Chapter 30: The Crusade Before 1743?

In the secluded rear mountains of the Sanctuary, where towering peaks pierced the clouds, there stood a solitary, sharp-tipped stone tower. This tower was known as the Astrological Observatory, the dwelling where generations of Popes or High Priests observed the heavens—a place regarded as forbidden within the Sanctuary.

Within the starry chamber, a majestic man robed entirely in grey sat cross-legged. Neither the sweltering heat nor the biting cold could stir him in the slightest. This imposing figure was none other than the former Pope, Saga of Gemini.

Saga, punished by the Sanctuary, had his six senses sealed; yet his seventh sense was exceptionally keen. Every blade of grass and leaf around him was encompassed by his cosmos.

"Master, I have come!"

The arrival of Feng Zhe provoked no change in Saga’s face. There was neither good nor evil in his expression now—only the genuine repentance of a Gemini Saint.

As Feng Zhe spoke, he sensed an immense cosmos unfurling around Saga. This power far surpassed the seventh sense; it was a new and unfamiliar force.

"The Eighth Sense!"

A look of astonishment crossed Feng Zhe’s face. As expected of Saga—even with his six senses sealed, he had broken through the barrier and attained the Eighth Sense all on his own.

The Eighth Sense, known as Alaya-Vijnana, refers in Buddhism to the hidden root of things. Only those who awaken this sense can enter and leave the Underworld with their physical bodies. Among the Saints who survived previous Holy Wars, most had comprehended the Eighth Sense.

At that moment, Saga opened his eyes and a brilliant light burst forth. The perpetual haze within them cleared, revealing a shining wisdom.

Relying on his Eighth Sense, Saga had undone Shaka’s Treasure of Heaven’s Dance. This meant Saga’s true power now surpassed Virgo Shaka, making him the foremost Saint in the Sanctuary.

"I must make a journey to the Underworld," Saga declared.

His words startled Feng Zhe, but he quickly realized Saga was utterly serious.

"The 108 Demon Stars have not yet fully awakened, but Thanatos and Hypnos may still reside in the Underworld. It’s not a wise place to go," Feng Zhe warned.

Saga shook his head, his eyes bright with resolve. "For one burdened with sin, only a battle to the death can cleanse that guilt. Before the Holy War arrives, I must do something."

Feng Zhe sighed, knowing persuasion was futile. "I came here today to ask for a little of your blood."

Without hesitation, Saga extended his arm and drew a line across it; his blood flowed forth. Feng Zhe collected it in a glass vial, only to see Saga vanish in the next instant.

He sighed again. Originally, he had hoped Saga would stay, in anticipation of the coming battles with Poseidon and the God Warriors…

Noon, the following day.

Feng Zhe arrived at Gemini Temple, poured Saga’s blood onto the ground, and drew forth Athena’s Shield once more.

The sacred flames of Gemini Temple ignited anew. This time, Feng Zhe’s five senses grew even sharper—his vision in particular was unprecedentedly acute. His sixth sense too, evolved once more.

He threw a punch; his fist, moving at more than seven times the speed of sound, did not stop until it reached nine times the speed of sound.

"A ninefold sonic punch? Not bad."

Satisfied, he retracted his fist and strode toward the next temple—the Cancer Temple.

"Well, well! Isn’t this the Pope himself? What brings you to my humble abode?" Deathmask was admiring his unique art—the eerie human faces that adorned the temple, which seemed only to elevate his mood.

"Why haven’t you gotten rid of these things? Leaving them around is rather unnerving."

Though Feng Zhe’s power made him immune to any fear from these grotesque faces, he couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

Deathmask chuckled heartily. "Don’t you think these faces are beautiful, Your Holiness?"

Feng Zhe could only sigh at Deathmask’s morbid tastes and proceeded to state his purpose.

"No problem. Let’s do it now!"

It was high noon. As Deathmask’s blood fell to the ground, Athena’s Shield reflected the sunlight onto it. Everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly, but an uncanny event occurred as the sacred flames in Cancer Temple ignited.

A peculiar face manifested within the flames—an ancient visage, as though it could pierce straight through Feng Zhe’s soul.

He paid it little mind at first and was about to begin the fusion when, suddenly, the face within the sacred fire exhaled a breath, fanning the flame. In an instant, a tremendous firestorm erupted within Cancer Temple.

The violent maelstrom made the entire Cancer Temple feel as though it sat within the eye of a storm. Deathmask could not even open his eyes.

Feng Zhe felt a powerful force pulling at him, his whole body engulfed in fire.

With a thunderous explosion, the Cancer Temple seemed as though a massive bomb had detonated within it. The deafening blast shook the entire Sanctuary as if an earthquake had struck.

When the sound faded, Deathmask was shocked to find Feng Zhe had vanished—leaving behind only a huge crater from the blast. Never before had Deathmask witnessed such a thing.

He could sense that Feng Zhe’s cosmos had disappeared—his body and soul alike gone from the Sanctuary.

In Virgo Temple, Shaka seemed to sense Feng Zhe’s disappearance and murmured, "As expected, the Altar constellation is the most unusual of all. He crossed through directly…"

…

The Holy War of 1743

Ten years before the outbreak

Feng Zhe lay unconscious in the Papal Palace, vaguely hearing the conversation of those around him. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids refused to budge; even his arms would not respond.

"Brother, is this the next generation’s Altar Saint we summoned?"

"Yes, but was it reckless of us? He looks like the Pope from his own time."

The conversation of the two elders only irritated the young man beside them further. He said impatiently, "You two old fools are too rash! Without the Pope, how can the Sanctuary participate in the Holy War?"

"Manigold! I am still your teacher. Show some respect!"

The young man dug in his ear, clearly annoyed. "Alright, alright. But why isn’t this guy waking up?"

"How should I know? He doesn’t seem injured," one elder replied, inspecting the limbs.

"Perhaps I should use Praesepe Underworld Waves to check his soul?"

As the young man’s fingers glowed green and he prepared to extract Feng Zhe’s soul, a sudden flash of light intervened.

On closer look, it was a shield at the young man’s chest—Athena’s Shield—blocking the attack.

"Athena’s Shield!" the two elders cried out in astonishment, and even the young man let out a soft exclamation.

"Who are you people…" Feng Zhe finally regained some strength and opened his eyes slightly.

He saw two old men—one dressed in Papal robes without the mask, the other, curiously, in a samurai’s attire, looking every bit a lone wanderer.

The young man, for all his irreverence, was clad in the golden armor of Cancer.

"Ahem, I am Sage, the current Pope. This is Manigold of Cancer."

"And this…" the other added.

"I am Hakurei, a shadow warrior and also the Saint of the Altar constellation!"

Feng Zhe’s face was filled with disbelief. He had traveled back to a time before the last Holy War…