As soon as all three of his senior apprentices turned to look at him, Felix felt the pressure pile on. There were so many things he did not quite understand yet. He asked, "Mr. Hoffman, are you serious? You're saying this Starmark doesn't just protect my seniors—it can actually stop the second wave from hitting Earth?"Gerald nodded seriously. "Would I joke about something this big? There's an organization out there in the universe called the Star Alliance. At least from my time until now, they've always followed the rulings of the Star Gate. "Every 500 years, the Star Alliance hosts a massive competition to find the top talents across the universe, where participants are put through a series of tests and battles. The prizes are insane—especially for the champion. Not only do they get rare and powerful rewards, but they also get to claim an entire planet as their own territory. Do you understand now?"Felix was starting to get it—kind of. He asked, "So, the Starmark is basically a
As he spoke, Gerald raised his hand slightly. "You don't need to know the names of every level, but let me just say this—Dragon Rebirth is a phenomenal technique. Across the universe, it's considered extraordinary. "And paired with your soul power, if you really want to increase your chances of winning that championship, you'd better reach the extreme mastery of martial cultivation. Right now on Earth, aside from me and your seniors, only three others have reached that stage. If you want to win, you must push yourself to that level, even if the bar is high."It was a realm Felix had never even heard of before. And from Gerald's tone, the fact that he did not even bother explaining the earlier levels proved just how crucial this one was."From what you're saying, I'm guessing the Ancient Sage and that guy who protects the country are probably both at that level. So, who's the third one?"Gerald's expression confirmed he had guessed right. "Billy's mentor."Felix thought that made
Facing off against the Ancient Sage would make most martial artists freeze. His legendary feats were endless, and his reputation alone was enough to send people running. Even so, Felix looked straight at Gerald and didn't hesitate.He said, "I'm in. If I can't even handle the Ancient Sage, then I've got no business entering some interstellar tournament under the Star Alliance."His three seniors looked at him with loving concern, clearly pained to see him risk so much—especially since part of it was for their sake. Only Gerald laughed out loud. " That's the answer I was hoping for. If you'd said no, I would've personally stepped in to shut my little brother down so he couldn't come after you."He raised two fingers and continued with a serious tone. "You're two full stages below Extreme Mastery. Even with Lone Paragon on your side, the chances of being one-shot by the Ancient Sage are still very real—every powerhouse has their trump cards."But honestly, he doesn't even need to u
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Felix sat alone at a small street-side barbecue joint, deep in thought. He was still wondering when he should tell Cordelia and Nerissa about the Starmark. After all, this could very well be the beginning of a final goodbye.Aside from preparing for the Ancient Sage, he had another pressing goal—he needed to push his soul cultivation even further over the next three months. The stronger he became, the better his chances of winning the championship.The fastest path forward was through the Mystical Explosive Orb. Now that he had the power to take on an S-tier Malevolent Phantom, it was time to plan things out properly. Before, he had to keep a low profile because of the looming second wave, but now that the Starmark gave him a clear path, there was no need to keep hiding his strength. Still, he would need Donna's help since there was no way he could find an S-tier Malevolent Phantom on his own, especially the first one he wanted to hunt—Specter
Felix turned around and looked straight at Daphne. She was leaning lazily against the alley wall, arms crossed, her whole posture relaxed and indifferent.Felix remarked coldly, "Playing hero? I wouldn't argue with that. But hearing that from a Malevolent Phantom just doesn't sit right."He had not originally planned to step in, but something about her had felt off. A woman who looked like that throwing herself at a bunch of trashy-looking thugs? It did not add up. So, he activated his Spirit Eye—sure enough, she was a Malevolent Phantom.Back then, Felix would not have dared to stare directly at one. But now that he had reached the Ethercore Realm and had the strength to rival an S-tier Malevolent Phantom, average ones would not even detect he was watching. So, he did not hold back.That one line made Daphne pause, visibly surprised. "Interesting. You must be pretty strong to see through my disguise without me even noticing." Felix let out a cold chuckle. "For an A-tier Malevole
Time ticked by in silence, the tension thick in the air. Then, without warning, Daphne's eyes lit up as she looked past Felix's shoulder. "Donna!"Felix did not even bother turning around. With his domain already activated, he had sensed exactly who was approaching.So, Daphne had not been lying and had really brought an S-tier Malevolent Phantom. The only twist? Felix knew this one—it was Donna, the one he was close with."Donna, this guy seriously waited here like an idiot for you to show up. Kill him already," Daphne said with a smug grin.Her tone dripped with mockery, and she looked at Felix like she was watching a slow-motion train wreck—he had waited for an S-tier to arrive, and now it was too late to run."Didn't expect Malevolent Phantoms to have something like sibling bonds," Felix said.Donna's expression barely changed as she replied, "It's just a personal interest. Nothing more. And even if I told you not to... would that even matter?"Felix nodded slightly. "Exactl
