I used to think Athena was merely clever, one who nitpicked over trivial matters, but this time Ye Wen realized that this Goddess of Wisdom had not attained her divine station through petty smarts.

Though Athena still addressed him with the same tone, Ye Wen was now certain she had discovered something. The perplexing question was why she hadn't confronted him about it?

“Why is that?”

He glanced at Nicholas, standing imposing in the Leo Gold Cloth, and Ye Wen lost all interest in focusing on him.

This young man was destined to vanish from his sight, never again to merit his attention! As for Alessa, Ye Wen was unsure if he should continue guiding her; he suspected all these Saint Candidate trainees might have been tampered with by Athena, otherwise, it was too coincidental that she had suddenly appeared.

“It seems this Athena hasn't come unprepared. Perhaps she was already guarding against any potential genius emerging among the Saints. To prevent anyone from breaching the barrier between man and god through their Cosmo, keeping this group under strict surveillance and fundamentally eradicating such possibilities is undoubtedly the best method!”

If it was true for Nicholas, Alessa could hardly be an exception. Thus, when Alessa and Garfield returned shortly after, Ye Wen said nothing, although Alessa was utterly bewildered by the major events that had unfolded in such a short span: mere moments ago, Nicholas had been listless, yet now he stood invigorated, the radiance emanating from his Gold Cloth illuminating his face brightly.

After a night of silence, they set out anew.

This time, the group was no longer as directionless as they had been in the preceding months; they had finally found their path forward! Athena igniting Nicholas’s Cosmo had simultaneously exposed her own location, a fact Ye Wen could not fail to grasp. Moreover, a connection had formed between Nicholas and Athena; after igniting his Cosmo and obtaining the Gold Cloth, he too could sense the Goddess’s whereabouts.

“It isn’t far now!”

Ye Wen did not reply, merely grunting in acknowledgment as he continued walking. The cloak that had previously served to shield them from wind and snow, he now pulled directly over his head, obscuring his Eastern features. After all, his appearance had drawn considerable trouble along the way. While Ye Wen brushed these inconveniences off, they were ultimately tiresome to deal with.

Consequently, for the remainder of the journey, Nicholas, now officially a Gold Saint, assumed the role of a vanguard. Leading the way, his handsome features and the noble bearing cultivated by his aristocratic upbringing were enough to deter many ill-intentioned gazes.

It had to be admitted that Nicholas's slightly wavy, short brown hair bore a distinct resemblance to the Leo Saint in the original stories, and by comparison, Nicholas was even more dashing. Now, as a Gold Saint, he exuded confidence; such a young man, barely over fifteen years old, was enough to attract many eyes.

As soon as they entered the town, numerous hidden female gazes fixed upon Nicholas, even causing the conspicuously large Ye Wen to be overlooked. But this suited Ye Wen’s expectations; if he continued to draw attention like a dazzling spotlight, he would accomplish nothing, forced merely to fend off nuisances.

Threading their way through this affluent town, and passing through the relatively chaotic slum district, Nicholas frowned as they proceeded.

But as the streets gradually became cleaner, and the pedestrians cast more veiled glances their way, interspersed with the occasional passing carriage, the attire of the people emerging around them grew noticeably neater, more refined, and luxurious—all signs indicated they had arrived in a significantly higher tier of residential area.

“This is the district where the nobility gathers!”

Nicholas was not unfamiliar with such surroundings; he had grown up in this very environment. Yet, this alone was not enough to cause his brow to furrow. The true reason was that he sensed the Goddess’s location was drawing them closer to the town center, a place where, ‘normally, common folk could not easily approach.’

“Rare indeed. Has the Goddess been born into the household of some high official?”

If that were the case, the situation would become complicated. Putting aside other matters, simply gaining an audience with that family presented a headache for Nicholas. Ye Wen, hidden beneath his cloak, also furrowed his brow.

“That woman… she certainly knows how to cause trouble!”

Making a gesture to Nicholas, Ye Wen led the group into a dark corner. Then, Ye Wen removed his cloak and donned the Gold Cloth he hadn't worn for a long time.

While fastening his helmet, he instructed Nicholas, “Reveal your Cloth as well; it’s a way to announce our status! Whether they choose to accept it or not, we won't worry about that yet!”

Nicholas kept his Gold Cloth on, only removing the helmet. He flipped up his cloak, exposing the Leo Gold Cloth for everyone to see.

Compared to the imposing aura of the Taurus Cloth, the Leo Cloth was not particularly ornate in its design. If not for the intricate patterns, at first glance, it looked much like ordinary full-body armor. But this simple exterior exuded a noble quality, fitting for the King of Beasts.

