Chapter 672: Eternal Chosen

Yizite looked at the headless corpse of the Abyss Chosen, his expression complicated, and whispered, "He seems to be called Akoulage?"

"That's him," Belak nodded.

The Netif people originally had their own language, but after worshipping the Abyssal Four Gods over three thousand years ago, they quickly switched to speaking Abyssal Language.

They all heard the shouts of those Abyss Knights just now.

Yizite, Belak and Daoensosi's expressions were all grim, Asina glanced at them and asked, "Do you know this Demonkin Chosen?"

Daoensosi replied, "Akoulage is the chieftain of the 'Wagasi' tribe, one of the most powerful Abyss Chosen among the Netif. He has been famous for over three hundred years, has killed countless people in his life, including Netif and humans, and has a great chance to ascend to Chosen Champion."

Chosen Champion is the Netif term for Saint Rank.

The Netif's power derives from the Abyssal Four Gods; their path to strength is to please the evil gods, gaining favor in various forms, thereby receiving blessings.

The more blessings they receive, the stronger they become, and the higher their status.

Of course, the Netif also cannot do without their own cultivation effort, but the most important factor is the evil god's blessing. Becoming an Abyss Chosen is only the first step; standing out among many Chosen and defeating rivals allows one to ascend to Chosen Champion, equivalent to a human Transcendent of Level 20 or above.

Asina didn't care about the Abyss Chosen's title, shrugged, and said, "Anyway he's already dead, nothing to fear."

The Abyssal Evil God never interferes with the life or death of its followers, even those Chosen it has blessed.

Yizite, however, disagreed, "Akoulage's death itself matters little, but he was the chieftain of the Wagasi tribe. Over a decade ago, he was defeated by a Chosen Champion, then pledged his entire tribe to that champion, becoming a trusted subordinate. Akoulage's death could very well anger him…"

The dark elf said this, and a hint of unease appeared in his eyes.

Belak and Daoensosi's expressions were also unpleasant.

"Who is the Chosen Champion you mentioned?" Asina, seeing her three teammates so worried for the first time, couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Doom Lord Aiken!"

Yizite answered in a low voice, as if uttering the name made him shiver.

Asina had never heard of him, but from her teammates' reactions and such a domineering title, she inferred he must be an extremely terrifying and powerful figure.

She was about to ask again when a dozen wind‑scale horses skirted around the scattered Abyss Knight corpses and rushed to the group.

"Thank you all for saving my life!"

A middle‑aged man leapt from his horse, courteously keeping his distance, bowed from afar, his face showing relief and excitement, and shouted, "We are the 'Fearless Fist' from Albert Bay Oke Lan City; I am the vice‑captain Kenrichi, may I…?"

Halfway through, he saw the five of them, his gaze landing on the wildman priest, and exclaimed with delight, "Lord Daoensosi, so you were the ones who saved us!"

Then, a hint of doubt arose; Daoensosi had always been a lone wolf—how could he now be in a party?

And his teammates were all so powerful!

Kenrichi still couldn't believe that the Abyss Chosen Akoulage had been slain, and that even his elite Abyss Knights were completely wiped out.

The Transcendents of Fearless Fist also sized up the five legendary warriors, their gazes full of curiosity and awe.

Having roamed the Abyss Wasteland for years, they had honed sharp eyes; from the recent battle it was clear that any of these five was no weaker than the captain who fell under Akoulage's hand.

Especially the young Wizard with an indifferent expression, who almost single‑handedly wiped out an entire Abyss Knight unit; they would never forget the sight of a meteor shower bombarding the sky. The twelve surrounding Mirror Images added immense pressure, and even those familiar with mirror techniques could not fathom how this Wizard summoned so many images.

However, the most eye‑catching was the dashing female warrior, who outmatched the Abyss Chosen in a direct clash of power—simply unbelievable.

The Transcendents were all dazzled by her beauty!

The wildman priest looked at Kenrichi; he was not familiar with this legendary Mid-stage greatsword master, having only met a few times.

Daoensosi, on behalf of his teammates, asked, "Kenrichi, how did you get tangled with Akoulage?"

