Chapter 909 - 909
Chapter 909: The Dying Lucianne
The diameter of the ice tunnel wasn't very large, but it was barely enough for vertical takeoff and landing on a broom.
But obviously, Tan Han and the others didn't need to use such an embarrassing method to go up.
Flight spells, or some lesser spells to create leverage points in the air, they had them all.
These were small tricks used in combat.
Even Xiao You wouldn't lack this kind of spell.
Only Shi Ruizhi had a somewhat difficult time coming up.
After all, although she had also familiarized herself with the spellbook she possessed, it didn't mean she knew how to use it.
That she could keep up with Tan Han and the others' speed was still thanks to her powerful physical quality.
Coming to the top, they instantly sank into the surrounding upper layer of soft snow.
This was one of the reasons why travel in the upper layer of the Secret Realm was difficult.
If they didn't use spells or alchemical items and relied solely on walking, it meant they had to advance against accumulated snow that was about to overflow their necks.
But not far from them, there were traces of a battle.
The flying snow bombarded by spells, a large concave patch of snow reaching the ice layer, and even splattered bloodstains...
Although the battle hadn't passed for long, these were quickly covered by a thin layer of snowflakes.
"Phew Pfft, sure enough, it's convenient to pass through underground. The environment up here is really harsh."
Shi Ruizhi stepped on the ground, and accompanying her, the surrounding soft accumulated snow was also compacted.
"Can't see the figures fighting, it seems they ran far away. Apart from the traces left by the battle, there's basically nothing here, right? Can't even see a corpse."
"No... there is still one."
The one speaking was Tan Han.
At this moment, she keenly saw a figure buried by snow in the distance.
"Hmm? Where?"
Shi Ruizhi showed no self-awareness as a high-grade senior, asking directly.
"Over there."
Xiao You pointed to the figure Tan Han was heading towards and spoke.
And when Tan Han arrived beside that "corpse", she was also stunned for a moment.
Mainly because she hadn't expected to meet an "acquaintance" here, nor had she thought she would meet her here!
"Who is it?"
Shi Ruizhi also followed to ask as if watching the fun.
After all, she knew very well that anyone could die in this Secret Realm; anyway, there weren't many good things.
"It's Lucianne."
"Who?"
Shi Ruizhi felt this name sounded familiar.
"Lucianne, the young girl we met before entering previously, who was also in the same team as us before, the one with very low presence."
"Oh Remembered, that one. How did she die?"
"Accurately speaking, she shouldn't be dead yet, at the level of severe injury and dying, the kind that will really die before long."
Tan Han explained while treating this person.
Regarding healing spells, she still had many.
Although the consumption of healing spells wasn't low, for now, it was just a drop in the bucket.
And Tan Han finally understood what that feeling of palpitation was, because... Lucianne was also a Child of Destiny.
Logically speaking, if a Child of Destiny died, Destiny would also become more concentrated, but she didn't want to accept this person's Destiny yet.
Could be said to have... some friendship?
She knew Lucianne had a relationship with Little Han, and even... the first tested Seed of Great Knowledge back then was given to her.
The only thing that made her wary was her identity, a person from Wan Shi Wu.
"Tan Han, you are saving her?"
"Mm."
"If I remember correctly, she should be a person from Wan Shi Wu, right? Are you sure?"
"I know, but she has a relationship with Little Han."
"Uh... Little Han's insider?"
Shi Ruizhi imagined.
"Not really, at most counts as a... pitiful person?"
Tan Han also didn't know how to describe it.
It felt her relationship with Little Han was very ordinary, but could also have some special meaning.
You know, in the Witch Academy, being able to show one's face in front of Little Han and make Little Han remember the name counted as a relationship.
Little Han's social circle was even simple enough to be counted on fingers.
"Pitiful person? What does this mean?"
"She was abducted from the Wizard Academy by a senior sister, and afterwards bound together with the Wan Shi Wu club. It can be said that Wan Shi Wu delayed her."
"If delayed, just quit the club, right?"
"How can it be that simple? If it were really so, she would have quit long ago. She received qualifications from Wan Shi Wu in the early stage, considered interest binding. Her parents... the family side might also have actions, familial affection binding. Her spellbook, Magic Power Source, etc., maybe she also signed a Witch's Contract, considered resource binding. Even including her social circle, etc., wanting to dominate a person, there are really too many means."
"Hah?!"
