'How the hell am I supposed to go in?'
It was not very far from the inn where Su Maihiya and the others were staying. But the bigger problem was that....those people were staying within a clan's premises! And it was a medium grade clan. Even in her spirit body, she couldn't go through the barrier protecting the boundary!
'I will make a hole in the boundary. Go through the hole quickly since I won't be able to keep it open for too long.'
Rihanna raised an eyebrow. Just how powerful was Little Purple? This was a medium-grade clan in Falanderie City....which meant that the boundary array was surely not simple. And yet he could easily tear a hole in it!
The tear was very small, barely enough for her to go through. Such a small hole hardly caused any disruption in the flowing energy of the array, and thus no one inside the clan was alerted that an invisible spirit body had made her way inside the clans premises.
'Keep to the right and follow the boundary wall. I'll tell you when to turn.'
Following the simple and precise instructions of Little Purple, Rihanna made her way across the outer regions of the Clan, till she reached a large building near the back of the outer regions. The inner regions of the Clan lay beyond it. Which meant, this wide spread building before her was probably the Main Residence of the Clan.
'Are those people members of the main family of the Clan?'
'No....I think they are guests. For some reason they are staying at the main residence.'
If they were staying at the main residence, then they surely had a special relation with the main family of the clan. Rihanna put herself on full alert as she silently entered through the side wall of the residence. Even if it was a medium sized clan, it was in Falanderie City.....it was definitely more dangerous than even the Chen Clan of Moon-Grave City!
It didn't take her long to reach the room where the 'Thing' was being kept. Perhaps because these people were not really members of the clan, they had been housed in a separate area within the main family residence. A small hall with two bedroom set-up at the end of the first floor. There were no arrays protecting the room, so Rihanna slipped inside through the closed door.
This was the best part of being in spirit form....she could pretty much walk through all sorts of solid objects unhindered. Unless there were arrays limiting her, there were very few solid materials which could restrict her movement!
Once inside, she swept her senses through the two bedrooms. There were five people within this separate area, two in one bedroom and three in the other. Surprisingly, none of them were above Foundation-Laying Level!
'Go to the left room. The thing is inside.'
Rihanna moved towards the specified room silently, keeping her senses on alert. She was also feeling very curious and excited.....what kind of a 'Thing' was it that it got Little Purple this pumped up?
The two people were blissfully sleeping, unaware that their room was about to be ransacked. Rihanna paused to make sure that both were truly sleeping before she turned to look around the room.
It was not a very big room, but seemed barely enough for the two. A bed, table, a long couch, a small wall-shelf above the table, and a bathing space separated by hanging separators...there was really not much else to this room.
Except.....that massive sized rock which stood occupying a large amount of space at the corner. Seeing it Rihanna had a bad foreboding. Lifting an invisible finger, she pointed at the rock.
'Is that the 'Thing' you were talking about?'
'Yes, yes! Go closer to it!'
Rihanna's eyelids twitched as she made her way towards the massive and very ugly rock. It was almost double her height, and at least four times her size. Standing so close, she couldn't sense a shred of energy inside this monstrous thing! What in the world did Little Purple need this rock for?!
Moreover....what exactly had these five cultivators seen in this stone, that they happily bought such a large stone at a precious auction?! Who even put it up for auction?!
'Everything aside, we have been able to come here only because I am in my spirit form. But I can't even touch this thing in this form. So...how are we going to take it with us? It won't be easy getting inside this Clan's territory.'
For a long while Little Purple didn't respond. Rihanna could make out that he seemed to be deep in thoughts. With nothing to do, she walked around the stone a couple of times, trying to make out if there was anything special about it. Then she lost interest and walked over to stare at the two men, trying to see through the random thoughts and memories and dreams passing through their mind.
'There is a way....but it might create some difficulties for you.'
Rihanna lifted her eyebrows in surprise.
'What way?'
'Ummm.....using your energy, I can solidify a part of my energy, allowing it to touch the stone. If I can touch the stone, then I can bring it into myself.'
'.....Bring it into yourself?.....Do you have a space inside you?'
'.....Something like that. But....'
'....But...??'
'It takes a great amount of energy to solidify a strand of energy. And even more to pull a solidified body inside the spirit body. So, once I pull in this rock within myself, I will probably fall asleep for a very long time. And I will not be able to help you in any danger.'
Rihanna blinked, slowly processing the situation.
'You are one strange spirit body! You talk like I only need you to save me!'
