[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ascending-to-divinity":3,"chapter-ascending-to-divinity-ascending-to-divinity-chapter-278":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Ascending to Divinity",{"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},2280828,4461,"Chapter 278: The Book of Life and Death","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-278",278,"\u003Cp>In thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian thought of the “Hanguang Divine Sword.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sword, though bestowed by heaven,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>belongs to the category of “weapons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It has no accompanying divine art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Lord of the Equal Hall has abandoned the struggle for the wonder realm!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the Guide Messenger sensed something and his expression turned startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian glanced at it, said nothing, and continued toward the depths of Yinshan, toward Dizang Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guide Messenger’s face changed again: “The Lord of Chujiang Hall has also withdrawn, relinquishing his Chosen status!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next minute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight successive Wang Hall Lords withdrew one after another, severing all ties with the Yinshan Wonder Realm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guide Messenger followed behind Jiang Jian, his expression now numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since his creation,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he had never witnessed anything so bizarre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to his memory,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the struggle for the wonder realm had always been bloody and brutal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one, no matter who, would ever abandon such an opportunity if they harbored even a trace of greed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guide Messenger snapped back to himself and suddenly spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It must be that a Spirit Platform Realm True Lord from Earth has found another Chosen in the real world and forced him to relinquish his claim!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to look at Jiang Jian, his gaze strange: “I never expected you to have a Spirit Platform Realm True Lord as your backer—truly hiding your depth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to the Guide Messenger’s incessant babbling,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian ignored him entirely, stepping steadily toward the end of the path: Dizang Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On either side of the stone steps, hellish bas-reliefs were carved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Eighteen Hells were depicted with lifelike detail, so vivid they seemed to pull one into the scene, stirring uncontrollable dread in the soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Jian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A calm voice came from before Dizang Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian halted and looked up toward the top of the steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There stood a being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wore a Yama robe, black silk sleeves embroidered with golden cloud patterns, crowned with a black-and-red twelve-bead pearl coronet, and masked with a Senluo mask that concealed her true face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From her attire,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian immediately recognized:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This being was the Lord of the Fifth Hall of Yinshan—the Yama Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you recognize me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yama Hall Lord spoke softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She raised her wrist, drew a slender white finger from the sleeve of her black robe, and removed the grotesque Senluo mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coronet’s pearls trembled; a strand of dark hair fell beside her ear, revealing the exquisite, flawless face of a young girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lu Qingqing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian said gravely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqing replaced the mask, tilted her head slightly, and said: “It’s me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She descended the steps and came to Jiang Jian’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her pupils swirled with mist, staring directly at Jiang Jian through the red-and-white Senluo mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Help me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqing said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian asked: “What do you want me to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqing drew her sleeves together and pointed behind her to Dizang Hall: “Yinshan is truly a great wonder realm. To ascend to the Dizang title, one must sink into the story.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The story of the ‘Sutra of the Ten Wheels of Dizang’ contains many figures from myth and legend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need you to retrieve something for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone was calm, as if certain Jiang Jian would not refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian fell silent for a moment, then asked: “What do you want me to retrieve?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqing said: “The Book of Life and Death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned and ascended the steps to Dizang Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone grew solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not doing this for myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s for the Earth’s underworld that we need this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Dizang Hall,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>silence fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian, through the Guide Messenger, had already fully understood the rules of the wonder realm’s succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to convention,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>once the struggle began,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the ten Chosen of Yinshan would be swept together by the realm’s power into the story-illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This story-illusion was the very origin of Yinshan’s wonder realm—the world of the “Sutra of the Ten Wheels of Dizang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the story-world was merely a simulation, borrowing divine essence,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>its inhabitants possessed fragmented thoughts and consciousness—not mere illusions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Jiang Jian once claimed “Lihen,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the Long Jun of the Hai River from the “Chronicles of the Four Continents” he had seen—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>was precisely such a being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though far weaker than true “transformation from illusion to reality,” the realm’s splendor and strangeness still stirred awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian weighed it briefly, then spoke without direct reply: “Even if you ascend as Lord of Yinshan, the Dizang title, you only get three chances to transform objects from illusion to reality.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You want me to use one of those chances, consuming Yinshan’s power, to make the Book of Life and Death real and bring it into the physical world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his head to look at the girl in the Yama Hall robe: “The favor you ask is too great.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqing spread her hands: “I won’t let you help for free.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian looked at her, saying nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His meaning was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three “transformation from illusion to reality” chances belonged exclusively to the Lord of the wonder realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They consumed the divine essence stored within the realm’s core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were the most precious resource any wonder realm possessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqing offered nothing, spoke empty words—she expected to use one chance for free? No negotiation possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can get your sister admitted to the Earth-Moon Academy by special exception.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She suddenly spoke, mist swirling in her eyes: “And train her with Level 6 Talent resources.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qingqing had thoroughly investigated Jiang Jian’s background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian’s gaze sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sister, Jiang Zhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with noble blood and extraordinary talent,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>her cultivation resources were extremely limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, Jiang Jian shook his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had calculated:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he ascended to the Dizang title and became Lord of Yinshan, the spiritual resources under his control would surge to an unimaginable scale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he allocated wonder realm resources to his sister for cultivation within Yinshan, it might not be worse than the Level 6 Talent treatment at the Earth-Moon Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1028,"2026-06-20T01:21:35.424Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fce467593babcc766bf4d18ee44b427e40a3c5174972860eaa44424f613221be","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-279","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-277",306,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fascending-to-divinity-cover.jpg"]