George had murmured under his breath, which piqued Felix's interest. Indeed, for the first time, no one in the entire hall placed a counterbid, proving that George had not been exaggerating."30 million dollars," the electronically-altered voice from earlier announced. It was done to protect the identity of those in the private boxes. Knowing the drill, the auctioneer did not wait for another bid and immediately brought the hammer down. He declared, "Sold for 30 million dollars! Congratulations!" Even though Nala could have easily won with a casual bid of a few hundred thousand, she chose to pay a respectable amount. It spoke volumes about her wealth and integrity."Still think you have a shot at Item 18?" George persisted, trying to dissuade Felix from challenging Nala as he was unaware of just how crucial Moon's Tear was to him."We'll see. I think I know what Lady Nala is up to," Felix replied.George could not help but be curious and asked, "Oh? Care to share?"Felix expl
Felix's bold move caught the attention of everyone in the room. The crowd whispered among themselves, wondering who this newcomer was. They could not believe that he actually dared to challenge Nala as he would surely not stand a chance.Even the auctioneer, who had hosted the Golden Prime Auction for years, was taken aback by this unprecedented turn of events. It was his first time seeing someone competing against Nala.Yvonne reported, "Miss, Felix raised his hand."She was stunned by his action and could not understand what Felix was trying to achieve. It would have been understandable if he had been at the event alone. However, he was with George, who would have undoubtedly warned him beforehand.Nala's eyes sparkled with intrigue as she watched the scene unfold below. "Let's see what kind of connection he can pull out," she mused. There were only a few true master healers in Dragonia, and the top three were so highly regarded that even many so-called important figures would
The moment the auctioneer confirmed the Miracle Card's authenticity, the room erupted. The once-quiet auction hall was buzzing with discussion. After all, the power and value of a Miracle Card were impossible to ignore."F-Felix actually traded a Miracle Card for Moon's Tear?" Yvonne stuttered, dumbfounded by Felix's decision. As Nala said before, Yvonne also thought it was simply short-sighted of Felix to do so. With the right strategy, a Miracle Card could yield an unimaginable return. For instance, the Kinsley family from Avesburgh had been wise. They made a spectacle of auctioning off a Miracle Card, which caught the attention of Moonshadow Alliance. Consequently, they had gone from being a small local name to a recognized force in Yartford, gaining a foothold in record time. Hence, Yvonne regarded Felix's move as a waste.Nala's disappointment was palpable. "If you don't have anything worth keeping in Avesburgh, don't bother going back," she told Yvonne coldly.Yvonne cou
When Felix landed in Avesburgh at midnight, his phone buzzed with missed calls and messages as he turned it on. Among the callers were people from Tabiner Bay, Ernest, and even Xena.Felix was puzzled, wondering why so many people tried to reach him even at this late hour. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to call Ernest back. The man had tried several times, so it had to be something urgent. "Mr. Holt Senior, I just landed. Is everything okay?""You need to come back quickly. Your villa caught fire. It's just been put out, but there's nothing much left."Felix's mind immediately flashed to Harold, and he made a silent decision as he rushed to Tabiner Bay. When he arrived, Xena was waiting at the entrance, and the villa was nothing more than a charred shell behind her. "Do you need the Phoenix Legion to help with the investigation?" Xena asked, her expression neutral.She knew a regular fire would unlikely harm a skilled martial artist like Felix unless he had
Xena scoffed at the idea that Felix had stayed all day. She thought it was a pathetic attempt to impress her, doubting that his presence could actually wake Curtis. Nonetheless, she did not dwell on the matter and stepped out into the courtyard, her gaze fixed in the distance as if waiting for someone. About half an hour later, a car pulled up, and Jaden stepped out. "Xena, I've brought Dr. Quinn," he announced proudly. Xena had rushed back to Avesburgh because Jaden had managed to secure Brandon's services. Despite being only one rank above Seth, Brandon's medical skills were vastly superior. Among master healers, the top three were the true legends. Even Xena herself did not have the influence to summon him, so Jaden's success was impressive. She believed if anyone could heal Curtis, it would be Brandon. As Jaden finished speaking, he opened the car door, and a man in his 50s stepped out—it was none other than Brandon himself. Unlike the usual elderly doctors with graying h
"Dr. Quinn, how did it go?" Jaden asked on Xena's behalf as he sensed her tension.Brandon's scowl deepened, and he scoffed. "Did you really call me all the way here for this? He's fine. He'll be up and about in a few days." The renowned doctor was clearly annoyed at being summoned for what he considered a trivial matter. After all, Curtis only had some blocked circulation—nothing that required a master healer. Any decent hospital or regular traditional medical practitioner could have handled it. "He's... cured?" Xena stood frozen in disbelief while Jaden rushed to see Brandon off.When Jaden returned, he saw Xena still standing at the same spot. He urged, "You should go check on Mr. Summers Senior!"They went inside the room together. Although neither were doctors, they were impressive martial artists and could roughly assess someone's physical condition. Since Xena visited Curtis daily, she immediately noticed the dramatic difference. His complexion was rosy, and his breathi
