Chapter Thirty-Two: Ascension to Silver (Part One)

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! With three swift footsteps landing, two men and one woman—three Saints—descended into the arena.

"Southern Fish—Fei, greets Your Holiness the Pope!"

"Flying Fish—Xi, greets Your Holiness the Pope!"

"Dolphin—Mei Yi, greets Your Holiness the Pope!"

The trio knelt in unison, saluting the Pope seated at the judge’s platform.

Yin Seventeen quietly observed his three opponents in this advancement battle.

Among them, Dolphin Mei Yi was a golden-haired girl. Unlike other female Saints, she wore no bronze mask. Judging from her aura, her strength was likely around two hundred times the speed of sound. With the blessing of her Saint Cloth, her combat ability was certainly superior to any reserve fighter without a Cloth. After all, while the cosmos could grant warriors immense offensive power, it could not alter the inherent frailty of flesh and blood. With the protection of a Saint Cloth, this fatal weakness was mitigated, greatly enhancing an individual’s combat prowess.

Southern Fish Fei was a slender man, appearing quite fragile, but in fact, he was the strongest among the three, boasting a level around eight hundred times the speed of sound.

The remaining Flying Fish Xi was a short, rotund youth, his round belly making him seem entirely mismatched with the notion of flying fish. It was a mystery how he resonated with the Flying Fish Cloth. His strength was moderate among the three—about five hundred times the speed of sound.

"Your Holiness, may I ask who has applied for the Silver advancement battle?" Fei inquired courteously.

"It is him," the Pope gestured toward Yin Seventeen.

Only then did the three Bronze Saints truly notice the black-haired youth beside them, studying him with curious eyes.

Originally, they thought he was just another reserve fighter participating in the Cloth contest. To apply for the Silver advancement battle, there was a strict requirement: the applicant must have surpassed a thousandfold speed of sound, attaining the Silver realm. Otherwise, the Sanctuary would rather leave a Silver Cloth vacant than let someone unqualified wear it. No matter how they looked at it, it was hard to believe this young man, who wasn’t even wearing a Cloth, had reached the Silver threshold.

Yet, after examining their opponent carefully, they realized they could not discern his strength at all.

Especially for Southern Fish Fei, his brows furrowed deeply. With the power of eight hundred times the speed of sound, and the amplification of a Bronze Cloth, the gap to a thousandfold was not vast. If the youth was merely someone who had just crossed the threshold, Fei should be able to sense the difference in their strengths. Yet, in reality, he could not sense the youth’s strength at all.

There were only two possible explanations.

First, the opponent excelled in concealing his power, deliberately hiding the intensity of his cosmos to create psychological pressure and then win at leisure.

Second, the opponent was truly formidable, far surpassing the newly achieved Silver Saint standard, so much so that the gap was utterly unperceivable.

Faced with these options, Fei preferred to believe the first possibility. The second would only occur with once-in-a-generation prodigies.

"We can’t be so unlucky as to run into such a monster—so young, yet vastly stronger than any ordinary Silver Saint," Fei silently comforted himself.

"If you have no objections, prepare to begin," the Pope addressed the four seriously.

"None," they all replied, shaking their heads.

Immediately, the Pope, somewhat exhilarated, called out to the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, an exceedingly rare Silver advancement battle is about to begin!"

"Open your eyes wide and watch closely!"

"See what a true Saint is, see what true strength looks like!"

"Let your spirits soar, rejoice!"

"You are about to witness the birth of a Silver Saint!"

The Pope’s impassioned words set the audience ablaze, surpassing even the fervor at the start of the Cloth contest.

However, his words carried a subtle implication for Fei and the others. It seemed the Pope favored the young man, as though certain he would defeat all three and ascend as a Silver Saint.

"Is it just my imagination?" Mei Yi glanced at the Pope, suspicious.

Doubt aside, the three did not let their guard down. At once, they spread out, encircling Yin Seventeen.

"Hey, where’s your Cloth? Put it on quickly! I worry I might not hold back, and kill you with a single punch!" Fei warned Yin Seventeen with genuine concern.

Without the Cloth’s protection, even with the blessing of one’s cosmos, if struck head-on by a Bronze Saint, even a Gold Saint could die.

"My Cloth is over there," Yin Seventeen nodded toward the Cloth chest on the display platform.

"What?" Xi, the stout youth, gaped in astonishment.

Only now did he realize the young man had just won the Cloth in the contest and then immediately applied for the Silver advancement battle.

"You, you, you…" Understanding this, he was left speechless in disbelief.

A fighter who had never worn a Cloth, having seized a Bronze Cloth, and then rushing to apply for a Silver advancement battle—such confidence!

"Put it on quickly, we’re about to strike," Mei Yi said impatiently.

The Sanctuary had clear regulations forbidding private duels and slaughter among Saints except under special circumstances. Besides, this was merely an advancement battle—there was no enmity between them; she had no wish to accidentally kill the opponent.

Yin Seventeen glanced at the Cloth chest atop the platform and sighed, "Forget it, I won’t wear it."

Soon, he would claim the Crater Cloth; the Swordfish Cloth was destined to be worn only once.

To put it on for a single battle, only to discard it, seemed an utter waste.

Moreover, with his strength, facing these three would be easy; Cloth or not, the outcome would not change.

"So you intend to fight the three of us like this?" Mei Yi was astonished.

"Yes," Yin Seventeen replied with a nod.

"Arrogant!" Confirming this, Mei Yi’s anger flared.

She had kindly reminded him, only to be so underestimated.

This was intolerable!

"Don’t be reckless!" Fei hurried to warn her, but it was already too late.

"Heavenly Whirlpool!"

Mei Yi ignited her cosmos, lunged at Yin Seventeen, raised her right leg high, and kicked fiercely.

In an instant, a waterspout rose at Yin Seventeen’s feet, sweeping him up and tossing him away.

Boom!

The waterspout traced an arc through the air, then crashed to the ground, shattering the stone slabs in a ten-meter radius and leaving a giant crater.

Yet, not a trace of a person remained within.

"How could this be?" Mei Yi cried out in shock.

Clearly, her ultimate move had missed, striking only a shadow, not the real opponent.

"My speed far exceeds yours—it’s not impossible," came a cold voice behind her.

And in that instant, a powerful cosmos aura surged at her back.