Dean's face shifted between emotions for a while before he finally spoke, "This is Echo Cavern we're talking about, and Dragonspine is already full of mysteries. There's no record of anyone ever escaping the cavern, so how do you expect me to predict what'll happen?"He turned to Kendrick and added, "Let's move. After what happened, the Maximus family needs to relocate immediately.""Relocate?" Kendrick frowned. "Elder, are you really that worried about Ezra?"Dean let out a cold snort. "What kind of question is that? Do you think Ezra is a pushover? We already warned him last time. "Now we've driven Felix to his death—of course, he's going to lose it. And don't forget Madam Goddard. She'll throw every resource she has into hunting us down for revenge."If I stay back, maybe I'll survive. But you guys? Not a chance." Kendrick could only grit his teeth in frustration. All this effort, all these sacrifices, only to end up on the run. If they had truly seized control of Dragonspin
As night fell over Westville, Janet stared at Nerissa in shock after hearing her story. She exclaimed, "Oh, my God! Nerissa, are you out of your mind? I know you're respectful and empathetic, but the Resonance Bell is a life-saving treasure Westley gave you—how could you just use it like that?"Before Nerissa could even respond, Janet kept going. "And you were way too reckless! I admit Felix seems like a decent guy, but you haven't even spoken to him, let alone built a relationship. You should've walked away in that situation—what if something had happened to you?"Nerissa frowned, sadness clouding her eyes. Despite having no real emotional connection with Felix and only a formal encounter between them, she already found herself mourning him. She wondered if this was what people meant by destiny."Stop it," she snapped. "I've already decided he's my man, so how could I just stand by and do nothing?"Seeing that Nerissa was upset, Janet sighed. "I get it... but he's in Echo Cavern n
Not long after, Nerissa arrived at Harmony Clinic. Deborah had a feeling that something serious was indeed going on."Well, well, Ms. Xavier. This is our first official meeting," Deborah said with a smile. "Given your reputation as one of the Top Ten Menaces, I guess I should feel honored. So, what's the urgent matter?"Nerissa respectfully clasped her hands and gave a slight bow before speaking. "Madam Goddard, after returning to Westville, did you make contact with Felix?"Deborah narrowed her eyes slightly and chuckled. "Oh? Don't tell me the heiress of the Xavier family, with a fiancé already lined up, is interested in my precious apprentice? I mean, I can't blame you. He's exceptional, no matter where you put him."Deborah's affection for Felix was clear in her words and expression."Please, Madam Goddard, contact Felix first," Nerissa urged.Though still puzzled, Deborah did not sense anything unusual. She pulled out her phone and dialed Felix's number. However, the call we
Nerissa could clearly sense how deeply Deborah cared for Felix. Even though most people in Martial City would let things go for the sake of political alliances and self-interest, Deborah was not one of them."Madam Goddard, please try to stay calm," Nerissa urged gently. "Before you returned, I kept an eye on the Maximus family. They're already gone—Dean lost control and killed several people before fleeing. No one knows where they are now."Deborah clenched her teeth in rage. Of course, Dean would plan ahead, knowing full well that after driving Felix to his death, both she and Harmony Clinic would retaliate.Deborah replied, "Thank you for the information. I'll handle the rest from here."…Two days later, Deborah sat cross-legged outside Echo Cavern. Dickson and Shepherd stood silently beside her, keeping her company as she stared into the cavern's dark entrance.Ezra, the head of one of Harmony Clinic's branches, approached. He asked, "She's still not leaving, huh?""Yeah,"
In Denverville, Jared maniacally laughed as he read the latest news. "Harmony Clinic put out a massive bounty on the Maximus family!"That means Felix is dead for sure! Serves him right! Suddenly, I don't feel so bad for being punished by Dad!" "Wow, Jared, what's got you laughing like a lunatic?" A woman sauntered into the room. She was stunning, dressed in short, tight-fitting shorts that showed off her curves. The way she walked, with her hips swaying hypnotically, could steal the breath of anyone watching from behind."Oh, Joanna! Nothing major, just in a good mood."The woman was Joanna Yorker, the eldest daughter of the Yorker family, who was a dominant power in Denverville. Jared was clearly no match for her in terms of status."I'm here to ask about Nerissa. Where's the person I asked for? The deadline was three days ago. You're not usually late like this," Joanna said, her voice laced with impatience.Jared scratched the back of his head awkwardly and leaned in to w
Felix noticed that the oppressive darkness around him seemed to thin ever so slightly. It was such a subtle change that an ordinary person would not have sensed it, but with his heightened awareness, he picked up on it immediately."Finally, some progress. Let's keep going," he muttered to himself, determination flaring in his eyes.…Time passed, and three months slipped by in the outside world. The frenzy surrounding Harmony Clinic's bounty on the Maximus family began to die down. Despite the massive search effort, no one could find any trace of them. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.Rumors circulated that the Maximus family might have fled to the capital. After all, how else could they avoid being discovered by so many skilled trackers? Regardless of the speculation, Deborah's health rapidly deteriorated.The loss of her beloved apprentice, coupled with her inability to avenge him, had broken her spirit. Bern personally diagnosed her condition and could only sigh i