The two men, now clad in Gold Cloths, reappeared on the street. This time, they attracted even more attention than before, yet no one dared approach or speak to them. In fact, some people dared not even meet their eyes directly; in this area, anyone wearing armor was certainly not ordinary.

Because of this resplendent armor, even the guards of the inner city approached them courteously to inquire about their purpose. Further inside lay the residences of the town's officials, and entry could not be granted casually. Ye Wen choosing to reveal the Gold Cloth was precisely for this reason.

As for the specifics of negotiation, that was left entirely to Nicholas. Ye Wen glanced slightly ahead and happened to see a middle-aged man riding a horse, leading several guards, slowly approaching them.

Noticing the two—Ye Wen and Nicholas—standing there conversing with the guards, the middle-aged man rode directly over to ask, “What is happening here? Who are these two…?”

“Lord Magistrate!”

The guards recognized the newcomer immediately and immediately saluted respectfully. Then, in the briefest possible terms, they introduced Nicholas and Ye Wen: “They claim to be from the Sanctuary!”

“The Sanctuary?”

Perhaps ordinary people were unaware of the Sanctuary, but these officials certainly knew of its existence. After all, the construction of the Sanctuary had caused quite a stir, and some officials had even seen their careers affected by the matter; how could they not know?

Once the Sanctuary officially began construction, every official started collecting information regarding its affairs—including its structure and even the people within it—all becoming subjects of their diligent study.

“We are Saints from the Sanctuary, here to seek the reincarnation of the Goddess.”

Nicholas’s words stunned these men even further. The Magistrate himself stood frozen for a long moment before stammering out the question, “Venerable Sir Saint, you mean to say… the great Goddess has been born within our very town?”

“That is correct!” Nicholas wasn't entirely sure of the exact situation, but he couldn't misjudge this matter, so he replied with firm conviction.

At that precise moment, Ye Wen had already locked onto Athena’s true location. He raised his hand and pointed directly at a distant dwelling: “That building, whose residence is that?”

“What? That building?”

Ye Wen was tall, his arm as thick as another man’s thigh; his movement naturally drew everyone’s attention. Following his pointed finger, the faces of the onlookers became exceedingly strange. Several attendants following the Magistrate’s Lord changed expression, muttering amongst themselves, “It’s that house? How is that possible?”

“Could it be… those two children are the Goddess’s reincarnation?”

“Impossible! They explicitly said it was the Goddess’s reincarnation; how could it be two children?”

“Idiot, one of them must be.”

Their voices were low, but they could not escape Ye Wen’s hearing. He turned his head, glanced over curiously, and mused internally, Could there be some melodramatic plot unfolding here?

The Magistrate’s expression grew dramatically complex, further confirming Ye Wen’s suspicion, and his subsequent response was quite telling: “Sir, perhaps you are mistaken. There are no children there.”

“The sin of deceiving a deity is not one that can be lightly overlooked!”

Nicholas lacked experience in handling such situations. When the Magistrate flatly denied their premise and showed no inclination to allow them entry, Ye Wen’s slightly mocking tone cut through.

Perhaps this Magistrate knew of the Sanctuary, but he certainly held no deep-seated fear of it, even though the Sanctuary symbolized the true God, Athena.

But the Sanctuary was too distant, and at this time, it had not yet demonstrated its overwhelming power. It was not strange that these officials did not give much regard to the Sanctuary, or rather, the two men representing it.

Nicholas’s youthful appearance, in particular, made him easy to look down upon. If there were no direct conflict of interest, the Magistrate might not mind showing deference to the Sanctuary. But if his interests or privacy were encroached upon… the Magistrate, practically a local emperor in this place of poor transportation, would not hesitate to display his dominance.

Unfortunately for him, he had encountered Ye Wen, a man who exercised restraint even in the presence of the Goddess herself. A mere small-town Magistrate was naturally beneath his notice.

Furthermore, he had already wasted several months on this pursuit and had no intention of leaving now.

“My Lord, please choose your words carefully. Falsely accusing a Magistrate is also a serious crime that cannot be ignored!”

“Falsely accusing?” Ye Wen snorted, infusing his breath with a trace of True Qi! This slight breath of Qi was negligible to anyone with a modicum of power, but to these ordinary people, it was like a sudden clap of thunder, leaving them dizzy and disoriented.

If the Magistrate hadn't been skilled in horsemanship, that single snort of anger might have unseated him! Even so, the Magistrate finally realized that this man before him was no ordinary person.

“What was that? A mere angry snort almost threw me from my horse—is this even human?”

A look of dread washed over his face. By the time he recovered, he saw the towering figure striding forward, ignoring the cluster of soldiers beside him.

