The reason Li Yu guided Shiryu and not his good disciple Hyoga was simply that he couldn't stand Shiryu's performance.
Currently, Shiryu, with his large, innocent black eyes, was wearing his Dragon Cloth completely, showing no trace of the heroic demeanor of a shirtless, blind, tattooed War God.
In fact, besides being Saints, Shiryu and Dohko had a hidden identity: they were successors of the Chinese Carving Daoist lineage.
This lineage advocated the power of nature, accumulating power within the body through daily cultivation.
The Azure Dragon tattoo on Shiryu's back was an manifestation of this externalized natural power, a power known as Ink Garment!
The so-called Ink Garment could be understood as a Daoist version of the Cloth, allowing for a burst of power far exceeding normal levels by activating the tattoo.
However, the prerequisite for activating the Ink Garment was to be shirtless, allowing the tattoo to directly connect with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Therefore, although the Cloth was strong, for Shiryu, it was a hindrance, severely affecting the Play of his strength!
Besides the Carving Daoist inheritance, Shiryu also had a hidden talent: he became stronger when blind.
Now, with his Dragon Cloth worn properly and his eyes bright and clear, he hadn't even unleashed half of his full strength.
In Shiryu's current state, let alone attacking the Elysium of the Underworld, he probably couldn't even break through the Twelve Gold Palaces.
Inside the Gemini Palace, Shiryu and Hyoga stood amidst distorted light and shadows, the surroundings sometimes transforming into the familiar Five Old Peaks of Lushan, and other times into the cold Siberian snowfields.
In these familiar scenes, Dohko, Shunrei, and Hyoga's mother faced various misfortunes.
The fluctuations of the illusion made both their Cosmos chaotic.
Suddenly, Shiryu's body stiffened, a flicker of surprise in his dark eyes, which then quickly regained their resolve.
"Shiryu, what's wrong?"
Hyoga noticed his abnormality.
Shiryu took a deep breath, his voice carrying a subtle tremor.
"I heard someone speaking in my mind. He said that only by abandoning the influence of the five senses can one successfully pass through the Gemini Palace."
"Abandon the five senses?"
Hyoga recalled Li Yu once teaching him that the five senses could sometimes become an obstacle for a Saint.
As a Saint who cultivated the path of ice, one could use freezing abilities to freeze one's sympathetic nerves, thereby cutting off the misleading influence of external five senses on the brain.
However, this technique was extremely dangerous; if not controlled properly, it could damage the brain, turning one into a permanent vegetative state with no possibility of waking up.
"If nothing else works, I'll have to use this technique."
Hyoga gritted his teeth, a hint of determination flashing in his blue eyes.
He intended to try freezing his sympathetic nerves. If he failed, at least Shiryu could continue forward to save Saori.
"Shiryu, I have a way to break through this predicament, but..."
Before he could finish speaking, Shiryu suddenly straightened his back, his gaze becoming incredibly sharp.
"So you thought of it too, Hyoga? Let me do it. Since childhood, I've practiced distinguishing sounds by listening under the great waterfall. Even if I lose my eyes, it won't affect my strength in the slightest."
Lose his eyes? Shiryu, are you misunderstanding something?
"Wait, Shiryu, the method I'm talking about..."
Before Hyoga could finish, Shiryu raised two fingers and plunged them into his eyeballs!
Hyoga tried to stop him, but Shiryu's speed was incredibly fast. His two eyeballs instantly ruptured, and blood slowly flowed down his eye sockets... Watching the winding streaks of blood on Shiryu's face, Hyoga couldn't help but feel awe. This was a true Saint!
Ruthless to enemies, even more ruthless to himself.
Shiryu's Cosmo, after his eyes were destroyed, instantly surged in intensity... Even though Li Yu had already left the Gemini Palace, he couldn't help but be amazed.
Shiryu, that boy, truly lived up to his reputation as a masochist. Stripping and self-mutilating could even increase his combat power.
Blind, Shiryu could no longer see the illusions created by Saga.
Using his ability to distinguish sounds by listening, he groped along the cold palace walls, holding Hyoga's hand, and walked out of the spatially distorted Gemini Palace step by step.
Meanwhile, Shun and Ikki were completely lost in Saga's dimensional space. Only Shun's Nebula Chain still trembled slightly, searching for an exit with its super-sensing ability, as the two desperately sought a glimmer of hope in the endless darkness.
In front of them, a colossal golden Buddha, reaching to the heavens and earth, sat with closed eyes and a smile... Li Yu continued his journey and soon entered the domain of Cancer.
As soon as he stepped into the palace, a decaying, corrupt aura assailed him, making him frown.
The walls of the Cancer Palace were covered with dark green patterns, like congealed blood, and tiny black particles, like the lingering souls of the dead, floated in the air.
Deathmask, wearing the Cancer Gold Cloth, leaned against the cold palace wall, his golden armor stained with some dark red smudges.
The moment he saw Li Yu, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, immediately replaced by a sinister malice.
"How can it be you, Li Yu?"
Li Yu snorted coldly, not answering his question.
As soon as he entered Cancer, Li Yu sensed that Deathmask's Cosmo was filled with a decaying and corrupt aura!
Beneath the Cancer Palace, countless spirits seemed to be wailing mournfully.
Presumably, among the Saints who betrayed Athena, Deathmask was one of them.
However, Deathmask's betrayal was likely not the same as Li Yu and Saga's pursuit of severing the bonds of fate.
He was purely malicious, so evil that even the Cancer Gold Cloth might abandon him.
The previous Pope Sage, also a Cancer Saint, possessed immense strength and integrity, suppressing the world for 200 years... Yet, by the time it reached Deathmask, he had become so despicable and shameless.
Li Yu didn't even bother to acknowledge him.
He sensed that Shiryu and Hyoga had broken out of the Gemini Palace, so Deathmask should be dealt with by Shiryu.
He regarded Deathmask as nothing and walked directly out of the Cancer Palace.
Seeing this, Deathmask could no longer endure... The ground beneath Li Yu's feet suddenly began to twist, and pained human faces emerged from under the floor tiles.
These faces were almost corporeal, tightly entanglement around Li Yu's ankles, and when his shoes stepped on them, heartbreaking screams erupted.
At the same time, numerous human faces also appeared on the walls, their expressions varied: some wailing and twitching, some weeping sadly, others filled with anger and resentment. Dense negative emotions almost engulfed the entire Cancer Palace.
Li Yu raised an eyebrow slightly, stopped, and looked at Deathmask with a hint of disdain.
"What, with just these petty tricks, you think you can stop me?"
A flicker of fear crossed Deathmask's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by deeper resentment and excitement.
He remembered the promise the woman in black had made to him.
"I will open the power of the Underworld for you, connecting the Yomotsu Hirasaka with the Underworld. Within the domain of the Cancer Palace, you will be the Lord of the Underworld, and no one can resist the power of death!"
Deathmask clenched his fists, black and yellow light beginning to condense at his fingertips. That was the power of the Sekishiki Meikai Ha, the unique, soul-manipulating rule power of Cancer!
Previously, his Sekishiki Meikai Ha could never hit Li Yu.
But now, Li Yu was entangled by the endless souls in the Cancer Palace, his speed greatly reduced, making it Deathmask's home turf!
As long as the Sekishiki Meikai Ha could hit Li Yu, he was confident he could send Li Yu to the Yomotsu Hirasaka.
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