Crippled! That word struck everyone present like a physical blow and left them frozen in place. "What… what do you mean by crippled? Will he be bedridden forever?" Xena clutched her chest as tears welled up. At this moment, she was not the revered goddess of war, just a helpless woman. Silas shook his head. "No, not exactly. The Five Points of Ascension ranks third among our highest medical techniques. Brandon knows how impossibly difficult it is to perform it, so he never mastered it in his entire life! Once mastered, it elevates one's medical skills tremendously. "The greater the effect, the greater the cost. Besides, Felix did it continuously over a dozen times. In my estimation, only the rumored one and the miracle doctor himself could do this without consequences!" Silas' eyes were filled with admiration. Such was a practitioner's compassion. Felix likely only considered the feelings of the children suffering from the Bloom Seeds, with no thought for himself. "Every one
Nala made no attempt to hide her thoughts. "That's right. To me, he's no different from any other cripple now. It's a shame, really. His hidden talents had made him worthy of being my fiancé. I was ready to give him a chance, but life's full of unexpected turns." As Yvonne tried to protest, Nala grabbed her collar. "I know what you want to say. Don't. Felix has lost all standing, including any claim to you. Did you think I hadn't noticed you falling in love with him? When he was still exceptional a few hours ago, I might have accepted him–and you could have been his naturally. "But he's ruined now, understand? You're forbidden from any further contact with him. Since Felix is no longer useful, it's time for you to serve your purpose. Your wedding will be held in one month." After Nala left, Yvonne looked toward Felix's room, tears flowing freely. She had said it many times before—Yvonne had no right to choose her destiny. Everything was at Nala's command. "Take care, Felix. I…
Felix froze, then gave a wry smile. "Is it fun joking with someone who just recovered from a near-death experience?" But Xena's expression remained serious. "Do I look like I'm joking?" When Felix collapsed bleeding last night, Xena felt her heart shatter. Only then did she realize her true feelings for him. Those were feelings she had been denying all along. "Yes, I am materialistic, but not mindlessly so! Reality has shown us countless examples of why matching social status matters! I have the looks, figure, and status of the goddess of war. Is it wrong of me to want a better partner?" Felix suddenly realized he had no counterargument. He remembered a news story about a man who worked to put his girlfriend through school. After she earned her doctorate, they married, but the marriage lasted barely two years. According to her, they had lost their common ground. Their vast status difference had created an unbridgeable gap in their worldviews. The internet had split opinions
"This is Felix Zeller, who saved all your lives," the orphanage director said.At these words, a dozen children clumsily kneeled. Their voices were full of gratitude as they said, "Thank you, Mr. Zeller!" "You're amazing! The pain is all gone now!" "Hehe! I want to be just like Mr. Zeller when I grow up. I will become a doctor and save lots and lots of people!" "Me too! I don't want to be an astronaut anymore—I want to be a doctor!" With tears blurring his vision, Felix rushed to embrace the children. At this moment, he knew everything had been worth it. …An hour later, at the Wolfie troops' headquarters, Alistair was reporting to Xena, "Lady Summers, Sonny's unusual behavior suggests hidden motives." Xena nodded. According to headquarters' files, Sonny, who was ranked 12th among the Thirteen Aces, typically deployed his Bloom Seeds in remote villages. The limited knowledge and isolation would allow him to vanish before headquarters noticed. This was his first attack o
Surprised by Gerald's question, Felix laughed. "What's there to regret now? At that moment, there wasn't time to think about anything else. My mind was focused on one thing only." Gerald chuckled. "Now that's my disciple! We have our principles. We act when needed, but we don't spend all day playing savior. "Remember what I told you about the Dragons Destroyer technique?" Felix had memorized every word from Gerald as his mentor. "You said Dragons Destroyer is Dragonia's oldest and most unique martial art technique. Legend says only one person ever mastered it, and I would be next. Its uniqueness is beyond description." Gerald responded casually, "Good, you remember. Now, forge your own path. No matter what happens to you, you'll always be my disciple. Nothing and no one can change that." Feeling touched, Felix recalled something. "Oh, Mr. Hoffman. I didn't want to trouble you, but someone from the Elders' Council showed up. In my current state, I'm worried about whether I can
"Interesting. Let's see what happens when I refine this Dragonspine!" Felix muttered.Outside, Vivian maintained her guard silently after Felix jumped and disappeared below. Four hours passed before Felix jumped back up. "Change of plans. We're staying," he instructed.Vivian did not dare question it. Besides, she wanted to spend more time with Felix anyway. After leaving Yardley Dining, Felix called Larry. "Mr. Laird, I apologize, but plans have changed. I'll need your backyard for a month." Without his internal energy, Felix could only refine the Dragonspine for four hours before exhaustion set in. At that rate, it would take about a month. "Mr. Zeller, please, you're too polite! I've moved the graves, and no one uses the backyard. Take a year if you need it." After witnessing Felix's status, Larry was not foolish enough to miss this opportunity to build connections with someone so influential. "Thanks. I appreciate it." Just after hanging up, Luis called again. "Mr. Ze