"Is that so? Well, I wish you safe travels," Felix responded.Yvonne tried to hide her disappointment behind a smile. She asked, "I wasn't going to mention this, but… why didn't you maximize the benefit of having a Miracle Card?" She had spent enough time around Felix to know he was not foolish, and her curiosity about his choices was natural.Felix chuckled. "You were also at the Golden Prime Auction? I did maximize my benefit. Moon's Tear was exactly what I needed most." Realizing further discussion was pointless, Yvonne turned to leave. "Good luck with everything. Bye, Felix." As she turned to leave, Felix suddenly stood up. He wanted to say something, but the words would not come out. For some reason, Yvonne was walking really slowly too.Just as she reached the threshold, Felix asked, "Can you stay?" Yvonne froze on the spot, tears streaming down her face. She did not dare turn back, fearing she would give in and stay for good. While she did not care what would h
Felix breathed a sigh of relief when he received the text message. Averill had come through for him just as expected. Locating someone Yale had hidden away was a task akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Yet, she was highly efficient, taking only a few days to complete what seemed nearly impossible. Felix turned his attention back to Harold, who was still sprawled in the chair as if he owned the place. Then, Felix approached with a smirk and ordered, "Call Yale. Tell him I have crucial information about the founder that I need to discuss in person."Felix knew this would guarantee an immediate meeting with Yale, who could not afford to ignore anything related to Dragon Alliance's founder. Harold scoffed. "Do you think I'll just do what you say? That's rich. Maybe if you got down on your knees and begged, I might consider it."Before he could finish his taunt, Felix lashed out, shattering the bones in Harold's left arm with a swift kick. Next, he inserted a silver
"Mr. Hoffman?" Felix muttered. No wonder Delilah had shown up in person."Why didn't Mr. Hoffman just call me?" he asked.Delilah shrugged, raising both hands. "Because it's not convenient. If you make one choice, I can report back and be done with it, saving everyone the time."Felix nodded, finally curious about this big choice. Then, Delilah asked, "Zara, the one with Twinshade Body, came to see you, didn't she?"That caught Felix off guard. "How do you know about that?"Delilah rolled her eyes with a little smirk. If one of her fans saw her like this, they would probably faint from the shock.She explained, "It's not like I'm psychic. Mr. Hoffman told me. Ever since you left Martial City and came back, he's had Ophelia keeping an eye on Zara the whole time, so of course he knows."Ophelia? That explained why he had not seen her around since coming back. "So, what's the choice Mr. Hoffman wants me to make? Is it really about Zara?"Delilah nodded firmly. "Exactly. Mr. Hoff
Donna said, "Felix, Specter's the kind of guy who'll stop at nothing. I'll hold back and observe for now, but if you really prove you've got what it takes, I'll act like I never even saw that woman."…Later, Zara was resting her chin in both palms with a sweet, innocent smile on her face. She hummed, "Mhm!"Felix let out a groan and rubbed his face. "Don't just say 'mhm'! Did you even understand what I just told you?"After piecing together everything Donna had said, Felix laid it all out for Zara. Since Specter could strike at any time and Zara still did not know what Malevolent Phantoms even were, he figured she needed to hear it all."Of course I understood. Relax, honey. I'm not stupid," Zara replied casually. Since she got it, Felix finally let himself relax, too. A weight lifted off his chest, and for the first time in a while, he really looked at Zara's flawless face. He thought, "Yeah—there's no way I can hold back anymore."He said, "Let's take care of something… imp
Felix finally snapped out of it. Just moments ago, Donna had looked so grim, claiming something big was about to happen. Yet now, after her whole speech, it was all about the benefits of Zara being a Hollow Soul.Donna said, "Hollow Soul has a unique trait. If consumed, it can greatly boost your chances of success.""Consumed?" That one word made Felix's face darken instantly. "Success in what exactly?"Donna had tried to be vague, but there was no way Felix did not get the implication. To put it bluntly, she was talking about eating Zara's soul."Whether you're stuck at a plateau in your cultivation, your soul is mutating, or you're trying to master powerful soul-based techniques—offensive or defensive—if it's soul-related, Hollow Soul can drastically increase your chances of success."Felix's expression shifted as something came rushing back to him. Billy had once told him that when the Mystical Explosive Orb absorbed enough soul essence to reach capacity, it could be used to re
