At the forging place, numerous furnaces glowed fiercely. Scorching heat flooded the entire area. Even Jiang Chen's Cosmo felt like it was about to melt under the intensity.
"This is…" Looking at the flames, Jiang Chen's pupils constricted. Within them, he felt an overwhelming Cosmo. It far surpassed anything he had encountered before. Even Dohko and Shion were like ants in comparison.
"The fire of Hephaestus!" Jiang Chen murmured.
He had a guess. According to his understanding of the Saint Warrior world—
The original Saints were created when Athena, in order to fight the Mariners who wore Scales (Scaly Armors), entrusted Hephaestus, the god of fire, to lead the alchemists of Mu Continent to forge the Cloths.
And this blazing flame, there was only one possibility: the divine forge of Hephaestus.
Hephaestus, one of the twelve Olympian Sovereigns, and at this time, his power might even surpass Athena's.
"Over here!"
"This way!"
The nearby young boy's voice called out. Jiang Chen was pulled forward again, quickly heading toward the heart of the forge. Very soon, he saw a massive furnace, and in front of it, many figures working busily.
Each one had a burly frame and powerful muscles.
They all held large hammers and were furiously striking molten metal with incredible force.
"Father, Lord Asclepius has arrived!" Melchaba spoke cautiously.
Following Melchaba's gaze, Jiang Chen quickly noticed the towering, burly man standing at the very center of the forge.
The moment their eyes met, Jiang Chen's brows furrowed slightly. He could feel a terrifying Cosmo emanating from the man, not as overwhelming as the God of Fire, Hephaestus, but still far beyond what he had sensed from Shion and Dohko.
"Lord Jamil!" When the burly man looked his way, Jiang Chen gave a small respectful bow.
"Come here," Jamil glanced at Jiang Chen and nodded slightly.
Jiang Chen hesitated a moment but then walked forward.
"Stir your Life Source constellation, Let your Cosmo resonate with the Sacred Cloth!" As Jiang Chen approached, Jamil spoke in a deep voice. Looking closer, Jiang Chen noticed a beam of light gathering inside the massive furnace.
"Yes!" Without hesitation, Jiang Chen sat cross-legged. In that instant, his Cosmo began to spread outward.
"Only the Sixth Sense?" Jamil slightly frowned and glanced toward his son. Melchaba awkwardly scratched his head and gave a sheepish smile.
Jamil simply shook his head without further comment.
Since accepting Athena's commission, they, immigrants from the Mu Continent, had always been in charge of forging Sacred Cloths. One more or less didn't matter to him.
To Jamil, it was just another Cloth, nothing that would take more than a few days' effort.
"BOOM!"
However, just as Jamil shook his head, a massive surge of Cosmo suddenly erupted, instantly engulfing the entire surrounding area.
"What is this?!" Jamil's eyes widened in shock, disbelief flashing across his face.
He immediately looked toward Jiang Chen. At that moment, the skies above the forge suddenly darkened.
In the heavens, countless stars appeared and began to form constellations.
The Zodiac, all twelve constellations, shimmered into view, and at their center, a massive constellation slowly emerged.
"The Zodiac Constellations! They really exist!" Seeing the constellations shining in the sky, Jamil's expression was filled with shock and barely-contained excitement.
"WOMMM!"
A cosmic ripple spread out.
In the next instant—
"BOOM!!"
From high above, a beam of starlight from the enormous Ophiuchus (Serpent Bearer) constellation suddenly descended, shooting straight into the furnace.
"BOOM!!"
Immediately after, a golden light shot straight into the clouds from the heart of the forge.
A powerful Cosmo burst forth from the furnace, and within the golden glow, a shining golden Sacred Cloth slowly took shape.
"Golden..."
"It's actually golden!"
Jamil, overwhelmed, no longer paid attention to the celestial phenomenon in the sky. His gaze was locked onto the Sacred Cloth radiating golden light. Traditionally, Cloths were forged using Orichalcum, Gamanium, and Star Silver, and thus usually appeared as bronze, or silver-white in color.
But this one, was golden.
And Jamil could clearly sense that this Cloth held far more power than any he had ever forged before.
"This is the aura of the Zodiac. So... even this is possible!" Jamil murmured to himself, completely entranced by the golden Cloth before him.
Jiang Chen, too, was utterly captivated by the sight.
The Cloth emitted a sacred brilliance, and its golden hue seemed to instantly draw all attention toward it.
Jiang Chen could feel a connection forming, something deep and mysterious linking the Cloth to his very soul.
No... not seemed, it was real. Their thoughts were already synchronized.
As that realization struck—
The golden Cloth within the radiance began to disassemble, then quickly flew toward him.
In the blink of an eye, the golden Sacred Cloth was equipped onto his body.
The gorgeous gold plating wrapped around him, and in that moment, Jiang Chen's Cosmo exploded in intensity.
"BOOM!!!"
A wave of mighty Cosmo burst forth, sweeping across the entire surrounding area.
In that moment, it wasn't just the forge and the flames; over half the Sanctuary was enveloped by the surge of Jiang Chen's spreading Cosmo.
…
Half the sky above Sanctuary turned pitch-black. One by one, stars lit up across the darkened heavens. Countless Saints instinctively looked up at the sky, gazing at that constellation now shimmering with starlight.
Amid all the shock and awe, Jiang Chen, standing beside the great furnace, seemed to have entered a trance-like state of profound comprehension.
His consciousness drifted into the void. Surrounded by a silent, starry sky.
There was no time, no space here. There was not even the faintest trace of sensation. He couldn't even perceive his own existence.
"What is this...?" Jiang Chen murmured in confusion, his eyes reflecting doubt.
His figure strolled through this void.
…
Meanwhile, In the Present Time and Space, Sanctuary, Pope's Hall.
Alex was deep in conflict.
Over a year had passed since the great battle against the Specters, and the injuries he sustained back then had begun to flare up. Now, even his Cosmo and physical body had begun to deteriorate.
At this rate, he doubted he could fulfill his elder brother's dying wish, to lead the Saints through the upcoming Holy War. So in recent months, he had been searching for a new Pope.
Over the past year, among the Gold Saints, aside from Shaka, both Sage and Aiolos had also broken through to the Seventh Sense. As of now, there were three young Gold Saints in Sanctuary who had reached the Seventh Sense.
But Shaka, as the reincarnation of the Buddha, was clearly not a candidate for Pope. That left only Sage and Aiolos as options.
If chosen based solely on strength, then Sage was unquestionably the better fit. He had achieved the Seventh Sense almost immediately after Shaka. His power was clearly greater than Aiolos's.
However, when it came to the role of Pope, Sage fell short in several crucial ways.
In terms of character and virtue, Aiolos was clearly superior. Especially over the past year, Sage's personality had undergone noticeable changes, changes that gave Alex an unshakable sense of unease.
"Who should I choose?" Alex murmured, falling into deep thought.
His mind was conflicted, torn between strength and integrity.
…
(To Be Continued…)
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