Eternal Thief

At this moment, far away, the Evernight Demon King finally appeared upon the surface, and she remained hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from the Corpse Governor. It wasn’t because she feared him, but she feared the Ordeal.

The moment she witnessed the complete manifestation, her beautiful face paled.

”...Impossible.”

Even she had underestimated the supreme Abyssal Ordeal as the records had not exaggerated. This wasn’t merely targeting the Corpse Governor, but the entire Undead Cradle had become the Ordeal!

Without hesitation, her voice erupted across every communication formation, ”Midnight Duke! Everyone leaves! NOW! Not one person remains inside the secret realm! Immediately activate the Realmbreaker Conquest Ark! No observation! No hesitation! If anyone delays, I personally authorize their execution!”

It didn’t take long before her command exploded across every battlefield.

---

The Midnight Duke knew the gravity of the situation when even the Evernight Demon King had given such an order, and it sounded so grave.

He immediately roared in the main communication center, and his cold voice sounded throughout the battlefield, ”EVERYONE! ABANDON THE BATTLE! ENTER THE REALMBREAKER CONQUEST ARK! THIS IS THE SUPREME COMMAND OF THE EVERNIGHT KINGS! ANYONE WHO DELAYS...WILL BE EXECUTED!”

The battlefield instantly erupted into chaos.

”What happened?!”

”Even the Dukes are retreating?”

”My abysses...”

”Is this truly an Abyssal King’s Ordeal?”

Several old Evernight Marquises suddenly turned pale as they finally recognized the signs recorded inside ancient council archives.

One whispered with trembling lips.

”It couldn’t be a Supreme Ordeal!?” His entire body began shaking. ”We’re all going to die if we stay.”

Without waiting for orders, the Evernight Dukes themselves began escorting everyone toward the enormous Realmbreaker Conquest Ark. Even the proud Dread Duchess no longer watched the heavens as her instincts screamed only one thing: leave immediately.

---

Above them all, neither the Corpse Governor nor the Evernight Demon King noticed that, far beyond the two Sacred Moons, the ancient symbol of a single devilish owl remained etched into the highest reaches of the Undead Cradle’s sky!

Because of the manifestation of the Ordeal, they all forgot about the owl symbol, not to mention the two Sacred Moons had completely eclipsed the owl. So, naturally, no one paid it any attention.

Right at that moment, very quietly, the thief symbol, Devilish Wise Owl, seemed to flicker once faintly, and no living soul could have perceived it. Yet something within the Purgatory of the Sacred Moon seemed to hesitate!

The hesitation lasted only an instant, yet for an Abyssal King’s Supreme Ordeal an instant was impossible.

The two Sacred Moons had already completely manifested. The Purgatory of the Sacred Moon had descended. Nothing should have been capable of interrupting it, or making it hesitate. Yet it had!

---

Deep beneath the Upper Ancient Battlefield, within the hidden chamber, Ace remained seated before the cocoon of black flames.

The Demonic Black Spirit Fire had completely engulfed the Crimson Netherflame Revenant. It no longer resembled ordinary fire, but a boundless abyss of darkness. Ancient black flames silently churned as if an entirely new existence was struggling to be born within.

The System Interface remained unchanged.

=====

[Growth-Type Spirit Fire Evolution in Progress...]

[Current Progress: 87%]

=====

Ace quietly waited. Since the System had already declared that his breakthrough would begin the moment the evolution finished, there was nothing he could do except prepare himself mentally.

But just then, suddenly, a strange spiritual pressure descended.

”...!”

Ace’s pupils shrank as the pressure wasn’t violent, and didn’t contain killing intent, nor did it resemble the terrifying oppression of an Abyssal King. Instead, it was incomparably pure.

It descended silently from above, washing over the world without hostility, yet carrying an authority that made one’s soul instinctively submit.

Ace’s Nascent Primordial World trembled; even his Cultivation Heart quivered, and his expression instantly changed.

’The Heavenly Punishment?!’ The thought appeared almost instinctively as his body tensed, and every nerve entered combat readiness.

Yet something immediately felt wrong as he had already experienced Heavenly Punishment more than once. The Heavenly Punishment’s aura was tyrannical and absolute, as it carried only one purpose: erase him!

