The grand Saint Tournament had come to an end. Thirty-six slots had been finalized. Jiang Chen originally thought the next step would be resonating with a Cloth and becoming a glorious Saint.

He assumed the Main Quest would be completed.

However, unexpectedly, he, along with Sage, Shaka, Aiolos, and Kanon, was not sent to resonate with any of the twelve Cloths. Instead, they were informed to report to the Pope's Grand Hall the next day.

Although Jiang Chen was a bit puzzled about this—

That feeling was soon pushed aside. After all, being summoned along with Sage, Shaka, and Aiolos could hardly be a bad thing.

And besides, whatever it was, he'd find out tomorrow, so there was no need to worry about it at all.

At dawn, when the morning sunlight poured in—

After finishing his daily basic training, Jiang Chen, as usual, headed to the cafeteria established by the Sanctuary. As a place for high-intensity training, the Sanctuary naturally provided abundant meals for all trainee Saints.

But clearly, even though only a few days had passed—

Jiang Chen, the glutton, had already made a name for himself. When Jiang Chen arrived at the cafeteria—

Many of the staff and chefs twitched at the corners of their mouths. But as Sanctuary service personnel, they had no right to complain. All they could do was grit their teeth and serve him.

In just a blink, Jiang Chen's table was a total mess.

Plates were strewn all over. More than a hundred portions of food disappeared into his stomach in under fifteen minutes.

"Uh… do you still need anything else?" A staff member's mouth twitched as he looked at Jiang Chen like he was some kind of monster. But as Jiang Chen put his cutlery down again, the staff member had no choice but to speak up.

"Hmm, bring me one more whole roasted lamb, twenty pounds or so. That should get me to about seventy to eighty percent full." Jiang Chen didn't notice the staff member's twitching face. After thinking it over, he spoke naturally.

Bang!

Hearing Jiang Chen's words, the staff member staggered as if he was about to fall over.

"Good god… that was already food for a hundred people, and he's only seventy percent full?!" Even though he had seen this a few times before, the staffer still couldn't help being shocked this time.

And when the staff member didn't answer, Jiang Chen paused in confusion—

He looked up, puzzled.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Jiang Chen asked without thinking.

"No, no problem! Please wait a moment!" Startled by Jiang Chen's question, the staffer quickly shook his head. 'Are you kidding? Their job was to serve the Saints. They didn't dare complain.'

He quickly sprang into action.

Soon, a whole roasted lamb weighing about twenty pounds was brought to Jiang Chen's table, and in just a few bites, Jiang Chen had devoured the lamb cleanly. Only then did he walk out of the cafeteria with satisfaction.

"Athenian food still isn't quite there…" Shaking his head, Jiang Chen looked a bit disappointed.

Compared to his previous life, not to mention Dragon Ball's Earth, the food here in Athens was clearly lacking.

Fortunately, Saint food was provided in unlimited quantities.

At least he wouldn't go hungry.

"It should be about time. Time to head to the Pope's Hall." With thoughts swirling, Jiang Chen looked up at the tallest point of the Sanctuary. To be honest, even as a curreent transmigrator, he couldn't help but feel curious about Pope Shion summoning the five of them individually.

Of course, curiosity was one thing. Jiang Chen still strode confidently toward the Sacred Mountain.

At the foot of the mountain—

He soon saw that Sage, Shaka, Aiolos, and Kanon had already arrived.

Jiang Chen nodded slightly toward them and they each returned the gesture. The five of them had just stepped onto the Sacred Mountain. At this moment, there were no guardians stationed at the Twelve Zodiac Temples.

Climbing the mountain was naturally an easy task for the and very soon, the group arrived at the summit of the Sacred Mountain.

And as they arrived—

Inside the Pope's Grand Hall, a familiar figure stepped out.

"Come with me. His Holiness the Pope has been waiting for a long time." With a warm voice, Alex spoke to Jiang Chen, gesturing toward the Pope's chamber.

"Alright!" Jiang Chen quickly responded, jogging over to follow the figure.

The others also gave slight nods and followed along.

The Pope's Hall, solemn and majestic, held a sacred atmosphere. Led by Alex, the group quickly arrived at the very center, and at last, Jiang Chen and the others once again saw Pope Shion.

"Greetings, Your Holiness." The five of them knelt on one knee in unison. Jiang Chen hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided not to stand out and did the same.

"Chen, Sage, Shaka, Aiolos, Kanon, I've summoned you today because I intend to send you all to a special place for training. You are the most gifted individuals in the Sanctuary. I hold high hopes for your future." The aged voice of Pope Shion echoed gently through the hall.

Hearing his words, Sage and the others couldn't help but be momentarily stunned, while Jiang Chen's expression showed a thoughtful look.

"In the ancient East, there is a survivor of the previous Holy War. I believe he is better suited than anyone else to guide your training." As if sensing their confusion, Pope Shion continued and explained in a calm voice.

"Your Holiness, if I may be so bold… Didn't we earn the chance to resonate with the Cloths? Aren't we supposed to first obtain the Cloths' approval before beginning our training?" Kanon, unable to hold back, asked hesitantly.

The others, however, remained silent.

"Young Saints, your future lies not with Bronze or Silver. You are destined for something far greater." Pope Shion responded softly.

"We understand!! Thank you, Your Holiness. We won't let you down." Sage tugged at his younger brother to calm him down, then respectfully spoke.

The others followed with their responses as well.

"Just as I thought."

After replying, Jiang Chen showed no sign of surprise in his expression.

It was more or less as he had guessed.

The five of them had been selected to go to China to train under Old Master Dohko.

After all, compared to Pope Shion, who was now burdened with many affairs, Dohko clearly had more time, and more experience, to guide them. Upon recognizing their talent, it was only natural that Pope Shion would do his utmost to nurture them.

Dohko…

The name of this Gold Saint echoed once again in Jiang Chen's mind.

"You may leave now. Rest well these next few days. Three days from now, I will have Alex escort you to Athens. There, a plane will take you to China." Pope Shion didn't concern himself with their thoughts any further. With a gentle wave of his hand, he dismissed them.

"Yes, Your Holiness!" The five answered in unison and exited the hall.

Soon, the grand hall was left with only two people—

Alex and Pope Shion.

"Alex, while you're there, investigate a bit. Dohko mentioned in his last message that the Specters have been showing signs of stirring lately." Pope Shion spoke in a low tone, his gaze landing on his younger brother.

"Understood." Alex nodded slightly.

At that moment, his expression also turned serious.

He naturally understood the real reason his older brother wanted him to go there personally.

"Go on. You should rest well, too." Pope Shion waved his hand.

Alex respectfully bowed and took his leave as well.

…

(To Be Continued…)

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