Ace paid '110 TP' for both techniques, and just like before, information about both techniques began to drill into his brain. Memory after memory entered his brain, and after five minutes, he opened his eyes.
'Is this really a cultivation technique just for a thief?' Ace thought in a daze.
He had never seen any cultivation technique before, but after seeing Heaven Stealer, he was convinced that this system was not from this world.
If someone wants to cultivate this technique, they can't use standard Worldly Qi and have to absorb "Heavenly Qi."
Heavenly Qi is Qi that no one can use, or more importantly, Heavenly Qi is off-limits to every being. However, this technique can make it possible by stealing it from Heaven itself. It was a taboo-like technique.
That's why Ace was so stunned after learning about the Heaven Stealer Technique.
'If I want to cultivate this technique, I must steal from Heaven. Worthy of its name, "Heaven Stealer," and this technique is tailor-made for a thief. I can also choose not to cultivate it, but I'll definitely miss a chance to become extraordinary!' Ace mused while still in a stupor.
If he chose this path, there would be no turning back again, because in his memories, Ace found that the practitioner of this technique is called a "Heaven Stealer."
He would become the enemy of Heaven, and he would have to face its wrath every time he wanted to advance to a higher cultivation realm.
Ace suddenly remembered that day when he declared, 'If I have some kind of power that allows me to steal, I'll steal from Heaven itself!'
He grinned when he remembered his childish words.
At that time, he was anxious and said those words in outrage. However, he had never imagined that he would hold that kind of power in his hand, and so soon at that. Now he had to decide whether he wanted to use it.
Ace laughed haughtily, "Hahaha, Heaven, you stole my loved ones from me, and I couldn't do anything about it before, but time has changed. Now I have the power to steal from you, so why am I hesitating? From now on, you, Heaven, and I, Ace, are ENEMIES!!!" He declared arrogantly.
A Heaven Stealer was going to be born!
Ace calmed down after he made his life's biggest choice. Then he started reading the memories of the Heaven Stealer Technique seriously.
"Heaven Stealer Technique Vol. 1 is divided into two parts, one for the body and one for the soul. The System didn't lie about it," Ace muttered while continuing to read the memories.
"The first part is called 'Heavenly Crystal Body.' It is this world's martial cultivation system. The difference is it uses Heavenly Qi instead of Worldly Qi. Cultivation realms are divided into 'Eight Large Realms,' and all eight have their own small realms.
"The 1st Cultivation Realm is 'Heavenly Qi Gates,' also known as the Self-Opening Realm. It has five small realms called Qi Gates of 'Heavenly Skin, Heavenly Muscles, Heavenly Bones, Heavenly Organs, and Heavenly Heart.'
"With every self-gate opened, I'll be able to store more Heavenly Qi. At the peak of the Heavenly Gate Realm, my meridians will open. This is so interesting. This whole cultivation is fascinating." Ace read with full enthusiasm as he praised this cultivation.
"So Lil' Sis had already opened the 1st Gate when I saw her status last time. I have to work hard to meet her in the future." Ace felt a little pressure but became even more determined.
"The second part of Heaven Stealer Technique Vol. 1 is called 'Heavenly Black Wind Soul.' It's a soul cultivation technique with no realms like martial cultivation. However, it has 'Five Soul Forms.'
"First, I have to form a 'Formless Wind Soul Core,' and after that comes five colored forms of 'Soul Wind': 'Yellow Form, Orange Form, Red Form, Golden Form, and Black Form.'"
After reading the entirety of the 1st Volume of the Heaven Stealer Technique, Ace took a deep breath of cold air. This 1st Volume was enough for him to stand at the peak of this world.
After the excitement from the Heaven Stealer Technique subsided, he started reading the Dual Shadow Swords Technique with full attention.
"Hmm? It only has a single part called 'Basic Shadow Sword Intent,' and it only has four realms: 'Sword as Limb (1st Realm), Sword of Finger (2nd Realm), Sword in Mind (3rd Realm), and Sword Intent of Shadow (4th Realm).' That is what you can expect from a 10 TP technique." Ace was somewhat disappointed in this technique after first reviewing the Heaven Stealer Technique.
