A chill wind swept across the Summit of Holy Mountain, rustling Saori Kido's white skirt.
She gazed at Human Realm, shrouded in black mist below, a flicker of hesitation in her violet eyes.
Attacking Hades? The suggestion was like a sharp thorn in her heart.
She knew better than anyone that Hades' divine destruction was meant to force the Saints to abandon their home advantage and step into the trap of the Underworld.
Once the Saints left the Sanctuary, Sea Emperor Poseidon would never send his Marines to their deaths alongside them.
At that point, the Saints would be isolated and helpless.
Although at this moment, her combat strength was indeed unprecedentedly powerful: ten of the twelve Gold Saints remained, plus Camus as an unofficial member, making a total of eleven.
The Bronze Five had been reborn through several major battles, their strength now comparable to that of Gold Saints.
In total, she commanded sixteen Saints with Gold Saint-level combat power, including Shaka, who had awakened the Eighth Sense, Dohko, whose strength was unfathomable, and Li Yu, who could contend with the Sea Emperor.
But behind this strength lay unspeakable hidden dangers.
Athena's gaze swept over the Gold Saints present, from Shaka's calm profile, to Saga's tense jaw, and then to Aiolia's fervent eyes.
She clearly sensed that in their eyes, there wasn't a hundred percent conviction in her.
Especially Saga, the newly appointed Pope, whose eyes always held a hint of scrutiny towards power.
And Shaka, his Cosmo was close to that of a god or Buddha; he seemed to be following the belief of protecting the Earth, rather than absolute loyalty to her, the goddess.
More importantly, Li Yu was not present.
The strongest Gold Saint, who single-handedly forced the Sea Emperor to sign an alliance, was now nowhere to be found, and his stance was unclear.
To rashly attack Hades would be to fall into Hades' trap.
The dangers of the Underworld far exceeded imagination; without the blessing of the Eighth Sense, even a powerful Gold Saint would be no different from a sacrificial lamb.
"No!"
Athena slowly shook her head, her voice calm but carrying an undeniable authority.
"To attack Hades now would be to walk into a snare. Do not act rashly, everyone; wait until Li Yu returns."
As her words fell, she herself was somewhat surprised, realizing that she had, unknowingly, grown dependent on Li Yu.
She had even decided that when she saw Li Yu again, she would open her heart and have a deep conversation with him. As long as she could gain his full support, she was confident she could win this Holy War and even seal Hades forever.
"But, Saori!"
Aiolia couldn't help but step forward, his golden hair fluttering in the wind. The most upright of all Leo Saints, his eyes were filled with urgency.
"If we don't take the initiative, the casualties in Human Realm will become increasingly severe!"
The other Gold Saints also nodded in agreement. They had been taught by Shion since childhood.
The belief in protecting the goddess and protecting the Earth was ingrained in their bones.
Now that Hades disregarded the alliance of the gods and wantonly harvested souls in Human Realm, how could they stand idly by?
Athena met their gazes, her tone still calm.
"Entering Hades requires awakening the Eighth Sense, otherwise all strength will be lost, leaving one to be slaughtered. Besides Li Yu, who among you has awakened the Eighth Sense?"
These words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing everyone's eagerness.
The Eighth Sense, Alaya-vijñana, the threshold to the divine realm.
They had only seen it recorded in the Sanctuary's ancient texts, but no one had ever known how to awaken it.
The Gold Saints' eyes widened in unison, a thought exploding in their minds: When did Li Yu awaken the Eighth Sense?
This guy, without a sound, had actually already surpassed everyone!
Hyoga clenched his fists, his blue eyes filled with admiration and excitement.
"It's Master, as expected! Always surpassing everyone without a word!"
Athena looked at Hyoga, a hint of indifference in her eyes.
"Hyoga, I need you to go to Atlantis and ask the Sea Emperor to assist in protecting the Earth. From now on, you will be the liaison between the Sanctuary and the Sea Emperor. The alliance was signed by your master, and your senior brother Isaac is a Marina Generals, so the Sea Emperor will surely look upon you favorably."
"Yes, Goddess Athena!"
Hyoga replied in a deep voice, but his gaze involuntarily flickered towards Saga.
Saga's twin brother, Kanon, was the Sea Dragon General; in terms of connection to the Sea Emperor, Saga was clearly more suitable.
Saga naturally noticed Hyoga's gaze. He had learned from Shura and Camus that Kanon had escaped and become a Marine, and he already had other plans in mind.
He stepped forward, bowing to make a request.
"Athena, I am willing to go with Hyoga to assist in discussing the protection of the Earth."
Athena's gaze remained unperturbed, and she nodded slightly.
"You may."
After arranging this matter, she turned to all the Saints and said loudly,
"All of you must seize the opportunity to cultivate diligently and awaken the Eighth Sense as soon as possible. When Li Yu returns, that will be the day we attack Hades!"
"Yes, Goddess Athena!"
The Saints responded in unison, then dispersed, leaving Athena alone on the Summit of Holy Mountain.
She gazed in the direction of Human Realm, sighing softly.
In truth, making the Saints awaken the Eighth Sense was not difficult for her; she only needed to use her divine power as a goddess. But she dared not.
Once she led the Saints into Hades, how should she respond afterwards?
How could they break through the guardians of Hades and completely seal Hades?
These questions, she had no idea how to answer.
Only now did she realize that the previous orderliness of the Sanctuary depended entirely on Li Yu's behind-the-scenes coordination.
When Shion was Pope, she never had to worry about these things.
But now, with Li Yu gone, she felt utterly helpless.
She tried to summon Li Yu with her divine sense, but received no response.
A hint of resentment flashed in Athena's eyes.
"Li Yu, where exactly are you?"
...Deep within the dark Batcave, the damp sound of dripping water was the only background, the air thick and suffocating.
Li Yu watched Bruce Wayne, who had barely managed to piece together a complete computer from a pile of scrap, and then connected it to the private database he wore around his neck.
The former Gotham Knight, half his face hidden in the eerie blue reflection of the console screen, the other half completely submerged in shadow.
Li Yu couldn't help but let a smile play on his lips. "Indeed, I knew it. Bruce Wayne is not someone easily defeated by fate."
Superman leaving him alive might have been to repeatedly humiliate him, to make his life worse than death, but he didn't know that, unknowingly, he had planted a ticking time bomb for himself.
"First, tell me about your abilities. To defeat that person, we must be fully prepared..."
These days, numbing himself with alcohol, Bruce's body was already decaying.
His words carried a sense of strong, suppressed pain and sluggishness.
He looked up, gazing into Li Yu's eyes.
"When referring to that person, do not say his name or codename; always use 'that person.' Any words of ill will towards him could potentially be perceived by him."
Li Yu nodded. As a transmigrator, he understood Superman even better than Bruce Wayne.
Superman's super hearing was indeed extraordinary, capable of hearing his girlfriend's cry for help amidst countless noisy sounds.
"My abilities, how should I put it..."