Ace was on the verge of collapsing.

The pain that was coming from the opening of two hidden gates simultaneously was unimaginable. He wanted to make it stop many times but whenever he remembers that his home was destroyed and countless innocent people have died in that bitch hands, he would grind his teeth and persist.

‘Two more’He thought while clenching his teeth.

He was feeling extreme pain when he suddenly felt his heartbeat was becoming extremely show it was on the verge of stopping.

Inside his inner heart, Qi of Darkness (Black-Smoke) starts to enters, and inside of his heart starts to turn vague black. He didn’t feel any pain from it on the contrary he felt comfortable as the Qi was moving inside his inner heart. By opening the fifth gate of heart he has only opens his outer heart with Heavenly Qi and he didn’t feel like this before.

“[The 8th Gate, Inner-Heart of Darkness has successfully open.]”

Ace was finally feeling some comfort when the black smoke around him starts to enters his abdomen he groans in pain and felt a chill all over his body. This Black-Smoke was merging with the Heavenly Qi inside his body and forming a whirlpool, it was like a forming of a black hole.

After some time, all the smoke was sucked inside that mysterious whirlpool. After his Heavenly Qi1 merging with that black smoke in his abdomen its create Darkness Qi, and that black whirlpool was filled with Darkness Qi.

The most fascinated thing Ace notice about that black whirlpool was, it was converting all the Heavenly Qi inside his body into the Qi of Darkness rapidly.

He was now out of that globe of smoke and his eyes have turned back to normal.

========

“[The 9th Gate, Gate of Primordial Darkness has successfully open.]

[Congratulation Host! You have formed the Void of Primordial Darkness.]

[All the skills related to Darkness have been reached perfection.]

[Host status has been updated.]”

========

System sweet voice transmitted inside his mind.

“Hmm? That black whirlpool inside my abdominal is called Void of Primordial Darkness? And what was that black smoke that can even create this kind of thing?'” He asked the system with his thought.

But before Ace could hear System’s answer he felt two soft hands on his face and there was hot water dripping on his face. He becomes confused and saw just where that water was coming from when he saw Eva crying face, that water was her tears.

“Nothing happened to you right??? I was so scared that I would lose you too just like my father and mother.” She said while tears were flowing from her eyes, there was relief, happiness, and gentleness in her beautiful eyes as she was looking at him.

Ace felt touched after he saw her crying for him and a little warm spread in his cold heart. He holds her hand and said softly, “I’m fine it was just some strange issue with my cultivation technique. So, don’t worry about me.”

Eva finally had a sigh of relief after she saw him turning into normal and hearing his assuring words. “Don’t make me scarred again or I’ll never forgive you ever.” She said as she looked directly into his eyes.

He nodded his head, Ace smiled after seeing her like this he nearly forgets that there was still someone with him all this time who never left him.

He stood up and heard system voice,

“[Yes, that is the Void of Primordial Darkness or you can call it the Dark Void. It can convert host Primordial (Heavenly) Qi into Darkness Qi and it is the essence of Crystal Body that Host cultivates. That ‘Smoke of First Darkness’ was a gift from System for host achievement!]

[The system was supposed to give it after Host felt the minor law of [Despair] with the help of Heavenly Punishment but Host did it on his own!]”

Ace nearly cursed at the system after he hears that, “This is not rewarding at all if you were going give it to me from the start!'” He transmitted his angry voice inside his head. But like always there was not a reply.

“Show me my status.” He said while he was getting used to his new prowess.

