As expected, Jack looked at Felix while clearly trying to suppress his anger. "Felix, I've realized something. This kind of woman isn't worth pining over." Felix nodded and took out his phone. Trina continued to look down on them. "What? It sounds like you want revenge. But do you even have the means to do it, Jack? You're just a washed-up loser who tricked me into coming to Avesburgh. How dare you talk big?" Her boyfriend also threatened, "You really don't know what's good for you!" Right then, Felix's call connected. He was calling Yvonne, of course. Though their relationship was still undefined, he knew she would not refuse his request. "Felix, what's up?" Yvonne asked."I need you to fire two people from your Avesburgh branch's office. One's named Trina, and the other is her boyfriend." "Alright!" Yvonne readily agreed.After he hung up, Felix patted Jack's shoulder. "Let's go. It's taken care of." Jack immediately felt relieved and left with Felix without another wor
Felix's expression mirrored the manager's confusion. Since when did the Phoenix Legion have time for this? Or was there something more going on here? "Bro, what the hell? I've never heard of the Phoenix Legion messing with places like this before." Jack's eyes widened. He looked to Felix for answers as the hostesses scurried out. "Relax. They're probably using this as a front to catch some fugitive," Felix guessed. His explanation seemed to satisfy Jack. It made sense; otherwise, it would be hard to justify why the Phoneix Legion would come all the way to this club. "So, what about Madeline? I'm still in shock seeing our former class sweetheart here, of all places," Jack remarked.Felix's expression darkened. He could not believe it either. Back in their innocent days, he and Madeline had dated for two years. They had been naive then, and a kiss was as far as things went. There was definitely no rolling around in the sheets, but the memories they shared were still sweet. Mad
There was no way Felix did not know that man. His eyes seemed to ask if Xena had any proof of his crime."I said I don't know him. Why would I need to look closely?" Felix shot back.Xena laughed coldly and said, "You smell like snakefruit. I caught a whiff last night, and I can still smell it now! The guy in the photo had also been near a snakefruit. So I've got good reason to think you're a prime suspect in his death!" Felix leaned back on the couch. Crossing his legs, he looked completely unbothered. "Smell? That's rich. If a woman dies and you smell the same perfume on another woman, does that make her a murderer? What kind of logic is that?" Xena was fuming. She had expected this, but she had not realized Felix would be this brazen. She knew exactly how skilled Olly's disciple had been. Even someone with a gun would have had a hard time taking him out. "Fine. In that case, be ready to report to the Phoenix Legion anytime," Xena said with a huff.In the past, Felix might h
Madeline had gone home? Felix fell silent as he rested his chin on his interlaced fingers. Everyone has a golden period in their past, especially during their school days. Whether it was a real relationship or just a crush, seeing that person again as an adult felt like a good ending to their youth. This was especially true for Felix and Madeline. How could he not care when he saw her in this situation? "I'll pay 50 grand. Get her back here," Felix said.The manager shook his head. "Sir, it's not about the money. It's in her contract." Felix raised his offer. "200 grand." The manager froze as he gawked at Felix. Had he heard that right? 200 grand? "I'll throw in another 50 grand for you if you bring her back." Money was no object to Felix. He had more than he could spend anyway. "Give me half an hour, sir. She'll be here, I guarantee it." Money really could make people do anything. "Damn, first love's got some pull. 250 grand, just like that." Jack gave him a thumbs up.
By the time Jack returned to the private room, Madeline was gone. "What happened?" he asked. After Felix explained the situation to him, Jack sighed deeply. "Family can really mess you up, huh? I got kicked out, but at least I'm not drowning in debt. Damn." …It was midnight when they got back to Tabiner Bay. Instead of going home, Felix went to Yvonne's villa. He had received a call earlier. "Yvonne, what's up? It's pretty late," he said after he greeted her.Yvonne glanced at Felix. She then got up and said, "Have a seat. I'll be right back." She came downstairs a moment later, and Felix froze in his tracks. Yvonne was not even wearing pajamas. She was in purple lingerie that would make any man lose his mind. Her face was slightly flushed, and her eyes kept darting away, which made her even more alluring. "After last time, I… I've been thinking about it every night. Would you be willing to sleep with me again? I'm not looking for a commitment or to disrupt your life." F
The next morning, Felix got a call from Kane. "Mr. Zeller, we've figured out how the chief died. It was because his martial arts technique went wrong, not foul play." Since it was not murder, Felix relaxed a bit. He could now focus on Curtis' situation. "What about you?" Felix asked. Kane replied, "I've been promoted to Chief of Oasis Clinic, so I can't come back to Avesburgh. Mr. Zeller, the person I found for you should be there in two days max. Her name's Vivian. She's somewhat of a niece to me. "She's been with Dragon Alliance for almost four years and is a martial arts prodigy. She's already Deputy Chief of the Earthen Hall." The Earthen Hall? Felix was surprised. It was one of the top divisions in Dragon Alliance, as the people there handled all assassination missions. Getting in there required serious skill. For Vivian to have become a deputy chief in just a few years was indeed impressive. "Alright, tell her to contact me when she arrives," Felix said."Oh, and Mr.
