Chapter 909: The Desolate Luxien
The diameter of the ice path is not particularly large, but riding a broom for vertical takeoff and landing is just barely sufficient.
However, it’s obvious that Tan Xi and the others do not need to rely on such a gruesome method to ascend.
They all possess flight spells or some small spells to create points of leverage; these are little tricks used in combat.
Even Xiao You would not be without such spells.
Only Shi Ruizhi finds it a bit difficult to get up.
After all, she has familiarized herself with the spellbook she possesses, but knowing how to use it does not mean she can. Her ability to keep up with Tan Xi and the others is largely thanks to her strong physical conditioning.
Once they reach the upper level, they find themselves sinking into the surrounding soft snow.
This is one reason why progressing in the upper levels of the secret realm is challenging; without spells or alchemical items, relying solely on walking means they would have to navigate through snow piling up to their necks.
But not far from them, there are signs of battle.
The flurry of snow from spell attacks has created a large dent in the snow layer, reaching down to the ice layer, and there are even splatters of blood…
Of course, below is the content from OCR:
Although the battle did not happen long ago, it quickly became covered by a thin layer of snowflakes.
“Ha~ it really is easier to go through from underground; the environment up here is truly harsh.” Shi Ruizhi stepped on the ground, causing the surrounding soft snow to compact.
“There are no signs of battle, it seems they have run far away. Other than the traces left by the fight, there’s nothing else here, not even a corpse.” “No… there’s still one.”
The one who spoke was Tan Man, who had keenly spotted a figure that had already been buried by the snow in the distance.
“Huh? Where?” Shi Ruizhi, without a hint of senior awareness, asked directly.
“Over there.” Xiao You pointed to the figure Tan Man had mentioned.
When Tan Man reached the “corpse,” she froze for a moment.
She had not expected to encounter a “familiar face” here, nor had she thought she would meet her!
“Who is it?” Shi Ruizhi followed up with a curious question.
After all, she understood that anyone could die in this secret realm; there were hardly any good things to be found.
“It’s Luxien.”
“Who?” Shi Ruizhi felt the name sounded familiar.
Luxien, that was the one they had encountered before entering, the one who had been in their team but had a low presence.
“Oh~ I remember now, that girl. How did she die?”
“To be precise, she should not be dead; she is severely injured, at a point where she would die soon.” Tan Man explained while treating her.
Tan Man had plenty of healing spells; although they consumed quite a bit, for now, it was just like drinking water.
And Tan Yin finally understood what that sense of melancholy was about because… Luxien was also a Child of Fortune.
Logically speaking, if a Child of Fortune dies, their fortune would also become more concentrated, but she did not want to take Luxien’s fortune just yet.
After all, there was… some connection?
She knew that Luxien was related to Xiao Han, and in fact… the Great Knowledge Seed from the primary school test had been given to her.
The only thing that made her cautious was Luxien’s identity as someone from the All-Purpose Workshop.
“Tan Man, are you saving her?”
“Uh-huh.”
“If I remember correctly, she should be from the All-Purpose Workshop, right? Are you sure?”
“I know, but she is related to Xiao Han.”
“Uh… Xiao Han’s informant?” Shi Ruizhi speculated.
“Not exactly; at most, she’s a… despised person? Tan Man wasn’t sure how to describe it; it felt like her relationship with Xiao Han was ordinary, but it could also mean something special.
You have to know that in the Witch Academy, even just being able to show face in front of Xiao Han and have her remember your name counts as a relationship.
Xiao Han’s social circle was so simple that it could be counted on fingers.
“A despised person? What does that mean?”
“She was pulled over by a senior from the Wizard Academy, and afterward, she became tied with the All-Purpose Workshop, so you could say the Workshop misused her.”
“If it’s misuse, couldn’t she just leave?”
“Not that simple! If it were really that easy, she would have left long ago. Initially, she qualified through the All-Purpose Workshop, which counts as a benefit binding; her parents… her family might have some involvement, a binding through family ties. Her spellbook, magic source, and so on might have even signed a Witch Contract, counting as a resource binding, even her social circle, etc. There are plenty of ways to manipulate a person.”
