Eternal Thief

Old Luke didn't answer Finn's question right away and first, glance at Alvin for his approval.

Since this information was only known to 1st Grade Kingdoms!

He also didn't know why Alvin was bringing this boy with them, although he was curious, he didn't have the right to question Alvin's arrangement.

Ace also noticed this brief exchange and stay quiet while waiting for Alvin to decide.

Alvin nonchalantly nodded, his meaning was clear, 'You can tell him.'

"Brother you can't tell this peasant about this information!" Sofia was also watching this closely and when she saw Alvin giving his approval she instantly protests. 

'Is she jealous?' Ace pull an amusing face because he could tell this woman was not doing it just for the sake of secrecy. She was doing it for Alvin's attention. 

Ace's guess was on the mark because after Sofia see Alvin's kind treatment to Finn which she never got despite being his actual sister, she felt extreme jealousy. 

Moreover, she might not show it but she admires Alvin sincerely and always wanted him to treat her like Finn. Yet Alvin was austere with her all the time just like her father. 

Now she saw Alvin treating this unknown brat like a prince, she finds it unfair and if not for this formation barrier protecting them from the air current, she would have pushed Finn off from the Ghost Crane. Even if Alvin punished her afterward. 

"Shut up!" Alvin berated coldly. 

Sofia resentfully glares at Finn since she can't do anything to Alvin. 

'Just you wait. I'll take care of you the moment I got the chance. He won't be there to always protect you!' She thought while murderously glaring at Finn.

Finn wore a silly smile at this moment as if he had no idea what was going on. 

'How troublesome.' Ace thought wryly.

Old Luke clear his throat as if he saw nothing and asked Finn, "The Natural Earthen Boundary is very special you know why?" 

"No. But I heard there is a forbidden area between 1st Grade and 2nd Grade-Lands called Earthen Mist Forest. Isn't that the reason this boundary was named, the earthen natural boundary?" 

Ace truthfully answered with what he conjures up by himself after pounding over the vague information he had for a long time. 

"Heh, good kid, you're right about the origin of its name." Old Luke chuckles lightly and continues, "But do you know why this forest is called the forbidden area and the most dangerous place in the entire middle-lands?" 

"I do not know." Ace honestly answered. 

He also wanted to know that because he read that even a peak Qi river cultivator can die there if they enter too deep in this Earthen Mist Forest.

Only those top ten kingdoms have the method to cross it with no causalities. 

That's also why Ace didn't want to cross this deadly boundary on his own and wanted a place in the institute so with their help he could cross this boundary with no danger. 

After all, Ace even read about some soul-type demonic beasts in this forest and they were not easy to deal with. 

Old Luke nodded in satisfaction seeing Finn's earnest expression and said, "It's because of the Emerald Mist! The Earthen Mist Forest is covered in this Emerald Mist all the time of year and this mist can bewitch even someone like me if I enter the deepest part of this forest. The scariest part is the victims of this Emerald Mist do a very strange and horrifying thing!"

"What thing?" Finn asked with a horrified face. 

'I wonder if this mist works on me.' Ace wondered.

Old Luke answer with a grim face, "They all dig their grave themselves and then buried themselves after cutting their throats!" 

Ace's eyes narrowed because this was just too exaggerating and hard to believe that someone could do this to themselves. 

"Heh, I wanted to go in this forest now." Sofia scoffed at this moment. 

Old Luke knew no one believed him and gravely said, "It is very normal if you don't believe this old man. But you can confirm it with Grand Beastmaster, two hundred years ago there was a Qi river core cultivator who wanted to uncover this forest's mystery but he never come back alive and vanished in the depth of this forest. 

"I can assure you I'm not making this up because this cultivator was the former, Grand Beastmaster and also the mentor of the current Grand Beastmaster!"

Alvin narrowed his eyes and finally show a hint of interest while Sofia's face was flush with fear and she didn't speak about going into the forest this time.

'A Qi river core cultivator dies, and he was even from one of three giants!' Ace was also stunned and he finally understand why this area considers the most dangerous area of the entire middle-lands.

"Why did he go there, though?" Alvin spoke at this moment, he didn't know about this forest history and now that he found out a cultivator like he never returned from there, this piqued his interest. 

"I heard, the old Grand Beastmaster discover something very strange, and that's why he ignored the danger and enter the forest." Old Luke answered with uncertainty.

"Oh, what thing?" Alvin asked again.

"There was a legend about this forest; if you're a wood, water, or earth element cultivator your cultivation speed can increase if you manage to dive enough deep inside," Luke stated.

"Oh, did someone prove this legend?" Alvin's voice was hesitant since he was a wood element cultivator himself. If this was true, he didn't mind investigating this forest. 

"Heh, no one is alive to answer that question. It's only the word of a madman who manage to escape the depth of this forest and lost his mind afterward and die." Old Luke shook his head. 

"A madman who can even make a Grand Beastmaster enter the forest, huh." Alvin retorted softly.

"It's because this madman was Sacred Lotus King!" Old Luke said with a hint of reverence in his eyes. 

"What?! The same Sacred Lotus King who shake the enter high and middle lands after creating the Realm Breaking Lotus Pill!?" Alvin exclaimed in shock.

"Indeed, they both are the same person." Old Luke solemnly nodded.

"Brother, are we talking about the same person who breaks into the purple alchemist rank despite never being in the high-level lands?" Sofia chimed in. 

"Yes. It's the same person. He was supposed to be a prodigy in alchemy and he manage to reach this level at the age of 30!" Alvin nodded solemnly.

"But didn't they say the Scared Latus King died because some enemy poisoned him?" Alvin looked at Old Luke with doubt. He never thought that he would discover this astonishing secret here. 

Alvin never talk with Old Luke in his way here because he didn't consider Luke his equal. But now that Old Luke opens his mouth to talk with Finn, Alvin's opinion of him has changed since he knows this extraordinary information. 

Ace on the side was listening to this conversation carefully. It was supposed to be only about the Earthen Natural Boundary but now it has taken a completely different turn. 

Old Luke on the other hand was talking with no reserve because of Alvin and he wanted to curry favor with this person. But he didn't think he would get any chance after he found out about Alvin's cold personality. 

However, now talking with Finn gave him this chance he has been waiting for all this time and he won't blow it just because of some old history's secrets that were collected by Beast Calling. 

"That was just a front to hide his madness and shameful death. But he was friendly with our fourth last Grandmaster, that's why we have actual records that even Pill Flame didn't." Old Luke pridefully declared.

"Did this forest was always like this?" Alvin probe, now that he knew about the actual story behind this legend and the person who started it. Even he was now tempted to go there and explore it. 

But he wasn't an idiot since he now knew about the madness and death of two Qi river core cultivators, Alvin would not take any measures without weighing out his options. 

"This…" Old Luke pounder for a while before answering with uncertainly, "I don't know but I heard from the Grand Beastmaster that this mysterious mist become vague in the era of second-generation Grand Beastmaster. But it is probably older, no one knows."   

"Oh, more than 20,000 years ago." Alvin was astonished. 

"Yes." Old Luke answer truthfully, "At that time, no one takes it seriously but as time pass the mist become thicker and more dangerous. Only sacred lotus king took an interest in it and after him our Grand Beastmaster. 

"But no one dares to go inside after them since there this mist wasn't the only problem. There are strange earthly beings and many natural traps. 

"The Scared Latus King last sane words wasn't just about the fast cultivation, there were more…!"