The most terrifying aspect was that only a few minutes had passed between the gate's destruction and their arrival, which spoke volumes about the intruder's incredible power. They wondered what kind of monster could accomplish such devastation in mere minutes. "Felix!" Jaden's shout snapped Cecil back to reality, and he focused on the lone figure standing amidst the bloodbath.It was indeed Felix, the same man who had been rescued by master healers. Yet, this seemed impossible, as Felix had lost all his martial powers—even a Martial King should have been able to defeat him easily."So you remember me? Do you recall what I said when I left Crimson Sage Sect?" Felix stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the mastermind of his kidnapping. He added, "I told you that once I returned, Crimson Sage Sect would cease to exist, and no one can change that inevitable fact." Since leaving the mountain, Felix had never suffered such humiliation. It was also why this was his first o
Jaden fled in panic on the mountain where Crimson Sage Sect was located, pushing his speed to the limit as he darted through the forest. Having heard Cecil's final, furious roar, he knew the outcome was already sealed."Mr. Black, I swear I'll avenge you! Damn it! How did Felix become so powerful in such a short time?" Jaden wondered in disbelief. Crimson Sage Sect was a major sect filled with powerful martial artists, yet Felix had single-handedly defeated them all. Jaden would not have believed it if he had not witnessed it himself.Suddenly, Jaden stopped, noticing a crater in the ground. He glared at the figure before him and hissed through gritted teeth, "Felix."It was terrifying how quickly Felix had caught up, leaving no time for even a glimmer of escape. "When you kidnapped me, did you ever imagine this day would come?" Felix asked coldly. Jaden swallowed hard, knowing he stood no chance against someone who had just killed Cecil and countless other elite fighters—his
Kennedy nodded with a smile. "You read me well. I value my life. My family's foundation runs deep, with several Innate Realm masters and even some who surpass that level. However, risking conflict with you over someone like Jaden simply isn't worth it."Felix found this increasingly intriguing. "Is that so? Please elaborate."Kennedy rubbed his hands together and continued, "The Innate Realm represents an almost impossible barrier for martial artists to cross. Those of lower ranks can't comprehend how difficult it is to kill an Innate Realm master."Even if you succeed, the risk is unbelievable. Who would want to provoke one? If they're a lone wolf, they could hunt you down anywhere, and there'd be nothing you could do about it." Felix waved his hand, recognizing the truth in these words. "Fair enough. Your words make sense. You may go."After Felix left, Kennedy breathed a sigh of relief. "Good grief. When did Dragonia produce such a formidable martial artist? He reached the Inn
"There's still another car?" Xena asked in disbelief.Felix's statement left Xena puzzled."What do you mean?" she asked, glancing at the nearby Range Rover. She recognized it was Felix's car."There are three more inside. All of them are S-rank wanted criminals.""What?" Xena was stunned. S-rank fugitives were dangerous enough on their own, even if they weren't as fearsome as the Thirteen Aces. They were usually hiding, making them hard to capture. Yet Felix had managed to bring in four of them all at once?Ten minutes later, they arrived at Xena's office."So you're saying, as you were about to leave this afternoon, you found these four men tied up outside your gate, completely incapacitated?" Xena asked in disbelief.Felix nodded. "Yeah, I was just as surprised as you, so I brought them all over."In reality, Felix was a bit frustrated. He had only asked Seven to capture one S-rank fugitive. However, he went above and beyond and delivered four.Felix knew why Seven went thi
"What are you talking about?" Sherlyn pouted. "My grandfather truly has something important to discuss with you."Felix sighed, deciding to be direct with her. He genuinely didn't want her to waste her time on him. "Sherlyn, you deserve better happiness. Don't waste your time on me."Unexpectedly, Sherlyn wasn't angry. Instead, she smiled and said, "Don't worry. If I ever feel there's no hope at all, I'll leave. A woman's intuition is quite accurate, you know."Since she had made up her mind, what else could Felix do?Just then, footsteps sounded again, and Felix stood up quickly. To his surprise, even Sherlyn's father, Isaac, was there. It seemed that this matter wasn't a simple one. However, what could Felix possibly help with? After all, to everyone else, he was just an ordinary person now. He had no plans to reveal that he had regained his strength as his current situation was rather nice."Hello, Mr. Holt Senior and Mr. Holt."After the three of them sat down, Isaac broke
