Chapter 1156: Done!

The setting sun sank in the west, rosy light filling 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 face somewhat pale, his features delicate and handsome.

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.

"Ming‑brother, 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 tender; 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 medicines 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 shone with emotion as she added, "Ming‑brother, a pulse tester once examined you—did you inherit your father's bloodline?"

"Yes, Yao'er, so the man you will marry will surely be a powerhouse." Lu Ming smiled confidently.

Lu Yao gave a faint smile, lifted the stone table's wine cup—inside was the famed Blood Tongue Orchid Wine, exhaling a light 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 treat me to a cup of Blood Tongue Orchid Wine every day; I'm truly grateful to have you by my side."

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

The wine's aroma lingered on his tongue, his heart as sweet as the scent—but the next moment he felt a spell of dizziness.

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

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

"Hahaha, Lu Ming, Yao'er 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 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 filled only with coldness.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's icy gaze was like a series of daggers piercing his heart; he roared and lunged at her.

But Lu Yao merely stepped back slightly, and he crashed 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 sect's Four Great Talents—whereas you are frail and sickly, your meridians blocked; plainly you are trash, and even if you awaken your bloodline you'll 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 mighty bloodline. Since you love me so much, why not fulfill me—use your bloodline to help me awaken an even stronger one?"

These cold words issued from Lu Yao's mouth.

Thud!

At that moment, the middle‑aged man planted a foot on Lu Ming's back, 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 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 roared, 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 had been a nightmare, but he quickly realized it was not a dream but an actual event.

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; Lu Yao, meanwhile, is the daughter of the Lu Family's first branch's Grand Elder.

They shared the same clan but different branches, growing up together since childhood—childhood sweethearts, inseparable, and in private they had even sworn vows and pledged themselves for life.

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 nickname for him; her words from three days ago still echoed in his ears.

Squeak!

Then the door was pushed open, and a frail‑looking middle‑aged woman entered, gazing at Lu Ming on the bed and asking with concern, "Ming'er, have you had 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 complexion, Li Ping sat beside his bed, touching his forehead, and said achingly, "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 replied, "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, for 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 even opened a Divine‑level Meridian; she has already gained the Elder Hall's approval, and 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 likely be seen as disrespectful."

"What? Lu Yao is going to take over the Lu Family? In her dreams!"

Lu Ming let out a low, angry roar, his eyes bloodshot, his jaws clenched so tightly they clicked, his teeth about to shatter, blood flowing out.

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 and at a loss, merely holding his head as tears streamed down, saying, "Minger, don't scare Mother, Mother has already lost your father; I cannot lose you too."

"Father... where exactly are you? Minger believes you won't die, but now I am powerless, and even the position of family head may not be kept."

Lu Ming gripped the pendant on his neck tightly; because he used too much force, his nails dug into his flesh, and blood kept seeping out.

This pendant, cast in bronze and the size of a pea, was 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 from his palm seeped out and flowed toward the bronze pendant.

Buzz!

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 in the Yintang acupoint at his brow.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

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

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

The continuous roars kept sounding in Lu Ming's mind, after which a scorching breath rose from his brow and surged toward his spine.

The next moment the roar vanished, but a tingling itch spread along his spine, and his whole body became scorching hot.

"What's going on?"

Lu Ming was completely at a loss.

At this point the itching 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 even more frightened and was at a loss what to do.

"Bloodline Rebirth? Could I really be undergoing Bloodline Rebirth?" Lu Ming wondered.

Ancient texts record that only very few people, after having their bloodline stripped away or damaged for other reasons, can undergo Bloodline Rebirth and regrow a bloodline.

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

But there are also extremely rare individuals who can break and then establish, reborn from the cocoon, rise from destruction, transcend the past, and awaken a supreme bloodline.

But this probability is so tiny it can be neglected; ancient records show hardly any cases.

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 any bloodline.

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

At this moment the strange sensations on his body gradually faded, Lu Ming's face broke into a smile, and he said, "Mother, I'm fine!"

"Young Master, it's wonderful that you're all right; these past few days you've scared us to death!"

At this moment 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 said with a smile.

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 head of the Lu family, and they used to live 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 were driven out; Lu Yao said she would soon become the family head and thus should move into the main residence, while we no longer have the right to stay there, so they made us move out."

Beside her, Qiu Yue clenched her silver teeth, spoke up, and her pretty little face was filled with anger.

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

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

Just then a voice sounded outside the door, the door was opened, and a young man walked out.

"Lu Chuan, is that you!"

Lu Ming shouted angrily; this person was named Lu Chuan, the older brother of Lu Yao, and 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!"

After saying that, Lu Chuan's eyes scanned the surroundings; when he saw a precious sword beside the bed, his eyes lit up, he immediately walked over and reached out to grab the sword in his hand.

"Lu Chuan, this sword is the Sole Token left by Minger's father, meant to be kept for Minger's future use; you cannot take it away."

Li Ping quickly reached out to snatch it.

"Get lost!"

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

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.