But little did Ace know that if word got out about a technique that can teach you a 'weapon intent' — and not just any intent, but shadow intent — it would spark a bloody war, because you can't learn weapon intent from just reading, much less an elemental-type intent.
Because 'weapon intent' comes naturally, no one can teach it. So Ace had this miraculous technique, yet he still said it disappointed him. If word got out, every top expert in the world would faint from anger.
"Well, it can still teach me the basics of using Qi with dual swords, so it is worth the price. I also need dual swords to start practicing this technique. The System has them, but they are expensive. I can still do without them. I can buy some from the weapon market. It's not like I don't have any money. But I must save my Thief Points (TP) for an emergency." Ace finished making his final decision.
After a whole evening of excitement, Ace finally started to calm down. He ate his dinner early because he was going to start cultivating the Heaven Stealer Technique that night.
It was already nighttime, so there was silence everywhere.
Ace calmed his mind and closed his eyes. As he closed his eyes, he started to recite the Heaven Stealer Technique chants of the 'Heavenly Crystal Body' scripture in his mind.
'The body is the foundation of every living being, but the heavens made everyone's body with many flaws because they didn't want them to gain power that could pose a threat to it. It steals from everyone. It steals their right to gain strength from birth. It steals their right to live long lives, and then steals their life. The biggest thief of eternity is High Heaven itself. My unwillingness will cut open the path that leads to its hidden treasuries. I will draw the power from its hidden treasures that it steals from others and make it become my everlasting power! I will steal from it, and I will steal until I become eternal….'
Ace recited in his heart, and he couldn't help but be moved by the Heaven Stealer scripture. There was only truth in it, and no falsehood. It was like a knife to Heaven, because it revealed Heaven's filthy secrets.
After Ace started cultivating the Heaven Stealer Technique, he fell into a trance-like state. An unknown amount of time passed, and suddenly, a black mist filled the area surrounding Ace. This black mist was actually Heavenly Qi.
Heavenly Qi was black because it was Qi stolen from Heaven!
People say that if you steal from someone, Heaven will curse you — but what if you steal from Heaven? You would definitely be hunted down by every being connected to Heaven, and the Heaven Stealer Technique was a taboo technique precisely for this reason.
If you use it, you will gain Heavenly Qi and become stronger than others, but you will also earn Heaven's curse every time you try to break into a higher realm. In addition, you'll have to face Heavenly Punishment.
Heaven will try to kill you every time you want to grow stronger, because if you gain Heavenly Qi, you'll become as perfect as no other being. That's why Heaven never allowed anyone with this kind of power to exist.
The moment that black mist, or Heavenly Qi, touched Ace's body, it began to pour into his skin and circulate through his meridian channels. So now Ace was an authentic Heaven Stealer!
At that moment, an inky eye formed in the darkness of night. It was big enough to cover the entire Golden Sky World's starry sky. That eye looked coldly toward the black Heavenly Qi and vanished after seeing it, since it was just a mortal ant trying to defy the world.
After the eye vanished from the Golden Sky World, a dark blue eye formed on Ace's forehead. Ace didn't realize it and didn't even feel anything. Instead, that dark blue eye looked coldly in the direction of the eye that had vanished not long ago. It also disappeared from Ace's forehead the next moment.
Ace didn't realize that Heaven had already marked him as a mortal enemy, and now it would try to kill him at any cost whenever it got the chance.
Ace felt like he was flying in the sky because of the Heavenly Qi. The Heavenly Qi was washing over his entire body. Then a black, soot-like substance started pouring out of his skin. That substance was the impurities of his body.
This was one of the benefits of Heavenly Qi: it could purify the body and make it perfect.
Ace was so immersed in his cultivation that he didn't notice the passage of time. Finally, after ten hours, the sun rose, and the sky lit up.
Inside the small hut, Ace looked like a black wax statue. He had cultivated the whole night and still hadn't opened his eyes. Until he heard a cold voice,
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[Congratulations, Host, on Opening the 1st Gate of Heavenly Gates!]
[Your Martial Cultivation Level has been updated!]
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