In the cemetery, Jaden and Xena walked toward a distant figure. An elderly man stood alone before a gravestone, his silhouette a picture of loneliness."Isn't this too sudden? Mr. Summers Senior doesn't even know I'm the one who saved his life," Jaden whispered.His confidence was shaken after learning about Felix and Xena's engagement. After all, the greatest favor had not been reveal yet. Xena reassured him, "It's fine. I'll explain everything. Grandpa knew about his condition before he fell into a coma."Relieved, Jaden teased, "So, does this mean you're ready to date me?""I promised I'd give us a chance if you saved Grandpa," Xena replied. "I'll keep my word, but we'll need time to become an official couple." Jaden nodded, "I understand. Once we fall for each other, it's a lifelong commitment. I'm not in a rush." To him, the wait was nothing. His mentor had already pointed out the benefits of having Xena in his life for his martial arts training. If he had been patient
Curtis' frown deepened. "I told you before that your future husband would come for you this year. You were supposed to marry him, not get involved with another man. "Are you disregarding my wishes? I've never opposed anything you wanted to do in your life. Is fulfilling this one engagement too much to ask?"Xena sighed. It was true that Curtis had always supported her choices, even when her parents objected. Perhaps that was why she became the formidable warrior she was. Besides, the engagement was indeed his only request."But, Grandpa," Xena pleaded, "Marriage is a life-changing commitment. Why are you clinging to this outdated concept of arranged marriages? Don't I have a say in my own love life?"Curtis patted Xena's shoulder. "I'm not old-fashioned, sweetheart. This engagement wasn't my idea—it was your great-grandpa's."Xena gasped. She thought it was impossible, given how far back this mess actually started. Not only that, but her parents were probably not even born then.
"Grandpa, did I… did I just space out?" Xena furrowed her brows, feeling like something had been off previously. However, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It all felt very strange.Curtis took a step forward. "Come on, let's talk about it when we get back. I've already made up my mind."He understood how much his father sacrificed for this marriage arrangement. Felix's master was such a powerful figure. However, they still needed to consider the realities of the present world. Still, Curtis swore not to disappoint his father.…As soon as Felix stepped off the plane in Yartford, someone came up to greet him. "Mr. Zeller, I'm with the headquarters of the Traditional Medicine Association. You can call me Howard. If you need anything today or tomorrow, just let me know."Felix nodded. "Thanks for your help, Howard."Howard Xavier, who was relatively young, was genuinely surprised by Felix's demeanor. Felix was the last of the nine young, renowned doctors to arrive. The oth
The traffic situation in Yartford being terrible was common knowledge. Hence, Felix immediately said, "As long as it doesn't delay my participation in the competition, we can head to your place first. I hope you know that I mean it sincerely."Howard couldn't help but feel moved by that. Instead of continuing straight, he immediately made a right turn. "Mr. Zeller, thank you, really. My family is in serious trouble, but I promise it won't delay you.""Where's your home?" Felix asked. After getting an answer, he sent out a quick message on WhatsApp. He certainly didn't want this situation to cause any delays. About half an hour later, they pulled into an older residential area. The neighborhood clearly showed its age, with cars parked everywhere. Only older complexes from back in the day lacked planned parking spaces."Mr. Zeller, please wait here. I'll head up and deal with this," Howard said before entering the building nearby. Felix got out of the car as well, and less than a mi
The next moment, Howard was shoved aside as a man and a woman entered the room."So, you're Felix Zeller?" Liam Lawson's expression was disdainful, and he rudely pointed at Felix with his right hand. He looked like an average guy. There was nothing particularly striking about his appearance. The woman, on the other hand, looked even worse. Her face was covered in pockmarks, and her mouth had a slight slant. However, her hair looked impressive. Thick and jet-black, it was tied in a ponytail.Seeing that Felix continued sipping his tea and ignored them entirely, Liam became angry and was about to speak when the woman interrupted."My name is Zara Morgan. I've already defeated the others who were selected to come here. They all admitted that their medical skills couldn't compare to mine. Now, you're the only one left. I don't want to waste time, so let's have a match. "If you beat me, the right to compete against the modern medicine practitioners from Guneria tomorrow will be you
"Shut up!" Zara snapped at Liam, her patience finally worn thin. Since meeting Felix, she had sensed something exceptional about him—a feeling that he wouldn't be easily defeated. She had tried to maintain her focus, preparing herself for the toughest challenge. However, Liam's repeated interruptions had tested her limits. Hence, she was genuinely angry.Seeing that his attempts to ingratiate himself had backfired, Liam quickly zipped his mouth and shook his head, signaling that he would keep quiet.At that moment, Felix flicked three silver needles, which flew precisely into Howard's acupoints. Howard instantly closed his eyes, his expression turning to intense relaxation and enjoyment."That's it?" Even though Liam had vowed to stay silent, he couldn't help but stifle a laugh, his expression twisting with amusement.However, Zara suddenly strode over to Howard and observed him closely. After a moment, she inhaled sharply and opened her eyes in disbelief."Oh my God! How is thi
