Seven figures emerged, striding confidently in their direction.The six trailing behind all wore black attire, exuding an oppressive aura. The young man leading the group, however, was even more striking. Dressed in a long golden robe, he radiated authority with every step.Even an ordinary person, seeing such clothing, would immediately recognize him as a member of the royal family. After all, in the entire Martial City, only the royal family dared to don such golden robes. Their royal guards, in contrast, wore imposing black uniforms.Caught off guard by their unannounced arrival, Wilson quickly stepped forward with a wide, welcoming smile."What an honor to have you visit our humble Xavier family, Your Highness. I apologize for not greeting you sooner."Though royalty commanded respect, it was more of a title than actual governance. Kneeling or performing grand ceremonial gestures wasn't customary in such interactions. So, Wilson merely clasped his hands together as a polite gr
Zayn looked visibly displeased. He had never seen Felix before, but he trusted the reports from his subordinates. Felix had definitely entered Echo Cavern, so what was going on now?After separating from Nerissa, Felix turned to Wilson, clasping his hands in respect. "Mr. Xavier, I greet you. I've come today to formally propose marriage and to select the best date to marry Nerissa."Wilson was momentarily stunned, struggling to process what was happening. He even began to wonder if all the talk about Echo Cavern was a joke. Otherwise, how could Felix still be alive? "So, you're the Felix mentioned in the marriage contract?"Felix nodded with a smile. "That's correct. I've come to honor that prenuptial agreement."Before anyone could respond, Zayn's voice cut through. "Westley Xavier, who arranged that prenuptial agreement, hasn't been seen in quite some time. Do you really think that agreement still holds? Even if you miraculously survived Echo Cavern, do you think you're worthy
The royal family was truly extravagant. They had given generous gifts merely as a meeting present. With just these gifts, anyone in Martial City wouldn't have to worry about food and necessities for the rest of their lives!Wilson's smile indicated that he was satisfied. His gaze was fixed on Felix, ready to say something."Boy, since you foolishly came to propose empty-handed, don't blame me for making an issue out of it!" Wilson thought.On the side, Janet rolled her eyes. Although Felix truly fulfilled his promise like a real man, he lacked emotional intelligence—he had come to propose a marriage empty-handed!However, Nerissa didn't care. She knew what kind of person Felix was, and that was enough."Of course, I didn't come empty-handed, Mr. Xavier. This is my gift." As Felix pulled out a small wooden box, Zayn almost burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You really have no respect for the Xaviers! These types of boxes can only hold three pills at most! Even if it's a high-grade pi
"Felix! I was just testing you, why are you leaving?" Wilson cried out, sweating profusely. There were murderous glares from the elders all around him. Besides, how could he not know how precious the Ascencion Pills were? Now, whatever gifts Zayn had brought were nothing in comparison. If just one pill was auctioned, it would surpass every other treasure! However, only a fool would put it up for auction. "So, you were joking? You really scared me, Mr. Xavier! Is the gift I prepared worthy of your attention, then?" Felix asked in mock concern.Wilson quickly smiled and nodded. "Of course, of course! The three Ascension Pills are absolutely great! It proves that you think highly of my daughter and the Xaviers! Please, take a seat."Just as Felix stepped up, Zayn said bitterly, "Only Harmony Clinic can refine three Ascension Pills in the whole of Martial City. Who are you?"Felix replied casually, "I'm nothing but a humble disciple. Deborah of Harmony Clinic is my mentor!"Every
In the end, Felix explained himself anyway—hoping that Nerissa could understand. Unexpectedly, after hearing it, Nerissa agreed without hesitation."Of course! I'm glad that you even told me about this! There was actually no need for that at all. As expected, men from the capital respect women more. Besides, if you can really cure Nala, you can also take her in."Felix smiled bitterly. Was that something that could be casually said? "Nala is also a gifted girl. I would be very proud of you as your wife if you married her."Fearing that Nerissa would continue saying such obscene things, he quickly went back to the Denverville branch of Harmony Clinic."So, nothing much happened?" Deborah asked.Felix shook his head. "No, just a guy called Zayn Palmer came. He seemed to be the sixth prince from the royal family."When Deborah heard this, she frowned. "The sixth prince? That man is incredibly vengeful, but he is royalty, after all. Without a public conflict, he wouldn't dare act t
"But even so, I don't dare to give you a definite answer because, besides the capital, there are still several other places that are possible," Dickson said.Felix immediately looked over eagerly. "Several other places?""Yes, the Three Forbidden Lands in Martial City. You were in Echo Cavern at the time, so that can be ruled out. The remaining places are Corpse Town and Misty Ridge." Felix was shocked. "Wouldn't those who enter the Three Forbidden Lands most likely die? Why would they go there?"Dickson stared at him strangely and replied, "Didn't 'you' come out alive? The Three Forbidden Lands just have an outrageous amount of deaths. But it doesn't mean that anyone who enters will die! You must understand that the Maximus family once produced a martial artist with one of the highest combat skills."All in all, it's more or less possible for them to go there."Really? Felix clenched his fists. He could take them on himself if they were truly hiding in the other two Forbidden L
