy of being Lu Yao's match; to marry into that family, one must awaken a powerful Bloodline. Since you love me so much, why not fulfill me—let your Bloodline help me awaken an even stronger Bloodline?"

A cold voice issued from Lu Yao's mouth.

Thud!

At this 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!

At his spine, a piercing pain instantly engulfed Lu Ming; he howled, his voice full of loneliness, helplessness, and despair.

Gradually, Lu Ming sank into endless darkness.

"Lu Yao, Lu Yunxiong, why do you take my Bloodline?!"

Lu Ming let out a loud shout, suddenly sitting up from the bed; the nanmu-made bed creaked with a 'geez' sound.

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 had actually happened.

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

Lu Ming, the main lineage heir of the Lu Family of Feng Huo City; his father is the Family Head of the Lu Family. And Lu Yao, 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 vows of eternal love, pledging to be together for life.

Lu Ming never expected 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!

This is how Lu Yao called him; her words from three days ago still echoed in his ears.

Squeak!

At this moment, the door was pushed open, and a frail 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, worried about Lu Ming's safety, who went out to search and saved him; otherwise Lu Ming would have died.

Since six years ago, when word spread that Lu Ming's father was killed while traveling abroad, he has depended on Li Ping for survival.

Lu Ming looked at Li Ping, his gaze softening, and said: "Mother, it's nothing, just a dream."

Seeing Lu Ming's pale complexion, Li Ping sat beside his bed, touching his forehead, and said with heartache: "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, 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; telling her would only bring her harm.

Li Ping hesitated, then said: "Ming'er, from now on, in front of others you must not directly call Lu Yao's name; two days ago, Lu Yao awakened a Level 5 Bloodline and also opened a Divine-level Meridian, gaining the Elder Hall's recognition; at the clan assembly in two months, she will take charge of the Lu Family and become its Family Head; to directly address the Family Head's name would likely be seen as disrespectful."

"What? Lu Yao will take charge of the Lu Family? In her dreams!"

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

Lu Ming's father was rumored to have been killed 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 like this, Li Ping panicked, merely holding Lu Ming's head as tears streamed down, saying: "Minger, don't scare Mother, Mother has already lost your Father, I cannot lose you too."

"Father... where are you, Minger believes you won't die; now Minger is powerless, even the Family Head position cannot be kept."

Lu Ming tightly gripped the pendant on his neck, using so much force his nails dug into his flesh, fresh blood continually seeping out.

This pendant, cast of bronze and the size of a pea, was sent back by someone entrusted before Lu Ming's father met with misfortune; for 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.

Next, Lu Ming felt a scorching energy rise from his palm up his arm, after a while settling at 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!"

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

The next moment, the roars ceased, but a tingling numbness spread from his spine, his whole body becoming scorching hot.

"What's going on?"

Lu Ming was completely at a loss.

At this point, 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 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 also an extremely few individuals can break and then be reborn, breaking the cocoon to be reborn, rising from destruction, transcending the past, awakening a supreme bloodline.

But this probability is so small it can be neglected; ancient texts record hardly any cases.

Transcending the past and awakening a supreme bloodline, Lu Ming didn't dwell on it—the odds were too tiny; he would be overjoyed just to awaken a bloodline.

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

Then the abnormal sensations gradually faded, Lu Ming's face showed a smile, and he said: "Mother, I'm fine!"

"Young Master, it's great you're alright; these past few 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, 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 Family Head of the Lu Family, and they had always lived in the Lu Family Main Residence, but this is not it.

"Minger, 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 Family Head, rightly entitled to reside in the Main Residence, while we lack the qualification to stay, so we were made to move out."

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

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

"You good-for-nothing, what are you shouting for? Having a place to live is already a favor; 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 named Lu Chuan, the older brother of Lu Yao, slightly older than Lu Ming.

"Lu Chuan, we've already left the Main Residence; why are you coming 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 beside the bed, his eyes lit up, he immediately went 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 snatch it.

"Get lost!"

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

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.