Though Pierre remained silent, his wide eyes confirmed Felix's suspicions."You're causing harm to others at such a young age instead of doing good deeds. Linda is suffering while you paint comfortably here. Don't you know what you've done?"At Linda's name, Pierre broke down in tears. "It wasn't intentional! I swear! I... I just wanted to touch the skin of the person I loved. Is that so wrong?"Then, his voice rose to a shout. "Did I choose what family I was born into? I'd rather be normal than have these disgusting hands!"Felix helped Pierre's gloves back on and signaled Yasmin to turn around. She immediately launched into him. "So, you knew what would happen when you touched Linda, yet you did it anyway?"Pierre wept harder. "No! I didn't know until afterward. I'd never have touched her if I knew. I love Linda enough to die for her. How could I possibly hurt her?"After checking Pierre's pulse, Felix shook his head. "Early on, one scale would have sufficed. Now we need both
Just one glance at Pierre's hands had frozen a Martial God like Yasmin. That just showed how terrifying Fish Men at higher levels had to be.The mutation rarely passed down in the Lannerby family. Sometimes, entire generations were skipped. Pierre's father's generation had none, yet Pierre inherited it.His family sent him abroad for protection. Despite the prevalence of guns, Pierre's abilities kept him safer here than in Dragonia. The "Fish Man" title had been passed down through the Lannerby bloodline since ancient times. Their reputation as the Thief Guild's nemesis was one-sided—their power affected everyone, not just thieves.Felix realized the Fish Men had been holding back. Thief Guild believed touch was necessary, but mere eye contact at their scaled hands sufficed. Those with purple scales and above had full control over their powers.The Lannerbys' vendetta traced back generations. People from Thief Guild had stolen something precious, creating a blood feud. The Lanner
Yasmin stood speechless. She had never seen Linda smile like this before."After you left, I did a lot of thinking! I love him deeply, and now, I know he still loves me. Since I'm already affected, I can hold his hand without worry now, right, Dr. Zeller?"At that moment, Pierre broke down as he sobbed uncontrollably."Linda, are you absolutely sure about this?" Since their clasped hands were behind them, Yasmin could safely offer her counsel. Linda nodded, kissing Pierre's cheek. "Yes, Yasmin. I'm certain! Though it's unbearable, I'm okay with it. Having Pierre by my side is enough. "After experiencing love this deep, I doubt I'll ever find someone who loves me this much again."Pierre pulled away from her and donned his gloves. Then, he cupped Linda's face, giving her a gentle kiss. "Linda, I'll love you forever, but I don't want you remembering the man who hurt you."He moved lightning-fast. As he pulled out a small axe, he swung it toward his left wrist."No!" Despite bei
Yasmin said, "Dr. Zeller, I know it's a lot to ask. If it's too troublesome, we can forget about it."Felix was about to refuse immediately, but the mention of Wealthhealth Pharmaceuticals piqued his interest. Since the vice president was involved, he thought he might be able to infiltrate the company and find John after disguising himself. "Sure, I've got nothing else going on anyway," Felix agreed, which made Yasmin beam with joy as she repeatedly thanked him.At that moment, Felix decided to tell Yasmin that his current identity was inconvenient once they reached the restaurant. After donning the Shadow Mask, he could dine as another medical expert without issues. However, just as they parked the car and Felix was about to speak, his phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number."Felix, it's John Reynolds. I know you're in Guneria, and I know how desperately you've been trying to find me. Here's your chance—come to this location tomorrow night. Of course, I'll und
Yasmin followed Felix's command immediately, sensing the urgency in his tone even though he had not explained why. They tailed two black Cadillac SUVs for about 30 minutes until they reached a remote area, which was not uncommon in Guneria. Then, four people in dark clothing emerged from the vehicles and entered a building, one of them carrying a black briefcase. Anxious and consumed by thoughts of the Dragonspine, Felix did not think much and just asked Yasmin to drop him off near the establishment. "Ms. Qualls, you can head back now," he said.Two imposing security guards stood at the entrance, immediately stopping Felix. One of the guards gruffly stated, "Entry requires a pair—one male, one female—and it's 500 dollars per person. Can't you read the sign?" Without bothering to check the sign, Felix rushed back to Yasmin, who had not left yet. "Ms. Qualls, would you mind accompanying me inside? This place has some weird rule that requires a man and a woman to enter."Yasmin ap