=========

[Status Panel]

[Host: Ace White]

[Race: Human {No Bloodline}]

[Heaven: 1st Mortal Sky Heaven]

[Martial Cultivation: Heavenly Gates of Dakness {Complete}]

{EXP: 0/50,000}

[Soul Cultivation: Yellow Wind Soul Core]

{SP: 999/1000} {Extra: 1031}

[Thief Points (TP): 70]

[Skills: 5]

[Stealth Basic: {Perfection} 

Silent Steps Basic: {Perfection} 

True & False Eyes Basic: {Middle} 

Pick Pocket: {High}

Treasure Opening Hands [Basic Art]: {4th Form}] 

[Cultivation Technique: 2]

[{Heaven Stealer Technique Volume 1}, {Dual Shadow Swords (1st Realm)}]

[Current Mission: 1]

==========

Ace saw his status and nodded in satisfaction. Only his EXP changed and he needs to collect 50,000 now but he didn’t care. His skills related to Darkness have reached perfection that was what he was ecstatic about the most. ‘That pain was worth it.’

“How much time has passed since we come here?” Ace asked Eva in a calm tone.

After opening Gates of Darkness, his aura has completely changed and now he seems calmer than before, and he was giving off a feeling of a bottomless dark abyss.

“Only two to three minutes have passed since we come here.” She replies in a daze. If Eva didn’t see all the suffering Ace had gone through she would’ve thought he was a completely different person after seeing the deep look on his eyes, 

Furthermore, she felt even closer to him for some reason and this feeling was not vague anymore either. But she can’t put her finger on the exact reason for this.

‘Hmm? I felt like years has passed inside that black smoke and only two or three minutes has passed?’ He deems in bewilderment. But he quickly shifts his gaze outside of the window.

Everyone was searching for them with everything they had, seeing all those guards and especially Dulce carriage Ace eyes turn cold. He wanted to find out just how powerful he was after becoming probably the first 9th Gate cultivation of this world or maybe the entire Mortal Sky Heaven’s!

“You stay hidden and I’ll go find a way out of here.” He said to Eva.

Eva didn’t want to leave him alone and wanted to go with him when she saw Ace was showing her a Grey Bead in his hand.

“I’ll be fine with this bead. You take one as well if anything goes wrong used it for escaping. I have more than enough for me.” He said with a warm smile as he placed an invisibility bead in her soft hand.

She finally nodded her head and gave in after seeing the mysterious bead in his hand.

Ace didn’t delay any further and left the room. “It’s time for the hunt.” His eyes were filled with killing intent as he mutters those words.

——

Outside of the Inn.

Inside Dulce Carriage, Dulce was feeling very uneasy for some reason.

She saw Ace emitting that mysterious black smoke and that strange treasure bead, she was feeling something was amiss. This was not in her calculation at all. She even starts to regret her decision to toying with Ace instead of capturing him from the beginning.

She suddenly felt that cold sensation again and that was coming from the Inn upper floors, since she was outside of the Inn she can’t pinpoint the exact location of that coldness but she could tell that was coming from the Inn.

“Inside… he’s inside!” Dulce holler, “Go and capture him for me! If he dares to resist kill that girl and break his limbs, I want him here in five minutes don’t test my patience!”

“You four slave go with them don’t dare to try any tricks. Let me tell you those four healing pills were poisonous and if you don’t get cure in ten hours you all will die painfully!” She said to Mathies and the other three from River-Flower City in a vicious tone.

Mathies and other smiles bitterly hearing her words and finally understand why did this vixen give them those precious green ranked pills so generously. She would never let anyone who could cause her trouble in the future be left alive.

They all including Dulce’s guards, the city lord, and the fifty elites’ guards enters the Inn after Dulce gave her order and only a few guards remain beside her.

——

Inside the Inn, Ace was on the third floor when he senses the moment on the lower floors. After the opening of Mind of Darkness Gate, his range of Heavenly Sense has increased from 30 meters to 50 meters. He was feeling wonderful right now.

With his perfection level, stealth, and cultivation of 9th Gate of the Heavenly Gates realms even peak stage Qi Foundation Building realm experts can’t pinpoint his location anymore. Only Qi River realm experts were able to locate him.

Two black swords appear in his hands as he smiled coldly.

He was set for hunting!

(Primordial Qi = Heavenly Qi)