After his 'little chat' with Malservus, Ace finally regained his focus and calmed down. He no longer dwelled on the Fate Path, realizing it was irrelevant; what truly mattered was the Fate Path Shifter ability and how he could utilize it to his advantage.
However, one thing remained unchanged—his relentless desire for power. He understood that to wield this ability effectively, he needed to grow stronger. That was why he decided to stay put and observe. Two fate points—one golden and the other amber—appearing together was highly unusual, and he couldn't ignore such a rare occurrence.
Still, he had no intention of making a reckless move. Instead, he would act like a true thief, lurking in the shadows. As for Malservus, she had seemingly fallen into slumber once more, likely only waking before due to the changes in his cultivation heart.
Ace's patience was rewarded when night fell. He noticed movement in the Runic Alchemy City's camp. Checking the fate map, he saw that the two fate points—golden and amber—were advancing deeper into the Vindictive Ridged Valley, taking all their people with them.
Interestingly, their movements were silent, and those hiding in the surroundings, apart from Ace, had yet to notice the shift. But such concealment was meaningless before the fate map—unless they could escape the detection of fate itself.
Relying on stealth, Ace followed the fate points, maintaining a safe distance. Whenever he sensed a powerful Law Sense scanning the area, he immediately activated Lawless Darkness, ensuring he remained undetectable. He had to admit, they were extremely cautious, but against the abilities granted by his order, even Ascension Kings would struggle to sniff him out.
For hours, Ace trailed them, the journey proving relatively safe. The group ahead cleared any dangers along the way, leaving Ace with only minor obstacles, such as lingering poisonous air. He followed undisturbed, waiting for the right moment.
As dawn arrived and darkness faded, Ace suddenly halted, his eyes widening slightly. The fate points had shifted, altering the fate map's gray terrain.
'The Golden Fate Point has lost its color, and the terrain ahead has turned bright gold. This means that the opportunity related to me begins here. Meanwhile, the Bright Amber Fate Point remains unchanged, meaning its purpose lies elsewhere.'
Ace contemplated his next move, carefully analyzing the fate map.
'I can't be greedy. I should focus on what's in front of me. I need to determine what this bright golden opportunity is. Now that they've led me here, I can either investigate on my own or continue following them, assuming they know what they're after.'
His sharp eyes scanned both the surroundings and the map. He noted that the fate points had also stopped moving. Instead, they stood right at the boundary of the golden terrain, piquing his curiosity further. What were they waiting for?
A sudden sense of danger prickled at his instincts. Without hesitation, Ace activated Lawless Darkness.
This wasn't the first time he had sensed this presence. It was undoubtedly another Law Sense sweeping the area, searching for any unwanted intruders. This time, however, the scanning lasted longer than before.
'This can only mean they've reached their destination. Whatever they've found, it's something they don't want anyone else to see—that's why they're being so cautious.'
Ace's heart raced in anticipation. What exactly lay ahead?
The moment they reached the boundary of the hidden formation, Killian raised a hand, signaling the group to halt while Jake and Ravencrown, or Leia, were right behind him.
Ahead of them was a thick fog that clung to the air and swirled unnaturally here, forming faint spirals as if guided by an unseen force.
"This is it!" Killian solemnly stated, "Marquise Helmir, please inspect if this formation has been tampered with or not."
An aged old elf walked towards the fog; he was Helmir, a 7-Star Spirit Rune Crafter from the Runic Formation City and also a Runic marquise.
"Well, you're really making me work this time, Marquise Killian." Helmir sarcastically commented as he adjusted the silver monocle over his right eye. Its crystalline surface flickered with runic symbols as he scrutinized the air ahead.
Killian shrugged his shoulders, "Don't blame me; you owe me one."
Helmir shakes his head with a wry smile as he inspects the formation for any clues of tempering or weakness. No matter what, he knew who Killian represented; Jake's presence here was evidence of it, not to mention he owed Killian a huge favor.
After a while, he finally spoke, "It's layered with at least triple spirit concealment formations," Helmir muttered, voice laced with admiration. "The primary one hides the entrance, while the second distorts any external attempts to scan the area. But the third… That one is what keeps the inner Qi completely sealed. Without it, the entire valley would've been aware of whatever is hidden here. But there are no traces of tampering or weakness; in fact, this barrier hasn't been opened since it was placed here."
Killian sighed with relief when he heard it and nodded, "Thank you, Old friend, this meant a lot."
Helmir snickered, "If you're really thankful, then hurry up and open it; I want to see what's behind it."
"Heh, small matter." Kilian didn't reject his request since he knew Helmir wouldn't vie for the Star Encompassing Fruit, and he was only curious about the secret behind it.
Killian then gave Jake a meaningful glance before Jake nodded and came forward. He took out a small runic plate and dripped a drop of his blood on it before the formation plate came alive.
Helmir's eyes widened ever so slightly, "Blood as key and the Young Noble's blood is…wait, this formation was laid by…" He didn't dare to utter any further and looked at Killian with a hint of shock and astonishment.
Killian pulled a grave smile as he meaningfully nodded without saying since he knew there wasn't any need for further explanation.
On the other hand, no one pays attention to Leia, who is silently watching this scene. However, hidden in the depth of her charming eyes was a peculiar glimmer, and an untraceable flash of light suddenly blinked on her fingertip.
"The barrier is about to open! Start the chaos; this is your chance to snatch the fruit!"