Hearing those words, Kyro shook his head. "It's true that Reagan could easily do it. But why would he? The Steeles are one of his loyal dogs, so why cut off his own arm without cause?" Luna pondered before adding, "As you said, Grandpa, there's no reason for him to do that now. But from what I know, Reagan is extremely arrogant and profit-driven. Given proper motivation, discarding the Steeles wouldn't trouble him." She turned to Felix. "What you may not know, Dr. Zeller, is that Reagan is one of our nation's three most powerful figures. The Steeles only rose to their current status after gaining his favor, which happened in such a short time and is very different from old families like ours. "Only Reagan could gather them all as you wish. If he approves, even their total elimination could be dismissed as a mere fire, with no media daring to report otherwise. The impact would be minimal." Felix stroked his chin thoughtfully before asking, "Does Reagan have any particular obsess
Felix smiled wryly. Francis was the mystic from King Aurelius' court over two millennia ago, and his identity remained a mystery. If anything of his had survived until now, it would be among the rarest treasures imaginable. Finding such an item seemed impossible. "Let me ask around first." Felix's original plan had been to investigate and eliminate targets one by one. But Nala's data matched Luna's—there were over a hundred Steele members. They weren't just abroad but scattered across various Astorian cities. How could he hunt them all? After a few deaths, the Steeles would go into hiding for sure. Given their connection to Reagan, even a dog's death would warrant investigation. Once Astorian authorities got involved, complications would multiply. Felix was not confident he was invincible worldwide yet, and Reagan's true strength remained unknown. The situation could turn dangerous. He had rushed here from Dragonia because he was furious to see so many countrymen used as te
Nala was mysterious enough herself, coming from "that place". Her Shadow Mask alone was extraordinary. Perhaps she really could help. But truthfully, Felix wanted to avoid any further entanglement with her, even as a last resort. Yet the faces of his sleeping countrymen on that bus compelled him to dial her number. "Felix, how are you doing there?" Even Nala had not expected his call. "I'm here to ask about Francis Thane from King Aurelius' time. Can you get anything he left behind? Anything authentic will do, but preferably not martial art techniques." Felix was not foolish enough to strengthen the Shadowstalker Emperor and his shadowstalkers. He held no goodwill toward Astoria, after all. "Give me ten minutes." Nala's efficiency was impressive. She called back quickly. "I have something! It's a brush Francis once used, but it's an extraordinary one—even Oceanus Realm masters couldn't break it. "Don't worry. It's been studied extensively, and there's no hidden power. It'
Felix stopped in a clearing within the vast forest behind the Starfire residence. He had halted so abruptly because he sensed someone powerful tracking him, though he could not identify who. "Are you done running?" The voice reached him before its owner. An elderly man in white robes appeared 30 feet away, his ruddy face wearing a faint smile. "You're from Elders' Council, aren't you?" With such power and Dragonian features, it could not be anyone else. "Yes. We're old acquaintances in a way. Though this is our first meeting, you've survived our assassination attempts longer than anyone." Felix smiled. "I thought the Council just had extensive intelligence in Dragonia. It's impressive that you can track me abroad so quickly." He meant it sincerely. But the old man clasped his hands, smiling wider. "Thank you. Of course we can. Why else would a martial artist like me join an organization?" Having confirmed his identity, Felix cut to the chase. "What makes you think you alone
"Come on! Aren't you also a Blood Realm master? Let's have a friendly match!" Felix grinned, finding this old man more interesting than the previous ones sent after him. To his surprise, the old man frantically waved his hands after regaining consciousness. He rambled, "No, no. I won't fight you! Everyone knows you can fight above your level. Even though we're in the same realm, if we fight, I'm dead for sure."Felix scoffed. "As if not fighting would mean you're leaving here alive!"Suddenly, the old man stood straight and raised his right hand to the sky with a solemn expression. "I, Selmer Zink, swear to heaven that from this moment on, I quit Elders' Council and will follow Felix Zeller's lead. May lightning strike me if I break this oath!"What the hell? Felix was dumbfounded, wondering if things could really be this simple.He blurted out, "Are you pulling my leg?"Seeing Felix's irritation, Selmer spoke faster, "Sir, trust me. I've truly left Elders' Council. The Council
Felix looked up and squinted at the strange sight above. It really did seem like the moon had fallen from the sky. At first, it drifted slowly, but its speed had suddenly multiplied several times over."Interesting technique. Is that a sword move?"As Felix quipped, Selmer thrust out his palm, sending a silver light that dispersed into nothingness.Felix lightly stepped back several dozen yards. Almost instantly, a cold light swept through where he had been standing, completely enveloping Selmer. "Not a sword strike—it's an energy blade, and a skilled one at that," Felix noted. This attack targeting Selmer was far more powerful than Micah from the Starfires. Felix could hear an unfamiliar language roaring from the attacker's direction, distinctively Astorian, though he had no idea what they were saying. Then, another voice rang out—this one comprehensible. It confirmed something else. There was not just one attacker. There were two."Dragonians sure are bold! How dare you cau
Felix wanted to slap himself for being so cautious since arriving in Astoria, only to discover this was the level of the Shadowstalker Emperor. He finally understood that while warriors needed to be careful within Dragonian borders due to hidden masters, they could dominate freely once abroad."So, you're the damn Shadowstalker Emperor?" Felix could not help but laugh as he slapped Reagan across the face. Reagan dared not show any anger and just pleaded, "Please calm down, sir!"Within moments, Felix used the Soul Sealing Needle again, and both Reagan and his partner became as docile as kittens. "Listen well! From now on, if I hear about any families causing trouble in Dragonia, not only will they die, but you'll also suffer the same fate."Reagan gulped hard, terrified to his core. Though he had never heard of the Soul Sealing Needle, he felt its soul-crushing pain firsthand. He knew his life was at stake and quickly exclaimed, "I guarantee this will never happen again, sir!"
Felix was surprised that the Steele family was making the first move. He asked, "I thought the Starfires ranked above the Steele family. How dare they show up like this?"Micah explained, "That's what confuses us, too. It's just Mr. Ollie Steele from the Steele family. He's not even anyone important, yet he's acting so arrogantly. We've never seen anything like this."Felix headed inside without further questions, finally about to meet Ollie, who had been in charge of Gray City in Dragonia. Inside, he found Luna facing off against a sleazy-looking young man. "Ollie, you're being ridiculous!" Luna snapped.Ollie sneered, "Ridiculous? Luna, you used to have the right to say that, but now your family's fate is in our hands. Why act so pure in front of me?"He reached out his hand and added, "Spend one night with me, and I'll make sure your family is treated well." Luna slapped his hand away and stood up, her presence still commanding. "I'd like to see what gives the Steele family