Donna added one more thing, her tone grave, "All of S-tier Malevolent Phantoms build our defenses entirely with soul energy. You've clashed with Specter twice now—you should know this already. "So, if your wife ever charged straight at one of us, those terrifying, nearly impenetrable defenses we rely on would shatter like cheap glass in front of her. Hollow Soul breaks right through."That was when it all finally clicked for Felix. Hollow Soul was not just rare—it was a natural-born nemesis to any soul cultivator. Anyone with even a hint of alternative strength could put up a fight, but for beings like Malevolent Phantoms, who relied purely on soul energy, the only real option was to run.Moreover, Zara was not just some non-combatant with a powerful trait. She was the real deal—peak of Grandmaster Realm. With that in mind, Specter's retreat made perfect sense.He asked, "She can't sense the Hollow Soul trait herself, right?"Donna nodded. "Yeah. Unless someone actually explains
Felix urged, "What do you mean by that? Can you not talk in riddles right now?"He was practically squirming with anticipation. It was the first time he had ever seen Donna—an S-tier Malevolent Phantom—so hesitant to speak."Can I say this in front of her?" Donna asked, glancing toward Zara.Felix nodded without hesitation. If it were anyone else, maybe he would have kept them out of the conversation, but Zara was not like other people. Right now, the only thing that seemed to stir her emotions was Felix—absolutely nothing else.Seeing his response, Donna finally spoke up, "Hollow Soul can completely ignore all soul-based attacks, including soul-bound weapons.""What?" Felix stood frozen. He honestly was not sure he had heard her right. The possibility of something being immune to all soul-based attacks sounded ridiculous. And then, a memory flashed—Specter had tried to obliterate his soul, and the attack had clearly been launched. However, the moment Zara showed up, it all ju
Donna said, "Alright. I agree to your terms. And don't worry—when Malevolent Phantoms give our word, we mean it. Specter showing up like that was a complete surprise to me, too. I never imagined he'd go that far off the rails."Seeing that Felix had finally cooled down, Donna spoke again, "Take out the Mystical Explosive Orb. The imprint Specter placed on it has a time limit. If you wait too long, it'll fade."Felix thought that made sense. If anyone could just take someone else's Mystical Explosive Orb and casually absorb their soul essence, the entire system would have collapsed a long time ago. With that in mind, he pulled out the orb and gripped it in his right hand. Donna leaned forward and tapped Specter's orb against it. In an instant, a surge of soul energy shot straight into Felix's soul. The rush was just as satisfying as killing a Malevolent Phantom directly, and the amount was no joke."I'll be heading out now," Donna said, turning to leave.Felix called after her, "W
At the edge of Zuera, near the city border, Felix met with Donna. For now, he kept Zara in the car and did not ask her to step out.Felix teased, "I'm guessing S-tier Malevolent Phantoms like you are too proud to ever say 'sorry' to someone like me, huh?"Donna nodded. "This time, it was my mistake. I didn't expect Specter to be bold enough to pull something like that."To say Felix was not angry would have been a lie—he had nearly lost his life because of this. Of course, he had every right to be furious.He argued, "A mistake? Do you even realize that your so-called 'mistake' almost got my soul erased from existence? Then again, judging by how Specter behaved, "It's clear he wasn't interested in the Mystical Explosive Orb, which means you didn't lose a damn thing. You can just move on and pick your next partner like nothing happened."Donna knew she was in the wrong and did not try to reason.Felix continued, "I just don't get it! Zuera's S-tier Phantoms wouldn't let you in,
Terrence's eyes were surprisingly clear as he gave Felix a faint smile. He said, "I'm a dead man anyway, so why worry about all that? Even if I hadn't told you, I doubt you would've fallen for the trick. I could tell from the way you fought—you're too sharp for that."He looked at Felix, his gaze distant with a hint of nostalgia. He added, "Felix, I believe you're one of the few who'll truly shake the world in the days to come. Let me go in peace. If you can, cremate me. I've never liked the idea of rotting underground."Felix pressed a finger to Terrence's forehead, and the latter closed his eyes.Felix still did not dare use soul search on any of Eight Guardians—mainly because of the Ancient Sage. Just thinking back to Bonnie was proof enough that the Ancient Sage's expertise in soul techniques ran deep. There was no saying what kind of protections or traps were in place, and one misstep could backfire in ways Felix could not afford. Besides, the Guardians were not going around
Felix finally felt relaxed once they arrived in Zuera. For now, it looked like Specter was not coming back—at least not anytime soon. Still, he needed to check with Donna to know for sure.He said, "Zara, give me a minute."Right now, the priority was getting some answers out of Terrence. That mattered more than anything else. Otherwise, Felix would have already killed him instead of dragging him back here.In the hotel suite, Terrence lay half-dead on the bed, barely conscious. Yet, when Felix walked in, he actually smiled.He said calmly, "Getting killed by someone like you? Honestly, I've got no regrets. Ask whatever you want. I'll tell you what I can. But if it's something I'm not supposed to reveal, not even a soul search will get it out of me."Felix did not doubt that at all. After all, Eight Guardians served directly under the Ancient Sage—a figure whose power and methods were far beyond anything Felix could predict or afford to mess with. Especially since that exact figur