Felix turned his head. He wore a slightly strange expression as he asked, "Starmark? What's that supposed to be?"Donna stared at him for a long moment before finally speaking. "Nothing. Just a powerful soul-bound item. I thought maybe you'd come across it."Felix did not say another word and stepped out of the car. There was no way he would tell Donna about the Starmark. No matter how useful she was, she was still a Malevolent Phantom—and trust had its limits.After watching Felix disappear into the distance, Donna drove a few blocks before pulling out her phone and dialing Specter."What is it?" Specter answered, voice flat.Donna's gaze was unreadable. "Listen carefully, Specter. You need to lay low for a while—go underground and stay there. Don't make yourself visible."Laughter echoed through the speaker. "Seriously? You make it sound like my life's in danger. That's not something you can just casually say without giving me a reason." Donna knew he would not take it seriou
Billy said enthusiastically, "You know what, Felix? Other than Mr. Hoffman, you're the only person I truly respect! Seriously, you've got a family, you've reached a level most people can only dream of, you're swimming in money, and yet you're still out there on the front lines. "And now you're about to risk your life again for everyone else. I heard from Mr. Hoffman about those Star Alliance tournaments. The death rates are so high it's basically insane, so you should know what I'm trying to say."Felix gave a bitter smile. "If everyone backs down, then what future is there? Back in the early days of Dragonia, before I was even born, our ancestors gave their blood and lives so we could live the way we do now."If it weren't for them paving the way, I wouldn't even have the chance to risk my life—hell, a single bomb could've dropped on me the moment I was born, and that would've been the end of it." Billy gave him a thumbs up and chuckled. "That's exactly why I admire you, man. Al
Felix's face was completely expressionless. "There's no point in saying all this now. What I want to know is—why are you here?"He did not even care about the reason behind the lie anymore. He was about to walk into a battlefield where life and death were up in the air—he had no time to deal with drama, but seeing Xena here was still a surprise.Xena took a deep breath and looked serious. "Can you let Specter go for now? I'm not defending a Malevolent Phantom—I just mean, maybe you could deal with the others first?"Felix frowned hard, and he stared at her like she had just grown a second head. "I can't believe those words actually came out of your mouth. You're the Phoenix Warlord, and you better give me a damn good reason for that."Xena felt her heart sink—there was no way she could tell him the real reason. "Please, Felix. Just let him go for now. I promise I'll explain everything later."At that point, Felix knew there was no way of getting answers from her, so he stepped for
Felix frowned. It had only been one night since he had asked Xena to look into Specter, so he honestly did not expect any results yet. However, Hector's words threw him off, making him feel uneasy.He asked, "Mr. Downy, are you saying you've already found a lead on Specter, but Xena didn't tell me?"Hector confirmed it without hesitation because Xena was nowhere near his level in terms of both trust and how long they had known each other. He explained, "That's right. I only found out because someone from Skynet happened to report it, and once I realized it was someone you were personally looking for, I told them to prioritize it. "Then, I found out Xena hadn't said a word to you—so yeah, I figured I'd step in. Whatever's going on between you two is your business, but I'll send you the address now."Hector even chuckled a little, clearly thinking Felix and Xena were just having a lover's spat. He had no clue how much that information shook Felix to the core.Meanwhile, Felix quest
Billy said enthusiastically, "You know what, Felix? Other than Mr. Hoffman, you're the only person I truly respect! Seriously, you've got a family, you've reached a level most people can only dream of, you're swimming in money, and yet you're still out there on the front lines. "And now you're about to risk your life again for everyone else. I heard from Mr. Hoffman about those Star Alliance tournaments. The death rates are so high it's basically insane, so you should know what I'm trying to say."Felix gave a bitter smile. "If everyone backs down, then what future is there? Back in the early days of Dragonia, before I was even born, our ancestors gave their blood and lives so we could live the way we do now."If it weren't for them paving the way, I wouldn't even have the chance to risk my life—hell, a single bomb could've dropped on me the moment I was born, and that would've been the end of it." Billy gave him a thumbs up and chuckled. "That's exactly why I admire you, man. Al
