[{"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-997":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},2343008,4578,"Chapter 997: The Human Race","cluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-chapter-997",997,"\u003Cp>This old skeleton blood-vine demon was actually disguised as the Blood River King, lying in wait here for countless years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the rise of the Skeleton Blood-Vine Demon Clan was tied to him; during this process, no one knew that the Blood River King secretly absorbed blood as nourishment for healing, right under the noses of the Demon Rock Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did Jiang Ding, a stranger in this land, find the Blood River King when even the Jiao Demon Emperor Clan’s cultivators could not?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s simple: treat the great cultivator like an ox or horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood River King’s ability to hide and escape is actually quite good; with the vast spatial concealment, Jiang Ding could never locate a cultivation realm True Person deliberately evading him without luck and the Boundary-Defining Array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world is so vast—if someone refuses to show themselves, no matter how powerful your spiritual sense or sword intent, it’s useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even if the Blood River King’s concealment was unmatched, even if he hid beyond this world in another small thousand-world, it would be useless; Void Refinement great cultivators’ calculation arts are profoundly mysterious; once they decide to find a Nascent Soul cultivator, as long as he’s not too far away, it’s a sure thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding was no immortal sect heir, and he had many reservations about confronting a Void Refinement great cultivator, hesitating repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the Void Refinement great cultivator didn’t refuse, he’d gladly let the great cultivator do everything for him—he’d just need to open his mouth and eat, minimizing risk to the utmost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spare my life!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eminent One, spare my life!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old skeleton blood-vine demon immediately knelt and groveled, showing not a shred of Nascent Soul cultivator dignity, pleading bitterly: “This humble cultivator’s lineage is scarce; aside from a few skills in escape and hiding, I’m hardly worthy of the title of King.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This humble cultivator was falsely accused—I never dared to spy on the Emperor realm; it was the Demon Rock Clan’s Demon Mountain that framed me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gritted his teeth: “That Demon Mountain, for the sole benefit of the Demon Rock Clan, eliminated rivals—it’s truly inhuman!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood River King looked as if he’d suffered a great injustice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, in his eyes, the man before him was a Jiao Demon Emperor Clan cultivator—and an extremely powerful one among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, how could he suppress a Nascent Soul peak cultivator with mere thought?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Injustice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding had no intention of revealing his form before the Blood River King; he smiled and sighed: “Humanity is such a rebellious race, born unwilling to submit to others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is tied to humanity’s method of growth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No powerful bloodline, no stable class hierarchy, no one is born strong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the process of becoming a Gao Jie cultivator, one crosses and flattens peak after peak once thought insurmountable—every task once deemed impossible is accomplished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Step by step.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now, you’ve reached the edge of the Emperor realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone tells you this is your limit—do you accept it? Are you willing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Others tell you this is your end—do you accept it? Are you willing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Willing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old skeleton blood-vine demon trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words struck straight to his heart, perfectly mirroring his deepest inner cry—as if another version of himself were speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old skeleton blood-vine demon fell silent for a long while, no longer making excuses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emperor Clan,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you truly understand our human race—this ant-like species—so deeply?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood River King let out a bitter laugh: “So the Emperor Clan’s dominance over this realm is no accident—every aspect of them is powerful, nothing like the arrogant, shallow fools we once thought them to be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s truly disheartening.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart sank to the lowest depths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strong as they are, that’s fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to remain humble and clear-minded even toward ants—this leaves him no hope of ever overthrowing the Jiao Demon Emperor Clan’s rule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Within any clan, there must be those who study every aspect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding neither confirmed nor denied the Blood River King’s misconception, nor did he intend to confide in him or beg for his aid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t need to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Nascent Soul cultivator raised in the brutal environment of the Jiao Mingyu  had extremely low morals and no moral Dixian ; survival is understandable, but he could never be trusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he appeared trustworthy, Jiang Ding still wouldn’t accept him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Answer my question.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why didn’t you drink this blood-spirit wine?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding asked: “I’ve reviewed your dossier—you’re meticulous, rising from the lowest slave class, hoarding spirit stones drop by drop during your youth; this was one of your key reasons for rising—skilled at wealth-building and frugal. You once served as Chief Minister of Finance in the Flame Stone Emperor Palace, favored by the Flame Stone Clan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You never changed this habit even after reaching the King realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So why abandon this bottle of blood-spirit wine?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding asked curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was evaluating, stirring the Blood River King’s emotions and spiritual essence, preparing for what came next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because it’s made from human blood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood River King said, dejected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He appeared utterly hopeless, but secretly still hadn’t given up—he sought every possible chance, still buying time, refusing to abandon even the tiniest hope of escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Human blood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding was puzzled, skeptical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve killed billions by now, most of them human—after all, humans are your own kind; you know them best, know exactly how far to go without provoking the Jiao Demon Emperor Clan’s suppression or the resentment of other slave-king rivals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t the blood and souls of these dead humans already your cultivation fuel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aren’t the blood and souls of these dead humans all fuel for your growth?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, this is different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood River King shook his head: “I use their blood and spiritual essence for cultivation—that’s the law of strength over weakness; if I were weak and defeated, I’d rightfully become another’s cultivation fuel. That’s natural.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood River King shook his head: \"I cultivate using their blood and divine souls—that is the law of strength and weakness, the way of the strong preying on the weak. If I grow weak and am defeated, I too should become nourishment for another’s cultivation. It is only right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is food.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I cannot treat humans as food.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can kill them, plunder everything from them, use them for cultivation—but I cannot treat humans as food, because humans are not food; they are sentient beings.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had a tightly constructed moral logic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though to those he killed, the outcome—whether as food or as cultivation fuel—was identical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although this outcome makes no difference to those who died at his hands—whether as food or cultivation fuel, they are all dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this your Dao heart? Your ‘reason’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ding pondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… fits perfectly…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This... suits it perfectly...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood River King felt a sharp warning surge within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he could act, his vision darkened, blurred—after a few breaths, his spiritual essence lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he could act, his vision grew dim and hazy; after a few breaths, his spiritual soul lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his gaze, the old skeleton blood-vine demon’s body crumbled, revealing a middle-aged cultivator with snow-white hair and a blood-red robe, his face strikingly beautiful yet eerie, his pupils flowing with light like blood—strange and terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his gaze, the old skeleton blood-vine demon’s body crumbled, revealing a middle-aged cultivator with snow-white hair and a blood-red robe, his face beautiful yet eerie, his pupils flowing with light like blood—strange and terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, thin strands of gray-black sword qi spread from his limbs, surging into his heart, meridians, dantian, then into his skull and spiritual essence, beginning to take control of him entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, thin strands of gray-black sword qi spread from the Blood River King’s limbs, surging into his heart, his meridians, his dantian, then into his skull and spiritual soul, beginning to take control of everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the secret technique of the Shadow Demon Abyss: the Thread Puppet Soul Guide Art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continue tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continue at night\u003C\u002Fp>",1356,"2026-06-20T23:34:28.016Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f6e58439d498893d2e5ae47b3871a27cf55798003c8def68e3998c2cdc517508","cluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-chapter-998","cluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-chapter-996",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcluster-artillery-shattering-the-immortals-cover.jpg"]