The Rise of a Master: It Starts With Rejection

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 gap between them had closed, and Felix was almost within striking distance. Just then, the Grand Elder shouted in alarm, "Wait! That kid's heading for Echo Cavern!"

"You've got to be kidding me. We can't let him reach it!" Dean's voice grew panicked. Even as major mastery-level martial artists, neither dared to enter the Echo Cavern.

"Damn it!" the Grand Elder cursed under his breath.

If Felix reached the cavern, their entire plan would fall apart. Whether Felix lived or died was not even the point. The Grand Elder's goal was to take Felix's head back to the capital and throw it at Gerald's feet, a way to finally settle an old grudge.

For Dean, it was even worse. The Dragonspines inside Felix's body were their true objective. If Felix died in the Echo Cavern, the Dragonspine would be lost forever, rendering their efforts meaningless.

"Felix, let's talk this out!" Dean called out, his voice tight with urgency. "If you enter that cavern, you'll face certain death. Why don't we negotiate instead?"

Felix sneered in response. "Do you seriously think I'm a child? If you really wanted to negotiate, you'd stop chasing me right now!"

The Grand Elder and Dean exchanged glances, both grimacing. Their expressions darkened as they silently activated forbidden techniques, increasing their speed at the cost of harming themselves. It was now or never-they had to stop Felix.

"Die!" Dean bellowed as the distance between them shrank to mere feet. The two martial artists launched powerful, long-range attacks. The air crackled with deadly force.

Felix's face twisted in frustration. The entrance to Echo Cavern was only 16 feet away, but their attacks would hit before he could reach it.

"Rising Dragon! Hidden Dragon!" Felix roared, unleashing every technique he had in a desperate counterstrike.

Explosions tore through the air as

UT

Felix's body was flung backward at incredible speed. Using the

momentum, he shot straight into the darkness of the cavern, disappearing from sight.

"Is he dead?" Kendrick asked, staring at the massive crater left by the attacks.

Dean smacked him hard across the head, sending him sprawling. "Idiot! Does it matter? Even if he's dead, his corpse is inside Echo Cavern. Are you brave enough to go in and

retrieve it?"

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The Grand Elder's face was as hard as stone. He glared at the cavern's entrance one last time before turning on his heel and walking away without a word.

Kendrick scrambled to his feet, rubbing his head. He sent a telepathic message to Dean. "If Felix is dead, the Dragonspines inside him should leave his body on their own.

"Maybe we can track them that way. We wouldn't be able to intercept it, but at least we'd have a chance to start over."noveldrama