Silence hung heavy!

Ekaterina remained seated on the ground, tilting her head back to look at Ye Wen, utterly failing to grasp any special meaning in his last remark.

Pegasus no Ningis, equally clueless, looked on with anticipation and eagerness. However, his expectation was solely focused on Ye Wen demonstrating the formidable power of a Gold Saint, and nothing else—just as Yuwentuo had observed, the reincarnated Pegasus was a battle fanatic, utterly uninterested in anything outside of combat.

Across from them, Mino—this girl scratched her head, tapping her chin with a finger, seemingly pondering something: "Why does this sentence sound so familiar?"

"..."

Ye Wen sighed. He had deliberately chosen that particular line, hoping the girl opposite him might realize something. Such an exchange, akin to coded signals, was clearly ill-suited for him. Of course, the line wasn't spoken merely for effect; the task of "representing the Moon" to teach that little brat a lesson still needed to be done. As for why it had to be the Moon? That was obvious, wasn't it?

Ekaterina was the reincarnation of the Moon Goddess, hence...

Ignoring the idiot across the way still puzzling over where she had heard that phrase, Ye Wen, who had been standing rigidly upright, suddenly moved his legs, taking two swift strides forward. On his second step, he stamped down hard on the stone ground, already thoroughly pulverized, causing spiderweb-like cracks to immediately spread beneath his foot.

Immediately following this, his right fist, held near his waist, shot out. As he swung his arm, his fingers slowly unfurled, transforming the fist into an open palm. The immense force of the Great Vajra Palm instantly flooded his entire arm, finally erupting from the center of his palm.

To align with his current persona, Ye Wen had grown accustomed to exuding a golden haze, akin to a small cosmos, whenever he used this move. Furthermore, the energy surge incorporated the pattern of the Taurus constellation—this time, Ye Wen avoided any comical distortions, manifesting the true pattern of Taurus.

The thick golden energy surge looked almost as if it erupted from Ye Wen’s entire body rather than just his palm. The Mino opposite had no time left to think; the moment Ye Wen moved, she leaped high into the air. The energy stream grazed past the soles of her feet, shearing off a thin layer of the Specter Cloth’s footwear.

"Hmph, while Taurus possesses astonishing power, speed and agility... Huh? How is this possible?"

Just as Mino smugly unfurled the giant wings behind her and began ascending, ready to deliver some lofty pronouncement, she looked up only to find the Taurus Saint had vanished. Immediately, she felt a ferocious force assaulting her from below. The powerful rising wind lashed against her exposed abdomen and chin, causing a sharp, stinging pain.

Glancing down, a column of cyan energy, resembling a massive dragon, was already before her lower abdomen. Before Mino could even shout, "You're cheating!" she was struck by this surge of vital energy brimming with intense power!

The Rising Dragon of Lushan!

This time, Ye Wen was absolutely not using a knock-off version. Aside from not being propelled by Cosmo, this move was the genuine Rising Dragon of Lushan. After all, he had mastered this technique long ago and had even modified it to use internal energy—though the results back then were poor.

But now, having achieved the Profound Universe, Ye Wen gradually realized that almost any force in the world could be made subservient to him. After all, the so-called Universe encompasses everything!

It could even be argued that the Profound Universe was, in some aspects, a higher existence than Cosmo. Never mind simulating it; completely manifesting the characteristics of Cosmo was not out of the question. Previously, Ye Wen had simply been too lazy to bother, but as his identity as the Taurus Saint became more entrenched, he slowly began contemplating the traits of Cosmo.

This move, perhaps, could be considered a test...

Mino, struck in the abdomen by the Rising Dragon of Lushan, surprisingly remained unharmed. This fact greatly astonished Ye Wen. Having just weathered a Titan Nova and now directly enduring a Dragon Rise—the power he unleashed in that strike was something even a Gold Saint might not be able to muster. It was arguably the strongest attack in the Sanctuary, yet it failed to injure this girl: "This is impossible. Could this brat have some secret fortune?"

Though such thoughts crossed his mind, his movements did not cease. After sending Mino high into the air with the Rising Dragon of Lushan, Ye Wen looked up at the now glowering Mino.

"This bastard, how can he use that move?"

Clutching her abdomen, which felt as if countless tiny knives were churning inside, Mino spread the wings on her back to stabilize herself in the air, then looked down upon the Taurus Saint who had returned to the ground.

"Wait... Taurus... Could he be the powerful Gold Saint that Rhadamanthys spoke of? This guy even learned other people's moves? No wonder that ugly, stupid Wyvern suffered defeat at his hands!"

Thinking this, she suddenly noticed Ye Wen on the ground slightly shift his stance, then draw his left hand to his waist while raising his right hand straight toward the sky.

"That posture... Could it be...?"

"Stardust Revolution!"

