Chapter 1070: I Disagree

Hearing him mention this, Yu Yanluo’s expression dimmed. She said softly, "I did wrong by Yanyou in this matter, but I only did it to uncover the truth behind his death. I told the entire situation directly to Lady Liu and Lady Chu, and they were willing to avenge their husband after learning about it..."

"Heh heh, that sounds good, but are you trying to say this is all because of me?" Jian Taiding interrupted directly. "Lady Liu and Lady Chu are your people, so of course they'll agree with whatever you say. What about Lady Zhang? She was kept in the dark the whole time, believing she was serving her husband and diligently doing her best every day. Little did she know her purity was defiled by some wild man you, his wife, had an affair with."

"Lady Zhang has been radiant these past few days; I suppose your wild man hasn't held back in 'watering' her, has he?"

Yu Yanluo’s face flushed crimson. "Stop calling him a 'wild man.' He and I are completely innocent. Everything I've done was merely to uncover the truth and avenge Yanyou."

Although she had a gentle and composed nature, she was, after all, the head of a prominent family and had witnessed countless vile schemes. Naturally, such taunts could not shake her resolve.

"Oh, so you're quite fond of that wild man, aren't you? A few words from me and you're already defending him?" Jian Taiding sneered menacingly. "Who exactly is that wild man?!"

Rage points from Jian Taiding +444 +444 +444...

Hidden nearby, Zu'an couldn't help but chuckle. The rage point system truly collected spiritual energy; even without a face-to-face encounter, it could still be collected if the distance was close enough.

Yu Yanluo said indifferently, "You'll find out soon enough."

"Soon enough?" Jian Taiding paused, then quickly smiled. "It doesn't matter. Once I've dealt with you, that guy will be no threat."

"Dealt with me?" Yu Yanluo's expression was a little strange.

"Exactly. I was too good to you before, and you didn't appreciate it. Since that's the case, don't blame me for resorting to force." Jian Taiding seemed to recall something pleasant, a hint of joy on his face. "I've decided to possess you first, then we can slowly cultivate feelings. After all, love grows over time, ha ha ha. My elder brother is good in every way, but he's too indecisive. He worshiped you like a goddess and ended up getting nothing."

Yu Yanluo scoffed. "Are you so confident you'll win?"

Jian Taiding's expression grew serious. "Everyone outside thinks my sister-in-law isn't a cultivator, that she's powerless. But I don't believe that. To manage a huge family like the Yu clan and to manipulate so many men in the world—that only proves my sister-in-law is unfathomable. And today, I intend to test your true depth!"

With that, he flashed forward, rushing towards Yu Yanluo. However, due to his severe injuries, his speed was noticeably slower than at his peak.

Yu Yanluo lightly tapped her foot, and her entire body drifted to the side.

Jian Taiding stopped. "Sister-in-law, why aren't you pretending anymore? So you are a cultivator, ha ha ha! The women I like are always the best."

"Stop calling me 'sister-in-law,' it's disgusting..." Yu Yanluo rebuked softly, when suddenly, a sharp gust of wind assailed her from the side.

Uncle Ming had made his move!

Jian Taiding's long speech and premature attack were all designed to cover Uncle Ming's surprise assault.

Uncle Ming's eighth-grade cultivation was already formidable, and such an unexpected strike was incredibly difficult to guard against. The burst of killing intent in that instant even surpassed many ninth-grade experts.

The peculiarity of his technique was that if the opponent retreated, an unending series of lethal moves would follow, increasing the power of his attacks with each step.

If the opponent didn't retreat, the sudden eruption of his long-charged move would still be enough to cause many stronger cultivators to fall in regret.

Moreover, Jian Taiding was still poised to strike from the side. As long as Yu Yanluo sustained any injury, no matter how deeply she concealed her strength, she would be at their mercy today.

To their surprise, Yu Yanluo neither dodged nor chose to confront the attack head-on. Instead, she waved her cloud-like sleeve, and a scroll unfurled before her.

Uncle Ming was taken aback, wondering if a thin scroll could possibly serve as a shield.

He knew there had to be something unusual about it, but he was supremely confident in his attack. With his fighting spirit and momentum at their peak, there was no reason to pull back.

He roared, his aura surging once more. Unsure of her hidden capabilities, he dared not hold back. However, he also knew she definitely possessed some strength, so his attack would at most gravely wound her, with little chance of killing her.

And then... there was no 'then.'

His chilling aura vanished instantly, and he himself disappeared without a trace, as if he had never been there at all.

Jian Taiding was dumbfounded. One moment, he was about to tell Uncle Ming to hold back and not actually kill his sister-in-law, and the next, Uncle Ming was gone.

"What kind of sorcery is this?" he asked, staring in horror at the extraordinarily beautiful woman.

