Master the Abyss, starting from an apprentice priest.

Chapter 196 You have arrived at the "Land of Exile" (5k2)

"The False Guardian" Amber gave Luo Xiu a full sense of security.

After completing the contract with Him, a new skill, "Void Guardian", was added to the skill column of "Ancient Heritage" on Luo Xiu's panel.

That is the skill that can summon "False Guardian Amber". The time he can manifest is closely related to the length of Luo Xiu's mana.

And now, after truly completing the contract with the "False Guardian", Luo Xiu did not intend to summon the "False Guardian" immediately to confirm His condition.

Unlike the "Nightmare Wolf" and "Mist Raven" which are abyss beasts, the "False Guardian" who is a divine spirit does not have a clear master-servant relationship with his contractors.

They have their own will as "gods". If they are sent out at will without any special reasons, it may bring misfortune to the contractors themselves.

Luo Xiu pondered, he also understood the importance of "maintaining a good relationship with the contracted gods", this is an important topic that all those who establish a contract with gods must study.

Of course, if the contractor's hard power completely surpasses that of the "gods", these restrictions or constraints can be largely ignored.

But Luo Xiu obviously had not reached this step yet. Therefore, after confirming the attributes, abilities and status of the "Guardian of Illusion" Amber through the panel, Luo Xiu no longer summoned Him, but let Him rest quietly in the "illusory" gray space that belonged to Him, so that He could recover the spiritual energy consumed in the "test" and return to his previous perfect state faster.

For Luo Xiu, establishing a contract with the "False Guardian" is just the first step.

Once all preparations are made, Luo Xiu will piece together the three pieces of "King Isol's Crown Fragments" and head to the "Land of Exile" to face the exiled Knight Commander of the Nation, "The Exiled Knight" Mordred.

When he thought of this, Luo Xiu raised his eyes slightly and glanced at Index cat curled up on the windowsill, whose eyes were filled with three parts panic and seven parts yearning.

……

Index witnessed the whole process but said nothing.

But her fiery eyes clearly revealed what she was thinking at the moment.

However, Index did not see the true form of the "False Guardian" with her own eyes. She was only enveloped by the gray mist emanating from the ritual performed by the "Lord", and felt an extremely powerful and oppressive surge of terrifying spirituality from it.

That terrifying spirit made Index feel fear to the core, as if she was facing some transcendent and great existence. Index, who only had three destinies, felt longing, awe and fascination from the bottom of her heart.

However, that ancient and powerful aura disappeared as the gray fog dissipated. Intis saw her "Lord" open his eyes at the same time, and at the same time, she felt the awe-inspiring and desirable spirituality from Luo Xiu.

"That's the 'god', Intis."

Suddenly, Luo Xiu smiled and said to Index:
"That is the ancient, true 'Spirit'. And now, He will walk with me."

"..."

When Luo Xiu said this to Index, Index jumped down lightly, and after a burst of green mist, she turned into a human form.

"Gods...you said 'gods'..."

Index looked dazed, and kept mumbling.

The concept of "god" is still too far away for Index now.

But even so, Index also knew some extraordinary common sense about "Gods".

Intis knew of only two paths that allowed one to summon gods on their own and establish a contract with them.

The "Angels" summoned by the [Glorious] destiny and the "Gods" summoned by the [Lost] destiny are the two known destinies in the world that can directly summon "Gods".

As for the "saints" with destinies like [Supreme] and [Wisdom], they do not use the "Heart of the Gods" to summon "Gods", but to strengthen their "spiritual bodies" or "magic puppets" so that they have power equivalent to that of real "Gods".

"You... So, you summoned the 'Angel'?"

Index was stunned for a moment, and asked Luo Xiu absentmindedly.

"But you are not yet a saint of the Glory... You are not Lost either..."

"..."

"That is a neutral deity, Intis."

Luo Xiu nodded and spoke in a gentle tone.

As the "Lord" and "Family Master" of Index, Luo Xiu simply took this opportunity to transmit some new knowledge to Index:
"'False Guardian', that is the god I summoned and contracted with."

"You will see Him in the future, and then you can just call Him 'Amber'."

"He is more inclined to [Lost], somewhere between the [Glorious] 'Angel' and the [Abyss' 'Devil'."

Luo Xiu paused for a moment, observing Index's reaction.

When he saw Index listening intently with a look of yearning on her face, Luo Xiu continued:

"That's why I didn't summon 'angels' or 'demons'."

"It is easier for me to gain recognition from those [Lost] gods who are neutral, exist in the eternal source, and are spread throughout the broken space, and it is also easier for me to master their power."

"And He, the 'False Guardian' Amber, will become the hub for me to reconcile the 'Angels' and the 'Demons'. I will completely control them, making them my strength and part of the [Holy Abyss]."

"..."

Having said this, Luo Xiu did not go any further.

He knew that this information was enough for Index to digest for a long time, and Index's confused and dazed eyes were a good proof of this.

