Eternal Thief

Ace, avoiding all the danger, was quickly making his way toward the second-layer guardian zone. He also got to know how beneficial it was to keep the live fate map all time active.

Especially if he could keep the treasure blueprint version of it and apply it anywhere, not just the Sun Secret Realm, not to mention with no Qi consumption whatsoever.

But he knew it was just wishful thinking. The system clearly made it clear that it was only a one-time thing because of Heaven's Stealer Mission.

At this moment, Ace's eyes shone in astonishment when he noticed the Unknown Entity's speed suddenly skyrocket. He had been paying attention to it all this time, and he was now familiar with its speed of moving. It was clearly in a trap zone named 'Toxic Mind Mist' and moving very slowly.

However, now all of a sudden, its speed increased tremendously, and that trap zone seemed to be no longer able to contain it.

'I'm still half an hour away from this trap zone. I was hoping to collect some intel on this person by observing it from the shadow, but now it seemed I wouldn't be able to do it anytime soon.

'Well, this might not be a bad thing since now it will enter the trial before me, and if it remained on the second layer after failing, then this means its power level is not much higher than mine, and if it directly breaks into the third layer on the first try, then I need to avoid the confrontation at all cost…'

With such thoughts in mind, Ace continued to fly toward the guardian zone without even realizing that he unknowingly entered the famous Fiery Hell Secret Realm, which he had heard so much about in the Demon Continent!

Back to the Azure Wind Continent,

The Dark Nightmare Sect was the only unorthodox sect among the ancient sects of the royal lands.

The sect members of the Dark Nightmare Sect were a notorious bunch who were completely unrestrained in their sect territory, even in other sect territories, as they were all killers!

Because what the Dark Nightmare Sect was infamous for its assassination arts, and every year the sect members who learned these arts roamed the lands, practicing these arts on all kinds of people. Most of their targets were cultivators from other sects.

This was a strange training method to train powerful assassins. However, this didn't mean there were no consequences for those sect members who played with fire or overestimated their abilities.

On the contrary, the Dark Nightmare Sect never seeks revenge for any killed disciples. They even encourage people to kill them.

Because to master the art of assassination, it was mandatory to kill the target in one fatal strike. The moment you miss that chance, you will either die or escape while your target is now alert. A target should never see an assassin coming, not before it takes its last breath.

That's what made the Dark Nightmare Sect dreaded by everyone because they were a bunch of lunatics who killed whomever they deemed to be strong targets and then collected trophies from each kill they scored.

The most exasperated by this nefarious custom of the Dark Nightmare Sect were naturally the locals of the Dark Nightmare Sect territories, especially those sects ranked below the ancient sects as they were the target of the assassinations most of the time.

Even if by some miracle they evade the attack, the assassin always managed to escape unharmed. The assassination arts of the Dark Nightmare Sect were simply too terrifying.

Now that the Dark Nightmare Sect was recruiting new disciples every month, people were naturally not going to let this chance fly by as thousands of youth participated in these entrance tests every month.

However, only a handful of them managed to pass since their entrance tests were always different, not to mention deadly.

Today was the same entrance test, and many came to try their luck despite the deadliness of the entrance test, and only 13 managed to pass the entrance test.

These 13 successful participants were now standing in some underground cavern in front of a cloaked figure who wore a red mask.

"I must congratulate you for passing the entrance test today." He spoke in his raspy voice, "However, I also want to ridicule you for choosing the path of hell. Did you expect that once you pass the entrance test, you would be showered with riches and status that would allow you to walk with your head held up high like some peacocks?

"If that was your goal, then I want you to leave right now because the Dark Nightmare Sect is no place for a bunch of kids who only want to play aristocrats."

The thirteen youths didn't speak as they were looking solemnly toward the masked figure.

"Since you are silent, then it means you want to continue the path toward hell. Very well, from today onward, you are official members of the Dark Nightmare Sect Newbie Training Grounds. This facility is larger than your imagination, and if you think you are special to be chosen by this facility, then you couldn't be wronger because this is the facility for common trash among our Dark Nightmare Sect.

"You are Newbies, which is the rank of trash in our Dark Nightmare Sect, and if you want to be recognized as a Dark Disciple, then you need to prove yourself in this facility that you are not just trash.

"If you want to enjoy the true training of the Dark Nightmare Sect, then you have ten years to pass all the trials of this facility, or you will be appointed as servants of the Dark Disciples who can treat you like animals, and you have no choice but to comply since the only way out of the Dark Nightmare Sect upon joining is death!"

The youths' eyes went wide as chills ran down their spine when they thought about something.

The masked man sneered at this moment as his voice was laced with killing intent, "That's right if you have chosen to back down, I would've killed you right there and then! Now you were given small caves in this facility, and you have one day to rest before we start with your training at dawn. Except for Badge Number 943427, you all are dismissed!"

The twelve youths glanced at the handsome youth's black badge number on his chest, which has the number '943427' on it, as he was standing in the second last position on the left.

Although they were curious about why he was told to wait but didn't have the guts to question the masked man after hearing his cold speech as they quickly left.

As for the youth with the badge number 943427, his astute gray eyes shimmered with uncertainty as he looked at the masked man, wondering with trepidation as to why he was being stopped.

"No. 943427, your skills are extremely exceptional, and you are the first one to pass the entrance test in this batch. Or should I say, you are probably one of the fastest participants who has ever passed the entrance test at this kind of speed!

"This is evidence of your natural talent in the assassination, the sect has high hope for you, and if you are able to leave this facility in three months, then there will be a special reward waiting for you as well as you will be part of something grand. This is the reason I keep you behind, to inform you. Now you may leave!" The masked man impassively stated before he vanished without a trace!

The youth with badge number 943427 was in a momentary daze before sharp light flashed past his gray eyes, and his expression turned gloomy, 'Now that I successfully infiltrated the Dark Nightmare Sect, how in the world am I supposed to search for my father?

'I don't even know if that darn old man has made all this up, and my father is still alive since Mom told me he died from the same illness she had.

'Whichever the case is, I would never kill her even if she had done something heinous to me. I just want the truth and prove to that old geezer that power is not everything!'

This youth was none other than Damian, who had infiltrated the Dark Nightmare Sect in search of his father as well as prove the mysterious beggar wrong… or he just wanted the truth!