I Contracted All Ancient Divine Artifacts-Chapter 285 - 184: Separation Wine

Chen Zui cheerfully packed up the items.

He nodded in satisfaction, looking at Han Zhan with an increasingly friendly gaze.

"But, just these aren't enough to convince me."

"Not enough? Chen Zui, that's quite enough." Elder Bing reminded him from the side.

Unexpectedly, Chen Zui remained unmoved even by Elder Bing's words.

"If you want to take away the Sword Remains, you must abide by Buried Sword City's 'rules'. Li Tugui, do you intend to defy these rules?"

Chen Zui, predicting that Elder Bing wouldn't object further, continued, "It's simple to gain my recognition, just need to do one thing."

As he spoke, he led Han Zhan and Elder Bing deeper into Buried Sword City.

The whole Buried Sword City wasn't as desolate and silent as Han Zhan had imagined.

After entering the city gates, the first thing that caught his eye were large wine jars.

These wine jars were neatly arranged and stacked together, towering like a small mountain.

Besides wine jars, there were numerous brewing facilities, and materials being processed and dried — bones, flesh, and others.

"Three people in one city, no matter how many times you come, yours is always the messiest of the third."

Facing Elder Bing's complaint, Chen Zui seemed unconcerned.

"My requirement is simple: as long as you can drink this jar of Separation Wine without getting drunk, it's considered a pass."

Separation Wine?

Isn't this the best tasting Separation Wine in the world that Elder Bing mentioned?

Thinking of this, Han Zhan couldn't help but scrutinize those mountain-like jars.

"Alright!" Han Zhan agreed without hesitation.

Elder Bing kept his hands tucked in his sleeves and didn't stop him.

Chen Zui was at a disadvantage due to outdated information; if he knew about Drunkard Sun Yun's past experience, he certainly wouldn't have made this request.

Chen Zui beckoned with a raised hand, and a jar of wine flew into his hand.

Opening the clay seal on the wine jar, a rich aroma wafted through the air.

That fragrance, even with a cursory sniff, had Han Zhan's senses spinning, making him dizzy.

He quickly steadied himself.

Elder Bing truly wasn't lying; this Separation Wine indeed tasted far better than the wine sold at Fulong City's taverns.

Han Zhan took the wine jar and sipped a little.

An indescribable strange feeling spread from his tongue across his body.

Han Zhan froze entirely, standing there dazedly.

Seeing this, Chen Zui chuckled twice and retrieved two small bottles of wine, tossing one to Elder Bing by his side.

"This challenge seems simple, but it's probably difficult to pass." Chen Zui took a sip from the bottle cap, and the wine tasted aromatic.

Elder Bing also took a sip and wasn't worried about Han Zhan.

"Your Separation Wine can be considered your specialty as a brewer. Regular people would sleep for three days and nights after just one sip; even the Awakened couldn't handle it."

The wine doesn't intoxicate people.

The reason Separation Wine is called Separation Wine is because this guy added certain special ingredients to the wine recipe.

"Those who drink Separation Wine will see what they find hardest to let go of, whether it's a person, an object, or any obsession."

"What truly 'intoxicates' you is never the wine, but the 'dream' you see."

Separation is hardest to wake from the dream.

Chen Zui deliberately described the whole matter as light and simple, intending to make Han Zhan lower his guard.

He hopes Han Zhan fails, a wish from deep within.

The Sword Remains are the reason Buried Sword City exists here; it's also the only thing Chen Zhongxia left behind. Everyone has obsessions, and Chen Zui is no exception.

"That was my dear brother."

"Even if his son-in-law comes, I can't go easy on them."

"You're not stopping me nor alerting him, which puzzles me." The last sentence addressed Elder Bing.

Suddenly mentioned Elder Bing just took a swig of wine again.

"Actually, I also want to see what a young person's obsession would be like."

"I have faith in him."

...

Han Zhan drank a mouthful of wine, suddenly appearing bewitched.

Immediately after, he took one sip after another, finishing the whole wine jar.

His vision began to blur, his mind dulled, and a feeling of intoxication swept over.

Han Zhan quickly activated the Nuwa Stone's Talent Ability to decompose and remove the alcohol from his system.

Still, he didn't wake up.

In his hazy consciousness, he entered a unique mental world of his own.

This was Deep Blue City.

Han Zhan gazed at the dark clouds covering the sky, simultaneously feeling the intense Tier Nine pressure and murderous aura.

Deep Blue City's Guardians were organizing ordinary people to evacuate, while others rushed to the frontlines.

"Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and follow!"

Han Zhan was shouted at softly by a Guardian, urging him to join the crowd.

He was now just an ordinary person.

Other Deep Blue citizens in the crowd wore expressions filled with fear, unease, and dread.

They were evacuating Deep Blue City to other inland cities.

Han Zhan clutched his head, furrowing his brows as if struggling.

"What are you thinking, Ah Zhan?" At that moment, a familiar voice rang in his ear.

Youwei looked at him worriedly, taking the luggage from his hand. "Let's escape quickly, everyone is waiting for you."

"Everyone?" Han Zhan asked instinctively.

"Yes, Lingzhen and the others are here." Youwei pointed behind Han Zhan as she spoke.

Han Zhan turned and saw many familiar figures.

Li Lingzhen, Shang Siteng, Gongyang Jin... they all, like him, carried their bags, evacuating Deep Blue with the crowd.

Han Zhan's head hurt even more.

He felt there was something awkward about this scene, making him unable to resist stopping once more.

"Ah Zhan, what are you doing?"

"Ah Zhan, are you going to abandon us?"

"Ah Zhan, come on, follow us to leave here; we'll find a place with no others, just our own paradise!"

Swayed by their words, Han Zhan, amidst their gentle persuasion, arrived at Deep Blue City's gates.

Far from the battlefield, even the sounds of fighting grew distant.

With fragrant companions by his side, ahead lay a zone absolutely safe, and Han Zhan stepped towards the city gates.

Just then, he glanced back at the distant sky.

Han Zhan saw a towering figure burning itself, transforming into fire, illuminating the whole Deep Blue!

"No."

Han Zhan stopped at the city gates.

Gazing with determination at the distant battlefield silhouette.

Step by step, resolutely, against the fleeing crowd, he headed towards the frontlines.

With each step he took, the Sword Qi around him grew more intense.

As he returned to the frontline battlefield,

The surging Sword Qi within Han Zhan erupted like an angry volcano awakened!

Awakened by wine at the city gates, a thousand layers of heartbreak arrived all at once.