Chapter 466 - 463: The Oath

Chapter 466: Chapter 463: The Oath

Feng Hao did not ask any further, as he could sense the Thief Master was in a somber mood.

They journeyed onward through the mountainous terrain of the Saint Realm. The path was winding, their steps arduous, yet they never once used a flying vehicle or took to the sky.

Beside him, Lin Luo and the other three seemed to know their destination. They walked in silence, their expressions solemn, like pilgrims on a sacred journey.

It was impossible to say how long they had trekked. It could have been a day, or it could have been a month.

All Feng Hao knew was that a magnificent, colossal peak now stood before him. It rose from a vast mountain range, its summit piercing the heavens. From a distance, it resembled a towering giant standing sentinel between heaven and earth!

"Head up."

The Thief Master gazed up at the colossal peak for a long while. He said nothing more, calmly uttering just two words.

Though his mind was filled with countless questions, Feng Hao followed the Thief Master and his brothers, ascending the steep stone steps that wound their way up the Divine Peak.

The six remained silent as they ascended the ten thousand steps.

Before they knew it, the stone steps came to an end. A flat summit spread out before them, on which sat an ancient, man-made training ground, set like a jewel upon the peak.

In the center of the training ground stood a massive statue, flanked on either side by two smaller ones. Each statue was unique in appearance, but all of them radiated an extraordinary martial divinity and an imposing aura.

As he stood at the foot of the five statues, feeling the gale howl across the summit, a rare sense of awe filled Feng Hao’s heart.

"Isn’t that a statue of the Thief God?" Gazing at the central sculpture, its image seemed to merge with the Thief God Statue he’d seen on Thief God Peak, filling Feng Hao with shock and confusion.

The Thief Master gave a faint, wistful smile, his tone both melancholy and bitter. "That’s right. This is the statue of the Thief God Ancestor."

"Then who are the others...?" Feng Hao pressed.

"They are all Thief God Ancestors," the Thief Master replied softly.

Feng Hao froze, startled. "The Thief God Ancestors from every generation?"

"No, no, no." The Thief Master smiled faintly and shook his head. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "They are the ancestors who founded the Thief God Hall."

"But... I don’t really get it." Feng Hao scratched his head in bewilderment.

The Thief Master chuckled in amusement. He turned to look at the five of them and saw that Lin Luo and the other three were just as confused. With a light laugh, he began to explain, "I know what’s confusing you. For millennia, both outsiders and our own disciples have believed that the Thief God Hall has only ever had a single Thief God."

"In reality, the Thief God Hall was founded by five ancestors who were as close as brothers. The one the world remembers as the founder of the Thief God Hall was merely one of them—the one who passed down the legacy of [Swiftness]."

Hearing this, Feng Hao, Lin Luo, and the others were stunned. This revelation completely shattered everything they had ever believed.

"Five Thief God Ancestors?" Lin Luo asked in confusion. "Then what about the current Grand Palace Master? Isn’t he hailed as the Thief God of this generation?"

"You mean Jing Lou?" The Thief Master chuckled. "After the sect’s founding, the title of ’Thief God’ was bestowed upon its leader, which corresponds to the successive Grand Palace Masters in our era."

"So that’s how it is." Feng Hao and the others nodded in understanding.

The Thief Master paused, then fixed his gaze on them, his eyes burning with intensity. "And the inheritors of those five original Thief Gods were granted the title of [Scion]—the very identity you all now hold."

A collective gasp went through the group. They all stared at the Thief Master in astonishment.

"Whoa..." Wang Tongqian gulped, his voice filled with disbelief. "Are you saying... we’re the true inheritors of the Thief God Hall?"

The Thief Master nodded with a smile. "Correct."

The news left them all feeling a little overwhelmed. Lin Luo, who led the group, couldn’t help but marvel, "I thought we were just here to receive the Scion’s legacy. I never imagined there were so many hidden truths."

The Thief Master smiled faintly. Clasping his hands behind his back, he gazed up at the five Thief God Statues and began to speak slowly, "Now that all five Scions are gathered, it is time for you to know these things."

At his words, Lin Luo and the other three nodded, their expressions filled with extraordinary excitement.

’A tempest raged in Feng Hao’s heart. All this time, I thought the Thief God Hall was too young to have a legacy on par with the five great sects. I never imagined the true inheritance was hidden within the title of "Scion".’

Recalling what the Thief Master had told him the night before the tournament, Feng Hao felt a sense of dawning realization.

"Every time a generation’s five Scions are assembled, they are brought here to receive their inheritance. As the ninety-ninth generation, you are no exception."

At this, seeing their eager faces, the Thief Master hesitated no longer. He raised a hand toward the five statues behind him and began to introduce them formally. "These five Thief God Statues are the brands for the five Scion legacies. They correspond to five powerful inheritances: [Swiftness], [Shadow], [Silence], [Hidden Thorn], and [Instant Kill]."

"However, unlike the special legacies of other sects, the five legacies of our Thief God Hall possess a synergistic capability. I assume you are already somewhat aware of this."

"We know, we know!" Mei Meimei chimed in excitedly. "It’s the whole reason the five great sects take us seriously!"

Kang Shuai added impatiently, "Come on, Thief Master, can we stop wasting time? Just tell us how to get the legacies! We waited forever for Fifth Brother to show up. I can’t wait a second longer!"

"Patience, patience." The Thief Master chuckled. "Before that, you must first establish the [Bloodline Oath]."

"Why is that?" Wang Tongqian asked, taken aback.

"Because the legacy of the Five Scions can only reach its full potential when established among five people who are of one heart and mind," the Thief Master explained with a soft chuckle. "For those who aren’t related by blood, the [Bloodline Oath] is the only way to create such a bond."

The group exchanged glances, generally understanding what the Thief Master meant.

The so-called [Bloodline Oath] was an ancient Contract Demon Pattern, passed down from antiquity. After two unrelated individuals forged a [Bloodline Oath], they would develop a mental connection akin to that of twins.

Simply put, it was the Mage World’s equivalent of becoming sworn brothers. Typically, Mages who forged a [Bloodline Oath] were those who already shared a profound friendship.

The universe has endured through countless ages and calamities. Innumerable Demon Patterns have been lost to the river of time, but the [Oath] Demon Pattern has been passed down to this day, eternal and unchanging!

Feng Hao and Lin Luo’s group had already forged a bond as close as siblings, so for them, the [Bloodline Oath] was merely a formality.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s just forge the oath, right?" Mei Meimei had always been refreshingly blunt, and this moment was no exception.

With a decisive flick of her wrist, she produced a dagger from her Spatial Ring and, without a hint of hesitation, sliced open her palm. Blood instantly began to flow.

Seeing this, Feng Hao and the other four couldn’t help but chuckle. One by one, they drew their own blades, cut their palms, and then gathered in a circle, stacking their bleeding hands one on top of the other.

"We’re all brothers and sisters here. Let’s skip the fancy speeches and get on with it!"

Lin Luo’s gaze swept over the others, his eyes filled with a deep sense of brotherhood as he declared loudly.

"Yeah." The other four exchanged a smile, their hesitation gone. They began to circulate their Magic Power and closed their eyes in unison.