The light of the aquarius gold cloth gradually dimmed.
Li Yu faced Athena's phantom and Shion's furious glare, slowly straightening his body, his spine ramrod straight, bearing all the invisible pressure.
Whether or not he entered the Samsara World, he never intended to be a puppet for any person or god, even if the other party was the goddess Athena, who represented justice.
His own destiny must be in his own hands!
This coronation ceremony was destined to deviate from its predetermined course from the very beginning.
Shion took several deep breaths, his emotions gradually calming, his voice becoming cold and distant, like a blade tempered with ice.
"Li Yu, do you intend to betray the legacy of the Saints? Do you intend to violate the oath you made when you became a Saint?"
Li Yu's expression remained unchanged as he said calmly, "No, I just don't want to accept the position of Pope. The heart to protect humanity and defend the mortal world, Li Yu has never dared to forget!"
"In fact, the fact that the Aquarius Cloth can still be worn on me is the most powerful proof."
Buzz!
As if responding to his words, the dim Gold Cloth suddenly erupted with brilliant golden light, and ice crystals flowed like living things along the patterns on the Cloth's surface, enveloping Li Yu in an icy blue halo.
The marble floor of the Pope's Palace was covered in fine white frost, and even the air condensed into tiny ice crystals.
Shion's sea-blue eyes were completely frozen over.
"I should have known."
He suddenly raised his hand, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.
"I hereby announce the stripping of Li Yu's status as an Aquarius Gold Saint!"
Li Yu didn't care, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
"And then?"
"Camus!"
From the shadows behind the Pope's throne, a slender figure slowly emerged.
The person wore a moon-white linen robe, and his icy blue hair cascaded down to his waist like a waterfall. It was indeed Camus, who had competed with Li Yu for the Aquarius Cloth back then.
His pale lake-colored eyes were calm, as if he were merely an ice sculpture, standing silently behind Shion.
A cold, sharp arc formed on Li Yu's lips.
"His Holiness the Pope is indeed well-prepared, even having a substitute ready."
Shion sneered, his gaze beneath the mask sweeping over the Cloth on Li Yu.
"Your power is known to all, but without the protection of the Gold Cloth, can you still be so composed?"
Before his words finished, Camus's Cosmo suddenly erupted. The icy blue Cosmo spread like ripples, and the Aquarius Cloth on Li Yu indeed began to loosen.
The shoulder guards slightly lifted, and the armor around his waist and abdomen made a faint rubbing sound.
As the co-twin acknowledged by the Aquarius Cloth, Camus, though unable to take residence in the Aquarius Palace, could still draw resonance from the Cloth, thus preventing Li Yu from fighting while wearing it.
Shion shouted.
"Aldebaran, Aiolia, Milo, capture Li Yu!"
The three Gold Saints called out were all reasonably strong and could be commanded by Shion.
For those even more powerful Gold Saints, like Saga and Shaka, Shion was unsure if they would be willing to be enemies with Li Yu.
To be safe, he called out three Gold Saints to act simultaneously.
The three Saints surrounded Li Yu in a triangular formation. Their eyes flickered. Aldebaran looked at Li Yu, his broad shoulders slightly slumped. He sighed.
"Li Yu, there's no need to go this far. Surrender."
Milo's scarlet fingernails flicked out from his fingertips, like a scorpion extending its poisonous tail, but he hesitated to strike.
Aiolia's brows furrowed deeply.
"Li Yu, I don't really want to fight you. No matter how strong you are, it's impossible for you to emerge unscathed from our combined attack."
They yearned to defeat Li Yu, but they disdained ganging up on a former comrade in such a situation.
The pride of a Gold Saint would not allow them to act in such a manner.
Li Yu's eyes were unruffled, and he smiled faintly.
"Ridiculous. Do you three really think you can defeat me? Have you forgotten what it's like to be frozen by me? It seems it's time to refresh your memories."
"Hmph!"
Li Yu clenched his fists and roared softly. After adventuring in the Samsara World, his Cosmo had long since mutated, no longer merely the Aquarius Cosmo with only freezing aura.
The moment his low roar fell, Li Yu's Cosmo erupted like a dormant volcano!
Unlike the pure icy power of before, this Cosmo was accompanied by the roar of thunder and divine majesty.
The thunderous power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit danced like silver snakes, the divinity within his body transformed into a golden torrent, and the soul power of the Bleach World was like a deep-sea undercurrent. The three fused into Li Yu's Cosmo, forming an unprecedented Cosmo explosion.
"Boom!"
The dome of the Pope's Palace was violently torn open, and a golden pillar of light shot into the sky, ripping a huge circular hole in the clouds.
Enveloped by the pillar of light, Li Yu's figure seemed connected to heaven and earth. The golden Cloth shimmered in the divine light, even exuding a hint of divine majesty.
The Gold Saints in the great hall were pushed back by this force, their capes flapping wildly in the strong winds like banners being unfurled.
Saga's sea-blue eyes suddenly narrowed, his clenched fists betraying his shock. Shaka's eyes were tightly closed, and for the first time, a solemn expression appeared on his face.
Even the usually composed Mu subconsciously raised his hand to block in front of him, his hair tips swept up by the strong wind.
"This... Is this a realm that humans can reach?"
Aiolia's voice trembled with disbelief. The light of the Leo Cloth paled in comparison.
Li Yu's Cosmo and Athena's phantom clashed fiercely in the air. The golden torrent and the sacred halo eroded each other, subtly forming a stalemate.
While divinity and soul power did not directly enhance his basic attributes, they caused a qualitative change in his Cosmo.
This was no longer merely the power of a Saint, but a new existence integrating the laws of multiple worlds.
A Saint's Cosmo was inherently a manifestation of their overall strength.
Any increase in a single attribute would directly reflect in the strength of the Cosmo.
Li Yu, who had continuously gained opportunities, did not even know how strong he truly was at this moment!
Shion, an old man over two hundred years old, was forced back repeatedly by Li Yu's Cosmo, falling back onto the Pope's throne!
After the eruption, a layer of white ice ring surrounded Li Yu's body.
The Aquarius Cloth, after Li Yu's Cosmo erupted, completely submitted, firmly adhering to Li Yu's body, without the slightest loosening.
Camus's face was pale, and he mumbled to himself.
"No, it's impossible. This is definitely not a level that Aquarius can reach!"
His Cosmo seemed so small and laughable in front of Li Yu.
Ever since he lost to Li Yu and forfeited his qualification as an Aquarius Saint, Camus had trained day and night, only wishing that one day he could reclaim his qualification as an Aquarius Saint through his own strength.
But at this moment, facing Li Yu's Cosmo, he realized that the gap between them was already like heaven and earth.
His efforts had become a joke. Shion's plan to use him to restrain Li Yu had completely failed.
A hint of coldness flashed through Li Yu's dark eyes, and an icy blue Absolute Zero Domain suddenly appeared beneath his feet.
He casually waved at the three Gold Saints.
"Didn't you want to take me down? Come at me together, so you don't say I'm bullying you."
The three Gold Saints immediately felt caught in a dilemma. White frost had already condensed on the surface of their Cloths, and their exposed eyebrows and hair tips were covered in tiny ice crystals.
Only by facing Li Yu directly could they truly feel how overwhelmingly powerful and unreasonable the strongest Gold Saint of their generation truly was!
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