He kept the necklace with his gold coins.
It wasn't for Kelan now.
But a gift for her in the future, when she grew up and left home for her studies. Whenever he found good materials, he would craft something wonderful for her.
This year's birthday was like any other.
Celebrated boisterously with the villagers.
Over the past two years, the villagers had been consuming the monster meat Lin Fan brought back. Since they didn't cultivate or understand magic, their physical strength had simply increased considerably.
As for how strong they had become, it was unknown.
The same was true for Kelan.
Although she was a girl, her physique was already very strong. She could lift objects weighing thousands of pounds as if they were toys, without any difficulty.
Life in the village was getting better and better.
The fields yielded bountiful harvests, and many newborns arrived in the village. For some unknown reason, the birth rate had been particularly high this past year.
Because of this, the village was very lively.
The village chief was always smiling, looking very happy. After all, he was proud. Now that he was the village chief, seeing the village flourishing, he felt his father had truly misjudged him.
His father had always said... "You becoming village chief will be a disaster for this village." But now, look how well the village was developing.
One day!
While taking a break from working in the fields, Lin Fan sensed the surrounding world. He hadn't given up on searching for traces of the God of Darkness. Finding and eliminating were two different matters.
If he found the God of Darkness, he would imprison him, then wait until Kelan had truly grown up and he could leave with peace of mind. Only then would he eliminate the God of Darkness.
"Huh!"
At that moment.
He sensed an aura.
This aura was very dark, but to him, it was somewhat weak, though slightly stronger than the Undead Monarch.
"Is it?"
Lin Fan wondered.
He wasn't quite sure.
But he still decided to check it out. What if the God of Darkness he was looking for was truly weak? He wouldn't want to miss the opportunity.
The Church of Light!
This was the strongest church force on the continent, with followers spread across all empires. Missionaries walked through villages and cities everywhere, spreading the light.
Even the emperors of empires had to show the utmost respect to the Pope of the Church of Light.
Now, this seemingly holy and solemn Church of Light was breeding a certain dark aura.
Inside an underground palace.
The thirteenth Pope of the Church stood in the shadowy palace.
Braziers were placed around, burning with flames.
They cast a faint light within the dark palace.
The Pope held a kind of pot, tilting it and using the blood inside to draw a certain type of array on the ground. As he continued drawing, the dark aura pervading the palace grew stronger.
The Pope was already old, his life nearing its end. For any Pope filled with light, the end of life meant the completion of his mission, a return to the Lord's embrace.
For anyone in the Church of Light, this would be the supreme honor.
But the thirteenth Pope didn't believe in these things.
Death was death.
There was no such thing as returning to the Lord's embrace.
False!
It was all false!
He just wanted to live.
Open the abyss, summon abyssal monsters, sign a contract, share life, and thus use the power of the abyss to continue living in the world, to continue enjoying supreme glory and power.
Soon.
The array was complete.
The power of the abyss was so great, so astonishing. The thirteenth Pope, yearning for this power, had an excited look on his face.
Just as he was about to chant the incantation.
A figure appeared out of thin air.
"Who are you?"
The Pope's expression changed drastically, and he looked at this suddenly appearing fellow vigilantly.
This was the Church of Light. How could someone just casually appear here?
How unrealistic.
Lin Fan looked at the surroundings, searching for that aura. Although the surrounding aura was strong, he still hadn't found what he was looking for.
"Hello! I'm looking for someone," Lin Fan said.
The Pope frowned. The situation was a bit precarious. If they were outside, he could summon all the followers to surround and capture Lin Fan.
But now, he couldn't do that.
If the Church members knew that the Pope was secretly communicating with the abyss, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"There's no one you're looking for here. Leave this place immediately," the Pope said.
Lin Fan said, "There is. I followed a scent here, an evil aura. It should be here."
Hearing these words.
The Pope's heart skipped a beat, and he had a bad premonition.
It was clear that this person had come prepared.
At this moment.
The Pope chanted a spell, and the power of light condensed, magic array patterns appearing. "Sword of Light!"
The Pope, originally preparing to communicate with the abyss, now radiated the power of light. A sword of light slashed directly towards Lin Fan. For the Pope, anyone who appeared here would not leave alive.
But a scene that shocked the Pope occurred.
As the Sword of Light approached Lin Fan.
It dissipated silently.
"How is this possible?"
The Pope was shocked.
Anyone who could come here was definitely not ordinary, so the magic he cast was already very powerful. Even a Grand Magician or Grand Warrior wouldn't be able to withstand it.
The other party didn't even move, and the Sword of Light just dissipated into the air.
