The decision by this Emperor-level figure, Ye Wen, concerning these two young people had been made after considerable contemplation over the past couple of years!

First and foremost, he was certainly going to be absent from the Sanctuary for a significant duration. That damnable Athena, although the Gold Cloth was said to resonate in some manner with her reincarnation, thus aiding Ye Wen in locating where Athena had been reborn, who knew precisely what form this resonance would take? Ye Wen didn't even know if there were any specific triggers required for this resonance, and considering that woman Athena's history of past conduct, he certainly didn't believe he would be able to bring the Goddess back to the Sanctuary easily.

Therefore, being unable to stay at the Sanctuary for the foreseeable future, he naturally couldn't oversee the selection and training of the Saints. If that were the case, he couldn't guarantee the fighting strength of the first generation of Saints—though Zeus would undoubtedly be born into Athena’s faction, if they were so weak as to be overrun by Hades' army, would Zeus, displeased with the game, even allow it to continue?

Thus, the strength of the Saints needed a fundamental guarantee. Besides himself and his disciple Yu Wentuo anchoring the side of Athena, they needed to cultivate more powerful warriors. Trusting no one more than himself, and having fortuitously encountered the outstanding young man Nicholas, Ye Wen intended to keep him close and nurture him properly. Perhaps by the time he brought back the Goddess’s reincarnation, the Sanctuary would have gained another Gold Saint.

If everything went smoothly, the Gold Cloth of Leo would finally have its owner—Ye Wen felt Nicholas possessed the necessary courage, making him quite suited for that Gold Cloth. Coupled with his explosive musculature, he was also perfectly suited to train in a technique as intensely explosive as the Lightning Bolt Fist.

And the Lightning Bolt Fist that Ye Wen intended to teach Nicholas was not the flawed imitation he himself used. It was the true Lightning Bolt Fist.

Ye Wen’s imitation was essentially him waving his hand, releasing gathered qi or sword energy in a chaotic fashion, blanketing the entire space in indiscriminate attack. While the effect was indistinguishable from the true Lightning Bolt Fist, the essence was vastly different! The genuine Lightning Bolt Fist equated one flash of light to one punch, and the countless flashes of light, almost impossible to perceive in that instant, represented the sheer number of times the Leo Gold Saint had thrown a punch in that moment.

In the original narrative, the Gold Saints were rumored to be capable of delivering light-speed punches, which made the Leo Saint’s Lightning Bolt Fist seem unremarkable—After all, you’re light speed, and I’m light speed!—But in reality, the so-called light-speed punches of most Gold Saints were only a single strike; the Leo Saint’s light-speed punch involved thousands of strikes in a single instant.

To draw an analogy: if two Saints threw punches at the same speed over the same duration, one delivering a single punch and the other delivering hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of punches while maintaining the same velocity for each, the difference would be immediately apparent.

Initially, Ye Wen didn't grasp what was so special about the Lightning Bolt Fist. It was only gradually that he understood the distinction. Furthermore, this technique placed terrifying demands on the user's physical constitution. If the body wasn't strong enough, delivering so many punches at such a terrifying speed instantaneously would likely result in the user destroying themselves before they could eliminate the enemy.

Upon closer inspection, among the twelve Gold Saints, the Leo Saint’s physique was also exceptionally robust; it was just more streamlined than Taurus’s so it wasn't as exaggerated. Both were representatives of physical power among the Saints.

Nicholas perfectly met the requirements for Leo. Coupled with his preliminary grasp of the Cosmo, it wasn't surprising that Ye Wen selected him. As for Aleisa—this girl was merely an afterthought. Whether he could train her into a true Saint, he himself was uncertain.

After giving instructions to the two youths, Ye Wen returned directly to his palace to rest. The next day, having finalized his arrangements and informed the Grand Pope of his imminent departure to retrieve the Goddess’s reincarnation, the Grand Pope, along with several priests, came to see him off.

This time, Ye Wen noticed that out of the original contingent of twenty-four priests, only six remained. Apparently, a few were left on duty at the Goddess’s temple and thus couldn't attend. The rest had all been sent back to their original residences, but the parting remark made suggested their future days would not be easy.

After all, everything they possessed was gained under the banner of the Goddess. Now, a single statement—The Goddess is dissatisfied with their performance—was enough to strip them of everything they held. The benefits derived from divine authority are as easily lost as they are gained.

Ye Wen felt no particular affection for those individuals, so their fate, whether they lived or died, held no interest for him. Shen Gongbao was absent from the send-off today, reportedly teaching the Saint candidate hopefuls—likely lecturing them on the greatness of the Goddess, the might of the Saints, and how defending the Earth was an honorable duty and similar rhetoric.

Ye Wen had also left Zhang Ling behind in the Sanctuary. This disciple served as an insurance policy for the Sanctuary, guarding against any unforeseen errors. Moreover, Zhang Ling possessed a communicator that allowed direct contact with Ye Wen, making communication relatively convenient.

