Eternal Thief

Five hundred miles east from Lan's party, 

A group of black-clad people stopped a hundred meters away from the emerald mist. 

Marc deeply looked at the mist with keen interest and said, "Even I'm feeling a little apprehensive just by standing here." 

This was Marc's first time in this barren place and truth to be told, he only thought of this place as a countryside village. He wasn't even afraid of those powerful people. 

When Marc heard about the stories related to this mysterious forest, he never believed them until now. He could feel this mist can gravely harm him, only if the density were far more potent than the mist ahead of him.

"Did that slave contact you? What's the situation with Pill Flame and Beast Calling group?" Marc asked the Black Reaper standing behind him. 

Black Reaper was also shocked seeing this mist and felt apprehension from it. He quickly answered, "Yes your majesty, he contacted an hour ago, and they just start the search at that time and didn't find any traces of that thief yet." 

The salve these two were talking about was non-other than the Luminous King! He kept feeding information about Lan's group actions to them; he was a spy of Marc! 

"Tsk, useless old fools." Marc sneered with disdain, "Let's go. Scatter and if you find the Old man's group doesn't engage. Our target is that thief, anyone else doesn't matter. 

"However, if anyone tries to hinder you, kill them without mercy. Heh…but I don't think anyone can discern you in this mist. Three Purple Assassins will remain here, and two blue assassins should go and monitor the Beast Tamers to the other side.

"If you find any traces of Thief immediately use the communication formation, don't engage alone if you're not sure of capturing him alive, let's go!" 

A group of 25 assassins and a prince party of three finally join the fray to hunt down a thief in Earthen Mist Forest.

---

Alvin was exploring the forest alone while searching for any traces that the thief left. His handsome face was frowning for some reason. 

'My martial sense is greatly hindered because of this damn mist just like last time and even with amplifying treasure I can only cover a hundred- fifty-meters area!' Alvin's mood was gloomy because of this huge hindrance.

Moreover, Alvin could feel the mist density was increasing and his martial sense's range was keep decreasing because of it. 

Without the full power of the martial sense, he can't cover a large area, and this was very frustrating. This was the case for everyone who possesses the martial sense, not just for Alvin only. 

But this wasn't the only side effect they were facing, the Qi recovering inside the emerald mist was also very slow, and the deeper they go inside the Qi usage can't keep up with Qi recovery. They will have to rely on Qi stones then.

Everyone has to keep using their Qi to form a protective barrier around them, so the Qi won't affect their minds. Although, this area wasn't harmful to someone like Alvin and the team. 

But if they didn't protect their mind now, the effect after going deeper inside the forest would intensify many folds. This was the true terror of this mysterious forest.

Everyone was searching for over three hours now, but they still didn't find any trace of the thief, and the scouts outside still didn't alert them of him leaving the forest. 

They even check those participants themselves to make sure he wasn't hiding between them and then let them go. 

This could only mean he had escaped deeper inside the forest, and this was a piece of terrible news for everyone. 

They were still hoping he was in this most outermost area of the earthen mist and if they didn't find him until the night they would have no choice but to go in the real outer circle of the forest!

---

The Earthen Mist Forest was divided into four circles, the outermost circle where the mist was not so dangerous.

Outer Circle, where the emerald mist density was fifty percent more potent than the outermost circle and can even affect those in the Qi river depth realm. 

Then come the Inner circle, which mist can influence the peak of the Qi river realm's cultivators. Supposedly, in this region, there were many terrifying beings!

Lastly, the mysterious circle, from which no one has ever come out alive even some Qi river core cultivators were in this missing list. No one can explore this region to this day, and the emerald mist there was dense like clouds! 

No one dares to go there if they have brains!

---

While everyone searching for the traces of the thief, 

The thief himself was leisurely resting on a gloomy tree, the mist around this area was much thicker than the outermost circles because this was the outer circle! 

Ace was a mile away from the outermost circle, and he was waiting for everyone to come together before luring them here! 

While waiting, he was sorting out the big loot he collected in the last three days. There was a big grin on Ace's face as he admired those thousands of storage rings. 

Although they were still bonded by Qi marks, nonetheless they were now his. He would open them when he had a much less costly way. 

Ace's thief's space would've been cramped if he didn't have all those extra storage rings, and there was still a thirty-cubic-meter metallic box that cover a large area of his hundred-cubic-meter thief's space. 

He was planning on getting rid of this treasuring very soon; he didn't care about what was inside since it was very rich already. The treasury of low-level lands didn't interest him anymore. 

If not for the high-grade formations attached to it, he would've already thrown it away long ago.

After making some adjustments, he looked at the pitch-black cocoon with scarlet lines like some runes, in the very center of the thief's space. His eyes become extremely gentle. 

'I didn't think I would miss you this much...' Ace lament with a sad yet gentle sigh…   

At night, the earthen mist forest was filled with gloom and pitch-black darkness. 

Ace suddenly opened his dark blue eyes, 'It's the time!' 

He knew the 'helpers' had already entered the forest, and now was the time to 'show the way'. 

The very next moment thereafter, a deep-yellow hand-sized ball with a little gray string appeared in Ace's hand. 

Yes, this deep-yellow ball was indeed the same Explosion Bomb he once used in his last thievery mission in low-level lands! But this could cause much more commotion than the last one! 

Ace has plenty of these toys in his thief's space and from his last experience, he knew the cultivators didn't have any impression of them nor did he see these bombs in middle-level lands. 

He quickly lit the string attached to the explosion bomb and then throw it toward the sky with full power. It vanished in the mist.

With a wintry smile, he moved deeper into the outer circle. 

Just five seconds after the throw, 

'Booooommmmmmmmmmm…!'

A thunderous explosion rang in the dead silent earthen mist forest which startled everyone in thousands of miles! 

All those people who were searching for the traces of Sky Stealer with dejected looks were shocked hearing this strange explosion. 

However, the very next moment excited voices rang in the forest, and a few minutes later everyone moved toward the source of the sound at full speed.

Everyone thought someone must've encountered a powerful beast, and that explosion was because of their fight. And that part of the forest was far away from the searching region of both groups, so they knew it must be that thief. 

They all move after sending a signal at full speed, so they could first reach there and capture probably wounded thief. 

After haft an hour, three figures in black cloaks appeared in Ace's previous position. 

"My prince, there isn't any trace of battle?" A crisp voice sounded from a cloaked figure, with a hint of confusion. 

"But the sound came from this position, the Myriad Rhythm Compass can't be wrong!" Another confident yet bewildered voice of a mature woman sounded. 

"Let's search the area first. Others are coming, and they're not ghosts!" Marc's grave voice sounded and the three quickly enter deep into the forest.

Just like Marc's party, other people came close to the area, and after they didn't find any trace of Qi, they also searched for the vacancy. 

The outer circle of the earthen mist forest, which remains barren most of the time, suddenly turns lively.

Ten miles away from all those people, Ace was standing on top of the tree. He didn't know if people took the bait or not, but he didn't dare to be too close to them. If a Qi river core cultivator senses him, it would be over for him.

'Let's continue!' Ace took out another deep-yellow explosion bomb and repeat what he does an hour ago.

Another thunderous explosion sounded and just like a moth to a flame, all those people quickly move toward it with no hesitation!