Hearing Tan Han's description, Shi Ruizhi instantly got a headache.
Just listening to these things made her feel terrified!
And she subsequently thought of Ji An's recruitment of her before...
Just Lucianne, and they used so many means.
If it were her, wouldn't the means her family used against her be even more excessive?
"I'll give her forceful treatment first. Xiao You, Senior Shi Ruizhi, please go clean up the battlefield again, see if there are other traces or corpses, etc."
Tan Han spoke.
After all, she was somewhat too busy casting healing spells; other things could only be entrusted to the two of them.
"Piece of cake."
While Shi Ruizhi and the others went to do things, Tan Han wasn't idle either.
She directly took out an alchemical item, a Constant Temperature Candlelight.
After applying an external stabilization spell, she lit it with flames.
It could create an area and maintain this area within a specific temperature range.
External stabilization was to make the firelight unaffected by the environment; this was one of the links for this alchemical item to take effect.
Then Tan Han gently picked up Lucianne.
Otherwise, body contact with ice and snow would cause rapid hypothermia.
After all, Lucianne couldn't hibernate.
But even so, Lucianne still didn't wake up.
It seemed she had fallen into a deep coma.
After a while, Xiao You and Shi Ruizhi also came over.
"Didn't find a second corpse."
Shi Ruizhi said very directly, "All traces of fighting, and bloodstains. Through bloodstains, the wounded can be locked onto via the Earth Vein Appraisal Spell. Besides, there are some shattered ice crystals of Ancient Glacial Ice. If not paying attention, I almost didn't notice."
"About the same here, no second corpse."
Xiao You also spoke.
"Is that so? Alright... also correcting a bit, Lucianne isn't dead yet, so there isn't a single corpse now. Then Lucianne is the only victim in this battle... why?"
"Is it because her strength is too weak?"
"Also possible. This time besides us, Lucianne was the only lower-grade student in that squad."
Tan Han also probably felt it was so.
Moreover... She knew very well that Lucianne held a Heart of Cold Tide.
Back then, Wan Shi Wu might not have expected there would be a time to use this fragment, so bringing Lucianne along was highly likely because the Heart of Cold Tide was in her hands.
"No matter what, take her first. Let's go back underground. If possible, best to block this ice tunnel a bit."
Tan Han made a decision quickly.
Then the three took Lucianne and a royal clan of Ancient Glacial Ice back underground.
As for blocking the ice tunnel, this was naturally very easy.
Whether it was Tan Han using ice-type spells or the Ancient Glacial Ice manipulating wind and snow ice crystals, it was simply effortless.
So very quickly they returned underground.
"Are we taking her with us?"
Shi Ruizhi asked somewhat worriedly.
"Let's make a decision after she wakes up."
Tan Han took out a bottle of potion.
She also waited until they were here before feeding it to her; otherwise, it would be inconvenient above.
In the deep and serene ice tunnel, the warm yellow light of the Constant Temperature Candlelight illuminated this small area.
Apart from the Ancient Glacial Ice not liking this "warmth" much, Shi Ruizhi and the others were rarely much more comfortable.
Under the effect of the potion, Lucianne finally had some movement, but even so, Lucianne ultimately didn't wake up, instead continuing to sleep deeply.
"Looks like she won't wake up in a short while. Let's rest and reorganize a bit to recover physical strength and energy, then go directly to our predetermined target."
Just as Tan Han made the decision, people outside the Secret Realm were also arguing fiercely.
Because of the Secret Realm matter, many people from other academies had already come out with heavy injuries, and many students lost contact in the Secret Realm.
Actually, these were small matters, just to the extent of quarreling on the surface, not touching key interests yet.
But in this temporary meeting of representatives from various academies, many academies targeted the Ice Crystal Monsters in this Secret Realm with a unified goal.
"We don't agree with your proposal! This is forcing someone to do something difficult! How can something agreed upon before be changed just like that! Wan Shi Wu resolutely disagrees with this matter!"
Everyone present understood what this Secret Realm was facing at this moment, which was the powerful crushing of the Ice Crystal Monsters.
So student representatives from various academies also proposed to let more people enter the Secret Realm to completely suppress the arrogant flames of the Ice Crystal Monsters.
But how could the witch side agree?
If more manpower was sent, the weaker side would inevitably be the Witch Academy.
What did they have to compete with?
