Chapter 49: Yihui Appears

The next day, the Galaxy Tournament resumed, but this time, the one accompanying Lady Saori on the dais was Feng Zhe.

The major media outlets were abuzz, speculating about the true identity of the mysterious man beside Miss Saori, and the news quickly spread to every corner of the globe.

In the arena, the match was between Shun of Andromeda and Jabu of Unicorn. The battle could only be described as a complete mismatch in strength—before Shun’s Nebula Chain, Jabu stood no chance at all. Even his Cloth was punctured all over by the relentless chains.

Suddenly, the chain seemed to sense a powerful malice, and, out of thin air, transformed into a line of text. No one present recognized the script, but Feng Zhe immediately rose to his feet. Lady Saori glanced at him, puzzled.

Feng Zhe murmured, “What must come will come, after all.”

At that moment, the chain shifted once more, pointing directly toward the Sagittarius Gold Cloth’s chest.

As if in response, the Gold Cloth’s case slowly opened, and a radiance as dazzling as the sun poured forth.

From within the case, a figure began to emerge—it was none other than Ikki, the Phoenix Saint, one of the five Saints who had yet to appear.

The audience was struck into utter silence. Feng Zhe alone let out a soft sound of surprise and thought to himself, “When I once journeyed to Death Queen Island, Guilty told me that to earn the recognition of the Phoenix Cloth, one’s eyes must be filled with hatred. And to amass sufficient hatred, one must sacrifice the person dearest to their heart.”

Even Guilty had no other method to help Ikki—how, then, had he managed to obtain the Phoenix Cloth?

The memory of Yaved of the Black Altar crossed Feng Zhe’s mind, and now, seeing Ikki suffused with hatred, an uneasy premonition lingered in his heart.

As expected, the moment Ikki appeared, all eyes turned to Shun.

Ikki, standing before them, was Shun’s own elder brother.

Tears streamed down Shun’s cheeks. It seemed a touching reunion of brothers was about to unfold, yet Ikki’s fist, brimming with endless malice, forced Shun to retreat several steps.

The Ikki who had returned from Death Queen Island was no longer the gentle brother of old—he had become a cold, unfeeling demon.

With a single “Phoenix’s Wings Ascend,” he struck Shun’s left shoulder.

Originally, it had been Shun who drew the lot to go to Death Queen Island, but the resolute Ikki had stepped forward to take his place.

Seiji Date attempted to intervene, only to be knocked down by a single blast from Ikki’s fist.

Nachi of Wolf advanced, declaring, “Ikki, your opponent is me!”

But as soon as he finished speaking, Nachi stood frozen, then collapsed to the ground.

“He’s really putting on a show,” Feng Zhe sighed inwardly. Indeed, when it came to theatrics, no one surpassed Ikki.

Without hesitation, Ikki unleashed his fists, instantly overwhelming everyone present.

At that moment, a group of Black Saints appeared around the Sagittarius Gold Cloth’s case.

Saori, alarmed by the sudden development, asked anxiously, “Who are they?”

“They’re Saints who, for their own selfish desires, have committed evil deeds and been banished by Athena—Black Saints,” Feng Zhe explained.

“What do they want?” Saori pressed.

Ikki simply snapped his fingers, and the Black Saints seized the Gold Cloth’s case and made off with it.

Immediately, Seiya, Hyoga, Shiryu, and Shun gave chase.

Chaos erupted at the scene of the Galaxy Tournament, and Lady Saori rose in alarm.

She turned to look at the still-unruffled Feng Zhe and said with displeasure, “Feng Zhe, are you just going to stand there and do nothing?”

“Lady Saori, my duty is to ensure your safety. As for the five, don’t you wish for them to grow through their own efforts?” Feng Zhe replied with a gentlemanly smile.

Lady Saori muttered to herself, “The five? What does that mean?”

Feng Zhe only smiled mysteriously, offering no explanation.

Unable to make sense of it, Lady Saori returned to the villa to wait in anxious silence.

Soon enough, Seiya and the others returned.

“What! You only managed to recover the hands and feet portions?” Seiji Date roared in fury, causing Seiya to scratch his ear in annoyance, clearly finding the man bothersome.

Feng Zhe interjected, “Though five parts remain with Ikki, Seiya and the others did their utmost. Besides, half the Bronze Saints are wounded. I propose we commend their efforts and ask Lady Saori to reward them.”

Seiji Date erupted again, “What? You want to reward them? Are you insane?”

Feng Zhe ignored him, instead turning to Saori, who, after some contemplation, repeated her praise to the group and awarded them a small monetary bonus.

Due to the damage sustained by the Dragon and Pegasus Cloths, Shiryu set off alone, bearing two Cloth cases, to consult the old master at Five Old Peaks about repairs.

Weighted down by his own thoughts, Shun quietly left the villa. Feng Zhe saw through his mood at a glance—such an anguished child was surely troubled.

He quietly asked Hyoga to follow Shun, and, making an excuse, left the villa himself.

…

Somewhere outside the city, at an active volcano.

Ikki and his companions were distributing orders, handing out the five parts of the Gold Cloth to the others while keeping one for himself.

Just then, flames surged within the volcano, and a lone figure slowly approached.

“Who’s there?”

Ikki immediately sensed the newcomer. Focusing his gaze, he saw it was Feng Zhe, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“So it’s you!”

“Long time no see, Ikki,” said Feng Zhe.

Ikki instinctively clenched his fists at the sight of him. The hatred in his heart surged to its peak.

“All these years, Feng Zhe, you’ve been my nightmare. You deserve to die!”

Phoenix’s Wings Ascend!

As the ultimate technique of the Phoenix Saint, a mighty phoenix appeared behind Ikki, spreading its wings in readiness for flight. The flames of hatred that burned in his cosmos intertwined with the constellation of the Phoenix itself.

The Phoenix Cloth’s power of endless resurrection stemmed from this very fire of hatred—it was the true source of Ikki’s strength.

Now, with the fire of hatred empowering him, Ikki unleashed a devastating fiery hurricane, one fierce enough to crush stars and utterly annihilate his foes.

Were it any other power, Feng Zhe might have shown caution. But compared to the sacred fire within him, the Phoenix born of hatred was utterly inferior.

With nothing but his bare hands, Feng Zhe met Ikki’s Phoenix’s Wings Ascend head-on.

The enormous phoenix was stopped cold by the palms of Feng Zhe, unable to advance an inch further.

“What!” Ikki’s pupils contracted in disbelief. He could scarcely imagine that this man had blocked Phoenix’s Wings Ascend with a single hand.

“I had some hope for you, but it turns out you’re only at the level of an advanced Bronze Saint. If you were to fight seriously, you and Shiryu would be evenly matched at best,” Feng Zhe shook his head, disappointment plain on his face.

“Damn you!”

Phoenix Illusion Fist!

Ikki suddenly erupted, and with a single Phoenix Illusion Fist, struck Feng Zhe directly on the head!