As the sun set, the sky was painted with beautiful colors. Outside Windfire City, atop Cuiyun Peak, there was a stone table surrounded by stone benches, where a pair of young lovers nestled closely together. The boy was lean, with a slightly pale complexion and a handsome face. The girl wore a flowing white dress, her skin delicate as jade and her beauty unparalleled. With her head resting on the boy's shoulder, they looked like celestial beings under the warm glow of the setting sun.

"Yao'er, I really hope we can stay like this forever!" the boy said softly, a blissful smile lighting up his face.

"Brother Ming, of course we can! We promised to be together for a lifetime," the girl replied, her face radiating happiness.

The boy's name was Lu Ming, and the girl's name was Lu Yao. Seeing the smile on Lu Yao's face filled Lu Ming with even deeper tenderness. He took her delicate hand and said, "Yao'er, even though my meridians are blocked and I can't condense true energy, if I awaken my bloodline, the Elder Hall will buy spirit herbs to clear my meridians. Then I’ll be able to cultivate."

"I will definitely become a powerful warrior and protect you for a lifetime."

"Thank you, Brother Ming."

Lu Yao's eyes sparkled with emotion as she added, "Brother Ming, has anyone really tested your bloodline to see if you inherited your father's?"

"Yes, Yao'er. So in the future, your man will surely be a strong one," Lu Ming replied confidently.

Lu Yao smiled softly, picking up a cup filled with the renowned Blood Agave Flower Wine, which exuded a faint fragrance. In a flash, Lu Yao kissed Lu Ming on the cheek, her face turning red. She raised the cup and said, "Brother Ming, here’s a toast from me to you."

Lu Ming took the cup and replied, "Yao'er, you treat me to a cup of Blood Agave Flower Wine every day. I’m truly grateful to have you by my side." With that, he raised the cup and drank it all in one go. The fragrance lingered on his tongue, and Lu Ming's heart felt as sweet as the wine, but the next moment, he began to feel dizzy.

"Yao'er, why do I feel a bit lightheaded? This wine..."

Lu Ming leaned against the stone table and looked at Lu Yao, but at that moment, he noticed her face had grown cold.

"Hahaha, Lu Ming, Yao'er has been with you for three years just to nourish your blood vessels. Now the time has come to offer your bloodline!"

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

Boom!

Like a bolt from the blue, thunder crashed in Lu Ming's mind.

"Yao'er!"

Lu Ming looked at Lu Yao in disbelief, but all he saw in her eyes was indifference.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's cold gaze pierced Lu Ming's heart like daggers. He let out a roar and lunged towards her, but Lu Yao merely took a small step back, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Du Lin from the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect began cultivating at six, opened two divine meridians in half a year, entered the warrior realm at nine, and at sixteen, he is one of the four prodigies of the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect. And you? Weak and sickly with blocked meridians—frankly, you are just a waste. Even if you awaken your bloodline, you’ll still be a waste. How can you compare to Du Lin?"

"Such talent is a match for me, Lu Yao. To marry him, you must awaken a powerful bloodline. Since you love me so much, why not help me awaken an even stronger bloodline with your own?"

Her voice was cold as it came from Lu Yao's lips.

Crash!

At that moment, the middle-aged man stepped on Lu Ming's back, producing a sharp blade in his hand, and said, "Lu Ming, offer your bloodline!"

Ah!

The piercing pain in his spine engulfed Lu Ming instantly. He screamed, his voice filled with loneliness, helplessness, and despair.

Gradually, Lu Ming fell into an endless darkness.

"Lu Yao, I treated you like my beloved. Why would you harm me?"

Lu Ming shouted as he suddenly sat up in bed, the nanmu bed creaking under the pressure. He was drenched in sweat, realizing it was just a dream. No, it wasn’t a dream; how could all of this be just a dream? It was the truth that happened three days ago.

Lu Ming, the heir of the main lineage of the Lu family in Windfire City, was the son of the family head. Lu Yao was the daughter of the first elder of the Lu family. Though they belonged to different lineages, they grew up together, childhood sweethearts, inseparable, and had even secretly vowed to be together for life.

Lu Ming never imagined that Lu Yao would conspire with the elder against him to seize his bloodline.

"It’s all about strength. If only I were stronger, if I had extraordinary talent, they wouldn’t dare to treat me like this."

Lu Ming clenched his fists, trembling all over, his eyes bloodshot.

Waste!

That was how Lu Yao referred to him; her words from three days ago echoed in his ears.

Creak!

At that moment, the door swung open, and a fragile middle-aged woman entered. Looking at Lu Ming, she asked with concern, "Ming'er, did you have 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 for him and saved him; otherwise, he would have died. Since the news of Lu Ming's father being killed six years ago during his travels, he and Li Ping had relied on each other.

Lu Ming looked at Li Ping, his gaze softening as he said, "Mother, it’s nothing. It was just a dream."

Seeing Lu Ming’s pale face, Li Ping sat by his bedside, touching his forehead with a pained expression. "It’s been three days. You keep shouting that Lu Yao harmed you. What exactly is going on? Could it be that your injury is because of Lu Yao?"

