In the southern district's Gero Street, Ji Xun stood on a tower several hundred meters away, staring at the towering Hunter's Guild building in the distance, unable to dispel his doubts.
The auction was scheduled to start at 7 PM, but after decrypting the message "Proceed as planned" in the Silver Mirror early in the morning, he had come to scout the area well in advance. It was only 5 PM now.
It was clear that many people in the Sinless City were eyeing this auction. Just by casually observing, Ji Xun could see that there were many others with binoculars in the surrounding buildings, just like him.
He had no intention of going to the auction site himself. If anything were to happen, it would be a dangerous place to be.
"The Silver Moon Cult will definitely target these items, but how are they planning to do it?" Ji Xun wondered.
Since seeing the "Moon" in the auction catalog, he was sure they would come. But the Silver Moon Cult only seemed to have a few people left. Even with their strange methods, showing up at an auction filled with traps would be a quick way to get caught.
Ji Xun pondered.
Robbery usually comes down to two options: brute force or cunning strategy. But the more information is exposed, the easier it is to find countermeasures.
Just like the doctor they dealt with before. Despite his near-immortal "cellular activation boiling" secret technique, with proper preparation and a "healing ban" spell, his abilities were significantly restricted.
Given the detailed intelligence on the Silver Moon Cult members, brute force seemed out of the question.
As for strategy, to target the goods, there were three possibilities: during transportation, during the auction, or after the auction.
The first and third options were the most likely.
Since the Golden Oak Security Company organized this auction, the transportation route would be heavily guarded. An inside job might have a chance, but the high-ups at Golden Oak weren't foolish. After exposing many insiders during previous purges, they were unlikely to repeat their mistakes.
The third option involved waiting for someone to buy the items... But even assuming the buyer wasn't part of the plan, anyone daring enough to buy them would be formidable. Once the items were dispersed, their plan might fail.
This was where Ji Xun's confusion stemmed from. His instincts told him his current thinking wasn't correct.
---
"What I can think of, others must have already considered. So logically, there shouldn't be any loopholes. If the Silver Moon Cult really intends to pull this off, they must have a completely unexpected strategy... Unexpected... Insiders, sewers, hidden agents, secret techniques, artifacts, explosives?"
In the tower, Ji Xun watched the clock's hands move slowly, his confusion unwaning.
If he were the planner, with the known resources, the success rate would be less than 1%.
But this was a supernatural world; who knew what strange things might occur?
If he couldn't anticipate their plan, his idea of taking advantage of the chaos would be futile.
Suddenly, a previously ignored thought struck him: "Could they be planning a direct assault?"
Of all possibilities, this was the most unexpected.
But this was the Sinless City. How could the Silver Moon Cult muster the force for an assault?
---
Meanwhile, in a nearby residential house, Xie Guozhong and his two assistants were also watching the auction site with binoculars.
As field agents for the X Bureau, their job involved containing high-pollution relics and disasters and dealing with cults that polluted human faith.
Their primary target this time was the Silver Moon Cult.
The two young assistants had been watching for hours but, like Ji Xun, had no leads.
Despite their worried expressions, their team leader, Xie Guozhong, lay leisurely nearby, sipping a drink.
Ah Wen had asked many times, still puzzled: "Captain, we haven't found anything unusual. Are you sure the Silver Moon Cult will show up?"
Mushroom Head, seriously reporting, added, "I've identified twenty-one lookouts in the area, but none of them seem to be from the Silver Moon Cult."
He turned to their captain, almost asleep on the bed, and asked, "Captain, the auction is about to start. Shouldn't we go in and take a look?"
Xie Guozhong, in a lazy tone, replied, "Why go in? If a fight breaks out, we could end up caught in the crossfire."
Mushroom Head: "..."
Ah Wen: "..."
Both assistants rolled their eyes at their captain's lack of enthusiasm.
Xie Guozhong, oblivious to their frustration, explained, "It's not our job to be anxious right now. Let's just wait and watch the show."
Ah Wen hesitated, "But... If we don't prepare, what if something happens..."
Xie Guozhong chuckled, "So, what's your plan?"
The assistants fell silent. Despite three days of brainstorming, they hadn't come up with any viable plans for the Silver Moon Cult.