The faces of the Hughmans, which were previously smiling, began to twitch crazily. Fuck, they had asked Nala to come and apologize. Yet, she had turned even more aggressive? Had she gone mad, or was she giving up?"Don't be mad, Joanna. Her mind hasn't been right ever since she came back.""Ms. Yorker, we've been trying to stop her from coming here. Please don't take it to heart."Some apologized, and some wanted to pull Nala away. If she said anything else, there would be no room for redemption, and the follow-up would be violent revenge. The Hughman family would be shakier than ever.If the Yorkers were decisive, it would truly be over for the Hughmans."Settling the past grudges with me? Are you even qualified to now?" Joanna ignored their comments and smiled non-stop as if she was hearing a joke."What? You said it back then, and now you're regretting it?" Nala sneered.When Joanna heard this, she remembered something and laughed even more exaggeratedly. "I almost forgot a
Currently, Nala sat on one of the benches on the viewing platforms. She looked calm on the surface, but her heart was far from composed. After all, she had waited so many years for this day, and it finally came.Any woman could understand this. Even if she wasn't born beautiful, no one wanted their face to be covered in scars."Nala, are you really sure?" a beautiful woman asked, placing a hand on Nala's shoulder. It was Nala's mother."Well, I'm confident he'll be able to. But if he can't, then I'm just destined to be like this in this life." As she spoke, an elegant-looking middle-aged man showed up on the other side. He patted Nala's hand—there were no words exchanged between them. But as her parents, they naturally stood firmly on their daughter's side.In fact, Nala was extremely grateful. Without the support of her parents, she might've actually committed suicide a long time ago. Not to mention, they had paid a great price back then to send her to live in the big city.Cro
It would be a lie to say that Lachlan wasn't surprised when he saw Felix. As an Orion, of course, he was aware of the entire situation.Felix was sent to Aquamarinus, a planet that was known for its deadliness.Even a genius would most likely die there. However, Felix succeeded in breaking through. Although his strength had been confirmed indirectly, Lachlan didn't take it seriously. He even told his family that there was no need to cheat.As long as he was there, Felix wouldn't be able to pass his level. Felix sneered, but didn't respond. They just met, and they were already mortal enemies. If they had a chance, they would've killed one another. So why should they even attempt to be civil?"Julius, nothing has happened yet, and you're already kissing his ass?" Lachlan laughed mockingly. Felix stayed silent, so Lachlan couldn't be bothered to mock him. Instead, Lachlan turned to Julius, who smiled."I don't need to report everything I do to you, Lachlan. Just worry about yours
This was something Felix hadn't thought of. The Orions had been too arrogant and thought their people could kill him, but they didn't anticipate the special conditions on Aquamarinus at night. If it wasn't due to that, Felix wasn't sure if he would still be alive now."Why are you telling me this?" Felix asked.Julius looked at him oddly. "My family, the Leachs, are on par with the Orions and developing fast. We don't want any conflicts with you or Earth, so tell me, why wouldn't I make friends with a strong man like you?"Since you can break out of Aquamarinus, you have the qualifications to win. At least for now, the champions of the elimination rounds in the Rank-Ascending Competition are extraordinary people."He continued, "I'm just offering help now. Once you succeed in the future, you can help me, right? I have nothing to lose, so why not try?"Felix understood his reasons. In this case, he was completely alone, and making acquaintances with the Leachs was good."How hard
As soon as Julius entered, Felix turned on the soundproof barrier and asked impatiently, "How do you know I'm from Earth?"Everyone here was a stranger, and the distance between each of their hometowns was over hundreds of thousands of miles. How could Julius tell where Felix was from so accurately?Julius looked a little helpless. "Your name is Felix, and your elimination match was on Aquamarinus. Of course, I know you're from Earth."Well, that was quite the redundant answer."No, listen to what I have to say."After motioning for Felix to sit down, Julius continued, "In the Rank-Ascending Competition, some people in power can actually cheat within the rules. Have you heard of the Orion family?"Before Felix could answer, Julius had already guessed the answer based on his gaze. "Heh, seems like Earth isn't as barbaric as everyone thought. Since you're familiar with the Orion family, it will make things easier for me."Well, you got the right information. The Orion family is th