“Huh?! Hearing Tan Man’s description, Shi Ruizhi immediately felt overwhelmed; just listening to it sounded terrifying!”
And she recalled how An had approached her previously…
If they could do so much with just one Luxien, what more might they do to her, given her family’s influence?
“I’ll forcefully heal her first. Yun You, Senior Shi Ruizhi, please check the battlefield again to see if there are any other traces or bodies.”
Tan Man instructed.
After all, she was a bit stretched thin with her healing spells, and she could only rely on them for the other tasks.
“Easy peasy~”
While Shi Ruizhi and the others were busy, Tan Man did not idle around either, directly producing an alchemical item, a constant-temperature fire, and after applying external stabilization magic, lit it.
It can create an area and maintain it at a specific temperature range.
The external stabilization is to prevent the flame from being affected by the surroundings, which is one of the steps for this alchemical item to take effect.
Then Tan Man carefully picked up Luxien, as direct contact with the ice and snow would lead to rapid heat loss; after all, Luxien wasn’t going to hibernate.
But even so, Luxien still did not wake up, appearing to be in a deep coma.
After a while, Xiao You and Shi Ruizhi also returned.
“I didn’t find a second body.” Shi Ruizhi straightforwardly said, “It’s all traces of fighting, along with blood. From the blood, it’s possible to identify footprints that do not lock in the injured, plus there are some small ice crystals from the Ancient Ice Remains, almost overlooked.”
“I’m in a similar situation; there’s no second body here.” Xiao You also chimed in.
“Is that so? Alright… also, to clarify, Luxien is not dead yet, which means since there’s not even one body here, Luxien is the only victim of this battle… why?”
“Is it because she is too weak?”
“That could be it. This time, aside from us, Luxien was the only low-level student on that team.” Tan Yin speculated, and she also knew well that Luxien held a Heart of Cold Wave.
Initially, the All-Purpose Workshop might not have anticipated needing that fragment, so bringing Luxien along was likely due to the Heart of Cold Wave being in her hands.
“Regardless, let’s take her with us. We need to return underground. If possible, it’s best to seal this ice path…”
Tan Yin quickly made her decision, and the three, carrying Luxien along with a member of the Ancient Ice royal family, returned underground. As for blocking the ice path, it was naturally easy, whether through Tan Yin’s ice magic or the ability to manipulate the wind and snow crystals, it was incredibly simple.
So soon they returned underground.
“Do we really need to bring her?” Shi Ruizhi still voiced some uncertainty.
“Let’s decide after she wakes up.”
Tan Yin took out a potion, deciding to wait until they were here to give it to her, as it wasn’t convenient to do so above.
In the dimly lit ice tunnel, the warm yellow light of the constant-temperature fire illuminated a small area; aside from the Ancient Ice, which didn’t really appreciate this “warmth,” Shi Ruizhi and the others felt quite comfortable.
Under the potion’s effect, Luxien finally showed some signs of movement, but even so, Luxien still did not wake up, continuing to fall deeply asleep.
“It seems she won’t be waking up anytime soon. Let’s recover our stamina and energy and then head straight to our designated target.”
Just as Tan Yu made the decision, people outside the secret realm were already in a heated discussion.
Due to the events in the secret realm, many from other academies had been heavily injured; many students were still missing within the secret realm.
In fact, these were merely small matters, a level of commotion that had not yet touched upon critical interests.
However, during this ad-hoc meeting of various academy representatives, many were uniting against the ice crystal monsters within the secret realm.
“We do not agree with your suggestions! This is unreasonable! How can this matter, which was previously discussed, be suddenly changed! The All-Purpose Workshop firmly opposes this!”
Everyone present understood what the secret realm was facing: the overwhelming dominance of the ice crystal monsters.
Thus, representatives of various academies proposed allowing more people to enter the secret realm to thoroughly suppress the arrogance of the ice crystal monsters.
But how could the witches possibly agree?
If more manpower were dispatched, the weaker party would inevitably be the Witch Academy.
What could they contend with?