"Uh…" Kenrichi showed a grimace, hesitated a few seconds before replying, "Sir, we ventured into the Abyss Wasteland to carry out a task assigned by the city lord, not to deliberately provoke the Demonkin tribe, but unfortunately Akoulage spotted us and pursued us here."

His gaze was bitter, "We originally had over forty teammates, including the captain and two other vice‑captains, all killed by Akoulage."

The Transcendents' faces showed both pain and sorrow.

Fearless Fist suffered heavy casualties this time; even the captain died, and the group might disband. Even if the city lord decides to rebuild the Hunt‑Soul Squad, it would take at least twenty years to regain strength.

"What mission are you carrying out?" Daoensosi asked again, "Akoulage chased us for so long and even brought elite Abyss Knights; that doesn't seem like a chance encounter."

The Transcendents' expressions grew tense as they all turned toward vice‑captain Kenrichi.

Clearly, there was a deeper reason.

Kenrichi wrestled with his thoughts for a while, then shook his head, "Sorry, sir. The city lord gave orders; I cannot disclose the mission details to outsiders."

Daoensosi instantly became very displeased.

He lifted his war hammer and stepped forward, his voice deep, "We killed Akoulage to save you, and may now face retaliation from Doom Lord Aiken; do we not even have the right to know?"

Asina and the others were also quite displeased.

Reslin's twelve Mirror Images all turned toward the Transcendents, startling them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's not that I don't want to speak, but I don't know the specifics; the only captain who knew has already died," Kenrichi stammered, hurriedly explaining. "If they make a move, neither I nor my teammates could survive the exit."

"Then you must at least know what you did, right?" Daoensosi pressed.

Kenrichi immediately replied, "The city lord sent us into an abandoned temple to retrieve something; I don't recognize what it is."

"Where is the item?" Belak stared at the greatsword master.

Kenrichi instinctively looked at his waist, where he wore a strap with a pocket dimension; clearly, the item was hidden inside.

"Take it out," Daoensosi said sternly. "We aren't trying to steal your item, but we need to know the cause of this matter."

As a follower of the Mother Earth Goddess, the wildman priest strictly adhered to doctrine and would never plunder others.

Daoensosi's words let Kenrichi breathe a sigh of relief, but not fully at ease. The priest wouldn't loot, but his teammates might.

Reslin and the others wore expressionless faces and said nothing.

At this moment Kenrichi felt pressure greater than when facing the Abyss Chosen, sweat beading on his forehead, caught in a dilemma. If the item were lost, he couldn't report back to the city lord, and the lives of over twenty teammates would be wasted.

But if he didn't produce it, the remaining dozen teammates, including himself, might also die.

Kenrichi gritted his teeth; between possibly losing it and possibly dying, he ultimately chose the former, pulling an item from his belt.

Instantly, it captured everyone's attention.

It was a peculiar talisman, about the size of an adult's palm, its material unknown.

The talisman was triangular overall, engraved with countless eerie hollow runes surrounding a central eye.

At first glance the talisman shows no magical aura, but when people's gaze meets the eye in its center, a sudden indescribable feeling arises, as if staring at a great being whose eye contains supreme wisdom and truth, making the scalp tingle and the whole body break out in gooseflesh.

Reslin intended to use the All-Seeing Eye to see through the talisman, but the Willpower of truth sensed great danger.

He wisely abandoned the idea.

Dao En Suosi struggled to move his eyes away from the talisman, letting out an inexplicable sigh of relief; the talisman possesses a terrifying allure.

The stronger a person is, the greater the temptation.

Conversely, the Fearless Fist transcendents felt little; they were only curious.

The barbarian priest looked at his teammates and saw that Reslin and A Xina were completely unaffected, while Yizite and Beilake stared blankly at the talisman, gradually becoming dazed.

"Wake up!"

Dao En Suosi barked a low command, his voice carrying a "Command Spell," bringing the two teammates and the talisman‑holder Ken Liqi back to consciousness.

Ken Liqi hurriedly tucked the talisman into his belt, his face showing lingering fear.

"What is this talisman?" Dao En Suosi asked.

