Watching the crowd of young people below, their gazes filled with a strange mix of awe, obedience, and curiosity, Ye Wen suddenly felt like a grand charlatan.

The kind of top-tier con artist whose single word could send countless youths rushing headlong toward their own demise!

After much thought, he finally turned to Shen Gongbao and whispered, "I'm not very good at these things; you handle it."

Shen Gongbao didn't decline. Although even if he handled today’s task perfectly, it wouldn't bring him much glory, he now understood that only by executing this flawlessly would he stand a chance of returning to the Heavenly Court and reclaiming his rightful authority.

And it had to be said, Shen Gongbao’s rhetoric was truly exceptional. Under his stirring speech, the once bewildered youths gradually became consumed by a feverish fervor. This fervor made even Ye Wen’s skin crawl, especially when Shen Gongbao used Ye Wen Da as an example, proclaiming that if they trained hard enough, one day they too could stand here wearing the Golden Cloth, the symbol of status and strength. The eyes of countless youths, still clinging to hope for their future, nearly spat fire.

"For love and justice! To protect the homeland we cherish! To safeguard the Earth and the myriad compatriots dwelling upon it! Strive onward, young ones!"

"Oh!"

Having roared out the breath gathered in their chests with all their might, these young men and women officially became fanatical devotees—not fanatical devotees of Athena, but fanatical devotees of the profession known as 'Saint Seiya'.

"Say, isn't this getting a bit off track?"

Ye Wen watched the youngsters lost in fantasies of their future lives as Saints, wondering if Shen Gongbao had misunderstood something. Shouldn't he be brainwashing these youths into becoming Athena's loyal hounds?

Unexpectedly, Shen Gongbao shot him a look of utter disdain. "Right now, they have nothing. Even if that Goddess stood before them, they probably wouldn't develop much affection for her. So, we must first lure them with self-interest, let them taste some benefits, and only then tell them that these benefits were bestowed by Athena. Slowly, subtly, we’ll frame the gains they worked hard for as gifts from that woman, and only then will they gradually accept this useless Goddess! And then they'll dedicate their loyalty to her."

"And after a few Holy Wars, this theory will gradually transform into the belief that only the Goddess Athena brings them happiness, that the power of a Saint is granted by Athena, and that only power bestowed by the Goddess can defend the Earth... By then, even if we don't waste our breath, people will be clamoring to pledge their allegiance!"

"Uh..."

Ye Wen was speechless. He had to admit that in this arena, the gap between him and Shen Gongbao was like that between a kindergartener and a seasoned academician. While he understood many of the principles, if he had to execute it, he couldn't incite such madness in these youths with just a few words—he was better at creating tangible facts for people to realize on their own.

More crucially, although Shen Gongbao mentioned the hardships and difficulties of becoming a Saint in his speech—a path paved with flesh and blood that was virtually hellish—the way he spoke of these things was artful. He first detailed, almost in slow motion and from every angle, the immense benefits of becoming a Saint, igniting the youngsters' aspirations. Only then, while these hot-blooded youths were in a state of peak excitement, did he mention the difficulties they would face.

If it were Ye Wen, he would probably state the difficulties first, and then describe the potential rewards—and he would emphasize those difficulties. Shen Gongbao, however, focused on describing the benefits.

From this, the vast gulf between the two was evident. Ye Wen couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "This just goes to show, I'm still a decent person with some conscience!"

The Great Charlatan Shen continued his grand indoctrination of the youths, while Ye Wen took the opportunity to draft the Saint Seiya training plan, handing copies to Shen Gongbao and Yuwentuo—Yuwentuo still received private instruction from Ye Wen daily, but only when they were alone.

In his routine, Yuwentuo would dedicate time to observing the training of the new recruits. He wouldn't need to provide specific guidance; the initial training for a Saint was essentially grueling, hellish physical conditioning with no technical skill involved. A mere ordinary person needed only to supervise; no instruction was required.

Only those who completed this phase, pushing their physical bodies to the absolute limit, would qualify for further guidance. That was when Yuwentuo would step in, and Ye Wen would use that time to explain the theories of Cosmo to him.

"You don't need to learn how to cultivate it; you only need to understand the operational mechanics of this power."

"Why can't I cultivate it?" Yuwentuo saw nothing inherently wrong with this power. Furthermore, his physical body was already incredibly formidable, rendering the side effects of Cosmo almost negligible to him.

While cultivating his internal arts, he was constantly enhancing his physical strength, and the divine power latent within his body was slowly awakening. If he mastered Cosmo as well, wouldn't his strength increase by another massive leap?