Seeing Xie Guozhong so calm, Mushroom Head asked, "Captain, have you figured out the Silver Moon Cult's plan?"
Xie Guozhong decisively said, "No."
Mushroom Head: "..."
Ah Wen: "..."
Both assistants twitched in exasperation.
Xie Guozhong continued, "When dealing with tricky cases, sometimes you need to think like an 'outsider.' Otherwise, your thoughts get trapped in a logical loop. For example, you considered many plans but never thought the Silver Moon Cult might try a direct assault."
Ah Wen looked incredulous, "Captain, if they had any sense, they wouldn't try something so reckless, right?"
"From a certain perspective, cultists are inherently irrational."
Xie Guozhong licked his lips and added, "They'll definitely show up. That relic, the 'Moon,' is indeed an external god's artifact. If they miss this chance, they won't get another. No matter Golden Oak's situation, we have to secure it. Leaving it out here is too dangerous."
"Right, Jia Yu, label that moon as [X-712-Moon] and send a preliminary report back. The current effect appears to be widespread faith contamination, marking it as Class A danger level. By the way, make another report and requisition a few relics from the headquarters warehouse that can suppress faith contamination..."
Mushroom Head: "Oh."
Xie Guozhong didn't say much more and instead asked, "Also, Ah Wen, what message did that kid leave at the Train Tavern?"
Ah Wen replied, "He said there's a situation and we should go immediately when we see 'fireworks.'"
Xie Guozhong laughed and suddenly realized, "Haha, interesting. He's treating us like enforcers, huh."
...
Ji Xun kept observing the auction house with binoculars.
It was already 7 o'clock, the people had mostly arrived, and the auction was about to start.
There were also security personnel at the auction site, but none of them matched the wanted faces.
Even though he expected this outcome, Ji Xun wanted to see if he could recognize anyone he had met before at the Rose Tavern.
After watching for a while, he didn't see anyone familiar.
No doubt, they've changed their appearance again.
He checked his pocket watch, which showed it was exactly 7 o'clock.
After observing for so long without gaining any insights, he finally gave up.
Ji Xun put down the binoculars and looked at the Silver Moon Mirror he was holding.
He was now hoping that this internal communicator could bring some surprises.
After all, there really was a medium among those auction items...
Several strongholds of the Silver Moon Cult had already been destroyed; if he didn't seize this opportunity, it might be the last time he heard any news about the medium.
As he was thinking this, suddenly, the demonic whisper reappeared in his ear.
Ji Xun's eyes sharpened: Here they come!
Before making a move, they really had to issue some orders.
After several attempts, Ji Xun deciphered the secret message, which roughly indicated that the insiders were about to take action.
"They're going to make a move!"
Ji Xun instantly got excited.
His gaze was fixed on the distant auction site, but he still didn't see anything unusual.
He listened carefully again and heard a message from the silver mirror: "Old Lu will be responsible for support."
Although he didn't get much information, Ji Xun captured a key point: "Support? How? Supporting whom?"
His eyes flashed as he recalled the intelligence he received from an information broker: "Old Lu? He must be the bounty target worth thirty thousand, the 'Black Ghost' Old Lu..."
"Black Ghost" Old Lu was a beggar leader in Innocence City, controlling a large area of little beggars in the north city.
With keen senses and well-informed, he was considered a cult operative.
However, not everyone in the Silver Moon Cult was extremely powerful; the thirty thousand bounty directly indicated this guy's strength.
According to the intelligence, this guy was just a normal first-level spell card master.
The most important reason for the bounty was probably because he was the source of people for sacrificial rituals.
With his current strength, Ji Xun couldn't handle the cult leaders, but he could try dealing with the weaker ones.
So hearing about Old Lu, his intuition told him this might be a breakthrough.
...
"But how are these guys going to make a move?"
Ji Xun still couldn't figure it out.
Just as he was pondering, suddenly, an unexpected situation arose!
A purple light burst from the distant auction site.
It was like lighting a candle in the dark, the eerie purple light instantly illuminated the surrounding area for miles.
Even the district where Ji Xun was located was affected by the purple light.
The purple light formed a glass-like dome, which quickly enveloped several streets around the auction site.