Yu Yanluo looked back at him. "You two work so closely together, it's clearly not your first time, is it? Did you use the same tactics to ambush your elder brother before?"

"Uncle Ming's move just now seemed like an assassination technique from the Phantom Tower. Is he a member of the Phantom Tower?"

Zu'an was startled. The Phantom Tower again?

What exactly does this mysterious organization do? Why are they everywhere?

Every time they showed even a glimpse of their presence, it was enough to inspire dread.

Jian Taiding regained his composure. "Was that 'Sleeve of the Universe' you just used? No, you're not at that level yet. You unfurled a scroll; it must have been a secret art that created a world within the painting, trapping Uncle Ming inside. Hmm, are you connected to the mysterious sixth disciple, the Painter, of the Libationer?"

As a Grandmaster and the head of the Governor's Mansion, his insight was certainly extraordinary.

Yu Yanluo didn't answer him. Instead, she looked at him and said, "Do you surrender, or do you want to fight? You're severely injured, you're no match for me."

Jian Taiding chuckled. "Your cultivation truly surprises me, but I also saw clearly in that instant. While your world-within-a-painting is indeed remarkable, your actual cultivation is only around the eighth-grade. Although I'm injured, I'm not someone a mere eighth-grade cultivator can deal with."

With that, he held his long sword and directly lunged at her.

Yu Yanluo remained calm, placing the scroll in front of her.

Learning from Uncle Ming's mistake, Jian Taiding wasn't foolish enough to charge straight ahead. With a flicker of his body, he changed his position.

Yu Yanluo hastily shifted the scroll's position, but unfortunately, her speed was still slightly inferior to his, always just missing.

Feeling a little frustrated, she took out a paintbrush and drew in the air. In just a few strokes, she outlined a cage.

However, at the last moment, Jian Taiding managed to dodge.

"You're not a Grandmaster, so you don't understand how powerful a Grandmaster's divine sense is. You can't lock onto me, so naturally, you can't pull me into your painted world." Jian Taiding looked at the wound on his chest, which was subtly bleeding again due to his intense movements. "However, in my current state, defeating you won't be easy either."

"Alright, I've been hesitant to use this, but now I have no choice."

With that, he pulled out a pill and swallowed it. Immediately, his complexion visibly brightened and became flushed.

"What is that?" Yu Yanluo asked, a hint of apprehension in her voice.

"This pill is called Vigorous Sea Dog Pellet. Even the most severe injuries can be recovered from in a short time," Jian Taiding said, opening his arms and inhaling deeply with a look of enjoyment. "It's back, I can feel everything returning."

Yu Yanluo frowned. "Is that the potent elixir that comes at the cost of being unable to glimpse the next cultivation realm?"

The pill was indeed miraculous; while it could heal injuries in a very short time, the cost was immense: it essentially sealed off one's path of cultivation. Therefore, it was typically only used when facing certain death.

"I understand my own talent. Reaching the Grandmaster realm is already my limit; I certainly won't be able to break through to Great Grandmaster in the future. Instead of pursuing an illusory future, it's better to seize the present." Jian Taiding's gaze towards Yu Yanluo grew fervent. "Sister-in-law, today I must have you. This place, deep within the Great Snow Mountain, is undisturbed by outsiders, perfect for a wedding chamber. And my elder brother is here, he can be our witness."

In front of his elder brother...

Thinking of this, he found himself growing even more excited.

"Shameless!" Yu Yanluo trembled with rage, frantically wielding her paintbrush, hoping to subdue him before his strength fully recovered.

Jian Taiding, however, was in no hurry. He leisurely dodged while smiling, "Sister-in-law, you've really overesteimated yourself this time. While your abilities are quite remarkable, you didn't anticipate that I possess this rare elixir, did you?"

"Sister-in-law, there's no need to struggle. The Great Snow Mountain is sparsely populated; no one will come to rescue you, even if you scream yourself hoarse. Wouldn't it be better if we simply harmonized like a zither and lute, instead of playing these games of feigned resistance?"

As he spoke, he almost reached for his flute to play a tune, but the painful lesson from last time stopped him.

"Hmph!" Yu Yanluo spat, no longer bothering with him, and focused intently on her attack.

"Sister-in-law, why are you being so stubborn? Today, when I say I'm going to have you, not even the King of Heaven can stop me!" Jian Taiding's breathing grew ragged; he couldn't wait for his strength to fully recover before pouncing.

But the next second, an alarm blared in his mind, and he hastily dodged to the side. Unfortunately, the opponent was too fast. Although his spirit had warned him in advance, his strength hadn't fully returned to its peak, making him half a beat too slow.

"Pfft~" Struck hard in the back, a mouthful of blood sprayed out, and Jian Taiding collapsed weakly to the ground, staring in horror at the person behind him.

"You say you'll have her, and you'll have her?" Zu'an looked at him indifferently. "I don't agree!"