_Mmm... I don't sense anything, even after spreading my will..._ Mo Fan thought as he extended his mental will into the icy ground where the bones lay, but he didn't feel anything unusual.
The creature was definitely dead, but only the skull and wings were here—so where was the rest of the body?
_Anyways, I'll think about that later. First, I need to get rid of this Magic Circle!_
Mo Fan focused his mental strength on the Octagonal Magic Formation. His intentions were clear: there was no way he was going to leave such priceless treasures like the World Cores and the highest-grade Night Amethyst Crystal in this forsaken place.
THRACK!
His immense willpower, combined with his vast magical energy, spread rapidly and obliterated the Magic Formation in an instant.
The enormous Night Amethyst Crystal, which had been floating in the air, descended toward Mo Fan but vanished as soon as it touched the barrier around him. The eight World Cores of Ice and Shadow Elements, still encased in their barriers, flew toward him and disappeared when they got within five meters of him.
Despite these incredible treasures, Mo Fan's gaze never wavered from the bones embedded in the icy ground. He watched them intently, expecting something to happen now that the Magic Formation had stopped suppressing them.
But surprisingly... nothing happened. The bones remained lodged in the frozen ground.
Alright, that's enough, Mo Fan thought, and with a determined pull, he yanked the massive bones from the ice.
CRACK!
THUD!
The enormous bones were covered in a silver glow as they were forcefully extracted from the ground. They floated in the air for a moment before vanishing into Mo Fan's space storage.
Now, I don't think there's anything left here worth taking... Mo Fan mused as he scanned the dark, frigid place. This environment was deadly even for Ice-type beasts. In fact, there wasn't a single presence of any life forms here.
The monsters and Ice beasts and all the life were stopped at the place where Qin Yu'er was sealed; this area was completely devoid of life. In a place like this, no life forms could ever be supported.
Satisfied with his findings and the unexpected treasures he had secured, Mo Fan prepared to leave this desolate, icy abyss.
He Carried Qin Yu'er in his arms again. A silver Glow enveloped the both of them.
VOOM~
BLINK!
After being enveloped in a silver glow, Mo Fan blinked and reached the top of the Ravine in an instant!
SWOOSH!!
As he emerged from the abyss, the complete whiteness of the Tianshan Mountains came in his sights. Even the biting cold of the outside world felt almost warm in comparison to the pitch black ravine!
"Let's not transform unless and until I need to now... There's only 7% of power left of my Demon Element." Mo Fan said. The transformation of his Demon Element came undo and his monstrous face now returned to the face of a delicate teenager.
He wanted to save the Demon Element now, even though he had powered down it was still waning, but the rate of consumption had slowed down by a lot.
He looked down at the girl in his arms, her face no longer pale and lifeless but showing signs of warmth and vitality. She was recovering fast here compared to down below!
In the first place, the Element down inside the ravine was way too contaminated, but the presence of Ice element here was too pure!
As she was breathing she was sucking in the purest of the Ice Elements inside her and was recovering almost at a visible pace!
"No wonder she's called the Ice Witch. Just by being in a presence filled with Pure Ice Elements can filter the Frost Poison inside her." Mo Fan said as he observed her condition.
"But keeping her here will again attract the attention of Heresy Judgement Court just like in my previous life..." Mo Fan muttered...
...
...
"I know I'm not the one you're waiting for... That's why I apologise in advance" Whispered a voice.
_Mmm... Whose voice is this...?_ Qin Yu'er trapped in the glacier wondered. Her brows furrowing a little. This was not the voice of her beloved person.
_C-cold... But it feels warm..._ Before she could think, she was already out of the ice.
_Who is this??_ She felt as if she was being carried by someone, she opened her eyes barely to see but she couldn't see clearly.
_Ah... He's warm~_ She was suddenly enveloped in the warm healing glow of the healing element. She felt comfortable being in his embrace. After Seven Years she was able to feel the warmth of another person.
_Where am I being taken? No—as long as it's not this place... I'm fine with wherever I am..._ She lost her consciousness again due to weakened state. She felt oddly safe in the hands of the person who rescued her.
...
