Becoming a Saint since the Age of Myth

"If another guy on The Defiler's level shows up, I really won't be able to handle him!"

As he spoke, he could not help giving a wry smile.

He had thought he had found a big fish, only to nearly be dragged into the water himself and become its meal.

Had someone not suddenly appeared and dragged The Defiler away, all four of them would probably have died there.

"Right, right, right. We should leave as soon as possible!"

The three had no objections, nor were they in any position to object. They immediately left Tehran with Cancer.

Chapter 30: Preliminary Speculation

In an unknown location, The Defiler, covered in wounds, was complaining incessantly to another man in black battle armor standing before him.

"Brother, I could have killed him if you'd just given me a little more time!"

"Why did you let them go?"

The man opposite him said calmly, "That lord told me Athena's gaze was shifting toward you!"

"If you'd stayed there any longer, Athena might well have seen you!"

"It isn't time for us to lay our cards on the table with Athena yet!"

"But..."

The Defiler was still unwilling to accept it. The man continued to persuade him, "There will be plenty of opportunities. There's no need to rush!"

"We've endured far longer than this. Can't you wait just a little longer?"

"Then... all right!"

The Defiler did not insist any further.

The man added, "And don't touch Athena's priestesses again!"

"Behave yourself for a while!"

"If you hadn't gone so far this time, things wouldn't have come to this!"

The Defiler had wanted to object, but when he saw his older brother's stern gaze, he knew there was no room for discussion.

"Yes!"

He gritted his teeth and reluctantly agreed.

Meanwhile, after leaving Tehran, Wuxin and the other three found a secluded canyon where they could rest.

Their injuries were too severe for them to return straight to the Sanctuary.

If enemies intercepted them on the way, they would be in even greater danger.

Thus, the four agreed to find a secluded spot in the wilderness to recuperate before returning once their injuries had recovered somewhat.

Sitting around the campfire, Wuxin asked tentatively, "Senior brother, do you have any idea who that The Defiler who appeared tonight might be?"

No such person existed in any of the stories he knew.

He could only ask Manigoldo and see whether he could learn anything useful.

Ursa Major Mike immediately cut in when he heard this. "Isn't it obvious? He must be one of the Specters!"

"That black battle armor, that evil Cosmo-he couldn't be anything but a Specter!"

Manigoldo did not answer. Instead, he turned to Canes Venatici and asked with a faint smile, "Walter, what about you? What do you think?"

Walter thought for a moment before replying cautiously, "Mike could very well be right, but..."

"I've never actually seen a Specter. Everything I know about them came from what others have said."

"So I wouldn't dare draw a firm conclusion."

"Junior brother, what do you think?" Manigoldo turned to Wuxin.

"Wasn't that my question to you? Why are you throwing it back at me?" Wuxin did not know whether to laugh or cry.

"Just consider it a test of your discernment!" Manigoldo waved a hand dismissively.

Wuxin poked the campfire before him and said slowly, "As far as I know, the Specters' Surplices are forged from ore found only in the Underworld."

"That means their armor naturally carries the aura of death from the Underworld."

"Ordinary people might have trouble detecting it, but for Saints like us who have mastered Sekishiki, that sign is extremely obvious."

"But I didn't sense any aura of death from The Defiler's armor!"

"Which means it wasn't a Surplice!"

"What?!"

Canes Venatici and Ursa Major were stunned to hear this.

Wuxin glanced at Ursa Major Mike and continued, "As for his Cosmo, it was indeed powerful, but I wouldn't call it evil."

"I didn't sense any of that corrupt or sinister aura!"

"He truly obtained that powerful Cosmo through his own efforts!"

Generally speaking, Cosmo obtained through outside power would inevitably carry certain distinctive traces.

The Underworld's hundred and eight Malefic Stars were one example.

Their power originated in the Underworld, and their Cosmo naturally carried certain traits unique to it, making their identities readily apparent.

