"You've got your answers. You can go now," Felix said.But Xena was stubborn as ever. After all, she was the goddess of war. "I said I'd leave at dawn, and I will." Felix could not take it anymore. How was he supposed to sleep with her there? He got up, threw on his clothes, and headed for the door. "You stay and rest then. I'm going to grab something to eat." Xena bolted upright. As Felix's silhouette disappeared beyond the door, she became furious. What was his deal? Did he find her repulsive or something? She was Lady Summers, the first goddess of war in Dragonia, and the fantasy of men everywhere. They had shared a bed, and he just... walked out? Gosh! If word got out, no one would believe it. Felix left Tabiner Bay and wandered the streets. He eventually found himself near the alley where Ted and Sasha had tried to set him up at that fondue restaurant. "I wonder if they're still open." Though he was not hungry, the memory of that fondue tempted him. It was already mid
Just when the old man was about to insert the second needle, he looked up at Felix, who had suddenly spoken. "Listen, kid. Don't you know she's having a stroke? This first needle will only buy her five minutes at most. These five minutes are crucial for treatment. Do you want her to die?" Felix was well aware the woman was having a stroke, but he had his reasons for intervening. But before he could explain, the old man's apprentice exclaimed, "You idiot! If you're not a doctor, shut your trap, and don't interrupt my master when he rescues someone! And if you are one, you should know how high the risk of death from a stroke is. Are you trying to kill her?" This outburst riled up the other customers in the fondue restaurant. Given the age difference, everyone was more inclined to believe the old man was a master healer, whereas Felix was just causing trouble. "Hey, boy, have you been hitting the sauce? How dare you butt in on something this serious?" "Yeah, just watch quietly
Suddenly, something occurred to the apprentice. His face turned pale as a chill ran down his spine. "But, Master! He… he never even touched that woman. How did he know about the tremors at the neck's acupoint?" The old man smiled wryly. "In traditional medicine, we rely on observation, listening, inquiry, and palpation. Have you forgotten?" "Of course not! You also can diagnose just by looking, Master. That woman's condition was sudden, so you checked her pulse to be sure. But that young man… how old is he? And he could diagnose the neck tremors so precisely, even with the stroke masking it." Shaking his head, the old man sighed. "Ah, Dragonia is full of hidden talents. Who would dare claim to be the best? As far as I know, only four people in the entire country can diagnose neck tremors by sight alone during a stroke." The young man knew who three of those were. They had to be the top three master healers and the miracle doctor, who was almost like a mythical character. "Let
Xena ignored Felix and entered the lobby with Belle. Herbal Haven was where Hector had informed her that Seth would be offering free consultations today. Her presence here was no coincidence. Not only had they come, but they had also brought along a few ordinary people to increase their chances of being chosen. Of course, Xena could not be too obvious about it, or Seth might catch on. "Jack, what's wrong?" Felix asked. He noticed Jack was still standing frozen in place a few steps behind. "Holy crap!" Jack snapped out of his daze. He grabbed Felix's arm as his excitement was beyond words. "Did… did you see that woman? My god! I didn't know such beauty existed in this world! Just one look and I feel like she's stolen my soul." Felix knew Jack was talking about Xena. He was not the only one—many in the lobby were stealing glances at her. She was indeed stunning. "Besides her beauty, what else did you notice?" Felix prodded. After some serious thought, Jack replied, "She seems c
Just then, a young man appeared in the lobby. He held up his phone and said, "I'll now draw ten numbers. Those selected will wait to be called for treatment. The rest can continue to see Dr. Brooke." Felix's expression turned peculiar after he saw the young man. Wasn't this the guy from the fondue shop last night? If that was the case, then the old man who treated that woman must have been Seth, the master healer. No wonder his medical skills were so impressive—Felix had only given a hint, and he immediately understood everything. Glancing at the nervous Jack beside him, Felix hesitated but decided to go over briefly. Having Seth examine his friend would put Jack's mind at ease, and Felix also had another matter to attend to. After the ten numbers were drawn, Jack was disappointed. So was Xena on the other side, slightly shaking her head. "What? None of us got picked?" Belle was stunned. Their luck was terrible. Neither she, Xena, nor any of the people they had brought along
Xena was stunned. She had not been selected, so why was Seth requesting to see her? It did not make sense. "Thank you, we'll be right there!" Belle quickly responded before turning to Xena. "Milady, it's strange, but why question it? Your grandfather's life is at stake." Xena agreed. This was not the time to overthink things. As they were about to enter, Felix walked out of the room. Despite passing each other, he did not say a word. "Did he get picked? Talk about dumb luck," Belle muttered. Xena did not dwell on it and went inside. "Hello, Dr. Fingle," Xena greeted.Seth remained seated as he said with a smile, "No need for formalities, Lady Summers. I've heard about your grandfather. I wanted to let you know that after I treat these ten patients, I'll come to your home." Though overjoyed, Xena could not help but ask, "If I may ask, Dr. Fingle, why are you willing to see my grandfather?" A flicker of confusion crossed Seth's face. But, given he was experienced at his job
