Chapter 390: Section 177: Success and Failure
In the stillness of the night, the Stone Statue Ghost Puppet, phantom-like, hastened towards the encampment of the Sanda clan, moving swiftly through the darkened corners between the buildings.
Inside the room, the Magic Array operated, displaying an image suspended in midair, capturing the exact view seen by the Stone Statue Ghost Puppet.
The encampment’s defenses were strict, with many Magic Traps laid out.
The only exception was the main entrance, which had no traps set.
At the entrance, two Gold-Level guards stood watch, highly vigilant. Not only that, but patrols also circled the area, arriving at the entrance every ten minutes.
Whether the guards or the patrol teams, their height and build differed from that of the Human Race, belonging instead to the standard giant race.
Zi Di concentrated, directing the Stone Statue Ghost.
There were two main ways to manipulate the Stone Statue Ghost.
One was through simple commands such as attack, retreat, or hold position.
The other was the current method, with Zi Di personally controlling the puppet. This control allowed the Stone Statue Ghost to act more soulfully, its movements aligning closer with Zi Di’s intentions. However, this consumed her spirit and her control range was limited.
Nevertheless, to extend the range of control, the Justice Pirate Group had already set up an Alchemy Array in the room before initiating their operation.
This was made possible thanks to the War Merchant.
His database held too many alchemic successes, and the number of Alchemy Arrays was beyond counting.
Using her spirit, Zi Di manipulated the Stone Statue Ghost, and once it emerged from the shelter of the buildings, it brazenly flew towards the main gate.
Neither the two Gold-Level guards at the gate nor the patrol team turning the corner and approaching were able to see the Stone Statue Ghost.
Pearl Bubble!
To ensure the success of this mission, the Justice Pirate Group had brought out a rare and limited Divine Artifact.
The Stone Statue Ghost was treated with Pearl Bubble, allowing it to perform an exquisite disguise against sentient beings for a certain period.
The Sanda clan had set up many Magic Traps all over their encampment. However, to avoid inconvenience at the main gate, they had opted for guards instead.
The Justice Pirate Group capitalised on this factor.
Cang Xu’s ghost had already scouted the area and covertly disrupted some traps. Following the warnings from Cang Xu, Zi Di enabled the Stone Statue Ghost to sidestep numerous Magic Traps and smoothly enter the tent.
There were numerous boxes inside, storing various supplies, but Zi Di was well-prepared and confident in her plan.
The Stone Statue Ghost opened its mouth, expelling a pharmaceutical bottle.
It uncorked the bottle and the potion’s liquid instantly evaporated, dispersing into the air.
There was no scent to the potion, and at first, it was colorless. However, after a dozen seconds or so, thin wisps of purple smoke began to appear throughout the space.
Back in the inn’s room, Zi Di smiled and explained to everyone, “When I initially collected supplies from various stores, verifying all prices, I also made a point to inspect all goods to prevent sellers from swapping or deceiving with inferior products. The Red and Blue Crystal Clusters were among them.”
“They were tainted with an odorless and colorless potion after I touched them.”
“This potion is very difficult to detect, revealing its trace only when it comes in contact with a specific corresponding potion.”
Upon hearing this explanation, everyone had a moment of realization.
No wonder Zi Di was so confident.
The youth looked at Zi Di, his gaze undisguised with admiration.
Zi Di’s power might have been limited by her Bloodline, only at the Black Iron Level, but her abilities were exceptional. Even the most minor techniques could resolve significant issues in reality under her masterful deployment.
The potion within the bottle rapidly evaporated completely.
Inside the tent, dense purple smoke filled the space.
Following the trail of purple smoke, the group located the target.
There were two boxes, neither large, measuring 40 centimeters long, 20 centimeters wide, and 30 centimeters tall.
The two boxes were identical, and even when the Stone Statue Ghost attempted to lift them, it found their weights to be similar, making them difficult to carry.
In fact, there were more than a dozen boxes of similar appearance.
“These are all spatial boxes, creations of alchemy, and their specifications should be consistent, likely from the hands of the same person.”
In the room, Cang Xu began to direct the ghost to assist the Stone Statue Ghost with the on-site box opening.
It was not successful.
“These boxes must be taken back and placed within an Advanced Alchemy Array to be safely opened.”
“Attempting to force them open would not only trigger an alarm but might also activate the runes within, leading to the possible destruction of the treasures inside.”