The Defiler had obtained his Cosmo through his own efforts, which made it difficult to deduce his origins from that.

"I suspect he serves some legitimate god!" Wuxin gave his final assessment.

A legitimate god meant a deity with a proper origin, rather than one of those unrecognized, miscellaneous evil gods of the wilderness.

"Wouldn't that mean a god is hiding in the shadows, preparing to interfere in this holy war?" Canes Venatici's expression changed drastically.

With someone like this appearing at such a particular time, it was hard not to connect him to the holy war.

"That, I don't know! The thoughts of gods aren't something we can fathom!" Wuxin shrugged.

Cancer Manigoldo nodded in agreement. "I also deduced that he probably serves some legitimate god, and definitely didn't come from the Underworld."

"Unfortunately, there are too many gods on Olympus. I can't tell which one he serves."

"We can only report the situation when we return to the Sanctuary and let Lady Sasha judge!"

"That's all we can do!"

Wuxin and the others sighed, feeling utterly helpless.

Afterward, the four wasted no more time chatting. They silently burned their respective Cosmos, using their power to stimulate the recovery of their injuries.

Although they could not use Cosmo to heal their injuries directly, Cosmo itself could invigorate their bodily functions.

On that basis, stimulating their bodies with Cosmo could likewise accelerate their recovery.

Soon, the night passed, and the four sitting around the fire opened their eyes once more.

By then, the fire had gone out. A cold wind blew in through the mouth of the canyon, making all four feel a slight chill.

"How are your injuries?" Manigoldo asked them.

"I'm more or less fine now!"

Ursa Major Mike had only suffered minor injuries and had already recovered completely.

"I'm halfway recovered. Much better than last night!" Walter of Canes Venatici said next.

As one of the main combatants against Red, he had suffered far worse injuries than Mike, and his recovery was slower as well.

"I've only recovered twenty percent. It'll take quite a while to recover completely! Still, it won't affect my ability to travel!" Wuxin let out a long sigh.

He had no Cloth and had been badly injured while fighting Red, so naturally, his recovery was slower too.

"What about you, senior brother?" He looked toward Cancer.

"I'm also about halfway recovered. I'm out of immediate danger!"

Manigoldo nodded, then added, "In that case, let's travel at full speed today and try to return to the Sanctuary as soon as possible!"

"Yes!"

Wuxin and the other two answered.

Then, under Manigoldo's lead, they traveled for nearly half a day before finally reaching Athens on the Mediterranean Sea.

In fact, they could have arrived sooner, but Ursa Major's lack of strength had slowed the whole group down.

Although Wuxin was the most severely injured among them, even in that state, the strength he could bring to bear still far surpassed Ursa Major's.

Thus, Ursa Major, who had almost completely recovered, had instead become the group's burden.

That alone showed the gulf between Silver and Bronze.

After they passed through the barrier, magnificent temples built atop the mountains appeared before Wuxin's eyes.

"So this is the Sanctuary?"

Chapter 31: Healing Ophiuchus

The temples on the Sacred Mountain were all built from white stone and looked exceptionally ancient and simple, giving off a sacred radiance in the sunlight.

At the foot of the Sacred Mountain stood houses likewise built of stone, along with squares, platforms, and all the other structures needed for daily life.

Compared with the temples on the Sacred Mountain, they felt less sacred but more lived-in.

For Wuxin could clearly see many Apprentice Saints in leather armor at the foot of the mountain, training or sparring in a lively scene.

"Well? Much better than Jamir, isn't it?" Manigoldo teased Wuxin with a smile.

"You can't really put it that way!"

Wuxin blinked and said with feigned solemnity, "The Sanctuary has its merits, and Jamir has its charms. You can't lump the two together!"

His teacher Hakurei still lived in seclusion in Jamir, and Pope Sage also came from the Jamir Clan. No matter what, he could not possibly speak ill of Jamir.

This senior brother of his really had no filter. He dared to say anything.