“Ms. Ming Xueming, we understand your worries, but perhaps you could understand our difficulties. Or perhaps your information is too close to be aware that the ice crystal monsters in the secret realm actually have another name.”
“Another name? What is it?” Ming Xueming, as the president of the All-Purpose Workshop, furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding what the other party meant.
But the other party’s actions were so unified that it was likely that the Extraordinary Academy had interfered in this matter.
“Ancient Ice; they are not just ordinary monsters but an ancient race that has been revived by a witch.”
“Ancient Ice?! Upon hearing this name, she instantly thought of Tan Tan’s Excessive Consumption Spellbook.”
As for the current possession of Yun You?
Not worth mentioning.
“We were unaware of this; the secret realm belongs to our Witch Academy. Do you think that because you coordinated so well, you can pressure us? And even if this is an ancient race, so what? It’s not like they cannot be killed.”
“How pathetic; your witch mentors haven’t even told you all… the relationship between the Ancient Ice and the Great Ice Snow Throne is the main culprit leading to the instability of your secret realm.”
“…” Ming Xueming was at a loss for words.
Because she truly did not know.
She only knew that the information circulating currently indicated that the strength of those ice crystal monsters had ascended to a terrifying new level and they could even seize fragments to unleash greater power.
Initially, they thought this was a characteristic of the secret realm, but they had never considered the connection between the ice crystal monsters and the fragments of the Ice Snow Throne.
“So our proposal to eliminate those Ancient Ice monsters is actually helping you. The restrictions you imposed on numbers will only push the secret realm closer to the edge of destruction!”
“Yes, so think this over carefully; I’ve already contacted our academy in advance, and our people will accelerate their arrival. I hope you don’t do anything foolish.”
As these words were said, some people had already stood up to leave, indicating that there was no room for further discussion on this matter.
After all, this was just an ad-hoc meeting; saying a few necessary words was enough.
What they needed to do was to follow the academy’s orders and exterminate all the Ancient Ice within the Witch Academy, regardless of whether they were their people or from the Witch Academy.
All they needed was the result; even if it provoked the Witch Academy, forcing them to fight among themselves, it was of no concern. If the Witch Secret Realm Association and the All-Purpose Workshop wanted to protect the secret realm, they would have to deal with the Ancient Ice.
The families on the witch side aspired to become subservient to witches but it did not mean that other families wanted to become subservient to those from the Extraordinary Academy.
That was simply the disparity.
At least, that’s what they believed, even taking pride in it.
Thus, the situation in the secret realm fell into a stalemate, but they must break through this deadlock; at the very least… they needed to gather more information.
So they promptly found the witch mentor who assisted them in maintaining the secret realm.
“Mentor, we’ve come to ask some questions.”
“Ask away.” The witch, upon seeing the presidents and some senior members of two large associations, offered little courtesy, her response a mere two words.
After all, even if this group came with a huge issue, it didn’t count for much; what president or senior member was just a maggot unwilling to become an Extraordinary Witch or join them as sisters.
Seeing that the mentor gave them a cold reception, they couldn’t do much; however, the questions they needed to ask couldn’t be overlooked.
“We want to know if the crystal monsters in the secret realm are called Ancient Ice?”
“Oh? You know already?”
“Um… it was another academy that informed us…” The one who spoke wore a somewhat resentful expression but concealed it well, yet the meaning was clear: Why did the other academies know things that they didn’t, and shouldn’t at least some intelligence be shared?
“Hmph~ This information is basic knowledge found in the old laboratory sites within the secret realm. By now, you haven’t discovered anything?” The mentor didn’t hold back her sarcasm.
“Sorry, Mentor, the snow in the secret realm is covered; it’s truly difficult to locate the underground laboratory sites hidden beneath the snow…”
“Is your capability insufficient that you’re still complaining about this and that, restricting the number of people exploring? If that’s all you’re going to ask, then forget about it.”
“No… wait! Mentor, we have other questions about the relationship between the Ancient Ice and the Great Ice Snow Throne shards. Is there anything we don’t know connecting them?”
“This matter… if you look for it in the secret realm, you can find materials documenting it, do you know?”
“Think!”