"I really don't know."

Ken Liqi forced a bitter smile, "It was buried beneath that abandoned temple, unguarded, and we dug for over half a month to find it. But as soon as we got it, Acolag and the Abyssal Knights surrounded us; the captain sacrificed his life to break the encirclement for us…"

"Which deity's temple?" Yizite asked for the first time.

Ken Liqi glanced at the dark elf, looking uncertain, "It should be the Lord of Chaos 'Nayaxin Lanqi', I'm not sure. The temple was built on a wasteland, only the underground remains, and it has been abandoned for at least a thousand years."

"Lord of Chaos!"

Everyone's hearts jumped; no wonder the talisman was so strange.

This one of the Abyssal Four Gods is famed for strangeness and chaos, ever‑changing, most adept at provoking evil desires and negative emotions in people's hearts, thus leading them to fall. Its minions and followers hide among people, mostly highly intelligent casters or high‑ranking figures; the damage they cause is less direct than the other three evil gods, yet its threat is still considerable.

Reslin could not see through the talisman's true nature, but could judge that it is at least a Legend Grade item.

A talisman linked to the Lord of Chaos, the city lord of Oukelan, that "One‑Punch Martial Saint" Lord Bru, what does he intend to do with it?

The creation of an Abyssal Evil God never comes that easily.

Wearing this talisman for a long time will likely corrupt the mind, causing one to fall and become a follower of the evil god.

The teammates all thought of this; the Fearless Fist transcendents are not ordinary people and know well that Abyssal artifacts must not be touched.

For a moment, everyone fell silent.

"Reslin?" Dao En Suosi asked through the Mind Link, inquiring what to do. The legendary Wizard has the most say on this, and Reslin is also subtly the leader of this party.

"Let them go," Reslin considered for a while, "It's not our business."

Perhaps for others, a Legend Grade talisman is a piece of cake; even if they dare not wear it, they could study it for advanced magical knowledge. After all, the Lord of Chaos's knowledge and achievement in magic may surpass even the God of Magic.

But for himself, a Legend Grade talisman holds little appeal.

"But…"

Dao En Suosi said with some worry, "If Lord Bru falls because of this, Albert Bay may face disaster."

"Lord Bru knows his own heart; it's not our concern," Reslin said lightly, "Our goal is to hunt the Flame Demon, not invite more trouble."

"I understand," Dao En Suosi nodded.

The three teammates also had no objections.

A Xina naturally obeyed Reslin, Yizite was single‑minded to hunt the Flame Demon and agreed with Reslin, while Beilake cared little.

"You may go," Dao En Suosi said.

Reslin beside him opened a portal.

Ken Liqi stared blankly for a few seconds, then rejoiced, repeatedly saying, "Thank you, honored ones, thank you! When I return to Oukelan I will tell the city lord of your help; the city lord will never be stingy with rewards."

However Reslin and his group remained unmoved.

"We can only teleport you this once; whether you can cross the Luokexi Mountains back to Albert Bay depends on you," Dao En Suosi shook his head, "Good luck."

Ken Liqi dared not hope for more, thanked again, and hurried into the portal.

The Fearless Fist transcendents also wore grateful faces.

When they left, the portal closed. Reslin immediately cast a mass teleportation technique, sending the party toward Danmofu.

After several jumps, the squad appeared in a desolate valley of Danmofu.

A Xina asked again, "Yizite, you didn't finish earlier; what is the background of that Doom Lord Aiken?"

The dark elf was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Among the Nethif people's tribes, a prophecy has been passed down for years: a Chosen Champion will unite all tribes, rule the entire New Continent, eradicate the Abyss's enemies, and transform the New Continent into the highest layer of the Abyss."

"That Chosen Champion is the Abyssal Lord of this layer, who will simultaneously receive the blessings of the Abyssal Four Gods, becoming an unprecedented Eternal Chosen."

"In the end, he will lead the Abyssal army to invade the Old Continent, kill all races, destroy all civilizations, and bring the world to an ultimate apocalypse!"

Yizite paused, his expression solemn, "Aiken is that person of the prophecy."

(End of chapter)