But this pressure was completely different. Although equally terrifying, it lacked that boundless killing intent. Instead, it possessed an indescribable holiness; a purity that seemed capable of washing away everything impure.

”...What is this?” Ace immediately looked toward the System.

But there was nothing, no warning or notification announcing the arrival of Heavenly Punishment, and the Spirit Fire continued evolving exactly as before.

=====

[Growth-Type Spirit Fire Evolution in Progress...]

[Current Progress: 88%]

=====

Ace frowned deeply as he mused, ’If this isn’t Heavenly Punishment...then what exactly is happening out there? Who could have such pure spiritual pressure and so profound? It might also be a unique form of the Heavenly Punishment in the Abyss?’

He slowly stood. Although confusion filled his mind, his expression remained calm; whatever it was, he would face it. He had long accepted that the moment his breakthrough began, every impossible situation imaginable would eventually find him.

So, one more disaster hardly mattered anymore.

Time slowly passed, yet the strange pressure only continued growing stronger.

It spread layer after layer. Even hidden beneath countless formations and buried deep underground, Ace could clearly feel the entire Undead Cradle changing.

His Primordial Foundation quietly circulated on its own, and the surrounding Abyssal Qi became strangely sluggish. Even the Corpse Qi lingering within the underground ruins seemed to be silently dissipating.

Ace frowned even deeper as he could feel his Primordial Spirit Qi was still as powerful as before, and this peculiar aura couldn’t affect him, at least not with its current level.

”This isn’t the style of Heavenly Punishment...so, it isn’t targeting me?”

That realization surprised him, as whenever Heavenly Punishment appeared, every strand of its intent would lock onto him without deviation. Yet this profound pressure completely ignored him.

It simply descended upon the entire world equally, and neither pursued him nor acknowledged him. Even stranger, instead of suppressing his Primordial Foundation, the mysterious aura merely brushed past it.

His cultivation slowed only slightly before immediately returning to normal. It was almost as if his Primordial Foundation naturally resisted the pressure. More accurately, it simply wasn’t something the pressure considered worthy of judging.

Ace narrowed his eyes. ’This isn’t because I’m stronger. I’m simply...not its target!’

That conclusion made him even more vigilant because whatever could envelop an entire secret realm while completely ignoring him was infinitely more terrifying than anything directed solely at him.

Meanwhile, the cocoon of black flames continued burning silently.

=====

[Growth-Type Spirit Fire Evolution in Progress...]

[Current Progress: 91%]

=====

Still, no sign of breakthrough, Heavenly Punishment, or further explanation from the System only an uneasy silence.

But suddenly, the pressure abruptly increased severalfold.

’BOOOOOOOM!!’

Ace’s entire body shook as his Primordial World instinctively expanded, and countless profound law quantities manifested inside his cultivation heart.

For the first time, he actually felt pressure, which shocked him because spiritual pressure that could actually affect his primordial foundation was very rare to begin with.

At this moment, his breathing became noticeably heavier, and the holy aura swept across him again. Yet unlike what it was doing outside, it merely caused faint ripples within his Primordial Foundation before quietly dispersing.

Even the Demonic Black Spirit Fire remained completely unaffected.

Ace’s expression gradually turned solemn as he muttered, ”What exactly is happening outside?”

Just then, the Ring of Hunter upon his finger suddenly trembled violently. Its emergency formation activated automatically.

The next moment, the Midnight Duke’s usually calm voice exploded through the communication array.

”EVERYONE! ABANDON THE BATTLE! ENTER THE REALMBREAKER CONQUEST ARK!”

”This is the Supreme Command of the Evernight Kings!”

”The Corpse Governor has begun his Abyssal King Ordeal!”

”Repeat!”

”The Corpse Governor has entered an Abyssal King Ordeal!”

”No one is permitted to remain inside the Undead Realm!”

”Immediate evacuation!”

”ANYONE WHO DELAYS...WILL BE EXECUTED!”

Ace froze instantly as his eyes widened ever so slightly, ”An Abyssal King’s...Ordeal? So, this pressure belongs to the Abyssal Ordeal of the Corpse Governor? That insane guy succeeded in becoming the Abyssal King!”