It was as if a mysterious force had drained the elements inside this glass dome; Ji Xun was surprised to find that he couldn't sense any free elements around.
An epiphany hit him.
"A magic suppression field!"
Ji Xun's eyes widened as he realized the Silver Moon Cult's plan to suppress magic, exclaiming, "These guys really plan to rob openly?"
A "magic suppression field" was bad news for spell card masters.
Just like fire needs oxygen to burn, card spells require elemental air to explode, and without elements, their power is greatly reduced.
The combat power of spell card masters would be significantly diminished.
However, Ji Xun guessed that this suppression field was indiscriminate, not meant to limit people, but to restrict the pre-arranged defensive arrays around the auction site.
It was like cutting off electricity; no matter how many lights were set up, without power, they wouldn't light up.
Looking at this setup, were they really planning a bold heist?
Such audacity!
Ji Xun was intrigued by this crazy plan.
He truly hadn't expected the old cultists to use the most unexpected method.
"By the way, these old cultists really have a lot of good stuff..."
Ji Xun marveled.
To deploy such a large-scale field barrier required at least a Level IV ancient relic.
Even the great nobles might not possess such treasures.
And yet, a small cult managed to produce it?
However, the next second, an even more unexpected scene unfolded.
...
The sudden purple light dome threw the auction site into chaos.
Since it was an ambush, the senior members of the Golden Oak Security Company and the Hunter Guild had already made thorough security plans around the auction site.
Normally, no one in Innocence City could take the items away.
But the magic suppression field caught everyone off guard.
They had prepared various contingency plans for possible situations, such as theft, substitution, impersonation, creating chaos, etc.
But no one had expected the Silver Moon Cult to openly rob!
The magic suppression field was just the beginning.
Just before the purple light ring lit up, a guest at the auction suddenly pulled out a pitch-black demonic tome.
He began chanting ancient and profound sacrificial words, pointing to an incomprehensible entity:
"For the love of pain, for the joy of spilled blood
Wandering in the shadows of graves
Craving blood, instilling fear in mortals
Joy, dreams, the thousand-faced moon
Gladly watching your devout followers' sacrifice
..."
The auctioneer shouted, "Stop him!"
But it was too late!
As the man chanted the incantation, he also took out a small rune bottle.
Upon opening it, a drop of dark golden blood was exposed to the air.
In an instant, an indescribable, incomprehensible, unimaginable aura of terror swept through the entire venue.
Others didn't recognize the dark golden blood, but the senior members of the Golden Oak Security Company did, and their faces changed dramatically: "Demon God's blood! Damn it, how did the Silver Moon Cult get this stuff!"
For a moment, it seemed as if time had stopped.
Inside, hundreds of people stared in shock as the drop of dark golden blood slowly fell onto the tome.
In an instant, a will from an ancient demon god descended upon the venue.
No one could stop it, nor did they seem to remember to, as they were all paralyzed with fear.
The man holding the small bottle had completed his chant, his eyes filled with madness, and he slammed the ground: "Necromancy: Four Pillars Demon Sovereign!"
As soon as the spell was cast, it was like the gates of hell had opened, and a terrifying spiral black hole appeared a hundred meters above the venue, growing larger and larger.
Suddenly, a rotten giant hand, tens of meters long, impatiently reached out from the black hole first.
With one tear, the black hole grew even bigger.
Looking closer, the creature had already emerged halfway from hell.
To everyone's astonishment, it was a hundred-meter-tall [Zombie Giant]!
But that wasn't all!
After the zombie giant emerged, a skeletal flying creature swiftly shot out from the black hole amidst swirling mist.
It was a legendary undead creature—a [Bone Dragon]!
The appearance of these two colossal creatures instantly filled the venue with an oppressive and terrifying aura.
The crowd felt their scalps tingle under the overwhelming pressure and the suppression from the mythical creatures' bloodline.
Whether due to a lack of energy or something else, no more giant creatures emerged from the black hole after these two. Instead, a flood of skeletons and zombies poured out like a torrent.
In no time, the vast auction hall was transformed into a sea of the undead.
...
"Wow..."
From a distant tower, Ji Xun stared at the bizarre black hole above the auction site, dumbfounded.