"Mr. Zeller, I can't thank you enough. Our family's fate wouldn't have changed without your help," Wendy said. Felix smiled and said, "That's just how fate works. You earned this. Why thank me? You helped me plenty with those herbs, too." Wendy seemed to have gathered her courage and finally said, "Mr. Zeller, do I… do I have any chance of being with you? Given your talent, I know I don't deserve to be with you! But even if I could just be your mistress, I'd be willing to be one." Wendy was the heiress of Avesburgh's wealthiest family. Anyone who heard her speak so humbly in front of a man would have been shocked. Felix shook his head. "You deserve better. You've only seen one side of me, you hear me?" Though she had expected this, Wendy could not help feeling disappointed. "I understand. Mr. Zeller, I'll come back to visit when I can. I won't ask for much. Just answering my calls and having a meal with me would be enough." "We're friends. Isn't that what friends do?" As
A middle-aged man appeared as he said those words. His presence was intense, which made Olly's brow furrow slightly. Just by the aura, this newcomer seemed to match Olly in power. As for who was actually stronger, it would only be clear after a fight. But right now, Felix was the main issue."Did you witness my disciple's death?" Olly asked.The middle-aged man's lips curled into a smirk. "Not personally, but our guys saw it. Your disciple was killed in an instant. You really think you can take this guy down solo?" Felix turned to face the man. His eyes flashed coldly. "Inferno Clan, I gave you a chance. You've got balls sending someone else. Get ready to be wiped off the map then." He had enough on his plate and did not want to waste time on this. Plus, these assassin groups were a pain to track down. But with Dragon Alliance in his pocket now, it would not be impossible If he really wanted to find them. "Inferno Clan?" Olly's expression changed, and he chuckled and said, "Fel
The battle was raging on the other side, but Felix was not having it easy either.Five elders from the Maximus family had arrived after him. Two of them, at the late-stage of the Transcendent Realm, teamed up to fight Dickson, while the other three, at the middle-stage of the Transcendent Realm, launched an attack on Felix."You guys really have no shame. You're two realms above me, and still, you gang up on me three-to-one!" Felix had launched his Lone Paragon technique and was struggling to keep up."Just shut up. Your fate is sealed," one of them sneered.They didn't even acknowledge Felix's victory from the earlier fight, so why would they care about the ethics of ganging up on him?A few minutes later, Dickson was injured from the fight, while Felix was still desperately holding on. The fact that Felix was still in the fight alarmed the three middle-stage Transcendent Realm elders from the Maximus family.They thought, "Damn it, what's going on with this kid? Even if he laun
Inside the black smog was a perilous situation. The black mist seemed alive, stretching out countless tentacles that charged at Felix."Dancing Dragon!" Felix let out another command.The battle raged inside the smog. But outside, Atlas stood with his arms crossed and a faint smile on his lips."Mr. Marlow, don't worry. I have it under control. I won't kill him."Although he didn't receive a response from Dickson, it didn't dampen Atlas' confidence in winning the battle.This was his most powerful technique. When Obsidian Sky was unleashed, even an early-stage Transcendent Realm practitioner of the same level would suffer defeat on the spot. Middle-stage Transcendent practitioners would struggle to defend against it. As for Felix, so what if he had trained in the Dragon Destroyer technique? The Maximus family was a formidable force among martial artists.Suddenly, they heard a soft sound as a gap appeared in the black smog. Something surged out from inside.Atlas' expression c
"As the deputy chief of Harmony Clinic, I, Dickson Marlow, will not walk back on my promise," Dickson swore.The Maximus family members chortled at his reply.They knew for a fact that Atlas was an early-stage Transcendent Realm martial artist. On the other hand, Felix was just a martial artist in the Physical Refinement Realm. The outcome was already obvious.The Maximus family would prefer to bring Felix with them without laying a finger on him. After all, it wasn't their intention to offend those from Harmony Clinic, as that would mean insulting most alchemists in the industry. That might impede the growth of the Maximus family members in martial arts.Dickson's prior analysis was on point—even if he got into a fight with the Maximus family, they wouldn't kill him. The most they would do was to paralyze him so they could take Felix.If they killed Dickson, they would get into huge trouble with Harmony Clinic."Do you agree with that, Felix?" Dickson seemed exasperated after
Dickson nodded and started to pick his nose. "Oh, this feels great. Well, an alchemist can help, but we have a problem. There are ten alchemists who can cultivate pills for the early-stage and middle-stage Transcendent Realm martial artists. It'll get harder from middle-stage to late-stage—only five alchemists are qualified. "For now, only Bern and Delilah have the ability to cultivate pills needed for mastering the Transcendent Realm. Even then, their success rates are dismally low—out of ten attempts, they're lucky if they manage to produce two pills."Huh? That sounded really incredulous."As an alchemist, you need to understand that the rarer the pills, the more precious the herbs required. Gathering the ingredients for one attempt at cultivation takes a lot of time, effort, and emeralds. Factor in the slim success rate, and you might walk away empty-handed. That's why so many have failed in their quest to conquer the Transcendent Realm."Felix sank deep into his thoughts. T
