Chapter 942: Although Rabbit Is Good, Do Not Eat Too Much

The setting sun sank in the west, painting the entire sky with a brilliant mantle of crimson clouds.

Outside the walls of Windfire City, upon the summit of Jade Cloud Peak, stood a stone table flanked by matching stools, where a young youth and a maiden sat leaning close against one another.

The youth possessed a rather slender frame, his complexion slightly pale, though his features were refined and handsome.

The maiden wore a gown as white as pristine snow, her skin resembling flawless jade, her countenance breathtakingly beautiful.

Her head rested gently against the youth’s shoulder, and beneath the warm glow of the setting sun, they appeared for all the world like a pair of divine lovers.

"Yao'er, I truly wish we could remain like this for an entire lifetime," the youth murmured softly, his face adorned with a smile of pure bliss.

"Brother Ming, of course we can; after all, we did promise to be together for all eternity."

The maiden’s face likewise blossomed into a joyful, happy smile.

The youth was named Lu Ming, and the maiden was named Lu Yao.

Gazing at the smile on Lu Yao’s face, Lu Ming’s eyes grew even more tender as he took her soft, delicate hand in his, saying, "Yao'er, though my meridians are currently blocked and I cannot condense true qi, as long as I can awaken my bloodline, the Council of Elders will purchase spiritual medicine to clear my channels. When that time comes, I will be able to cultivate."

"I will surely become a formidable master of martial arts, and I will protect you for the rest of our days."

"Thank you, Brother Ming."

A look of deep moving emotion surfaced in Lu Yao’s eyes, and she asked further, "Brother Ming, did a bloodline-tester truly verify in the past that you inherited your father's bloodline?"

"Yes, Yao'er, so in the future, your man is bound to be a powerful expert," Lu Ming said, a confident smile spreading across his face.

Lu Yao smiled faintly and picked up a wine cup from the stone table; within it was the famous Blood Orchid liquor, which wafted a subtle, delicate fragrance.

With the speed of a flashing shadow, Lu Yao planted a swift kiss upon Lu Ming’s cheek, her face flushing crimson as she raised the cup and said, "Brother Ming, come, this is Yao'er's reward to you."

Lu Ming took the cup from her hands and said, "Yao'er, you treat me to a cup of Blood Orchid liquor every single day. I am truly grateful to have you by my side."

With those words, he raised the cup and drained it in a single gulp.

As the aroma of the wine lingered upon the tip of his tongue, Lu Ming’s heart felt as sweet as the fragrance, but in the very next instant, he felt the world begin to spin violently around him.

"Yao'er, why do I feel so dizzy? This wine of yours..."

Lu Ming braced himself against the stone table and looked toward Lu Yao, only to find that her expression had grown utterly cold.

"Hahaha! Lu Ming, Yao'er has stayed by your side for three long years for no other reason than to nurture your bloodline. Now that the time is ripe, yield your bloodline up to us!"

At that moment, a middle-aged man emerged from the shadows nearby; it was Lu Yao’s father.

Rumble!

Like a sudden bolt of thunder from a clear sky, the words exploded within Lu Ming’s mind.

"Yao'er!"

Lu Ming stared at Lu Yao in absolute disbelief, but her eyes held nothing but freezing indifference.

"Why? I loved you so much!"

Lu Yao's cold gaze pierced into Lu Ming’s heart like a volley of sharp daggers; he let out a furious roar and lunged toward her.

Yet Lu Yao merely stepped back a fraction, and he fell face-first onto the ground.

"Duanmu Lin of the Xuanyuan Sword Sect began his cultivation at the age of six, cleared two divine meridians within half a year, and stepped into the Warrior Realm. By nine, he entered the Master Realm, and now at sixteen, he is one of the four great geniuses of the Xuanyuan Sword Sect. And what of you? Weak, sickly, and beset by blocked meridians—to put it plainly, you are nothing but a piece of trash. Even if you awaken your bloodline, you remain trash. How could you ever hope to compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Only a genius of that caliber is a worthy match for me, Lu Yao. To forge a marriage alliance with him, I must awaken a powerful bloodline. Since you love me so much, why not fulfill my desires? Use your bloodline to help me awaken an even more formidable power."

The detached, chilling voice drifted from Lu Yao’s lips.

Thud!

Right then, the middle-aged man slammed his foot down upon Lu Ming’s back, a sharp dagger appearing in his grip as he barked, "Lu Ming, surrender your bloodline!"

Ah!

