Myriad Paths of the Dragon Emperor

The sky was aglow with the setting sun.

On the Emerald Cloud Summit outside of Fiery Wind City, there was a stone table and a stone bench, where a young couple were nestled together. 

The youth had a slim build. He was pale in complexion, but had good looks.

Meanwhile, the maiden donned a pure white dress. Her skin was as smooth as jade, her looks were stunningly beautiful. 

The maiden's head was resting on the shoulders of the youth. Bathed in the light of the setting sun, they looked like perfect lovers.

"Yao'er, how I wish we could continue on like this forever!" Said the youth gently, the smile on his face revealing his happiness. 

"Brother Ming, of course we can! We said that we would be together for all our lives!"

A happy smile formed on the maiden's face.

The youth's name was Lu Ming, whereas the girl was called Lu Yao.

Looking at the smile on Lu Yao's face, Lu Ming's gaze turned even more tender as he held her delicate hand and said, "Yao'er, although I currently can't gather my Essential Qi due to my blocked meridians, if I can awaken my blood meridian, the Elder Council will buy me some elixirs and mediate my meridians for me. Then, I'll be able to cultivate."

"I'll definitely become a powerhouse, and protect you for the rest of your life."

"Thank you, Brother Ming."

Lu Yao's eyes had a touched look as she said, "Brother Ming, did a meridian tester really find out that you inherited your father's blood meridians?"

"That's right, Yao'er. That's why in the future, your man will be a powerhouse." A confident smile formed on Lu Ming's face. 

Lu Yao tenderly smiled as she lifted a cup on the stone table. The cup was filled with well-known Blood Orchid Wine, which was emitting a faint fragrance. 

She swiftly kissed Lu Ming on the cheeks and blushed as she raised the cup, "Come, Brother Ming, this one is on Yao'er."

Lu Ming took the cup and said, "Yao'er, you've treated me to a glass of Blood Orchid Wine every day. I'm really grateful to have you by my side."

As he finished his sentence, he raised the cup and finished it in one go.

The fragrance of the wine lingered on his tongue, and Lu Ming's heart felt as sweet as the wine tasted. But at the very next moment, he felt that the world was spinning.

"Yao'er, why do I feel so faint? Your wine…"

Lu Ming held onto the stone table as he looked towards Lu Yao. But then, he noticed that her expression seemed a little cold.

"Hahaha, Lu Ming, Yao'er only accompanied you for three years in order to cultivate your meridians. Now that we're at this stage, isn't it high time that you contribute with your blood meridians?"

At that moment, a middle-aged man emerged from a corner. It was Lu Yao's father.

Rumble!

The sound rang in Lu Ming's mind, as if it was a bolt from the blue.

"Yao'er!"

Lu Ming looked at Lu Yao incredulously, but all that was in her eyes was cold indifference.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's cold gaze was like a sharp knife, plunging into Lu Ming's heart. He let out a loud howl and pounced in the direction of Lu Yao.

Sadly, all it took was for Lu Yao to take a small step back, and he landed on the floor.

"Duan Mulin from the Mystical Sword School started his cultivation at the age of six. He opened up two divine meridians and stepped into Warrior Realm in half a year, and then Master Realm at the age of nine. He's sixteen now, and one of the Four Great Talents of the Mystical Sword School. What about you? A frail body with blocked meridians. To be blunt with you, you're just trash. Even if you awaken your blood meridians, you'll still be trash. Can you even be compared with Duan Mulin?

"Only a genius like him would be befitting of me. If I want to be married to him, I need to awaken a stronger blood meridian. Since you love me so much, why don't you fulfill my wish and offer up your blood meridian to help me awaken a stronger one?"

A cold voice came from Lu Yao's lips.

Bam!

At that moment, the middle-aged man stepped on Lu Ming's back with a sharp knife gripped on his hands. He shouted, "Lu Ming, give us your blood meridian!"

Ah!

Excruciating pain on Lu Meng's spine swallowed him whole. He let out a piercing howl, his voice filled with helplessness and despair.

Slowly, Lu Ming fell into boundless darkness.

"Lu Yao, I treated you like my beloved, why did you harm me!"

Lu Ming shouted, and sat up from his bed so abruptly that the bed made of Phoebe zhennan1 made a crunching noise.

His head was matted with sweat. It was just a dream.

No, it was not a dream. How could it have been a dream? It was something that happened three days ago.

Lu Ming was the main successor of the Lu Family in Fiery Wind City. His father was the Lord of the Lu Family, while Lu Yao was the daughter of the First Branch Elder of the Lu Family. 

The two of them were from different branches of the same family. Growing up with each other, they were childhood friends. One could say that they were inseparable, and they even made a pledge of their love in private, choosing each other to be their significant other. 

Lu Ming had not expected that Lu Yao and the First Branch Elder would make a move against him and snatch his blood meridians.

"Power. All of this is because I don't have enough power. If I was extraordinarily gifted and powerful, would they dare to treat me like that?!"

Lu Ming clenched his fists. His whole body was shaking, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Trash!

This was what Lu Yao called him. Her words from three days ago still rang in his ear.

Squeak!

At that moment, his door was pushed open, and a delicate middle-aged woman walked in. Looking at Lu Ming on his bed, she asked concernedly, "Ming'er, did you have a nightmare again?"

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

Three days ago, it was Li Ping who had gone to search for Lu Ming out of concern for his safety and rescued him. He would be dead if not for that.

Ever since word of Lu Ming's father being killed during his travels six years ago, Lu Ming and his mother had depended on each other.

Lu Ming gazed at Li Ping, his eyes turning tender. "Mother, I'm fine, it was just a dream," he said.

