Chapter 177 : Li Yu returns, Athena dies!
Outside Pisces Temple, what was once a beautiful rose garden was now filled with a deadly fragrance and the aura of Death.
Aphrodite stood among the roses, quietly awaiting the arrival of his predecessor.
The two Pisces Saints stood silently in the rose garden. Albafica's eyes showed a hint of nostalgia as he took a deep breath.
"This rose garden is beautiful. You've taken good care of the roses!"
"But your strength is far from enough. As a Pisces Saint, if you cannot dissolve poison within yourself, how can you kill others!"
Albafica's expression was calm and sorrowful, as if he had merged with the surrounding roses.
But the Cosmo he emitted contained profound poisonous power; its mere aura caused the surrounding roses to wither completely, transforming into Mandarava flowers of the Underworld.
A trace of surprise flashed in Aphrodite's eyes. So, Pisces Saints needed to feed on poison?
But it was too late now!
Facing a predecessor even stronger than him, he gritted his teeth and roared,
"No matter what, if you want to pass through the last temple, you'll have to step over my corpse!"
Rose petals swept towards Albafica like a storm.
The paralysis of the Demon Rose, the cutting of the Black Rose, and the explosive piercing of the Piranha Rose simultaneously assailed Albafica!
Albafica chuckled and shook his head. He simply raised his hand calmly; this level of rose attack was not worth his attention.
The rose garden was Aphrodite's home ground, and it was also his.
"Crimson Thorn!"
Countless scarlet thorns, formed from highly toxic blood, burst from the ground, meeting the rose storm!
Roses and thorns eroded, entangled, and withered in the air!
The air was filled with a strange scent, a mixture of sweetness and decay; every breath was potentially fatal.
This was a cruel dance, showcasing the beauty of life and the poison of Death to their extremes.
Battles raged in the four temples of Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces, while the previous temples had also successively determined their victors!
Mu fell unconscious, and although Aldebaran was still standing, he was completely exhausted.
In Gemini Palace, two pairs of brothers gasped for breath, their fight evenly matched.
The power of the previous generation of Saints had almost created a one-sided crushing, with only a few contemporary Gold Saints barely able to resist.
Inside the Goddess Temple on the Summit of Holy Mountain, Saori Kido stood before the Athena statue, her clear eyes reflecting the entire Sanctuary's battle scene.
This generation of Gold Saints was indeed inferior to the previous one, which was why she had taken a different approach, cultivating the Bronze Five.
The previous generation, despite being so strong, couldn't completely kill Hades; this generation was even less capable, of course, except for Li Yu, that anomaly.
Athena sighed softly, and the Staff of Nike in her hand struck the ground heavily.
Thump!
The moment the staff hit the ground, a grand and gentle Cosmo wave spread out, covering the entire Sanctuary.
All Saints engaged in battle, whether from the previous or current generation, clearly felt this power, and they all looked up at the highest peak of Holy Mountain.
There, at the most sacred point of the Sanctuary, was the location of Goddess Athena's chambers!
Athena's voice resounded in the hearts of all Saints, carrying an undeniable authority.
"Stop! The conflict between Saints must end! I do not wish to see loyal warriors perish in meaningless slaughter any longer!"
"Spirits of the previous generation, lower your fists and come before the Goddess statue to pay your respects. I, Athena, shall listen to your will here!"
Both sides, in the midst of fierce fighting, stopped their actions.
The previous Gold Saints, dragging their battle-scarred bodies, had their Surplices almost shattered.
After all, these Surplices were hastily made and far less sturdy than Gold Cloths.
They walked towards the Summit.
The contemporary Gold Saints who could still move, also with confusion, quickly gathered towards the Pope's Chamber.
Beneath the Goddess statue, the atmosphere was as heavy as lead.
Athena stood quietly before everyone!
Shion stood below with the previous Gold Saints, his gaze complex as he watched the Goddess of old.
The surviving contemporary Gold Saints guarded Athena's sides, and the tension between the two sides remained high!
"Shion, do you truly intend to take my head?"
Athena spoke softly, her gaze falling upon Shion, her former confidant, the Pope!
Shion opened his mouth, as if to say something, just then, a massive and suffocating Cosmo emanated from the foot of Holy Mountain.