"Because I fear the various powers within you might conflict, so it's best you don't practice randomly." Ye Wen instantly saw through his disciple's intentions but didn't mince words or issue warnings; he merely stated a calm fact. Yet, this very calmness was more unsettling than any sharp admonishment.

Seeing the absolute seriousness in Ye Wen's eyes, Yuwentuo immediately realized his situation was far from the rosy picture he imagined. Having been 'tested by life' and having read countless novels and comics, he knew the clash between different power systems within a body was a trope frequently used in stories.

Thinking about the possibility of exploding due to power conflict sent a jolt through him: "Master, I won't suddenly blow up, will I?"

"As of now, no!" Ye Wen clapped Yuwentuo on the shoulder. It was already midnight; Ye Wen had just finished instructing his disciple for the day. "The divine power in your body is growing stronger, yet it remains harmonious with your internal Zhenqi, even resonating with it. Now, when you use your Zhenqi, it stimulates the divine power in your body. In other words, the might you deliver with one unit of internal energy might require five or even ten units for someone else to match."

He had been closely monitoring Yuwentuo, and this situation somewhat eased Ye Wen’s apprehension. What surprised Ye Wen was that a faint, domineering bolt of lightning power seemed to flicker around Yuwentuo’s fist when he casually punched out just now. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the divine power within Yuwentuo’s body transforming.

"It seems the portion of power belonging to Thor within him is beginning to awaken! I wonder if he can fully convert this portion into his own power in the end!"

Yuwentuo, unaware of the underlying situation, let out a breath of relief. Ye Wen had decided not to tell him yet that his body was likely that of Thor, the God of Thunder. Ye Wen planned to wait until his disciple’s cultivation reached a certain level—at least the Earthly Immortal realm—before revealing it.

By then, this Holy War would likely be over. Afterward, if Yuwentuo felt ambitious, he could seek Mjolnir to further boost his strength, or he could return to Mount Shu for a period of secluded cultivation before cautiously aiming for Mjolnir.

"Since I have some free time tonight, Master will teach you the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms! It suits your Libra Gold Cloth!"

"Libra's ultimate move is clearly the Lushan Dragon Rise, Master!" Yuwentuo muttered helplessly, but Ye Wen ignored him and simply urged, "Memorize these moves well. I will only teach you once tonight. Whether you can master them depends entirely on how much you can recall!"

"Hey? That's not fair, you aren't some passing old man!"

Unfortunately, before Yuwentuo could finish complaining, Ye Wen had already begun demonstrating the palm technique. Helpless, Yuwentuo had no choice but to focus his mind and observe every stance and movement of the technique, striving to commit every variation to memory.

Fortunately, the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms did not rely on complexity; while there were many moves, they were not convoluted, and each one was perfectly distinct. After only three demonstrations, Yuwentuo had committed the entire set of techniques to memory. How long it would take to master them was now up to his diligence.

Watching his disciple practice this overwhelmingly potent palm technique under the moonlight, Ye Wen mused, "With this palm technique complementing his formidable divine power and dominating lightning energy, he will have the ability to protect himself even if a Holy War erupted immediately!"

Meanwhile, Zhang Ling would continue to look after her junior disciple from the shadows. Few would have guessed that within the entire Sanctuary, the strongest individuals, besides himself, would be the masked Lord Shen and the Taurus maidservant.

In contrast, the Libra, touted as possessing one of the Sanctuary's top martial strengths, was merely a young man slightly stronger than an ordinary person.

If this fact were known, countless people would likely vomit blood in frustration.

After instructing Yuwentuo, Ye Wen turned and left the valley. It was not far from the Sanctuary; given Yuwentuo’s current pace, he could return in under half an hour—and who would dare stop a Gold Saint? Were they tired of living?

Thus, Ye Wen saw no need to linger. Picking up the helmet he had set aside, he began walking back.

With his height and long strides, he intended to stroll slowly, but in moments, he spotted the Sanctuary in the distance. A few sentries stood diligently at their posts—they couldn't see Ye Wen yet, as he was still quite far.

He paused to consider. He had nothing pressing to return for; he planned to depart early the next morning anyway to search for Athena’s reincarnation. Sooner or later, it had to be done, might as well start early.

Besides, staying in the Sanctuary bored him. A walk would be nice. Even now, in the middle of the night, he had no desire to return to the palace to cultivate. He changed direction and walked toward another spot.

The Sanctuary was situated within a chain of mountains, peak after peak, but it also featured picturesque valleys. Ye Wen was heading toward one such area—a relatively gentle terrain covered in lush green grass and countless wildflowers—which he had stumbled upon while training Yuwentuo.