Seeing the giant zombie and bone dragon appear, he realized where the Silver Moon Cult's confidence in robbing the auction came from.
"A Bone Dragon? Does such a thing really exist?"
Ji Xun was equally amazed.
He had been reading a lot about undead creatures over the past few days.
Though the bone dragon's skeleton was heavily damaged, it was still a genuine mythical undead creature.
Dragons and giants were both mythical beings.
When legends come to life, how could one not be astonished?
"This is getting serious..."
Though he muttered to himself, Ji Xun's expression showed no hint of worry, just pure excitement at the spectacle.
He had chosen this tower, several blocks away, to avoid getting caught in the chaos.
Now that the battle was raging over there, it didn't affect him much.
As the undead monsters flooded the venue, various high-level spell card masters hidden in the shadows began to reveal themselves.
The fight became intense the moment the creatures appeared.
Seeing this, Ji Xun felt more confident that his decision to report the cult was right.
If those strongholds hadn't been destroyed, who knows what more chaos the Silver Moon Cult would have caused.
...
Meanwhile, three agents from the Federal X Bureau also witnessed the shocking scene from their window.
At this moment, the two young assistants looked at their captain with eyes full of admiration.
The captain had been right.
The Silver Moon Cult had indeed chosen the least expected plan—to rob openly.
Had they gone to the venue earlier, they might have been caught in the chaos.
Bone dragons and zombie giants...
Even they had never seen such creatures.
Seeing these mythical monsters summoned, they realized the gravity of the situation.
Ah Wen reminded, "Captain."
"Yes, I see it."
Xie Guozhong nodded.
The perpetual drowsiness in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a deep gaze, as he muttered to himself, "The Silver Moon Cult has big plans... If those secret altars hadn't been destroyed and these guys were given more time, we might not have been able to contain this."
The battle grew fiercer.
The three watched a while longer.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Ah Wen asked, "Captain, should we join the fight now?"
Xie Guozhong shook his head, deep in thought, "Let's wait. It's good to let the Silver Moon Cult muddy the waters a bit more. I want to see how many big fish are hiding in the shadows of Innocence City."
Ah Wen added, "But if we don't go, those two monsters could cause significant casualties..."
"Not necessarily."
Mushroom Head, seeing through something, analyzed, "This level of necromancy, even for top-tier spell card masters, would be very taxing. The Silver Moon Cult doesn't have such high-level experts. They probably used some divine material, which comes at a great cost... They can't sustain it for long."
Xie Guozhong agreed, "Yes. The Golden Oak's resources are not inferior to the Silver Moon Cult. It's just a matter of whether they want to reveal them or not."
...
The Silver Moon Cult came to steal, not to be besieged.
Their tactic was to catch everyone off guard.
Although the battle situation inside was unclear, Ji Xun was certain that this wouldn't be a long fight.
If it dragged on, all the major powers in Innocence City would send their experts, and no matter how strong the cultists were, they would be overwhelmed.
As expected, things developed as he had anticipated.
Although the two giant undead creatures were fierce, after a brief chaos, the experts from Golden Oak and the Hunter Guild organized effective counterattacks.
Heavy armored mechanical troops entered, and tons of ammunition were poured in.
Top-tier spell card masters also joined, restricting the bone dragon's rampage...
Hunters began organizing in groups to clear the undead monsters.
After all, this was Innocence City, where people outnumbered monsters.
As Ji Xun predicted, the battle was intense but soon reached a turning point.
Without warning, the "magic suppression field" purple light curtain disappeared as if its energy had been exhausted.
The necromantic portal in the sky remained, but without the suppression field, the auction house's various defensive barriers reactivated.
In an instant, multiple large-scale formations unleashed terrifying attacks, harvesting the undead monsters in swathes.
High-level spell card masters could now fully utilize their abilities, cards flying in all directions, pushing the monsters back.
Seeing the battle turning, someone shouted from a distant street.
"The Silver Moon Cultists stole the 'Moon' and are escaping!"
"Chase them!"
"..."
From his high vantage point, Ji Xun saw everything clearly. A group of people were chasing another group, heading towards the west city at high speed.
As they ran, gunfire and spell cards cleared their path.
In the dim underground city, they moved like a fiery serpent darting through the streets.