Felix could barely hold back his frustration. If it weren't for the presence of Ernest and others inside, he might have shouted."You old geezer, do I even have your contact information? How was I supposed to report to you?" Gerald's shameless behavior was something he was well acquainted with. The voice on the other end sounded as nonchalant as ever."So, you succeeded then! Doesn't it feel wonderful to break through and rebuild yourself?" Felix had to admit it was true."Yes," he replied simply."Now that your strength has advanced to the Innate Realm, don't go bothering your fellow apprentices anymore, understand?" Felix had expected this. The thrill of being able to rely on his fellow apprentices' resources over the past month was clearly short-lived."Understood. However, there's one more thing I would like to report, Mr. Hoffman. It's about the Shadowdragon Warlord."After Felix was done explaining, he could hear Gerald's voice lower in tone."That old coot is still
Just as Ernest finished speaking, a loud, grumbling voice came from inside the room."Ernest! Who are you calling an old man?"The voice sounded robust, hardly like that of a sick person. Ernest put on an embarrassed smile. The man was, after all, his old superior. His rebukes were warranted.As Felix passed Nala, he ignored her entirely. However, he had already picked up on something–the relationship between Lionel and Nala wasn't an ordinary one. Given the way Ernest spoke to her, they might even be family."If Ernest hadn't brought you, I wouldn't even let you set foot inside this door, Felix!" Nala's gaze was impassive, but her disdain was palpable. She wasn't one to be swayed by emotions, but the incident with the Walsh family had infuriated her. Although the agreement with the Walsh family still stood, it grated on her that someone she had labeled as useless dared flaunt himself in her presence. Had he come to curry favor with Shadowdragon Warlord using his past ties with
As Felix's words echoed through the room, even Lionel was momentarily stunned despite his vast experiences. He had long since given up hope of a cure, so his surprise was only natural. Ernest and Isaac, who always believed in Felix, were immediately filled with uncontainable excitement. For men of their caliber and integrity, this wasn't about personal gain or reputation. They were genuinely praying for Lionel's health.Only Nala's gaze remained icy."Felix! Do you think this is a joke? So many master healers have tried and failed, yet you think you can? Maybe once upon a time, I would've believed it. However, given your current skills, stop joking around!"Felix ignored her and looked directly at Lionel. "Would you permit me to give it a try, My Lord?"Lionel, who had snapped out of his shock, laughed heartily."Why wouldn't I agree? True healers never enter a battle they're not prepared for. While I am not afraid of the outcome, I must ask you how confident you are.""A hun
The moment the topic came up, Felix's gaze flickered, avoiding direct eye contact. No matter how you put it, even though Xena would also benefit from it, it still felt somewhat unfair. It felt that way, especially since they weren't in a relationship. If they were married or at least dating, it wouldn't be an issue at all."I'm exhausted. I need another two days to rest," he said.Billy scoffed. "I know your soul energy is depleted, but trust me. Your fatigue will disappear instantly once your souls merge. The feeling is beyond words. I'm sure you've heard from the Malevolent Phantom how irresistible Soul Binding is, even for those who've already experienced love and passion."Wait, what? Felix was speechless. It seemed that there was really no way out of it."Oh, one last thing. After you and Xena… you know, your soul energy will be completely absorbed and stored away. That means you won't have any left to wield a soul-bound weapon or use any soul attacks. Are you sure you still
There was only one explanation—Felix really could heal soul damage."Of course, I healed him. Let me rest for a bit. Wake me up when the sun comes up."Felix was utterly exhausted. Even if an S-tier Malevolent Phantom appeared beside him, he couldn't be bothered to care. If Donna had truly wanted to kill him, she would have done it long ago. There was no reason for her to wait until now.As Donna watched Felix slip into a deep sleep almost instantly, her expression grew more complex.What kind of ridiculous joke was that? Even though Leonardo was a crossbreed, his soul had already inherited the traits of a Malevolent Phantom. While it wasn't exactly the same as a true Malevolent Phantom, the essence of his soul had changed.And yet, Felix had still managed to heal him. If word of this got out, it would shake the entire Malevolent Phantom world to its core.It was like finding out that some miracle doctor could cure any disease in the human world. People would go absolutely crazy.
