Felix remained silent. Kendrick was acting even more arrogant than before, but he had to admit he was right.With the Grand Elder and Dean, both major mastery-level Transcendent Realm martial artists, there was no way Felix could win—even if he activated Lone Paragon. Facing just one of them was already impossible, let alone both.A month ago, Felix had fought a sparring match against Dickson in North City. During that battle, he had pushed his abilities to the limit.The conclusion was clear. With Lone Paragon activated, Felix could hold his own against someone at the late stage of Transcendent Realm and even defeat weaker late-stage opponents. However, against someone like Dickson, the best he could manage was a draw.This level of achievement was enough to shock most martial artists. The gap between minor stages in Transcendent Realm was massive.Early-stage warriors rarely, if ever, stood a chance against those in the middle stage, and late-stage battles were practically unhea

Kendrick's question was not random—he was not sensing Nerissa's presence but had recognized the Resonance Bell. Among the Top Ten Menaces, everyone knew that the Resonance Bell was a unique, pseudo-magical artifact that belonged solely to Nerissa.This was thanks to Westley Xavier, a major mastery-level Transcendent Realm warrior of the Xavier family, who spoiled Nerissa and gave her all the best treasures. It also explained how she could sneak up on Felix unnoticed, even by the Grand Elder and Dean."Why is Felix heading in that direction? Shouldn't he be running toward Westville?" Kendrick suddenly wondered aloud as they chased him."It doesn't matter," Dean responded curtly. "Even if he were running toward the city, do you think he'd make it in time? We chose this rocky wasteland to prevent exactly that. He's as good as dead."Kendrick nodded in agreement. Felix was like a lamb to the slaughter now. No matter which way he ran, the outcome would not change. Within minutes, the

As night fell over Westville, Janet stared at Nerissa in shock after hearing her story. She exclaimed, "Oh, my God! Nerissa, are you out of your mind? I know you're respectful and empathetic, but the Resonance Bell is a life-saving treasure Westley gave you—how could you just use it like that?"Before Nerissa could even respond, Janet kept going. "And you were way too reckless! I admit Felix seems like a decent guy, but you haven't even spoken to him, let alone built a relationship. You should've walked away in that situation—what if something had happened to you?"Nerissa frowned, sadness clouding her eyes. Despite having no real emotional connection with Felix and only a formal encounter between them, she already found herself mourning him. She wondered if this was what people meant by destiny."Stop it," she snapped. "I've already decided he's my man, so how could I just stand by and do nothing?"Seeing that Nerissa was upset, Janet sighed. "I get it... but he's in Echo Cavern n

Nerissa could clearly sense how deeply Deborah cared for Felix. Even though most people in Martial City would let things go for the sake of political alliances and self-interest, Deborah was not one of them."Madam Goddard, please try to stay calm," Nerissa urged gently. "Before you returned, I kept an eye on the Maximus family. They're already gone—Dean lost control and killed several people before fleeing. No one knows where they are now."Deborah clenched her teeth in rage. Of course, Dean would plan ahead, knowing full well that after driving Felix to his death, both she and Harmony Clinic would retaliate.Deborah replied, "Thank you for the information. I'll handle the rest from here."…Two days later, Deborah sat cross-legged outside Echo Cavern. Dickson and Shepherd stood silently beside her, keeping her company as she stared into the cavern's dark entrance.Ezra, the head of one of Harmony Clinic's branches, approached. He asked, "She's still not leaving, huh?""Yeah,"

Felix noticed that the oppressive darkness around him seemed to thin ever so slightly. It was such a subtle change that an ordinary person would not have sensed it, but with his heightened awareness, he picked up on it immediately."Finally, some progress. Let's keep going," he muttered to himself, determination flaring in his eyes.…Time passed, and three months slipped by in the outside world. The frenzy surrounding Harmony Clinic's bounty on the Maximus family began to die down. Despite the massive search effort, no one could find any trace of them. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.Rumors circulated that the Maximus family might have fled to the capital. After all, how else could they avoid being discovered by so many skilled trackers? Regardless of the speculation, Deborah's health rapidly deteriorated.The loss of her beloved apprentice, coupled with her inability to avenge him, had broken her spirit. Bern personally diagnosed her condition and could only sigh i