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They immediately resumed their training. But back at Mount Lushan, while the boys feasted… A massive disturbance was beginning to spread.
The skies above Lushan turned pitch black. Golden runes shimmered and wavered in the air, emitting an immense sealing force.
And within the black pillar of light—
Three beams of dark light shot up into the clouds!
"Old man, the seal's been crumbling for 200 years. Even with the blood of Athena from two centuries ago, how much longer can you hold out? You're no longer the Gold Saint of your prime!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Stop resisting, old man. Drop the seal. It's your only way out."
"You, a body worn down by age and decay… Do you really think you can still stop us?"
BOOM!
RUMBLE!!
An enormous explosion echoed across the mountains and all of Lushan shook violently as unimaginable Cosmo energy erupted, rocking the entire region.
The heavens and earth trembled.
"BOOM!"
A Silver Cloth suddenly appeared in the sky, radiating silver light and a vast Cosmo surged forth.
"The Altar Constellation! Maybe the one from 200 years ago could've managed it… But you? You think you can suppress us?" A cold voice sneered from the darkness.
"BOOM!"
Another majestic Cosmo erupted in response. The light from the Altar Silver Cloth instantly dimmed.
"Two hundred years… and still you haven't learned humility?" Dohko's aged voice resounded.
In the next moment, his majestic Cosmo also exploded forth. With a thunderous roar, it clashed against the pitch-black pillar of light, pushing it back.
As Dohko's Cosmo spread, the pressure on Alex suddenly lessened.
The light on his Altar Silver Cloth also intensified.
But then, from within the darkness—
"Hahahaha! So you really have grown weaker! Your Cosmo has aged, grown feeble! Mortality truly is the sorrow of mankind!" That excited voice echoed from within the pitch-black light.
Even though Dohko, one of the legendary Gold Saints of the previous generation, remained terrifyingly powerful, especially after the Holy War where he was tasked with guarding the Specter seal—
At this moment, they could feel it: They could feel that Dohko's Cosmo had aged, and it had beecome a shadow of his former peak.
And that reality was cause for exhilaration.
"In that case, Dohko… let this seal be shattered!" Amid the rising frenzy, a calm voice rang out.
"BOOM!"
The pitch-black pillar surged once again, and an overwhelming Cosmo blasted upward with unstoppable force!
Dohko's expression changed and his body instinctively took a step back.
"Ugh!" Alex let out a muffled groan and a trace of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, even the aftermath of that force was more than he could handle. After all, his Cosmo was only at the level of the Seventh Sense. He stood no chance against such overwhelming power.
"Crack!"
At the moment the pitch-black pillar of light surged—
Ripples instantly spread through the surrounding space, followed by a sharp, cracking sound.
A fissure had begun to form on the barrier and when that fissure appeared—
Within the dark pillar, the shadows of figures lit up with excited gleams. They had sensed the chance to escape the seal!
"BOOM!"
"RUMBLE!!"
The terrifying Cosmo continued to spread. The barrier trembled violently, and the fissure expanded at an increasingly alarming speed. Meanwhile, the skybound talismanic inscriptions, imbued with the blood of Athena, began to ignite on their own.
If Jiang Chen and the others had still been at Mount Lushan, they would have seen the entire mountain shrouded in complete darkness.
Dohko's brow furrowed. He glanced at the collapsing barrier, then looked toward Alex. The power within his body was on the verge of awakening.
But just then—
"BOOM!"
A gigantic fist came crashing down from the heavens above as a terrifying Cosmo burst out at that instant. The three excited wisps of black fog recoiled violently, getting smashed back toward Lushan.
Dohko's awakening Cosmo was also abruptly halted.
"Dohko, this isn't like you, to be in such a sorry state." A figure slowly descended from the skies. He bore the distinct features of someone from the Jamir Plateau, but his once grassy-green hair had turned silver-white.
He wore the Aries Gold Cloth, a Golden Saint.
From the moment he appeared, his vast Cosmo enveloped the entire area.
"Aries Shion!" From within the black mist, a voice exclaimed in shock.
"Hahaha! Another old man shows up, that's all. Two hundred years, how much strength could he possibly have left?" A mocking voice followed.
"Exactly! Two centuries have passed by! They're only human, how much power could they retain?"
"Hahahaha!"
"With two Gold Saints present for my awakening, this couldn't be more perfect!"
Their maniacal laughter echoed as the black mist surged again. Their Cosmo energy filled the world, menacing and wild.
Shion's expression turned grim.
"Old friend, be careful." He warned calmly and Dohko nodded silently.
The next moment—
A fierce battle erupted across Mount Lushan!
On one side: were two legendary Gold Saints from a bygone era.
On the other: a host of Specters, long sealed in darkness.
The clash spilled into the void, spanning an unknown length of time…
—
Until at last—
The seal of Lushan was completely shattered and several pitch-black lights fled the battlefield in haste.
At the mountain—
Dohko, his aged face weary, stood breathing heavily. Shion had blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Old friend, are you alright?" Dohko asked in concern.
"Don't worry. I won't die just yet. Though… I really have gotten old." Shion shook his head, a bitter smile on his face.
Dohko said nothing.
A moment earlier, he had been on the verge of full reawakening…
But ultimately chose not to.
Athena's resurrection method required the precise timing of the next Holy War. To awaken now would be a massive risk, and the consequences could be catastrophic.
"Let's go. Alex, it's time we made preparations in advance. This battle wasn't perfect. A few Specters escaped… The Earth is bound to fall into turmoil again." Shion sighed. In the next moment, his figure vanished from the scene.
Beside him, Alex, his face pale, bowed slightly to Dohko before disappearing as well.
As he watched them vanish—
Dohko's gaze fell upon the Libra Gold Cloth before him and his aged hands gently touched its surface.
"Soon… Very soon, I'll be able to fight beside you once more." Dohko's aged voice murmured, filled with both emotion and complex memories.
Just moments ago—
No one desired to don the Sacred Cloth and fight more than he did.
…
The morning sunlight spilled gently across the land.
After a night's sleep, Jiang Chen and the others were greeted by emissaries from the Sanctuary. They boarded a plane and soon left Huaxia (China), heading back to the Sanctuary once again.
Twelve hours later…
After three long years—
The five had finally returned to the Sanctuary.
(End of Chapter)