Chapter 134: The Backstab and the Ninth Sense

With a thunderous boom, the Golden Serpent was struck by the power of death. Its body visibly withered, as though it had suddenly grown old, rapidly decaying until death drew near.

The process was swift, but the Golden Serpent recovered just as quickly. Before long, it had returned to its original form.

“Hmph. So what if you are the God of Death? You are nothing more than a dog at Hades’ side!”

The Golden Serpent had been formed from the soul of Asclepius. In life, he had been a Saint, battling Hades year after year. His understanding of the power of death might even surpass Feng Zhe’s.

“Then how about you try this?”

As Feng Zhe finished speaking, the Golden Serpent suddenly erupted in flames. These were no ordinary flames, but the sacred fire of Olympus, which possessed the power to dispel evil.

“What?! When did you do that?!”

The Golden Serpent felt searing pain, and the tail coiled around Athena’s kneeling statue loosened slightly.

Seizing the opportunity, Feng Zhe teleported before the divine statue. With a sudden motion, he produced a large number of Athena’s blood talismans and sent them crashing into the Golden Serpent’s body.

Like oil thrown onto a blazing fire, the blood talismans exploded with a bang, scattering his entire form. Feng Zhe then let out a thunderous roar.

“Corpse Qi: Underworld Wave!”

A vast amount of corpse qi surged from his body. With a single turn, it drew a soul out of the statue.

That soul belonged to Saori, whom he had not seen for a long time.

“Big brother!”

Saori’s entire body had become spiritual in form. The small universe within her was faint, and she seemed to be on the verge of vanishing at any moment.

“You have ruined my plans!”

The Golden Serpent was enraged. The power erupting from its body was like divine might.

In an instant, the Golden Serpent transformed.

A humanoid figure emerged from the thick mist.

The moment he appeared, he donned the golden Cloth of Ophiuchus. His appearance was nearly eighty percent identical to Odysseus, though he seemed far more sinister and profound.

“Asclepius!”

Feng Zhe stepped in front of Saori and stared gravely at the suddenly manifested Asclepius.

“Since we are both blasphemers, I originally intended to spare you. But you have ruined my great undertaking. For that, I cannot forgive you.”

Asclepius wore an expression of fury. When he saw that Athena’s soul had been freed, the terrifying look in his eyes made Saori instinctively retreat a step.

“Don’t be afraid. With me here, he cannot hurt you!”

Feng Zhe tried to comfort Saori before leaping forward and engaging Asclepius in battle.

Both were beings who stood at the pinnacle of the Saints, their strength no weaker than that of the mightiest Saints throughout history.

Every punch they exchanged seemed capable of shattering mountains and splitting the earth.

Feng Zhe employed numerous ultimate techniques. One moment he unleashed Galactic Explosion; the next, Corpse Qi: Soul Burial. He even infused the power of time into his techniques.

This multiplied his strength several times over.

Asclepius was no less formidable. Having comprehended the Ninth Sense, he could restore himself to his original state no matter how many times he was destroyed. He then wielded his staff against Feng Zhe.

Feng Zhe dodged left and right, but the staff still struck him once. He felt as though he had been blasted by lightning, his entire body going numb. Even his flesh showed signs of dissolving, leaving him shocked.

“Hmph. My staff can heal, but it can also dissolve the flesh. During the Mythological Age, it was already counted among Athena’s ten divine artifacts.”

Asclepius smiled as he explained the nature of his staff, then continued, “You truly surprise me. I never imagined that you would have gone one step farther than I did and actually acquired divinity.”

“But it does not matter. Once I devour you, all of that will become mine.”

Asclepius teleported before Feng Zhe and swung his staff once more. At such close range, even Feng Zhe, despite possessing divinity, would be pierced by the blow.

With a heavy clang, the staff collided with Athena’s Shield, unleashing a tremendous shock wave. Feng Zhe was shaken until his entire body went numb, but fortunately, he managed to block the attack.

“Big brother, I’ll help you!”

Saori rushed forward, but her small universe was now terribly weak. How could she possibly stand against Asclepius? With a casual swing of his staff, he sent her flying.

“Saori!”

Feng Zhe teleported and caught her, then glared furiously at Asclepius.

He knew that he could no longer hold back his true strength.

Just as Feng Zhe was preparing to use the Supreme Roar of the Twelve Temples, a golden dagger suddenly stabbed out from behind and plunged into his back.

Feng Zhe turned toward Saori in disbelief and murmured, “Why?”

“Big brother, I’m sorry!”

Saori fell to her knees, tears spilling uncontrollably from her eyes.

At that moment, Asclepius burst into roaring laughter.

“Why? I never thought a blasphemer like you could be so naïve. Any Saint who wishes to become a god must die. That is an iron law!”

Asclepius laughed so hard that he could scarcely stand upright. To be stabbed in the back by the person he trusted most—he had experienced that very same feeling countless years ago.

Back then, Asclepius had been the strongest Gold Saint. In order to aid Athena, he had endured countless holy wars. He had been respected and loved by countless Saints.

Yet after comprehending the Ninth Sense and touching the realm of the gods, everything changed.

He had never imagined that the first to betray him would be the god he had once trusted most—Athena.

In that moment, he had gone completely mad.

Feng Zhe asked, “Saori, is this really true?”

The pain in his body was nothing compared to the pain in his spirit. He was in agony.

“Big brother, I’m sorry!”

Saori still did not answer. Her silence had already revealed the truth.

Suddenly, Asclepius seized Feng Zhe by the throat and teleported with him to a secluded corner.

Feng Zhe was completely unable to move. Asclepius then said, “Once I devour you, I can heal every injury on your body. Do not worry. I will carry your will with me and conquer the earth.”

Feng Zhe answered with difficulty, “Even if I die, I will never let you have your way.”

He then formed a strange gesture with both hands, and the small universe within him erupted with absolute force.

“Be sacrificed! My small universe!”

“Divine Sacrifice!”

At the final moment, Feng Zhe unleashed his ultimate technique—Divine Sacrifice.

Asclepius’s soul immediately began shrieking madly.

This power had surpassed the limits of a Saint. Between life and death, Feng Zhe had finally broken through to the realm of the Ninth Sense.

This was the domain of the gods: the Amala Consciousness.

At that moment, Asclepius completely vanished.

Not only did he disappear, even the kneeling statue of Athena was utterly annihilated by that overwhelming power.

“Big brother, I’m sorry!”

After the statue was destroyed, Saori’s soul gradually faded until it vanished completely.

Feng Zhe looked toward her and murmured, “As expected of Athena. Even after betraying me at the very end, you still calculated that I would drag Asclepius into annihilation with me. Compared with you, I have lost.”

Then Feng Zhe disappeared.

Far away, in the Pope’s Palace, Athena Sasha awoke. Yet the first thing she did upon regaining consciousness was let out a deep sigh of relief.