Chapter Sixty-Nine: Visiting Tong Hu (Part Two)

"What!!"
The two young girls were stunned, their faces drained of color.
Even someone as pure-hearted as Ruolan, or Chunli, who was not even a Saint herself, understood that the return of the Specters—Hades’ main fighting force in the Underworld—could only spell disaster.
“Could it be that the Holy War will begin in our generation?” Ruolan exclaimed in disbelief.
The so-called Holy War referred to the war between the Sanctuary and the Underworld.
As for the realm of the sea, Poseidon’s ambition to control the earth was far less than that of Hades, and so the conflicts between the Sanctuary and the sea were never as intense as those with the Underworld.
“That’s right,”
Old Master Dohko nodded, his face grave. “The Specters have broken free and have lain dormant in the Underworld for thirteen years, their power gradually recovering.”
“The time before the Holy War begins is growing very short.”
“But Master Dohko, the goddess Athena has not yet returned to the Sanctuary. How are we supposed to resist Hades?” Ruolan asked, anxious and worried.
Gods naturally stood far above mortals.
A lord of the Underworld like Hades was one of the most powerful gods in all of Olympus.
The strength of the Saints alone would never be enough to stand against him.
Only a god of equal rank could hope to fight back.
Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, was the hope of all Saints.
Originally, the goddess had already descended upon the Sanctuary.
But thirteen years ago, a great upheaval occurred: Sagittarius Aiolos, the Golden Saint, attempted to assassinate the goddess and fled the Sanctuary.
Since then, the goddess vanished without a trace, her fate unknown.
No one wanted to believe that the loyal Sagittarius would commit such a heinous act, but the Pope insisted it was true, and the evidence was undeniable. They had no choice but to accept it.
Dohko replied with calm assurance, “There is no need to worry. The goddess will certainly return to the Sanctuary.”
“I have a premonition that her return is very near.”
As he spoke, he gazed toward the direction of the Sanctuary, a sharp gleam flickering in his eyes, too subtle to catch.
All that had happened would one day reach its conclusion.
Now was simply not the time.
He had already waited more than two centuries; a little longer would not matter.
He possessed patience in abundance.
“Is that really true, Master Dohko?” Ruolan could hardly believe her ears at this news.

“It is true. The goddess is about to return!” the old man confirmed with a nod.
“That’s wonderful! As long as the goddess is with us, we have the courage to face any enemy!”
Ruolan was overjoyed, and even Chunli beside her felt a weight lifted from her heart by this infectious happiness.
But Dohko quickly poured cold water on their enthusiasm. “While the goddess can hold back Hades himself, his many Specters must still be dealt with by us Saints.”
“The Holy War has not yet begun, and now evil gods create further chaos.”
“If you do not train in earnest and strengthen yourselves, how can you hope to survive in such a cruel era!”
At the elder’s stern reminder, Ruolan finally put aside her carefree attitude and nodded seriously.
“I understand, Master Dohko!”
At that moment, a drenched boy with a bare torso approached them.
On his back, just visible beneath his shoulder-length hair, was the faint outline of a green dragon tattoo.
“Ruolan, you’re back!” he called out from afar.
At the sound, Ruolan turned her head and was momentarily puzzled by the unfamiliar face.
She took a closer look, and finally matched the features before her with those of a child from her memory.
He was the direct disciple Master Dohko had taken in after she left Mount Lushan.
“It’s been a long time, Shiryu!” the girl waved happily.
When the boy drew near, she hurried over to compare their heights, exclaiming in surprise, “It’s only been three years, and you’ve already grown this much!”
She still remembered how, when Shiryu first arrived at Lushan, he was just a ten-year-old boy, well below her in height.
Three years had passed, and he was nearly as tall as she.
Gently moving Shiryu’s hand from atop her head, he laughed, “Ruolan, in the three years you’ve been gone, I haven’t just grown taller!”
With that, he ignited his Cosmo, and a wave of vibrant, youthful energy surged from him.
“Your Cosmo?”
Ruolan covered her mouth in astonishment, “You’ve already awakened your Cosmo? That’s truly remarkable!”
When she left for the Sanctuary, Shiryu had only just arrived at Lushan and become Master Dohko’s disciple.
In other words, Shiryu had ignited his Cosmo and joined the ranks of the Saint candidates in less than three years.
Even more astonishing, the strength of his Cosmo was already approaching her own.
He had only trained for three years!
He was a true prodigy!

No wonder Master Dohko had chosen him as a direct disciple at first sight.
“With your current strength, you’d be roughly in the middle among the Bronze Saints, and you have a real chance of winning the Cloth in the upcoming battles. How about coming with me to the Sanctuary this time?” Ruolan suggested immediately.
“No,”
Shiryu shook his head gently and looked toward the great waterfall ahead. “Master says that if I can force the entire Lushan Waterfall to flow backward with my fist, he’ll grant me the ‘Dragon Saint’ Cloth hidden behind it.”
“The Dragon Cloth?”
Ruolan was taken aback. She had trained on Lushan for years, yet had never heard there was a Saint Cloth hidden behind the waterfall.
Half skeptical, she extended her sixth sense—her Root Sight—behind the cascade.
Soon, she discovered a hollow high up behind the fall, where a pale green Saint Cloth Box slumbered quietly.
With her Root Sight, she could clearly “see” the dragon motif carved into the Bronze Cloth Box.
There was no doubt: it was the Dragon Cloth.
Having confirmed that a Saint Cloth truly lay behind the waterfall, Ruolan cast a plaintive glance at the old master, murmuring, “Master Dohko, you’re so stingy.”
“To think you never told us there was a Cloth hidden behind the waterfall.”
Clearly, Dohko had already chosen Shiryu as the heir to the Dragon Cloth.
There was no need for him to risk life and limb competing for a Cloth among so many candidates at the Sanctuary.
“Ahem, ahem...”
Even with more than two centuries of life and a heart as calm as still water, Dohko was flustered by her accusation and could only disguise his embarrassment with a fit of coughing.
The Dragon Bronze Cloth was prepared specifically for his direct disciple, after all.
There was no reason to inform the other young trainees at Lushan.
Shi Qiyi quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “The Lushan Waterfall drops more than a thousand meters, and its current is fierce. For it to flow backward would require at least the upper ranks of Bronze Saint power.”
“In my opinion, this young man will need to train a while longer before he can claim that Cloth.”
As he spoke, Shi Qiyi’s gaze lingered on Shiryu.
In his memory, this boy’s fate was closely entwined with Athena, which made it hard for him not to take an interest.
This trip to Lushan was not only to visit Master Dohko, but also to see the young Shiryu for himself.