"Are you saying he shouldn't have asked Dr. Fingle to see my grandfather?" Xena questioned.Frightened, Belle quickly waved her hands. "No, no! Milady, you know that's not what I meant." "Sometimes it's better to say less. Regardless of everything else, Felix did a good thing this time," Xena chided.The more Xena spoke, the more uncomfortable Belle felt. "Milady, Felix must have ulterior motives. He's going to such lengths to save Mr. Summers Senior because of that prenuptial agreement. When he wakes up, you'll surely do whatever he says." Even Xena was at a loss for words, especially since Belle's reasoning seemed sound. "It doesn't matter now. I just hope Grandpa will be alright. We'll deal with the rest later." Xena's response had actually shown her changing attitude toward Felix. She was no longer as aggressive and unyielding as before, though she had not realized it herself. …At two o'clock in the afternoon, in Xena's home, Seth slowly stood up. "Since you've already
Olly took out a box and opened it, releasing a unique scent. "This is a snakefruit. I can lend it to you for now. Have your people smell it. You might get some leads." Xena did not take it. That was because she realized she found the scent oddly familiar. She was certain she had smelled it on someone before. "What's wrong? Does it ring a bell?" Olly asked.As she was snapped out of her thoughts after hearing Olly's question, Xena quickly said, "Not yet. Don't worry, Mr. Davidson. I'll assign more people to investigate this." "Good. Thank you, Xena. He was my disciple after all, and it concerns the reputation of the Great Imperial Sect. We need answers." After Olly left, Xena suddenly froze. She remembered why the scent was familiar—she had smelled it on Felix. When she shared a bed with Felix last night, she wondered why he smelled so good. She had assumed it was a men's cologne, but now she realized it was the scent of snakefruit. Since Felix was also a martial artist who w
The bodies and limbs of the mall staff were trembling violently on the floor. When the two of them looked over again, the staff had all regrouped, rushing over once again.Were they indestructible like cockroaches? Felix and Esme began punching and kicking helplessly. Fortunately, they were both on solid ground. Otherwise, they would've tripped and fallen to their deaths.It took a bit of effort to finally disperse them all again. Having learned their lessons, they didn't dare to hesitate anymore and rushed up the stairs madly. Sure enough, the mall staff collected themselves and started moving much faster!It was coincidentally similar to the characteristics of Malevolent Phantoms. Was it just a coincidence or intentional? Felix pondered in his mind as they rushed through the emergency exit to the second floor with Esme. Finally, they reached the second floor of Orchard Square. The door behind them slammed shut—and there was pure silence. It was as if they were completely isolate
After closing the emergency door, the two finally stopped. "Are we safe?" Esme panted.After a moment of thought, Felix replied, "I think so. Then, I'll head back to grab our clothes."Esme immediately grabbed his arm. "Hey! You said you would listen to me. If you go back, can you guarantee to come back? I'm a woman, and even I don't care yet you're the one who can't let it go?"Anyone who saw them would've thought they were having an intense argument. But in fact, they were simply left with no choice."Besides, the second floor sells clothes. Why should we risk going back?"Felix rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "You're right. Okay, let's go." All of a sudden, the emergency door slammed open with a bang. A dozen of the mall staff rushed in. "Intruders! Intruders!"Without hesitation, the two of them ran upstairs. Esme stopped again after a few steps, confusion spread across her face."Do… Do they think they can catch us at that speed? I wonder what the guy controllin
Felix knew these were all illusions, but he still reacted because it looked too real. After speaking, the middle-aged man went downstairs. Esme glanced at Felix and motioned to follow him. She didn't want to alert the enemy and wanted to see what was happening first. They followed the middle-aged man down to the basement and pushed open the emergency door. They entered the basement of Orchard Square. It was a standard mall layout, after all. Felix saw two queues not too far away, but he didn't know what they were lining up for."Get in line. It'll be your turn soon." With that, the middle-aged man left. He clearly wasn't worried about Felix and Esme running away. The two of them looked at each other and Esme gave him a slight nod, intending to stay put. Felix immediately understood that there were too many people around.If a slight expression crossed his face, everyone would stare at him and he would be regarded as a foreign entity, let alone if he ran. Besides, if he moved, w