The guide said, "This is where the selected contestants rest. The yard is huge and has everything you need. As long as you don't leave this yard, you're free to move around. I'll bring you to your room now."The yard looked huge, with fixtures of bridges and flowing rivers. Felix even passed by a fake mountain. It was large enough for hundreds of people to climb, standing thousands of feet tall and looked quite majestically.No one on Earth or Aquamarinus could have built such a luxurious residence. Felix could even see a bar and massage parlor, showing how indispensable technology was in the universe. His room was luxurious, around 2000 square feet, and was decorated with traditional but modern touches. "This is your room. I'll take my leave now, goodbye." The young man left with a bow. Felix turned around and stood on the patio. Outside his room was a large lake, with even fish swimming inside."A new neighbor? Did you just arrive today?" The sudden voice came from the patio
Felix arrived at the location of one of Nine Flames, where the guards instantly collapsed, their eyes rolling back as they fainted.By now, darkness had arrived. He walked forward without any hesitation, his right hand touching the flame.There was no need for any special tools. The flame simply vanished, and only Felix knew that it was absorbed in an instant by his Starmark.With the disappearance of the flames, people in many places immediately dropped to their knees.The light that should have lasted throughout the night vanished, and the darkness of Desolated Lands descended almost instantly. Every light went out in an instant.Screams echoed everywhere, and panic spread like wildfire. Even though their loved ones were close by, they couldn't see them with their eyes and could only communicate through voice.Scenes like this were unfolding in many places, even in Cloud City."It's really started," Eira said. She was in Cloud City. Although Luigi was standing on her left, h
Despite Thiago's murderous glare and overwhelming killing intent, Felix wasn't scared. In fact, it made him smile.Due to the unique trait of the Dragon Rebirth, his opponent had to harbor a true desire to kill him in order for Felix to grow stronger. Otherwise, it would all be meaningless. At least so far, everything was unfolding just as he expected.Meanwhile, Holt was silently praying like crazy as he lay on the ground. The battle had already begun, and his companion had understood his message. This was their only shot, however slim, at killing Felix.As time passed and the afternoon crept past 3:00 pm, his companion started to falter. His attacks were growing sluggish. He hadn't been injured, but he was clearly on the defensive now.Seeing this, Felix completely lost interest. Once his opponent lost the will to kill him, the Dragon Rebirth would no longer grow.Still, the battle wasn't for nothing. He'd made solid progress and was a little closer to becoming a Celestial Realm
Felix had clearly found Holt's weak spot. These guys were so desperate to extend their lives that they turned the entire Aquamarinus into a breeding ground. Obviously, they were terrified of death. As long as there was even the slightest chance of survival, they'd take it.And sure enough, Holt immediately agreed. He pulled out some kind of device and flew off, clearly contacting his comrades."But even if I agreed," Holt said, "the three of us split up and searched in different directions. Even if they rush over, they won't make it until tomorrow."The fear in his eyes was obvious, so much so that Felix couldn't help but laugh."How interesting," Felix said. "You made a deal with the Ant Queen, right? Couldn't she at least give you something to help you move freely through Desolated Lands at night?"Holt shot him a bitter smile. "The Ant Queen's children—the soldier ants—are born hunters. That instinct can't be erased. And honestly, we've never needed to go out at night anyway."
Lumen flew out and quickly returned. Felix's expression eased completely, and with a step, he vanished from where he stood."Chasing me was fun last time, huh? Did you think it'd go the same this time?" he asked.When he reappeared, someone was already lying on the ground about ten yards ahead. It was a figure fully shrouded in a gray robe, a man named Holt Bovington.That was Felix holding back. Otherwise, Lumen's previous strike could've shattered Holt's soul on the spot."Felix Zeller? It really is you!" Holt's voice was full of shock. Whatever he'd planned to do was already too late. His soul had taken a devastating blow, and he no longer had the strength to fight."Yeah, it's me. Just like I suspected, you people really aren't all that strong when it comes to soul power."Felix had spared his life because he wanted answers."If you answer a few questions honestly, I'll let you live. Even with your soul badly damaged, I assume someone who knows about Nine Flames and Desolate
Three months later, deep within a mountain on Aquamarinus, a meeting was taking place. Who would've imagined palace-like structures hidden within the mountain itself?In one of the chambers, a sky-blue dome adorned the ceiling. Beneath it, three figures in gray robes sat cross-legged, their bodies cloaked in shadow. Their faces were completely obscured."I went to see the Ant Queen yesterday. There's definitely something wrong.""Enough with the vague talk. Be specific.""In just three months, the Ant Queen has lost millions of her children. Do you even understand what that means?"The atmosphere shifted as all three took a sharp breath. A long silence followed before one finally spoke, "Perhaps our earlier theory is right. Is someone hunting soldier ants in Desolated Lands at night?""It has to be. How else do you explain millions of casualties? At this rate, we're down to just a million soldier ants across the entire planet. If this keeps up, they'll be wiped out in a month. An