Chapter Thirty-Six: Becoming Stronger

After a night of cultivation, Link finally resolved the issue of his inner energy running amok. Moreover, due to having trained while in that chaotic state, his meridians had been thoroughly transformed, becoming open and unimpeded, as if he had been reborn. Even if he were to acquire more inner strength in the future, he would never encounter a similar problem again.

At the same time, the torment of his condition had greatly tempered Link’s willpower. The searing pain was not something an ordinary person could endure. Link had wanted to give up countless times, yet ultimately gritted his teeth and pressed on. He longed to become stronger, to gain power, for he knew his enemies would not wait for him to grow—he had to seize every opportunity and every moment to find ways to improve himself.

His unwavering resolve allowed Link to overcome his ordeal, making his will even stronger. Meanwhile, a night of cultivation made his inner energy purer, and his mastery of the Nine Suns Divine Skill more natural and fluid. If someone knowledgeable were to witness this, they would surely be astonished to find that, although Link had only cultivated the first six levels of the Nine Suns Divine Skill, he had already reached a level of perfection. Within the world of martial artists, this was enough to establish a new sect.

Now, even if Link were to face a peak third-tier expert, he would stand a good chance of victory. If he acquired more powerful martial skills, even fourth-tier experts might not be able to suppress him.

“The High Priest has grown even stronger!”

That day, when some sharp-eyed members of the church saw Link, they all unconsciously felt this thought arise—not only had his strength increased, but his entire bearing and aura had changed. Previously, though Link was powerful, he lacked any commanding presence; at most, he seemed like a charismatic zealot. Now, however, Link exuded a genuine aura that even ordinary people could sense—an aura only true powerhouses possessed, which revealed itself effortlessly, even without intention.

Everyone was astonished by Link’s change, and after their surprise, they were overjoyed. For loyal followers, the High Priest becoming stronger was a cause for celebration. It also greatly inspired the younger generation, represented by Saga and Aiolos, strengthening their fighting spirit.

That afternoon, Link summoned all the prospective Saints to the grove behind the monastery. Besides the brothers Saga and Aiolos, there were several other promising youths recruited in the past month, all eager to become Saints after learning of their existence.

However, these children—none older than fourteen—had only a vague understanding of what a Saint truly was. Link intended to broaden their horizons using the Dragon Saint Cloth, giving these spirited future Saints a clear goal to strive for.

Once all eleven had gathered, Link produced the crystal of the Dragon Saint Cloth and tossed it to the ground, allowing the armor to reveal itself.

When the Dragon Saint Cloth appeared before the eyes of these passionate youths, every one of them stared wide-eyed in shock.

The magnificent, exquisitely crafted dragon design left them all in awe. From the very first glance, they were unable to look away.

After a long moment, it was Saga who first regained his senses, swallowing hard and asking in astonishment, “High Priest, what... what is this?”

Link’s expression became one of reverence. “Children, this is the Saint Cloth, created by the Father God—a Saint’s battle armor, the Dragon Saint Cloth. For your outstanding performance the other night, the Father God is very pleased. Thus, he has bestowed the first Saint Cloth, as a reward for Saga, who performed best that night.” He paused, then looked at Saga with a smile. “Congratulations, Saga. You have been recognized by the Father God and have become a true Saint.”

Hearing this, the others gazed at Saga with a mixture of amazement and envy. Yet that was all; no one expressed dissatisfaction, for they all agreed it was what Saga deserved. Among all the candidates, Saga had indeed performed the best. If he hadn’t received the first Saint Cloth, they would have felt it was unfair.

So, while envious, the other candidates crowded around to congratulate Saga. His close friend Aiolos even punched him lightly in the chest, laughing, “Saga, congratulations on becoming a true Saint! But don’t get too cocky—I’ll catch up to you soon. If I surpass you, you’ll lose your title as the number one Saint!”

Saga knew this was just Aiolos’s way of showing his happiness—not a challenge or insult—so he took no offense and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll become the strongest Saint. It won’t be so easy for you to surpass me.”

Aiolos grinned. “Well, let’s see when the time comes.”

“No problem, I’ll be waiting,” Saga replied, then turned his gaze back to Link, trying to compose his features into a serious expression, though the joy in his eyes could not be fully concealed, making him look a bit comical.

Seeing this, Link couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head. “If you’re happy, then just smile. This is your reward, not a punishment. Why force yourself to look so solemn?”

