Chapter 78: The Chaotic Gold Saints

Pisces Glacier looked coldly at Ikki and said, "If you can withstand my Royal Ice Rose without falling, I will acknowledge your strength."

Ikki shouted, "Bring it on!"

Royal Ice Rose!

A red rose, laced with frozen shards, shot forward, its petals shimmering with the beauty of ice. The scattered fragments of ice made it a sweeping attack.

Ikki, true to his reputation as one who returned from Death Queen Island, let out a fierce cry.

Celestial Furnace Shattering Strike!

He unleashed the ultimate secret of the Celestial Furnace constellation. Though his body was bare of sacred armor, the intense fire from the Earth's core erupted as he struck, sparks flying, contending with the Royal Ice Rose in equal measure.

After one exchange, Ikki's eyebrows were rimmed with frost, while Glacier's wrist seemed to have darkened.

"I recognize you. If I weren't wearing this golden sacred armor, I might have been defeated by your move."

Glacier generously acknowledged Ikki's strength. Ikki replied, "Thank you."

Then, he leapt up and sped toward the Gemini Palace.

Seiya saw Ikki running and grew anxious, shouting, "Who will accept my challenge?"

"Eagle Marin is a woman, right? As her disciple, you must have learned from your master’s wife."

Laughter rang out.

Marin was not highly ranked in the Sanctuary, and as her disciple, Seiya was widely known—her training ground was in the Sanctuary itself.

The other Gold Saints shook their heads, clearly uninterested in Seiya’s reckless challenge. Even the gentle Virgo Shun spoke, "Seiya, your strength is only that of a Bronze Saint. Go back and train some more."

Jabu echoed, "Seiya, you'd better not add to the chaos. This is your hundredth attempt to challenge the Sagittarius Palace. You can't even defeat the Silver Saints, much less these exalted Gold Saints."

It turned out Seiya had been challenging the Sagittarius Palace but never gained recognition from a Gold Saint. In the Sanctuary, all Saints regarded him as a joke.

While everyone ignored him and went about their business, Seiya scratched his head, unable to get a single Gold Saint to notice him.

"I recognize him."

The voice belonged to Feng Zhe. Unicorn Jabu immediately tugged at his sleeve, "Don’t speak nonsense. This isn’t something a trainee like you can meddle in."

Feng Zhe smiled at Jabu and stepped forward.

Aquarius Elzak and Taurus Cassius, their pupils contracting, suddenly stepped forward and knelt before him.

"Your Holiness, it has been a long time!"

All the Saints stared wide-eyed; Jabu’s mouth dropped open.

Seiya murmured, "He’s the brother of the Lord of the Underworld, the Pope of Sanctuary, the goddess’s companion and elder brother, the Pope Alex who defeated the Lord of the Underworld?"

Every Saint gazed at Feng Zhe with awe.

All six Gold Saints in the arena knelt, a gesture both of respect for the Pope and proper homage to a mighty figure.

"Rise," Feng Zhe said. He disliked ceremonies, but now had to put on a solemn face. He looked at Seiya, then at the Sagittarius Palace, and said, "Go. I believe you can do it."

Suddenly recognized, Seiya’s eyes filled with tears. He nodded vigorously, "Your Holiness, I won’t let you down."

He ran swiftly toward the Sagittarius Palace. It was his 101st attempt to gain the Gold Saints’ acknowledgment, and the first time he was allowed to challenge the palace himself.

Unicorn Jabu, whether out of jealousy or envy, watched Seiya go and murmured, "It’s a pity the Pope trusted him. Perhaps he’ll be disappointed."

The same thought lingered in every Saint’s mind; none believed in Seiya, and all felt a hint of disappointment.

Feng Zhe did not mind. Sometimes, miracles do happen, don’t they?

He turned and asked Elzak about the challenge of the Twelve Palaces, finally understanding how it worked.

To gain the Gold Sacred Armor, one must challenge the guardian palace. Each challenge was different: Shun’s challenge in the Virgo Palace required him to comprehend a Buddhist sutra, which he managed in his sleep, gaining the transmission of the Immovable Wisdom King.

By comparison, Glacier was luckier. In the Pisces Palace, he not only cultivated roses of black, white, and red, but also, due to his frosty aura, produced an ice rose and gained the armor’s approval.

Dragon Shiryu nearly lost his life in the Capricorn Palace, but at a crucial moment, his blood splashed onto the palace’s statue, blessed by Athena, thus earning the sacred sword and the Capricorn armor’s recognition.

Wang Hu was acknowledged in the Libra Palace by mastering various weapons; proficiency brought recognition.

As for Elzak and Cassius, their accomplishments in frost and brute strength respectively were enough to gain approval.

All six had different paths, but one thing was clear: the sacred armor seemed to have lowered the difficulty, perhaps by the goddess’s will.

Thinking of Saori, Feng Zhe smiled.

Sure enough, the Sagittarius Palace erupted in brilliant light—a sign Seiya was battling the sacred armor, and it looked fierce. An arrow even pierced the palace wall.

Meanwhile, Ikki, who had gone early to the Gemini Palace, was much calmer, with no sound at all.

The Gemini Palace had been rebuilt; the previous palace was destroyed by the evil Saga. Feng Zhe marveled at the Sanctuary’s powerful restoration abilities.

Suddenly, a bright light burst forth, as if breaking through the dimensional wall and descending upon the Gemini Palace.

The entire Sanctuary was on alert; all Gold Saints flew to the Gemini Palace, and Feng Zhe teleported instantly to its entrance.

"Brother!"

The goddess Saori also appeared, exclaiming as she threw herself into Feng Zhe’s arms.

"Saori, are you alright?"

Feng Zhe was a little moved and did not resist the enthusiastic Saori.

With the Gold Saints gathered in the Gemini Palace, Aries Avenir coughed, "Your Holiness, the Gemini Palace…"

Feng Zhe nodded, glanced back at the palace, and smiled, "Don’t worry. That’s light from another dimension, not the Lord of the Underworld descending."

On hearing it was from another dimension, the Gold Saints relaxed.

Soon, Ikki emerged, clad in the Gemini Gold Sacred Armor. On seeing Saori, he knelt, "My Lady Goddess!"

"And this is…?"

Ikki did not know Feng Zhe, who chuckled softly, "My name is Alex."

"Your Holiness!"

Ikki’s jaw dropped, and he bowed his head, inwardly anxious.

"Hmm?"

Feng Zhe looked at Ikki, feeling something odd, but unable to pinpoint it, so he suppressed the thought.

At that moment, the Sagittarius Palace shone with blinding light, as if it were the very center of the Sanctuary, dazzling like the sun.

"He succeeded?!!"

All the Gold Saints stared at the Sagittarius Palace, hardly able to believe their eyes.

A smile played on Feng Zhe’s lips, as if he had expected it all along.