Felix couldn't help but marvel at how renowned Liam's "queen" was. Even though Liam had a loose tongue, he had still been chosen to participate, indicating that his skills in traditional medicine were quite strong and that he had a considerable reputation in the field. In traditional medicine, knowledge was typically passed down from a mentor. Hence, self-taught practitioners were rare. This meant that Liam's mentor was also likely a highly respected doctor. Yet, despite his background, he spoke of his "queen" as an unrivaled figure in their age group, which spoke volumes about her status.After about ten minutes, the room settled, and the last of the movements ceased. An elderly man, William Ziegler, the president of the Traditional Medicine Association's headquarters, stood up. His position was one of great authority."Everyone here understands the significance of tomorrow's competition. The nine young traditional medicine practitioners recommended for this event are now presen
"I am also withdrawing!" Liam declared.After witnessing Felix's use of the Pierce of Trinity firsthand, Liam had no objections to his skill, so he saw no point in continuing the competition.With Liam and Zara withdrawing, the other eager participants hesitated. After a moment, they each followed suit and withdrew as well. After all, if they couldn't even defeat Zara, they stood no chance against Felix. It was better to step back than risk embarrassment in such a crowd.The turn of events didn't surprise William. He then turned his attention to the burly man who had initially voiced objections."What do you think?" William asked.The man had a displeased expression. "Hmph! I seriously question the intentions behind these nominations! How can you expect such a bunch of weaklings to represent our country? "It's laughable that they lack even the courage to compete, yet they dare to call themselves the best young practitioners in traditional medicine!"Liam was irritated by the re
Inside the pavilion, Felix reached the top floor. He spotted a young man with tan skin lounging on a couch. On the floor beside him was a pitiful-looking woman. The woman did not react to Felix's arrival at all. Her eyes were blank. The young man, however, spoke up. "Check her out. Can you fix her?" Felix did not move. Instead, he asked, "What happens if I can heal her?" This young man was clearly Koros, the Malevolent Phantom. He looked up at Felix with surprise. "Interesting. You're the first person who didn't even bother looking at her before trying to cut a deal." Though Felix stayed silent, his expression made it clear he was waiting for an answer. "It's simple. If you heal her, I'll leave Medic's Haven, and all these people can go on living their lives. Pretty good deal, right? But the real question is—can you actually do it?" Felix remained rooted to his spot. "I thought A-tier Malevolent Phantoms were stuck in their territories. How are you moving around freely?"
Magnus was the Supreme Elder of Medic's Haven and had met with Felix not long ago. He was a man of integrity who had devoted himself to advancing traditional medicine. Yet, he was now dead and couldn't even rest in peace. After all, his body had been torn to pieces and hung up as a warning to others. "Screw this! I'll kill that bastard!" Finally, Felix could not contain himself anymore. He was here to kill the Malevolent Phantom anyway. The process didn't matter as long as he could get the job done. Claro and Roger were terrified. They seemed to have anticipated this reaction and rushed to persuade him, "Dr. Zeller, please stay calm!" "You absolutely cannot act rashly. Though we also want to avenge Mr. Grimwald, that Malevolent Phantom holds the lives of thousands of people in Medic's Haven." Felix slowly sat back down, remembering what Xena had told him. If he couldn't figure this out, he could not afford to move. He couldn't bear the responsibility for thousands of deaths
Felix looked at the middle-aged man who had just appeared. The man's gaze was icy cold, and he definitely didn't look like he was joking. Felix asked, "Is that so? Where should I strip?" While pointing with his right hand, the middle-aged man spoke firmly. "Right here." Felix couldn't help but snicker. "What an unreasonable demand." He had never heard that visitors of Medic's Haven were required to strip for a body examination. Not just Medic's Haven—there couldn't be such an unreasonable requirement anywhere else in the world. "Fine then. I wish Medic's Haven continued success." With that, Felix turned to leave but was suddenly called back. "Wait, young man. Don't go yet." Felix turned around to see another middle-aged man who had just emerged. As the man was about to speak, his eyes suddenly widened. "Are you Dr. Zeller?" Felix wondered if that man had recognized him. This wasn't surprising, considering the commotion Felix had caused at Medic's Haven back then. After
