Eternal Thief

"There was a Soul Inheritance inside the mysterious circle!"

Everyone's heart skip a beat when the name of Soul Inheritance sounded. 

Dead cultivators left behind inheritances, and they were extremely rare. 

Typically, a real inheritance was based on cultivation technique, skills, arts, weapons, and different wealth that the dead cultivator accommodates throughout his entire life cycle. 

When a cultivator didn't find someone suitable to pass on their heritage or was injured by someone to the point of death, they create an inheritance ground to pass on their legacies. Inheritance grounds have also a second name, Cultivation Tombs! 

However, these inheritance grounds weren't just walk-in-the-park, they were extremely dangerous most of the time and if you by any chance enter an evil cultivator's tomb, there were more traps than treasures. 

Inheritance was also had two types, Martial Inheritance, in which one only found techniques and skills related to martial cultivation. 

The second one was naturally Soul Inheritance, and it was quite rare whenever one appeared there was always a war followed if the news leaked out. 

One could say the rate of soul inheritance appearance was 1 in 1000 compared with martial inheritances. 

Below royal-level lands, there weren't many inheritances and throughout history, only five known martial inheritances were found all of them were in the hands of three giants, and all of them have appeared in high-level lands. 

As for soul inheritance, they were never one until now, of course. 

"Hahaha… do you even know what you're talking about?" Black Reaper jeering voice sounded, he didn't believe Ace like everyone. 

  They simply thought he was spouting nonsense to find a way out.

"Heh, at least lie about something more believable." Lan chuckles coldly. 

"Sighs…I know you all are thinking, why didn't I just take all of it for myself and why I announced it in front of my enemies." Sighed Ace, "There is a valid reason for this, of course, I wonder if you are all willing to listen." 

Ace stopped and wait for everyone's answer, he was telling a lie to lure everyone inside the mysterious circle, and soul inheritance was the only motivation strong enough to do this. 

He got this idea from an old book from Leap King's treasury, and he also learned about inheritances from it. He just had to show enough proof, so everyone could believe him, even if it was only fifty percent. 

Although those people showed no facial reaction, their soul waves become a little chaotic after they heard soul inheritance and this was enough for him to keep going.

Just as he thought, no one spoke, as they were waiting for him to tell them his valid reason. 

Ace's lips rose upward, "I'm telling you this because a powerful guardian is protecting the soul inheritance and I can't take it out on my own, and that's why I 'invite' you all here. Only the strongest can reach this place and beyond, and if we help each other we can go beyond. I only need one thing from the soul inheritance, and everything else will be your reward for helping me." Ace started with a voice full of temptation and conviction. 

There was silence before Old man Black spoke meaningfully, "This isn't enough for us to believe you." 

  No one spoke as if they were agreeing with Old man Black. They were all old foxes, and it wasn't easy to trick them. 

Ace needed to show them something which can convince them he was telling the truth, and he had something like this as well! 

Ace took out an old map and showed it to everyone and said, "This is the map of soul inheritance and I gained it from where I gained my skills and techniques!" 

He was showing off the make he stole from Jason when he was in beast calling auction. It was ancient and perfectly matched with his explanation. 

As for telling everyone, he got it with his inheritance; it was to stimulate everyone's greed even more because they were after his secrets, and they probably think of it as a powerful inheritance as well. 

And just as he expected, everyone's soul waves jumble after seeing the map. 

'It's enough!' Ace eye shimmer with ambiguity.

Ace abruptly put the map inside the thief's space again and said, "I don't need to say anymore, see you all. Even if you don't follow me, it just as the old man said 'it either you or the mysterious circle and I chose, heh… mysterious circle." 

Ace's scornful voice faded with him inside the mysterious circle, he finally entered it!

"W… what?!" Black Reaper exclaimed in a daze. 

Everyone was shocked, they were examining the map that they didn't have the time to react, and the thief with the map was gone in the mysterious circle. 

This made Ace's claim even more solid since he entered without hesitation. Now everyone had the same thought, 'Is there soul inheritance there?' Just this possibility was enough to make their blood boil. 

Even though they were martial cultivators, they were all, powerful and wealthy figures. They can soar through the sky if they even got their hands on one of the soul techniques or soul cultivation art or skill. Or they can even practice it themselves if they can rebuild their foundation. 

The thousands of possibilities and every one of them led to glory. 

"Old man Black, what's your opinion on the map?" Lan suddenly turned around and looked at the five-feet cloaked figure. He knew this wasn't the time for a fight among themselves, and they had to decide soon. 

"It wasn't forged recently, I can at least see that much. But I can't see through that thief's actual motives." Old man Black reply with a hint of uncertainty. 

"What do you think, Ridge?" Lan's looked at Beastmaster Ridge. 

Beastmaster's had developed a powerful sense after cultivating techniques related to beasts, they can easily discriminate between true and lies, but it wasn't as accurate as Ace's soul senses.   

"I can only tell, he was telling the truth about wanting only one specific treasure. His other words were neither lies nor true." Ridge shook his head after saying this. 

How could he see past Ace's lies so easily? He can now lie like it was the most natural thing in this world for him, he has unknowingly become too good in it. 

However, Ridge's words were enough to stir everyone's emotions again, because if this was the case, then that meant there was soul inheritance there. 

"Let's go after him!" Marc's voice filled with desire sounded at this moment.

But it was only heard by three Qi river core cultivators of nightmare ghosts. 

"How about we work together for the time being and go after him?" Old man Black spoke with Lan at this moment. 

The mysterious circle was just too dangerous and the more people they had the better if the inheritance was guarded by a powerful being they can always use Lan's party as a distraction and sneak inside the inheritance ground quietly.   

Lan nodded without hesitation because he had the same thought as Old man Black and said, "Fine, but I still want Sky Stealer in the end and the person you took from the Flame city as well!" 

"What person?" Old man, Black, was lost at this moment. They never took anyone from the flame city, they didn't have a man of that caliber here that can infiltrate and escape the flame city defenses, to begin with.

"Don't play ignorant!" Alvin sneered at this moment as he took the note and throw it toward Old man Black. 

It was the same note Ace left to slender Nightmare Ghost.

Old man Black confusingly looked at the note and his old face under the cloak turned solemn, "It Wasn't Us, we never left behind these notes. All the black rank assassin is here including me. We never took the mission to abduct anyone, we're assassins, not kidnappers!" He gravely stated. 

He could now guess someone wanted to slander them so Pill Flame and Nightmare Ghosts would fight will each other. But who could it be? NO! More importantly, who has this kind of skills to kidnap someone right from the flame city? 

Lan frowned, it's not like he never thought it before himself, but there wasn't anyone who could do this kind of thing. 

"If you help us find the missing person, I'll consider us even." Said Lan, he knew Old man Black was telling the truth, after all, he knew him for years. 

"Fine." Old man Black agreed with no hesitation since he also wanted to find just who was so bold enough to slander their, Nightmare Ghosts Organization reputation.

Just like that temporary alliance between two groups formed. Now they were seven Qi river core cultivators and three peak Qi river cultivators. They all had their motives, but all of them wanted to get their hands on that soul inheritance. 

Even if they will face unknown danger in the mysterious circle, they were willing to face that much just for the sake of soul inheritance. 

The group of ten people finally stepped inside the mysterious circle, and their world changed instantly!