[{"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-597":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},1865645,2473,"Chapter 597 - 496: Only Death","i-contracted-all-ancient-divine-artifacts-chapter-597",597,"\u003Cp>When Han Zhan gave this answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, every contracted spirit girl breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They feared death, no one is unafraid of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they feared even more that Han Zhan would make another choice out of fear of death, submitting to the Queen Mother of the West.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s right, we won’t bow!\" Gongyang Jin was the second to step forward, resolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We won’t bow!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We won’t bow!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chorus of steadfast voices echoed on both sides of Han Zhan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the contracted spirit girls raised their heads, their eyes firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then... as you wish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Queen Mother of the West’s expression was indifferent as she slowly raised her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many more times do you think the world will reset?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, none at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The cost of failing this mission is your total annihilation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as she finished speaking, the Golden Imperial Decree appeared in her hand, the text regarding the Peach Blossom Banquet started turning crimson and began to burn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the instant it caught fire, every person surrounding Han Zhan also began to ignite with a nameless fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the Queen Mother of the West’s method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The method of a Saint, one they couldn’t possibly resist under a Saint’s power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Submit, or face death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In flames a hundred times more painful than the Six Ding Divine Fire, Han Zhan still held his head high, looking at the towering figure in the center of the Jasper Pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He neither twisted his face in pain nor lowered his head to the imminent death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He repeated the words he had just said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We won’t bow!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And who says we’ll definitely lose, isn’t that right, Queen Mother of the West?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Zhan’s last words brought the first look of surprise to the Queen Mother of the West’s eternally unchanged face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She narrowed her eyes slightly, glancing in Han Zhan’s direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, Han Zhan and his contracted spirit girls had been completely incinerated, reduced to ashes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How did you find out?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the center of the Jasper Pool, a huge and ugly toad spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This toad was exceptionally large, its body covered with rough, mottled skin in an uneven gray-brown color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The toad’s head was extraordinarily wide, its bulging eyes large and prominent, with deep hollow black pupils that seemed to devour all light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its mouth was split up to the ears, revealing jagged teeth inside, its robust limbs had pronounced muscular lines, and the bone structure beneath its skin was twisted, giving it a deformed appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially on its back, where countless irregular lumps grew, adding to the air of terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Zhan heard the voice of the Queen Mother of the West.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gradually regained consciousness from the bone-gnawing pain of the nameless fire, opening his eyes to survey his surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the Jasper Pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, it wasn’t the Jasper Pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the Jasper Pool he saw before, surrounded by immortal energy and ethereal music, the one before him now was deathly still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood had dyed the entire Jasper Pool water red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless immortals lay in blood, slumped in their seats, their eyes still reflecting disbelief and confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barefoot Immortal, Yellow-Horned Immortal, Taibai Jinxing, Southern Dipper Star Monarch, Beidou Star Monarch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Emperor Chong’en, the Celestial Emperor, Taishang Laojun, were amongst them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each one, utterly devoid of life, dead beyond any death could claim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood-colored Jasper Pool, Tomb of Immortals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the \"truth\" Emperor Chong’en spoke of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I’m not mistaken, this here is the real Kunlun Immortal Court, am I correct, Madam?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this scene, Han Zhan looked at the grotesque giant toad before him and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How did you find out.\" The giant ugly toad gave no explicit approval to Han Zhan’s question, merely repeating its own question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s simple.\" Han Zhan raised his palm towards it, now entirely devoid of any digital display, \"Because of motive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From the beginning, I’ve been pondering one question—what is your motive for doing all this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering the Kunlun Twin Fruit World, Han Zhan noticed the numbers in the palm of everyone’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number \"3,\" representing three lives, typically in understanding meant losing all three equated to \"death.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reality was just the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mission, penalty, death, reward, each segment highlighted the same thing over and over—the importance of \"life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, even then, one crucial question remains unresolved, which is the motive. In other words, what is the ultimate goal of the Kunlun Twin Fruit World?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t the first time Han Zhan entered a Fruit World, nor was he a complete novice in understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ultimate goal of the Hundred Herbs Sacred Heart was to break the generational curse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ultimate goal of Zither Harmony Fu Lai was Fu Xi and Nuwa’s fallback for the Insect Race’s Origin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ultimate goal of the Wilderness of Zhulu was for the Yellow Emperor and Chi You to complete a fated battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the ultimate goal of the Kunlun Twins?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be to watch the Queen Mother of the West continuously repeat the process of having everyone bow to her and the Kunlun Mirror?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, that wasn’t the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whether it’s rebirth or world reset, these are your methods, or rather, the methods of the Divine Weapon Kunlun Mirror under your control.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So one thing is clear, you don’t want us to die.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Han Zhan’s initial hypothesis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But later, he himself overturned this hypothesis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Queen Mother of the West truly didn’t want them to die, then why set so many rule traps in the Peach Garden, so many chilling challenges; and why have them attend the Peach Blossom Banquet almost impossible to survive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything must have a reason why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Understanding why would elucidate the true motive of the Queen Mother of the West.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Later, I realized, you don’t want us not to die, but rather to ’fear death.’\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing instills fear more potently than experiencing death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything could, it would be experiencing it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One death after another, with the numbers in the palm diminishing each time, all gnawed at each person’s faith and determination, even Han Zhan wasn’t exempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What needs to be acknowledged is that the Queen Mother of the West’s approach was more effective than direct threats and indeed subtly altered some of their outlooks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They truly began to fear losing their lives, to fear death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But amidst all this, two \"variables\" arose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first variable was Heart Ape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The appearance of Heart Ape, noticeably beyond the Queen Mother of the West’s control, gave two assists regardless of various constraints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Firstly, allowing Jiang Lingling to eat the flat peach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eating the flat peach\" in the Kunlun Twin Fruit World essentially meant one thing, \"death.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Jiang Lingling, after eating the flat peach and through \"death,\" saw the true Kunlun Immortal Court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the difference between a three-thousand-year, six-thousand-year, and nine-thousand-year flat peach likely pertains to killing immortals of different Realms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, Jiang Lingling was only Tier Seven, and the three-thousand-year flat peach was already sufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secondly, helping them mitigate the impact of their flawed characters, a crucial aspect as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second variable was Emperor Chong’en.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Emperor Chong’en neither overtly nor covertly offered assistance, he subtly conveyed his viewpoint in a conversation with Shang Siteng:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The endless cycle of revival and the agony of not being able to truly die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This also pointed out the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only in death lies true \"release.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only in death can one truly pass the \"Peach Blossom Banquet!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1255,"2026-06-10T05:31:29.100Z",1,"novelbin.me","1d618a88b82d5adec20e5858b9498a0f4f9e8c8219790df142fe2d21139cdbfb","i-contracted-all-ancient-divine-artifacts-chapter-598","i-contracted-all-ancient-divine-artifacts-chapter-596",617,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-contracted-all-ancient-divine-artifacts-cover.jpg"]