Xena maintained her composure. "It's not him. How could it be? You think someone in Felix's condition would be worthy of me?" She stood to leave. "I'm sorry, but I've worked too hard to get where I am. When the Warlord of the East gives advice, I have to take it." Xena could not admit Felix was the reason. The first time she met Jaden, he had tried to kill Felix. Before, there might have been obstacles, but now Felix was just an ordinary person without martial arts skills. For Jaden, killing him would be like crushing an ant. She could not assign 24/7 protection to him, could she? Besides, Jaden had nearly achieved the level of Martial Emperor. He could literally kill Felix with a flick of his finger. How could she guard against that? Left alone in the private room, Jaden's expression darkened as he clenched his fists. He felt that he was being toyed with, though Xena had never actually promised him anything. "This must have something to do with Felix. I won't let you live
What a joke. How dare a mere leader of a bunch of car thieves disrespect one of the underworld's major players? Viper forced a nervous smile. "Mr. Luis, I… I wouldn't dare normally. But these are my boss' rules. I'll be in trouble if I don't follow them." Boss? Luis had never heard of Viper having a boss. "Who's your boss? Tell them to come here and repeat that!" Almost immediately, footsteps approached. A young man appeared while casually smoking a cigar. "Sure thing, Mr. Luis. I'm Viper's boss. Any problems with my policies?" Luis' eyes narrowed in surprise. "Pierce Langden?" Felix noticed Luis' wariness and asked, "Do you know him?" Luis nodded, whispering, "Pierce is the illegitimate son of Andrei Hawkins, the richest man in Canraville." The richest man in Canraville? Felix understood now what was happening. "Stand down," Felix instructed.Luis wanted to protest but stayed quiet. Truth was, he could not afford to offend Andrei. Even with his brother's help, they we
Ginny was naturally present as well, and she spoke up at that moment. "Mr. Goldstein, no one wanted to see Justus die like that. But why did you bring your people to Longstone residence? Are you suggesting that his sudden death has something to do with us?"Joaquin's expression grew darker as he looked at her. He blamed Ginny for this, thinking that none of this would have happened if she had just agreed earlier. And now, they couldn't even determine the cause of death."No connection? That doctor from your household, Felix Zeller—he's the one responsible for Justus' death."Right then, someone spoke up from the crowd. "That's him! That's Felix Zeller!"Felix, who had been calmly sitting in a chair, finally saw Wagner standing among them. And in that moment, everything made sense."Wagner? You've gotten quite bold, huh?" Gras sneered.Wagner flinched at Gras's words, but remembering that he now had the Goldsteins backing him, he stiffened his spine and stood tall. "Cut the crap
In Cloud City, there were a few noble families. Nonetheless, behind the polite smiles, tensions surged. Infiltrating each other's estates with spies had practically become a tradition. While they rarely uncovered major secrets, the information they did gather always gave them a head start.So when the news broke, Gras didn't doubt it for a second. He jumped to his feet, furious. "This is outrageous! Their son dies, and somehow it's the Longstone family's fault?"Ryker looked just as puzzled, agreeing that the accusation made no sense.But Felix let out a quiet, weary sigh. "Mr. Longstone, I'm afraid this is probably my fault. I'm a doctor, and I've gotten a bit of attention lately. After they failed to determine the cause of Justus' death, and given our meeting earlier today, they likely saw an opportunity to drag your family into the mess." Gras's expression darkened, knowing that Felix wasn't wrong. After all, doctors could also be poisoners, and plenty of martial artists had fa
It was clear someone had said something to Justus. Otherwise, this situation wouldn't have escalated to this point.Felix said calmly, "It was a standard therapeutic massage technique, and I was blindfolded the entire time. Does that explanation satisfy you? Or would you rather find someone else capable of treating Ms. Longstone—I'll gladly step aside if you can."Justus sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. "Cut the crap, Felix. Don't act like I don't know exactly what's going through your head. Ginny's the heiress of the Longstone residence—Gras's precious jewel. Everyone knows that marrying her is like securing the entire household. Don't tell me that thought never crossed your mind.""It didn't," Felix said simply.Unfortunately, that answer was never going to satisfy Justus. He snarled, "Listen up, boy! I'm giving you three days to get the hell out of the Longstone residence. If you don't, you won't even get the chance to regret it. Everyone else might be afraid of Gras—but I