After being unconscious for about three hours, Qin Yu'er felt as if she was being teleported!
Voom~
Whoosh~~
In the next instant, an astronomical amount of Ice Element started entering her body! Her lost vitality and strength as well as her Depleted Ice Cosmos (Super Mage's Star Sea) were being replenished visibly!
She felt as if she can finally breathe!
She slightly opened her eyes and noticed the face of the person who had rescued her. He was a handsome teenage boy with quite sharp features. After being alone for so long, she was a little glad that the first face she saw after being freed was the face of this handsome teenage boy. He was quite the eye candy.
He was talking to himself while looking around in the surroundings.
Even though he was saying casual things, she noticed his eyes looked extremely empty, as if he had lost his soul. Then he suddenly turned to look at her, she immediately closed her eyes not to get caught.
"Hmm? Are you awake?"
Mo Fan felt a slight movement in his arms and looked down to see Qin Yu'er stirring. He could tell she was regaining strength much faster than expected.
"Guess not... I think staying here for a while until she regains consciousness is better for her."
Knowing that the pure Ice Elements here were aiding her recovery, he decided to stay put for a while longer to let her fully recuperate.
He found a sheltered spot, gently laying her down on a soft bed of snow. He knew they couldn't stay there long, but she needed time to heal.
He sat down beside her, his mind racing with thoughts of his next steps.
As he kept an eye on her, he couldn't help but think about the immense power he had sensed in the ravine. The Night Amethyst and the eight World Cores—it was a treasure trove of unimaginable power. Yet, it also seemed to be suppressing that incomplete Monster Carcass.
_What kind of creature could be so powerful that it needed such a grand formation to keep it at bay even in its death?_ Mo Fan wondered.
Not to mention he had taken those bone out of there and they were now in his space pocket!
"But I didn't feel anything from them even in my Demon Form... It should be safe right?" Mo Fan was planning on using those bones to make armour equipment for him!
That creature might be no more, but he was pretty sure it was an Emperor Level Creature if such strong and sophisticated methods were used to seal it.
"Well whatever, I'll think about it later but for now I need to focus on the matter at hand." Mo Fan said while glancing at Qin Yu'er.
The Heresy Judgment Court would be on their trail soon enough, and he needed to find a way to keep her safe.
While Mo Fan pondered these thoughts, Qin Yu'er slowly opened her eyes again, this time with a bit more confidence. She looked up at Mo Fan, who was deep in thought.
"Who are you?" she asked in a weak voice. It was the first time she had spoken in seven years, and her voice was still sore.
Mo Fan was taken aback! He knew she was recovering quickly, but he hadn't expected her to regain consciousness so soon. He thought it would take a few days at least.
"I'm Mo Fan, a third-year student in high school. Nice to meet you~" Mo Fan replied with a light-hearted tone, trying to ease the tension. He didn't want her to feel awkward or scared, so he played the part of a pleasant and cheerful High school student.
"Mo Fan... I am Qin Yu'er," she introduced herself, trying to sit up.
Mo Fan gently held her down. "Don't move too much. You're still recovering."
She nodded slightly, grateful for his help. "Thank you, Mo Fan. I don't know how long I've been trapped there, but I'm glad you came."
Mo Fan smiled, his eyes softening. "It's no trouble. I couldn't just leave you there."
"...Do you have some water?" Qin Yu'er asked after hesitating a little.
"Yes, Of course." Mo Fan immediately removed a water bottle from his space pocket and handed it to Qin Yu'er. She took the sports water bottle and sucked on the opener like a baby sucking on the pacifier.
As the water entered her mouth and travelled down her throat, she felt a wave of relief.
Cough! Cough!
She coughed a little since it was her first drink in Seven Years...
Mo Fan was not looking at her, he was suddenly lost in thought and stared into the distant white scenery.
Qin Yu'er glanced at Mo Fan, she had a nagging feeling that Mo Fan wasn't just a high school student. She wanted to ask him how he had managed to get her out of the Forbidden Curse Glacier, but when she looked into his eyes, devoid of any emotion, she kept quiet. She closed her eyes again, thinking, _He seems like a decent person, at least. He wouldn't try to take advantage of me in this situation, right?_
As they rested, the snow around them sparkled under the sunlight, creating a serene and almost magical atmosphere. Mo Fan also closed his eyes for a moment.
