[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals":3,"chapter-cluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-cluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-chapter-48":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Cluster Artillery: Shattering the Immortals",{"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},2342059,4578,"Chapter 48: Stealth","cluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-chapter-48",48,"\u003Cp>A hidden outpost,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>concealed among the thickets, with eyes occasionally scanning the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint breeze passed by, drawing not the slightest attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding activated his Minor Breath-Subduing Art fully, his camouflage suit’s optical concealment at full power, resembling a chameleon ready to shift form—by day, faint translucent ripples and shifting hues could still be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under cover of night, all traces were completely masked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding’s internal Qi circulated through his Minor Heavenly Cycle, granting him a continuous surge of energy; he tapped his toes lightly, dropping from the treetops, climbing inch by inch up the cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Protrusions on the sheer cliff face, occasional cliff cypresses, became his stepping points; his figure ascended rapidly, avoiding any terrain too complex and potentially booby-trapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are capable people in Tiger Mountain Stronghold…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding muttered to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu, your shift’s up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This novel is originally published here: please visit to read!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the aerial drone overhead and the ever-burning torches within the stronghold, he located the Hall of Brotherhood without effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he died, it wouldn’t warrant a military response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So ruthless?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inner Qi cultivator on gate duty cursed at the nearby barracks, and soon a burly bearded man, shouldering a forged steel great axe, stumbled out, half-asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A middle-aged man of great authority frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding waited with immense patience, even after his internal power was fully replenished, continuing to refine and nourish the finer branches of the Twelve Regular Meridians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even here, there were arrangements—over a dozen hidden sentries scattered along both sides of the cliff, none lax, all alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could our assumption be wrong? Maybe the Blue Glow Butterfly isn’t that important to him or his family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The central pavilion blazed with light, occasional sounds of flutes and strings drifting out—Lu Jingtian of “Flying Tiger of Dongshan” likely hadn’t slept yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding breathed lightly, found shelter beneath a tree’s shadow, gripped his sword, closed his eyes, and meditated to restore his depleted internal power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bandit gangs are bound by brotherhood and the ideals of big meat, big drink—you can’t enforce such strict discipline, or everyone would flee; even if the leader is powerful, it won’t help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s better… but I fear the force capable of refining Breakthrough Elixirs isn’t weak. The longer we wait, the more risks we face!” Lu Jingtian sighed: “We old fools all have unworthy descendants. When we’re gone, the next generation will just fade into obscurity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lamps burned bright, emitting no smoke, carrying a faint exotic fragrance—the very oil, worth its weight in silver, like whale oil! Graceful maidens in lavish robes danced gracefully, while musicians plucked strings in harmony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is still decent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just bluffing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One might endure it in an emergency, but this is clearly routine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mountain Splitter” Zhou Kuang and “Golden Pointing Tiger” Zhou Sheng—brothers, both with Minor Inner Qi cultivation, masters of coordination, the fifth and sixth of the “Seven Tigers.” Taking advantage of the brief chaos during the shift change, Jiang Ding lightly stepped onto the courtyard wall, then again, gliding along the rooftops toward the center of the Hall of Brotherhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guard seemed to sense something, his gaze fixed on a shadow beneath the eaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, the lights were brighter, the guards more numerous and vigilant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The subordinates each had brought began their own rotations, orderly and disciplined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Dongsheng and Lu Jingtian exchanged glances, clearly placing great trust in the black-robed elder, offering no objection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I actually stared directly at him, triggering some kind of awareness—that’s the kind of mistake even the greenest novice wouldn’t make.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding relaxed his muscles slightly, silently warning himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though deep in the mountains, its opulence rivaled that of nobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The message has been relayed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding carefully combed through his mental records but found no information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This too—any inner Qi cultivator who turned bandit did so for wealth and indulgence; no one would be assigned to guard a gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big mistake!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Dongsheng had built a substantial base within Dongling Prefecture—he must have strong ties to the upper echelons, with tight Liyishusong —but he wasn’t truly of the Tang family of Marquis rank. “Unknown… an inner Qi full-cultivation outsider…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good… not the worst case.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If alarmed, if a signal was raised, arrows and crossbows would swarm, experts would block escape—even a full-cultivation inner Qi cultivator would die swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of this drew the attention of the three seated figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding’s mind stirred, recalling the information he’d obtained from Long San.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All trees and grass around the courtyard wall had been cleared; the torchlight illuminated every blind spot, leaving nothing hidden from the guards’ view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shifted his gaze to the corner of his eye, continuing to monitor the gate—the guard indeed failed to notice anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding’s expression turned cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over an hour later, the turning point finally appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surely not—we’re all working for the higher-ups, earned great merit. Brother Chou, you came from a great sect—surely you don’t have no safety net?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But under the drone’s thermal imaging, every hidden sentry was laid bare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-robed elder sneered: “Look at how many enemies we’ve made. When we die, nine out of ten times, our families will be wiped out too. Do you believe it or not? Do you remember where your old gang bosses’ families are now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thirty minutes later, his figure flickered and vanished from the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably an illusion—nothing was hidden, no blind spots, no possible threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze settled on the inner Qi cultivator standing before the Hall of Brotherhood’s entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Such heavy precautions—this is no ordinary bandit gang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding’s heart tightened, he withdrew his gaze, activated his Minor Breath-Subduing Art at full speed, his entire aura approaching that of stone and dead wood, muscles tensed, ready to strike with a single sword slash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leader of the Righteous Brotherhood, “Righteous as the Heavens” Yang Dongsheng!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A grim black-robed elder declared: “You don’t understand. You only need to know that any force seeking materials to refine Breakthrough Elixirs must be after something extraordinarily precious—far more valuable than the elixirs themselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He released a gray messenger pigeon, saying calmly: “That brat refused our price, left no room for negotiation, and outright said if we don’t deliver the goods at the Four Seas Trading Company’s price within three days, the deal is off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Flying Tiger of Dongshan” Lu Jingtian stood seven feet tall, powerfully built; though his temples were streaked with gray, his aura remained undiminished—every movement, every posture, like a ferocious tiger at rest, compelling all to hold their breath and listen closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He too was a major figure; only the head of Longhu Martial Arts Academy and the head of the Zheng family in the prefecture could match him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-robed elder sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He muttered to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The oil lamp’s light shone straight, and in the shadow beside the window, faint translucent ripples appeared—then vanished instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut your damn mouth!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gate guard, slightly puzzled, withdrew his gaze and scanned elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the ground, a patch of soil was slightly sunken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A full-cultivation inner Qi cultivator isn’t a cabbage—you don’t hide for years in solitude for nothing. This must be an outsider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Dongsheng frowned—he wasn’t like these two; in the prefectural city, he owned vast estates, with over a dozen concubines and dozens of children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Merit? That’s bullshit!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Jingtian sneered: “You think you’ve earned great merit, but in their eyes, you’re toilet paper—a stain they’d gladly flush away. Where’s the loyalty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for great sects—they’re no better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1259,"2026-06-20T23:34:14.007Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","97f53879ad092d9ab9a7520c03200817e6db03fff84805698e79235e794f2319","cluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-chapter-49","cluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-chapter-47",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-cover.jpg"]