It was the first time Ace saw a formation of this magnitude. Nonetheless, he was happy because he can now see where the formation was with his new eye's skill.
'That woman is approaching closer and closer. I have to hurry!'
Ace pours more heavenly soul qi into his eyes and the formation barrier becomes clearer, but the pain in his soul also becomes more intense as bloody tears gush from his eyes. He knew he can't hold much longer before the soul skill would stop operating.
Finally, Ace discovered a vague dark hole fifty meters on the right side and, with no hesitation, dash in that way.
Layla was now only a mile away from Ace when she noticed him stopping ten meters away from the formation and her spirit instantly lifted and thought that rascal had finally come to his senses.
On the other hand, Vance's heart sank because if she captured Ace, Layla would kill him!
But to both of their astonishment, Ace move again and this time he didn't seem to stop.
Layla uses every ounce of her cultivation base and shortens the distance at a tremendous pace, but she was still late in the end because, at this moment Ace, both hands shine in a golden hue as a mysterious symbol appeared on both of his hands.
With golden hands in front of him, Ace instantly change towards the barrier and the next moment vanished!
A couple of moments after, Layla stopped at the spot where Ace has vanished with eyes full of uncertainty and defeat because what Ace did, in the end, was completely out of her understanding. He didn't turn into ashes and just vanished, it was indeed strange.
The lush scenery was still there, but no trace of Ace left even with her false martial sense. Layla didn't find any mark on him!
Layla looked at the illusion gloomily and knew that thief is most likely dead, and she can't even retrieve his corpse!
In the heat of the moment, she didn't even think about those golden hands much and with cold eyes looked at Vance, who was dumbfounded looking at the place where Ace has vanished.
Vance instantly shiver as he notices that icy cold stare and knew he was in for it now!
----
When Ace spotted the flaw, he instantly rushes there as he used the fifth form of treasure opening hands while praying; this formation would not be a first-grade formation!
'Lock Tearing Key!'The moment he activated the fifth form his both hands become golden as an ancient key-like symbol appeared on his fingers and in the center of his palms.
While gritting his teeth, he finally touches the barrier and was immediately elated because a tear appeared in the barrier, and he instantly enters with no hesitation.
This formation barrier was not a grade formation, but only a quasi-grade formation barrier that even Qi Soul Realm Cultivation can't cross.
But Ace has two essential skills to pass this terrifying formation barrier, and this gave him the edge that he needed to enter the formation!
After Ace entered, the tear instantly close and Ace felt that woman's pressure finally lifted, but he didn't dare be careless because he knew that he only enters the front door and still has crossed the whole formation.
But first, he needed some rest because he used the soul-shattering eyes way too much and now his eyes were bleeding as intense pain in his true soul was almost killing him.
He removed the two-face mask. His actual face was painted red, as his eyes were almost listless.
'This is just the beginning, and I needed to use the soul-shattering eyes to find a way out of this strange place.' Ace thought bitterly as he looked around.
There was nothing but darkness and an old smell filled the air and terrifying silence. As if no one has stepped to this place for thousands of years.
Before his eye skill was deactivated, Ace hazily saw the empty area was filled with mysterious patterns and didn't dare to walk around carelessly.
Ace didn't know why, but he felt something is very sinister about this place that gave him the chills. He calmed his racing heart and focus on his soul recovery.
Now that he was inside the barrier, no one would come after him, not even that terrifying woman. This gave him some relief as he closed his eyes to recuperate.
---
Outside the border's formation barrier,
Two days have passed since that thief 'death' and every one of Layla's power included Zelda has come here.
All of them were camping a mile away from the position where Ace enters the sky-changing border.
At this moment, inside a luxurious camp, the atmosphere was as forlorn as it could be.
Layla's eyes were filled with killing intent as she was looking at the bloody man in front of her.
It was none other than Vance Golden!
At this moment, he looks nothing like his old scholarly self. His face was thrashed pretty badly. It was clear Layla didn't hold back when taking 'care' of him.
But she didn't dare to kill him because just as Vance predicted, now that thief is gone, she would not provoke Pill Flame Organization so easily. Before she could've just shown the organization, the Blood Rose and Vance dead would be forgotten, but not now.
She has already used quite some resources in searching for that thief and only gets his dust in the end. And now, by killing Vance, she can't afford to pay the ransom of an azure alchemist to the organization!
That's why he was still alive and only received 'some' beating.
Zelda's eyes were also showing intense fierceness as she said angrily, "Aunt, what you wanted to do with this old guy?"
Layla takes a deep breath as she calmed her intent to kill Vance before speaking. "What can we do? Just heal him and let him go." There was a hint of frustration and helplessness in her sweet voice.
Zelda nearly blow her top hearing her aunt, but she knew they really can't afford to offend the organization right now.
Shadow Finder, who was also in the camp as well as nine other Qi River Realm Experts who were dressed just like him, speaks at this moment.
"Sixth Lady, may I speak with Master Golden first before we set him free." Everyone's eyes shifted to him.
Layla narrowed her eyes as she said, "You may."
Shadow Finder walk towards Vance in everyone's curious gazes and asked coldly, "Master Golden, how did you lose your storage ring, and did that bird-like mark appeared after that thief steal the ring?"
Vance's eyes flash with hatred, hearing Shadow Finder's words that stab in his heart like sharp knives.
Vance didn't hate Layla because he simply can't afford to! First, he didn't know who these people were and only knew about this famous Green Flame, and even she was surrounded with fog of mysteries.
Second, he can't get even with them. So, he was just happy they even let him live and only hated that 'dead' thief!
Vance weakly said, "I didn't know how he did it and yes, this bird mark appeared after my storage ring was stolen."
Speaking of which, he didn't inquire about the sky-changing pass because Shadow Finder knew you cannot store the sky-changing pass in the storage ring for some reason and that's why everyone carried it in the old fashion way.
"Interesting." Abruptly a dagger appeared in Shadow finder's hand as he cut Vance's finger with that strange blackbird mark!
"AHH, Y-YOU!!?" Vance cries in pain as he looked at Shadow Finder's cold eyes hatefully.
Everyone in the camp was astonished because they knew this guy would never do anything meaningless and curiously studied the clean-cut finger on the ground.
Shadow Finder didn't faze by Vance's odious eyes as he takes out a green pill with a purple circle on it.
"Eat it and your injuries will heal, included your sliced finger." He said coldly as he gave the pill to Vance.
Vance was dumbfounded because that pill in Shadow Finder's hand was a Purple Grade Restoring Pill!
He was an alchemist himself and knew the purple circles only appeared after when a purple grade alchemist creates a purple grade pill!
It was his dream to become a purple alchemist, but the threshold between azure and purple grade was just too big for him to cross in his lifetime.
Vance didn't reject the pill and instantly swallowed it. He didn't know what this mad guy wanted by doing all this, but this pill can help him regrow his finger. After all, only purple grade restoration pills can restore little limbs like fingers.
In everyone's questioning eyes, Vance's injuries and his finger healed at the speed that naked eyes can see.
At this moment, something happened that left everyone dumbfounded, included Shadow Finder.
When Vance's finger finally grow back, the bird mark from the sliced finger disappeared, and it again appeared in the same place where it was before.
On Vance's newly regrown finger!