This Cosmo contained the severe freezing air characteristic of Aquarius, the fury of thunder, and even a large amount of pure light power. These three forces intertwined, forming a pressure far exceeding that of any Gold Saint.
All the Saints present suddenly turned their heads, casting incredulous gazes towards the foot of Holy Mountain. Shion murmured to himself, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes.
"He has grown stronger again…"
Degel's body trembled slightly as he looked at Camus beside him.
The shock in Camus's eyes was already evident, clearly, the newcomer was another Saint of Aquarius, Li Yu!
Degel had only one thought: so strong. Could this level of Cosmo intensity truly be possessed by a human?
Under everyone's astonished gazes, Li Yu's figure appeared at the entrance of the Pope's Chamber.
He was not wearing his Gold Cloth, but simply a plain White linen robe, walking step by step up to the Summit of Holy Mountain.
He walked directly through the crowd and stopped beside Shion.
This action instantly plunged the entire Pope's Chamber into dead silence.
Everyone looked at Li Yu in astonishment, only to see Li Yu's gaze towards Athena was cold and resolute, carrying an undeniable sense of judgment.
His voice was like a cold iron block, striking the silent hall, every word clear.
"Athena… your existence is the shackles of this Holy War cycle. Ending it here is the beginning of breaking free."
His words, perfectly aligning with Shion's will, utterly shocked all contemporary Gold Saints!
"What, Li Yu is actually standing with Shion?"
"How dare he openly betray Athena!"
Shura and the others all shielded Athena, their eyes filled with indignation after the great battle!
"Li Yu, this is betrayal!"
"Hmph! And what of it? Can you stop me?"
Li Yu took a slight step forward, and from him as the origin, circles of White light swept across the scene!
Li Yu's power actually subtly suppressed Athena's Cosmo, completely overpowering everyone's Cosmo!
"You will not harm Saori Kido!"
Seiya suddenly rushed out, the Pegasus Cosmo stubbornly burning within the Absolute Zero Domain, actually carving out his own unique domain.
"Pegasus Meteor Fist!"
Countless meteors assailed Li Yu, carrying Seiya's determination to protect the Goddess.
But in front of Li Yu, this attack was simply not enough.
He raised his right hand, a pale golden Cosmo condensing in his palm, easily catching all the Meteor Fists.
A golden light flashed in Li Yu's eyes, and an even more powerful pressure suddenly erupted. Seiya was pressed down by an invisible giant hand, heavily kneeling to the ground, unable to move.
"Do it, Shion!"
Li Yu roared, his voice carrying an undeniable command.
Shion no longer hesitated, burning the last of his Cosmo, erupting with speed beyond his peak, instantly appearing before Athena.
In his hand, a golden dagger had appeared at some point. It was the sacred dagger once used by the Pope for rituals, but now it had become a weapon for slaying a god.
A trace of pity flickered in Athena's eyes.
She did not dodge, or rather, everything happened in a flash.
A shrill, golden light, as if severing time and space, flashed!
Time seemed to freeze!
Athena's noble head separated from her body.
Golden divine blood, symbolizing sanctity and life, gushed like a fountain from her severed neck, staining the Summit and splashing onto the cold marble floor, emitting a dazzling and tragic light. The
headless body did not immediately fall, remaining standing.
The entire Pope's Chamber fell into a dead silence, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
All contemporary Gold Saints: Seiya, Shiryu, Hyoga, Shun, Ikki, Aiolia, Milo, Kanon, Camus, Aphrodite, Shura.
Their expressions instantly froze on their faces, their eyes wide open to the extreme, pupils filled with disbelief, a despair and bewilderment as if the World had collapsed!
Shion… he actually succeeded?
He actually killed… Goddess Athena?
How could he, how dare he?
The moment Athena was beheaded, her vast and sacred Cosmo, like a dying star, suddenly vanished from the entire World!
This violent divine fluctuation was immediately sensed by the deepest entity in the Underworld.
Hades, who had been observing this civil war in the Sanctuary, had green underworld fire burning fiercely in his eyes!
Shock, bewilderment, followed by incredible joy.
He felt it: the essence of Athena's life force had completely disappeared!
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100 POWER STONE = BONUS CHAPTER
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