[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-contracted-all-ancient-divine-artifacts":3,"chapter-i-contracted-all-ancient-divine-artifacts-i-contracted-all-ancient-divine-artifacts-chapter-397":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Contracted All Ancient Divine Artifacts",{"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},1865428,2473,"Chapter 397 - 296: The Antique Merchant","i-contracted-all-ancient-divine-artifacts-chapter-397",397,"\u003Cp>Tick-tock, tick-tock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dark and damp sewer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint sound of footsteps echoed in the deserted place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, gentle ripples spread, and a figure wearing a black hood stepped out of the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lifting the hood, it was Meng Xiaobei who had escaped in the chaos earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re late.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing opposite Meng Xiaobei was another figure clad in a large black hood, completely wrapped in darkness. From the voice, one could tell he was male.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I almost got caught! But the antique you gave me was really useful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Xiaobei recalled the previous scene and couldn’t help but sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Han Zhan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A formidable figure famous throughout the Great Xia North County, the new leader of Great Xia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being able to hold him off for ten minutes, how powerful must such an artifact be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you get the item I wanted?\" The person in the black hood did not respond to Meng Xiaobei but countered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Xiaobei shook his head. \"I’m still two short.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying this, he reached out his hand towards the person in the dark shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My identity has been locked, and future actions will only become more difficult. I need more support.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across from him, the person in the shadows stayed silent for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long pause, he pulled out a palm-sized wallet. As he opened it and tipped it over, jingling, clinking sounds filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several bizarre and strange artifacts appeared on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only commonality was that their designs and colors all appeared very ancient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll give you ten more antiques.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remember, this is my final sponsorship to you. If you still can’t obtain that item, I will withdraw all my investment in you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m a businessman, not a philanthropist. I must balance profit and cost within a controllable range.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he finished speaking, he put away the wallet and tightened the hood on his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, in the next moment, he completely merged into the darkness and disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Xiaobei approached and stared at the ten ancient artifacts quietly lying on the ground, his gaze becoming resolute again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up these antique artifacts one by one and stored them away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he picked up the last artifact, Meng Xiaobei suddenly noticed that something brownish-yellow was still pressed underneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bent down and picked it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the faint light, he saw it clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a dog’s hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An artifact not belonging to this era?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bob’s analysis left Han Zhan a bit surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s right.\" The Little Dragon Man Bob affirmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it possible that it’s a deliberate imitation by people today?\" Han Zhan asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bob glanced at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To give an example, Can Shang Company’s combat style is extraordinary technology. They will research increasingly powerful battle machines and weapons to improve their power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But when have you ever seen Can Shang Company specifically imitating Great Xia, creating machines similar to Spirit Contract Masters and Contracted Spirits, then fighting with them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Bob say this, Han Zhan understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Can Shang Company, enhancing their combat power through their strengths is already sufficient. There’s no need to imitate Great Xia and create those mismatched things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not that researching Spirit Contract Masters isn’t possible, but extraordinary technology is more cost-effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same principle applies to this antique artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Artifacts on Blue Star are all made with spiritual energy circuits, conforming to the general flow of spiritual energy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In this respect, you can consult Dong Dachui. As an Artifact Refining Master, he’s most knowledgeable about these things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of Dong Dachui, because he and brewer Chen Zui were sent to the Sun Never Sets Knight Order, they were the second batch to arrive in North County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, they are residing in the designated \"Observation Area\" with knights and Anti-Xia Alliance members who also arrived in the second batch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even you can’t explain it?\" Han Zhan eyed the virtual image of the Little Dragon People, leaning back tactically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re the mighty Northern County Celestial Net.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Celestial Net has to have records in its database. The Celestial Net also needs to keep growing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bob raised his volume, angrily swishing his tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not that asking me is impossible, but consulting Dong Dachui is more cost-effective!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Zhan, holding these ancient fragments, found Dong Dachui located in the observation area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accompanying him was someone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Legion Commander of the Third War Zone, Shen Zheqi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since arriving in North County, Shen Zheqi had been busy everywhere, becoming akin to a firefighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, it was the Ancient Array matters. He needed to activate the arrays in every location, then came replacing arrays and simple repairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He became overworked and exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This situation somewhat improved after Han Zhan brought back the River Map and Luo Book, Lin Jingxuan comprehended part of its mysteries, and the myriad grand arrays merged into a Heaven and Earth Array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now he’s busy leading the team to continue their old work of exploring various ruins in North County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Getting him to make time to come here wasn’t easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s the matter that couldn’t be discussed elsewhere?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m pressed for time, so please speak quickly; I have to return to overtime work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Zheqi, with dark circles under his eyes, looked somewhat haggard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is your tomb-raiding work really this exhausting? North County has temporarily stabilized; you can also take a long holiday for yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s ruins exploration! Ruins exploration! Not tomb raiding?\" Shen Zheqi repeatedly emphasized, then sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s no use; it’s been like this for years, and I’m accustomed to it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Giving those kids a holiday; they’re so energetic, better to let them continue ruins exploration.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Zheqi had attempted giving a long holiday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of himself, after the holiday, his hands always felt itchy, as if ants were crawling, drawn to dig holes in his yard only to fill them up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s him trying to restrain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The combat spirit contract masters under him; some were enjoying a beach holiday, only to habitually dig a huge hole in the sand with a shovel, earning severe demerits from patrolling robots, still \"undergoing remedial labor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Back to the main issue; what’s the reason you called me here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Zhan saw Dong Dachui also approaching from afar and threw a fragment of an ancient artifact towards each of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both caught the fragments simultaneously and, upon seeing the fragments in their hands, their seasoned expressions shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this... an ancient artifact excavated from a ruin?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remarkably unique energy circuit, not a product of this era!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a skilled eye, one quickly knows if it’s genuine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing their words, Han Zhan hurriedly asked, \"Do you have any way to use this ancient artifact, or repair it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Impossible (Absolutely impossible)!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two spoke in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>",1130,"2026-06-10T05:31:13.179Z",1,"novelbin.me","e4cea3d021f3530b8d7f98c52d820f78c63d87a0319b46bfee50783dcac1b061","i-contracted-all-ancient-divine-artifacts-chapter-398","i-contracted-all-ancient-divine-artifacts-chapter-396",617,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-contracted-all-ancient-divine-artifacts-cover.jpg"]