After fifteen years of cultivation, he finally reached the pinnacle of the first rank!

Chapter 456 The Secret of the Jiang Family
The head of the Jiang family entered the tunnel through the stone steps, and then passed through more than a dozen tunnel intersections. After walking down for about half a cup of tea's time, he finally arrived at an underground space deep underground.

The entire underground space was pitch black. The Jiang family patriarch stood on the stone steps and then unleashed several palm strikes, hitting the hidden mechanisms in the dark underground space based on his memory.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of metal gears meshing and turning echoed throughout the silent, dark underground.

Visibly, the ground beneath the Jiang family patriarch began to slowly open up, revealing an even darker, more gloomy abyss.

"I've come to see you."

An indistinct voice came from the Jiang family patriarch, who flicked his finger, and braziers ignited one after another in the abyss below, illuminating the pitch-black darkness before them.

Under the firelight, the scene in the deep underground abyss was revealed.

Twelve rusty bronze chains were deeply embedded in the surrounding stone walls, and the other end of the chains was connected to a disheveled woman, who was locked and suspended in mid-air from the abyss.

Upon hearing the voice of the Jiang family patriarch, the woman who had been locked in mid-air and motionless seemed to finally show a reaction.

The woman slowly raised her head and looked up at the Jiang family patriarch above the abyss. In the dim firelight, her eyes were empty and lifeless, without the slightest luster.

"When...do you...plan to kill me?"

The woman's voice was intermittent and so faint as to be almost inaudible, but the head of the Jiang family clearly heard what she said.

His somewhat bulky body bent down and sat on the stone steps, looking down at the woman whose meridians and bones were bound by bronze chains, and sighed:
“Zhu’er, every time I come here, you ask the same question.”

"But you should know that you are the love of my life, how could I bear to kill you?"

The disheveled woman didn't speak, but let out a barely audible sob, which sounded like laughter, but there was no emotion in that laughter, only unspeakable anger and resentment.

"I have good news for you. Wang'er's disciple-acceptance ceremony will be held in a few days. Our son will surely become famous throughout the martial arts world and reach the realm of martial god!"

The head of the Jiang family seemed completely unconcerned by the woman's laughter, and said with a face full of pride.

Upon hearing this, the woman bound by the bronze chains was clearly stunned for a moment, then seemed to exert the last bit of strength she had left, causing the bronze chains to sway almost imperceptibly.

“You…let me see Wang’er…Si’er…”

The woman slightly opened her mouth, and a pleading look finally appeared in her lifeless eyes as she stared intently at the head of the Jiang family above her.

The head of the Jiang family stared down at the disheveled woman for a while, then said expressionlessly:
“Zhu’er, you are already dead. How can a dead person come back to life? That would frighten Wang’er and the others.”

Upon hearing this, the woman bound by the bronze chains became visibly furious, then her eyes revealed deep pain, which finally turned into a barely audible plea:
"Please...please...let me see them...just once..."

The head of the Jiang family remained unmoved, and simply said:

"You know I can't let you out. You are the daughter of the God of War. Letting you out would mean taking my life."

As he spoke, the head of the Jiang family took out a round, black plaque that resembled wood but wasn't quite, from his robes, gently stroked it a few times, and then changed the subject:

"However, if you tell me the secret of the Abyss of Heavenly Martial Arts, I might consider bringing Wang'er and Si'er to see you at the appropriate time."

Upon hearing this, the entire underground space fell silent for a moment. The disheveled woman below, her face like a demon, stared intently at the Jiang family patriarch, her voice weak as she said, "I... shouldn't have trusted... you hypocritical scoundrel... and told you the secret of the Heavenly Martial Abyss... This is the biggest mistake of my life..."

Upon hearing this, the head of the Jiang family sneered and said:
"Bullshit! If you hadn't married me, could you have given birth to martial arts geniuses like Wang'er and Si'er, who are one in a thousand years?"

"Zhu'er, you should understand that meeting me is the greatest fortune of your life!"

"Besides, my Jiang family has a Martial God Supreme in its ancestry. Your marriage to me, the daughter of a Martial God, is not a disgrace to your status."

The voice of the Jiang family patriarch echoed in the abyss, refuting the woman's words below, causing her to immediately close her eyes.

"Kill me... even in death... I will not tell you... anything about the Abyss of Heavenly Martial Arts..."

However, before the woman could finish speaking, she was interrupted by the Zhu family head, who suddenly stood up:
"enough!"

"Who do you think I asked you about the secret of the Heavenly Martial Abyss for? I did it for Wang'er and Si'er. They are martial arts geniuses who are rare in a thousand years, and both have the potential to become martial gods. But if they don't have the Heavenly Martial Abyss, how will they reach the realm of martial gods in the future?"

"You are so stubborn, you'd rather take the secret to your grave than tell your children. You're unworthy of being a mother!"

At this moment, the head of the Jiang family was furious, clutching the round token tightly in his hand, staring at the woman below with extreme anger and disappointment.

But the woman had already seen through what kind of person he was. She had been betrayed by the man she once loved most and had been imprisoned in this dark and sunless underground place for nearly thirteen years.

Right now, all she felt was resentment; she wished she could kill the Jiang family head with her own hands.

Moreover, the woman knew very well that the Jiang family patriarch's desire to obtain the secrets of the Heavenly Martial Abyss was not for his two children, but entirely for his delusional dream of becoming a Martial God.

"You... think you can become... a God of War...? That's a pipe dream!"

The woman forced out a weak laugh, then immediately closed her eyes and ignored the Jiang family head.

Seeing this, the Jiang family head's expression shifted uncertainly, then he quickly reverted to the friendly and gentle demeanor he displayed when with Jiang Wang, and softly called out:
"Zhu'er..."

However, the woman lowered her head as if dead, and no matter how much he called out, she did not respond at all.

The Jiang family patriarch's face immediately darkened. He cursed under his breath, and realizing that the woman was ignoring him, he had no choice but to turn back empty-handed. He then closed the mechanism again and returned to his study upstairs along the stone steps.

After restoring everything in the study to its original state and confirming that nothing was missing, the head of the Jiang family opened the study door and asked the old servant at the door:

"Did anyone come by just now?"

The old servant shook his head. Seeing this, the head of the Jiang family closed the door and left with the other party.

Shortly after the Jiang family patriarch left, a petite figure in emerald green quietly appeared in front of the study.

What is the secret behind my father?

Jiang Si watched the back of the Jiang family patriarch, hesitated for a moment, and then slipped into the study.

(End of this chapter)