Clearly, Specter sensed the brutal force behind this next attack—every single scale on his body shot up to shield him. Suddenly, a soul-crushing wave of power rippled outward. Though he managed to block the strike, his scales began to dissolve in massive clusters, proving just how devastating the blow had been.At almost the exact same moment, Lumen flanked around and pierced through Specter from behind.Even someone like Specter, an S-tier Malevolent Phantom, could not endure the pain that deep—it struck straight into his soul. Before he could recover, Lumen drove through him twice before his scales intercepted the strikes."Xena!" Specter roared again. His soul had already been damaged—there was no way he could take Felix head-on anymore. With injuries like this, he would need an excruciatingly long recovery. If something did not happen soon, he would actually die right here.Even now, Specter could not wrap his head around how Felix had grown so strong so fast. Killing one or
Xena turned around, her eyes burning with rage as she glared at Specter. "I told you to stay hidden, didn't I? But no, you just had to be stubborn. Happy now?"She was on the verge of falling apart. From then on, she and Felix were done for good. As for headquarters, she would have no choice but to resign on her own. After all, if Felix reported her for colluding with a Malevolent Phantom, it would not just end with her quitting.Specter gave a bitter smile, unable to say anything. He would have never expected that Felix had grown this fast. The guy was already strong enough in the Ethercore Realm to go head-to-head with an S-tier Malevolent Phantom. If Specter had known that, he definitely would have stayed in hiding. Xena added, "You've got one month. Don't forget what you owe me."Specter nodded before finally speaking. "Don't worry. You saved my life—of course, I'll hold up my end. Just give me a month, and I'll vanish without a trace."Now that he had crossed Felix, pushing
After hanging up, Donna stared off into the distance. She murmured, "Felix, just how far can you really go?"...Late at night, inside a luxury estate, Malachar lounged on a velvet couch in the living room, chain-smoking in silence. He could not shake the restlessness gnawing at him—something felt off, which was strange because he had never experienced anything like this before.Suddenly, Malachar frowned as a blinding silver light burst from his body, flinging away something that had just tried to strike him. He snapped, "Who's there?"He was stunned—someone actually had the guts to try and assassinate an S-tier Malevolent Phantom like him. However, there was no answer, only a terrifying wave of soul-based energy rushing in, instantly alerting him to the situation's severity.His body flared up again, even brighter than before, and he let out a furious roar. "I've got over 20 lives in my hands—if you keep attacking, they'll all die!"That threat seemed to work. Before the attac
Malachar was dead.Felix's eyelids twitched slightly. Although he and Specter had previously clashed in a fierce and breathtaking battle, there had ultimately been no clear outcome.However, he'd done it on his own this time—he had truly taken down an S-tier Malevolent Phantom. While he didn't think this guy was as strong as Specter, he was still undoubtedly S-tier.After spending a full day and night healing over 20 people and their souls, Felix met up with Donna at the hotel."Next one," he said.Donna let out a wry smile. Even she felt a trace of fear now toward Felix."We're still tracking it down. We should be able to find it soon."Felix closed his eyes. "Let me know when you've found it."…Just like that, a month passed, and Felix had eliminated three Malevolent Phanttal. The terrifying power of the Phaeron Codex and the soul-refining feedback from the Mystical Explosive Orb elevated his soul cultivation once again. He reached the Quantacore Realm, and his overall st
"Hmm. Not bad," Francis sneered, lifting his hands again. His face suddenly began to tear apart. In the blink of an eye, another face emerged, twisting grotesquely as it rapidly expanded and launched itself toward Felix.Felix didn't flinch. With the added power of the Phaeron Projection, he finally unleashed his ultimate move."Six Word Mantra—Astral Bloom!"The grotesque face instantly shattered, obliterated into pieces, and redirected toward Francis.A flicker of seriousness passed through Francis's eyes. He clearly recognized how powerful that move was.After all, this technique from the Phaeron Codex was unleashed under the full amplification of Lone Paragon. Its power was nothing to scoff at.When the smoke cleared, Francis's figure looked noticeably dimmer."This isn't over, kid!"Francis retreated, and Felix didn't chase him. He had already thrown out every card he had. Who knew what else that old monster was hiding? It was better to leave it at that.At the very lea
Felix could tell the four figures were moving fast. However, their speed didn't impress him at his current level.He even had time to pick up his phone when Donna called."Felix, bad news! I just got solid intel. The others are panicking since you've already killed three S-tier Malevolent Phantoms. Somehow, word got out that you're the one behind it, and now the S-tiers are teaming up to take you down!"Who else leaked it? There was no doubt that it was Specter. Who else would do that?"Oh yeah? Well, you're a little late. I've already run into four of them working together. But this explains a lot. I was wondering why they'd suddenly join forces.""What? You've already run into them?" Donna was stunned. "What will you do? Can you get away?"Felix let out a cold chuckle. "Why run? This is a golden opportunity. Just wait for the good news. Soon, you can get the Mystical Explosive Orb back."According to Donna, once the Mystical Explosive Orb overflowed, it couldn't rebound any mo