This dark night instantly transformed into a brilliant river of stars. Countless golden meteors zipped ceaselessly through the darkness. The high altitude where Mino hovered became incredibly dazzling and beautiful, as if countless golden fireworks were exploding in the same spot.

However, these fireworks were lethal!

"Damn bastard! You're cheating ahhh!"

Struck by an unknown number of stars, her purplish-black Specter Cloth was already tattered and beyond repair. Her wings were completely destroyed, and only a few remaining armor plates barely concealed her alluring figure. What remained unchanged was her delicate, fair skin, which seemed utterly untouched, just as before.

Furthermore, despite taking so many hits, Mino showed no sign of falling. When she plummeted from such a height, she managed to adjust her posture and land steadily on the ground.

Though landing on all fours was not aesthetically pleasing, it was certainly better than crashing headlong onto the earth.

Looking up at the towering man opposite her, who shone like the sun, Mino felt she had reached the absolute nadir of bad luck. She had thought she was the anomaly, only to find the true anomaly waiting for her here.

"Is this the reason I came to this world? Is the so-called first Holy War such a monstrous battle? Does the Sanctuary possess such a terrifying Gold Saint?"

Rubbing her still aching abdomen, the residual force of the Dragon Rise still hadn't completely dissipated: "Too bad, he isn't the type of handsome man I prefer, and I confirm it again: I hate muscle-bound men the most!"

Standing up again, Mino noticed the man opposite seemed surprised. In fact, she wasn't wrong; Ye Wen was indeed taken aback that this girl could still stand: "Oh? A bit interesting!"

Since this little brat could still withstand it, he saw no need for further courtesy. He spread his hands, grasping two nebulae, then executed a wildly exaggerated arm swing before pushing both hands forward forcefully. Following his movement, everything around them seemed to vanish; this entire area transformed into outer space.

But that wasn't the most crucial part. The most important aspect was the countless celestial bodies that appeared to be within arm's reach, and all of them were aimed squarely at Mino, who was struggling to stand upright.

"Ah! Using Saga's ultimate move! Unforgivable! You muscular brute, you use this move with absolutely no artistry!"

With an angry roar, Mino finally unleashed the full extent of her power. Perhaps the agitation in her heart caused her power to break through again (?), as she waved her fingers, sending out countless slender threads, almost invisible to the naked eye, pulling the incoming planets away from their original trajectories. However, she forgot that the truly fatal aspect of this move wasn't the barrage of planets smashing down, but the subsequent... explosion.

Ningis watched the young girl, who was barely older than himself, fly upward like a torn rag, only to thud onto the ground. He felt that the Taurus Gold Saint was far too terrifying.

"Even though she is the enemy, how could he strike a girl so ruthlessly!"

He could barely imagine what the consequences would be for angering this man. What amazed Ningis the most, however, was the endless stream of ultimate techniques: "Does Taurus possess the most ultimate moves among the Gold Saints?" the naive Pegasus mused, tilting his head.

He had no idea how many moves Ye Wen had borrowed in that single instant, and yet, it wasn't over.

With several large strides, he reached Mino's side. The little girl stubbornly attempted to rise, particularly lifting her chin, the defiance blazing in her eyes: "I must save Brother Gold. I refuse to let them be fooled by that idiotic woman..."

Ye Wen looked at the girl before him, then crouched down, softly whispering the name of the next technique: "Heavenly Dance Treasure Wheel!"

"Ah?"

Mino’s eyes, which had lost focus, regained clarity. If she could perhaps accept Ye Wen using the Gemini Saint's ultimate move, then executing this one utterly shattered all her existing perceptions—wasn't this a technique that required a specific form of faith to unleash?

Just as she raised her head, trying to see clearly what was happening, a sharp, excruciating pain suddenly pierced her eyes. It was a soul-tearing sensation, as if someone had violently stabbed her eyes with a wooden stick.

"Ah! You bastard!"

Ye Wen withdrew his outstretched fingers, confirming one final point: "This brat genuinely possesses immortality! But she can still feel pain. In that case!"

While Mino rolled on the ground clutching her eyes, Ye Wen delivered a sharp kick directly to the carotid artery in her neck. The sudden impact instantly knocked out the girl whose origins were now highly questionable.

"..."

Watching Ye Wen’s actions, both Ekaterina and Ningis were speechless, finally resorting to comforting themselves with the thought: "She was the enemy, and a terrifying one at that!"

However, when Ye Wen returned, carrying the bound Specter named Mino, the two of them no longer needed to contemplate such things. They had been dispatched by the Pope to investigate the Specter situation, and not only had they nearly died, but they had also encountered the Taurus Gold Saint, who had been missing for nearly ten years.

They had personally witnessed the sheer power of the supposed strongest Gold Saint and the envoy personally sent by Goddess Athena.

