[{"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-70":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},2342081,4578,"Chapter 70: The Black-Robed Man","cluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-chapter-70",70,"\u003Cp>A hundred horsemen rode out of the city, silent and solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early travelers entering or leaving the city watched from afar, not daring to approach even a step closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after the armored cavalry had vanished into the distance did they dare to gather and proceed in turn through the gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are the bandits? Such a large force of soldiers—it’s terrifying just to look at.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These are the Marquis’s personal troops, the Zhendong Iron Cavalry! Word has it they once rode with the founding emperor, undefeated across the land; back then, even the Green Ox Palace and the Wolf God Cult sealed their gates and dared not stir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even now, the Zhendong Iron Cavalry is no slouch—no heroes from miles around can break through.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding civilians murmured among themselves, all proud—even though they had gained no war spoils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the army departed, a black-robed figure appeared amid the bustling crowd, unnoticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This novel is originally published here; please visit the official site to read!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place is over fifty kilometers from Dongling Prefecture; by the time anyone arrives, the melons will be cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After fifteen minutes: “Advance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dismount, form ranks, eat and drink.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Foundation Establishment cultivator showing up is like using a cannon to blast mosquitoes—laughable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a cold laugh, before he could give the order, a shadow darted past like a bird, landing lightly on the treetops, moving like a ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This won’t disgrace you—I am No. 12 on the Dragon Phoenix List, ‘Black Flame Blade’ He Jin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter the possibility, he was no match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Chen stared in shock, about to speak, but the man was already gone, too far to stop—furious, he shouted: “Rogue bandit, ignorant of imperial law, unteachable! Chase him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A group soul technique?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horses could not traverse the mountains, so they were left below, under guard by several men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding calmed his turbulent heart: “The Marquis’s mansion is undoubtedly collaborating with this man. It’s unlikely a Foundation Establishment cultivator would handle such menial work—more importantly, a Qi Refining late-stage cultivator is more than sufficient.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To act this way, he must have a powerful backup plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Most likely Qi Refining peak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding! As blade met sword, black flame clung like a malignant sore, rapidly spreading along the sword’s light, then racing toward the hilt, devouring everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides that, the Four Seas Trading Association is now unreliable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, multiple Qi Refining scouts emitted sharp, birdlike cries in military code, decoded by the messengers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once his suppression is gone, even if Long Zhengwu appears obedient, who knows what he might do when no one watches?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Jin’s expression turned icy; he slashed, and black flame surged from the blade’s edge, striking precisely at the oncoming sword tip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you can’t find it, then it doesn’t exist!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no—I’m just jumpy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s even a chance he’s Foundation Establishment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many say ‘top ten is possible’ or ‘his strength rivals the top ten of the Dragon Phoenix List’—but these are flattery or ignorance; they don’t understand the true power of the Dragon Phoenix List’s elite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only flesh and internal force burn upon contact! Ordinary Qi Refining peak martial artists are reduced to ash and dried flesh within a few strikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Jin…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding watched the black-clad youth approaching, silently raising his guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen the hundred-strong armored cavalry; he had no thought of ambushing under the fading night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Jin stood against the wind, speaking calmly: “Your past deeds were interesting. Let’s make a wager—if you lose, become my servant for twenty years, and I’ll guarantee your chance at the Primordial Stage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his mind, no matter the strength, one must match the team’s pace—never fall too far behind, or the coordination and distraction would be lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Far more elite than Chen Chen’s troops, the Marquis’s personal guards kept their eyes wide open, yet sensed nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To possess such ability, he must be at least Qi Refining peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps in their eyes, all Qi Refining peak martial artists are equal—how great could the difference really be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding said warily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bone-Eating Black Flame! The famed technique of the primordial master Bai Gu Dao Mo, forged through secret arts—it does not harm metal, earth, or stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked down, awaiting a response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence, broken only by the sounds of chewing and drinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The visual recording clearly showed no optical obstruction, yet the civilians instinctively parted, yet ignored his presence entirely—it was a forced distortion of perception at the soul level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, so you’ve chosen another path to death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding suddenly opened his eyes, a flicker of dread passing through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wherever he passed, people instinctively retreated, forming a several-meter-wide empty circle—even the city guards stepped aside without thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The armored cavalry rode nonstop for three hours, arriving ten kilometers outside the Butterfly Catching Camp at noon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ridiculous! Shh! The sword pierced the air, leaving a trail of afterimages—a brilliant, blinding point of light stabbed straight forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao Xiu, the “Point of Evil Brush,” forgot to rest and wisely led his men into the forest as scouts, while even more elite Qi Refining scouts hid in the shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Dongling Mountain Butterfly Catching Camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enemy spotted!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Top twenty on the Dragon Phoenix List—worldly prodigies! These are among the strongest in the land, outside a handful of elder primordial masters!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General, we’ve found the enemy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over a hundred armored soldiers, armed with spears and crossbows, advanced into the mountains in tight battle formation; even with jagged rocks and dense foliage, their formation remained unbroken! He Jin’s expression hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-robed figure moved slowly, seemingly unhurried, yet each step covered vast distance; soon he reached the Marquis’s mansion and walked in as if it were his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are Jiang Ding?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bold indeed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding operated the drone, keeping constant watch on the Marquis’s mansion from over two thousand meters above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Chen looked up and saw, four to five hundred meters away on a treetop, a young man in blue standing still, swaying gently with the wind, silently watching them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had assumed the complex mountain terrain would cripple the army—but it had no effect at all. No wonder the empire, not the sects, still rules the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Chen gave a calm order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The drone’s miniature radar could not detect the black-robed man at all—it simply registered him as an ordinary civilian. Had Jiang Ding not occasionally glanced at the monitor, he might have missed him entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While he spoke, Jiang Ding had already scanned the area with three drones and found nothing beyond normal parameters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a forty-kilometer forced march over mostly mountain paths—even though these elite soldiers were all at least Body Tempering peak, scaling mountains posed no difficulty—the formation had become somewhat disordered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strangely, everyone continued their duties—collecting entry fees, inspecting goods—none so much as glanced his way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Chen said grimly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you regret now, you still can…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Jin sneered, about to speak—then his face twisted in horror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of internal force is this?!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thread of white light emerged from the black flame, rapidly expanding, extinguishing the layers of black flame in an instant. Then, an unimaginably vast internal force surged from the point of contact, hurling him back several steps, his body trembling violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1213,"2026-06-20T23:34:14.007Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4037d3d696464e764242f9ff7358c434a814a4403c96884cd51f272577f3cb3b","cluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-chapter-71","cluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-chapter-69",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-cover.jpg"]