On the stone steps outside the Scorpio Palace, Li Yu half-crouched and gently laid Hyoga on the ground.
He took out three lifeblood potions from his item space and slowly poured the red liquid into Hyoga's mouth.
The energy from the potion slid down Hyoga's throat, and the wounds on his body, pierced by the Scarlet Needle, rapidly began to heal, flesh regenerating. The products from the Reincarnation Space were indeed effective.
After doing all this, Li Yu took a deep breath and turned to look at the palace that had abruptly appeared behind the Scorpio Palace.
The outline of the Ophiuchus Palace glowed with an eerie dark golden light in the setting sun, as if even the surrounding air had been tinged with a haze.
"I hope you can hold on!"
Li Yu quickened his pace.
He clearly sensed that the Cosmos of the Bronze Saints had briefly erupted in the direction of the Ophiuchus Palace, only to quickly fall silent.
Those few Cosmos, which had just broken through the Seventh Sense, were as fragile as candles in the wind before the profound and eerie energy of the Ophiuchus Palace.
After passing through a rocky mountain path, the full view of the Ophiuchus Palace finally appeared before his eyes.
The structure of this palace was completely different from the Twelve Gold Palaces, full of history and a wild, ancient aura.
Countless snake-shaped stone pillars supported the towering dome, and the giant pythons carved on the pillars had their jaws agape, black rust still clinging to their fangs, as if they would lunge and bite at any moment.
The outer walls of the palace were inlaid with dark green gems, glowing eerily in the afterglow.
Li Yu stepped through the palace gate, and a mix of potent poison and sacred aura washed over him.
In the center of the main hall, the Bronze Saints lay sprawled on the ground. Seiya's Pegasus Cloth was severely damaged, Shiryu's Azure Dragon tattoo had lost its luster, Ikki's Phoenix fire was completely extinguished, and Shun's Nebula Chain lay limply scattered nearby.
The four of them were pale, their breaths weak, clearly defeated by the Ophiuchus Saint in just one encounter.
Sensing someone's arrival, that figure slowly walked over, and a powerful sense of oppression washed over Li Yu.
This mysterious Saint's physique was much taller than that of an ordinary Gold Saint. Li Yu, who was nearly 1.9 meters tall, actually had to look up to see his eyes.
The man stepped out of the statue's shadow, revealing his true face.
His features were handsome to the point of being almost demonic. Silver-white hair cascaded like a waterfall to his waist, interspersed with a few strands of dark purple. The fringe covering part of his forehead couldn't conceal his narrow eyes.
His pupils were a deep dark green, with a slight upward tilt at the corners, carrying a hint of laziness and arrogance, yet deep within his eyes lay a sharp insight into human hearts.
Li Yu, who was well-versed in Saint Seiya lore, immediately recognized him.
In the Saint Graveyard behind Sanctuary, there was still a tombstone bearing his name: Ophiuchus Silver Saint!
Li Yu's lips curved slightly as he spoke the Saint's name.
"Odysseus..."
Odysseus was the Ophiuchus Silver Saint during the previous Holy War, later possessed by the Medical God Asclepius, becoming the Ophiuchus Gold Saint!
Asclepius, who possessed him, had an even greater lineage, being the son of the God of Light Apollo and Princess Coronis of Thessaly!
He was born a demigod, on the same level as Hercules, the god who suppressed the Hydra.
In ancient times, Asclepius was once Athena's Saint. However, as time passed, his ambition grew, and he wished to replace Athena as the deity ruling Human Realm.
This angered Athena, who cast him into a cave leading to the realm of death.
This cave became the place where Asclepius was sealed, known as Tartarus Prison!
Li Yu didn't know how Asclepius escaped from Tartarus Prison!
But he figured that only he would have the ability to summon the Ophiuchus Palace back from the river of time.
Odysseus, or rather Asclepius, his dark green eyes fell upon Li Yu, and the smile at the corner of his lips deepened.
"You're finally here, Li Yu. I thought you would wait until Saori Kido was completely dead before daring to see me!"
His voice was deep and magnetic, like the low string of a cello, yet it carried a subtle, almost imperceptible allure, as if even the air was tainted with an eerie aura by his voice.
A vast Cosmo silently descended from the void!
Li Yu noticed that Odysseus was wearing a Silver Cloth. The moment he saw him, Odysseus's pupils slowly turned golden.
His Silver Cloth also transformed, and soon the Ophiuchus Cloth extended before Li Yu's eyes, becoming a Gold Cloth!
The design of this Gold Cloth was very peculiar.
The main color was a deep dark gold, with dark silver patterns inlaid along the edges. Each pattern resembled a coiled snake, extending from the shoulder guards to the abdomen, shimmering with a cold metallic luster in the light.
In the center of the Cloth, a rhombus-shaped red gem was embedded, surrounded by twelve small silver stars, corresponding to the position of Ophiuchus in the night sky.
The golden tail wings on the back of the Cloth were similar to Ikki's Phoenix Cloth, but their shape resembled several venomous snakes, exuding an eerie beauty.
Just by its appearance, this Gold Cloth was far more robust and impenetrable than the Twelve Palaces Gold Cloths.
Li Yu estimated that the materials used were more than double that of ordinary Gold Cloths.
The Ophiuchus Gold Cloth was a specialized Gold Cloth crafted by the God of Fire for the Medical God Asclepius in ancient times, with no expense spared on materials!
Although this Cloth was categorized as a Gold Cloth, its specifications were much higher than ordinary Gold Cloths.
In his hand, he held a snake-shaped scepter. The staff was entirely made of gold, resembling two intertwined snakes.
Li Yu stood before the Ophiuchus Palace, his dark eyes scrutinizing Odysseus, his Cosmo quietly burning.
Li Yu could clearly sense that the opponent's Cosmo not only contained the sacred energy of a Gold Saint but also a strong aura of the Underworld, and even a hint of divine fluctuation.
The man before him was no longer Odysseus; perhaps he should be called... "Asclepius!"
Li Yu's voice was calm and unruffled.
"You have been dead for thousands of years. This time, you have reversed life and death, returned from the Underworld, and hidden in the Ophiuchus Palace. What exactly do you intend to do?"
Asclepius chuckled softly, his fingers, holding the snake-shaped scepter, gently caressing the snake patterns on the staff.
"What do I intend to do? Naturally, to cure the persistent ailments of Human Realm!"
He gently tapped the scepter in his hand, and a circle of golden light spread out from his feet, making the Ophiuchus Palace transparent.
He looked up, gazing at Human Realm, brightly lit with lamps.
"At this moment, Athena's reincarnation is on the brink of death, the Gold Saints are fighting individually, yet Athena chooses to abandon you Gold Saints, just as she cast me into the cave of death back then!"
"Does such a Sanctuary not need a true god to guide it?"
He extended his left hand to Li Yu, inviting him earnestly.
"And you, Li Yu, the strongest Saint in Sanctuary today, in her heart, you are not even as good as a few Bronze Saints. Don't you feel resentment and helplessness?"
"Come, join me, help me complete the great undertaking I left unfinished back then, and I will grant you eternal freedom!"
"What a pity!"
Li Yu chuckled, raising an eyebrow, his Cosmo burning with brilliant light, contending with Odysseus's Cosmo in the Ophiuchus Palace.
"If you were still the Medical God Asclepius from back then, perhaps I would seriously consider cooperating with you."
He paused, a hint of mockery playing on his lips.
"Now, you are merely a pawn of the Underworld. You want to recruit me? First, walk out of your Ophiuchus Palace alive, then we can talk about other things."
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