"Just sit tight for a bit. I'll be right back," Felix said before quickly heading off.Yasmin was a Martial God with the strength to protect herself, so Felix felt comfortable leaving her there. He slipped into the restroom, and finding it empty, he donned the Shadow Mask, transforming into a blond, middle-aged man.The store's unusual nature worked to his advantage—there were no surveillance cameras, making it the perfect setup for his plan. The room he needed to reach was on the second floor, heavily guarded by over a dozen men armed with pistols, their safeties off and ready to fire.Nonetheless, this was no challenge for Felix. He burst into the room, a wave of energy knocking out three of the men he had seen earlier stepping out of the SUVs.The only man still standing caught Felix by surprise. The man shouted as he attacked, "You're dead!" Felix prepared to strike but suddenly froze, his brow furrowing as the seven Dragonspine fragments in his body began to resonate. It mea
Luna watched curiously, unsure of what Felix was doing with the tiny pill in his hand. Felix said casually, "This is one of our Dragonian medical techniques—just watch."He crushed the pill in his hand, turning it into fine powder, which he sprinkled over the fake Dragonspine. This pill, known as the Windseeker Pill, was something he had crafted himself using a recipe from Gerald's medical texts.It was designed for tracking, working in pairs—one part would be used on a person or object, while the second acted as the locator.Felix was not entirely confident it would work since this was his first time using it. After applying the powder, he produced the second pill, which began to roll forward in his palm as if pointing the way. "Let's go. Drive in that direction," Felix instructed.Luna was amazed by the display and could not hide her amazement. "Dragonia is really something. There's no wind or force here, but the pill's moving all by itself."Felix continued giving directions
With a wave of his right hand, Felix revealed his true face. He said calmly, "Don't worry, they have no idea it was me."The old man seemed lost in thought for a moment before he finally spoke. ""As far as I know, only a Shadow Mask can achieve such a perfect disguise. Are you sure you're not from that side?" Felix was stunned. How did this old man even know about the Shadow Mask?The elderly man continued, "No wonder when our bodies made contact earlier, your bone age revealed you were just a young man despite your middle-aged appearance. It was the Shadow Mask all along." Felix was not shocked, knowing that any Blood Realm martial artist could instantly detect bone age through physical contact. This basic skill led the old man to recognize his prodigious talent."You're quite knowledgeable, sir, but I truly am not from that side," Felix stated.The old man sat down and added, "The Shadow Mask is exclusively circulated on that side, with only five existing. Obtaining one is q
The bodies and limbs of the mall staff were trembling violently on the floor. When the two of them looked over again, the staff had all regrouped, rushing over once again.Were they indestructible like cockroaches? Felix and Esme began punching and kicking helplessly. Fortunately, they were both on solid ground. Otherwise, they would've tripped and fallen to their deaths.It took a bit of effort to finally disperse them all again. Having learned their lessons, they didn't dare to hesitate anymore and rushed up the stairs madly. Sure enough, the mall staff collected themselves and started moving much faster!It was coincidentally similar to the characteristics of Malevolent Phantoms. Was it just a coincidence or intentional? Felix pondered in his mind as they rushed through the emergency exit to the second floor with Esme. Finally, they reached the second floor of Orchard Square. The door behind them slammed shut—and there was pure silence. It was as if they were completely isolate
