Chapter 351 - 177: Alex Returns, The Death of Athena! (Part 1)

Chapter 351: Chapter 177: Alex Returns, The Death of Athena! (Part 1)

Outside the Pisces Temple, the once-beautiful rose garden was now permeated with a lethal fragrance and the aura of death.

Aphrodite stood amidst the rose bushes, quietly waiting for the arrival of his predecessor.

The two Pisces Saints stood quietly in the rose garden. A trace of nostalgia appeared in Albafica’s eyes as he took a deep breath.

"This rose garden is very beautiful. The roses have been well taken care of by you!"

"However, your strength is far from enough. As a Pisces Saint, if you cannot assimilate the poison into your own body, how can you kill others?"

Albafica’s expression was calm yet sorrowful, as if he had blended into the surrounding roses.

But the Cosmo he emitted contained a profound, highly toxic power. Just its aura alone caused the surrounding roses to completely wither and transform into the mandalas of the Underworld.

A flash of surprise appeared in Aphrodite’s eyes. ’So, the Pisces Saint needed to feed their body with poison?’

But it was too late for that now!

Facing his far more powerful predecessor, he gritted his teeth and shouted angrily.

"No matter what, if you want to pass through this final temple, you will have to step over my dead body!"

Rose petals swept toward Albafica like a storm.

The paralyzing Royal Demon Roses, the slicing Black Roses, and the explosively piercing Piranha Roses all attacked Albafica at the same time!

Albafica chuckled and shook his head. He simply raised his hand quietly. This level of rose attack was not even worth his attention.

The rose garden was Aphrodite’s home turf, but it was equally his.

"Crimson Thorn!"

Countless scarlet thorns, condensed from highly toxic blood, burst from the ground to meet the rose storm!

Roses and thorns eroded, strangled, and withered each other in mid-air!

The air was filled with a bizarre scent intertwining cloying sweetness and decay; every single breath was lethal enough to kill.

This was a cruel dance that pushed the beauty of life and the poison of death to their absolute limits.

The fierce battles in the Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces Temples were in full swing, while the outcomes of the battles in the preceding temples were gradually being decided!

Mu lay unconscious on the ground. Although Aldebaran was still standing, he was completely exhausted.

In the Gemini Temple, the two pairs of brothers were panting heavily; surprisingly, the two sides were evenly matched.

The immense strength of the former Saints had created an almost one-sided crushing advantage. Only a few of the current Gold Saints could barely hold their ground.

Inside the Temple of Athena at the peak of the sacred mountain, Saori Kido stood before the statue of Athena. Her clear eyes reflected the battle scenes across the entire Sanctuary.

This generation’s Gold Saints were indeed inferior to the previous generation. This was precisely the reason why she had taken a different approach to nurture the five core Bronze Saints.

The previous generation was so strong, yet they still failed to completely kill Hades. This generation was even less capable—except, of course, for that anomaly, Alex.

Athena sighed softly and struck the staff of the Goddess of Victory heavily against the ground.

Thud!

The moment the staff struck the ground, a grand yet gentle Cosmo fluctuation spread outward, covering the entire Sanctuary.

All the Saints currently in battle, whether from the former or current generation, clearly felt this power. They all looked up toward the highest peak of the sacred mountain in unison.

That was the most sacred point of the Sanctuary, where Goddess Athena’s chambers were located!

Athena’s voice echoed in the hearts of all the Saints, carrying an unquestionable majesty.

"Stop! The fighting between Saints must end! I do not wish to see my loyal warriors wither away in meaningless slaughter any longer!"

"Heroic spirits of the past, lower your fists and come before the Goddess statue for an audience. I, Athena, shall listen to your will here!"

Both sides, who were in the midst of fierce battle, halted their movements.

The former Gold Saints dragged their battle-scarred bodies forward. The Surplices they wore were almost completely shattered.

After all, these Surplices had only been hastily manufactured and were nowhere near as durable as Gold Cloths.

They walked toward the summit.

The current Gold Saints who were still capable of moving also quickly converged on the Pope’s Chamber, carrying their confusion with them.

Beneath the Goddess statue, the atmosphere was as heavy as lead.

Athena stood quietly before everyone!

Shion led the former Gold Saints as they stood below, gazing at their former Goddess with complex expressions.

The surviving current Gold Saints stood guard on either side of Athena. The tension between the two sides was still at a breaking point!

"Shion, do you truly want my head?"

Athena spoke softly, her gaze shifting to the former Pope, Shion!

Shion opened his mouth, seeming as if he wanted to say something. Just then, a massive, suffocating Cosmo surged from the foot of the sacred mountain.

Within this Cosmo, there was the harsh freezing air unique to Aquarius, the wrath of lightning, and even a massive amount of pure light energy. The three forces intertwined, forming an oppressive might that far exceeded that of any Gold Saint.

All the Saints present whipped their heads around, casting gazes of disbelief toward the foot of the sacred mountain. Shion muttered to himself, a flash of shock appearing in his eyes.

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