Eternal Thief

Ace looked at the bright domed with a shocking expression that has appeared on the city and this wasn't the end.

After that barrier was set, many black-cloaked men with black masks on their faces appeared out of nowhere and circle the whole city!

The weakest of them was the Early Stage Qi Formation while the strongest of them was at the Qi River!

'This is on a whole other level than Dulce's formation barrier!' Ace thought gravely because he could feel that the power of that barrier is at the same level as the library's formation!

'First, that powerful foreign aura and now this barrier just who are these people?' Ace's eyes turn sharp, 'Are they also after Blood Rose?'

Ace didn't know who these black clothes men were but by the powerful Qi Wave around them, he knew they were not from the land of cities!

'I've avoided a disaster!' Ace deemed because if he was inside that barrier it would be night impossible to escape.

And after sensing that strange aura he knew there was a terrifying existence inside that city who can search for him with that strange aura and he was helpless in front of it without the invisible bead!

This gave Ace the chills and he escaped at full speed as he vanished in wildness.

Since there were Qi River Realm Cultivators between those men he has to go as far away from here as possible before they started to search the surrounding of the city.

Ace run with the silent step at full speed for ten hours straight, it was already dawn and his advantage of darkness come to an end with light.

Now anyone in the Empty River Stage of Qi River Realm can sense him with little difficulty as for River Depth Stage Cultivator, for them Ace was very easy to find.

Qi River Realm has Five Small Realms or Stages. They are Empty River, River Depth, River Source, Flowing River, and Complete River respectively.

Ace has sense one River Depth Stage cultivator in the group of those black men and that's why he wanted to go as far away from it before they expand the range of their search.

After ten hours of continues running, he has put quite some distance between himself and Luminous City.

Ace wasn't looking tired but sweat was dripping from his chin and his breathing was a little rough. He can run for three straight days but stop because it was time to reap the rewards of his labor!

He was in desperate need of new skills and with all those powerful men as an enemy he felt the tension even more.

Ace found a spot quite well hidden between trees and long wild grass and settled to rest here.

After making sure that he was well hidden, Ace transmitted his enthusiastic and excited voice inside his mind, "System begin the evaluation!"

A black transparent mission panel appeared and words began to appear on it while Ace heard the system emotionless voice,

======

"[Staring the evaluation process]"

[Mission Panel]

[Job Mission: Host has to do honorable thievery at a city lord's mansion of the No.1 City in the Low-Level Lands. (Lands of cities)]

[Status: Complete]

[Scanning Host Performance] [1.2.3…100% Complete]

[Result]

[Performance Rating: Good]

[Rewards will be 2X for the first 3 Missions]

[Third 2X Reward will be given now]

[2X Reward]

[Experience Point(s) = 500,000]

[Soul Point(s) = 50,000]

[Thief Point(s) = 15,000]]

[Rewards have been added to Host status]

---

[Special Rewards]

[Thief Panel has been unlocked]

[Shop has been updated]

======

Ace was quite astonished seeing the rating has reached the Good Grade because he didn't steal the second treasury. Nonetheless, he was elated about it since this gave him extra Points especially SP, which are not easy to find.

Furthermore, Ace saw on top of the system's main panel a new pentagon icon was unlocked. It has a hooded silver rune symbol that was shining with a golden light around it and the hooded symbols on it was sparkling with silver dots just like the other five pentagon icons.

'It has to be that Thief Panel!' Ace guess and wanted to open it when the system's voice buzzed in his mind,

======

"[Thief Panel and Updated Shop will be available in an hour]

[Please wait in meantime]"

=====

After the notification, the [Thief Panel] and [System Shop] pentagon icons dim down instantly.

Ace frown a little but didn't rebuke, since it was only an hour he can wait.

Since he can't see those new functions at this moment Ace wanted to restore his Qi but before he could do that, his soul sense tingled with alarm!

He quickly goes in stealth and held his breath because that was the soul wave of an Empty River Stage Expert!

Ace used his Heavenly Sense to saw the area and was horrified after finding there were the same group of black men leading by a Qi River Expert and many Qi Foundation Experts.

Ace's face fell, 'How in the hell did they caught up this quick!'

After Layla didn't find any suspicious Qi wave in two hours, she finally takes notice of that strange Qi Wave again that she felt at the start and vanished the very next moment.

She quickly dispatched ten teams leading by a Qi River Realm Expert to search the wildness. Those teams were very profound in their task especially for searching, they had many treasures that can found someone trace that was not easy to find with naked eyes.

Now Ace was beginning to take these black cloth men seriously because it was his first time that someone has caught up to him after he escape the city and they were all very powerful.

If he even makes a tiny mistake those guys would found him and that time he would alert the others as well.

So, he had to be vigilant and quickly leave this area because that group was only two hundred meters away from him.

With his heavenly sense active Ace retreat with silent steps without making any sound. He suddenly saw that Qi River Cultivator taking a strange compass from his storage ring and begin to scan the area carefully.

Ace's heart sank because he didn't know what that compass was but since a Qi River Cultivator was using it, it has to be extraordinary.

Ace hold his breath like a statue and stop moving, he didn't want to take the risk of moving with that thing around.

He suddenly felt a strange Qi Wave around but it wasn't as strong as the last one. However, it can detect him!

'Do I have to use the last bead as well?' Ace thought gloomily because he knew once that guy find his Qi Wave he can't escape him.

Suddenly a thought came to mind.

The Qi River mask man was called Shadow Finder because he was an expert at finding people.

Shadow Finder used this Shadow Detection Compass that was bestowed on him and other teams to find that thief. It was a Ranked 4 Mortal Rune Array Treasure that can detect even a Deep River Cultivator!

One can see just how serious Layla was in finding that thief.

Suddenly Shadow Finder see a little light dote in the compass metallic screen and spoke coldly. "Come out I know you're behind that tree!"

He released the full power of his cultivation because he didn't know if this was that thief or someone else but he won't let them escape. If he finds anything suspicious he would even kill that person.

Because Layla made it clear if that thief retaliates kill him and bring his corpse back!

An ordinary-looking young man appeared behind from tree with a terrifying face as he said while shuttering, "I-I don't… have any valuables. T-they were already… been robbed by other b-bandits."

That ordinary young man was Ace in Javier's disguise. He has changed his clothes long ago and with Javier's injured face he looked like some commoner that was lost in this wildness and been robbed by bandits.

"Boy, are you calling us bandits?" Someone behind Shadow Finder coldly looked at Javier.

Javier begin to tremble while he said timidly, "I-I, no, no. Your clothes just look like so…so…"

Before he could finish, Shadow Finder take a golden mirror and command, "Look into it!"

Ace's heart sank, 'Just how many treasures do you guys have!'

But he still looked in that mirror nervously, if his disguise were to blow then he can only fight his way out of here.

The golden mirror shines brightly for ten-second but his face reflection still didn't change and Ace sighed in relief secretly.

"Let's go he's not him."

After Shadow Finder confirm Javier's face was real and he also could tell this pitiful guy was just a third gate realm brat so lost interest in him since he didn't have time to waste.

Shadow Finder left with his group of men leaving dumbfounded Javier behind. As for killing him? It was simply beneath them especially Shadow Finder who was quite aloof because of his background.

Ace confirmed that the group was left and finally had a sigh of relief....