"More than 200 lives! And they were children! When you sleep at night, do their restless souls never come to haunt you?" Felix's voice boomed, each word sharp as a blade.Yates staggered back several steps, his face pale as a sheet. His gaze swept across the fallen sect members, none of whom dared meet his eyes. Only the sect leader, overwhelmed with guilt, broke into sobs as he choked out an explanation. "W-We did it to save the sect! Ten years ago, something crippled all of Polaris' businesses. We barely had enough money to keep the sect running for six months. "Without resorting to desperate measures, Polaris would have crumbled. We had no other choice!" Yates closed his eyes tightly as tears streaked down his face, his heart breaking at the revelation. For years, he had focused solely on his martial pursuits, oblivious to the horrors hidden beneath the surface.Titus, Uzziah, and Thaddeus were equally stunned. None of them could have imagined that a prestigious sect like Po
"I have a bad feeling about this!" Uzziah, the strongest among them, immediately sensed the ominous presence spreading through the air. Thaddeus tried to stay composed. He glanced around nervously as the tremors beneath their feet grew stronger. "Uzziah, could it just be an ordinary earthquake?"As he asked, the intensity of the quake increased. Titus narrowed his eyes, scanning their surroundings for any potential threats. "Could Polaris still have some hidden powerhouse alive?" he wondered, his muscles tensing as he prepared for a fight.Suddenly, the training grounds split apart with an earth-shattering boom, sending debris flying. A massive hole appeared in the ground, and from within, a figure leaped out, landing near the barely standing Yates."Well, well," the figure sneered. "After all these years, Polaris has really hit rock bottom. One kid almost wiped out your entire leadership. What a way to honor my brother's legacy!"The newcomer was covered in a gray robe, their
Mira's personality was similar to Averill's, but she was not as shamelessly bold as the latter.Mira smirked and added, "What's wrong? Were you expecting that little tramp, Averill? "Oh, don't act surprised. After she slept with you, she bragged about it in front of all of us! I ended up smacking her until she cried, which made the rest of us feel a little better." While Mira and Felix caught up, Titus, Uzziah, and Thaddeus stood frozen in disbelief. They never expected Felix to have a backup, let alone someone powerful enough to casually block Saylor's terrifying attack with nothing but an umbrella.It seemed that every genius had a hidden ace up their sleeve. Saylor, however, sneered as he watched the interaction. He thought, "Oh, I see now. No wonder this kid wasn't scared. He had someone in the shadows all along."Even though he had not detected Mira earlier, Saylor remained unfazed. His confidence remained unshaken, and he believed she probably just used an advanced conce
When Felix returned to Canraville, Averill had already left. He woke up from a deep, satisfying nap at sunset.Just then, Xena arrived at his house. Felix asked, "Weren't you supposed to stay in Yartford for a few days?" Xena's expression was grim as she explained, "We discovered traces of human trafficking in Canraville. Though we only found about a dozen children at the scene, headquarters takes these cases very seriously and wants a thorough investigation, so I came back immediately." Felix feigned ignorance and responded with anger, "Human traffickers? Those bastards deserve to die."Xena studied Felix's face carefully. "Are you sure you don't know anything about this?""Why would I know anything?" Felix asked, puzzled.Xena leaned forward, noting that Felix's breathing and eyes remained steady. "The bodies showed evidence of acupuncture needles, and we can confirm they were tortured before death."Felix's expression turned wry. "Just because acupuncture needles were in
Axel also adopted an unusually serious demeanor. "I don't know, but I heard Mr. Uzziah has emerged from seclusion."The young man's eyes widened in surprise. "Mr. Uzziah? Wow, Uzziah hasn't shown his face in years!"If he's coming out now and summoning everyone, something big must be happening. Could it be due to the leadership shift in the Eight Great Martial Families?" Axel frowned and shook his head. "I doubt it. Mason is a prodigy, sure, but he's not yet a big enough deal to bring Uzziah out. He still has a long way to go."Despite being just one level below Mason, crossing the first threshold from Ultimate Mortal Realm to Innate Realm was a challenge that had defeated countless so-called geniuses, including Axel himself.Meanwhile, the Crayden elders were also speculating about the situation. "Sir, do you know what's going on?" one of them asked cautiously. At the head of the gathering stood Augustus, the current patriarch of the Crayden family, flanked by several elder
Augustus was stunned. Meanwhile, Axel wore a strange expression. He couldn't be mistaken. That man was undoubtedly Felix. It hadn't been long since he last saw him, so the memory was deeply etched in his mind."Axel, is this for real? He's way too young! How could someone like him make even Uzziah so wary? Damn! They even said the Craydens wouldn't step in to protect anyone who messes with him?"The young man beside him was visibly shaken. Frankly, most of the people around them felt the same. It would've made sense if Felix had been some ancient figure with decades of cultivation. However, unless Felix had discovered a fountain of eternal youth, he was just a young man."Holy—"Suddenly, Axel slapped himself, startling the young man beside him."Axel, what's wrong?"Axel suddenly broke into a wide grin, practically beaming with joy. "When I was a kid, a fortune teller told me that my 24th year would bring me great fortune. I guess he wasn't wrong!"If not for the need of prop
"Dad, if we keep stalling, there really won't be a way back." Axel suddenly appeared, prompting Augustus to frown. "Get out of my way!" Augustus said.He had only ever acknowledged Malcolm as his son. He had poured the most effort into Malcolm, who was also the most talented. His other children were nothing in his eyes. However, Axel didn't seem offended. "I have some rapport with Felix. I can go with Uzziah and smooth things over, and then you can step in afterward. I think we can still salvage this."Augustus fell silent, staring into Axel's eyes. For the first time, a grave realization dawned on him. "Alright. You'll come with me."…Meanwhile, Felix had just arrived at the small square inside Twilight Gardens of Canraville.Twilight Gardens was one of several botanical gardens in the city. Located on the outskirts, it wasn't as popular as the others. However, there was a steady flow of visitors because it provided free entry to its visitors.However, when Felix arrived, t
To be honest, Felix was truly taken aback.The Crayden family was one thing, but the fact that Nala could compel the Elders' Council to compromise was rather surprising."Do you know why the Elders' Council wants to kill me?" Felix asked.Nala answered candidly, "I don't know. It doesn't matter."Felix turned to the middle-aged man. "Are you really from the Elders' Council?"The middle-aged man, Noah Reed, grinned, as though Felix were nothing but an ant in his palm. If it weren't for Nala, Felix might have already been a corpse."Do you doubt my identity? Didn't you kill Dexter Grimshaw and Solomon Gill? And that little fireworks display in Azuria was quite unexpected. Do you think you can pull off something similar here in Dragonia?"Noah's knowledge of these events was proof enough of his association with the Elder's Council.Despite his irritation at being ignored, Tatum Crayden, the Crayden family's Third Elder, didn't dare voice his displeasure. It wasn't only because of
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