Chapter 950: Not Knowing the Law Is Not an Excuse for Breaking the Law

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

Outside the City of Wind and Fire, atop the Peak of Emerald Clouds, sat a stone table flanked by stone stools, where a young youth and a maiden leaned closely against one another.

The youth was rather slender, his countenance slightly pale but refined and handsome.

The maiden wore a snow-white gown, her skin like pristine jade and her beauty breathtaking.

Her head rested gently upon his shoulder, and under the illumination of the sunset, they resembled a pair of divine lovers from the immortal realms.

"Yao'er, I truly wish we could be like this for the rest of our lives," the youth said softly, his face brimming with a blissful smile.

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

A joyful smile blossomed upon the maiden's face.

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

Beholding the smile upon Lu Yao's face, Lu Ming's gaze grew even more tender as he took her soft, boneless, jade-like 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 lineage, the Council of Elders will purchase spiritual medicine to clear my channels, and then I will be able to cultivate."

"I will certainly become a powerful master of the martial path and protect you for the rest of my days."

"Thank you, Brother Ming."

A look of deep emotion appeared in Lu Yao's eyes, and she asked further, "Brother Ming, did a lineage examiner truly determine before that you inherited your father's bloodline?"

"Yes, Yao'er, so in the future, your man will surely be a formidable expert," Lu Ming replied, a confident smile gracing his features.

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

With the speed of lightning, Lu Yao planted a kiss upon Lu Ming's cheek, her face blushing crimson as she lifted the cup and said, "Brother Ming, come, this is Yao'er's reward for you."

Lu Ming took the cup and said, "Yao'er, you treat me to a cup of Blood Orchid Orchid Wine 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 draught.

As the aroma of the wine lingered on the tip of his tongue, Lu Ming's heart felt as sweet as the fragrance, but in the next breath, he felt the world begin to spin violently.

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

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

"Hahaha, Lu Ming, Yao'er has kept you company for three long years for nothing other than to nurture your bloodline, and now that the time has come, hand over your lineage!"

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

Rumble!

Like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky, an explosion went off inside Lu Ming's mind.

"Yao'er!"

Lu Ming stared at Lu Yao in utter disbelief, but her eyes held nothing but profound indifference.

"Why? I loved you so much!"

Lu Yao's cold gaze was like a succession of sharp daggers stabbing deep into Lu Ming's heart; he let out a great roar and lunged toward her.

Yet Lu Yao merely took a slight step back, and he fell prostrate onto the ground.

"Duanmu Lin of the Mystical Void Sword Sect began cultivating at the age of six, opened two divine meridians in half a year to step into the Warrior Realm, and entered the Master Realm at nine; now at sixteen, he is one of the four great geniuses of the Mystical Void Sword Sect, whereas you are weak, sickly, and riddled with blocked meridians—to put it bluntly, you are nothing but trash, and even if you awaken your lineage, you will still be trash, so how can you possibly compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Only a genius of that caliber is a worthy match for me, Lu Yao, and to forge a marriage alliance with him, I must awaken a powerful lineage; since you love me so dearly, why not fulfill my wish and use your bloodline to help me awaken an even more formidable lineage?"

The callous words drifted callously from Lu Yao's mouth.

Thud!

The middle-aged man then planted a heavy foot upon Lu Ming's back, a sharp dagger appearing in his hand as he barked, "Lu Ming, surrender your lineage!"

Ah!

At his spine, an agonizing pain sharp enough to pierce the soul instantly engulfed Lu Ming; he shrieked, his voice filled with absolute loneliness, helplessness, and despair.

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

"Lu Yao, Lu Yunxiong, why did you steal my lineage!"

Lu Ming let out a furious roar and snapped upright from his bed, causing the nanmu-wood frame to emit a sharp creak under the sudden weight.

Drenched in cold sweat and deathly pale, Lu Ming at first believed he had merely suffered a terrible nightmare, but he quickly realized that this was no dream, but a reality that had already transpired.

The events of a few days ago flooded back into his mind once more.

Lu Ming was the heir to the main lineage of the Lu Clan in the City of Wind and Fire, and his father was the Clan Head. Lu Yao was the daughter of the Grand Elder of the Lu Clan's primary branch.

The two shared the same clan but belonged to different branches; having grown up together as childhood sweethearts, they were virtually inseparable and had even exchanged solemn vows of lifelong devotion in private.

Never in his wildest dreams did Lu Ming imagine that Lu Yao and the Grand Elder would turn against him and violently strip away his lineage.

"Strength—it is all because my strength is insufficient; if my talent were extraordinary and my power immense, how would they ever dare treat me this way?"

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

Trash!

That was the title Lu Yao had bestowed upon him, her words from three days ago still seeming to echo relentlessly beside his ears.

Creak!

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

This beautiful lady was Lu Ming's mother, Li Ping.

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

Ever since word arrived six years ago that Lu Ming's father had been slain while traveling abroad, he and Li Ping had depended solely on each other to survive.

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

Seeing Lu Ming's pale countenance, Li Ping sat at the edge of his bed, placing her hand against his forehead as she said light-heartedly but with a pained heart, "It has been three days now, and every time you cry out 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 simply misheard."

