Eternal Thief

Chapter 157 - Treachery!

Aceʼs party of nine was following Crosby for half an hour. As they all moved in this particular route, the humidity was increasing. One can see dense clouds in the sky. 

”Itʼs going to be heavy rain.” The girl with the sword said while frowning. Her name was Pearl, she was a lesser nobleʼs daughter and came from Ale Province.

”I good if itʼs poured down heavy since it will clean this damn air.” The boy with a mean face shouted. His name was Ramiro, and he was a commoner from Vin Province. 

”No, it is not good at all. The rain will make it more difficult to move and many poisonous demonic beasts can easily sneak up on us with all the water in the way. I heard the black water swamp can easily flood the middle area of the forest in heavy rain. We donʼt want to be that swamp!” Lilith gravely speaks at this moment. 

Everyone expression stiff hearing this because Lilith was stating the obvious and they all speed up their movement. 

Ace on the other hand was ecstatic and wholeheartedly wish for heavy rain because the rain can moderately hinder that damn martial sense! The water will create small ripples in the Qi of this atmosphere that was already full of water element Qi. 

This will give Ace some chance to use his abilities freely! 

Now he just had to wait for the rain to start.

”Weʼre here!” Crosbyʼs excited voice sounded after half an hour. 

Everyone looked at the area and was astonished because there were many fifty meters tall purple trees with needle-like purple leaves which were one meter long. 

Aceʼs eyes narrowed because he wasnʼt like the others seeing with just naked eyes, he was observing with soul sense. He found many tiny demonic insects on those trees. 

ʼThis might be a hunting place for Phantom Horn Lizard. Since itʼs two feet long and enjoys praying on small demonic beasts.ʼ Ace thought with ecstasy, ʼIf I can get one I donʼt need to be on edge all the time and I can leave this place for good.ʼ 

”Everyone please be careful of those trees are extremely toxic and if those needle-like leaves or the tree bark itself even faze you, youʼll be dead in two hours!” Crosby grimly warns everyone. 

Everyoneʼs excitement dies down the moment they heard Crosbyʼs warning. They tend the way more carefully in high alert now. 

Just like this, they disappear into the forest of those poisonous trees, and an hour passed, but they didnʼt find any trace of Phantom Horn Lizard. 

However, everyoneʼs complexion was pale blue since this areaʼs air was much poisonous than outside air. 

”I… I thi…think… we should leave this place.” The little shy girl spoke in a mosquito-like voice at this moment. Her name was Natalia and she was a commoner of Capital City. 

Nataliaʼs personality was shy and she speak very little and only listen to everyone else like an obedient little child. She was the youngest in the group only 13 years old.

Although Nataliaʼs voice wasnʼt loud, yet everyone hears it since they were all cultivators. 

”Iʼm agreed with Little Natalia.” The girl with an average face instantly agreed with Natalia. Her name was Ashly, and she was a commoner from ale province. 

”We canʼt just give up after coming this far.” Ramiro instantly retorted with an angry face.

Little Natalia was scared and quickly hide behind Ashly. 

”Hey, you canʼt take with her like this.” Nola rebuke Ramiro and said, ”I know how youʼre feeling but we canʼt stay here for too long or weʼll die before we could find those damn lizards!” 

”But leader we canʼt just go back after weʼve come this deep and our target may be just around the corner!” Crosby said gravely. He was unwilling to leave. 

”He had a point.” Dewan nodded with a grim face. 

”Oh, it seems you didnʼt cherish your life.” Lilith speaks with a sneer at this moment, ”Look at your face it is already this pale if you go deep youʼll die maybe in three more hours and those weaker than you had little time either. Now decide if your life is more important or this competition?” 

Dewan finally closely looked at his hand and was shocked after seeing his blue skin with small black dots on it. 

”Weʼre leaving!” Nola decisively said after noticing her beautiful skin turning into this hideous blue and spinning around. 

”Hah, they finally couldnʼt take it anymore!” At this moment a contemptuous voice of a male resounded from the shadow of the trees.

Nola and everyoneʼs faces fell after hearing this voice. 