Naturally, leaving her behind also facilitated the close-quarters instruction of Yu Wentuo. Since Yu Wentuo currently held the title of the Libra Gold Saint, underperforming during the Holy War would bring Ye Wen considerable embarrassment. Therefore, it was imperative to cultivate him to a standard befitting his status before the Holy War commenced, or at least before the Saint selection concluded.

With that considered, the only one left to see him off seemed to be that little cat...

Using two fingers, Ye Wen held Garfield up before him, watching the cat furiously pawing in farewell. Ye Wen remarked, "Since you can't bear to part with me, you might as well come along!" The moment the words left his mouth, Garfield instantly lost all strength, hanging its head limply while held by Ye Wen, appearing as if dead! This display surprised the priests nearby. None of them expected this small animal to be so sentient, as if it could comprehend human speech.

"Perhaps it’s a pet of the Gods." "A pet of the Gods is naturally extraordinary." "Maybe it's a Divine Beast," "It just takes this form to walk around usually, to avoid attracting the attention of ordinary people!" Whispers of speculation rose among the crowd. Ye Wen paid them no mind, hefting Garfield, he turned and walked toward the Sanctuary gates. Nicholas and Aleisa, waiting by the main entrance, each carried a small satchel, hesitating whether to approach Ye Wen when they saw him coming.

Unexpectedly, Ye Wen tossed the cat—which was stiff as a corpse—into the air. It traced a perfectly parabolic arc before landing squarely in Aleisa’s arms. "Take this little thing, and let’s get going!" His words stopped the two youths in their tracks. Only after Ye Wen strode several steps past the sentry posts did the two young people hurry to follow.

The figures of the three slowly vanished from the view of the crowd. Ye Wen, looking incredibly dashing in his Gold Cloth, was the last to disappear from sight. After walking quite a distance—perhaps half a day’s journey—Ye Wen abruptly stopped.

The two youths, who had been following quietly without daring to breathe loudly, were startled by Ye Wen’s sudden halt. Seeing him stop, they worried that some unexpected incident had occurred.

"Did we encounter bandits?"

However, they were only half a day's travel from the Sanctuary. The establishment of the Sanctuary had stunned nearly everyone in several nations, and its current imposing authority deterred any bandits from considering trouble. After all, the Sanctuary was founded through the cooperation of several nations; daring to scheme against it meant provoking every country simultaneously.

No bandit was foolish enough to risk that. Everyone, even a brigand, needed to leave a path for retreat. Since the Sanctuary's founding, very few villains dared to emerge in the surrounding territory. This made Nicholas even more perplexed: what was the reason for Ye Wen stopping now?

Ye Wen suddenly turned, looking at Nicholas, who was clad in simple armor consisting only of a shoulder guard, a breastplate segment, vambraces, greaves, and a piece of cloth belted around his waist like a skirt. Then he looked at Aleisa, whose attire was only marginally more substantial than Nicholas's, with slightly more fabric.

"Do you think it’s appropriate for me to wander around looking like this?" In a joking tone, Ye Wen lifted the helmet he rarely removed in front of others. His action made the two youths draw sharp breaths. Perhaps they were about to witness the true appearance of the divine emissary, the great Taurus Lord. What would this lord look like? They had initially imagined Ye Wen’s appearance would be more imposing, given his powerful physique. But when Ye Wen removed his helmet, his facial features appeared much softer compared to the people of Olympus. What astonished them further was that Ye Wen possessed distinctly Eastern features.

"An Easterner?" Aleisa and Nicholas's expressions shifted immediately. Aleisa’s change of countenance stemmed from the fact that, to ordinary commoners, Easterners were mysterious and terrifying. Propaganda from numerous nations portrayed Easterners as their enemies, as evil beings disrespectful to the Olympian Gods. Moreover, there were many terrifying folktales circulating among the populace where Easterners never played the part of the righteous.

Nicholas, being of noble descent, naturally knew these stories were unreliable. His astonishment arose because Easterners held almost no standing in this region. Many nobles would capture Easterners to sell as slaves—after all, nobles with peculiar tastes were everywhere.

Simultaneously, many Easterners possessed certain unique skills. Such craftsmen, though valued slightly higher, were scarcely better off than slaves. Kept in private by nobles, they had their food and clothing guaranteed, but little else in the way of proper treatment. They often couldn't appear in public, making them easy prey for other nobles to snatch away, or to be killed by ignorant commoners who deeply believed those frightening legends.

For all these reasons, when the two youths discovered that the powerful and mysterious Taurus Gold Saint, the divine emissary of the Goddess Athena, was an Easterner, their shock was profound.

The pair were momentarily stunned, unsure how to react, standing rooted to the spot, watching Ye Wen casually tap his Gold Cloth. He then produced a golden chest from somewhere. The golden armor instantly dissolved into streams of golden light, coalescing into the form of a golden bull before settling into the chest. The shock generated by this strange spectacle failed to snap them back to reality; they remained utterly absorbed in the fact that the Taurus Lord was an Easterner, stunned beyond measure.

