Chapter 1150: The First Clash Between the Great Ones

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, where a boy and girl leaned against each other.

The boy was slight of build, his complexion somewhat pale, his features delicate.

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

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.

"Ming‑brother, of course we can—we promised to be together for life."

The girl's face showed a happy smile.

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 buy spirit medicine 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 showed 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 smiled faintly, lifted the stone table's wine cup; the cup held the famous Blood Tongue Orchid Wine, exuding a faint fragrance.

Lu Yao swiftly kissed Lu Ming's cheek, her face flushing; she raised the cup and said, "Ming‑brother, come, let Yao'er treat you."

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

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

The wine's aroma lingered on his tongue; Lu Ming's heart felt as sweet as the scent, but the next moment he felt a bit dizzy.

"Yao'er, why do I feel a little dizzy? This wine…"

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, Yao'er has been with 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—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 nothing but cold.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's cold gaze was like a series of daggers stabbing into 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 cultivated 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 Sect's Four Great Talents. As for you—weak, sickly, with blocked meridians—you're nothing but trash; even if you awaken your bloodline you'll still be trash. How can you compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Only such a genius 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?"

That cold voice came from Lu Yao's mouth.

Thud!

At that moment, the middle‑aged man stamped his 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 howled, his voice full of loneliness, helplessness, and despair.

Gradually, Lu Ming sank into endless darkness.

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

Lu Ming bellowed, suddenly sitting up from the bed; the nanmu‑made bed creaked 'ga‑ji'.

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 really happened.

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

Lu Ming, heir of the Lu family's main line in Feng Huo City; his father is the family head. Lu Yao, meanwhile, is the daughter of the Grand Elder of the Lu family's first branch.

They shared the same clan but different branches, growing up together from childhood—sweethearts inseparable, even privately sworn to eternal love and pledged 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 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 name for him; her words from three days ago still echoed in his ears.

Squeak!

Then 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, 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 look for him and saved 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 complexion, 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's going on? Could your injury be 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 telling her would only bring her harm.

Li Ping hesitated, then said, "Ming'er, from now on you must not call Yao'er'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. At the clan assembly in two months she will take charge of the Lu family and become its head. To utter the head's name outright would likely be seen as disrespectful."

"What? Lu Yao will take over the Lu family? No way!"

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

It was rumored that Lu Ming's father was killed by someone 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 was terrified, at a loss, merely holding his head as tears streamed 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, unable even to hold onto the family head's position."

Lu Ming tightly gripped the pendant on his neck, using so much force that 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 kept it close.

Blood from his palm seeped out 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.

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 into a buzzing haze.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

The roars continued, unceasing in Lu Ming's mind, then a scorching breath rose from his brow and surged toward his spine.

The next moment the roars ceased, but a tingling sensation spread along his spine, his whole body turning 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.

"Ming'er, 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 achieve Bloodline Rebirth?" Lu Ming wondered.

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

However, the regenerated 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 the odds are so minuscule they can be ignored; 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 gradually faded, Lu Ming's face broke into a smile as he said, "Mother, I'm fine!"

"Young Master, it's wonderful 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.

Then Lu Ming glanced around, his expression suddenly changing as he said, "Mother, where are we? 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 is not it.

"Ming'er, 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 on earth is going on?" Lu Ming asked.

"Young Master, let me explain—we've been driven out. Lu Yao says she is about to become family head and should move into the main residence, but we aren't qualified to stay there, so they've made us leave."

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

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

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

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

"Lu Chuan, is that you!"

Lu Ming shouted angrily; this person was Lu Chuan, the 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 him.

"I've come to take the sword!"

Having said that, Lu Chuan's eyes scanned the room; when he saw a precious sword beside the bed, his eyes lit up, he strode over and grabbed the sword in his hand.

"Lu Chuan, this sword is the sole token left by Ming'er's father, meant for him in the future—you can't take it!"

Li Ping quickly reached out to snatch it.

"Get out of the way!"

Lu Chuan exerted force, the sword sheath shook, and a burst of energy erupted; Li Ping, not a cultivator, could not withstand it, stumbling backward and nearly falling to the ground.

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.