Saga paused, then scratched his head awkwardly. “High Priest, I just felt that, since this is a treasure bestowed by the Father God, I should be serious in accepting it. Otherwise, it would be disrespectful.”

“The Father God isn’t as bound by trivial etiquette as mortals are,” Link waved his hand. “All right, just drip a bit of your blood onto the Saint Cloth. Only when it resonates with your blood will it respond to you.”

Saga immediately nodded, bit his finger, and let a drop of blood fall onto the Dragon Saint Cloth. Instantly, the armor absorbed his blood. Under the astonished gazes of the onlookers, the Cloth shone with a brilliant green light, then unfolded, transforming into pieces of armor that, with a series of metallic clicks, assembled themselves onto Saga’s body.

The armor covered about half of his body: the head, upper torso, limbs, and waist. It looked incredibly stylish and heroic, its metallic sheen only enhancing Saga’s natural good looks and adding an extraordinary, valiant aura.

After donning the Saint Cloth, Saga’s face underwent a series of emotions: astonishment, disbelief, and then a kind of dazed wonder. Finally, he closed his eyes, as if entering a meditative state.

The others watched curiously. Aiolos, ever the close friend, couldn’t help asking, “Saga, how do you feel? What does the Saint Cloth do?”

Saga took a deep breath before opening his eyes, excitement written all over his face. “It’s incredible—this Saint Cloth is truly amazing! It doesn’t just have formidable defensive power; it’s also awakened my potential. I can feel it clearly—I’m much stronger with it on. There’s also some kind of inherited power within the Cloth. I don’t understand it yet, but I can sense that once I grasp it, I’ll gain new abilities. Only by mastering that power can I unleash the Cloth’s full strength. When I do, I’ll become even stronger!”

Hearing this, all the other candidates were visibly shocked. They had assumed the Saint Cloth was merely impressive-looking with strong defense. They never expected it could actually boost one’s power so much—and from Saga’s words and expression, the increase wasn’t minor. The only question was: just how much stronger did it make him?

This was also Link’s question. He immediately said, “Very well, Saga. Spar with me for a few moves—I want to see just how much the Saint Cloth has improved you.”

Everyone instinctively stepped back. Saga nodded solemnly. Normally, Link would spar with them to both test and instruct, so while the challenge was a bit unexpected, Saga wasn’t nervous—rather, he was eager, anticipation lighting up his features.

After both had assumed their stances, Saga said, “High Priest, please be careful. I’m not sure how strong I am now; I might not be able to control my strength.”

“No need to worry. Just use your full power. I’m not who I used to be, either,” Link replied, unleashing the aura of a true master, an invisible pressure emanating from him.

Seeing this, Saga said nothing more, quietly circulating his inner energy as he prepared to attack. The tension in the air was palpable, causing the spectators to hold their breath.

Saga moved suddenly, shooting toward Link like a cannonball. His speed was nothing like before—even Link, though prepared, was surprised.

Yet Link was unruffled. Although Saga had grown much stronger, he was still no match for Link.

With a feint, a swift movement, and a push, Link sent the charging Saga flying, where he crashed into a distant tree and tumbled to the ground.

Thanks to the protection of the Saint Cloth, Saga was unhurt. He quickly got up and attacked again, this time fighting with martial skill rather than brute force.

Link did not go all out. After a period of probing, he began to use half his strength, maintaining a stalemate with Saga. Saga, growing more serious, eventually stopped holding back and fought with everything he had.

But the gap between them was too great. Link estimated that Saga’s current abilities matched a late second-tier expert, but compared to himself, it was still not enough. With the first six levels of the Nine Suns Divine Skill, no one below third tier could threaten him.

Therefore, after testing for a while, Link decisively used his inner energy to push Saga back, saying, “That’s enough, stop. I’ve gauged your strength.”

Saga let out a breath, wiping sweat from his brow with a wry smile. “High Priest, you really are formidable. I thought that with the Saint Cloth, I could finally challenge you, but it seems you’re even stronger than before—the gap between us has grown wider.”

“Naturally. Otherwise, why would the Father God choose me as his representative?” Link replied with a smile. There was no need for humility at a time like this; to be humble now would be false modesty. After a pause, he glanced at Saga. “But tell me, you haven’t yet unleashed the full power of the Saint Cloth, have you?”

Saga nodded at once. “The sacred artifact bestowed by the Father God is truly remarkable, High Priest. Right now, I can only use about forty percent—no, thirty percent—of its power. If I could fully awaken the Cloth’s strength, I could unleash the power of a peak third-tier expert!”