Chapter 1145: Seeking Death by Visiting

The setting sun sank in the west, and rosy clouds spread across the sky.

Outside Feng Huo City, on Cui Yun Peak, there was a stone table; beside it a stone bench, where a pair of teenage boy and girl leaned against each other.

The boy was slender, his complexion slightly pale, his face delicate.

The girl wore a snow‑white long dress, her skin like jade, her beauty exquisite.

She rested her head on his shoulder, and in the sunset they looked like a pair of celestial lovers.

"Yao'er, I truly wish we could be like this forever!" the boy's face brimmed with a happy smile as he whispered.

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

A happy smile spread across the girl's face.

The boy's name was Lu Ming, the girl's name was Lu Yao.

Seeing the smile on Lu Yao's face, Lu Ming's gaze grew even gentler; he clasped her delicate, boneless jade hand and said, "Yao'er, although my tendons are blocked and I cannot condense true Qi, once I awaken my bloodline, the Elder Hall will purchase a spirit medicine to clear my meridians, and then I can cultivate."

"I will certainly become a martial strongman and protect you for a lifetime,"

"Thank you, Ming brother."

Lu Yao's eyes showed moved emotion, and 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 surely be a strong one," Lu Ming said, his face showing a confident smile.

Lu Yao gave a faint smile, lifted the wine cup on the stone table; inside was the famed Blood Tongue Orchid Wine, emitting a faint fragrance.

Lu Yao flashed a kiss on Lu Ming's cheek, her face flushing shyly, then raised the cup and said, "Ming brother, here, Yao'er treats you."

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

Having spoken, he lifted the cup and drank it down in one gulp.

The wine's scent lingered on his tongue, and Lu Ming's heart was as sweet as the aroma, but the next instant he felt a dizzy spin.

"Yao'er, why am I feeling a bit dizzy? Your wine..."

Lu Ming leaned on the stone table, looking at Lu Yao, but at that moment he noticed her expression had turned cold.

"Hahaha, Lu Ming, Yao'er has been with you for three years just to nurture a pulse; the time has come, hand over your bloodline, will you?"

At that moment a middle‑aged man appeared from the side; he was Lu Yao's father.

Boom—

Like a thunderclap on a clear day, it exploded in Lu Ming's mind.

"Yao'er!"

Lu Ming looked at Lu Yao in disbelief, but her eyes were entirely indifferent.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's cold stare, like a handful of daggers, pierced Lu Ming's heart; he let out a roar and pounced toward her.

But Lu Yao only 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, entered the Warrior Realm, entered the Martial Master Realm at nine, now sixteen, one of the sect's Four Great Talents; and you? Frail, sickly, your meridians blocked—plainly, you're a waste. Even if you awaken your bloodline, you're still a waste. How could you compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Such a talent is the perfect match for me, Lu Yao; to marry him I must awaken a powerful bloodline. Since you love me so much, why not use your bloodline to help me awaken an even stronger one?"

The cold voice came from Lu Yao's mouth.

Clang!

At that moment the middle‑aged man stepped his foot onto Lu Ming's back, a sharp blade appearing in his hand, shouting, "Lu Ming, surrender your bloodline!"

Ah!

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

Gradually, Lu Ming sank into boundless darkness.

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

Lu Ming let out a loud roar, abruptly sitting up from the bed, the nan wood bed creaking with a 'creak'.

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 a real happening.

The scene from several days earlier resurfaced in his mind.

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

Though of the same clan but different branches, they grew up together from childhood, inseparable, and privately had already sworn eternal vows, privately fixing their lifelong union.

Lu Ming could never have imagined that Lu Yao would side with the Grand Elder to strike at him and seize his bloodline.

"Power—everything is because my strength is insufficient; if my talent were extraordinary and my power great, how could they dare treat me this way?"

Lu Ming clenched his fists, his whole body trembling, his eyes filled with blood vessels.

Waste!

That was Lu Yao's nickname 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 and asking with concern, "Ming'er, did you have another nightmare?"

The beautiful woman was Lu Ming's mother, Li Ping.

Three days earlier, Li Ping, worried about Lu Ming's safety, went out searching and rescued him; otherwise he would have died.

Since the report six years ago that Lu Ming's father was slain while traveling, he has been dependent on Li Ping.

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 at his bedside, touching his forehead, and said with a aching heart, "It's been three days; each time you shout that Lu Yao hurt you, Ming'er, what's really going on? Could your injury be because of Lu Yao..."

Lu Ming replied, "Mother, it's nothing, you heard wrong."

Lu Ming did not tell Li Ping that Lu Yao and the Grand Elder were behind it, because Li Ping does not practice martial ways; telling her would only harm her.

Li Ping hesitated briefly, then said, "Ming'er, from now on you may not address Lu Yao by name in front of others. Two days ago Lu Yao awakened a Level 5 Bloodline and also opened a Divine-level Meridian; she has now received the Elder Hall's approval, and at the clan meeting in two months she will take charge of the Lu Family, becoming its head. Calling her by the Family Head's title might be considered disrespectful."

"What? Lu Yao will take charge of the Lu Family? She doesn't stand a chance."

Lu Ming let out a low, angry roar, his eyes bloodshot, his teeth clenched and grinding, as if they would shatter, blood flowing out.

It was rumored that Lu Ming's father was killed by someone six years ago; 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 was terrified, at a loss, merely holding his head as tears streamed down, saying, "Minger, don't scare Mother; Mother has already lost your father, cannot lose you too."

"Father... where exactly are you? Minger believes you won't die, but now I am powerless; I can't even hold onto the position of family head."

Lu Ming tightly gripped the pendant on his neck; 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 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 particles 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 between his brows.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

Suddenly, a tremendous roar echoed in Lu Ming's mind, shaking his thoughts with a buzzing resonance.

"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 frighten 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 achieve 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 reborn bloodline is mostly low-grade and of little use.

But an extremely rare few 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 it can be ignored; ancient records show hardly any cases.

Transcending the past and awakening a supreme bloodline, Lu Ming didn't dare hope— 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 gradually faded; Lu Ming's face broke into a smile as he said, "Mother, I'm fine!"

"Young Master, it's great that you're all right; these past 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, Li Ping's personal maid, who had grown up with him since childhood.

"Qiu Yue, I'm fine, don't worry!"

Lu Ming smiled.

Then Lu Ming glanced around, his expression suddenly changing as 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.

"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've been driven out; Lu Yao says she will soon become family head, so she ought to move into the main residence, while we lack the qualification to stay there, so they've made us move out."

At the side, Qiu Yue clenched her silver teeth, speaking out, 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 named 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 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 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 to the ground.

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.