[{"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-221":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},2282329,4464,"Chapter 221: City Lord","after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-221",221,"\u003Cp>And taking advantage of this opening, the two in hemp robes finally broke free from the opponent’s spiritual lock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, they escaped from Bailian City in less than half an incense stick’s time, before the city’s lockdown was fully sealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after the two left Bailian City,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the Xishan Dao Sect to cover for them, and still undecided on how to infiltrate Luoshen Peak, they decided to temporarily halt on a small hill beside Bailian City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They did this for two reasons: first, to deliberate and adjust their revenge plan; second, to secretly observe Li Muxian’s condition, who still remained inside the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he took advantage of our distraction to flee immediately, he might have had a chance to escape from Baixiang Pavilion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pink-clad girl gazed down at the foot of the hill; Bailian City below, even in the darkness, still glowed brightly with lanterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hemp-robed elder fell silent, then shook his head and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He comes from the Great Li court, his status is not low—he must have backers behind him. Moreover, I sense he has no intention of fleeing. But what is his purpose—or rather, what does the Great Li court intend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the pink-clad girl furrowed her delicate brows, her small face filled with suspicion as she turned to the hemp-robed elder:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be that the Great Li court plans to seize Bailian City tonight, then use it as a base to attack Luoshen Peak?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s unlikely. Along our journey, we’ve seen no trace whatsoever of any other Great Li forces besides their group. Clearly, Luoshen Peak is not among the Great Li court’s primary targets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hemp-robed elder spoke with thoughtful expression, then fell silent for a moment, gazing down at Bailian City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the city seemed to have reacted—dark streets now flickered with numerous city guards carrying torches, moving rapidly, appearing chaotic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All gates of Bailian City had been completely sealed; the entire city now resembled an iron barrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the hemp-robed elder suddenly frowned and said slowly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be honest, I truly don’t understand his intent. If he came here to die, he doesn’t act like it; but if he didn’t come to die, then provoking Luoshen Peak is no different from suicide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the pink-clad girl’s eyes flashed with hatred as she spat:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That guy is utterly annoying—I’ve always felt something’s off about him. He’s surely hiding some sinister scheme, but he won’t likely lose his life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, in the night, the girl turned her gaze to the hemp-robed elder:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What we should be worrying about now is how to enter Luoshen Peak. Miss this chance, and our opportunity to avenge Sister will grow even slimmer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hemp-robed elder remained silent, then gave a slight nod and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s still time before Zheng Yunfeng’s birthday. Bailian City is the mandatory route to Luoshen Peak; martial sects will gradually pass through here to pay their respects. As long as we wait here, we’ll still have our chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The murder of Bailian City’s young master and the son of Jiufeng’s peak seat inside Baixiang Pavilion plunged the entire pavilion into panic and chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many guests, sensing danger, scrambled from their beds and slipped away quietly; even Baixiang Pavilion’s own staff began to harbor thoughts of fleeing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, such high-ranking figures had been killed inside Baixiang Pavilion—everyone there would inevitably be implicated, and all feared they might not survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>News of Zheng Zhi’s death was reported immediately to the City Lord’s mansion; the lord of Bailian City was Zheng Zhi’s elder brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Yunfeng, peak seat of Bailian Peak, had taken many wives and fathered twenty-four children, yet only a few were truly favored and entrusted with major responsibilities on Luoshen Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Shangzong, as lord of Bailian City, ranked first among them. He was now forty-seven years old and had already broken through to the Heavenly Realm four years ago, having reached the Grand Master level of martial cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Possessing formidable martial strength and nearly controlling half of Bailian Peak’s power, Zheng Shangzong held an extremely high status within Luoshen Peak, and his personality was arrogant, even obstinate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing the news of Zheng Zhi’s death, he did not even bring his bodyguards—he rushed alone to Baixiang Pavilion at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shortly after he arrived, the two Luoshen Peak elders who had lost track of the hemp-robed elder returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They sensed something was amiss inside Baixiang Pavilion, but had not yet determined what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his brother’s corpse, Zheng Shangzong, already enraged, launched an attack on the two returning elders without a word:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Negligent duty—deserve death!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peak’s signature martial art was “Hundred Peaks Divine Fist.” Zheng Shangzong had trained in it since childhood; by the time he reached the Heavenly Realm, he had perfected it, leaving only half a step short of full mastery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, as he struck, his fist surged like a colossal mountain crashing down—the terrifying fist wind nearly crushed Baixiang Pavilion beneath its weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two Luoshen Peak elders were nearly equal in martial cultivation, but Zheng Shangzong’s fist art surpassed theirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, he was the son of the Bailian Peak seat—they dared not truly fight back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, they defended with martial qi while avoiding direct contact, retreating toward the outer edges of Baixiang Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Zheng, what has happened? Why attack us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shen spoke with a grim face; the other elder, retreating as he spoke, explained:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just now, Young Master Zheng ordered us to pursue a Heavenly Realm expert. We were gone only a moment—we had no idea what happened inside Baixiang Pavilion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Zheng Shangzong unleashed a punch—the night sky twisted and roared as a brilliant golden fist light erupted; the surrounding heavenly qi boiled violently, the collision of power exploding like thunder, as if ready to tear apart the heavens and earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two elders immediately leapt upward, condensing their qi to stand on empty air, retreating to the upper levels of Baixiang Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Shangzong’s punch seemed to have slightly relieved his fury—he was now gradually calming down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up at the two Luoshen Peak elders standing in midair, his voice cold as ice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My brother and Yuwen Feng were killed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, the two elders’ expressions changed drastically; they both exclaimed in unison:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shen, utterly stunned, involuntarily asked in a low voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t that man named Miao protect the young master and the others?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zheng Shangzong flashed instantly—vanishing from his spot and reappearing before the two elders, his eyes brimming with murderous intent:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s dead too. Killed by a single finger piercing his skull—the exact same death as my brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You failed in your duty, allowing my brother to die—your crime is unforgivable. But right now, I only want to know: who killed him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I swear I will tear him into a thousand pieces!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Shangzong’s murderous intent surged violently; the two elders’ faces turned grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shen opened his mouth to speak—but at that very moment, a voice suddenly echoed in everyone’s ears:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t ask. I did it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1192,"2026-06-20T01:43:39.330Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a600709427ff9515b5e716e82e8f293e1809a2a77a8d995f2e573aabd1f57688","after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-222","after-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-chapter-220",259,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-fifteen-years-of-secret-cultivation-i-star-cover.jpg"]