Felix announced, "Everyone here can take out their phones to record and share this with everyone in Newtown. If anyone thinks I'm putting on a show, so be it. I'm just doing what I believe in." Despite his words, no one dared pull out their phones. Everyone knew exactly who Felix was. Within ten minutes, people started flooding in. There were officials from the headquarters and martial artists who had moved here from Martial City. The crowd kept growing. "Mr. Zeller." Alistair had shown up too, his eyes gleaming with a strange glint. "Lord Zeller, what's with all this drama?" Minutes later, four luxury cars pulled up. A young man stepped out, his face dripping with arrogance. He clearly did not think much of Felix. Alistair said, "My Lord, that's Laurent Norton, Newtown's commissioner appointed by headquarters." Felix's brow furrowed at Alistair's words. How could they possibly put this fool in charge of such an important city? The man was still stuck in the Innate Re
"Felix, this young man is a descendant of an old friend of mine. He's been spoiled rotten and doesn't know when to shut up. Please don't take him seriously." Felix watched Laurent, who still looked defiant despite being slapped. Now he understood the arrogance—this man had connections to the Protector. "Let me ask you, sir. What's more important—your feelings for an old friend, or the fate of our nation? I don't understand why such an important place as Newtown would be handed to this triple-threat of incompetence. "He has weak powers, zero emotional intelligence, and not a brain cell to spare. Have you turned foolish too?" Already fuming, Laurent roared, "Felix Zeller! How dare you lecture the Protector himself? This is treason! Arrest him now!" Laurent's men just looked at each other awkwardly. Arrest him? With what, their mouths? Come on, everyone knew how powerful Felix was. Did this idiot even have a functioning brain? The Protector did not seem angry at all. He just l
"We do!" The crowd roared in unison. Felix's actions today proved they had not made a mistake following him to the capital. Nothing about this felt staged, and they weren't foolish enough to miss that. As the crowd dispersed, Felix remained troubled. He had been blind to something obvious all along—people can be real pieces of work when given the chance. If this situation had continued, wouldn't people have lost faith? Everyone understood that voluntary cooperation would beat forced compliance any day. At least he had stepped in. He had sent a clear message by bringing down the hammer without even sparing the Protector's feelings. Nobody would dare try the same tricks again; making an example of one person was always the most effective way. "Alistair, you all knew about this already, didn't you?" From Alistair's arrival to the prepared evidence against Laurent, Felix could easily connect the dots. "Yes, Lady Summers arranged everything. You know that when the Protector is
Barry asked, "So Felix, have you faced those Malevolent Phantoms yet?" Felix nodded. "Yeah. They're not as scary as you might think. The first time is rough, but it gets easier. That said, the powerful ones are really terrifying." Upon hearing these words from someone like Felix, Barry felt a chill. After all, Felix's power was already off the charts in everyone's eyes. Good times always flew by, and the days of rest vanished in a blink. At ten in the morning, Felix stood at Newtown's airport. "Stop acting like we're saying our final goodbyes. You two are something else." Cordelia wiped away tears, giving Deborah the same reproachful look. "You can't imagine how much a mother would shed tears for her son. I'm just making up for lost time." Deborah was speechless, though secretly excited. After years of hard work, she could finally relax without worry. "Hey, what a coincidence! Are you guys heading out too? Where?" Bern and his daughter Natalie appeared suddenly, and Ber
There was a woman standing in front of the car despite the downpour. What gave Laura the creeps was the woman's bright red dress and matching red umbrella. Her face wore a smile that spread an eerie atmosphere around her."Should we go around her, Felix?"The rain was coming down so hard that no other cars were visible on this stretch of road. Laura figured the woman might have some mental issues."I'll go check it out."Upon hearing this, Laura considered another possibility. "Could it be a Malevolent Phantom?"If so, Laura needed to stay alert. This would be her first encounter with one. Even if she wasn't qualified to fight, she could at least observe carefully."Not sure." Felix thought there could only be two explanations for the current situation. Either this woman was mentally disturbed, or she was indeed a Malevolent Phantom. The heavy rain and lack of surveillance cameras made this an ideal spot for murder, though the location was somewhat unexpected. As Felix steppe
Based on the essence fluctuations, they were probably an Aetherial Realm martial artist. The fact that they could kill a C-tier Malevolent Phantom shows they'd made real progress with soul techniques. "What a waste of talent, throwing themselves away like this," Felix muttered.Felix had a bad feeling. Was this a test run, or did they actually think this creature could take down a Grandmaster like him?He pulled out his phone and called Xena. "Did Elliott's experimental data get leaked?"Xena's response was firm. "Impossible! That data is extremely valuable, and the headquarters considers it top secret. It's classified beyond even us warlords' clearance, so there's no way it leaked."If it hadn't leaked, what was going on? The helmet, the C-tier Malevolent Phantom—everything pointed to Westorio Order's research. Had some other accident happened without their knowledge?"I'm sending you an address. Get people here as soon as you can to clean up and identify the bodies.""On it."
The flute's melody carried a murderous intent. This could only mean one thing—Karina was locked in battle with someone. This kind of flute sound was inaudible to ordinary people. Only those with significant power could hear it. Felix did not hesitate for a second. After a quick warning to Laura, he bolted out the car door. In a nearby park dense with greenery, Felix had barely arrived when he heard a voice. "Who's there?" Felix could only laugh. Despite being a Grandmaster with his essence concealed to perfection, Karina had still detected him. "It's me, Karina." Karina stood there holding her flute, clearly surprised. "Felix? What are you doing here?" Before he could answer, Felix looked toward a spot where a man's head was swinging back and forth, laughing with a sinister edge. "Hehehe, you think you can kill me like that? Keep dreaming!" As the head spoke, a body grew beneath it, taking the form of a full-grown man. Without a word, Karina played her flute again. The
That made sense. A Malevolent Phantom's body was not nearly as fragile as a normal human's. While Felix and Karina could make them explode with minimal effort, weaker martial artists would find it extremely challenging. "I finally get a chance to relax in the park, and this thing tries to kill me. Hmph! Talk about ruining my mood," Karina huffed.Felix was speechless. What was this Phantom thinking? Of all people to pick a fight with, it chose Karina? "What brings you to Kashmere, Karina?" he asked.Karina suddenly felt a flush on her face. She turned away and asked, "Since when do I need to report my whereabouts to you?" Felix knew better than to push the question. He quickly changed the subject and said, "Now that Phantoms have appeared, hasn't Mr. Hoffman asked you all to learn soul-reading techniques?" Among his nine fellow apprentices, only Naomi had trained in soul-related abilities. The others had not. "No. Mr. Hoffman made it clear long ago that we shouldn't learn oth
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