When the car came to a stop, Felix saw what looked like a rural guesthouse-style building. Judging by how desolate the surrounding area was, it had been abandoned for a long time."Specter is inside, just ahead. He can sense me, but he won't run," the Phantom said.Felix extended his senses. Inside the compound, he sensed three people. They were all currently in the courtyard.In the blink of an eye, Felix grabbed the man who had led him there and vanished. When he reappeared, they were already inside the guesthouse.Felix sneered. "Xena, you've really fallen far.One of the three people present was Xena.It had only been a month since he'd last seen her, but she had changed so much that he barely recognized her. And it wasn't just her gaze—her outfit alone was enough to make him do a double take.A tiny miniskirt, an extremely revealing top, and a flirtatious expression. If it weren't for the aura confirming her identity, Felix would've thought she was just someone with a simil
When Felix first discovered a scout of the Hall of Souls, he noticed red threads inside the man's soul.He'd discussed it with Billy at the time and learned about the existence of the Scarlet Lord and the twisted cultivation method known as the Red Moon Reincarnation Requiem.He just never imagined that the Scarlet Lord would still be alive. Even Gerald had said that anyone who could maintain consciousness while cultivating the Red Moon Reincarnation Requiem was incredibly dangerous and a nightmare to deal with.In other words, the Scarlet Lord might actually be more terrifying than Francis. After all, he'd lived for countless years, too."Haha! What's the matter, Felix the Invincible? Afraid to make the first move?"Specter burst into laughter when he saw Felix just standing there, expressionless and not even trying to fight.To be honest, if it weren't for the Scarlet Lord being here to wipe Felix out personally, Specter wouldn't have had the courage even to try setting a trap.
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
"I didn't expect you to be a doctor, too. Thanks," Myles said, but then suddenly froze. His mind started racing.Wait a minute! He took down a tiger of True Blood Realm. On top of that, he was extremely skilled in medicine. That could only mean…"You figured out who I am?" Felix asked with a smile, trying to put Myles at ease. Despite that, Myles couldn't hide his fear. "You're Felix Zeller?""That's right. Judging by your reaction, I take it I've become a traitor to The Recovery Association? Or maybe some kind of unforgivable villain?"The air grew a bit awkward, and Myles shot him a strained smile."Not exactly… It's just that you took down the Flame Monarch. That's kind of hard to wrap my head around."His expression shifted again."Actually, everyone's still pretty confused. When we woke up this morning, every city, town, and even the smallest villages received a message. Five days from now, the Flame Monarch is holding a Flame Ceremony."Felix paused, frowning. "What's t
With Lumen and Indigo attacking and the Infinite Shield defending, Felix held his ground. Occasionally, he cast minor spells that barely consumed any soul power. Even as the monsters surged toward him like a tidal wave, not one of them could so much as scratch him.Feeling the steady stream of energy flooding into him, Felix grinned. If things kept going like this, there was a high chance he'd break through to the next major soul realm—Soul Overlord Realm.If he could level up again during the elimination rounds, his odds of winning the whole thing would increase significantly. Especially since Soul Overlord Realm required soul enhancement, it was a whole different league compared to Aetherium Realm.Once he hit Soul Overlord Realm, he was confident he'd be able to go toe-to-toe in a soul battle with the powerful figure who had chased him during dusk.That guy didn't dare appear in Desolated Lands at night, which likely meant his soul wasn't strong. In that case, Felix might actual
The sun had already begun to set. After fleeing in a panic, Felix had no idea if there was even a single place ahead that could shield him from the coming darkness.A few minutes later, the presence chasing him within his domain disappeared. Logically, the pursuer should've caught up in less than ten minutes, but they gave up. Still, Felix didn't relax for a second. The darkness was about to fall, and that could only mean two things. Either the pursuer wasn't confident they could survive the desolate night themselves, or they assumed there was no flame nearby and Felix was as good as dead.Either way, this was the most dangerous moment yet.After sprinting several more miles, Felix finally stopped. All around him stretched a barren wasteland with no end in sight. Even though he had memorized maps to identify different areas, they were useless now. As darkness swallowed the land, all reference points vanished."Damn it! I guess I'll have to see for myself what the hell comes out i