Eternal Thief

Afterward, the discussion lasted for about half an hour. Ace also managed to find the old map he had stolen from Jessie in the Azure Wind Continent and gave it to Eva and Freya for research.

Although he knew that map had nothing extraordinary about it, now that Freya had revealed its origin, he couldn't help but also want to unravel its mystery. However, right now, he left this matter in the hands of the two curious and motivated women.

Ace looked at the maze and couldn't help but sigh in dejection, 'So the only way out of this place is in the first layer, and it will have remained open until the Sun Secret Realm's century opening period ended.

'But the problem is even the Grim Ancestor didn't know what would happen to that gateway if the realm gets destroyed. Furthermore, on my own experience with secret realm destruction, I don't think I will have the time to run back all the way.

'If the Sun Secret Realm is really part of the Sun Mountain, then I don't even need to consider the possibility that it could be merged into ten continents' side. This will again bring me back to square one, still stuck in the damn union, and once the sun secret realm gets destroyed, my life will be even more difficult…'

Ace sighed again with bitterness in his eyes as his final hope of getting out of the union went out in smoke with the Grim Ancestor's memories. Unless he wanted to turn back from this point, there was no other way!

Even though the Grim Ancestor's memories clear some confusion and reveal a part of the world's history, it doesn't help him with his current situation.

The guy didn't even have any knowledge of the Sun Secret Realm, as he was just taking advantage of someone else life's work.

If anything, Ace was able to confirm that all the alchemy knowledge in Grim Ancestor's storage ring was a complete inheritance of a High Grade-7 Soul Alchemist, the Fox Ancestor.

She had been the most gifted alchemist of the Beast Race at that time, and the allied races specifically targeted her because of her talent and also because she was very close to the realm of Grade-8 Alchemist.

There weren't even five such alchemists who had appeared in the long history of the Golden Sky World.

That's why Ace was planning on sending all her inheritance to Noa, as she was the only one between the thief house members who were walking the path of a Soul Alchemist.

Right now, Noa was still busy refining the Spirit Fire and almost done, and her aura was very close to the Soul Manifestation Realm. Once she is done, she will be a Soul Embryo Manifestation Realm Cultivator.

After this small stay, there was nothing holding back Ace anymore, and with Cyrus, he flew at full speed toward the Yang Orb and the Realm Space Core.

As Ace got closer and closer, he was playing the plans he had in mind to steal the most precious things in the entire Sun Secret Realm, one specifically being the realm's life itself.

Just like that, five more days passed by, and today Ace made sure to be in his peak condition because he was too close to the prized items.

When Ace was only a thousand feet away from reaching both prized items, and he had just taken a turn when he was forced to stop.

Because he found himself on the edge of a passageway, and at the end of it, there were no further paths but only a golden door with the sun symbol engraved in its center.

Surprisingly, the fate map wasn't showing any such door but only the pathways ahead, which led to the orb and the core.

Ace was only momentarily surprised, but he then moved toward the door. He was not expecting the orb or the core to be so easily approachable. He knew those two items were something expandable, and they should be well protected.

Now it was a matter of his own skills and abilities to reach that point, and this was the moment he had been planning for all this time.

"Alright, Cyrus, if I send you away, don't try to resist, especially if we stumbled upon something that you can't handle." Ace sternly instructed the little guy.

Although Cyrus was the only reason he has able to reach this point, this also made him just that important. If he finds Cyrus's prowess rendered completely useless, he won't hesitate to send him away.

Cyrus quickly agreed as he always followed Ace's instructions, especially when he was being that serious. But the ecstasy in his tiny eyes was also clear as he looked at the golden door.

Ace, after taking a deep breath and with a clear and calm mind, touched the golden door, and the moment he did, the golden door suddenly turned into a golden swirl. Without hesitation, he entered it!

Ace was keeping a close eye on the fate map, and the moment he entered the doorway, his eyes dilated because both the orb and the core suddenly flashed away over two miles away from him.

He appeared in a golden hall which was supposedly over two miles left from the orb, and the core's position and his expression were quite nasty.

However, he knew this was not the time to lament about his luck because right in front of him was a massive golden statue that was so bright that he could only see it outline nothing else.

"Congratulation Sun and Moon Seeker, for being the very first person to pass the Sun Seeker's Maze!

"You have achieved something which hadn't been achievable for over a hundred thousand years since the beginning of the Sun and Moon Sword Union!

"Rejoice since you are now qualified to inherit the title of Sun Chaser and one step closer to being the Chosen One of the Mortal Sky!"

The same voice, which has been announcing his progress since the first trial, rang at this moment. But that voice now contained strange, powerful intent which made someone instinctively feel revered.

But Ace was astonished because that voice was coming from none other than the bright golden statue!