Felix turned his head. He wore a slightly strange expression as he asked, "Starmark? What's that supposed to be?"Donna stared at him for a long moment before finally speaking. "Nothing. Just a powerful soul-bound item. I thought maybe you'd come across it."Felix did not say another word and stepped out of the car. There was no way he would tell Donna about the Starmark. No matter how useful she was, she was still a Malevolent Phantom—and trust had its limits.After watching Felix disappear into the distance, Donna drove a few blocks before pulling out her phone and dialing Specter."What is it?" Specter answered, voice flat.Donna's gaze was unreadable. "Listen carefully, Specter. You need to lay low for a while—go underground and stay there. Don't make yourself visible."Laughter echoed through the speaker. "Seriously? You make it sound like my life's in danger. That's not something you can just casually say without giving me a reason." Donna knew he would not take it seriou
Time ticked by in silence, the tension thick in the air. Then, without warning, Daphne's eyes lit up as she looked past Felix's shoulder. "Donna!"Felix did not even bother turning around. With his domain already activated, he had sensed exactly who was approaching.So, Daphne had not been lying and had really brought an S-tier Malevolent Phantom. The only twist? Felix knew this one—it was Donna, the one he was close with."Donna, this guy seriously waited here like an idiot for you to show up. Kill him already," Daphne said with a smug grin.Her tone dripped with mockery, and she looked at Felix like she was watching a slow-motion train wreck—he had waited for an S-tier to arrive, and now it was too late to run."Didn't expect Malevolent Phantoms to have something like sibling bonds," Felix said.Donna's expression barely changed as she replied, "It's just a personal interest. Nothing more. And even if I told you not to... would that even matter?"Felix nodded slightly. "Exactl
Felix turned around and looked straight at Daphne. She was leaning lazily against the alley wall, arms crossed, her whole posture relaxed and indifferent.Felix remarked coldly, "Playing hero? I wouldn't argue with that. But hearing that from a Malevolent Phantom just doesn't sit right."He had not originally planned to step in, but something about her had felt off. A woman who looked like that throwing herself at a bunch of trashy-looking thugs? It did not add up. So, he activated his Spirit Eye—sure enough, she was a Malevolent Phantom.Back then, Felix would not have dared to stare directly at one. But now that he had reached the Ethercore Realm and had the strength to rival an S-tier Malevolent Phantom, average ones would not even detect he was watching. So, he did not hold back.That one line made Daphne pause, visibly surprised. "Interesting. You must be pretty strong to see through my disguise without me even noticing." Felix let out a cold chuckle. "For an A-tier Malevole
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Felix sat alone at a small street-side barbecue joint, deep in thought. He was still wondering when he should tell Cordelia and Nerissa about the Starmark. After all, this could very well be the beginning of a final goodbye.Aside from preparing for the Ancient Sage, he had another pressing goal—he needed to push his soul cultivation even further over the next three months. The stronger he became, the better his chances of winning the championship.The fastest path forward was through the Mystical Explosive Orb. Now that he had the power to take on an S-tier Malevolent Phantom, it was time to plan things out properly. Before, he had to keep a low profile because of the looming second wave, but now that the Starmark gave him a clear path, there was no need to keep hiding his strength. Still, he would need Donna's help since there was no way he could find an S-tier Malevolent Phantom on his own, especially the first one he wanted to hunt—Specter
Facing off against the Ancient Sage would make most martial artists freeze. His legendary feats were endless, and his reputation alone was enough to send people running. Even so, Felix looked straight at Gerald and didn't hesitate.He said, "I'm in. If I can't even handle the Ancient Sage, then I've got no business entering some interstellar tournament under the Star Alliance."His three seniors looked at him with loving concern, clearly pained to see him risk so much—especially since part of it was for their sake. Only Gerald laughed out loud. " That's the answer I was hoping for. If you'd said no, I would've personally stepped in to shut my little brother down so he couldn't come after you."He raised two fingers and continued with a serious tone. "You're two full stages below Extreme Mastery. Even with Lone Paragon on your side, the chances of being one-shot by the Ancient Sage are still very real—every powerhouse has their trump cards."But honestly, he doesn't even need to u
As he spoke, Gerald raised his hand slightly. "You don't need to know the names of every level, but let me just say this—Dragon Rebirth is a phenomenal technique. Across the universe, it's considered extraordinary. "And paired with your soul power, if you really want to increase your chances of winning that championship, you'd better reach the extreme mastery of martial cultivation. Right now on Earth, aside from me and your seniors, only three others have reached that stage. If you want to win, you must push yourself to that level, even if the bar is high."It was a realm Felix had never even heard of before. And from Gerald's tone, the fact that he did not even bother explaining the earlier levels proved just how crucial this one was."From what you're saying, I'm guessing the Ancient Sage and that guy who protects the country are probably both at that level. So, who's the third one?"Gerald's expression confirmed he had guessed right. "Billy's mentor."Felix thought that made