"Mr. Marlow, do you not like to drive or sit in cars?" Felix asked with curiosity while he and Dickson ran."I don't like that stuff. It's too high-profile. I prefer traveling by foot, unless I'm traveling in a group. And you should call me Dicky or Dickson instead. 'Mr. Marlow' sounds a little odd."Felix replied, "Sure. How about just 'Marlow' then?"Dickson gave Felix a funny look. "Interesting. Usually, those who are close to me call me Dicky or Dickson. But you're going for Marlow. Anyway, it doesn't matter to me."In reality, Felix felt rather awkward calling someone Dicky, due to its association with the modern slang."By the way, Marlow, where's the headquarters of Harmony Clinic?""It's at the top of Sumera Mountain—rich in herbs. We've gotten the green light from the royalty to build our clinic on that mountain. In fact, we have the right to the entire mountain!"Felix was surprised to learn that Harmony Clinic's headquarters was not set in Martial City. Still, if Harm
Delilah said, "Your words have brought back memories. That old man is cunning and sly. While I don't consider him a real threat, removing him won't be a simple task. "He comes from the royal lineage and holds a high position as the general of the city's defense forces. His demise would not go unnoticed by the royal family." Felix was smart, but Delilah's tone hinted that there was more to the story. It seemed like she still had some limitations in Martial City, and there were certain individuals she couldn't risk angering."But don't worry," Delilah reassured. "I can easily transfer him out of North City to ensure your safety while you’re here." With that taken care of, Delilah got down to business. "I've already submitted your application for the Intermediate Alchemy Assessment. It will take place in five days at Harmony Clinic's headquarters. Unfortunately, I won't be able to accompany you. I made a promise to an old friend to refine some pills for him. Your presence has cau
Jeremy was known for his ruthless nature. With a flick of his hand, he sent an invisible force toward Mindy. She had no time to even scream before she collapsed in a pool of blood, her final sound unheard. Despite murdering his own family member, Jeremy acted as though it were no big deal and even managed to force a smile. "You can make one more request," he offered casually. Once again, Felix was reminded of the heartlessness of the inhabitants of Martial City. It was a place where strength equaled power. "Release Laura. From now on, she has no relation with the Larsson family."Jeremy waved his right hand again, and the ropes binding Laura snapped. She landed safely beside Felix. "Let's go," Felix said. With a deep exhale, Jeremy finally relaxed, only to come face-to-face with Jared. "Jeremy, I believe I'm owed an explanation, don't you think?" Jeremy narrowed his eyes at Jared. If this guy weren't the son of a high-ranking general in the city defense forces, he would ha
At that moment, Felix became aware of Jared's presence and realized the situation. Jared rose from his seat as well. "Felix, I had a feeling you'd show up to rescue Laura. "That's why I informed the head of the Larsson family beforehand, anticipating your attempt to deceive them by posing as Madam Goddard's disciple."Laura, who was in the process of getting hung, desperately wanted to say something. However, she had been silenced and could not utter a single word. The look in her eyes displayed a silent plea for Felix to leave as soon as possible and not to worry about her. If they both stayed, they would never be able to escape. However, Felix ignored her and remarked coldly, "So, you don't believe me?"Jeremy's eyes narrowed as if he were staring at something beneath him. "So today you're Madam Goddard's disciple," he scoffed. "What about tomorrow? Will another kid come along and claim to be Mr. Earnhart's disciple? And what about the day after that? It's absurd, and here
The locations of Harmony Clinic and the Larsson residence were in completely opposite directions. Jared speculated that at Felix's speed, there was no way he could make it to both places in time to save Laura. So, once Felix made his move, he was certain to go to the Larsson residence. To guarantee the success of this plan, Jared threatened one of Andrew's subordinates with life or death, forcing them to block all signals in the area surrounding Harmony Clinic.After all, Andrew held a high-ranking position in the city defense forces and had the power to make this happen. In Martial City, one of the four major cities under the rule of the royal family alongside Imperial City, various families held power and influence. However, they are all subordinate to the royal family, and their city defense forces are under their command.As time went by, in a courtyard belonging to the Larsson family in North City, Laura hung from a rope. Though she didn't show any visible signs of physical