Lu Ming replied, "Mother, it’s nothing. You must have misheard."

He didn’t tell Li Ping that it was Lu Yao and the elder who did it because Li Ping didn’t practice martial arts, and revealing the truth would only endanger her.

After hesitating for a moment, Li Ping said, "Ming'er, you must not call Lu Yao by her name in front of others. Two days ago, Lu Yao awakened her fifth-level bloodline and opened a divine meridian. Now she has been recognized by the Elder Hall and will take charge of the Lu family at the clan meeting in two months. If you call her by her name, it might be seen as disrespectful."

"What? Lu Yao is going to take charge of the Lu family? She can forget it!"

Lu Ming let out a low roar, his eyes bloodshot, teeth grinding as if he might shatter them, blood seeping from his mouth.

Since Lu Ming's father was rumored to have been killed six years ago, the Lu family had been managed by the Elder Hall and had not appointed a new head.

Seeing Lu Ming like this, Li Ping was frightened and flustered, holding Lu Ming’s head tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Ming'er, don’t scare your mother. I’ve already lost your father; I can’t lose you too."

"Father, where are you? I believe you are not dead. Now, I am powerless, and I can’t even protect the position of head of the family."

Lu Ming tightly grasped a pendant around his neck, digging his nails into his flesh so hard that blood began to flow.

This pendant, made of bronze and the size of a broad bean, was sent back by Lu Ming's father before the incident. For the past six years, Lu Ming had kept it close to him.

As blood seeped from his palm, it flowed toward the bronze pendant.

Buzz!

Suddenly, the bronze pendant began to tremble slightly and became hot to the touch.

Before Lu Ming could react, the pendant shook violently and transformed into fine powder, drilling into the palm of his hand, disappearing without a trace.

Then, Lu Ming felt a wave of scorching energy flow from his palm, up his arm, and eventually settle in the space between his eyebrows.

"The Nine Dragons Never Die, Bloodline Rebirth!"

A tremendous roar suddenly echoed in Lu Ming's mind, causing a ringing in his head.

"The Nine Dragons Never Die, Bloodline Rebirth!"

"The Nine Dragons Never Die, Bloodline Rebirth!"

The continuous roars echoed in Lu Ming's mind, followed by a surge of heat emanating from his brow, rushing down his spine.

In the next moment, the roaring ceased, but a tingling sensation spread across his spine, and his entire body grew hot.

"What is happening?"

Lu Ming was utterly confused.

At that moment, the tingling in his spine intensified, as if something were slowly growing inside him.

"Ming'er, what’s wrong? Don’t scare your mother!"

Feeling Lu Ming's abnormal state, Li Ping was even more terrified and at a loss.

"Bloodline rebirth? Can it be that I can truly achieve bloodline rebirth?" Lu Ming's heart raced with uncertainty.

Ancient texts record that only a very few people can undergo bloodline rebirth after their bloodlines have been stripped or damaged for various reasons, allowing them to grow a new one.

However, most of these reborn bloodlines are of low quality and of little use.

But there are very rare individuals who can rise from the ashes, breaking free from their past and awakening a powerful bloodline.

But the odds of this happening are so slim they can be ignored; ancient texts show very few cases throughout history.

Lu Ming didn’t dare to think about surpassing his past and awakening a powerful bloodline; the odds were simply too small. He would be thrilled just to awaken any bloodline.

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

At that moment, the strange sensation gradually faded, and a smile appeared on Lu Ming’s face. "Mother, I’m fine!"

"What are you doing? This is the main estate; you can’t barge in like this!"

Suddenly, a sharp voice rang from outside. Lu Ming recognized it as the voice of Qiu Yue, Li Ping’s maid.

"Slap!"

"Get out of the way!"

A cold shout accompanied by the sound of a slap followed, and a young man with a gloomy face strode in.

"Madam, young master!" A girl around sixteen followed, her face red and swollen, bearing the imprint of a slap; it was Qiu Yue.

"Lu Chuan, is it you? What do you want?" Lu Ming stood up, his voice cold.

The newcomer was named Lu Chuan, Lu Yao's older brother, three years older than her, and now sixteen years old.

Upon seeing Lu Ming, Lu Chuan's eyes flashed with surprise, as if he were astonished that Lu Ming was still alive. Then, he smirked coldly, "Lu Ming, just in time. My sister Lu Yao is taking charge of the Lu family and moving into the main estate, so you no longer have the right to stay here. You should move out quickly."

Li Ping's face turned pale. Although she had known this day would come, she hadn’t expected it to arrive so soon.

With a bitter smile, Li Ping said, "Lu Chuan, Ming'er is injured. Once he recovers in a couple of days, we will move out."

"In a couple of days? We need to move out today! Do you think I don’t know you’re trying to delay?" Lu Chuan sneered.

"Today? But Ming'er is injured! It’s already late; let him rest for a night before moving!" Li Ping pleaded.

"Rest? A waste who can’t even awaken a bloodline and has blocked meridians has no need to rest. It’d be better if he just died. Anyway, you must move out today," Lu Chuan said indifferently.