“Fine, I’ll still share this with you. Originally, this should have been something you discovered yourselves, but you forced it to turn into…”
Chapter 910: Finding the Laboratory in the Secret Realm of the Ice and Snow Throne
“As you all understand, the Ancient Ice Remains clan is indeed an ancient life group associated with the revival of witches, representing a very precious life asset.”
“Until you understand the relationship between the Ancient Ice Remains and the Great Ice and Snow Throne Technique, which is indeed factual. The inspiration and ability to create the Great Ice and Snow Throne Technique came from this clan. In other words, they are indeed most compatible with the fragments you hold.”
“So… if those Ancient Ice Remains gather all the fragments, doesn’t that mean their power can rival that of the Great Spellbook?”
“Strictly speaking, it cannot match it.” The instructor shook her head, denying this supposition.
“Then… what is the academy’s attitude toward the Ancient Ice Remains clan…”
“Valuable practical materials, precious academy assets. The academy does not want the Ancient Ice Remains clan to be wiped out again, at least ensuring that the royal bloodline survives. As for the rest, the academy will not intervene.”
“Instructor… this is something the academy should have mentioned to us earlier.”
“At first, we did not think you could wipe out the Ancient Ice Remains clan, and the most correct choice should have been to cooperate with the Ancient Ice Remains clan to develop the secret realm. But unfortunately…”
At this point, the instructor ceased to speak, indicating that the academy’s assistance had nearly come to an end.
The rest was up to them.
As for whether they would change their combat strategy afterward, that was their own business.
Since they admitted their abilities were insufficient and wanted to cross the exam to obtain some intelligence and information assistance, the academy would not be polite and make their bottom line clear.
When the academy team was busy with this news again, Tan Wan and her group had already reached their destination.
“Finally found it! The main laboratory!”
“Not certain yet. Let’s go in first and avoid damaging the structure between the buildings and the ice layers.”
Although Tan Wan said this, her tone also carried a sense of excitement!
They had searched for quite a while before finding the entrance in this experimental zone.
The laboratory here was not a building but a vast area of experimental zone. Only after Tan Wan used a detection spell to sketch the terrain roughly did she lock onto the building they needed to enter.
The materials used to construct these buildings were extraordinary; although buried beneath the snow, and many spell structures, rune ceremonies, and inscriptions were rendered ineffective, it still required great effort from Tan Wan and her group to finally open an entrance.
As for entering through the main door?
Sorry, the door was even more ridiculous than the wall, so they decisively gave up on entering through the main entrance.
However, upon entering, the three were bewildered.
“Tang Jun, do you know how to operate these devices? It feels like they are too dilapidated.”
“Let’s find the energy supply center first to see if it’s magic-powered, then look for paper materials to collect. Yunyin, work with me to operate the Earth Vein System-related equipment and interfaces.” Tan Jun arranged things in an orderly manner.
The equipment in the laboratory within the secret realm required interfacing with the Earth Vein System, unable to actively connect with the Knowledge Seed, unless forcefully interfaced using the Earth Vein Identification Technique, but that would only facilitate information-level interaction.
They had previously encountered some small temporary laboratories, and of course, knew some operations of Earth Vein devices, so this was a troublesome process.
The Ancient Ice Remains were clueless about this and were responsible for the supervision beneath this layer of ice.
As for Luxien… she found a convenient spot to rest, as she was already in much better condition.
After busying themselves for a while, the laboratory suddenly flickered, beginning to supply energy, and even the most basic light could be provided.
However, this laboratory was large with many divisions, and Tan Jun and her team could only proceed step by step; they couldn’t afford to rush this.
At this moment, far away in the Primordial Dream Laboratory, I also noticed Tan Wan’s movements and the information she shared.
At this moment, I was leading three Body Cultivation Witches in adapting to the environment of the Primordial Dream.
After all, they were not me, and many things could not be conveyed clearly with words.
So I used consciousness communication techniques to barely help them understand the situation.
However, this technique could not be used within the Primordial Dream; it had to be experimented in reality first before returning to the dream.
After all, spells could not be used in dreams.
This method could promote their understanding of concepts that language could not express, but it could not describe things in real-time, as “experiencing” is something that cannot be delayed.
