Chapter 1149

The setting sun sank westward, and 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 slightly thin-built, his complexion somewhat pale, and his features delicate and handsome.

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

The girl rested her head on the boy's shoulder, and in the glow of the setting sun they looked like a celestial couple.

"Yao'er, I truly wish we could stay like this forever!" the boy said, his face full of a happy smile, speaking softly.

"Ming brother, of course we can; we promised to be together for a lifetime."

The girl's face showed a happy smile.

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

Looking at Lu Yao's smile, Lu Ming's gaze grew even 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 then purchase spiritual 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 a lifetime."

"Thank you, Ming brother."

Lu Yao's eyes showed a moved expression, and she added, "Ming brother, there really was a pulse examiner who tested you before—did you inherit your father's bloodline?"

"Yes, Yao'er, so the man you will marry in the future will certainly be a strong one." Lu Ming's face showed a confident smile.

Lu Yao smiled slightly, lifted the alcohol cup on the stone table; the cup contained the famous Blood Tongue Orchid Alcohol, which gave off a faint, fresh fragrance.

Lu Yao swiftly kissed Lu Ming's cheek, her face blushing, then raised the cup and said, "Ming brother, 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 Alcohol every day; I am truly grateful to have you by my side."

Having said that, he raised the cup and drank it all in one gulp.

The alcohol's fragrance lingered on his tongue, and Lu Ming's heart felt as sweet as the scent, but the next moment he began to feel dizzy.

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

Lu Ming leaned on the stone table, looking toward Lu Yao, but at this moment he noticed her face had turned a little cold.

"Hahaha, Lu Ming, Lu Yao has been with you for three years merely to nurture your meridians; the time has come now—offer up your bloodline!"

At that 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 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 sharp daggers stabbing into Lu Ming's heart; he let out a loud roar and lunged toward her.

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

"Duanmu Lin of the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect began cultivating at six, opened two divine veins in half a year, entered the Warrior Realm, reached the Martial Master Realm at nine, and now at sixteen he is one of the Four Great Talents of the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect; as for you, you are weak and sickly, your meridians are blocked—plainly put, you are trash. Even if you awaken your bloodline, you remain trash—how could you compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Only such a talent is a worthy match for me, Lu Yao; 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?"

This cold voice came from Lu Yao's mouth.

Thud!

At that moment, the middle-aged man stepped with one foot on Lu Ming's back, a dagger appearing in his hand, and shouted, "Lu Ming, offer up your bloodline!"

Ah!

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

Gradually, Lu Ming sank into endless darkness.

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

Lu Ming let out a loud shout, suddenly sitting up from the bed, and the nanmu-made bed creaked with a 'ga—' 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 an actual event that had 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 being 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 clan but different branches, having grown up together since childhood—childhood sweethearts, inseparable, and in private they had even sworn vows of eternal love and privately pledged to be lifelong partners.

Lu Ming could never have imagined that Lu Yao would join forces with the Grand Elder to attack him and seize his bloodline.

"Strength—everything is because I am not strong enough; if I possessed extraordinary talent and great strength, how could they dare treat me this way?"

Lu Ming clenched his fists tightly, his whole body trembling, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins.

Trash!

This was Lu Yao's term of address for him; her words from three days ago seemed still to echo in his ears.

Squeak!

At that 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 who, worried about Lu Ming's safety, went out to search and rescued him; otherwise Lu Ming would already be dead.

Since six years ago, when word spread that Lu Ming's father had been 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 now; you keep shouting that Lu Yao harmed you, Ming'er—what on earth is going on? Could it be that your injury is because of Lu Yao..."

Lu Ming said, "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 a moment, 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, and she has already received the Elder Hall's approval. 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 is going to take over the Lu Family? She can forget about it."

Lu Ming let out a low angry roar, his eyes bloodshot, his teeth clenched and grinding, his teeth 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 has 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 not be kept."

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 by Lu Ming's father before his accident; these six years, Lu Ming has always carried it with him.

Blood seeping from his palm 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, turning into fine powder that drilled into his palm and vanished.

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!"

Continuous roars echoed in his mind, then a scorching breath issued from the brow 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 achieve Bloodline Rebirth?" Lu Ming wondered.

Ancient texts record that only very few people, after their bloodline is severed or damaged by other causes, can undergo Bloodline Rebirth, regrowing a bloodline.

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

But also an extremely few can break and then stand, 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 records show hardly any cases.

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

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

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

"Young Master, it's great you're okay; 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 isn't the Lu Family Main Residence!"

Lu Ming's father had formerly been the Lu Family Head; they used to live in the Lu Family Main Residence, but this place 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, so she should take up residence in the Main Residence, but we aren't qualified to stay there, so they made us move out."

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

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

"You good-for-nothing, why are you shouting? Having a place to live is already a favor; shouldn't you be grateful?"

Just then, a voice sounded from outside the door, the door opened, and a young man walked 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 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 a precious sword by the bedside, his eyes lit up, he immediately went over and grabbed the sword.

"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 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 shouted.