After three years, Felix sat on a plane again, though his mind wandered elsewhere. As long as Melissa and Ronan were alive, there would be no issue. With him personally stepping in, their rescue was almost certain.His thoughts lingered more on Malevolent Phantoms. Until now, they had not encountered any A-tier Phantoms, so their true strength remained unknown. Felix was not arrogant enough to believe he was invincible.With so many martial artists around, no one could guarantee control over all of them. If they began a wholesale slaughter of the Phantoms, all their plans would crumble. They would not even risk telling Felix."Felix?"A sudden voice startled Felix. He never expected to meet Luna on a plane after all these years. "Luna? What a coincidence!"Luna burst into tears. Despite her usual composure, three years of separation had taken their toll. She threw herself into Felix's arms. "You're back! You're finally back safely." Felix patted her back awkwardly, aware of the

On the television sat a woman, her face devoid of expression. Anyone who saw her would be struck first by her royal bearing. Words like beautiful or gorgeous fell short. She commanded a presence like a queen, which would make anyone feel inadequate in comparison.But Felix did not feel that way. His jaw dropped, eyes filled with utter disbelief. The woman on the screen was none other than his fellow apprentice, Eloise. Felix knew no one could impersonate Eloise. Few had ever met her, let alone possessed the ability to mimic her demeanor. "Eloise?" His question betrayed his inner turmoil. "Felix." When the woman on screen responded, Felix lost all composure. He wished desperately that this was just a dream rather than reality. Eloise was the Grand Cardinal of the Westerio Order? Did that mean she had founded the organization? But why? No wonder they knew everything about him—it all made sense now."Leave us," she commanded.The Scarlet Cardinal bowed and left the room,

Felix felt like crying. After everything he had been through, his feelings for Gerald were beyond words. "Mr. Hoffman, I took another mentor in Martial City. Her name is Deborah Goddard, and she taught me pill cultivation. You won't mind, will you?" Gerald laughed and said, "Why would I? Pill cultivation will be extremely useful to you. If you hadn't taken up on her offer, I'd be the one punishing you." Then, Felix thought of something. "Mr. Hoffman, do you have any photos from when you were young?" "Why?""I want to see how handsome you were back then.""Hah! I'm enjoying the flattery. I was quite the charmer in my youth. My smile would make any girl swoon. But no, I don't have any photos, so don't bother asking." Felix had hoped to confirm if Gerald was the Ancient Sage Cordelia had mentioned, but that seemed unlikely now. Finally, he went on to the main topic. "I met Eloise."Gerald had been humming cheerfully on the other end, but the tune stopped at Felix's words."I

It was already past eight when Felix left the club, which was long after nightfall. Felix raced through the city streets. Luna's life was in danger, so this was the fastest option. According to Luna, she had accompanied a client to an amusement park. The thrill-seeking client tried everything from roller coasters to other rides before suggesting they enter the park's haunted house. That was where the horror began. Luna described seeing a monster without eyes or a nose, but with three gaping mouths filled with saw-like teeth. Instead of ears, it had two dark brown arms that could extend and contract. She was hiding somewhere in the haunted house. She had not been found yet, but she was terrified and uncertain of her safety. That was why she called Felix for help. Without question, this was a Malevolent Phantom. What puzzled Felix was how Luna could see its true form without knowing the soul-reading forbidden technique. Was it some innate ability? Another possibility was that t

The purple-haired woman stood still while watching Felix without expressionlessly, as if examining something. Felix grew tense. This woman did not feel alive, yet she wasn't dead either. She was not exuding any essence at all. As a Grandmaster, he could sense everyone's unique essence after a single encounter, but this woman was different. She was totally untraceable. Was this the mysterious S-tier Malevolent Phantom? Incredible. A minute passed with neither moving. Having never encountered one before, Felix felt extreme danger from their first contact. Better to avoid fighting if possible. The woman licked her lips, then retreated behind the clown statue. When Felix rushed over, she had vanished without a trace. Even he could not tell when or how she had disappeared. "Damn, I can't underestimate these Phantoms." Even with his mastery of Ethereal Constitution, Felix had been extremely tense. That showed just how formidable S-tier Malevolent Phantoms were. Given the situat