At his spine, an agonizing pain sharp enough to pierce the soul instantly overwhelmed Lu Ming, causing him to howl in a voice saturated with utter loneliness, helplessness, and despair.

Gradually, Lu Ming sank into a boundless, suffocating darkness.

"Lu Yao! Lu Yunxiong! Why did you steal my bloodline!"

Lu Ming roared fiercely, bolting upright from his bed, his sudden movement causing the nanmu-wood frame to emit a sharp, groaning creak.

Drenched in sweat and deathly pale, Lu Ming initially believed he had merely suffered through a terrible nightmare, but the truth quickly crashed down upon him: this was no dream, but an unalterable reality that had already transpired.

The scenes from a few days prior flashed vividly through his mind once more.

Lu Ming was the descendant of the main lineage of the Lu Family in Windfire City, and his father was the family patriarch. Lu Yao, on the other hand, was the daughter of the Grand Elder of the family’s premier branch line.

Though of the same clan, they belonged to different branches; they had grown up together as childhood sweethearts, virtually inseparable, and had even exchanged sacred vows of eternal devotion in secret.

Never in his wildest dreams could Lu Ming have imagined that Lu Yao and the Grand Elder would strike against him to steal his bloodline.

"Strength... it is all because my strength was insufficient. If I possessed extraordinary talent and immense power, how would they ever dare treat me this way?"

Lu Ming clenched his fists tightly, his entire body trembling violently as his eyes turned completely bloodshot.

Trash!

That was the title Lu Yao had given him; her words from three days ago seemed to echo right beside his ears even now.

Creak!

Just then, the bedroom door was pushed open, and a frail, middle-aged woman walked inside. Looking at Lu Ming upon the bed, she asked with deep concern, "Ming'er, did you have that nightmare again?"

This beautiful woman was Lu Ming’s mother, Li Ping.

Three days ago, it was Li Ping who, frantic with worry over Lu Ming's safety, had gone out to search for him and saved his life; otherwise, Lu Ming would already be a corpse.

Ever since word had spread six years ago that Lu Ming's father had been slain while traveling abroad, he and Li Ping had relied solely upon one another to survive.

Looking at Li Ping, the harshness in Lu Ming’s eyes softened as he said, "Mother, it is nothing, just a dream."

Noticing how pale his face was, Li Ping sat by the edge of the bed and pressed her hand to his forehead, her heart aching as she spoke, "It has been three days now, and every time you wake, you shout that Lu Yao has harmed you. Ming'er, what exactly happened? Could your injuries truly be because of Lu Yao..."

Lu Ming replied, "Mother, it is really nothing. You misheard."

Lu Ming chose not to reveal that Lu Yao and the Grand Elder were the culprits, for Li Ping did not practice the martial path; telling her would only place her in grave danger.

Li Ping hesitated for a moment before saying, "Ming'er, in the future, you must not call Lu Yao by her name directly in front of others. Two days ago, Lu Yao awakened a fifth-grade bloodline and even cleared a divine-grade meridian. She has already gained the recognition of the Council of Elders. At the clan assembly two months from now, she will take charge of the Lu Family and become the new patriarch. Uttering the patriarch's name so casually might cause others to accuse you of disrespect."

"What? Lu Yao wishes to take charge of the Lu Family? She can keep dreaming!"

Lu Ming unleashed a low, savage growl, his eyes filling with blood as he ground his teeth together so hard they began to crack, causing fresh blood to seep from his lips.

Since the rumors of his father's death six years ago, the Lu Family had been governed by the Council of Elders, and no new patriarch had been appointed during those six years.

Seeing Lu Ming in such a state, Li Ping was frightened out of her wits; she could only cradle his head to her chest, her tears flowing unchecked as she sobbed, "Ming'er, do not scare your mother like this. I have already lost your father; I cannot lose you too."

"Father... where on earth are you? Ming'er believes you are not dead. But now, Ming'er is completely powerless, and even your position as patriarch is about to be stolen away."

Lu Ming gripped a pendant hanging around his neck with extreme force, his fingernails digging deep into his palms until fresh blood began to ooze out from his flesh.

This pendant, cast from bronze and no larger than a broad bean, had been sent back by his father through an intermediary just before his disappearance. For the past six years, Lu Ming had kept it close to his person.

The blood escaping from his palm began to smear over the bronze surface of the pendant.

Hum!

Suddenly, the bronze pendant began to vibrate minutely, growing intensely hot to the touch.

