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To most, the Cosmo is a vague concept, drawn from the heart, mind, soul, life force, or spiritual will. That's not wrong. But digging deeper, at its core, the ultimate truth of the Cosmo is the Seventh Sense.
And that step… is what isolates 99% of Saints.
Saints who are sent to Lushan are almost always Gold Saint candidates. But if they fail to reach the Seventh Sense, they are considered failures.
That was why Dohko couldn't stay silent any longer.
"Master… are you saying that a vast Cosmo makes it harder to refine the Cosmo itself?" Aiolos couldn't help but ask.
"Yes. The power of the Cosmo is divided into the Sixth Sense and the Seventh Sense. Only by stepping into the Seventh Sense can one become a truly powerful Saint, and even have a chance at becoming a Gold Saint."
"For someone with an enormous Cosmo, even awakening the Sixth Sense becomes extremely difficult. The Seventh Sense? That is even harder."
Dohko nodded and affirmed it once more.
"This…" Hearing Dohko's words, all eyes instinctively turned toward Jiang Chen.
"Master, awakening the Sixth and Seventh Sense is just more difficult for me, not impossible… right?" Facing their stares, Jiang Chen didn't seem fazed and asked back.
He smiled slightly and turned toward Dohko.
"That's true," Dohko nodded, though his brows remained furrowed. "But you must be prepared. It's entirely possible that while the others here awaken the Seventh Sense, you might still be stuck before the Sixth."
"I understand," Jiang Chen said, nodding, his expression calm.
To the others here, the priority was surviving the next Holy War, which happened only once every 200-plus years.
Even among the Gold Saints, past wars had shown that barely one in ten would survive. So, naturally, improving strength quickly was the most urgent matter.
But for Jiang Chen, he didn't need to worry about that.
Based on his understanding of Saints and their battles, surviving the Holy War wasn't going to be a major problem for him.
As for the future…
He still had countless worlds ahead of him, and endless time. As long as he could successfully conquer the Saint World, his Cosmo could continue to grow, without limit.
There was simply no need to worry about anything else.
"It seems… you are ready. I hope you won't regret it." Dohko gave him a deep, long look, and then said no more.
He was, without doubt, one of the greatest Teachers among the Saints. Even in the original Saint Seiya mythos, the disciples he had trained were all proof of his excellence.
Every person walks their own path and Dohko always chose to respect those paths.
This time was no exception.
"Chen!" Aiolos started to speak instinctively.
"Relax," Jiang Chen smiled. "It might just take me longer to awaken the Sixth Sense, but I'm no weakling."
His gaze held a playful glint as he glanced at Kanon, who immediately scowled, his face darkening.
"Master!" Sage finally spoke up after a deep breath. "What exactly is the Seventh Sense of the Cosmo?"
"The Seventh Sense?" Dohko paused in his step, murmuring softly.
"Yes, please instruct us, Master!"
"Please guide us!"
"Please teach us."
Sage bowed slightly as he asked. The others quickly followed, turning their eyes to Dohko, their voices echoing with earnestness.
Dohko spoke slowly, his voice ancient and profound:
"The Seventh Sense… is the original, most primordial form of the Cosmo. Back in the mythological ages, the Age of the Gods, the Age of Heroes, everyone was born already possessing the Seventh Sense. It was the ultimate Cosmo."
"But after the decline of the gods and the fall of humanity, into the modern age, only the strongest, the Gold Saints, could awaken this power. And so, people came to call those who could awaken the Sixth Sense as those who had 'activated their Cosmo'."
"But by the truest definition, the Seventh Sense is the source of all great power. It is the energy that can open new universes. It is a force that surpasses all six human senses, mind, body, spirit, soul, instinct, and perception."
"Even if one tries to describe it in words, those words can never give birth to what it truly is. Even the sharpest human intellect struggles to fully grasp its essence. It is the root of divine might, the energy capable of creation itself."
"Once you reach the Seventh Sense, you can truly be called a Gold Saint."
Dohko's voice carried weight like the mountains, and everyone present slowly sank into deep contemplation.
Even Jiang Chen, who already knew some of the secrets of the Cosmo, felt a new level of insight stir faintly within him.
As for the others, Sage, Aiolos, Kanon, Shaka, they each gained something profound from those words.
Dohko looked over the group with satisfaction and nodded slightly.
These five… their talent was exceptional.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the Sanctuary produced several Gold Saints who could rival the mightiest in history.
He gave Jiang Chen one final glance before returning to his seated position atop the cliff wall.
Time flowed silently.
The night passed.
The light of dawn broke through the clouds.
As the sunlight rose over the horizon, all five disciples awakened simultaneously.
In each of their eyes, a faint gleam of light flashed and vanished.
Though a single night's enlightenment hadn't been enough to advance their Cosmos, nor had Dohko's few words instantly unlocked the Seventh Sense, each of them now had a clearer path ahead.
Especially Sage, Aiolos, and Kanon.
Shaka and Jiang Chen also gained much in their own ways.
Of course, insight was one thing. Training still had to continue.
After a quick breakfast, the group gathered beneath the great waterfall to begin their next round of training. Compared to climbing the cliff, training under the waterfall was far more intense.
The hardship didn't come from the waterfall itself, but from the massive, crushing Cosmo embedded in the cascading torrent.
If the cliffside Cosmo merely pressed down when you ascended, then here, the waterfall's sheer force and immense Cosmoic weight came crashing down without mercy.
Even Jiang Chen, at the very beginning, staggered and was knocked cleanly off his feet.
As for the others… it went about as expected.
But none of them gave up.
BOOM.
BOOM.
RUMMMMBLE.
The waterfall roared like an explosion, echoing through the canyon as bodies were repeatedly slammed to the ground.
High above on the cliff—
Dohko remained seated.
He barely spoke.
Over time, his presence gave off the feeling of a statue, so silent and unmoving that it was hard to even sense life from him.
But gradually, the disciples adapted to this way of life.
After all, their Cosmos were growing, solid and real.
Especially through waterfall training, they could feel their Cosmos strengthening every second of every day. This was a kind of growth that they would never have dared dream of back in the Sanctuary.
And yet here, it was happening constantly.
Even for Jiang Chen, the rate at which his powers merged far surpassed what was possible in the Sanctuary.
(Dohko… truly the strongest teacher among all Saints. The disciples he trained, like Shiryu and Genbu, are among the most elite.)
(End of Chapter)