Choice

Donald looked at the women emerging from Linley's castle, swept his gaze across them, and said with some regret, "That Diana was chosen."

Dennis and the others laughed.

Thomas guffawed. "Haha, that woman is indeed top-tier, but these aren't bad either."

The group began dividing them on the spot. The Mid-level Gods picked first, then the Lower-level Gods, and the rest were sent back.

Corey, Leikart, Woz, and the other God-level powerhouses who had recently been absorbed weren't mentioned. This was the default procedure for distributing spoils—naturally, only the God-level powerhouses who had contributed were qualified to participate.

After Thomas arranged for the woman he'd chosen, he went to the west side of the tribe, outside a two-story building. His Spiritual Sense swept over it and spotted a young man and a boy training.

"Durandal, Arthur, come with me."

His divine might rolled forth, and Thomas's voice brooked no refusal.

The father and son, who had been diligently cultivating inside, were startled awake. They walked out with complicated feelings and saw Thomas watching them with a faint, mocking smile.

"My lord."

Durandal knelt respectfully on the ground, his heart seething with hatred and pain over losing his wife. He had never longed to become a god as desperately as he did at this moment.

Thomas smirked playfully. "Congratulations. Miss Diana has been chosen by the leader."

Durandal and Arthur felt humiliated and despairing. They weren't even Lower-level Gods, let alone Mid-level Gods—and against the very powerhouse who had killed the previous leader.

"Come. The leader wants to see you."

Thomas led the two into the castle. He didn't rush off, curious about how Linley would handle this. In his place, he mused, he would have already killed the father and son to be done with it.

"Greetings, leader."

Durandal and Arthur's eyes immediately locked onto Diana beside Linley, their emotions stirring.

Linley asked with evident interest, "Durandal, I hear you're skilled in alchemy."

Durandal replied respectfully, "Yes, my lord. I do have some knowledge of alchemy."

Linley said, "Tell me about it."

"Yes."

Durandal was a bit surprised. A Mid-level God like Linley actually had an interest in alchemy? After all, everyone knew that cultivating laws and rules was the absolute mainstream.

"Alchemy can use all kinds of materials..."

Linley listened with great relish. He even obtained an Alchemy Notes from Durandal, flipped through it casually, and stored it in his Space Ring to study later when he had time.

Linley shifted the topic and asked, "How many years have you been stuck at the Saint Domain Limit?"

"Almost nine hundred years."

Durandal's tone was bitter and pained.

As he spoke, Durandal dared to glance at Diana. She was so elegant and enchanting, like a red rose that outshone all others. Back in the Material Plane, he had fought countless powerhouses to win her.

But now, she stood beside another man. At that thought, Durandal's heart filled with regret. He should never have come to Hell to struggle. It would have been better to stay in the Material Plane. He had never imagined that a lofty Saint Domain powerhouse would be as lowly as a dog here.

He had overestimated his talent and underestimated the difficulty of becoming a god. Nine hundred years, and he still hadn't taken that critical step.

Otherwise, the treatment of a God-level powerhouse was worlds apart from a Saint Domain. He was confident he could have kept his wife safe.

Linley shook his head and remarked, "In an environment like Hell, being stuck at the Saint Domain Limit for nine hundred years without becoming a god—honestly, your talent is quite mediocre."

Durandal lowered his head in shame.

Linley continued, "Originally, if I were to take Diana, the best course would have been to kill you and Diana's son to eliminate future trouble."

Durandal and Arthur remained silent.

Linley smiled. "But since you know alchemy, I'll give you a chance. If you break through to godhood within the next hundred years, I'll allow Diana to return to your side—provided she's willing, of course."

Durandal's eyes lit up with surprise and joy, but then he hesitated, as if wanting to say something.

The young Arthur guessed his father's concern and gathered his courage to speak. "May I ask the leader, during these hundred years, could you refrain from touching my mother?"

He didn't want any younger siblings...

This was also Durandal's greatest worry. A hundred years was too long. He didn't know how he would face Diana by then.

Linley shook his head and sneered in reply, "No. Unless you're willing to leave the tribe and return after becoming a god within a hundred years."

Durandal and Arthur's faces turned grim. In a place like Hell, a Saint Domain wandering around was no different from seeking death. Living in the tribe, they were exploited for labor and had to feed the mineral veins with blood, but at least they had God-level protection. They could scrape by, and with luck, endure until they reached godhood, after which their status and treatment would improve greatly.

"Useless man..."

Diana looked on with some disappointment, recalling how in the Material Plane, Durandal had been a fearless holy knight. Now, he was like a dog with a broken spine, lacking any spirit to forge ahead.

"Of course, I'm a very kind person after all. Even if you can't become a god in a hundred years, I can still give you a divine spark as compensation for Diana being with me!"

Linley's words were shocking. A divine spark suddenly appeared in his hand—one of the spoils he had obtained earlier: a Water Element Divine Spark.

Durandal's gaze burned with desire and longing, mixed with disbelief. This was a divine spark! Something countless Saint Domains dreamed of! And this leader was willing to part with it!

Durandal instinctively looked at his wife, and a strange thought surfaced in his mind: "Is she worth a divine spark..."

He began to compare, to weigh it.

The young Arthur stood frozen in place. Born in Hell, he knew exactly what a divine spark meant.

Thomas shouted, "Linley, you're getting the short end of the stick!"

He never imagined Linley would be so generous—that was a divine spark!

"Heh."

Linley smiled faintly, his expression utterly unconcerned as he said, "Thomas, you don't understand. This is what they call 'when you like it, a thousand gold can't buy it!'"

Diana's beautiful eyes shimmered with lively brilliance, her heart pounding with a complicated, hard-to-articulate emotion. To be valued so highly moved her as a woman.

"If you don't want me to touch her, and you're unwilling to leave, you can shorten the bet's term to ten years. But if you fail, the divine spark is forfeit."

Linley continued methodically, "Of course, there's one last option: you and Diana leave the Tianlan Tribe right now. Since you're not protected, you're also not bound."

Durandal was somewhat surprised. This new chief was being quite fair. He hesitated, glancing uncertainly at Diana.

Diana didn't hesitate for a moment. She shook her head and refused, "I don't want to go."

In her eyes, this Chief Linley was an excellent choice! Following him in Hell was the path to a future!

Compared to being the wife of a failure like Durandal, living every day in fear and anxiety about what lay ahead, this was far better! She was sick of that kind of worrisome life!

Durandal's face twisted in humiliation. His wife's reply was like kicking a man when he was down. Disheartened and defeated, he said, "Fine, then I agree to set the Centennial Pact with the Chief!"