Actually... it was because of the legendary expertise "Lord of All Spirits" that he got for free from the "Ancestor Spirit Bishop"... Luo Xiu thought with some pleasure. Now, he only had the fourth destiny of [Glory] and the second destiny of [Abyss]. He was not qualified to contract with "Angels" and "Devils", nor did he master the method to truly "reconcile" them.

But Luo Xiu always needs an explanation. From the perspective of the "Lord" of Index and the leader of the "Holy Abyss", he needs to weave a reasonable explanation for his new power.

This is not only a necessary choice to maintain his own high-ranking image, but also a clear route reference for his "followers" and "shadow apostles" in their service to the "Holy Abyss".

"demon……"

Index murmured, "You said 'devil'... the devil from the Abyss..."

"That is the power you gave me earlier... right? That is the Abyss..."

"..."

"Yes." Luo Xiu nodded.

At the same time, the corners of his mouth slightly raised in a subtle arc, and he said:
"You should be thankful, Intis. I have only told you this. You are the first successor I have chosen, the only one who is qualified to receive the power of the Abyss."

"When you become a 'Demon Scholar' and advance it to the fourth level of the [Abyss], I will teach you how to summon and contract a 'Demon'."

"..."

When Intis heard the words "Lord", a fanatical look flashed across her face.

Although Index currently does not know what kind of [Abyss] profession system "Demon Scholar" is, it does not prevent her from yearning for it.

Soon, under the guidance of the "Lord's" words, Index confirmed her new goal.

While becoming the "Shadow of Slaughter" of [Red Lotus], Intis also included the promotion to the fourth level of [Abyss] into her own plan. She firmly believed that this would make her stronger. After all, the power of the "Lord" was right in front of her, and that was exactly the goal she wanted to pursue.

"...I understand, my lord." Intis nodded and responded softly.

In front of the "Lord", she tried her best to restrain her desires, showing the humility and composure that a "favored one" and "subordinate" should have, and said in a warm and respectful voice:

"I am grateful, my Lord. I am grateful that you chose me."

"I will not let you down, I will follow the path you expect."

"..."

"Very good, Intis." Luo Xiu nodded.

When he realized that his explanation to Index had taken effect, Luo Xiu stopped talking and changed the subject, issuing a new instruction to Index:
"Well, now, Intis."

"I have a new task for you."

"..."

Index looked up, her dark green eyes met Luo Xiu's, waiting for the next order from her "Lord".

"As usual, Faceless Intis. I need you to inform the Shadows in Sina City to go to the Promised Place."

Luo Xiu said in a low voice: "I have prepared a trial, a battle with an unprecedentedly powerful enemy."

"That will be the beginning of their transformation. I will give special rewards to those who survive that battle."

"..." "I understand, my lord." Intis nodded and said:

"Your will be obeyed."

……

Then, Index transformed into a white two-tailed cat again and jumped out of the window. Her figure made a few leaps between the trees outside the window and then disappeared.

After Index left, Luo Xiu began to make final preparations before the decisive battle with the "Exiled Knight" Mordred.

He first opened his character panel and added all 67 free attributes that he had accumulated over a long period of time to "divinity".

In Luo Xiu's character panel, his "divinity" attribute quickly jumped from 182 points to 249 points. At the same time, with the blessing of various specialties, his "health value", "mana value", "physical attack" and "spell attack" values ​​have all increased significantly.

Afterwards, Luo Xiu emptied all the souls stored in his mithril ring and raised the "Threat Level" of "Nightmare Wolf" Fenrir to the same "Distortion+" rating as "Mist Hidden Raven" Wu Ye. At the same time, he raised their levels to the threshold of "Distortion+" - the upper limit of lv.40.

Finally, Luo Xiu took a few bottles of enhancement potions, and cast several auxiliary sacred spells to improve his status in advance. He then used "meditation" to restore his mana to full, and then left the "White Antelope Hotel" and headed towards the "Promised Place".

……

late at night.

Outside the city of Sina, the ruins of the "Xifeng Village".

The "ruined church" in the center of the ruins is the location of the "promised place".

As the venue for the routine gatherings of the first generation of apostles of the "Holy Abyss", this place has not received the attention of the three orthodox extraordinary beings, so Luo Xiu has no plans to change the location of the "Promised Place" for the time being.

The first person to come here was Index, the "Faceless Man".

She had followed Luo Xiu's instructions and issued the "Lord's" summons to all the "Apostles of the Holy Abyss" in Sina City.

Intis, who had just stepped into the dilapidated church, walked to the stone seat in the middle very skillfully, took out a silk handkerchief from her arms, and gently wiped off the dust on the surface of the stone seat.

Afterwards, she stood beside the stone seat like a sculpture, waiting for the arrival of other "shadows" with a calm and indifferent expression.

About ten minutes later, Intis sensed that two spiritual auras belonging to the [Holy Abyss] entered the ruins of the Xifeng village.

The "twin followers" Emera and Elena were the first to arrive at the agreed place. After making eye contact with Index, they consciously stood on the left.

Afterwards, "Bloodthirsty Werewolf" Boozer and "Hunting Blade" Undertaker also arrived and stood in the front position on the right side.