However, with the Self-Awakened Body Cultivation, Mu Li and Coni made very good progress.
After all, in the Primordial Dream, their only reliance was their soul essence, and Self-Awakened Body Cultivation was the foundation upon which they built power in the Primordial Dream.
While it still couldn’t be called “strength,” Self-Awakened Body Cultivation was the cornerstone for them to build power in the Primordial Dream!
That’s why I said they were much more capable than Sister Bai; she had to start from at least half a month’s worth of work, and it wouldn’t take her long to reach Sister Bai’s level!
As for comparing with me… of course, I wouldn’t recommend that they do so.
After all, I realized that being guided and being an explorer are two different concepts; the speed of exploring the unknown and the speed of learning cannot be compared.
Currently, the only regret was that they were not practitioners of the Great Soul Topic, even if they rushed to remediate their knowledge, it was still somewhat too late.
However, this was not concerning for me.
Any theory can be validated through practice!
Teaching the theory during the practice will make it more memorable.
However, those who do not have Self-Awakened Body Cultivation will have to start slowly, but compared to Sister Bai, her experience, insights, and understanding abilities far exceed those of Sister Bai.
Even in areas they had never touched before, she showed considerable “talent.”
However, this unquantifiable talent still could not compare to Mu Li and Zi Ni with Self-Awakened Body Cultivation.
The dizzy one could only rely on Heart Sense, then leverage the feelings of emotional body cultivation to adapt to the environment and order within the Primordial Dream.
If she wanted to construct a form of power, a form of order, she could only rely on her born soul and the understanding of Heart Sense to forcibly shape that “order.”
The path she walked was similar to Sister Bai’s.
After confirming that the current Dream Realm had no interference, I came to Fool Dream to ensure that no problems would arise, and then addressed the issues on Tan Tan’s side.
The information shared by Tan Tan was mixed, but it was quickly integrated by the Great Knowledge Tree.
This was a research document related to the Great Ice and Snow Throne.
For example, parts of it resembled the research materials Principal Mei provided me regarding the Great Wisdom Enlightenment.
After all, creating a Great Spellbook requires researching many things and then integrating them all into a Great Spellbook.
The Great Ice and Snow Throne was no different.
There were even some common coincidences.
After all, the Great Wisdom Enlightenment was completed by Principal Mei using Fool Dream as inspiration, while the Great Ice and Snow Throne was innovatively created by the Ancient Ice Remains clan.
Of course, these are merely similarities; the creative styles and research directions of the two Great Spellbooks are entirely different; after all, every witch has her own rhythm, which also represents that each Great Spellbook is unique.
Regarding the information Tan Tan had sent so far, I mostly took a shallow look, then backed it up into the Great Knowledge Tree for storage, organized and simplified it, and finally fed it back to Tan Tan and her group.
After all, I’m not in the position to go off looking for trouble and researching another Great Spellbook.
Providing them with necessary assistance is the utmost limit of what I can do.
However, regrettably, the information Tan Han sent did not mention anything about the fragmentation of the Great Spellbook, so this held no significance for Tan Han and her group.
What they needed most now were pieces of related information regarding fragmentation and the techniques for how to “integrate” those fragments.
Just as Tan Han and her group were busy to the point of neglecting sleep and food, a figure lying down began to show signs of movement.
She instinctively stretched out her hand, trembling with a hint of panic but also weakness, emitting a low hum from her mouth.
Until she slowly awakened, looking at the unfamiliar ceiling, she felt a sense of dislocation in her memories.
She only felt a mismatch between this moment and her recollections.
The air was no longer filled with the biting winds and snow that caused pain with each breath, but rather a somewhat stale odor with the unique scent of dust.
Then she felt a hint of warmth.
“What happened to me…”
Luxien’s eyes were filled with confusion as she lay on the ground, the cold of the icy floor penetrating her clothes, stimulating her nerves.
The nerves made her more awake.
Only the comfortable warmth nearby provided her with a semblance of solace amidst the chill.
Turning her head, she saw a warm light.