Just as Felix felt lost, a woman smiling at him from a jewelry shop nearby caught his eye. Her smile was faint, but in such an odd mall, it stood out even more. Otherwise, why would it catch Felix's eye?Her smile was fleeting, disappearing in mere seconds. If it lasted any longer, the people in the mall would probably turn to glare at him again. After seeing the woman turn around and walk away almost robotically, Felix quickly followed her at the same mechanical pace.She led him to an emergency stairwell and as Felix pushed through the door, she stood there waiting for him. "You've got the guts! Most people would've freaked out when they walked into this mall, but you seem quite calm," she said.Felix didn't know what the Black Soul Scout wanted with such an illusion, however, he didn't dare to act rashly. He was afraid of scaring them away. Besides, he could guess that the scout wasn't in the mall, otherwise, Donna would've sensed it."Who are you? What happened to Orchard Squ
According to Donna, there were three soul barriers in Orchard Square.The first one was a detection barrier, likely set up by the Black Soul Scout to avoid unnecessary trouble. It ensured that only ordinary people or martial artists could enter. Anyone who had cultivated their soul would disrupt the rules of this private paradise.The second barrier was an illusion-based one, directly affecting a person's soul to blur the line between reality and illusion.The third barrier was the most intriguing. It gathered some kind of energy from souls. Donna wasn't sure what exactly it was. The only way to find out was to step into the mall and investigate.Based on Felix's assessment, the third soul barrier was likely the true objective of Black Soul Scout. To uncover the truth and find the scout, he had no choice but to put himself at risk. There was no alternative.He was well aware that Hall of Souls knew everything about him. Even the lowest-ranked Blue Soul Envoys recognized his name.
"The soul barrier is in place. Let's get this over with. If you two see me, it'll just make things even more awkward, so it's better to start right away," Billy muttered.Inside the villa, an invisible force swept over them. Felix felt something new within his soul. It was something subtle yet impossible to pinpoint. It stirred a strange restlessness deep inside him.Just as he was about to focus on figuring out what was happening, his body reacted. Before he could process it, Xena had already thrown herself into his arms."What's going on? I suddenly feel like I need to be close to you."She clung tightly to him, yet neither of them moved beyond that embrace. Under normal circumstances, things between a man and a woman wouldn't stop here. They would probably undo their clothes."Damn it! That bastard tricked me," Felix muttered.The moment Xena got close, Felix's restless energy reached its peak, making it clear that this was definitely Billy's doing.Time passed. He had no ide
The moment the topic came up, Felix's gaze flickered, avoiding direct eye contact. No matter how you put it, even though Xena would also benefit from it, it still felt somewhat unfair. It felt that way, especially since they weren't in a relationship. If they were married or at least dating, it wouldn't be an issue at all."I'm exhausted. I need another two days to rest," he said.Billy scoffed. "I know your soul energy is depleted, but trust me. Your fatigue will disappear instantly once your souls merge. The feeling is beyond words. I'm sure you've heard from the Malevolent Phantom how irresistible Soul Binding is, even for those who've already experienced love and passion."Wait, what? Felix was speechless. It seemed that there was really no way out of it."Oh, one last thing. After you and Xena… you know, your soul energy will be completely absorbed and stored away. That means you won't have any left to wield a soul-bound weapon or use any soul attacks. Are you sure you still
There was only one explanation—Felix really could heal soul damage."Of course, I healed him. Let me rest for a bit. Wake me up when the sun comes up."Felix was utterly exhausted. Even if an S-tier Malevolent Phantom appeared beside him, he couldn't be bothered to care. If Donna had truly wanted to kill him, she would have done it long ago. There was no reason for her to wait until now.As Donna watched Felix slip into a deep sleep almost instantly, her expression grew more complex.What kind of ridiculous joke was that? Even though Leonardo was a crossbreed, his soul had already inherited the traits of a Malevolent Phantom. While it wasn't exactly the same as a true Malevolent Phantom, the essence of his soul had changed.And yet, Felix had still managed to heal him. If word of this got out, it would shake the entire Malevolent Phantom world to its core.It was like finding out that some miracle doctor could cure any disease in the human world. People would go absolutely crazy.
Leonardo's body suddenly started convulsing, and with foam spilling from his mouth, even a fool could tell something had gone wrong.Damage to the soul was entirely different from physical injuries. If one got a cut, even without treatment, their body would eventually heal on its own. However, the soul wasn't like that. Any damage was permanent and had widespread consequences. Even if just a fraction of an inch of the soul was harmed, the physical reaction could be extreme.Felix let out a long breath. "Finally got it out. It sounds easy, but doing it was incredibly difficult. Even with my soul energy, I nearly couldn't hold on."The level of precision required to make such an impossibly fine cut was beyond imagination. To do it without causing any collateral damage would require soul energy beyond comprehension.Of course, Leonardo's soul had been damaged. There was no avoiding it."At least he's alive. You've done all you could," Donna said.However, Felix just smiled. "That'