"What are you doing?" Lin Fan asked.
The Pope's heart panicked, but he still maintained his composure and said, "This is the Church of Light, not a place you can come to."
Lin Fan said, "Do you know the God of Darkness?"
"God of Darkness?" The Pope pondered, then said, "I don't know who the God of Darkness you're talking about is. There's no God of Darkness you're looking for here. This is the Church of Light. That kind of dark being wouldn't exist here."
After saying these words.
The Pope's old face flushed red.
He was waiting for the other party to refute him with the abyssal aura here. As the Pope, he was actually drawing an array in his headquarters, wanting to sign a contract with an abyssal being. It was indeed quite inappropriate.
Later, when the other party used words to humiliate him, he could remain calm and collected, absolutely not panicking. To become the Pope, whose face wasn't tempered through trials and tribulations?
"The aura is emanating from here." Lin Fan pointed to the array under the Pope's feet.
The Pope sensed something was wrong. This absolutely couldn't continue. Finally, with a hardened heart, he decided to fight the other party to the death. He chanted the incantation, opening the abyssal passage.
No one could stop him from making a contract with an abyssal being.
Not even if a god descended.
"Come forth, Abyss Lord Archimonde..."
Boom!
A boiling abyssal aura erupted, forming a swirling tornado. When this abyssal aura tried to rush out of the underground palace, it was blocked by the light power above.
"Who is it? Who has awakened the great me from the abyss..."
A deep, resonant voice echoed.
Archimonde was one of the Abyss Lords, representing one of the strongest beings in the abyssal plane, controlling the power of the abyss. It was impossible for ordinary people to awaken an Abyss Lord.
Only someone with the profound magic power of the Pope could do it.
"It's this aura, but Abyss Lord Archimonde is clearly not the God of Darkness. What a pity, it seems I've looked in the wrong place again." Lin Fan sighed, quite regretful.
If only he could find the God of Darkness.
He could capture him and wait for Kelan to grow up.
While he was thinking about these things.
A colossal figure emerged from the abyss. The Pope stared in horror at this Lord from the abyss.
So strong.
So powerful that he trembled all over.
It even made him lose any thought of resistance.
The Pope felt this power, trembling intensely. Even as the Pope, he was no match for this being. This was the Abyss Lord he wanted to sign a contract with.
The being who could extend his life.
Abyss Lord Archimonde had a humanoid form, clad in armor. Green flames burned on the armor; those were the flames of the abyss, cold and terrifying.
At this moment.
Archimonde, emerging from the abyss, looked at the Pope and let out a low, cold laugh.
"The Church of Light, the power of light, actually awakened the great me from the abyss."
From the other party's tone, the Pope heard disdain, which made him feel slightly embarrassed. Indeed, it was quite disdainful. As the Pope, representing the light, he actually wanted to sign a contract with an Abyss Lord. How ridiculous.
But he didn't want to die.
He wanted a long life, even if it meant signing a contract and selling his soul. It was worth it.
Lin Fan slowly floated in front of the Abyss Lord. "Hello, you came from the abyss. Do you know a guy called the God of Darkness?"
"God of Darkness...a very distant, very ancient being, already forgotten by me. But you dare to speak to the great Abyss Lord in such a manner? This is blasphemy against the Abyss Lord..."
"Offer your soul!"
The Abyss Lord opened his mouth, and a green aura enveloped Lin Fan's body. A terrifying suction force erupted, a force that could penetrate the soul.
Only...
"Hmm?"
The Abyss Lord, wanting to savor the delicious soul, found something was wrong. The soul absorption wasn't working, there wasn't even a slight reaction.
"You..."
The Abyss Lord looked at the other party in disbelief.
As if he had seen a ghost.
Lin Fan said, "Can you tell me about the God of Darkness? It would be best if you knew where he is. I'm looking for him right now."
The Abyss Lord was furious. The soul absorption might have failed, but his methods weren't limited to that...
"Abyssal flames, burn his soul, let him forever feel the torment of his soul being burned!"
Whoosh!
A ball of green flame drifted from the Abyss Lord and landed on Lin Fan.
The flames surged.
Enough to burn everything.
The Abyss Lord laughed wildly, his laughter gloomy and terrifying, like a roar from hell. Even the Pope regretted summoning the Abyss Lord.
Although closing the passage would return the Abyss Lord to the abyss.
But this act of displeasing the Abyss Lord would definitely bring him endless trouble.
Just at this moment...
"Don't mess around. I'm serious. I'm really looking for the God of Darkness, and the temperature of your flames is too low. It's not interesting at all."