Eternal Thief

As time passed, more and more participants of the Hunter’s Hunt arrived at the Evernight Alliance Hub.

The desolated grounds surrounding the colossal citadel gradually became packed with cultivators until the barren landscape seemed covered by swarms of ants stretching toward the horizon.

Hunts, Half-Moon Hunters, and Full-Moon Hunters gathered in dense clusters, their auras intertwining into an oppressive atmosphere that made the very air feel heavy.

More than twenty thousand participants had already assembled, yet streams of figures were still arriving from every direction.

The entire region became increasingly crowded. Naturally, vigilance dominated the gathering, especially among the Hunts.

After the sudden announcement and the forced ceasefire, very few Hunts trusted the Hunters to obey the rules completely. Many had already witnessed ambushes and slaughter before arriving here.

As such, Hunts instinctively banded together in large groups, with thousands standing shoulder to shoulder, watching the surrounding Hunters with wary eyes. Even now, some feared that the moment the announcement restrictions ended, a few crazed Hunters would immediately begin harvesting lives.

On the other hand, the Hunters themselves were no better, as many stood within their own factions and temporary alliances while sizing up everyone around them with suspicion, greed, hostility, excitement, and all kinds of emotions mixed together.

The grounds buzzed endlessly with discussion.

”What exactly is happening?”

”Why gather everyone here?”

”The trial was nowhere near the starting point, but then that ’owl’ ’Sky Stealer appeared.”

”Did something happen to the Evernight Council?”

”Look at the sky. How could something not have happened?”

Countless gazes drifted upward toward the enormous, devilish owl dominating the heavens, as no one could ignore it or explain it, which only made everyone even more uneasy.

Ace and Eva remained hidden among the crowd, while the former’s expression remained calm beneath Kharon’s appearance as he quietly observed the restless masses and kept passing along opinions to Eva.

Even he had to admit the Evernight Council moved faster than expected, and whatever was about to happen, it was no longer a normal trial, but it wasn’t like Ace and Eva weren’t prepared for it. The pair has even developed a new crazy plan!

At this moment, suddenly...

’BOOOOOOOOM!’

A deep rumble echoed across the region, instantly silencing countless conversations as everyone looked towards the source.

The enormous gates of the Evernight Alliance Hub slowly opened as ancient formations lit up across the black walls and crimson runes flowed like rivers of fire.

An overwhelming pressure descended from above, changing the expressions of countless participants; many instinctively lowered their heads, while others felt their souls tremble.

At that moment, a figure slowly emerged from within the opened gates. He was a towering fiend over four meters tall with bronze skin covering his muscular frame, and countless crimson runic markings crawled across his body like living flames.

A pair of massive bull horns curved upward from his skull, and his hollow eyes contained bronze beams of light instead of pupils. The moment he appeared, an immense Abyssal Grand Lord aura swept over the gathering.

Thousands of cultivators immediately felt suffocated as even Full-Moon Hunters straightened their backs, and no one dared speak.

Ace’s eyes narrowed slightly as he could tell it was an Abyssal Combat Fiend from the Abyssal Fiend Race and not an ordinary one at that, for the fiend’s aura was extraordinarily fierce. He had clearly walked a path paved with countless battles and slaughter.

The giant fiend hovered above the crowd before he spoke, his voice rolled across the heavens like thunder, ”I am the First Disciple of the Midnight Duke.”

A brief pause followed, and then his next words caused countless expressions to change.

”Marquis Demonic Fist.”

A commotion erupted instantly.

”The First Disciple?”

”An Abyssal Grand Lord?”

”The Midnight Duke actually accepted a Grand Lord as a disciple, or was the Marquis always the Midnight Duke’s disciple and came out of the Evernight Sanctuary to gain experience?”

”That’s Marquis Demonic Fist?! Rumor has it the Marquis Demonic Fist had once destroyed an organization that opposed the Evernight Council, and that organization’s head was a Half-Abyssal King!”

Shock spread throughout the crowd as Marquis Demonic Fist was no unknown figure; many had heard of him, especially those part of the Evernight Council.

The Marquis Demonic First was A terrifying combat fanatic, a rising powerhouse of the Evernight Council, and someone rumored to possess monstrous talent even among Abyssal Combat Fiends. Yet no one expected such a prominent figure to appear here in person.

On the other hand, Marquis Demonic Fist ignored the reactions as his bronze eyes swept across the crowd, and instant silence followed.

”Today.” His voice became colder, ”I am here to announce important changes to the Hunter’s Hunt.”

The atmosphere instantly tightened, and everyone listened carefully.

”The target of the Hunter’s Hunt has changed.”

Many participants exchanged confused looks as Marquis Demonic Fist continued.

”From this moment onward, participants of the Hunter’s Hunt are no longer each other’s primary targets.”

After a brief pause, he dropped a bombshell, ”Your new targets are the aboriginal inhabitants of this trial ground, which, as you all might’ve already guessed, is a Secret Realm under the Evernight Council’s rule.

”However, the aboriginal inhabitants are not only hostile towards the Evernight Council, but towards every abyssal being of the Abyss of Wandering Souls, for they belonged to the Undead Race’s Corpse Clan!”

The moment Marquis Demonic Fist revealed the ’Undead Race’ presence in this secret realm, the crowd exploded with shock and disbelief.

”What?!”

”The Corpse Clan of Undead Race?!”

”This is a secret realm of the Undead Race? I’ve heard every trace of the Undead Race has been wiped out by the Evernight Council, but it seemed there are still survivors!”

”Not only that, but it seemed we’re invading an actual civilization of the Undead Race, and there aren’t any records about the Corpse Clan of the Undead Race, as I’ve only seen records of the Ghost Race!”

”Whatever the reason is, this trial has just become a war!”

Even many Full-Moon Hunters looked stunned, as no one expected such a drastic change, but no matter what, they all seemed filled with battle intent and hostility towards the Undead Race!