Jack mumbled, "Damn it, I'm so jealous you have so many wives."Felix thought to himself, "Oh no." And sure enough, Vanessa's face darkened with anger. "Nessa, he's just talking nonsense while drunk. Don't take it personally." Vanessa stretched her neck and smiled, though her smile made even Felix feel uncomfortable. "Listen to yourself. Why would I get upset over what some drunk man says?" As he watched the car drive away, Felix silently mourned for his good friend. He guessed that when Jack woke up tomorrow, he'd be in for a world of hurt. The next morning, Felix was in the car heading toward Medic's Haven when he received a call from Donna. "There's an A-tier Malevolent Phantom inside Medic's Haven. Don't worry, an S-tier would absolutely never do something like this." So it was indeed an A-tier, just as he had suspected. "How did this thing manage to erase ten people's souls simultaneously? And according to the monitoring personnel on site, no one even saw the Malevo
Felix thought he had misheard. There was no way Malevolent Phantoms would provoke humans. "Do you know what you're talking about?" On the other end, Xena raised her voice, as if to remind him that this was serious business. "You heard me correctly! Do you remember Medic's Haven?" "Of course I do." Because of a man named Ethan, Felix had visited Medic's Haven back then. He hadn't paid much attention to it since then. After eliminating some corrupt elements, Medic's Haven's existence had only benefited Dragonia with no downsides. Many highly skilled traditional medicine practitioners were trained there, and Silas was one of them. "What does this have to do with Medic's Haven?" Xena continued, "A Malevolent Phantom has appeared at Medic's Haven and claimed to have occupied the place. It's demanding we send highly skilled medical practitioners there, or it will start killing people." What the hell! Had it completely lost its mind? Felix's expression changed. He was sure the
Felix hadn't realized anything was wrong until he returned to Newtown that evening. He was totally stunned when he saw the scene before him. "What's going on here?" The massive living room was filled with beautiful women. Besides Eloise, Dahlia, and Karina, all his other fellow apprentices had somehow arrived. Including Nerissa, there were seven gorgeous women in total. Felix felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, and he felt nervous. After all, what man wouldn't feel uncomfortable with seven beautiful women giving him such suggestive looks? "Don't ask. It was all Aunt Cordelia who invited us here," Rosalie said with a mischievous smile before Cordelia stood up. "Alright, everyone, go get ready. Don't worry. Nerissa has already agreed, so I'll handle the rest of the arrangements." The women departed one by one, leaving behind a thoroughly confused Felix. "Mom, what are you trying to do?" Cordelia walked over and took Felix's hand. "You're not getting any younger, F
Kingston's soul was covered in dense soul ties, and countless threads wove through his soul."I'm a Black Soul Scout, second to the White Soul Scout! I have many secrets up my sleeves. Do you really think you can get priceless information out of me, Felix? Stop your wishful thinking!" he sneered smugly."Maybe you think you're truly powerful, but these ties are all linked together! Just cutting one would crush my entire soul. In the end, you'll get nothing!"Felix had miscalculated. He didn't expect the Scarlet Lord to be so cunning."I'd advise you to let me go. Just because we're not confronting you head-on, doesn't mean we're afraid of you! There are reasons why we're not. But if you kill a Black Soul Scout like me, the Hall of Souls will definitely go to war with you!"As Kingston spoke, he felt like he had more and more control over the situation; like the tides were turning in his favor. "You've provoked the Ancient Sage, killing two of his Eight Guardians. Do you really t
After some time had passed, Felix rode a rental bike to a parking spot near the rented house. After all, the show still needed to go on. At this point, his soul power had been fully restored.As for Xena, her soul must've improved as well. If he could successfully capture the Black Soul Scout, it would be like killing two birds with one stone! After paying off the bike and taking a few steps, Felix felt a dark energy coming toward him.The energy wasn't strong, but it was enough to make him trip. He didn't dodge or avoid it, just merely pretending that he didn't notice. When the dark energy reached him, his body felt unstable, falling straight to the ground."What the hell?" he muttered, getting up from the ground. He looked around but continued to walk forward helplessly.The Black Soul Scout was truly cautious. Even with three soul barriers, Felix was still being tested. Was it because of how he looked? Was this its final test?After entering the rental house, he turned on the t
As Felix looked at the various swarms of clothing rushing into the store, he had no time to think and decide. In his "final attempt" to escape, he closed his eyes desperately, letting the clothes swarm him.Felix had decided to take a gamble. Orchard Square had never reported a murder, after all. The Black Soul Scout had set up multiple soul barriers, making it complicated. It was definitely not for killing.Otherwise, wouldn't it be better to have done it from the start, or killed them in secret? Why did they have to go to a mall where people gather?When Felix opened his eyes again, he knew he had won his bet. At this moment, he was definitely still in Orchard Square. He was sitting on a bench and the customers who walked in and out were extremely normal.He turned to look at the time and it had been an hour since he had entered Orchard Square. Strangely, it lined up perfectly with the time he had spent in the illusion. As he glanced around, he noticed a few people sitting on cha