Chapter 565: Chapter 464: Don’t Believe It!

Within the surveillance system of the Peach Garden, these bizarre images were captured immediately.

One of the strange, twisted black shadows seemed to have discovered the presence of the surveillance camera as well.

In the footage, it wriggled its pitch-black, wave-like hands and legs, approaching the camera.

In a blink, it had vanished from the surveillance camera.

"Gone?" Seeing this, everyone exchanged glances in shock.

At this moment, Gongyang Jin suddenly looked at Shang Siteng with fear.

She extended her hand, pointing behind Shang Siteng.

There, on the surveillance system’s display screen, twisted, pitch-black wave lines, akin to tentacles, were crawling out from the screen!

It had entered the core area where Han Zhan and others were, directly through the monitor!

How was this achieved?

Seeing Gongyang Jin’s reaction, Han Zhan responded with remarkable swiftness.

In his hand was the dagger gifted by Taibai Jinxing, which had played a decisive role the previous two nights.

A cold gleam flashed.

The dagger pierced the wave-like arm.

But the sensation transmitted back from the dagger made Han Zhan frown deeply.

It was a miss!

"Retreat!" Without any hesitation, Han Zhan commanded, as he simultaneously retreated.

The other Contracted Spirit Girls reacted just as quickly, all retreating and distancing themselves from the area.

No sooner had they left than numerous black wave lines started protruding from the monitors, resembling a countless number of crazed, writhing tentacles.

In addition to this, in everyone’s ears, there was a low, chilling wail, as if from souls imprisoned for centuries, crawling out from the depths of an abyss.

"So fragrant, so fragrant! I want to eat the peach, I want to eat the peach!"

"Give me a bite, just one bite, one bite!"

"Eating the peach can make one an immortal, a saint; I want to cultivate immortality, I want to become a saint!"

They struggled out of the monitor’s display screen, one by one, returning to human size.

They hung their heads low as they slowly headed towards the surrounding peach trees!

During this time, whether it was Han Zhan or the other Contracted Spirit Girls, their attacks on these bizarre entities all fell through without exception!

Attacks were ineffective, unable to stop them.

Han Zhan was appalled; the low, chilling wails in his ears abruptly turned high-pitched and sharp again.

"It’s fake, it’s all fake!"

"The Queen Mother of the West deceived us, the Queen Mother of the West deceived us!"

"There’s no such thing as immortals!"

"Don’t ascend, don’t ascend, don’t ascend!"

Han Zhan frowned tightly, instinctively covering his ears, but those voices were pervasive still.

Soon, blood trickled from between his fingers and dripped down.

The Queen Mother of the West’s deception? What were these dark, eerie things talking about?

Could it be that the Peach Blossom Assembly was a ruse?

Initially eager to eat the peach, then turning outraged and fervent—was it because consuming the peach caused their bodies to mutate?

One thought after another flashed through Han Zhan’s mind.

Not just him, but the other girls too.

Upon hearing these words, everyone cast their shocked gazes towards the surrounding peach trees.

Perhaps it was an illusion.

The silhouettes of the peach trees in the darkness began to appear distorted and chaotic too.

As if they had also turned into spirit monsters of the night, like these black creatures.

Their voices continued.

"I am the Barefoot Immortal, invited by the Queen Mother of the West to attend the Peach Blossom Assembly. I ate the peach, but... that wasn’t a peach, that wasn’t a peach!"

"It was a head, a saint’s head. The Queen Mother of the West hung the saint’s head on the tree, disguising it as a peach!"

"Maggots, yes, those maggots! They crawl out from inside, then transform into terrifying giant worms, devouring the peach trees!"

A twisted black shadow claiming to be the "Barefoot Immortal" spoke.

Another then howled, "The Queen Mother of the West wants to use all the saints’ heads to siphon endless longevity, Queen Mother of the West, you’re so cruel!"

"I am the Yellow-Horned Immortal; don’t eat those peaches, don’t eat the peaches!"

One by one, immortals announcing themselves, each a familiar identity to Han Zhan.

What had they experienced to end up like this?

The Queen Mother of the West, peaches, the Peach Garden.

For a moment, Han Zhan’s mind was in disarray.

As he looked up again at the surrounding peach trees, he suddenly realized that all of the peaches had turned into heads!

Every head was gory, hideous, with small insects witnessed in the daylight frantically gnawing at the flesh of the heads from their hollow sockets and damaged interiors.

Seemingly sensing Han Zhan’s gaze, the jaw of a head being devoured by insects slightly opened, turning to his location:

"I am the Southern Dipper Star Monarch..."

In an instant, more heads from the peach trees turned towards Han Zhan.

"I am the Northern Dipper Star Monarch..."

"I am the Taishang Laojun..."

"I am... Taibai Jinxing..."

"!!!"

Han Zhan involuntarily took a few steps back, as if hearing something unbelievable. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Taibai Jinxing, dead too?!

If Taibai Jinxing were dead, then who had they been seeing these past few days?

The thoughts in Han Zhan’s mind, like dry grass set ablaze, uncontrollably spread and surged.

Those peach trees, the heads on the peach trees, the crazily writhing black shadows, and the increasingly numerous, sharper, wails and howls filled the entire world.

The next moment, Han Zhan’s vision went pitch black.

When he reopened his eyes, he had been resurrected in the Rhombic Crystal Area.

The number in his hand changed once more, from "2" to "1."

It was only then Han Zhan realized that just moments ago, he had died in the night.

Moreover, in a way completely unknown to him.

"Are you... okay?"

Han Zhan asked, looking around at the resurrected girls, realizing his voice was unexpectedly hoarse.

Hearing Han Zhan’s voice, Li Lingzhen took a deep breath like a drowning person saved ashore, returning to her senses.

The reactions of the other girls were similar.

"What happened?"

"How... did we die?"

"Those black shadows, what they said, is it all true..."

Nobody could answer their questions.

"Why aren’t you going in yet?" a voice suddenly sounded behind them, startling everyone once again!

Taibai Jinxing!

It was the one whose head was hung on the peach tree during the night, supposed to be completely dead, Taibai Jinxing!

As this thought hit Han Zhan, he abruptly turned to look.

Taibai Jinxing still had that amicable, smiling countenance, holding a duster, looking at them with a gentle smile.

"It’s getting late."

"You should go in."