Chapter 83: The Golden Saint Must Not Die

The two clashed with a single strike, ending in a draw—an outcome that made Shaka grow solemn. He hadn't expected the Altar Saint before him to have advanced so far.

“With such talent, if your teacher Saga could see you now, he would surely be proud,” Shaka remarked.

He had watched Feng Zhe grow step by step, and had even helped him along the way.

Feng Zhe smiled at him. “If we continue this fight, it could turn into a thousand-day war, which would do Sanctuary no good.”

Shaka sighed; how could he not see that truth? He replied, a note of resignation in his voice, “Very well. Since you insist on keeping him here, so be it. Just don’t regret it later.”

It was clear to Shaka now: Feng Zhe had already earned the goddess’s trust and was likely to become Pope again. Continuing the battle would be pointless.

Besides, Ikki of the Phoenix, lying on the ground, was already a guardian of the goddess—a Saint she trusted. Why should Shaka make trouble for himself?

“Thank you. But let me remind you, the goddess below is no one to be underestimated.”

“I would never presume to question the goddess—that would be blasphemy!”

Feng Zhe laughed, and Shaka did as well.

At that moment, Shun and Ikki both regained consciousness. When they saw Feng Zhe, their faces betrayed their astonishment.

“Ikki has awakened to the Seventh Sense. You two may proceed to the next temple,” Feng Zhe announced.

Ikki, still bewildered by Feng Zhe’s words, offered a quiet thank you and left without so much as a backward glance, leaving Shun standing there somewhat at a loss.

In the Libra Temple below, an ice coffin stood at its center. The iconic scene was about to unfold: Shun removing his Cloth and sleeping beside Hyoga.

It was almost painful to watch, and before they could take things any further, Feng Zhe healed Hyoga, reviving him on the spot.

Hyoga awoke, surprised to see Feng Zhe, but thoughts of his master, Camus of Aquarius, filled his heart with a burning desire to surpass him. Without another word, he hurried off.

Shun, too, offered his thanks, but Feng Zhe sensed a certain melancholy in his tone.

“Does that boy truly have feelings for Hyoga?”

Feng Zhe shivered at the thought, goosebumps rising, and quickly pushed the idea aside.

At the next temple, Scorpio’s Milo seemed to be going easy on Hyoga; even the wounds he inflicted appeared intentional rather than lethal.

Feng Zhe knew well that, even without the Antares technique, Milo’s Scarlet Needle could easily have overwhelmed Hyoga.

“You certainly know how to handle things,” Feng Zhe remarked.

Milo, seeing Feng Zhe suddenly appear in the Scorpio Temple, smiled. “To oppose the goddess is not within a Gold Saint’s creed.”

“I suspect you’re only going easy for Camus’s sake.”

Milo and Camus were close friends, their relationship bordering on ambiguous. But Milo took the teasing in stride and replied, “When will you deal with the one in the Pope’s chambers?”

“There’s no rush. The final trial has yet to begin.”

Milo chuckled. “Don’t underestimate that one—his strength rivals Saga’s.”

Feng Zhe knew well the measure of Arvid’s power and replied in jest, “Isn’t that what I’m here for? If push comes to shove, I’ll be the failsafe.”

Milo, already convinced of Feng Zhe’s abilities, let his cloak flutter as he continued, “May your presence in Sanctuary help us through this crisis.”

“We’ll face it together,” Feng Zhe said with a gentle laugh.

Elsewhere, the Five Young Saints witnessed the glorious moment in the Sagittarius Temple, where Aiolos’s words further strengthened their convictions.

The next stop was Capricorn Temple, where fortune was less kind. After Shiryu was left behind, the others quickly moved on.

Capricorn’s Shura was a formidable adversary. The longer Shiryu fought, the more despair crept into his heart, until, with no other option, he resorted to his ultimate move—a technique of mutual destruction.

When Shiryu unleashed the Lushan Rising Dragon Lord, his reckless abandon sent shockwaves through all of Sanctuary.

In the previous temples, the Saints had been lenient; as long as one awakened the Seventh Sense, defeating a Gold Saint was possible.

But Shura of Capricorn seemed to have forgotten about Saori, the goddess, waiting below. He was ready to kill, forcing Shiryu to use the Lushan Rising Dragon Lord in a desperate bid to take him down with him.

Of course, even when they soared skyward, Saori would ultimately save Shiryu and grant him the sacred sword as a reward for defeating Capricorn.

At the critical moment, as they hurtled toward the heavens, a figure appeared before them in a flash—it was the long-absent Acting Pope, Alex.

Feng Zhe broke into a grin, then kicked Shura square in the chest. The force shattered Shiryu’s Cosmos, halting his momentum, and the two plummeted to the ground.

Shiryu fainted upon landing, while Shura, wounded and breathless from the blow to his chest, struggled to recover.

“You… You did that on purpose!” Shura accused, pointing at Feng Zhe, fully aware of the intent behind it.

“Shura of Capricorn, are you willing to pledge yourself anew to the goddess Saori and become her most loyal Saint once more?”

Shura gave a bitter smile. “At this point, do you really think I can ever be the goddess’s most loyal Saint again?”

“Miss Saori has already pardoned your sins…”

Shura shook his head. “No! The Saint of Capricorn has always been the goddess’s most faithful knight, loyalty without a trace of impurity. My crime can only be cleansed with my life.”

That was Shura—an idealist whose loyalty was pure and absolute.

He had unwittingly helped Saga nearly kill the goddess, a stain that would haunt him forever.

And today, no mere words from Feng Zhe could absolve him.

“Shura, as a Gold Saint, you are undoubtedly worthy. I hope you will atone for your past mistakes in the battles to come. Sanctuary still needs you, and more than ever, we need a true Saint of Capricorn.”

At that moment, a Cosmos appeared before them—Saori’s own, emanating from the foot of the mountain.

She had arrived at the Capricorn Temple and witnessed the entire battle.

“Athena…”

Shura, always a stoic man, now broke down completely, weeping unashamedly on the ground.

The goddess’s Cosmos rested upon his shoulder like a warm hand, instantly winning his devotion.

“I, Shura, swear upon my very flesh and soul, to be forever loyal to Athena. Should I ever betray her, may I be cast into the lowest hell, suffering eternal torment…”

With his oath, Feng Zhe smiled, knowing he had won back this Saint.

Meanwhile, the fated battle between master and disciple in the Aquarius Temple was nearing its end.

When Feng Zhe arrived, he saw Hyoga, who had mastered Absolute Zero, and Camus of Aquarius simultaneously unleash their greatest technique—Aurora Execution.

The immense, radiant goddess seemed to be watching, eager to see who would claim the title of the true master of freezing.

“Wait—Camus isn’t using his full strength!”

Unlike Hyoga, who had pushed his Cosmos to the limit, Camus was clearly holding back.

Could it be that Camus intended to sacrifice himself?

In that instant, Feng Zhe understood why Camus, even clad in Gold Cloth, had allowed himself to be frozen to death. It was all part of his plan, one that demanded the price of his life.

He could not allow Camus to die!