Xena stood frozen in place. Xander's words repeated in her mind. It was exactly the same as what Felix had warned her earlier."What's wrong?" Xander asked.It wasn't until Xander spoke again that she snapped back to reality, realizing now wasn't the time to dwell on those thoughts."So… Can you cure my cousin?" Xena asked hesitantly.Xander nodded. "Yes! The poison in his body is strong. It will only be triggered by physical impact. But once it is identified, treating it is quite straightforward."Suddenly, a thought struck Xena. "Wait a second. You said his body can't handle any impact, but he was knocked unconscious by someone!"A strange look crossed Xander's face. He sighed helplessly. "You're a skilled martial artist yourself. Do you really think it always takes force to knock out an ordinary person? Just a touch to the right pressure point would have been enough."Xena fell silent as she watched Xander begin the treatment, but her mind drifted back to Felix. Why had he sa
Brandon answered right away, "How could that be possible? Xander, are you out of your mind? It was Phantom Poison, and you say they've been bedridden for how long? You're overestimating me. I bet only two people in the world could cure it. "If you talk nonsense like this again, don't blame me for blacklisting you."The sound of the call ending left Xena utterly stunned."Now, do you believe me?" Xander asked.Xander's expression was grave. The situation was too strange. Curtis had been cured, but they had no clue who did it. His curiosity was piqued to the extreme. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made that call in the first place.After a long moment, Xena anxiously asked, "Then who could it be? I didn't call any famous doctor. I know my own abilities. I couldn't even afford to hire Dr. Quinn, let alone a miracle doctor."Xander cautiously said, "Think carefully. As the goddess of war, you must have arranged for someone to secretly guard the villa and protect your grandfather. It wo
When Felix arrived at the restaurant, he pushed open the private room door, but Xena wasn't there. Instead, there was only Xander, who stood up, looking shocked."You… it's you!" Xander exclaimed.With a casual smile, Felix raised his hand and was about to leave. "Sorry. Wrong room."However, Xander hastily called after him. "No! You're not in the wrong room. This is the one Xena booked."Felix hesitated for a moment, but then he walked back inside. He asked, "What's going on? Did Xena invite you too?"Xander's emotions were a tangled mess. He never would have imagined that the mysterious doctor who cured Curtis turned out to be the young man he had once met at the gathering. Fate really had a strange way of playing tricks."I asked Xena to bring you here because I suspected that someone other than Dr. Quinn cured Curtis. Now, my biggest doubt has been cleared."After hearing Xander's explanation, Felix couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't expected such a misunderstanding. It must
For instance, the God of Death was an excellent assassin skilled at hiding. Even if the Phoenix Legion managed to find him, keeping him captured would be a whole other challenge."Though my superior and yours don't exactly get along, we're still friends. Since we're in Avesburgh, I had to notify you. If we really take down the God of Death, naturally, you'll get a share of the credit," Timothy said.Xena was genuinely touched. Any one of the Thirteen Aces on the Super S-rank wanted list didn't need to be put on trial. If found, they could be killed right away. That kind of honor was unparalleled.It could be said that whoever earned such a credit would have no trouble getting promoted."Bring a few capable fighters with you; the others shouldn't join. They're just cannon fodder for the God of Death. Your job is only to locate him. When the time comes, I'll make my move with a few Asuras."Xena nodded and headed out. She was the strongest in the Phoenix Legion, yet even she wasn't
The God of Death was in no state to listen to Felix's chatter and immediately fled. Now that he was terribly injured, finding the master healer would be his only chance at survival. Felix decided not to go after him. There was no point since the Inferno Clan would not dare cross him again. Besides, it would practically be impossible for the God of Death to escape with so many martial arts masters rushing over here. This actually worked in Felix's favor. At least he could wash his hands of the whole affair and avoid all the troubles that would follow. In the nearest alley, Xena arrived at the scene. Though the thunder had died down, she could sense where it came from with her skills. While she could not confirm it was the God of Death, the sudden thunderclap was definitely suspicious. A figure suddenly darted into the opposite end of the alley. Their eyes met for a split second before the figure charged straight at her. Xena's expression fell as she recognized the old man as the
Timothy leaned in and said with a playful tone, "The Asuras and I will never reach those heights, and that's just how it is. But you're different! Don't forget to buy me a drink when you become Warlord." Xena was ecstatic. She had not expected Timothy to decline any credit and report the truth. This meant she could skip the usual evaluations and networking. She would be promoted to Warlord directly. The boost in her status would be tremendous. On her way back, Xena glanced at a courtyard residence along the street where Felix now lived. While the sight sparked a thought, she did not dwell on it. She figured that Xander must have met with Felix by now. Then she chuckled at herself. What was she thinking? How could Felix possibly have healed Curtis? He was far too young to have such amazing medical skills. …Early the next morning, Felix headed out to go fishing with Ernest. He then found a car rudely blocking his gate. The only way out would be to step over the vehicle. Whoever
At the cafe, Xena found Xander happily digging into his meal. "You're really enjoying your breakfast, Dr. Fielding." Xander smiled and said, "Indeed. Everything tastes better when your mind's at ease." Xena watched him eat in silence. Though burning with questions, she could not bring herself to speak. Finally, Xander wiped his mouth, his eyes showing a glint of admiration. "I have to say, Lady Summers, you're really a lucky one. Not only are you climbing the ranks, but you've got some remarkable friends." Friends? Xena was puzzled. "What do you mean?" Now, it was Xander's turn to look confused. Could there be a misunderstanding? "Isn't Felix your friend?" Felix? A sense of unease crept over Xena. "Are you saying Felix is the one who healed Grandpa?" Xander nodded. "That's right! Remember what I mentioned before? Mr. Kinsley Senior was cured by a young doctor whose skills are even better than mine. You tried to look into it, but the Kinsley family kept quiet. "That pers