After closing the emergency door, the two finally stopped. "Are we safe?" Esme panted.After a moment of thought, Felix replied, "I think so. Then, I'll head back to grab our clothes."Esme immediately grabbed his arm. "Hey! You said you would listen to me. If you go back, can you guarantee to come back? I'm a woman, and even I don't care yet you're the one who can't let it go?"Anyone who saw them would've thought they were having an intense argument. But in fact, they were simply left with no choice."Besides, the second floor sells clothes. Why should we risk going back?"Felix rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "You're right. Okay, let's go." All of a sudden, the emergency door slammed open with a bang. A dozen of the mall staff rushed in. "Intruders! Intruders!"Without hesitation, the two of them ran upstairs. Esme stopped again after a few steps, confusion spread across her face."Do… Do they think they can catch us at that speed? I wonder what the guy controllin
Felix knew these were all illusions, but he still reacted because it looked too real. After speaking, the middle-aged man went downstairs. Esme glanced at Felix and motioned to follow him. She didn't want to alert the enemy and wanted to see what was happening first. They followed the middle-aged man down to the basement and pushed open the emergency door. They entered the basement of Orchard Square. It was a standard mall layout, after all. Felix saw two queues not too far away, but he didn't know what they were lining up for."Get in line. It'll be your turn soon." With that, the middle-aged man left. He clearly wasn't worried about Felix and Esme running away. The two of them looked at each other and Esme gave him a slight nod, intending to stay put. Felix immediately understood that there were too many people around.If a slight expression crossed his face, everyone would stare at him and he would be regarded as a foreign entity, let alone if he ran. Besides, if he moved, w
Just as Felix felt lost, a woman smiling at him from a jewelry shop nearby caught his eye. Her smile was faint, but in such an odd mall, it stood out even more. Otherwise, why would it catch Felix's eye?Her smile was fleeting, disappearing in mere seconds. If it lasted any longer, the people in the mall would probably turn to glare at him again. After seeing the woman turn around and walk away almost robotically, Felix quickly followed her at the same mechanical pace.She led him to an emergency stairwell and as Felix pushed through the door, she stood there waiting for him. "You've got the guts! Most people would've freaked out when they walked into this mall, but you seem quite calm," she said.Felix didn't know what the Black Soul Scout wanted with such an illusion, however, he didn't dare to act rashly. He was afraid of scaring them away. Besides, he could guess that the scout wasn't in the mall, otherwise, Donna would've sensed it."Who are you? What happened to Orchard Squ
According to Donna, there were three soul barriers in Orchard Square.The first one was a detection barrier, likely set up by the Black Soul Scout to avoid unnecessary trouble. It ensured that only ordinary people or martial artists could enter. Anyone who had cultivated their soul would disrupt the rules of this private paradise.The second barrier was an illusion-based one, directly affecting a person's soul to blur the line between reality and illusion.The third barrier was the most intriguing. It gathered some kind of energy from souls. Donna wasn't sure what exactly it was. The only way to find out was to step into the mall and investigate.Based on Felix's assessment, the third soul barrier was likely the true objective of Black Soul Scout. To uncover the truth and find the scout, he had no choice but to put himself at risk. There was no alternative.He was well aware that Hall of Souls knew everything about him. Even the lowest-ranked Blue Soul Envoys recognized his name.
"The soul barrier is in place. Let's get this over with. If you two see me, it'll just make things even more awkward, so it's better to start right away," Billy muttered.Inside the villa, an invisible force swept over them. Felix felt something new within his soul. It was something subtle yet impossible to pinpoint. It stirred a strange restlessness deep inside him.Just as he was about to focus on figuring out what was happening, his body reacted. Before he could process it, Xena had already thrown herself into his arms."What's going on? I suddenly feel like I need to be close to you."She clung tightly to him, yet neither of them moved beyond that embrace. Under normal circumstances, things between a man and a woman wouldn't stop here. They would probably undo their clothes."Damn it! That bastard tricked me," Felix muttered.The moment Xena got close, Felix's restless energy reached its peak, making it clear that this was definitely Billy's doing.Time passed. He had no ide
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'