[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star":3,"chapter-after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-10":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After Fifteen Years of Secret Cultivation, I Start as a Top-Grade Ultimate Peak!",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2282118,4464,"Chapter 10: Chongzhou","after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-10",10,"\u003Cp>\"However, the last emperor never had the chance to open the Heaven’s Revelation Vault; the Great Qi dynasty fell, and the seven keys he held vanished without a trace.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of this, Cang Yin Yue’s gaze turned cold as she said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So don’t bother me again—no wooden box alone can open the Heaven’s Revelation Vault!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Li Muxian sighed deeply and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, I knew it wouldn’t be that simple.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shoved the wooden box into his robe, rose, and walked to Cang Yin Yue’s side, saying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still, Cang Miss, you know quite a bit. If I have any questions later, I’ll ask you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, he extended his fingers, ready to unseal her acupoints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But halfway, he suddenly stopped:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You won’t try to knock me out again, will you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Yin Yue replied swiftly and calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian chuckled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even you don’t believe that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Yin Yue snorted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as you don’t get close, I don’t believe you can seal my acupoints.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian shook his head—this girl still had a stubborn streak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, he suddenly spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cang Miss, I actually have a way to remove the branded characters on your face.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Cang Yin Yue’s expression flickered imperceptibly, then quickly returned to cold indifference as she said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t believe you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian stared at her without speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Yin Yue’s gaze gradually dimmed, and she murmured to herself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The man who branded my face has perfected the Bone-Eating Yin Wind Finger to the highest level. What you see is only the surface—the characters have sunk deep into the bone, like parasitic worms eating flesh. They can never be erased in this lifetime.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Li Muxian tapped a finger, instantly unsealing her acupoints, and said calmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cang Miss, how can you know it’s impossible unless you try?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing her acupoints freed, Cang Yin Yue flexed her now-mobile hands, then vanished from her spot like a ghost, retreating swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, she halted before the ancient tree where she had stood, facing Li Muxian from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Li Muxian crossed his arms and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t forget—I’m the exiled Seventh Imperial Prince. Every attack you make is an act of rebellion. When I reclaim my title, even the head of your Shadow Spy Bureau won’t save you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Yin Yue fell silent for a moment, then slowly leaned back against the ancient tree behind her:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you truly can erase the mark on my face, I will risk my life to save you when you face mortal peril.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need for that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian smiled and shook his head, extending one finger, then adding two more:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just promise me three conditions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Yin Yue’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Li Muxian’s expression turned surprised:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So quick? Aren’t you afraid I’ll demand something outrageous?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Yin Yue gave a cold smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I refuse to do something, I’d rather die than do it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Strong will.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian gave a thumbs-up, then turned and sat down before the campfire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet internally, he was pondering the Heaven’s Revelation Vault—this was one clue in his pursuit of martial transcendence, though gathering seven keys gave him a headache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How will you remove the mark on my face?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Cang Yin Yue, standing nearby, spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’ll discuss it once we reach Shangyang City.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Yin Yue stared at Li Muxian for a long while, then finally said, \"Fine,\" and leaned against the tree, closing her eyes in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night passed without incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, after a night’s rest, the two resumed their journey on horseback toward the capital of the Great Li Empire, Shangyang City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, Li Muxian wasn’t in a hurry; he rode leisurely, admiring the mountain and river scenery along the way, finding quiet pleasure in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Yin Yue made no haste, sitting her mount as if on flat ground, cultivating her Qi while matching Li Muxian’s pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several days, Li Muxian grew tired of the scenery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, mountain trails weren’t famous sights—there were few truly worth seeing, mostly just trees, grass, and dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he finally abandoned his slow pace and quickened his travel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cang Miss, how many days until we reach our destination?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian didn’t know the way; all the route maps existed only in Cang Yin Yue’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we ride day and night, we’ll reach Jingzhou in ten days, then one more day to the capital. At a normal pace, it’ll take twenty days.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Yin Yue replied flatly, then teased:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t need to rush—after all, the real prince always makes his entrance last.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the very excuse Li Muxian had used earlier to delay their journey—now thrown back at him unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian could only shrug and sulk onward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several more days passed, the two riders, dusty and weary, entered Chongzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The journey had been dull, but they’d encountered a band of highwaymen—yet the moment they appeared, Cang Yin Yue dispatched them instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond that, not a single ripple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Cang Yin Yue, the bandits were an accident; the path she chose had been specially vetted by the Shadow Spy Bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It deliberately avoided dangerous zones and regions dominated by complex martial sects—the safest, cleanest route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why their journey had been so smooth, with virtually no incidents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after entering Chongzhou, Cang Yin Yue grew noticeably cautious, ceasing all Qi cultivation and constantly scanning her surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian knew something was amiss, though he didn’t know what, so he asked this living map and walking encyclopedia of the Great Li Empire:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cang Miss, what’s so special about Chongzhou? You seem overly tense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Yin Yue gave Li Muxian no courtesy; on this journey, no matter how trivial, he asked her every question he didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, she was starting to fear him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, she finally explained:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chongzhou has been unsettled lately. According to Shadow Spy Bureau intelligence, the largest martial factions within the province appear to be on the brink of war.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’re currently within the territory of a sect called the Blood Bath Alliance. Under these conditions, they’ll surely guard every major pass.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But this sect is neither wholly good nor wholly evil—hard to deal with. Better to avoid trouble entirely. Stay cautious, and try not to cross paths with them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1060,"2026-06-20T01:43:38.503Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c1a95c636e8137b48b650f8e46af5a53fd8ff3dd022c0f0cf190c8c5b0811ee8","after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-11","after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-9",259,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-cover.jpg"]