Felix was speechless. He had thought revealing the truth would change things, but clearly nothing had. "You've earned the right to pursue me now. You're getting closer to my ideal of what a man should be," Xena remarked.At this, Felix could not help but laugh bitterly. "I really don't know what to say to your narcissism. Think what you want. It's just one month, then we go our separate ways and never cross paths again." His attitude enraged Xena. "Did you seriously think being known as a teenage practitioner would make me chase after you? Let me tell you something. You'll never be able to catch up to me. I'm about to become Dragonia's first female Warlord and stand as equal with the Four Great Warlords. "Do you really think you have the right to act high and mighty with me? "Think carefully. I'm willing to give you a chance because you've proven your worth. If you miss this opportunity, you won't get another!" After Xena left, Felix collected himself. While her arrogance
The existence of crossbreeds was classified as top secret by headquarters. If word got out, even if the general public remained unaware, just the knowledge reaching certain members within headquarters would cause mass panic.Would you dare to question whether your partner might be a Malevolent Phantom? Would you risk wondering if your child inherited some of its traits and became a crossbreed? No one wanted to shoulder that responsibility.Take Johann and his team, for example. They had absolutely no knowledge of crossbreeds, and their resistance right now stemmed entirely from their own moral convictions."Sir!"Johann didn't dare stop Felix outright, but he raised his voice to make his stance clear. The others followed suit, not to mention Lina, who was still sobbing uncontrollably, and Steve, whose eyes were red with fury as he glared at Felix without a hint of fear."Mr. Zeller! If you're really going to take my grandson, you'll have to step over my dead body first!"Tears st
"So what?" Lina asked. "Even if I lied, what does that person's death have to do with my son?"Felix suddenly roared, "Are you telling me that when you opened the door, your son never left your sight for even a second?""I—"Lina opened her mouth but suddenly found herself at a loss for words. That instinctive hesitation was the most telling of all."Get the car ready. Take her with us. We're going to Lina's house.""Yes, sir!"The convoy arrived at a luxurious mansion in Zuera. The moment Felix and his team rushed inside, they saw Steve sitting in the living room, holding a three-year-old boy in his arms."Mr. Zeller, why are all of you here?"Lina, restrained by Felix's men, screamed in a frenzy, "Dad! Save Leonardo! They're trying to take him away!"Then, she turned to Felix, shouting in fury, "You monsters! He's just three years old, and you suspect him of murder? I'll expose you! I'll take you to court!"By the time she finished, she was sobbing uncontrollably."Mr. Zel
Even though Lina knew Felix held an unimaginably high status—so high that even Steve feared him—his continued questioning and the direction of his suspicions pushed her to the edge. The mere idea that her son might be involved sent her into a silent rage.She was a mother, and when it came to her child, she did not care who the hell the other person was."I'm just asking questions," Felix said flatly. "Just answer them. Don't make me start quoting laws and rights to get you to cooperate."His voice was so calm. For a moment, Lina wondered if she had overreacted, so she took a breath and continued.She explained, "He wasn't in the stall. It's way too small in there. I left the door cracked open so he could see me, and since I had the tether on, plus the nanny and driver waiting outside, I wasn't worried about him wandering off."Felix did not say anything right away. He stood there, clearly deep in thought.Silvercrest Restaurant might have been an upscale dining place, but it was
"Can you cooperate now?" Felix asked calmly.Lina snapped back to her senses, her face burning with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I'll fully cooperate from now on."Sure enough, seeing the richest man's daughter completely fold made the rest of the group abandon any rebellious thoughts. Whatever frustration they had been feeling vanished instantly.Once they were settled, Felix began examining them closely. This was not just a casual observation. He activated his Spirit Eye, a skill from the Phaeron Codex that allowed him to see into a person's soul.After reaching Higher Spirit Realm, Felix had gained access to this ability, but he had never actually used it to inspect a Malevolent Phantom before. Still, he was sure of one thing—their souls would look nothing like normal humans'.So, checking with Spirit Sight was a far more reliable method than looking at whether someone's wounds were healing.When Felix finished scanning all nine people, he froze, completely s
A few minutes later, Felix stepped into the restroom that had been sealed off. It was a fully enclosed space, with no windows—just a single ventilation fan. That meant there was only one entrance and exit.He examined the body sitting upright on the toilet in one of the stalls. The man's head was resting gently against the tiled wall. His pants were already pulled back up and fastened, clearly indicating he had finished using the restroom. More importantly, it was obvious no one had touched or tampered with the body.Felix commented, "No need to call in forensics. There are no external wounds, and his internal organs are completely intact. We can also rule out heart failure or brain hemorrhages. This wasn't caused by any natural condition."With his medical background, it only took Felix a glance to determine the truth.Johann replied, "Yes, sir. But then… what now? Should we interrogate those nine people?"The closer they got to confirming Malevolent Phantoms were involved, the
Felix said, "Go ahead, Delilah. Zara's in your hands now—take care of her on the road.""Don't worry," Delilah replied.Once Zara was gone, Felix stood there for a moment, feeling a weight settle over his chest. She had already been through so much just surviving the ordeal of Twinshade Body, and he had promised himself—without saying a word—that he would make sure she never suffered like that again.However, no one could have predicted the sudden arrival of the Malevolent Phantoms. That was a nightmare nobody could escape, and only by ending it would they have the right to even dream of a peaceful life.…That evening, as the sun dipped low on the horizon, Felix was having dinner with Luna at a quiet restaurant, and Paul had joined them, too."Thank you, Mr. Zeller. Holden is awake and doing surprisingly well," Paul said, raising his glass.He was genuinely grateful. Even the doctors had called it a miracle. Holden had a severed artery and was transported across a long distance
"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