Felix muttered, "Let's hope this thing is worth it. Otherwise, all that suffering wasn't worth it."He sighed and looked around again before chuckling bitterly. "But how the hell do I get out of here?"Suddenly, a flash of white light illuminated the cave. A new opening appeared in the stone wall ahead, glowing softly."It's Lumen!" Felix exclaimed in shock. The light had come from Lumen, confirming its presence.He stepped through the newly formed entrance without hesitation. The moment he passed through, his vision blurred, and he instinctively shut his eyes.When he finally adjusted to the brightness and opened them again, he saw something he had not seen in what felt like an eternity—the sun."Am I really out?" Felix whispered in disbelief.Turning around, he saw the entrance to Echo Cavern. As soon as his eyes landed on it, the entrance began to collapse, sealing itself shut within moments."It looks like Echo Cavern only existed because of Lumen. Now that Lumen has merged
Nellie quickly covered her mouth. If it weren't for Felix's reminder, she might have screamed out loud.However, she soon regained her composure and demanded, "Evidence!"After all, this was a person who had been dead for over three months. Since he had reappeared via a phone call instead of in person, Nellie had every reason to be skeptical. After all, Felix had entered Echo Cavern, one of the Three Forbidden Lands—surviving that was almost impossible.Felix had anticipated this reaction, so he gave his answer without hesitation. "Back when I first arrived, Nellie, you tried to... do something to me. Does that count as evidence?"How could Nellie not believe him? That kind of thing was something only the two of them knew. No one else could possibly be aware of it.Suppressing the wave of emotions inside her, Nellie said urgently, "Then hurry back!"Even though she had a million questions, she knew this wasn't the time to ask."Nellie, I know Madam Goddard is worried about me,"
About 20 minutes later, Marley sent another message. "At the supermarket now."Almost simultaneously, Felix finally detected a martial artist within his domain. He mumbled, "Early-stage Blood Realm?"That was not much in Martial City, but it was considered a high-level martial artist in the capital. Either it was just a coincidence, or there was a strong chance this person was the one who had dropped off the solution.Felix picked up his groceries and casually moved toward the checkout counter near the storage lockers, all while keeping his domain locked onto the early-stage Blood Realm martial artist. The man was about 30 feet away, pretending to inspect apples. He was careful, moving naturally and avoiding anything suspicious. However, that was pointless under Felix's domain. Sure enough, he was watching the locker.The man finally relaxed only after the disguised Khalil arrived and retrieved the package. He grabbed two bags of fruit and headed for checkout.Felix exited the s
Phil acted like he had not heard Angie and continued walking. However, he suddenly stopped just as he took a few more steps. When he turned around, his expression had completely changed.He asked, "What did you say his name was?"Upon sensing a shift in the situation, Angie quickly answered, "Felix Zeller.""He's the one who wants to see me?""Yes!"Phil was visibly unsettled now. After a brief pause, he finally said, "Alright. Let's go."Carlos was stunned, wondering what the hell was going on. Did Felix really have connections in Newtown?When they arrived at the private dining room, Phil visibly flinched the moment he laid eyes on Felix. He quickly greeted, "Sir!"That single word sent shivers down Angie's and Carlos' spines. The difference in status was so glaringly obvious that it was downright terrifying. Felix did not recognize the young man, but anyone with ties to Newtown would undoubtedly know him.Felix immediately ordered, "Arrange for the Sinclairs to open their r
"Alright, alright, I'll do it—just stop shaking my arm, you're gonna rip it off," Felix replied.He had always preferred friends who did not allow their status to create distance. Jack was the same way—if he needed something, he wouldn't play games; he would just call and ask directly.Lindsay lit up with excitement. "I knew you'd come through! Angie, what do you think? Maybe you should marry him as a thank-you!"Angie was completely stunned, wondering if Felix was serious and could even pull strings in Newtown.Just then, Felix said, "You just need to bring that guy to see me."Angel immediately went to the private room. Lindsay had fought to get her this chance, and she would be the biggest fool alive if she let it slip away.Just as she reached the private dining room, a middle-aged man stepped out. She greeted, "Dad."The man was none other than Angie's father, Carlos Sinclair. He asked, "Angie, where are you going?"Without hesitation, Angie laid everything out.Carlos f
