Eternal Thief

Ace stood in the hall as he stared at the spot where Vincent had sat a moment ago. He mused, ‘Well, I didn’t expect the AIG sect to be such a mess. On one side, the four clans and four gland elders want to get rid of the Sect Master because he’s getting in their way, and on the other side, the Sect Master, who wants to overthrow their rule and gain complete control over the Sect.

‘Even a fool could tell who has the advantage. But despite the Sect Master’s dangerous situation, those powerful Grand Elders are helpless against him because of this Sect Guardian Spirit, and they can do nothing because of these so-called rules.

‘Just who is this Guardian Spirit, and why does it hold so much deterrence? Yet, despite all of this, it is still bound by rules set up by the Sect Founder, so I can assume that this Spirit Guardian might not be a person.

‘Nevertheless, since Sect Master told me all this and even gave me this mission, I can safely assume that this Guardian Spirit is in cohort with the Sect Master and might also be paying attention to me.’

Ace’s brows knit together in grimace before he became calm again, ‘But I had to admit, this mission is a huge opportunity for me to do my own mission, and I don’t even have to worry about the Sect Master or this Guardian Spirit taking action against me as long as I won’t get caught by the four clans or those enigmatic grand elders.’

Ace took a deep breath before he looked at the crimson jade scroll in his hand; this was given to him by Vincent before he left, and to Ace’s surprise, this jade scroll records all the Spirit Forger knowledge and core forging techniques of all the Forger Halls of the AIG sect from 1- Star Spirit Forger to 4-Star Spirit Forger Grade.

Even Ace didn’t expect Vincent to give him this boon, and now he didn’t need to bother himself with those Forger Halls anymore. But Ace knew Vincent only gave him this jade scroll to earn his trust, and this jade scroll was also important for the mission that Vincent gave him.

Furthermore, Vincent also promised that if he could complete this mission, he would be given knowledge about the Five-Star Spirit Forger Grade and even the Six-Star Spirit Forger as long as he could become a Five-Star Spirit Forger.

One has to know that the 5-Star Spirit Forger inheritance was exclusive to the Hall Masters, and even they needed Sect Merit Points to learn it and prove themselves. As for the 6-Star Spirit Forger, it was the core inheritance of the AIG sect, and only the Sect Master and Grand Elders were privy to it.

After all, in the entire AIG Sect, only the Sect Master and Grand Elders should be 6-Star Spirit Forgers.

Since Vincent gave him this jade scroll, it means that he had acknowledged George as his disciple, or at least he was planning on taking him in once he proved himself.

But for Ace, this mattered little since he didn’t need a teacher. This knowledge was far more sufficient for him to start his path of the Spirit Forger, and it would last him for a while until he got the inheritance from the Forger Abyss, which was even more powerful than the AIG Sect!

After arranging his thoughts, he headed into the cultivation chamber again, but he didn’t start with the Jade Scroll; instead, he picked up where he left off.

Ace remembered the Beast Law Channel spell, which was a ritual-type spell, and one can only use it once. Although Ace didn’t know if it would work or not, he still wanted to give it a try first since Ritual Spells were different from other spells.

The Regular Spells are usually cast in an instant, drawing from a caster’s internal Qi and the law comprehension, and require little to no external components or materials. They are more common and versatile, used for combat, defense, or daily tasks. While they can be powerful, they are often limited by the caster’s cultivation realm.

On the other hand, the Ritual Spells transcend the caster’s personal strength and tap directly into the Laws and Rules of the world. Some may require collaboration between multiple participants and involve the use of sacred artifacts or secret knowledge. Their effects tend to be grander and more permanent but come at the cost of great preparation and risk.

Because ritual spells require more intricate and specific conditions than regular spells, they also involve an elaborate process, often drawing on external factors like specific materials, environmental conditions, or alignment of laws.

According to the jade scroll, the Beast Law Channel Ritual Spell was a highly specialized and ancient spell that allows cultivators to bond with their contracted magical beasts on a deeper, spiritual level. Unlike simple beast contracts, this ritual creates a permanent link between the caster’s soul and their beast, allowing the magical beast to reside within the caster’s inner cultivation space, much like a spirit weapon.

But it also needed preparations and materials. Luckily, the Sect Treasury Hall had all the materials to perform this ritual, and he bought them before leaving.

Ace stood up and prepared the first step, which was to create a sacred space for the ritual. He made sure the chamber was wide enough, ensuring nothing would disturb the flow of Spirit Qi. He then placed five Ascension Soldier Realm Beast Cores with the affinities of fire, earth, water, lightning, and wind!

At the cardinal points of the chamber, each representing one of the fundamental laws of the world. These beast cores would attune to balance and strengthen the ritual.

Once the beast cores were in place, Ace sat cross-legged at the center and closed his eyes, feeling the soft hum of Qi already forming between them. He needed this space to be aligned perfectly with the natural laws of the world, allowing the ritual to transcend his own personal strength.

Next came the most crucial part: drawing the runic circle. Ace had memorized the intricate runes from jade scroll, each symbol carrying the essence of law, soul, and the most important part, the beast law.

With steady hands, he dipped a runic brush into a mixture of spirit beast blood and powdered spirit stones and spirit crystals, a combination that would stabilize the ritual.

Carefully, he traced the complex runes onto the stone floor, forming a vast, interwoven circle around himself. The runes connected to one another in a precise geometric pattern, and at the circle’s center, he inscribed the sigil for Beast Law, the key to merging his inner space with the Beast Law.

This step usually requires one to have the knowledge of at least 1-Star Spirit Rune Crafter, which Ace has better than his peers.

The moment he finished, the runes began to glow faintly, a sign that the ritual was responding to the ambient laws of the world.

With the preparations complete, Ace took a deep breath, feeling the air within the chamber grow heavier as the ritual finally started!