The light and heat of a candle were not enough to provide such a cozy environment; therefore, it could only be an alchemical item.
Someone rescued her?
This was Luxien’s first reaction.
But those people seemed to not be beside her, so she slowly got up and soon discovered her injuries had healed considerably.
It was as if she reacted to something as she touched a certain part of her body.
“Indeed, gone… My clothes have also been torn apart by those ice crystal monsters…”
After coming to this realization, a flicker of anger arose in her heart, but it was quickly diffused.
It was just abandonment, merely delaying their escape.
Those ice crystal monsters had indeed locked onto her Heart of Cold Wave.
Just as Luxien was thinking this, she suddenly felt something beside her.
As she turned around, her pupils suddenly constricted!
It was an ice crystal monster!
Luxien suppressed her discomfort and tried to leave, but due to her unfamiliarity with the environment, she made quite a commotion.
“Huh? That direction… Looks like Luxien has awakened?” Tan Wei and Yunyin immediately noticed the disturbance.
Then Tan Wei spoke to Yunyin: “I’ll continue. Once I finish this, I’ll come over; you go calm Luxien down.”
“Okay.”
Yunyin nodded and immediately went out, then saw Luxien now confronting the ice crystal monster.
“Stop! Luxien! Don’t engage!” Yunyin hurriedly shouted.
If they restrained her any longer, Luxien would cast a spell in retaliation!
This was a laboratory; any destructive spells would cause irreversible damage!
“Who?”
Luxien was about to resist desperately, but her physical condition was simply too poor.
Now that someone who recognized her and could even call her name appeared, no matter what, that was still a good thing.
“Don’t move! We can discuss matters!” Yunyin quickly spoke.
“What do you mean? This ice crystal monster before me won’t…”
“Ice crystal monster… Such a vulgar term! I have my name.” Seine interjected at Luxien’s words.
“Wha… what!” This was her first time hearing that an “ice crystal monster” actually spoke!
“That’s why I said don’t move! Luxien, it’s our friend; its name is, um, don’t make any sudden moves! Alright?”
“It’s you… Yanyou.” Luxien recognized who she was almost instantly.
“Yes, that’s right! We are the ones who saved you. Can you stay calm for a moment? Here is very safe; the most extreme one is actually you.”
“Where is this?”
“In the experimental lab within the secret realm. I know you have many questions, but we will answer all your queries, provided you don’t cause us trouble.”
As Yunyin was attempting to soothe Luxien, Shi Ruizhi also came over due to the commotion.
Then there was Tan Wei…
After some explanations, this misunderstanding was finally slightly resolved.
However, Luxien still held a bit of wariness towards the ice crystal monster, as if she feared it would end her at any moment.
“So you’ve temporarily reached a collaboration with the ice crystal… um, the Ancient Ice Remains clan, found this laboratory, and you saved me when you encountered me severely injured and on the brink of death…”
“That’s about the gist of it. In fact, I’m not very welcoming of your staying here.”
Xiao You spoke up from the side.
“However, in the end, we did save you out of consideration, but you must understand we have also taken on great risks.” Tan Wei added.
“What do you want from me? My Heart of Cold Wave has already been… taken by the Ancient Ice Remains; I can’t provide any help.”
“We don’t expect you to help at all. I saved you simply because you have some connections with Xiao Run, nothing more. However, given your identity issues, if you are to stay here and act with us, I need you to sign a compulsory temporary travel contract.”
“A contract? Sure, whatever you say; after all, it was you who saved my life.” Luxien naturally accepted this arrangement, after all… she had already been abandoned by those people.
If she wanted to live, she could only follow Tan Wei and her group.
“You seem quite composed, as expected of someone who has experienced near-death. I’ll draft the contract now; you wouldn’t mind sharing your story with us, would you? What exactly happened for them to abandon you?” Tan Wei asked while pulling out parchment to draft the witch contract.
“Actually, there’s nothing much. But if you want to hear, I can recount it… just to satisfy your curiosity…” Luxien said, her gaze drifting into memories.
However, the emotions she stirred were quite complex—sometimes weary, sometimes angry, and sometimes despondent.
But now, everything had already passed.