"Surprised?"

Ye Wen didn't find it remarkable. Although he had learned from Shen Gongbao before setting out about how unfriendly Olympus was toward Easterners—perhaps places further east were slightly better, but the further west one traveled, the more miserable the status and living conditions of Easterners became. Yet, this journey was leading west. While Athena hadn't left many clues, she had provided Ye Wen with a general direction; otherwise, finding her across such vast distances would be impossible.

"No, not at all!"

Nicholas was the first to regain his composure. His noble upbringing granted him far better composure than Aleisa, so he quickly realized: regardless of whether the Taurus Lord was Eastern or not, it didn't change the fact that he was the divine emissary of the Goddess Athena and one of the most powerful Gold Saints. Furthermore, given the Taurus Lord's strength, who in this territory would dare to cause him trouble? If he were displeased, annihilating a small nation wouldn't be impossible.

Nicholas, ultimately, underestimated Ye Wen's power. While in his mind, possessing the might to destroy a nation single-handedly was terrifying, he couldn't fathom that with Ye Wen's strength, slaughtering every human in the entire Olympus territory wouldn't be beyond his capability—provided the Olympian Gods didn't interfere, it would merely be a matter of time.

Aleisa was still somewhat slow to recover, but Nicholas nudged her, reminding her that their potential ascension to Sainthood relied entirely on this Lord. This was hardly the time to focus on trivialities.

After removing his Gold Cloth, Ye Wen was dressed in clothing sourced from the Sanctuary—cloth trousers, leather boots covering his calves, and similar protective armor pieces on his knees. His right shoulder guard featured a sharp single horn, while the left was a very ordinary spaulder. The front bore a palm-sized breastplate, protecting only the heart area. He wore two unremarkable vambraces on his arms, and nothing else. Yet, his overtly exaggerated, bulging muscles were displayed entirely, revealing the terrifying power contained within. Any observer with a discerning eye would hesitate to test the might of those fists.

This was Ye Wen’s current attire. No cape, making him indistinguishable from the ordinary Saint hopefuls in the Sanctuary, except for his still phenomenal physique, which set him apart when standing next to Nicholas and Aleisa.

However, seeing him like this brought the little cat considerable joy. It leaped from Aleisa's embrace and began circling Ye Wen incessantly, finally giving him a look that seemed to convey, Not impressive!

"Little thing, perhaps I should consider regulating your meals. Look at your already swollen belly. Do you truly wish to turn into that creature that can’t even see its own paws?" Garfield’s ears twitched, its eyes suddenly shining brightly. Immediately adopting an ingratiating demeanor, it trotted to Ye Wen’s feet and began rubbing its round, fluffy head against him ceaselessly...

"Who did you get that personality from?" People always said pets resembled their owners. Judging by a long-owned pet's behavior, one could often discern the owner's character. But Garfield’s current display left Ye Wen utterly stumped as to who it resembled. As for resembling himself? He wouldn't admit it even if beaten.

While the man and cat exchanged a few words, Nicholas was speaking quietly with Aleisa nearby: "Forget that the Lord is Eastern. To us, he is the divine emissary! The great Taurus Gold Saint. That has nothing to do with whether he is Eastern or not." "But... why would the Goddess Athena choose an Easterner as her divine emissary? Did the Grand Pope lie to us? How is that possible?" Aleisa was a devout believer, and she found this fact difficult to accept. Compared to Nicholas, her capacity to accept this was much lower.

Fortunately, she had endured considerable hardship in the Sanctuary. Now, her sole focus was becoming a Saint, so the reality of the Taurus Gold Saint being an Easterner had to be set aside for the moment. If she knew that the Libra Saint, and Lord Shen, who now held almost half the power in the Sanctuary, were also Easterners, she might faint on the spot.

Nicholas also couldn't fathom why the Goddess would choose an Easterner as her representative. However, the workings of the divine were clearly beyond his comprehension. His current chief concern was whether their reaction would cause distaste in the Lord, as their entire future as Saints depended on it.

Fortunately, Ye Wen cared little for these matters. After a few exchanges with Garfield, he casually tossed the little cat in front of Nicholas. Nicholas instinctively caught the small creature—the round, plump, and furry Garfield felt quite pleasant in his hands. Still, he couldn't understand why the Taurus Lord would bring a pet on such an important journey, even if this pet was somewhat unusual.

"For the time being, you two will be receiving instruction from it!"

"Who?" Nicholas was startled, looking up at Ye Wen, only to feel something gripping his wrist. He looked down. The small cat was standing upright on its hind legs in his palm, its front paws incessantly pointing at him.

Realizing that the "it" Ye Wen referred to was the little cat in his hands, Nicholas’s expression became priceless.

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