Eternal Thief

Ace didn't expect to see this girl so soon after entering the forest.

The first reason he came to this party was to see if he could join them and the second and main reason was to see if this girl remembered this boy's face who she killed that day. 

'Heh, she didn't remember.' Ace was overjoyed noticing she didn't react in any way. 

It was also nighttime that day so it was very normal to her not to remember the face clearly and besides who would remember a terrible memory about a scum, right?

"Wait!"

Ace was going to leave so he could search for some other group he could join when a gentle voice stopped him.

Ryan curiously looked back toward this crisp voice and saw a beautiful girl was looking at him with a charming smile.

Her face was oval with a sharp chin and white skin. She wore a short skirt that reveals her long slender legs and a short robe that show her tone waist. 

One can see a longbow laying on her lap and a quiver attached to her back, she was an archer. 

Ace impassively looked at this seductive beauty, her cultivation was at the peak of the fifth gate and she was probably the strongest one among this party. 

Because there were only the fifth gate cultivators included this charming girl, the spear boy, and that dainty girl who wasn't hiding her cultivation anymore. The other five were all at the fourth Qi gate realm.

"Why do you want to join a party now?" She asked with an interesting expression on her face. 

Ryan smiles faintly before answering, "Because I first thought it will be easy alone but after coming here I understand I was wrong." 

"Hehe, you're quite honest. Fine, you can join my team but if I found you a liability… I'll kick you out." She smiles seductively and lets Ryan join the party.

The boy with the spear grimaced and blurt, "Miss Nola, please reconsider. How could you let anyone join the team who comes out of nowhere?" It dissatisfied him seeing Nola letting this stranger join without counseling with anyone.

"Oh, now I need Little Brother Devan's permission to make my decision?" Nola gives an icy glare to Devan.

"I didn't say that but…" 

Before Devan could complete his sentence, Nola cut him and speak coolly.

"Since you are against my decision very well. Let's vote for it. I don't want anyone to think I'm overbearing like those rotten nobles." Nola looked at everyone with a smile, "Everyone please speak your mind freely."

Ace on the side was observing this with recreation. He didn't think this girl was the leader of this small party and so resolute. 

The six of them looked at each other with wry smiles. They were all strangers but everyone knows the attitude of their leader by now. 

"I'm with Brother Devan." A mean-looking boy spoke at this moment. 

"I'm also with Brother Devan in this. We can't let just anyone enter the party." A gentle-looking boy speaks solemnly. 

Nola frowned but said nothing and looked at those four girls with great expectation in her round eyes. 

"I think we should let him stay since he's also a peak Qi gate realm cultivator and this will give us more chances to fight for Phantom Horn Lizard." The girl with an average face speaks with a grave face.

Nola smile hearing this and nod in satisfaction. This was also the reason she wanted to let Ryan join the team. 

"I-I…he can… join." A little girl timidly speaks while shyly glancing at everyone.

Devan's face stiffen when he saw the vote tied, and he looked at those two reaming girls.

"Sorry Big Sister Nola but I'm with Big Brother Devan in this." The girl with a sword said with an apologetic face. 

Nola smiled at her as she wasn't holding a grudge. 

Now everyone was looking at the dainty girl. She was the third strongest member and her opinion mattered a lot even if Devan had three votes. 

The dainty girl deeply looked at Ryan who didn't speak all this time and only watched showing no emotions. 

'Why does he look so familiar?' She thought confusingly. But no matter how much she run her brain she didn't remember encountering a peak Qi gate existence like this boy. 

Her thought process was very simple, she only remembered powerful people that can stand equal against her and everyone else was only a flea in her eyes. 

She had killed many people who court death after seeing her disguise cultivation and that's why she didn't remember the boy she killed three months ago. 

"I want to test him, if he can take on one attack from me then he can stay, and if not… hihi." She said in her mellow voice.

"I like Little Sister Lilith's idea. What do you think Little Brother Dewan?" Nola claps her hand happily while looking at Dewan.

"Fine." Dewan also has no qualm since two of the strongest members were agreed. 

"What do you think… um, I didn't know your name." Nola looked at Ryan while smiling sweetly.

"My name is Ryan and I don't have any objection." Ryan shrugs his shoulder.

Lilith also didn't delay and stand up from her position. 

Ace was amusingly looking at her. He has seen this little girl's ability once and knew she was very good at fatal attacks. 

Everyone moves twenty yards away to give them space and watch with serious faces. 

They all were traveling for some time and they know just how powerful this weak-looking little girl was after seeing her defeating a demonic beast equal to a fourth Qi gate cultivator like it was nothing.

One had to know the demonic beasts' bodies were much tougher than human cultivators. A demonic beast of the fourth Qi gate can trouble even a fifth Qi gate cultivator. Yet this girl has killed it with a blow!

"I won't hold back." Lilith said with a faint smile, "So if you die don't resent me." 

"Don't worry I won't." Ryan smile faintly. 

Lilith's smile turn cold because she thought this guy was underestimating her. She hated those who look down on her and this instigated her killing intent. 

Ace sense a faint killing intent from Lilith but didn't take it seriously. All his attention was on the martial sense that just won't go away.

Lilith finally moved at wind-like speed. She was using a movement skill that was her most powerful skill. 

Everyone's eyes contracted because this move was the exact move she used to defeat that demonic beast in an instant. 

Ace saw Lilith's movement and was slightly surprised by it because her speed was equal to his silent steps at middle-level mastery! 

Lilith still didn't see Ryan moving nor did his smile change even in the slightest. She takes an eight inched dark blue double edge dagger out of her waist belt. It was a three-start treasure. 

With her fast speed and that sharp dagger in her hand, it can penetrate even peak fifth Qi gate cultivation heart easily!

But her opponent was Heavenly Foundation Cultivator like Ace.

Lilith finally reached Ryan, and without any hesitation, she goes for the killing blow. 

'Swishh…'

The dagger made an air-piercing sound but it only permeate empty air because Ryan has vanished before the dagger could touch his body.

"H-how!? Where is he?!?" Lilith was shocked seeing Ryan disappear and glanced around.

Lilith's eyes were wide open and everyone else was watching his exchange of move. 

They all saw Ryan was standing one meter behind Lilith with a faint smile on his face. No one saw him moving, he just disappeared and appeared behind Lilith like a ghost! 

Ace has used the silent step to sidestep Lilith's attack and sneak behind her. 

This girl was good with her dagger but she can't force him to use his actual abilities. 

From start to finish he was observing the martial sense to see if he could draw any attention to himself by using the silent steps. 

'Oh, just a little flinch. I can use my silent step to fifty percent since it didn't consider it suspicious.' Ace sighs in relief and shifted his consciousness from the invisible bead in his thief's storage. 

He was ready to use this bead to hide his presence at any given moment if he detected anything amiss. 

"H-how you did it?" 

Ace finally turn his attention to bewilderment Lilith and others who were dumbfoundedly looking at him. 

"I'm just stronger than you." Ryan rubs his chin while speaking with a serious face.

Lilith's cute face turn red hearing this unreasonable answer but she didn't retort nor did she have a word to. Since she said she would use only one attack and Ryan beat her fair and square she didn't attack again, even if she was frustrated. 

"Welcome to the team!"

Nola speaks at this moment as her eyes shimmer with excitement.. She was thrilled to have a person with a movement skill even stronger than Lilith.