Before Lu Ming could even comprehend what was happening, the bronze pendant gave a sharp shudder, dissolving completely into a cloud of fine powder that burrowed directly into his palm, vanishing from sight.

Then, Lu Ming felt a searing energy flow from his palm, up his arm, and after a moment, settle into the Yintang acupoint between his brows.

"The Nine Dragons never die, the bloodline is reborn!"

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed within Lu Ming's mind, setting his head buzzing violently.

"The Nine Dragons never die, the bloodline is reborn!"

"The Nine Dragons never die, the bloodline is reborn!"

......

The successive roars echoed relentlessly within Lu Ming's mind, and soon after, a scorching wave of heat erupted from between his brows, surging down toward his spine.

The next moment, the roars vanished, but a wave of intense itching and tingling spread across his spine, and his entire body grew burning hot.

"What is happening?"

Lu Ming was completely bewildered.

By now, the tingling on his spine grew even more fierce, as if something were slowly growing within.

"Ming'er, what is wrong with you? Do not frighten your mother."

Sensing the anomaly in Lu Ming's body, Li Ping grew even more terrified, utterly at a loss.

"Bloodline rebirth? Could it be that my bloodline can truly be reborn?" Lu Ming wondered in astonishment.

Ancient records noted that only an exceedingly rare few, after having their bloodline stripped away or damaged by other means, could achieve bloodline rebirth and grow a brand-new one.

However, most reborn bloodlines were of a very low rank, rendering them virtually useless.

Yet, there were an ultra-rare few who could break through the destruction to rise anew, breaking from their cocoons to transcend their past and awaken a supreme bloodline.

But the probability was so minuscule it could be ignored; ancient texts recorded barely a few such instances since antiquity.

Transcending the past to awaken a supreme bloodline was something Lu Ming dared not even think about—the chances were simply too slim; he would be overjoyed just to awaken any bloodline at all.

With a bloodline, he could cultivate the martial path and alter his own destiny.

Gradually, the strange sensation in his body faded, and a smile appeared on Lu Ming's face as he said, "Mother, I am fine!"

"Young Master, it is wonderful that you are well! You have truly scared us to death these past few days!"

Just then, a young maiden walked over and spoke.

The maiden was around Lu Ming's age and possessed exceeding beauty.

Lu Ming naturally recognized her; her name was Qiu Yue, Li Ping's personal maid, who had grown up alongside him since childhood.

"Qiu Yue, I am fine, do not worry!"

Lu Ming replied with a gentle smile.

Then, casting his gaze around the room, Lu Ming's expression shifted drastically as he said, "Mother, where is this? This is not the main Lu family mansion!"

Lu Ming's father had once been the Patriarch of the Lu family, and they had always lived in the main mansion, but this place was clearly not it.

"Ming'er, just focus on recovering from your injuries, do not overthink things!" Li Ping said, yet the fleeting sorrow and unshed tears in her eyes did not escape Lu Ming's notice.

"Mother, what exactly happened?" Lu Ming demanded.

"Young Master, let me tell you. We were driven out. Lu Yao claimed she is about to become the Patriarch and should rightfully occupy the main mansion, while we have no right to remain there, so they forced us to move out."

To the side, Qiu Yue spoke up through gritted teeth, her beautiful face flushed with intense fury.

"What? Lu Yao, you go too far!" Lu Ming roared in rage.

"What are you shouting for, you useless trash? Being given a place to stay is already a mercy bestowed upon you, and yet you show no gratitude?"

Right at that moment, a voice rang out from beyond the door, which was then pushed open as a young man walked inside.

"Lu Chuan, it is you!"

Lu Ming barked fiercely. This person was Lu Chuan, Lu Yao's biological elder brother, slightly older than Lu Ming.

"Lu Chuan, we have already left the main mansion, what are you still doing here?"

Li Ping said, instinctively stepping in front of Lu Ming as if fearing Lu Chuan might harm her son.

"I am here to claim the sword!"

Having spoken, Lu Chuan's eyes scanned the room, and upon spotting a precious sword beside the bed, his eyes lit up. He immediately strode over and snatched the sword into his hand.

"Lu Chuan, that sword is the only token left behind by Ming'er's father, meant for Ming'er to use in the future. You cannot take it away."

Li Ping hurriedly reached out to reclaim it.

"Get lost!"

With a sudden burst of strength, Lu Chuan jerked the scabbard, releasing a force that Li Ping, being an ordinary person without cultivation, could not possibly withstand. Her body staggered backward, nearly crashing to the floor.

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.