“Insolent! Stop him!” The Magistrate still had some reservations. Although these men claimed to be Saints from the Sanctuary, they possessed no concrete proof of their identity, yet he still harbored a degree of apprehension. Thus, his order was only to capture, not to kill. Because of that slight difference, he preserved the lives of his men.”

Ye Wen barely moved. A faint golden aura ignited around him, and with a slight stomp of his foot, a visible ripple spread outwards centered on Ye Wen.

Anyone caught in the ripple, man or horse, instantly felt struck by immense force. In that immediate area, it was chaos: men and mounts tumbled head over heels. Even the Magistrate, slightly further away, was not spared, thrown off his mount and landing heavily on the ground.

Scrambling up from the ground in disarray, the Magistrate longed to shout, Demonic magic! using that as a pretext to summon soldiers and eliminate this terrifying figure. Yet, a primal feeling deep in his gut relentlessly warned him not to provoke this man further, lest the consequences be beyond his ability to bear.

He looked around helplessly. His soldiers lay sprawled on the ground, yet none appeared injured, nor had any lives been lost. It seemed this fearsome individual truly held no malice. Noticing the questioning looks from his guards, the Magistrate said reluctantly, “Follow them and see what happens!” before leading the way.

He had to see what was truly going on!

With no further obstacles, Ye Wen quickly reached the dwelling. Alessa and Nicholas trailing behind were still reeling from the preceding events. In particular, the ease with which Ye Wen had brought down a group of elite soldiers with minimal apparent effort delivered a profound shock to both of them—Is this how strength can be wielded?

To them, strength was purely a tool for destruction and killing enemies. Since gaining his Cosmo, Nicholas’s every burst of energy was a devastating ultimate attack, devoid of any concept of control.

Alessa, too, focused on enhancing the freezing efficiency of her Coldness, essentially striving for ever-lower temperatures—her essence still aimed at releasing greater power directly, never considering control or technique. Ye Wen's casual maneuver today pointed her toward an entirely new path.

Ye Wen had no time to contemplate what these two young people were thinking. He now stood inside a room that was reasonably clean but somewhat disordered and decidedly shabby. A woman held two children, watching him with profound wariness.

Yes, two children, not one! What vexed and frustrated Ye Wen immensely was that he sensed the divine power of Olympus radiating from both infants.

“Damn it, you tedious, petty Athena, what is this new game?”

The young woman, appearing to be in her early twenties, possessed beautiful long golden hair and vivid emerald eyes. She wore a slightly worn dress, visibly patched in several places.

“It really is a melodramatic plot!”

Ye Wen grasped the situation instantly just by observing the room’s furnishings. Though he didn't know the specifics, those circumstances posed no conflict with what he needed to do next.

He strode forward, startling the woman, who retreated slightly, bumping against the edge of the bed behind her, causing her to sit down heavily. Her eyes, filled with wariness and terror, remained fixed on the giant who now stood before her, resembling a defenseless lamb awaiting slaughter—a sight that stirred a primal, almost ferocious instinct.

“…”

Feeling like a villain, Ye Wen was speechless. He crouched down slightly, forced by awkwardness to adopt a position of one knee bent—a posture that only made him feel more awkward—then extended his fan-like hand directly toward the two children held in the woman's arms.

“Aaaah~!”

A shriek capable of piercing eardrums forced Nicholas and Alessa to raise their hands to cover their ears. Even the kitten covered its ears by pulling its fur down over its head to block the terrible, mind-piercing sound, then looked upon the impassive Ye Wen, who persisted in extending his imposing hand, with expressions of utter admiration.

Completely unaffected, Ye Wen placed his hand hovering just above the two children. Golden mist swirled and boiled from his palm, yet the sensation it conveyed to the woman was one of surprising gentleness.

“Hmm?”

Sensing that the giant before her seemed devoid of ill intent, the woman finally ceased her struggle and looked at Ye Wen, who was now inches away, with dawning curiosity.

“Who… are you exactly?”

Ye Wen held his pose for a long moment. Then, she was astonished to see that the two infants in her arms were also emitting a cluster of golden flames, just like the strange man’s outstretched hand—and compared to the golden aura radiating from the man’s hand, the light emanating from her children felt profoundly warm and gentle to her.

“This… what in the world is happening?”

The woman was completely bewildered, suspecting she might be dreaming; everything unfolding before her seemed too fantastical.

Just then, she heard the man before her suddenly mutter something. Because he was so close, she distinctly heard the sentence: “Damn it, you can’t play with people like this! Reincarnation wasn't enough, now it’s twins? Are you trying to kill me or what?”