Eternal Thief

Hailee's right claw suddenly shone in pink light, but there was the same fox symbol within the light, and she put the shimmering claw gently on the gray lake!

What happened next made Ace flabbergasted.

The entire gray lake suddenly shimmered in a ghastly light before it started to freeze and quickly, it became a frozen gray lake.

'They're prudent.' Ace looked at the frigid gray lake and then Hailee with thievish eyes, 'I should follow her into this colony and see what's their goal in capturing those demons before finding a way out of here… after finding this silver opportunity first, though.'

---

A few miles away from the underground passage,

White Fire appeared with an ashen complexion. His hair was messy, while deep open wounds were on his chest and his back.

He quickly consumed a pill before his expression turned slightly better, but the terror in his eyes wasn't faded in the slightest as he remembered how he nearly died.

"This is a huge blunder. I must inform his majesty. They're someone controlling those barbaric demons, and they're extremely terrifying with that lake water. My white fire was completely suppressed. I just hope it won't be too late." He quickly left toward the blade domain to report this.

If it was just other contestants, he won't be panicking this much, but Blade Demon King's son was also taken by those ghost worms. He knew if something happened to Peter, many heads would roll, including his!

---

On the other side of the frozen gray lake,

Ace finally reached the colony after crossing the palm tree forest while following Hailee.

This so-called colony was a tall mountain reaching the blue barrier edge, and it was filled with small caves, and many young foxes were playing around while adult foxes were sauntering around at the entrance of their caves.

Ace also notice the two hundred meters ice wall around the foot of the mountain and thousands of holes in the ice grass field.

His expression changed when he felt thousands of soul signatures in those holes. 'So, those ghost worms lived in those holes and foxes lived on the mountain. If someone attack that mountain, they had to go through these demons first. Furthermore, the pathway toward the mountain entrance is covered with a detection array. Well, it's not enough to detect me…'

His lip curled as he followed the group from a safe distance.

When they reached the ice wall, Hailee looked at the ghost worms. "Scram for now."

Those ghost worms put Thomas and co ice statues down and prostrate toward the ice wall before leaving toward those holes and vanishing into them.

Hailee's claw again shone as she put it on the ice wall and thereafter an opening appeared, and more foxes appeared and one of them was a meter tall than the others.

Hailee and Jairo lower their head seeing this fox and greeted him respectfully, "Fifth Elder."

Fifth Elder nodded as his aged voice sounded, "You work hard, children."

"Fifth Elder, can I have Ice Honey Fruit now?" Jairo quickly bellowed.

"Brat, show some respect." Hailee berated while baring her teeth.

Fifth Elder smile and nodded, "You brat always this playful, go tell six elder I approved."

"Yes! Thank you, Fifth Elder." With that, Jairo ran away happily toward the mountain.

"Don't worry about him, he'll be a good worrier. Let's go, the patriarch is expecting you." Fifth Elder gently spoke and single those foxes to pick up the status, and they headed toward the mountain.

Ace naturally followed them and cross the opening in the ice wall before it got close.

However, just as Ace cross the ice wall, at the very top of the mountain, the area was filled with pink icy mist and suddenly two ghastly eyes snapped open!

A thunderous voice rang in the entire mountain, "You dare to sneak around lowly demon?!"

The entire fox clan prostrate themselves in worship when they heard this voice and called,

"Ancestor!"

On the mountain entrance, Hailee and Fifth Elder's expression turned ashen when they looked at the sculptures, but they were nothing amiss about them.

'Didn't we order by the Patriarch to bring them here? Did we commit a crime?!'

They thought, and they were about to beg for forgiveness when that voice rang again.

"Hmph, still aren't showing yourself?"

The next moment, a huge torrent of pink mist gathered around the area close to the icy wall and then suddenly turn into a streak before shooting together in a particular direction.

"Someone has infiltrated the colony!" Fifth Elder's expression changed.

Ace's expression was ugly at this moment, as he was found by the owner of this voice.

He was extremely careful when he entered, and he sensed nothing amiss, nor did the live fate map point out anything. But it seemed whatever revealed this presence, it was above his compass's level!

When he heard this voice, he first thought it was for Thomas and other demons, but his heart palpitated when that pink mist suddenly appeared right where he was standing and if he hasn't used his movement skill, he was sure he would've been captured.

But to his fright, that pink mist was now chasing after him despite his heartless stealth. This also means the owner of this voice was a soul manifestation realm cultivator, and he won't be able to escape without using his trump cards.

'Should I use the Instant Flash Teleportation? But I didn't sense any killing intent from this mist, and it's clear they wanted to capture the intruders. What if I let them capture me and see what they're after? It'll be quite easy as well.

'I should take this chance to not waste this heavenly talisman or if things go awry, it won't be too late to escape at that time.'

Ace's eyes shimmered sharply before he stopped running and cancel his stealth. He appeared in Feng's disguise.

Just as he thought that cold pink mist enveloped his entire body, completely binding him to his position, there was also a strange oppressive power within that mist, but he remained unaffected by it.

"Interesting, bring him to me…" The fox ancestor's voice rang again, but there was a hint of astonishment within.

With that, the pink mist vanished and Ace saw the Fifth Elder in front of him, and he was glaring viciously at him with killing intent, but he didn't attack because of the ancestor's order.

Ace calmly looked at the Fifth Elder and spoke in demon language, he didn't want them to know he know the ancient beast language as well or they might get suspicious.

"This junior greets senior."

"How did you manage to enter here?" Fifth Elder didn't find anything amiss and coldly questioned in demon language.

Moreover, he didn't have time to think about anything because he was shocked by this demon's ability to conceal himself.

Even a seventh-stage diamond soul realm cultivator like him wasn't able to detect him when he was standing a few meters away from him.

Furthermore, he knew crossing the Soul Suppressing Lake in the presence of those ghost worms was even more difficult because they could easily sense anyone within that gray water as long as they weren't like their ancestor.

But he could also sense the peak Qi river realm cultivation on this demon, which made it even more strange for him to appear here while fooling everyone.

Ace calmly replied, "I use my skill to enter, but it was useless since I was captured in the end."

Fifth Elder eyes glow, "What kind of skill?"

Feng smiled coldly, "How about letting me and my friends go, and I'll teach you this skill?"

Fifth Elder growled viciously, "Don't push your luck, brat. You can't escape once you enter this side of the wall. Obediently comply and we'll not mistreat you."

Feng chuckled with disdain, "Do your worse!"

However, Fifth Elder felt something and fear surfaced in his eyes as he finally suppressed his greed and didn't dare to say anything.

No one here wasn't fearful of the ancestor because nothing can remain hidden in his mountain under the ancestor's eyes.

"Hmph! Follow me. If you dare to try anything, I'll break your limbs." Fifth Elder climbed the mountain while Ace calmly followed.

Hailee also approached them with the others and looked at Feng with a hint of curiosity and resentment since he escaped her detection, and now she felt humiliated, but she said nothing and only glared.

Ace saw those little foxes were looking at him peculiarly, while the adults were vigilant and ready to lunge at him if he dared to try anything funny.

He couldn't help but smile wryly. 'In the end, despite my skills and meticulousness, I was still incarcerated by a powerful being. I need to be more mindful in the future. I still didn't know all the mystics of this vast heaven…'

As they ascend the mountain, Ace noticed the caves were becoming lesser and lesser, and the foxes were also getting stronger.

At this time, a five-meter fox appeared, but it had a silver patch of fur between its eyes, and he had an aura equivalent to White Fire or slightly stronger!