As Wagner watched Justus explode in rage, he felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. With what he'd just uncovered, there was no need to exaggerate—it was already explosive enough on its own.After all, Justus' future fiancée was touched in that kind of intimate way by a young, healthy doctor. Any man with a spine would lose it."But Justus," Wagner added with a smirk. "Didn't Felix just get publicly praised by the Green King?"Cloud City wasn't that big. Anyone with any influence had been keeping close tabs on Green King Manor—especially with the mystery man who walked out of Desolated Lands involved. So, the news of Felix being rewarded had already spread far and wide.Justus clenched his jaw. "So what? It's just a flash in the pan. If he was truly skilled, the Green King would've kept him. But as long as he hasn't climbed into the Green King's inner circle, I can crush him whenever I want."Wagner's grin widened. That was exactly the attitude he needed. If Justus had shown
The moment the Flame Monarch mentioned the Healer Sage, the Green King's expression shifted noticeably. "So the Sage really was living out there in seclusion... No wonder. Flame Monarch, does this mean you've taken a liking to Felix?"But the Flame Monarch waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need for that."That response made the Green King secretly rejoice. If the Flame Monarch didn't intend to recruit Felix, then he understood why—and that was perfect. It meant the opportunity to take Felix under his own wing was wide open.The night passed quietly. Felix stood beside Christopher's bedside, noticing the man's breathing had grown steady and stable.At this point, the herb had run its course and was no longer effective. But what was left inside Christopher's soul—a strange, lingering force—was exactly what Felix had hoped for.Christopher was alive but completely unconscious. The remaining energy had no regenerative properties, which meant he'd likely never wake again. For Fe
Felix wasn't the least bit surprised by the Flame Monarch's reaction, but he still feigned confusion. "Flame Monarch, I'm sorry... but I don't understand. What do you mean by soul-related injuries?"Just from that single line, Felix confirmed what he suspected—Aquamarinus had no concept of soul-based matters. Whether it was training methods or anything else, this realm hadn't yet touched that domain.The Flame Monarch stared at him, pressure radiating from his body. Felix immediately felt his limbs start to tremble under the invisible weight."You don't know? Then how could you claim to treat that man's condition?" Felix calmly pointed toward the herbs laid out on the table. "The force inside him is definitely strange. It triggered a memory... I once sensed something very similar, and it came from within that herb. It was purely instinct—when something feels familiar, there's a chance it might work."The Flame Monarch shifted his gaze to the herb, then said flatly, "Start from th
Felix gave him a direct and honest answer. "As long as I have enough herbs. I can treat him. I won't promise a full recovery, but one thing I can guarantee you is that this man won't die."For now, that was the best possible answer anyone could offer.The Flame Monarch replied, "Good. Begin. As long as you can keep him alive, you'll be handsomely rewarded."It seemed the Flame Monarch already knew something and never truly expected anyone to completely cure Christopher. Preserving his life alone would already be a feat."Flame Monarch, please reconsider!" one of the elderly doctors suddenly cut in, seething with resentment. "This boy is barely grown—how could he possibly possess such remarkable skill in medicine?"The Flame Monarch turned and gave him a cold, mocking glance. "If he can't do it, then can you?"The old man went silent. Perhaps fearing the loss of favor or acting out of sheer pride, he hesitated. Eventually, he found the courage to speak again."I admit I can't, bu
The Green King's expression changed instantly, and he turned to Felix in a hurry. "Dr. Zeller, please come with me to greet him.""Of course," Felix replied.For anyone in Aquamarinus, getting the chance to see the Flame Monarch up close was like a once-in-a-lifetime dream, and people would probably die happy just for that. Naturally, Felix put on a show of reverence as well, even if he didn't feel it deep down.As they reached the front gate, Felix saw several figures striding toward them with heavy steps. At the front of the group was a towering man, nearly nine feet tall. Even someone as built as Dave looked like a delicate bystander next to him.What stood out the most was his bright crimson hair, which flared upward like flames, making it look like his head was on fire. His facial features were fairly average, but the power behind his gaze radiated pure, undeniable authority.So, this was the Flame Monarch?Felix studied him closely. He suspected the man had cultivated some
According to the rules set by the Flame Monarch, the position of Minor Kings rotated every five years. Those who made outstanding contributions could keep their titles, but anyone who fell short would have to fight for their place all over again.The Green King knew he wasn't particularly strong—he was painfully aware of that. And with the next year marking the fifth year, the pressure was mounting fast. So when Christopher appeared, it felt like fate. If he could heal this man before the Flame Monarch arrived with his elite doctors, the credit would be immense, and his reappointment would be virtually guaranteed. Anyone who had never held a Minor King title wouldn't understand just how many perks came with it. If they did, no one would give it up willingly."I can treat him," Felix said calmly. "But I can't promise a full recovery."The Green King smiled. "Do your best. Even if you can only keep him alive, that alone is worth it."Two doctors before had said that Christopher's b