The Five-Stripe Enforcer's expression froze. He abruptly turned to look at the cabin. Just as the three of them were about to make a move, an imperceptible white light flashed across the sky above.
The three were instantly stunned in place.
They stood in place like sculptures for a long time before suddenly speaking again:
"Were my eyes playing tricks on me?"
"The Ancient Vault of the Military Path indeed had a reaction."
"But, but why?"
The Five-Stripe Enforcer thought seriously for a while. It seemed an idea was about to jump out of his mind, but he just couldn't recall it no matter what.
"It should be that something on this ship attracted the killing intent of the Ancient Vault of the Military Path... What is it... The only one who came out from the Ancient Vault seems to be..."
Before he finished speaking, another white light flashed across the sky above.
This time, the three paused for a full ten seconds before recovering their senses:
"What do you guys think?"
"This incident is too atrocious... After going ashore, we must notify Aurora City immediately."
"By the way, haven't the Fire-Stealers always been active in the southern Realm? Why did they suddenly run to the Aurora Domain?"
"..."
On the deck, the initial conversation of the three was eerily repeated. They seemed to have completely forgotten the scene of the mutation of the Ancient Vault of the Military Path just now, as well as their suspicion of Chen Ling.
It was as if an invisible giant hand had quietly stolen that half minute of memory from their minds.
The steam from the ship rose, completely sailing out of the black sky vault of the Ancient Vault of the Military Path. The dim sunset pierced through the clouds once again, spilling onto the surface of the frozen sea.
On a massive, pristine white floating ice, a hand slowly lifted the brim of a White Baseball Cap, revealing half a face. A silver snake-shaped earring looked like gold under the dusk.
The highly oppressive ship crashed head-on towards the floating ice like a mountain. The corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile.
The next moment, his figure disappeared from the spot.
...
"The Bai Qi Command Tablet had a reaction?"
Inside the cabin, Chen Ling frowned at the token in his palm, puzzlement surfacing in his eyes.
He didn't know the ship had just sailed past the edge of the Ancient Vault of the Military Path. He only knew that in that instant, the Dao Base Shard and the Bai Qi Command Tablet reacted one after another, and then returned to their original state within a second, as if nothing had happened.
Just as Chen Ling was deep in thought, a white figure suddenly flashed past his peripheral vision!
Chen Ling's heart jolted. He quickly put away the token and looked in that direction... Unknowingly, a slender figure in white was already leaning quietly against the inner wall of the cabin, like a ghost.
Who?!
When did he come in??
Two questions instantly surged into Chen Ling's mind. One must know that this cabin had one and only one entrance, and all around were thick steel walls. There was absolutely no place for a person to enter... And Chen Ling could be sure that before this, he was the only person in the cabin.
Chen Ling's brain ran rapidly, and in a split second, he made a reaction.
He raised his right hand, lightly tapped the center of his brow, and chanted piously and sincerely:
"Usurp the Heavenly Dao, seize heaven and earth."
"Fire-Stealer Number 13 respectfully welcomes the Thief Saint."
Cold sweat frantically seeped out from Chen Ling's back.
The man in front of him wasn't wearing the black coat of a Law Enforcer, indicating he was definitely not someone from Aurora City. And his infiltration hadn't caused the slightest commotion. This meant either the three Enforcers outside had already been slaughtered by him, or his strength was sufficient to swagger into the cabin without the Enforcers noticing at all...
Whichever case it was, it meant this man's strength was far above the three Enforcers.
Extremely strong, not an Enforcer, and suddenly appearing right after leaving the Ancient Vault of the Military Path... Either he was the Fire-Stealers' Thief Saint Bai Ye, or a member of the Dusk Society coming to receive him.
Considering the worst-case scenario, Chen Ling opening his mouth with the Fire-Stealer doctrine was absolutely not wrong.
That figure slowly raised his head. Under the White Baseball Cap, a pair of sharp eyes locked onto Chen Ling, icy cold like freezing ice.
"Number 13." His voice didn't have the slightest emotional fluctuation. "Where are the others?"
"They were all exposed. They clashed with the Law Enforcers in the Ancient Vault and all... died in battle." Regret surfaced in Chen Ling's eyes. "Number 8 perished together with three Law Enforcers who had stepped onto the Divine Path. I only barely managed to pick back up a life."
"Where is the Dao Base Shard?"
"...Didn't get it."
"Didn't get it?" He raised an eyebrow. "Then, what is this?"
He pulled his palm out of his pocket. At some point, a dark red crystal shard had appeared in his palm. It was precisely the one Chen Ling had originally hidden on his body.
Chen Ling's heart instantly sank to the bottom of the valley!
Damn it, how are the hands of these thieves so fast?!
"Dao Base Shard?" Chen Ling feigned surprise and replied. "Senior Thief Saint, where did you get that?"
"Where? From you, of course..."
The man had only spoken halfway when Chen Ling shot out from the bed like an arrow, charging straight towards the cabin door at an astonishing speed!
Right at the instant his palm was about to touch the door, his vision suddenly blurred. When he recovered his senses again, he had already been moved in front of that mysterious figure.
He stole Chen Ling's position!
Chen Ling's reaction was extremely fast. Realizing he couldn't escape, he simply went with the flow and chopped a palm towards the other party's neck. At the same time, the other party chuckled softly.
"Your injuries haven't healed yet, don't move around recklessly... Six of Hearts."
Hearing the last three words, Chen Ling's palm abruptly stopped right before the other party's neck. A hint of astonishment flashed in his eyes.
That person lightly raised his hand, and a playing card appeared out of thin air, pinched between his two fingers.
【Queen of Hearts】!
"Human civilization will never extinguish." He slowly opened his mouth. "I'm here to receive you, newcomer."
Chen Ling looked at that red Card Face depicting a Queen, stunned for a long time before recovering his senses.
"You are a member of the Dusk Society?" Chen Ling asked blankly. "Then... what about the Thief Saint, Bai Ye?"
That person looked at Chen Ling, smiling without speaking.
"You are the Fire-Stealers' Thief Saint Bai Ye... and at the same time the Dusk Society's 【Queen of Hearts】?" Chen Ling finally reacted. "You are also an undercover agent?"
"I'm not an undercover agent. Thief Saint is my original identity. It's just that I chose betrayal."
Bai Ye casually put away the playing card, seemingly not intending to explain more on this issue. "Speaking of which, as a newcomer who just joined the society, you completed this mission very well."
"Wait a minute..."
Chen Ling's brain couldn't quite wrap around it. "You are the Fire-Stealers' Thief Saint, and you sent people to sneak into the Ancient Vault to steal the Dao Base Shard... Then why did you simultaneously find me and ask me to steal the shard too?"
"Good question." Bai Ye had long guessed that Chen Ling would ask, spreading his hands to explain. "But you overlooked one problem. I am the Thief Saint indeed, but I am not the boss of the Fire-Stealers... Sending them to steal the Dao Base Shard was the boss's decision. I'm only responsible for receiving them."
"Then why didn't you wait for them to steal the shard out and then steal it yourself?"
Right as Chen Ling asked this question, he thought of the answer himself, speaking thoughtfully, "I understand... Your status within the Fire-Stealers has climbed too high. Once you steal the shard at this time, you will inevitably be exposed..."
"Smart." Bai Ye smiled.
"Therefore, I needed you... to perform a good play with me."