[{"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-13":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},2282121,4464,"Chapter 13: Encounter","after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-13",13,"\u003Cp>The three continued forward, leading their horses, but after traveling a stretch of road, they found no trace of Li Muxian or Cang Yin Yue ahead on the mountain path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That doesn’t make sense—did they speed up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shan frowned in confusion, while Yuan Mei repositioned her hand on her blade’s hilt and warned:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They might be hiding ahead, lying in ambush to strike us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shan scanned the dense, shadowy forest ahead, his eyes flashing cold light as he said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your suspicion isn’t unfounded—stay alert from now on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Mei gave a slight nod, slowing their pace as she and the scholar cautiously continued along the mountain path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a stick of incense burned, Meng Shan’s ears twitched—he suddenly halted and raised his hand to stop Yuan Mei and the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze locked onto the thicket ahead, and he barked sharply:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, rustling sounds emerged from the trees, and a group of burly men wielding knives and spears leapt out from behind the foliage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These men wore red headbands, each broad-shouldered and terrifying, blocking their path completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing them, Meng Shan and Yuan Mei both froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had assumed Li Muxian and Cang Yin Yue were lying in wait—but instead, these brutes appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without thinking, they exchanged a glance: where were Li Muxian and Cang Yin Yue?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or worse—were these men allied with them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before they could ponder further, a thunderous laugh shattered their thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another giant emerged from the trees, stepping lightly on falling leaves, leaping swiftly through the air as if flying, arriving before them in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve been waiting in this godforsaken place for nearly ten days—didn’t see a single hair—today, at last, I’ve caught a fish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The giant had a bald head, thick black chest hair, and held a thick iron fishing rod, as wide as a baby’s arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He laughed at Meng Shan’s group:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Surprised? Your humble boss has been waiting here for you for days!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shan’s face darkened; he carefully scanned the surroundings and growled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are those two hiding?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, the bald giant grinned and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, you're sharp—but with your boss personally handling this, the rest are useless. They're back at camp roasting meat, getting ready to celebrate!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, the surrounding brutes burst into laughter, eyeing Meng Shan’s group like lambs headed for slaughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the bald giant slammed his iron fishing rod hard into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a muffled crackle of sparks, the rod sank nearly a foot deep into the rock beneath them, as if piercing tofu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell me—are you spies from Yinshan Gate? Or agents from Yanjiu City?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Meng Shan and Yuan Mei both frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They came from Shangyang City and knew nothing of this region of Chongzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They only knew this hidden path because they’d obtained the information from Yanjiu City through contacts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that didn’t make them Yanjiu City agents—this situation clearly meant the enemy had mistaken them for someone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, they couldn’t confirm what connection Li Muxian and Cang Yin Yue had with this bald giant and his men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So now, besides dealing with the bald giant—a clear Senior-level expert—they also had to guard against hidden attacks from Li Muxian and Cang Yin Yue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Meng Shan and Yuan Mei were under immense pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Meng Shan lowered his stance, bowed slightly to the bald giant, and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, we three are from Jingzhou. We have no ties to either side you mentioned. Please let us pass.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bullshit—you think I’m a three-year-old?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bald giant spat, utterly dismissing Meng Shan’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You ignore the waterways and main roads? A stranger chooses this barren, godforsaken trail—say you’re not a spy, and I’ll eat my own head!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glared fiercely:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Best be sensible—tell me the truth, or you’ll regret it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around them, several brutal brutes stepped forward slowly, knives and spears raised, smirking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like there’s no talking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shan’s face turned icy; he gave Yuan Mei a subtle glance to watch for hidden attacks, then suddenly lunged forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a shrill screech as his blade drew, his martial qi surged violently, and he struck without warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish! Swish!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of white blade light—two terrifying heads rolled to the ground, blood spurting over three feet high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bold!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bald giant’s teeth clenched; his searing qi instantly gathered in his hands as he yanked up the rod and hurled it at Meng Shan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whistling through the air, silver threads at the rod’s tip sliced like blades, aiming to tear Meng Shan apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In desperation, Meng Shan spun and punched—his perfected Mountain-Shaking Fist surged like a giant hammer, shattering the razor-thin threads midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The threads fell beside him, slicing cleanly through the hard mountain rock, triggering explosions of shattered stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, Meng Shan’s eyes blazed with lethal intent—he attacked head-on, his blade driving straight at the bald giant, leaving a lingering afterimage as he charged!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Yuan Mei, while guarding against hidden threats, had already struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her blade moved with blinding speed—none of the brutes could match her; within a breath, several heads fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the nearby dense forest, Li Muxian and Cang Yin Yue stood atop a large tree, silently watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These roadblocks are pathetic—like a rabble. One clash and half are dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Muxian, unimpressed by bloodshed, shook his head with a disapproving click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Yin Yue glanced at him and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Let them clear the path—we avoid trouble, and I save effort.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so? I feel this whole thing’s suspicious,” Li Muxian replied skeptically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the battle ahead had turned decisively one-sided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bald giant hadn’t expected Meng Shan and Yuan Mei to be so strong—both were Senior-level experts equal to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In barely a moment, all his men lay dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself was locked in stalemate with Meng Shan—neither could gain the upper hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those two are with you, aren’t they? They haven’t moved—probably abandoned you and fled.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shan slashed down, meeting the rod’s strike head-on—the shockwave of their clashing qi snapped a tree trunk as thick as a bowl three zhang away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you yapping for? You killed my brothers—I’ll tear you to pieces!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bald giant gritted his teeth, suddenly pulling a bamboo tube from his robe, unleashing qi to fire a brilliant red flare into the sky!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1063,"2026-06-20T01:43:38.503Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f35a72ed70e3f3d327530352b63b1d52166af1d2fc8d60a132f7bfcad6a7c364","after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-14","after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-12",259,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-cover.jpg"]