'.....Falling down a cliff....Falling from a tree.....falling down a long hole.....falling down a pit.....sucking in too much energy and almost exploding.....'
'Okay! Fine! I get your point!.....no one will think you are mute if you don't talk! And you don't need to keep bringing up my past adventures for fun!'
'.....More like misadventures!'
'Hush!! I gained a lot of experience through all of them!'
'Oh! And what experience did you gain after falling down the hole? Was it any different from falling from the tree before that or falling down the pit after that? Please do explain!'
'Aish.....you!! Fine....go, go. I will be fine even without you. I am not still the same person from back then! Oh right! I survived more than five years in the dimension without you!.....Ha-ha-ha!'
'I was still awake, just not able to connect to you. And when you were hurt, I still managed to release my energy to heal you.'
Oh, right....he did do that! Rihanna thought for a while, then exhaled a deep breath.
'Do what you need to do. If you don't do it now, we might never have another chance to get it. I have already prepared everything I need for this journey. Our plans are already set for how to handle that group of people. Moreover, I am not alone, and Ye Luo and the others will be joining us soon. So don't worry, and do your thing. I'll wait till you wake up again.'
'......Okay. I'll be leaving some of my energy within you. You can use it. But be careful and use it sparingly. Since I won't be conscious, I will not be able to replenish the amount of energy you use.'
'Hey, Little Purple....will there be any change in you when you wake up?'
There was a short pause as Little Purple seemed to be thinking.
'I don't know. I am hoping there might.....that would mean that I was successful.'
Rihanna fell silent, wondering what exactly he was about to try, and exactly how dangerous it would be for him.
'Well.....then I hope you are successful in whatever you are about to do. And don't worry about me, or it might disturb your concentration. Ummm....but if you solidify, will these two sense something?'
'Hmmm....should we put them in deep sleep?....Oh...But you are not able to carry poisons in your spirit form!.....then....perhaps it would be better to kill them.'
Rihanna was too startled by this random response from Little Purple. But before she could reply, a light chuckle sent a shudder down her back.
Who had been watching them? And how did he evade both hers and Little Purple's radar?!
'You both are so melodramatic. Don't bother with all these random killings. I'll put up an illusion trap around them.'
Rihanna felt her heart, which had clearly jumped out of her spirit body, was slowly settling back down in place. At some point, Apu had materialized behind her like a ghost. No wonder Little Purple didn't have any reaction to the laughter. He must have been aware of his presence ever since Apu came over.
'You can create illusions?!'
'Not a visual illusion.....have you forgotten that I was born from Shodeya Stones? I will bind them in a soundless trap. They will not be able to hear anything around them, and fall into very deep sleep.'
'Ummm.....how deep exactly?'
'They should be able to keep sleeping till tomorrow evening.....provided no one comes in and shakes them awake. Then the trap will break.'
'Hmmm.....we are leaving for the mission tomorrow morning. That should give us enough time to be out of their range by the time they wake up.'
With Rihanna and Little Purple's approval, Apu went about his task. His cross-legged floating figure turned rapid circles around the two sleeping bodies. His lips were moving in constant chants, as his fingers flew in the air, forming strange symbols and gestures.
Finally he stopped at the foot of the bed. A silver-black wisp of energy barrier formed around the bed, and shimmered in the darkness for a moment before disappearing.
Once the sound trap was in place, Rihanna didn't hesitate any longer. Following Little Purple's instructions, she put her spirit body's fingers on the stone surface, then released a stream of her energy. As her own energy increased, a thick stream of purple energy gushed out through her fingers. The energy swirled in the air, slowly wrapping itself around the stone, till the stone was completely covered by the thick stream of energy.
Once again Rihanna increased her energy output. The purple energy slowly started condensing, and a soft violet plasma like layer formed over the entire stone. It kept on hardening till it turned into a very thin and brittle looking layer, barely solidified.
As soon as the entire violet layer had solidified, it glowed brightly....and then both the stone and the brittle layer disappeared!
Though Little Purple had told her what was going to happen, it still came as a surprise to her. Heaving a deep breath, she pulled her energy back. Making sure that there was no energy of hers or of Little Purple's or Apu's inside the room, Rihanna swiftly left the room.
She had considered using Little Purple's energy to tear through the barrier again. Surprisingly, she had totally forgotten that Apu was an ancient spirit form, and was quite capable as well!
And thus, a single spirit body, came and went, disappearing into the same darkness she had previously emerged from, and none in this mid-grade clan was the more wiser.