Gazing at Lu Ming's pale face, Li Ping sat down next to his bed. Touching Lu Ming's forehead, she brokenheartedly said, "It's been three days. You've shouted that Lu Yao harmed you every day. Ming'er, just what exactly happened? Could it be that Lu Yao is the reason behind your injuries…"

"Mother, it's nothing, you misheard me," said Lu Ming.

Lu Ming did not tell Li Ping that it was Lu Yao and the First Branch Elder who did it, as Li Ping did not cultivate martial arts. Telling her would only cause harm to her.

Li Ping hesitated for a moment before she said, "Ming'er, you can't address Lu Yao by her name in front of other people anymore. Two days ago, she awakened Fifth Level blood meridians, and even opened up a divine meridian. She's already gotten approval from the Elder Council. At the house meeting two months from now, she'll become the Lord of Lu Family, taking control of the family. People might call you disrespectful if you address the Family's Lord by her name."

"What? Lu Yao wants control of the Lu Family? She could whistle for it!"

Lu Ming let out a low angry howl. Blood rushed into his eyes, he grinded his jaw so hard that it was creaking. His teeth were cracking from the pressure as fresh blood started bleeding out.

After word spread about Lu Ming's father being killed, the Lu Family had been placed under the leadership of the First Branch Elder. For six years, no new Lord had been appointed.

Seeing Lu Ming like that frightened Li Ping out of her wits. She embraced Lu Ming's head, tears flowing out non-stop. "Ming'er, please don't scare me like that. I've already lost your father, I can't lose you too," she said.

"Father… Where are you? Ming'er believes that you won't die. Now, I'm powerless to the point where I can't even secure the position of the family's Lord."

Lu Ming was tightly gripping a pendant on his neck. As he used too much strength, his nails dug into his flesh and caused blood to seep out without stop.

The pendant, which was the size of a broad bean, was made out of bronze. Before his passing, Lu Ming's father entrusted someone with delivering the pendant to Lu Ming. In these six years, Lu Ming had always kept it with him.

The blood seeping from his palms flowed onto the bronze pendant.

Buzz!

Suddenly, the bronze pendant started vibrating and became scalding hot.

Before Lu Ming was able to react, the bronze pendant turned into powder after vibrating. The powder went for the palm of his hand, disappearing as it entered his palm.

Then, Lu Ming felt a scalding burst of energy traveling from the palm of his hands to his arms, constantly moving up. After a while, it stopped at his glabella.

"The Ninth Dragon never dies, the blood meridian shall be reborn!"

Suddenly, a deafening roar rang in Lu Meng's mind, shaking his head until it was buzzing.

"The Ninth Dragon never dies, the blood meridian shall be reborn!"

"The Ninth Dragon never dies, the blood meridian shall be reborn!"

...

The continuous roaring constantly rang in Lu Ming's head. Soon after, a scorching heat shot off from his glabella to his spine.

At the very next moment, the roaring stopped. But an itchy sensation started to spread from his spine as his body started to heat up.

"What's happening?"

Lu Ming could not understand what was happening.

At that moment, the itchiness on his spine increased in intensity. It was as if there was something slowly growing.

"Ming'er, are you okay?! Please don't scare me!"

Sensing the abnormality on Lu Meng's body, Li Ping felt even more terrified and helpless.

"The blood meridian shall be reborn? Can my blood meridians really be reborn?" Lu Meng felt puzzled.

There were records in ancient books stating that, for some reason,a small number of people whose blood meridians had been stripped or damaged were able to have their blood meridian reborn, growing a new blood meridian. 

However, most blood meridians that were regrown were of low levels, which meant that they were not very useful.

But there was an even scarcer amount of people who would be able to rebuild themselves and awaken the ultimate blood meridians, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. 

However, the chance of this happening was close to zero. Based on early records, there were only a few cases of this happening since ancient times.

Lu Meng never even considered breaking through his past and awakening the ultimate blood meridian. After all, the chances of that happening was too slim. As long as he could awaken a blood meridian, he would be ecstatic. 

With a blood meridian, he would be able to cultivate martial arts and change his own fate.

At that moment, the abnormality on his body slowly faded away. "Mother, I'm fine!" Lu Meng smiled.

"What are you doing? This is the Lord's Residence, you can't just barge in."

Suddenly, a delicate voice could be heard shouting from the outside. Lu Meng could identify that it was the voice of Li Ping's servant, Qiu Yue.

"Slap!"

"Scram!"

There was an unfriendly shout, followed by the sound of slapping. A gloomy looking youth promptly entered the room.

"My Lady, Young Master!" A girl around the age of sixteen entered the room as well. Her face was flushed and swollen, with a palmprint on top. She was Qiu Yue.

"It's you, Lu Chuan? What do you want?"

Lu Ming rose as he shouted coolly.

The visitor was called Lu Chuan, Lu Yao's elder brother. He was sixteen, a year older than his sister.

A flash of astonishment darted across Lu Chuan's eyes when he saw Lu Ming, as if he was surprised that Lu Meng was unexpectedly still alive. He then sneered, "Great timing, Lu Ming. My sister, Lu Yao, will be leading the Lu Family and moving into the Lord's Residence. So, you guys are no longer entitled to live here anymore. Hurry and move."

Li Peng's face paled. Although she knew that this day would eventually come, she did not expect it to happen so soon.

"Lu Chuan, Ming'er is injured. We'll move out after two days, when Ming'er recovers," Li Ping smiled sadly.

"After two days? You'll have to move out today. Do you think I don't know you're trying to drag out your stay here?"

Lu Chuan sneered.

"Today? But Ming'er is injured. It's already so late into the day, let Ming'er rest for a night before moving!"

Li Ping pleaded.

"Rest? He can't even awaken a blood meridian. What good will resting do for trash with blocked meridians? He might as well just die. Anyways, you guys have to leave today," said Lu Chuan indifferently.