At the very end of the left and right sides, that was originally the position of "Flame Burner" Byrne and "Dream Stealer" Pior. Byrne had died in the previous mission, while Pior continued to perform steadily and arrived late.

However, although Piol was the last to arrive at the "promised place", he had not yet exceeded the deadline.

Facing the unfriendly gazes from Index and the other four "Apostles of the Holy Abyss", Pior smiled sheepishly and consciously stood at the end of the right side.

After all the "Apostles of the Holy Abyss" in Sina City were in place, they only felt that the air around them suddenly became gloomy and colder at a certain moment.

The next moment, a bone-piercing wind blew violently, accompanied by a piercing scream, and began to echo on the broken beams of the dilapidated church.

The apostles' eyes went dark as a strange dark purple mist filled the air, suddenly obscuring their vision.

But soon, their vision became clear again, but the scene before them had changed in some way.

Buzer was the first to see that on the stone throne in front of him, the vague figure of the Lord of the Holy Abyss, their Lord "Ashura", was already sitting on the stone throne!

When they realized that the "Lord" had appeared without anyone noticing, all the apostles knelt on the ground and saluted Luo Xiu.

As the apostles saluted, their faces turned towards the ground with expressions of extreme shock.

——Different, completely different... "Hunting Blade" Undertaker was the first to notice that compared to the last time they met, the spirituality of the "Lord" was deeper, darker, and more unfathomable. He had become even more powerful...

The undertaker secretly peeked at the reactions of the other shadows, and the expressions on the faces of the others were almost the same as his.

Luo Xiu waved his hand lightly, signaling his "shadows" to stand up, and then said:
"My shadows, tell me."

"During my absence, your progress in hunting down Black Fang."

This was exactly the task that Luo Xiu had assigned to his "shadows" before he went to Songyuan City.

At that time, Luo Xiu had not yet unlocked the hidden mission "The Filthy Wail", and asked the shadows to hunt down Black Fang only for the purpose of eliminating the hidden crisis.

However, now it seems that it is indeed a very necessary measure to cut off the minions of those "executioners" in advance, and Luo Xiu is also concerned about the progress of his "shadows" in hunting down Black Fang.

"Report to you, my lord."

The Undertaker spoke first: "I hunted and killed eight."

Eight? Luo Xiu was slightly stunned. This was a pretty good record.

But on the surface, Luo Xiu did not show any emotional fluctuations. He just nodded slightly and said:
"Yeah, very good."

Then, the werewolf Buzer also reported to Luo Xiu: "I only hunted seven, but I also seriously injured the other two."

For a moment, Luo Xiu seemed to feel the intense eye contact between Boozer and Undertaker.

Killing eight Black Fangs was not much different from killing seven and seriously injuring two Black Fangs in Luo Xiu's eyes. He then looked at Boozer and said approvingly, "Well, that's not bad either."

After that, it was Emera and Elena's turn to report. They bowed slightly to Luo Xiu and said in a calm voice that was almost emotionless:

"I'm sorry, we only buried three... Lord, you know, we are not good at such assassinations."

"……Ok, I know."

Luo Xiu did not blame him, but just nodded slightly and looked at Pior who was at the last place.

"...I, Lord, you know me...I'm not good at this either."

Pior smiled timidly and said, "I'm very sorry, I only strangled two and even spent three days recovering from my wounds."

"……Um."

As a "dream stealer", that is not a profession that is good at fighting. Pior killed two Black Fangs, which was considered qualified in Luo Xiu's judgment.

"very good."

Luo Xiu then said, "You didn't disappoint me, that's great."

Having said that, Luo Xiu stood up and slowly walked to the center of the apostles below.

Seeing the "Lord" stand up and leave, all the shadows hurriedly took a few steps back and bowed slightly, not daring to be on an equal footing with Luo Xiu.

When the five apostles and Index surrounded Luo Xiu in a perfect circle, Luo Xiu slowly spoke:
"I think the Faceless Man has already told you. This gathering is to test you."

"I need you to assist me in a battle, to face an unprecedentedly powerful enemy together."

"And I also promise that you will benefit from it, receive my reward, and have the right to share the secret treasure with me."

"..."

When Luo Xiu said this, all the "Apostles of the Holy Abyss" showed fanatical expressions on their faces.

"We will follow you till death, my Lord."

Boozer was the first to declare, and the other shadows followed suit.

Seeing this, Luo Xiu stopped talking and took out the three "Fragments of King Isol's Crown" that he had prepared long ago from his bracelet.

All preparations were complete, and the apostles were already standing within the transmission range. Luo Xiu no longer waited, raised the three fragments in his hand high above his head, and completed the final assembly of them.

- Om!

The sharp whistling sound echoed in everyone's ears.

The scene in front of them disappeared in an instant, and the fierce sandstorm immediately blocked everyone's vision.

[You have arrived at the "Land of Exile"]

On Luo Xiu's panel, a brand new prompt box flashed with a dark yellow luster and appeared in front of him.

……

(End of this chapter)