The eerie transformation played out in front of everyone, yet not a single person looked surprised. In mere moments, the man had completely taken on Stewart's appearance—it was almost impossible to tell them apart.Felix said approvingly, "Not bad. Unless someone gets close enough to inspect, they'll never notice the difference."After confirming earlier that the solution had successfully eliminated Chloe's body odor, Felix immediately contacted Xena and requested reinforcements from headquarters. Instead of fighters, he asked for skilled operatives who could impersonate Stewart and two other dentists connected to the case.The mastermind behind this would not be switching locations after every move—it was a cycle. Eventually, they would use one of these three dentists again, and whoever got the next call would lead them to the source.Felix had prepared this plan in advance. The actual execution depended on the details Stewart provided, and now that they had those, it was time to
Felix would never call himself an expert when it came to soul manipulation. Meanwhile, Stewart sat stiffly, his face devoid of emotion. A moment later, Marley emerged from the side room with two others."Who told you to use that solution during the dental cleaning for body odor patients?" Felix got straight to the point.Stewart remained expressionless as he answered, "I don't know. I just got a random call telling me to pick up a package from a locker at a supermarket. "They said when a patient with body odor came in, I should use the solution during their cleaning. Along with the solution, there were 50 thousand dollars—I couldn't resist, so I did as I was told."Marley frowned after hearing that. "Just as you suspected, sir, they're being extremely cautious."If Stewart had received his instructions this way, the dentists at the clinics visited by the two deceased victims would likely have followed the same pattern. They pressed Stewart with more questions, but none of his ans
Chloe stepped into the treatment room and found herself face-to-face with a middle-aged doctor, Stewart. He looked like he was in his 40s and was wearing a surgical mask.He said, "Hello! Lie down.""Alright," Chloe mumbled. She followed the instructions given by the person on the street—pay the fee, stay silent, and go through with a routine cleaning. Coincidentally, she had actually gotten her teeth cleaned before, so the entire procedure felt exactly the same. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. However, she could not help but wonder if this could actually cure her body odor. Just then, Stewart said, "You're all set. You can leave now."Chloe wanted to ask more questions but held herself back. She stepped out of the dental clinic and walked a block in the agreed-upon direction before Felix appeared."Open your mouth," Felix said. Then, he swirled a cotton swab inside her mouth and examined it closely in the light.Just like that, he already knew what was going on.Chloe as
Donna explained, "I call them hybrids because they aren't real Malevolent Phantoms. They just inherit certain traits, which aren't always the same! "For example, some might have regenerative abilities purely on a physical level—this doesn't require soul energy. Their bodies just heal on their own. Others might inherit aspects related to soul energy, but overall, there's no fixed rule."However, one thing is certain. At least from what I know, Malevolent Phantoms cannot truly reproduce by merging with other species. No matter what, they won't give birth to a real Malevolent Phantom."Felix latched onto that last sentence, his grip tightening as he quickly asked, "Then, if they aren't real Malevolent Phantoms, does that mean whoever's controlling you guys can't reclaim them?"Donna replied, "Exactly! A hybrid is just that—a hybrid. Think of it like ligers, the lion-tiger hybrids humans breed. They're entirely new species. How could the ones controlling us possibly reclaim them?"Fe
Felix nearly choked on his own spit. He quickly cleared his throat and blurted out, "You sure you called the right person?"For a second, he panicked. If anyone else had overheard that, they would have thought Xena was announcing his child's birth.Xena replied, "No mistake. I was just too shocked. This is huge."Felix frowned and asked, "Alright… Then, why are you telling me about this?"Xena's tone turned serious. "Felix, we've been monitoring a Malevolent Phantom for a while. We finally took it down. But here's the thing—its wife was already pregnant, and just now… she gave birth."Felix's expression darkened as he thought, "Its wife? No—more accurately, the wife of the human the Malevolent Phantom has replaced."He mumbled aloud, "Are you saying…""You guessed it," Xena confirmed grimly. "To be sure, we called in Dr. Morris. He made a small incision on the newborn's arm, and the wound healed instantly."Felix gasped, wondering what the hell was going on. The idea of a Malev
Felix remarked, "You sure know a lot."He sighed. At this point, he had given up on being surprised—Billy seemed to know everything.Billy replied, "I was just thinking out loud, really. But Mr. Hoffman didn't tell you, and he didn't warn you not to listen to me, either… which probably means he's already given his silent approval!"He added, "When you reach peak Grandmaster, the nine Dragonspine fragments will completely dissolve. Normally, they would merge into your body, unleashing an indescribable energy that continuously strengthens your physique. "Now imagine that—combined with Dragon Punches—how powerful you'd be."Dragon Punches was a technique that had only appeared after Felix had gathered the final Dragonspine fragment and ascended to Grandmaster. Yet, somehow, Billy knew about it, too.All the techniques recorded in Dragons Destroyer had vanished, leaving behind only Dragon Punches—a purely physical combat technique. He had never used it before because he had not enco