The Rise of a Master: It Starts With Rejection

Dickson nodded and started to pick his nose.

"Oh, this feels great. Well, an alchemist can help, but we have a problem. There are ten alchemists who can cultivate pills for the early-stage and middle-stage Transcendent Realm martial artists. It'll get harder from middle-stage to late-stage -only five alchemists are qualified.

"For now, only Bern and Delilah have the ability to cultivate pills needed for mastering the Transcendent Realm. Even then, their success rates are dismally low—out of ten attempts, they're lucky if they manage to produce two pills."

Huh? That sounded really incredulous.noveldrama

"As an alchemist, you need to understand that the rarer the pills, the more precious the herbs required. Gathering the ingredients for one attempt at cultivation takes a lot of time, effort, and emeralds. Factor in the slim success rate, and you might walk away empty-handed. That's why so many have failed in their quest to conquer the Transcendent Realm."

Felix sank deep into his thoughts. The conversation with Dickson that day pointed him in a new direction. Perhaps it was worth a try. If he succeeded, he could immediately wrap up his mission.

Being a Grandmaster in Martial City would mean unrivaled. He'd be free to do anything he wanted.

"See? I just told you about the consequences of a lack of trust. And it's coming true now."

Confused, Felix watched Dickson get up.

Immediately, he sensed a buzz of activity heading in their direction. At the same time, Dickson spoke to him through telepathy.

"Find an opportunity to escape. Don't worry about me. The most they could do is gravely injure me. They won't kill the deputy chief of Harmony Clinic, or they're gonna trigger a war! I hope you have a way of protecting yourself."

After Dickson spoke to him, six men showed up, with one among them being Atlas.

"It's been a while, Mr. Marlow." One of the old men nodded at Dickson with a smile as though he were greeting an old friend after a chance meeting.

"Wow. The other five elders of the Maximus family have shown up except Dean Maximus. What's your huge plan here?" While speaking, Dickson communicated with Felix via telepathy.

He explained to Felix, "Those five old

farts are elders of the Maximus

family. Those two standing in the middle afe Jonah and Herbert Maximus, respectively. They're both in the late-stage Transcendent Realm.

"As for Dean Maximus, who is absent today, I assume he's lurking somewhere in the dark. He has

mastered the Transcendent Realm, which makes him the most powerful figure in Martial City.

"My guess is that Dean will not show up today. It's been many years since a battle between martial arts beyond the Transcendent Realm had happened in the Martial City."

Felix's expression clouded over. The Maximus family seemed to be the most elite family in Bedford. Just look at this frightening line-up!

Still, he was confident in beating them. Although he was for Delilah and Dickson,

he had to keep the Dragonspine a secret-a request by Gerald he dared not defy.

"Mr. Marlow, let's be honest. You know very well why we are here."

Dickson started to pick at his nose again, keeping his composure in the face of the Maximus family line-up "Of course, I know. Let the grievances of the young be resolved among ourselves, shall we? Whoever wins will have the final say. It's a promise."

After the last word was spoken, Atlas stepped forward with a wide smile on his

face. "Do you truly mean that?"