Leonardo's body suddenly started convulsing, and with foam spilling from his mouth, even a fool could tell something had gone wrong.Damage to the soul was entirely different from physical injuries. If one got a cut, even without treatment, their body would eventually heal on its own. However, the soul wasn't like that. Any damage was permanent and had widespread consequences. Even if just a fraction of an inch of the soul was harmed, the physical reaction could be extreme.Felix let out a long breath. "Finally got it out. It sounds easy, but doing it was incredibly difficult. Even with my soul energy, I nearly couldn't hold on."The level of precision required to make such an impossibly fine cut was beyond imagination. To do it without causing any collateral damage would require soul energy beyond comprehension.Of course, Leonardo's soul had been damaged. There was no avoiding it."At least he's alive. You've done all you could," Donna said.However, Felix just smiled. "That'
At that moment, Felix turned to Norman. "Step outside and say the lines you've rehearsed. Then, I'll take your son with me. He'll be back by dawn."Norman was beyond relieved. If Leonardo could survive, nothing else mattered.He had long anticipated this day. Living on Earth, even if it wasn't intentional, he had killed more than one person. There was no way he'd be let off the hook.In the living room, Lina was in tears, bombarding him with questions, while Steve kept sighing heavily. No one could have imagined that a once-happy family would fall apart overnight."I'm taking Leonardo for treatment. I won't say it again."Seeing the scene unfold, Felix spoke up. With Norman's cooperation, things were going more smoothly. Since he had been assured that Leonardo would return safely, there was no reason for further resistance.The situation had to be handled strictly. There was no room for defiance.Just then, Xena arrived. She had actually been in Zuera since the day before but ha
Norman looked into Felix's eyes and knew there was no room for negotiation. He lowered his head in silence.Seeing this, Felix dialed Donna's number."What's up?" she asked."I found a crossbreed.""A crossbreed? Oh, you mean a hybrid? What about it?"Felix had no choice but to ask Donna for help. No matter how he looked at it, he also wanted to protect Leonardo."This crossbreed is only three years old and seems to have inherited a soul-related trait. He just killed someone out of pure instinct."Before Felix could finish, Donna had already guessed the situation. She let out a chuckle, her tone carrying a hint of eerie amusement. "Let me guess, you want to save the kid?"Felix didn't bother denying it. "That's right. I want to know if there's a way."After a long pause, Donna's voice came through again, "There is! But I can only assist. Since he's just three years old and hasn't developed much yet, I can mark the part of his soul that drives his instincts. "You'll need to
A trace of sweetness flickered in Norman's eyes, and he couldn't help but smile."Yeah, I never imagined it, either. Me, an A-tier Malevolent Phantom, actually falling in love with a human. I'm completely, hopelessly in love."Felix froze as he hadn't expected it to be true."You probably don't believe me. No other Malevolent Phantom would, either. But it's real. I truly love Lina. After experiencing what you humans call love, I was completely consumed by it. Maybe that's why, when we were together, our souls intertwined, and that's how Leonardo was born."Norman grew emotional as he spoke."Do you understand? When I realized that Leonardo had inherited the unique traits of a Malevolent Phantom's soul, I was overjoyed beyond words."But I regretted it instantly when I remembered where we were. Because it meant that if Norman was ever discovered, he would be in danger of being killed at any moment."And now, with your arrival today, I knew that moment had come. I just didn't expe
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