Eternal Thief

Chapter 1191: What’s there to be afraid of the World?

At this moment, Ace found himself standing at the edge of an active volcano, where rivers of molten lava were flowing like waterfalls. Moreover, for some reason, the other side of the volcano was enshrouded in thick, dark mist, and no one could see what was behind it.

But Ace didnʼt care about this strange place. As he looked beside him, he saw a long, dark- haired, handsome man with a scholarly demeanor, adorned in white robes, standing beside him. The temperature didnʼt seem to affect him at all.

Although Ace didnʼt know who this man was, by how he could bring him here under all those forger mastersʼ eyes and even bypass his own senses, he knew this man was the most terrifying being he had encountered till now in the Mortal Ascension Heaven.

Ace even wanted to escape, but he didnʼt because he still didnʼt sense any kind of danger from this man. He knew if he had ill intentions, he might not be able to react before it was too late. Not to mention, Ace knew if this man tried to see through his disguise, he would be able to do it almost instantly, but unlike Clifton, he didnʼt.

Furthermore, even since he had come here, he had wondered who couldʼve influenced his trial, and now, seeing this man and his means, he knew it was most likely this person.

”Impressive, you become calm quite quickly without me needing to do it myself.” The man suddenly said with a faint smile as he looked towards Ace with a hint of curiosity.

At this moment, Ace felt uncomfortable under this manʼs gaze, as if he could see through Georgeʼs face, but he still had not escaped and replied with a wry smile, ”Freaking out in front of Lord Elder will not do me any good. I will only humiliate myself.”

”Youʼre pretty interesting for a brat.” The man grinned amusingly as he asked, ”Tell me, what do you think of the AIG sect? And you can be honest with me; I wonʼt mind.”

This was an unexpected question, and Ace knew this man was testing him for some reason. However, since he still didnʼt sense any danger, he decided to play along.

”If Lord Elder wants my honest opinion, then please forgive me when I say the sect is drowning under its own glory and power,” Ace replied ambiguously, looking directly into the manʼs eyes, his senses fully active.

The moment he senses danger, he will escape. But contrary to his expectation, a thoughtful expression appeared on the manʼs face.

The man nodded as he sighed wishfully, ”Drowning under its own glory and power? Are you referring to the four clans who use their authority to their own advantage and suppress the sectʼs progress?” He asked with a somewhat solemn tone.

Ace was slightly surprised since he didnʼt expect this person would admit it so bluntly. If it was an outsider, he wouldnʼt be surprised, but this person was clearly someone with power and high status, yet he knew exactly where the fault lies.

As a thief, Ace sees things differently. Since his actions represent his will to steal, he always chooses his target carefully and then observes it, searching for vulnerabilities and cracks to create a chance for perfect thievery.

The AIG sect was his target from the start, so he observed it closely all this time, and thatʼs how he reached that conclusion.

But this man was different. Despite knowing the sectʼs vulnerabilities, he was just sitting on the sidelines like a bystander, which confused Ace.

Still, since this man wants his opinion, it also means that he has a purpose and is waiting for something to concede it. In a sense, this man is just like Ace but with differing goals and beliefs.

After thinking for a moment, Ace replied, ”The four clans are just part of it. I think the actual reason for the sectʼs situation is fear of losing everything. After all, despite not progressing, the sect hadnʼt regressed either. But to progress, one needs to take the risk of regressing, and this requires conviction, not fear.”

The manʼs eyes widened ever so slightly as he looked at the young man who hadnʼt even lived for a sliver of what he had, yet he could still reach this kind of conclusion.

He couldnʼt help but compare himself with him, and he reached the conclusion that he wasnʼt like him when he was his age. In fact, he was just like the others in the four clans until an event opened his eyes to reality. But alas, it was already too late.

Still, he knew that if he had held his current sentiments at that time, he might never have reached this position and might have been uprooted like others who shared his ambition.

”It seemed I was truly getting old. Even a brat like you know what needs to be done.” The man chuckled in a self-deprived manner before he suddenly said, ”But giving an opinion is simple and easy, while acting on it is an entirely different thing. Tell me, if you have the authority, will you still have the conviction and confidence to bring about the change? Even if the entire world is against you and stops you from doing it?”

Ace was startled when he suddenly sensed a deep aura releasing from this man, sending a shiver down his spine. He didnʼt know what this personʼs goal was or why he was asking him these questions, but he knew his next answer might be the deciding factor.

So, thinking about his own beliefs and convictions, he replied solemnly, ”We cultivate against the rules of heaven; if we donʼt even fear Heaven, whatʼs there to be afraid of the world?”

Even Ace didnʼt know that a strange kind of oppression had suddenly been released from him at that moment, which shocked and even made the man in front of him frightened. It was like he was gazing at someone out of this world and terrifying.

But that strange aura instantly vanished, and the man also thought that he was hallucinating from wishful thinking since how could he feel fear from a young man so weak he could obliterate him with a single flick of his finger? Still, Aceʼs words and the way he said them were engraved deep in his mind, and he felt his mind suddenly open.

”Hahahaha...” The man suddenly guffawed thunderously, making Ace startled and confused. He was starting to think that this man was not right in his head.

But he felt that this manʼs aura had suddenly changed, and he could feel a sense of freedom from it.

The man laughed for a while before he finally calmed down; he looked towards Ace with shining eyes and said, ”Well said. If we arenʼt afraid of heaven, why are we afraid of others? Well-placed! Alright, Iʼve decided youʼll be a Chief Forger Disciple from now on! Show me what you can do, and youʼll have my full support, but if I saw you wavering, Iʼd be the first one to oppose you!”