A few moments after he undid his Demonic Transformation, a wave of sadness hit him. His mind and heart, which had been pacified by the Psychic Element, were immediately gripped with pain and sadness. The grief over his father's death surged back with overwhelming force.
Mo Fan felt as if he would be consumed by the enormous sadness. He felt on the verge of crying buckets but also burning with a desire to blame someone for his father's death. But who should he blame?
Mu Ningxue, who forgot to take his family to Shanghai before the calamity?
Mu Zhuoyun, who sent his father to the Northern Military Post just before the calamity?
The Black Vatican, who caused such chaos and death?
Or himself, for failing to stop anything despite knowing everything...
His heart was being torn apart the more he thought about these things. He felt an urge to tear apart everything in the world. In fact, he was on the brink of destroying the entire world during his transformation, but then his father's happy face came to his mind, and he somehow managed to stop himself from committing genocide.
He clenched his teeth, knowing that no one but he himself was responsible for this outcome. If he had tried to stop the Black Vatican from committing the calamity, they would've simply just changed the targets and went after other city's. If that would've happened then he would've been the cause of so many deaths.
That's why he didn't do anything to stop the calamity, thinking he could rely on the help of Military and Other people...
The sadness was relentless, a torrent that threatened to drown him. He had saved thousands of people, but he couldn't save the one person who meant the world to him.
The thought of his father's smile, his father's warmth, it was both a balm and a torment. He could almost hear his father's voice, gentle and encouraging, telling him to stay strong.
But staying strong felt impossible. The weight of his failure crushed him, and the pain was a constant, gnawing presence. He wanted to scream, to rage against the unfairness of it all. The world had taken so much from him, and even when he had so much power in his hands, he felt powerless to stop it.
_If only I could've done more... If only I didn't rely on someone else for the safety of my family, if only I would've provided and supported them more... Damn it! If only the people around me wouldn't have been so useless..._ These thoughts were being circulated in his mind over and over again. He just wanted to vent his frustration and anger on someone else. It didn't matter who it was, but he just wanted to beat someone up.
As he sat there, his heart heavy with grief and rage, he glanced at Qin Yu'er. She was still weak, still recovering, but she had survived. He had managed to save her.
But...
Mo Fan knew they couldn't stay here forever, this place was perfect for Qin Yu'er's recovery, however, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was watching them from the shadows of the mountains.
He had to stay alert. Whatever was being suppressed down in that ravine might not be the only threat lurking around.
"What's with this feeling." Mo Fan said, his voice steady. He looked around trying to grasp what it was, when suddenly he felt it!
"Qin Yu'er get up, we need to move... I have a feeling we're not alone here." Mo Fan definitely felt the eyes of something or someone on them!
That thing was observing them from a far, it seemed to be analysing them. Mo Fan felt uncomfortable!
Qin Yu'er noticed Mo Fan suddenly standing up and staring at a direction with hostility in his eyes! "What's wrong?" She asked while being hesitant a bit.
"We're being watched!" Mo Fan said as he turned his head around in another direction trying to sense the location of the presence.
It might be a strong monster, or it might be... Mo Fan's eyes suddenly snapped open, "Shit!" He didn't wait for Qin Yu'er to get up on her own and immediately carried her in his arms.
"Huh? Wai- what are you—" Qin Yu'er was startled, she tried to struggle a bit.
"I know you're uncomfortable but bear with me for a little while, unless you want to trapped again!" Mo Fan said with urgency in his voice.
Qin Yu'er immediately shut up, and glanced at the direction Mo Fan was staring at hostilely.
"I was assigned this position by my higher ups seven years ago, to keep an eye on the Heretic. To make sure she doesn't somehow run away..." A voice of a man speaking in English came up from above!
"I was quite convinced that Ms. Karolina's Forbidden Curse might trap her for eternity and was already preparing to return after sometime... But who knew, I would stumble upon a dirty rat while making my usual rounds." The man said while floating in mid-air.