Lu Ming did not reveal to Li Ping that it was the doing of Lu Yao and the Grand Elder, because Li Ping did not practice the martial path, and telling her would only bring her harm.

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 lineage and even cleared a divine-grade meridian, earning the recognition of the Council of Elders, and at the clan assembly two months from now, she will take charge of the Lu Clan to become the new Clan Head, so addressing the Clan Head by name directly might be condemned as disrespect."

"What? Lu Yao wishes to take charge of the Lu Clan? In her dreams!"

Lu Ming unleashed a low, wrathful growl, his eyes filling with blood as his jaw clenched so tightly it produced a grinding crunch, his teeth nearly shattering as fresh blood began to seep through.

Ever since rumors spread six years ago of his father's demise, the Lu Clan had been governed by the Council of Elders without a new Clan Head being appointed.

Seeing Lu Ming in such a state, Li Ping was frightened out of her wits; she could only cradle Lu Ming's head as her tears flowed unbidden, crying, "Ming'er, do not terrify your mother so; I have already lost your father, I cannot lose you as well."

"Father... where on earth are you? Ming'er believes you are not dead, but right now, I am utterly powerless, and even your position as Clan Head is about to be lost."

Lu Ming tightly gripped a pendant hanging around his neck, squeezing so hard that his fingernails dug deep into his flesh, causing blood to ooze out continuously.

This pendant, forged of bronze and no larger than a broad bean, had been sent back from afar by his father before his disappearance, and Lu Ming had kept it close to his person for the past six years.

The blood seeping from his palm flowed directly onto the bronze pendant.

Hum!

Suddenly, the bronze pendant trembled minutely and grew scorching hot.

Before Lu Ming could comprehend what was happening, the bronze pendant shuddered fiercely, dissolving into fine specks of powder that bored directly into his palm, vanishing into his hand without a trace.

Then, Lu Ming felt a searing energy flow from his palm, tracing up his arm, and after a brief moment, it settled within the Indang acupoint between his eyebrows.

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

Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted within Lu Ming's mind, leaving his consciousness buzzing and ringing.

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

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

......

The successive roars echoed relentlessly through Lu Ming's mind, after which a scorching aura burst forth from between his brows, surging straight toward his spine.

The next moment, the roaring vanished, but a wave of intense itching and tingling radiated from his spine as his entire body grew burning hot.

"What is going on?"

Lu Ming was completely bewildered.

By now, the tingling along his spine intensified, as though something were slowly sprouting and growing.

"Ming'er, what is wrong with you? Don't scare your mother."

Sensing the anomaly in Lu Ming's body, Li Ping grew even more terrified, completely at a loss for what to do.

"Bloodline rebirth? Could I truly be undergoing a rebirth of my bloodline?" Lu Ming wondered in astonishment.

Ancient records noted that only a very rare few, after having their bloodline stripped away or damaged by other causes, could experience a rebirth, regenerating a new bloodline.

However, most regenerated bloodlines were of a very low grade and of little consequence.

Yet, there were an exceptionally minuscule few who could shatter their old selves to establish something new, rising from the ashes of destruction to surpass their past and awaken a supreme bloodline.

But this probability was so small it could be ignored; ancient texts recorded that throughout history, there were barely a handful of such instances.

To transcend his past and awaken a supreme bloodline was something Lu Ming did not dare contemplate, for the chances were simply too infinitesimal; 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 sensations in his body faded away, and a smile appeared on Lu Ming's face as he said, "Mother, I am fine!"

"Young Master, it is wonderful that you are alright! You have frightened us to death over these past few days!"

At that moment, a young maiden stepped forward and spoke.

The girl was around Lu Ming's age and possessed an exquisite beauty.

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

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

Lu Ming said with a gentle smile.

Then, as Lu Ming's gaze swept across the surroundings, his expression shifted drastically, and he asked, "Mother, where is this? This is not the main Lu family mansion!"

Lu Ming's father had once been the Master of the Lu family, and they had always resided in the main mansion, but this place was distinctly different.

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

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

"Young Master, let me tell you. We were driven out. Lu Yao claimed she is about to become the Family Head, so she ought to move into the main mansion, while we have no right to remain there, forcing us to move out."

To the side, Qiu Yue spoke up, her silver teeth clenched tight, her beautiful young face flushed with furious anger.

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

"You worthless trash, what are you shouting for? Having a place to stay is already a blessing bestowed upon you, yet you show no gratitude?"

Just then, a voice echoed from outside the door, which was then pushed open as a young man walked in.

"Lu Chuan, it is you!"

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

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

Li Ping said, instinctively shielding Lu Ming with her body, as though terrified that Lu Chuan might harm him.

"I am here to claim the sword!"

Having said that, Lu Chuan's eyes scanned the room, and upon spotting a precious sword beside the bed, his eyes lit up. He marched over immediately, reaching out to grasp the weapon.

"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 retrieve it.

"Get lost!"

With a surge of strength, Lu Chuan jerked the scabbard, unleashing a burst of force. Li Ping was no cultivator, so how could she withstand it? Her body stumbled backward, nearly collapsing to the floor.

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.