Chapter 99: The Problem!

Layla asked in a deep voice, "Did you check with the Demolishing Disguise Mirror?" 

It was the same golden mirror they used to search the entire city. 

"Yes, I use it and found nothing suspicious." This also confused shadow Finder because no one below Empty River can escape the Demolishing Disguise Mirror. 

Moreover, he also probed that boy cultivation, and he was only at the third gate. It was also possible that he was killed in the wildness; it was filled with demonic beasts. 

However, Shadow Finder couldn't help but shake this strange feeling that he had when he saw that boy's eyes. At that time, he thought it was he being paranoid, moreover; he was in a hurry and ignored that vague feeling.

But after coming back to the city, when he saw this boy poster in a guard's hand, he instantly felt that feeling again. This gut feeling never failed him before and is also the reason for his name. That's why he come straight here to report. 

Layla also know this guy was very sharp and never spoke without thinking, and she had nothing to lose either, so she responded, "Which direction did you find that boy?" 

Shadow Finder politely replied, "To the west of Luminous City."

Layla's eyes instantly gleam with a strange light. "Sky Changing Border is also in the west direction, right?"

Shadow Finder was very sharp and knew what Layla was implicating here. "Yes. I also think if that guy is that thief, he would certainly go there."

Zelda scoffed at this moment. "He's going to his death, and here I thought he was brilliant. This means he is from this desolate place." 

Shadow Finder wasn't agreed with Zelda and retorted politely, "I think the lady is still underestimating that thief."

Zelda's eyes turn cold and going rebuke when Layla stop her and breathed, "Continue." 

He didn't seem to notice Zelda's resentful eyes and continues, "First, my reason for suspecting that guy is; one month ago we searched almost all low lands but Prince Manor!

"Second, they were a sudden fire in a building one and half month ago and many nobles have died there, but no one investigates that matter because of the shady business, and it will expose many. 

"But one thing that everyone overlooked is this Javier also used to go in that building and on that very day of fire he goes there and even returned. I think if we investigate this, we'll find even more clues.

"Last but not least, that thief is very skilled in his work, so we should assume that he had stumbled upon some kind of inheritance here and that's why he's able to change his face into someone else and even fool ours demolish disguise mirror." 

Layla was now a little stunted, and Zelda was also amazed after hearing Shadow Finder conjecture because his every point was on the spot. And he even dug out the things that everyone overlooked after just coming back to the city. 

"Truly worthy of the name shadow finder!" Layla couldn't help but praise him, "We don't need any more investigation. We waste too much time and if he's skilled, then he'll reach that place in a month minimum. We'll immediately go towards the Low Sky Changing Border."

Layla also found Shadow Finder's explanation very accurate, and she felt closer to capturing that thief than ever. She wanted to fly over to the border, but she can't, so she had to hurry there. 

Furthermore, if that thief ignorantly steps into that place, she will forever lose Blood Rose and his secrets that why she didn't even investigate and make her move without a second thought. 

"Aunt, there is a problem." Zelda breaks Layla's excitement at this moment. 

Layla's eyes narrowed as she asked, "What problem?"

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"Two more days and I'll reach the border." Ace was moving like lightning as he thought happily.

In eight days, he has finally reached the low-level mastery of Lightning Steps and was quite closed to mastering the Soul Shattering Eyes as well.

But the more he is closer to mastering the Soul Shattering Eyes, the more his soul hurts. It was the same feeling when he tries using the soul probing for longer than an hour. 

His martial cultivation is getting in his way again! 

This made Ace quite frustrated because he assumed that soul-shattering eyes, even low-level mastery, can only be freely used when he reached the Qi River Realm! 

But he wasn't even at the peak of the foundation building realm, and he didn't know where he would be able to find the next elemental orb! 

This shifts his focus on the EXP but to his dismay, these Qi Gates Realm demonic beasts only gave him 1 EXP and Early Stage Foundation demonic beasts 10 EXP! 

As for higher-level demonic beasts, they weren't easy to find here.

This made Ace swore at the system in full of resentment and anger. 

That's why Ace decided to just focused on his movement art and tried the Soul Piercing Bullets because it was a basic soul skill and hope it won't give a backlash like soul-shattering eyes. 

One more day passed,

Ace always travel at night and practicing his skills in the morning because he had an advantage at night and the heartless stealth was even more powerful at nighttime.

At this moment, Ace was moving while using lightning steps when his soul sense was instantly rung in alarm!

Ace's face fell because after entering the first stage of heartless stealth, only someone at the River Source Stage can alarm his soul to sense this much!

'What is someone at this level doing here!' His face sour, 'Is it that expert that I felt in the city?'

Before he had any chance to hide, a startling yet commanding aged voice resound in the silent area, "Hmm... Who's there? Show yourself or this old man, consider it a hostile action!" 

The owner of this old voice was none other than Vance Golden!

After giving up on Blood Rose and that thief, completing and decided to exchange the information about Ace and Blood Rose with the Pill Flame Organization. He left the city immediately after that.

He was traveling at high speed because he was afraid that Zelda would think of the same and exchange the information before him. 

Vance was just a day away from the border when he found someone is moving at high speed that was almost equal to his own! 

This makes him quite surprised, and that's why he speaks first before attacking this mysterious expert. 

After all, at this moment, the low lands were crawling with Layla's people, and it would be a disaster if he offended one of them unknowingly. 

But to Vance surprised a boy seemingly in his teens emerge from the darkness and what made him even more flabbergasted was that boy cultivation! 

He was only a third qi gate cultivator and fear was clear on his face. 

Vance couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing at a place like this?"

Ace saw Vance's old wrinkled face but didn't dare to show any suspicious movement because the surrounding aura makes his soul sense terrifying. 

This also clear his suspicion of this old man being a real River Source Stage Cultivator of River Core Realm! 

Ace act like frightening Javier and speak, "I…I-I was spared from my group an…and end up here."

Speaking of which, Ace's acting skill improved quite a lot after he played Javier, but he still wasn't a professional when it came to hiding his composure. 

The eyes are the mirror of the soul and reflect everything that seems to be hidden; and like a mirror, they also reflect the person looking into them and that was indeed the case for Ace as well. The two-face mask can form an impenetrable illusion, but it can't completely hide Ace's eyes. 

This was also the exact reason of Shadow Finder's suspicion to arouse and now Vance, an old man of more than a century-old, also felt this peculiar point. 

He could tell by looking that this young man was frightening, but his eyes were as calm as water that's what tick him off. 

Besides, that speed just a moment ago made this vague feeling even more strong and an abrupt though surface in Vance's mind, 'Something is not adding up here.'

Ace was observing Vance's soul waves all this time and felt this old man has become suspicious of him somehow. This was not good news for him. 

'Why didn't this mask has the function of increasing the cultivation realm!' Ace wanted to cry right now because he could tell just what had caught this old man's attention and that was his low cultivation!

This was also a big flaw of the Two-Face Mask. It can only change a person's cultivation to the level it has recorded. It can't increase or lower the cultivation base. 

If it has that capacity, Ace would've changed his cultivation to the empty river core and that would justify his speed a moment ago, but sadly, he can't!