As she said this, Zi Di showed concern, “But the Stone Statue Ghost can only carry one box at a time; we’ll have to choose one of them.”
Don’t be fooled by the modest size of these boxes; each one was incredibly heavy.
Even the Stone Statue Ghosts, at Silver Level, struggled to maintain their hold. Moving just one box was still a daunting challenge for them.
As for Cang Xu’s three ghosts, there was even less hope of any help from them.
“Which one should we choose?” Zi Di hesitated, looking to the others.
“Just grab one,” Lan Zao suggested, “the longer we drag this out, the more likely something unexpected will happen. Both boxes have traces of purple smoke anyway. It means they both contained clusters of red and blue crystals. Doesn’t really matter which one we pick.”
“No,” Cang Xu shook his head, “the purple smoke only shows where the clusters of red and blue crystals have been. It doesn’t mean the boxes actually still contain them.”
“The simplest scenario is that after these people bought the clusters, they put them into one box, then realized it was too full, so they moved them to a second, emptier box.”
“Exactly,” Zi Di chimed in, “and the clusters of red and blue crystals I’ve inspected were just a small part. It’s possible that both boxes have crystals, or maybe they were just stored there and have already been taken out and used up.”
“If we don’t have a better way to distinguish, we’re going to have to take a risk,” Sanda gritted his teeth. “Lord Zong Ge’s condition is very bad; he’s barely hanging on.”
Mentioning Zong Ge, a somber expression washed over everyone’s faces.
From Mysterious Monster Island to Sky Pillar Sea Eye, Zong Ge had become one of our closest companions.
We had struggled, fought against powerful enemies, shared drinks, and pondered over our common future together.
Saving Zong Ge was everyone’s wish.
No one wanted to give up on Zong Ge easily.
Sanda’s words were true; Zong Ge was running out of time. Along the way, we spared no expense, relying on all sorts of precious potions and rare scrolls to barely maintain his vitality.
Upon reaching Fire Island, his condition deteriorated drastically.
“His time is indeed running out, and in fact, so is ours. Make a choice,” Zi Di said.
Who could make such a choice for Zong Ge?
Without hesitation, Sanda pointed to the floating Magic Image: “I choose this box.”
“Then…” Zi Di was about to speak but was interrupted by the young Captain.
The moment Sanda made his choice, a hunch emerged in the Captain’s heart—choosing the other box seemed a better option!
“My intuition tells me the other box might be the better one,” the young man expressed his genuine thoughts.
Everyone paused briefly.
Sanda scrutinized the young Captain, then thought for a moment, “I have nothing to insist on; let’s go with your opinion, my Lord!”
After a decision was made, Zi Di and Cang Xu immediately got to work.
Cang Xu controlled the ghosts to scout ahead while the Silver Stone Statue Ghost carried the box, moving with great difficulty.
Its back was burdensomely bent in an exaggerated arc. Its broad wings were rendered useless. Flying? Don’t even think about it!
The journey back was uneventful.
They still left the base through the main gate, brazen as ever.
Pearl Bubble truly was effective!
Soon after, the Stone Statue Ghost returned to the inn, and everyone got their hands on the box.
The box was so heavy that even the young Captain had no strength to move it. He was neither in Dragon-man Form nor Fishman Form.
“Leave it to Big Guy. Put it among the other supplies, and let him take it out at daybreak.”
The long night had already set in, and leaving the city was troublesome; it required procedures, and the inspections were stricter than during the day.
“Let’s clean up all the traces here first; then we’ll move to the secondary temporary base and take a good rest,” the young Captain commanded.
This operation was like extracting a tooth from a tiger’s mouth, stealing from a Holy Domain powerhouse.
But the group had faced so many dangers that this risk was like a light drizzle.
The Justice Pirate Group quickly moved with skilled courage, arriving at the second temporary base—a different inn.
As planned, while Sanda and Lan Zao kept watch in the night, the rest seized every moment to sleep.
Upon waking, dawn was breaking.
The Sand Yellow Race’s station remained undisturbed; they seemed unaware that a box was missing.
Following Zi Di’s arrangement, Big Guy smoothly exited Fire City amidst the early morning crowd.
Not long after, aboard the Deep Sea Monster Fish, the box was safely opened under the continuous operation of the alchemy array.
There were no clusters of red and blue crystals!