”Who are you, show yourself, coward!” Ramiro yells with anger. 

”Oh, this one is still lively.” A sweet voice scoffed at this moment from the opposite direction to that male voice. 

”Weʼve been surrounded.” Ryan calmly said at this moment, he was the only one who wasnʼt surprised by this sudden ambush. 

Ace has long sensed this hidden party after they enter this part but didnʼt point it out since it would look suspicious. After all, some commoner like him canʼt sense someoneʼs presence from twenty meters away from him by normal means. 

So, he could only wait and see how this thing would play out while watching the sky. 

ʼJust fall already!ʼ Ace bitterly thought. 

”Please, we donʼt want to fight. Just let us pass.” Nola said gravely. She knew no one in the condition of an all-out fight because if they waste anymore Qi the poison will penetrate their defense and enter their internals. 

And when it happened, it will be over for everyone! 

”Hehe, you donʼt want to fight, you say? Itʼs more likely you canʼt fight.” 

At this moment a tall skinny boy walks out of the treeʼs shadow with a mocking smile on his face. 

Thereafter, eleven more youngsters walkout from their hiding spots. This new group wore lavishing robes and the most shocking part about them was their complexions were perfectly fine with no trace of toxicity! 

”Y-you how did youʼre fine!??” Dewan was shocked. 

”Hehe, a mere dirty commoner like you donʼt have the right to know.” The skinny boy disdainfully said. 

Dewanʼs face turned unsightly hearing this answer. He hated these nobles for their ego and haughty attitude.

Nola and other expressions were also not good. 

At this moment in everyone confusing and shocking eyes, Crosby moves toward the party of aristocrats with a crooked smile on his face. 

”My Lords, Iʼve done what you asked for. Now can you give me the cure, Iʼm almost out of Qi.” Crosby said while kneeling in front of the skinny boy. 

”Brother Crosby, YOU!??” Dewanʼs face turned bloodless pale seeing the person who he considers a friend turning into a traitor instantly. 

The remaining party members also show the same expression as Dewan, except for Ryan. 

Ace knew this guy was up to no good from the start when he lies about his background and lures everyone into this forest. But he didnʼt point it out for obvious reasons. 

He felt sorry for the poor guy Dewan; he was always on guard against him but never suspected the closest person, who was pulling his chain all along.

”You, traitorous bastard, you sell us down the river!” Ramiro clenched the two axes in his hand as the fire of hatred burned deep in his eyes. 

He wanted to attack Crosby but Nola stop him and stiffly said, ”Youʼll die!” 

”Hehe, listen to this whore. She is telling the truth in this condition I can just dodge and youʼll be helpless after your Qi run out.” At this moment, the bulky boy ridicule while glaring at Romeroʼs pale blue face. 

Nola show killing intent hearing that boy calling her whore but didnʼt attack. 

However, a spear moves in a lightning speed at this moment with no warning and its target was none other than kneeling Crosbyʼs head! 

This attacker was none other than Dewan who was blinded by rage and just wanted to kill this traitor. 

”NO!” Nola finally saw Dewan moving without caring about the consequences but it was too late to stop him. 

Crosby also saw Dewan coming and sneer as he looked at the skinny boy without moving from his position. He had no intention to dodge. 

The skinny boy sneered and swept his sleeve nonchalantly. A white barrier suddenly appeared between Dewanʼs spearhead and Crosbyʼs head. 

ʼClangʼ 

A metallic voice sounded when the spearhead touched the light barrier and Dewan blew backward because of the shock wave created by this collision. 

Dewanʼs face was bloodlessly pale as he struggles to stand up and suddenly vomit a mouthful of blood. His eyes were almost listless.

Aceʼs eyes contracted after seeing this light barrier and gravely thought, ʼAn array barrier treasure!ʼ 

His knowledge about runes was not so shallow anymore, and he instantly found out the nature of that light barrier. 

Ace didnʼt use his runic eyes because he didnʼt want to active Light Soul Qi and cause unusual soul ripple in the air. 

But he could tell because that brat canʼt control a formation barrier with his fifth Qi gate cultivation, and besides formations cannot be bought at markets like candies!