He had taken a strong liking to the place, but it was too close to the Sanctuary, and training Yuwentuo there risked exposure. So, he had sought a spot further away.

Now, remembering it, he felt like spending some time there before returning in the morning to offer a few words before departing the Sanctuary. To his surprise, as soon as he neared the location, he heard the sounds of fists and feet exchanging blows, interspersed with the distinctive shouts of combat training.

"Hm? Someone is here?"

He didn't stop but slightly moderated his pace. Upon spotting the valley he favored, Ye Wen moved further inside, following the sounds.

He was astonished to see a rather slender girl frantically striking a massive boulder, taller than two men, with fists that, despite being wrapped in dense bandages, were already torn, bloody, and raw.

Not far from the girl stood a young boy. Unlike the girl’s frailty, the boy possessed standard height and sleek, well-defined muscles, suggesting explosive strength just from his physique.

Yet, this boy stood motionless beside her like a block of wood, blankly watching the girl’s near-self-destructive training. He seemed ready to speak but was repeatedly interrupted by the girl's shouts.

"Did I run into a pair of idiots?"

Ye Wen stood behind a rock. With his current strength, the rock offered no real cover, but it served as a convenient place to rest his hands and prop up his chin while observing the scene unfolding nearby.

After ten minutes of watching, he finally heard the young man speak: "Aleisha, if you keep this up, you’ll ruin your hands!" His voice carried a deep sense of concern; there was no doubt this young man held some feelings for the girl named Aleisha.

Unfortunately, the girl, Aleisha, showed no appreciation. She merely grunted, "Nicholas, stop the nonsense! If I don't work this hard, I’ll be eliminated soon!"

As she spoke, a hint of resentment colored Aleisha’s words: "I am a woman. If I don't train this desperately, I definitely won't beat you men in the Saint Seiya selection! So, I must train harder just to have a chance at becoming a Saint!"

"Why must you become a Saint? Remember, Saints are the warriors who defend the Earth against Hades. Simply put, they are soldiers. Even as a Saint, you might die in a Holy War... I wish you..."

Nicholas's words surprised Ye Wen. This young man seemed sensible; Shen Gongbao's brainwashing wasn't entirely successful. Ye Wen silently mocked Shen Gongbao while curiously waiting for Aleisha’s response.

"Enough!"

A heavy punch struck the massive boulder, accompanied by a dull thud and a few specks of bright red blood slowly spreading. Compared to Nicholas, Ye Wen heard another faint sound: "That was the sound of bone cracking. Very subtle, perhaps even she couldn't detect it!"

"What do you know? You, born into a noble family, who has never wanted for food or clothing, always accompanied by countless servants even when traveling, what could you possibly understand?"

This statement surprised Ye Wen a bit. It turned out the pool of Saint Seiya candidates in the Sanctuary was more diverse than he thought; they weren't all just miserable commoners; there were descendants of nobility here.

Nicholas fell silent, staring blankly at Aleisha. Just as Aleisha prepared to strike again, Nicholas suddenly reached out and gripped her wrist, halting her motion.

The movement was swift. Considering Aleisha's speed and the suddenness of her strike, grasping her wrist accurately and instantly stopping her momentum required exceptionally sharp reflexes, quick execution, and precision.

But these factors weren't what astonished Ye Wen. What surprised him was that the moment Nicholas reached out, Ye Wen sensed a burst of Cosmo.

It was brief, so faint it was nearly imperceptible. If it hadn't been Ye Wen, perhaps no one would have noticed the change that occurred in that instant.

"Cosmo?" His eyes narrowed. He was surprised this young man named Nicholas had mastered Cosmo. The Saint Seiya selection had just begun, and the Sanctuary hadn't even started teaching Cosmo yet. Theoretically, no human should possess Cosmo now.

But there was an exception: the Sanctuary's training pushes the human body to its limit, and a tiny fraction of people have a very low probability of spontaneously comprehending Cosmo under such stress—once they enter the Sanctuary, they are covered by Athena’s divine power, which subtly scatters the seeds of Cosmo.

This implied that the young man named Nicholas might have awakened his Cosmo in just these few days of training, meaning he was an innately gifted Saint.

Yet, upon closer observation, Nicholas seemed completely unaware that he had ignited his Cosmo for that brief moment. He simply looked quietly at Aleisha’s already bloody fists and said, "The bandages on your hands are torn. Let me rewrap them for you..."

"This... kid..."

Ye Wen, who had been expecting some profound declaration, nearly choked on his frustration. He could only sigh, "It seems I'm not the most clueless one; this kid is far more dense than I am..."