Eternal Thief

Chapter 1158: Western Guardian Sect City



The Western Guardian Sect City was marvelous and built like a fortress

The first sight that greets any visitor is the colossal ramparts. Constructed from magical granite volcanic rock that shone in the night, these walls stretch for miles, punctuated by fortified towers that pierce the sky like watchful giants.

A contingent of guards manned each tower, their watchful eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of threat. At the base of the walls, a deep moat snakes around the city, acting as an additional barrier.

At this moment, George, or Ace in George's disguise, with his companions, Cyrus and Chuchu, stepped through the heavily guarded gates and entered a bustling metropolis unfolding before them.

Surprisingly vibrant for a place built in the volcanic lands of the Spirit Inferno Domain, narrow, cobbled streets wound their way between tightly packed houses, all built with sturdy practicality in mind. Every inch of space seemed to be utilized, with workshops tucked beneath overhanging balconies and gardens flourishing in rooftop plots.

The air thrummed with the sounds of daily life - the rhythmic clang of the blacksmith's hammer, the shouts of vendors hawking their wares, and the rhythmic clip-clop of strange, six-wheel carriages, without any beasts that navigated the crowded streets with surprising agility.

"Young Master, are you looking for a guide? I'm the best Guide in the city, and I know every place; my servers are very cheap, only One Tier-1 Spirit Coin an hour!"

"Lies! Go fool someone else. How could this dashing young lord fall into your tricks? Don't believe this old geezer; I'm the only one who knew every nook and canny of the city! I only charge 1 Tier-Spirit for 2 hours!"

Ace was suddenly flooded by a bunch of excited guides when they saw his lonely figure just entering the city, and he was alone. Many guides were also approaching those without carriages and walking out of the gates.

The carriage passage was a few meters away from the walkers. It was a vast road, and no one dared stand there to bother those people in carriages.

Cyrus and Chuchu were a little surprised, especially Chuchu since it was her first time seeing so many humans surrounding them like this.

At this moment, Ace suddenly rubbed his finger on her head to placate her before he smiled and replied to those guides, "Gentlemen, it's not my first time in the city, so I would

apologize for wasting your time. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Those excited guides instantly stumped; some even clicked their tongues in annoyance, knowing they couldn't earn anything from this young man.

Furthermore, they could tell that he wasn't new here since new people would be agitated by their sudden approach. Especially those youths who belonged to the first-grade sects/bumpkins, as they were relatively afraid of offending anyone here because of the background of this place.

However, what they didn't know was Ace didn't need them, just their memories were enough, after all, most of them were Soul Realm cultivators or weaker. He can easily steal their memories within seconds after his newly controlled power.

Ace nonchalantly passed the crowd of guides and started to stroll around the city while admiring the peaceful, bustling place. It had been a while since he had been in such a place without any pressure of mission.

Furthermore, he was alone because the house members decided to venture out into other cities with different purposes in mind like to infiltrate and raise their influence, seek out a certain assassination organization for revenge, acquire HP farmers, prepare for descending into a chaotic yet unknown world, and tie up some loose ends like family.

Ace didn't restrict anyone since he knew that after they found out about their true origin, they all had their own plans to help him or preserve their lives. On the other hand, Eva's case was special, so he could only tell her to be careful and alert him if she was in danger since he had the means to help her or any house members.

But Alina's decision truly shocked him, and one of the biggest reasons was that she had finally refined knowledge in the first seal of her inheritance. She told Ace that she needed to seek her own resources and grow her power in a special way, and this was also for training in Celestial Thief methods.

According to her, she can't stay in one place if she wants to raise her power and tap into the secrets of the celestial thief, especially after Eva completed her evolution into a true Void Abyssal Devil. She can tell the she-devil has become more powerful, and she doesn't want to stay behind to give her any chance to become stronger than hers.

In the end, Ace could only tell her the same thing he told Eva before they all parted ways, and he was left with Cyrus and Chuchu. He also decided not to keep them in the living thief's space anymore and let them experience the world, especially after the incident with Cyrus.

Now, here he was in George's disguise after upgrading his mask to a Grade-1 Ascension Spirit Treasures, the Millennium Change Wizard Mask. As for who George was, let's say he was some unlucky fellow who had offended someone and was on the verge of dying when Ace found him.

Ace took his memories before he died since he was a 1-Star Ascension Solider and got his identity, which was actually the only thing he had at that time-only his identity token. All of this was done with George's consent and with one promise to avenge his unfair death, which was also one-sided since Ace never agreed to it, but it was still quite convenient for him.

"Big bro, where are you going now?" Cyrus asked through voice transmission with a hint of excitement. The little guy could sense many 'delicious' things in this place. But he knew better to run off independently since Ace was present and had already warned him against it.

"We are going to scout this place first before making a plan. There are many rich people here, but we need to avoid anyone with any connection to the Artifact Inferno Guardian Sect or anyone directly related to them. This will delay their reaction since it will be too late by the time they realize something amiss." Ace explained without hiding his thoughts since this was about 'teaching' the little guy the way of a thief or how to remain cautious.

"Another important thing, every bright place has a dark side to it. No matter what you see on the warm surface, the deeper you go, the more dark and cold it is. Dark is where we'll operate. Nothing is perfect nor absolute."

Ace knew there were many sects' businesses in this place, some merchants who roamed around the Spirit Inferno domain, and he knew there had to be some shady, hidden businesses and under-the-table deals. They would be his first targets before he moved up the ladder and targeted the Weston Family!