"Miss Ming Xueming, we understand your worries, but maybe you can understand our difficulties. Perhaps your news is too blocked, not knowing that those Ice Crystal Monsters in the Secret Realm actually have another name."
"Another name? What?"
Ming Xueming, as the president of Wan Shi Wu, also frowned, not knowing what the other party meant.
But the other party's actions were so consistent, making family forces so "united", probably the opposing Transcendent Academies intervened in this matter.
"Ancient Glacial Ice. They are not ordinary monsters, but an ancient race revived by witches."
"Ancient Glacial Ice?!"
Hearing this name, she instantly thought of Tan Han's Super Consumption Spellbook back then.
As for the currently holding Xiao You?
Not worth mentioning.
"How come we don't know about this matter? The Secret Realm is our Witch Academy's. Do you think colluding can pressure us? And even if this is an ancient race, so what? It's not like they can't be killed."
"Truly pathetic. Your witch mentors didn't tell you at all... the relationship between the Ancient Glacial Ice and the Great Snow Throne. This is the culprit causing your Secret Realm's instability."
"......"
Ming Xueming remained silent.
Because she indeed didn't know.
She only knew the intelligence currently transmitted out.
The strength of those Ice Crystal Monsters jumped a big level, combat power truly terrifying, and those monsters would also snatch fragments and could exert even more powerful strength.
At first, they thought this was a characteristic within the Secret Realm, but never considered the relationship between the Ice Crystal Monsters and the Ice Throne fragments.
"So our proposal to exterminate those Ancient Glacial Ice is actually helping you. Those restrictions on the number of people you made will only push the Secret Realm to the brink of destruction step by step!"
"Yeah, so consider it carefully. I have already contacted the academy in advance. Our people will rush here at accelerated speed. Hope you don't do stupid things."
While saying these words, someone had already stood up to leave, and this also fully illustrated that there was no more room for discussion on this matter.
After all, this was just a temporary meeting; saying some necessary words was enough.
What they had to do was obey the academy's words and press all those Ancient Glacial Ice in the Witch Academy to death, whether they were their people or people on the Witch Academy's side.
They only needed the result.
Even if it stimulated the Witch Academy in the end, making them break the contract themselves, it didn't matter.
If the Witch's Secret Realm Club and Wan Shi Wu wanted to keep the Secret Realm, then they must deal with the Ancient Glacial Ice.
Families on the witch side wanted to become the witches' dogs but couldn't, which didn't mean other families wanted to become dogs of those Transcendent Academies.
It was the same.
This was the gap.
At least they thought so; they even took pride in it.
Just like this, the matter of the Secret Realm suddenly fell into a deadlock, but they also had to break this deadlock.
At least... they needed to understand more news.
So they also found that witch mentor assisting them in maintaining the Secret Realm at the first moment.
"Mentor, we ventured to come this time mainly wanting to inquire about some things."
"Ask."
Seeing the presidents of the two major clubs and some club elders, this witch didn't give much face at all, saying only one word.
After all, this group of people coming over, even if there was a sky-high matter, it counted for nothing.
What club presidents, elders, just some parasites consuming academy resources in vain, unwilling to become Transcendent Witches, unwilling to become their sisters.
Seeing this mentor not giving them a good face, they couldn't do anything either, but the questions to ask still couldn't be omitted.
"We want to know the name of those Ice Crystal Monsters in the Secret Realm, is it called Ancient Glacial Ice?"
"Oh? You already know?"
"Mm... other academies informed us..."
The one saying this sentence was somewhat resentful, but didn't show it obviously.
However, the meaning expressed was also very obvious.
Things other academies knew, why didn't they know? At least mention the provided intelligence, right?
"Humph These intelligences belong to basic information in the old site laboratories within the Secret Realm. You haven't discovered them even until now?"
This mentor mocked mercilessly.
"Sorry, Mentor. The Secret Realm is covered in accumulated snow. Wanting to find the underground laboratory, old sites covered by accumulated snow on the snowfield is really as difficult as ascending to heaven..."
"Blaming this and that for incompetence, and restricting the number of people exploring. If you just want to ask these, then forget it."
"No... wait! Mentor, we have other questions, regarding the relationship between that Ancient Glacial Ice and the fragments of the Great Snow Throne Spell. Is there any connection between them that we don't know?"
"This matter... searching in the Secret Realm, can also find data records. You want to know?"
"Yes!"
"Forget it, I'll tell you. Originally these should have been excavated by yourselves. Insisting on making it like this......"