Of course, for Ekaterina, this held an additional layer of meaning: the 'Uncle Bull' she had always longed to see had finally returned.

"Can you still move?"

As a Saint, Ekaterina possessed terrifying recuperative abilities, like the others. After sitting for a while, she had nearly recovered. Standing up, she deliberately looked at Ye Wen again, seemingly inspecting something.

"What is it?"

Ekaterina looked slightly embarrassed: "Nothing!" But then she looked up at Ye Wen again: "Uncle... you are still so tall!"

She had thought she had grown up, but standing next to Ye Wen, she still felt like a small child. Yet, it was precisely this sense that made Ekaterina feel that 'Uncle Bull' was still the same 'Uncle Bull,' unchanged.

"Alright, let's put that aside for now!" Ye Wen shook Mino, whom he held as if she were an inanimate object: "I need to figure out how to deal with this little brat. As for the Specter issue..."

He glanced around. This region had buried countless Specters, but Ye Wen knew that was useless. For Specters, the most fearsome trait wasn't their strength, but their ability to resurrect after death. If this aspect wasn't curbed, the Sanctuary had virtually no chance of winning—assuming he and Yuwentuo didn't proceed like bulldozers, simply smashing through with sheer force.

But Ye Wen didn't need to worry about those problems. If he had to solve everything, what was the point of the Holy War? Let the real Gold Saints wrestle with those issues. He was content continuing to play a supporting role.

What truly vexed him was the girl dangling in his hand. He was already certain this child also came from Earth, but how she arrived, and how she ended up with the Specters, were questions that needed answers.

The simplest way would be to confront Hades, the King of the Underworld, but he didn't believe a Transmigrator would loudly proclaim their status as a Transmigrator. For a Transmigrator, this was the greatest secret that could never be discussed. If he hadn't given Yuwentuo enough hints, that kid probably wouldn't have exposed himself either.

"Then, should I speak to her using the seniority of a fellow predecessor?"

He looked at the little girl dangling in his hand. Ye Wen suspected this girl might not be a creature of the same dimension; at least their thought processes were separated by light-years.

While contemplating, he headed toward the Sanctuary. Although Ekaterina and Ningis carried orders from the Pope, with Ye Wen present, the Pope's commands could safely be disregarded. He cared only about a few specific matters; beyond that, he wouldn't have cared if the Sanctuary were wiped out by Hades.

However, Ye Wen remained silent during the entire journey, so the other two also kept quiet. Perhaps Ye Wen's silent presence exuded an imposing aura that prevented them from daring to speak. Thus, the journey was remarkably dull, the atmosphere so heavy that Ningis, being weaker, struggled to endure it.

During a rest stop, Ningis volunteered to find food, using the opportunity to catch his breath.

"Such terrifying pressure! Near him, it feels like I can't breathe!"

Looking at the crystal-clear small river before him, Ningis displayed a sunny smile befitting his age: "Dinner is sorted!"

But just as he jumped into the river to catch fish, Ekaterina also arrived at the bank. Looking at Ningis in the water, she said directly, "Lord Taurus doesn't like eating fish. I'll go find something else!"

"Ah?" Ningis paused, and only after Ekaterina walked away did he mutter doubtfully, "Are they that close? But wasn't Lord Taurus said to have left the Sanctuary nearly ten years ago? Sagittarius should have still been a child then, right?"

Tilting his head, unable to figure it out, Ningis returned to his fish-catching endeavor: "Whatever, since Lord Taurus doesn't like it, then everything I catch is mine!"

Meanwhile... Ye Wen, who did not eat fish, sat beneath a large tree, grabbed Mino by the collar, and delivered several sharp slaps: "Hey, wake up, you're going to be late for school!"

"I finally graduated, let me sleep!"

Mino mumbled sleepily, smacking her lips a few times. Her demeanor made Ye Wen unable to continue. Finally, with no other choice, he raised his hand and summoned the Indigo Sea, gathering a sphere of azure water in his palm, then channeling the power of the Azure Snow Ice Force to make the water sphere chilling to the bone, followed by...

Splash!

"Ah! So cold!"

A scream rang out, but it was swallowed back within a second. The large hand and the imposing figure looming near caused Mino to instantly lash out with a punch: "What are you doing to me? You despicable muscle-bound brute!"

The punch felt like an itch and caused almost no damage to Ye Wen. He was wondering why the girl had suddenly become so weak when he saw her adopting a (coy/shy) expression, on the verge of tears. She tilted her head as if afraid to look at him: "Since I've ended up like this, you can do as you please! But be gentle, okay!"

That expression was enough to ignite any male into a blazing torch, but for Ye Wen, everything unfolding before him resulted in only one feeling:

Embarrassment!

. : My brother's birthday today. I don't know what time I'll get home, so this chapter was written and scheduled for automatic release in advance. That's all... RO