George and the others threw a celebration party for Felix's victory that night, and everyone was in high spirits. Even Milo, who usually avoided such gatherings, joined in the festivities.Despite drinking quite a bit, Felix cleared his mind when he got home and began studying the Lone Paragon technique. He could not resist exploring something that so many people had been seeking.When Felix opened his eyes again, he was shocked to find that dawn had already broken—time had passed even faster than during pill cultivation. "The Lone Paragon is just a fragment? How incredible must the complete version be?" he wondered aloud. Indeed, the Lone Paragon technique he received could triple his combat power without any side effects, but it was only a portion of the whole. He murmured, "Where is the rest of the Lone Paragon?"According to the text, the Lone Paragon techniques had to be learned sequentially, and Felix had only received the most basic part. Without this foundation, one woul
If not for Xena's serious expression, Felix would have thought he had misheard. He asked in disbelief, "An enemy invasion? How is that possible when our nation is so powerful?" Xena gave a bitter smile and explained, "I wish I knew the answer too, but as a warlord, my rank isn't high enough. I can only follow orders and tell you what's relevant to the mission. As a proper Dragon Knight, your duty is simply to obey." Since even Xena did not know the details, Felix knew pursuing that line of questioning would be pointless. He said, "Tell me about 'that side' then." Xena sighed with relief, grateful that Felix had not pressed further. "That place is where a large portion of our most powerful martial artists migrated from the capital years ago. They've thrived there, building families and communities, and their combat abilities far surpass what we have here."Felix had to agree with this assessment. He thought of Cynthia, his supposed fiancée's sister, and her incredible strength. T
Felix rolled his eyes at the notion of becoming the strongest in Martial City. He was not even bothered to respond to such an outlandish idea."Don't underestimate yourself, Felix," Xena insisted. "Look how young you are and already at the Boneforging Realm—that alone is remarkable. Don't you think it's possible with the Lone Paragon's power boost?"Xena felt mixed emotions, knowing Felix had hidden his true strength from her. He had already reached the Boneforging Realm, which meant he must have been incredibly powerful before, yet she had no idea."Whatever. I've accepted the mission, and I'll do my best, but I can't guarantee the outcome—no one can," Felix said.Their conversation continued until sunset before Felix left. While headquarters had shared extensive information about Martial City, Felix realized he would only truly understand it once he got there himself.Watching Felix's retreating figure, Xena opened her mouth several times but could not bring herself to speak. Sh
Selmer immediately stepped in and said, "Ms. Emmerson, Mr. Zeller instructed us to keep him alive. Please don't act impulsively."However, Louise was more direct. He stepped in front of Shane without hesitation. He had just arrived and was not that familiar with Melissa or the others, so he only followed Felix's orders. "Alive? No way!" Melissa shot back, her voice filled with fury. "Felix knows exactly what's going on here. Don't try to fool me!"Blinded by hatred, Melissa could not think rationally. The sight of Shane brought back horrifying memories of being treated like livestock at the auction, and it made her seethe with rage.She commanded, "Ronan, kill him for me!"Ronan did not hesitate. Although he had great respect for Felix, his heart belonged to Melissa. He warned Selmer and Louise, "Get out of my way, or I might just use force on you too."Though Ronan was only at the Blood Realm major mastery stage while Selmer and Louise were True Blood Realm fighters, as a memb
Terry's only comfort was Felix's status as a Dragon Knight, believing it would keep him in check. However, Stamford could not help but laugh bitterly—how could they expect restraint after sending assassins after Felix?"Terry!" a voice suddenly boomed throughout the Skyward Guild, causing all the training disciples to freeze in curiosity."Who dares to cause trouble in my Skyward Guild?" Terry growled as he vanished on the spot, with Stamford following close behind.When they reached the front courtyard, they found Felix standing there, which immediately dampened their aggressive stance. Terry asked diplomatically, "Ah, if it isn't the honorable Dragon Knight. What brings you to our Skyward Guild?" Felix smirked at the gathered martial arts masters. "Call me Felix or Dragon Knight; I don't care—I'm here for justice."Terry's greeting was not lost on Felix. Using the title "Dragon Knight" was a calculated move to tie him to the headquarters and make things more complicated.
A terrifying aura spread from a distant building, instantly enveloping the entire Skyward Guild. Terry and his followers were overjoyed, knowing their Founding Master had been monitoring the guild's safety even during meditation."How long has it been since someone dared to cause trouble in the Skyward Guild? Such audacity!" A powerful voice echoed across the grounds, brimming with authority. Even without appearing in person, the sheer presence of this unseen force was overwhelming."Felix, you've brought this upon yourself!" Terry snarled through gritted teeth, his injuries making his anger even more palpable.The other guild members began shouting, their earlier caution forgotten. "So what if you're a Dragon Knight? You struck first, and that gives us every right to retaliate. The headquarters won't say a word against us!"Someone else growled, "Do you really think that being at the Boneforging Realm makes you invincible? Wait until you face our Founding Master!" "Mr. Miles g
Several minutes later, Terry returned, holding a small bronze cauldron. He also brought along two young individuals—a man and a woman."Dragon Knight, this is my disgrace of a son, and that woman is his lover. Everything started because of this little bitch. I'll make things right with you today."As soon as he finished speaking, Terry raised a hand and pointed at the young woman. She collapsed into a pool of blood before she could even react."Please, spare my son's life," Terry pleaded, his voice trembling with desperation.Terry was truly out of options. Even the founder of his guild had given up trying to handle Felix, so what could he possibly do? If Felix continued to grow stronger, Terry knew his own fate would be sealed one random night. "I'm not unreasonable. We'll proceed as you suggested," Felix responded in a measured tone. If not for Xena's warning about outside threats, he might not have been so lenient. Besides, the Skyward Guild's strength made them valuable na
"Ha! I can't believe you actually got up! Think you can handle it?" Averill doubled over with laughter.Karina was also chuckling, and Felix finally realized they had been teasing him. He shook his head and said, "Alright, you two, enough with the jokes."…The next day, Felix met with Kayden, the powerful Fish Man, on the outskirts of Gray City."Here's the Twin Fish Cauldron. I trust everything is in order?" Felix asked, and after carefully examining the artifact, Kayden smiled with satisfaction."Indeed, this is the genuine Twin Fish Cauldron. You truly delivered on your promise," Kayden confirmed.Felix understood why someone as powerful as Kayden had been hesitant to retrieve it himself—he feared the founding master of Skyward Guild. "And here's your Dragonspine," Kayden said as he handed over the item, making Felix smile. It was refreshing to have a straightforward exchange without any hidden agendas.…That evening, Melissa executed Shane, the imprisoned Fish Man. She
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