"The Thorn Blossom Sea Formation — though I can withstand it, I am trapped here."
"If I release my defensive formation, your Thorn Blossom Sea Formation will crush me into certain defeat."
"But if I don't release my defensive formation, it simply cannot hold against your Divine Curse Weapon Formation."
"I would become a living target."
Jie Tianran said.
"Jie Tianran, it's not that I don't value the bond between husband and wife."
"But I cannot simply turn a blind eye to what you've done."
As Chu Feng's grandmother spoke, she prepared to activate the dagger before her and launch it at Jie Tianran.
Whoosh— But at that very moment, a beam of golden light pierced through her chest from behind, simultaneously shattering the dagger before her.
Upon closer inspection, it was also a golden dagger — identical to the golden dagger Chu Feng's grandmother had condensed through her Divine Curse Weapon Formation.
However, the talismans wrapped around this golden dagger numbered not one hundred, but a full three hundred.
And yet the two were clearly different.
This, too, was a Divine Curse Weapon Formation.
Chu Feng's grandmother's Divine Curse Weapon Formation had been condensed only recently and relied primarily on her own power.
But Jie Tianran's Divine Curse Weapon Formation was centered on a supreme treasure and radiated an aura of great antiquity.
It had clearly been prepared long ago and buried here in advance.
Clank, clank, clank— At that moment, barrier chains erupted from the ground and bound Chu Feng's grandmother.
This, too, was a supreme treasure that was exceedingly difficult to break free from. It emanated both its own ancient aura and the rich atmosphere of this place.
It had evidently been hidden here for a long time.
Meanwhile, the golden dagger formed by Jie Tianran's Divine Curse Weapon Formation transformed into a streak of golden light and swept across in a flash, annihilating the entire Thorn Blossom Sea Formation in the blink of an eye.
It finally came to rest in Jie Tianran's hand.
"Nianqing, I know why you chose to meet me in the Asura Valley."
"Because years ago, you once asked me why I was unwilling to come to the Asura Valley."
"I told you then that this was a secret not to be shared with anyone."
"I told you that the power of the Asura Valley had a restraining effect on me."
"That being here made my body uncomfortable and that my combat strength would be affected."
"You intended to use the power of the Asura Valley to defeat me."
"But in truth, the Asura Valley has absolutely no effect on me whatsoever."
"On the contrary, I had long since hidden my Divine Curse Weapon Formation — set with supreme treasures — here."
"If anyone dares to fight me in this place, then I hold all the advantages."
Jie Tianran said.
"Back then, you deliberately deceived me."
Chu Feng's grandmother realized she had been tricked.
Jie Tianran had intentionally told her that lie as a precaution against her — guarding against the possibility that she might try to exploit his supposed weakness to bring him down.
But at that time, their daughter hadn't even been born yet.
There were none of the later disagreements that had caused their rift. They had clearly been deeply in love.
And yet even back then, Jie Tianran had already laid this precautionary move against her.
It left her thoroughly shaken.
All the beauty of their past seemed like an illusion.
She realized she had never truly known the real Jie Tianran.
"Nianqing, you are very strong now."
"In a straightforward fight, I might genuinely not be your match."
"It's a pity you don't understand that you must never drop your guard — not even with the person beside your pillow."
Jie Tianran said.
"The person beside my pillow?"
"Did you truly ever consider me the one beside your pillow?"
"Save your false pretense."
"If you want to deal with me, then just do it."
"But I am rather curious — will you kill me right here?"
"Or will you do to me what you did to our daughter — strip away my bloodline, cripple my cultivation, and then use me to lure our grandson here?"
Chu Feng's grandmother asked.
Jie Tianran did not answer. Instead, he walked up to Chu Feng's grandmother.
He gently caressed her cheek, then trailed his hand down along her neck to her shoulder and arm.
But on Chu Feng's grandmother's face, a cold and contemptuous smile appeared.
"Why bother with such false pretense?"
"Doesn't acting like this disgust you?"
Chu Feng's grandmother asked.
"Heh…"