Chapter 142: The Target Appears

"Stupid idiot, do you realize that when you screw me over, you're screwing yourself too?" Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan were walking along, with Mo Fan pulling him close, arm around his shoulder, speaking as if giving him a life lesson.

Mo Fan even threw in a story they came across on the road, just to drive the point home.

"So, what you're saying is that by the two of us messing with each other, all we got in the end was... well, nothing but a pile of crap, right?" Zhao Manyan asked.

Mo Fan looked at Zhao Manyan's seriously confused face and couldn't help but sarcastically praise, "Wow, you're really clever, huh!"

The most ridiculous part was that this idiot even took a moment to seriously ponder it.

"Hey, Mo Fan, you're so strong. Why don't you just use a few destructive spells to blast them to pieces? Why bother dragging me along on this run?" Zhao Manyan asked, glancing back at the Scarlet Rending Demons and Sea Monkey Beasts still chasing them, his voice tinged with weakness.

"There are no girls around, so why should I waste my magic energy on them?" Mo Fan replied earnestly.

"Fuck you!"

Zhao Manyan was speechless, thinking that what Mo Fan said was maddeningly logical, though he still felt like cursing.

"Hey, Mo Fan, is your Space Element at high level too now?" Zhao Manyan asked again.

"Yeah, I've got a few elements that have advanced, but it's just a shame I haven't fully mastered the star formations yet," Mo Fan replied.

Hearing that, Zhao Manyan felt a bit defeated and commented, "At this rate, you won't have any friends left."

Mo Fan immediately shot back, "Go fuck yourself. While you were playing around with women, I was out fighting in the wilderness. While you were practicing, I was battling with monsters. And look, I made it to the national team, and so did you. What does that say, huh?"

"Heh heh," Zhao Manyan scratched his head, realizing that Mo Fan had a point. Mo Fan had genuinely worked hard alone, while his own real efforts had only begun recently.

"But seriously, man, they're catching up! My movement magic gear is about to run out!" Zhao Manyan was starting to panic as the Scarlet Rending Demons were closing in, and his movement-enhancing magic gear was almost exhausted.

"Don't worry, that silly girl Mu Ningxue's ice has already started spreading," Mo Fan reassured him.

At this point, Zhao Manyan noticed that the area around them was already covered in frost, and the nearby water had turned into a thick layer of ice. Even the crashing waves were slowing down, seemingly freezing in place.

After running for a bit longer, they looked back and saw the waves had been left behind, and even more incredibly, the raging tide had frozen as if it were a painting. Sunlight reflected off the icy surface, making it sparkle.

"Wow, Goddess Mu is amazing!" Zhao Manyan exclaimed.

"Exactly, just wait until I get her. The sense of accomplishment will be twice as sweet!" Mo Fan said confidently.

Zhao Manyan, having spent so much time with Mo Fan, knew him well enough to ask, "But wait, isn't Mu Nujiao in the team too? How do you even dare?"

"Shut up. Jiao Jiao and I are just friends."

"But last time, at the Scorched Plains, you spent ages in her tent. And now you're saying you're just friends? Doesn't your conscience hurt?"

Zhao Manyan might not be the sharpest when it comes to many things, but when it came to matters of men and women, he was pretty sharp.

...

At the center of the island, all the vegetation had been frozen solid. From a bird's-eye view, the entire triangular island had turned into a ring of white ice, with everything within frozen—rocks, plants, even the small ponds. The icy layer was growing thicker and slowly spreading to the edges of the island, turning more areas into frosty landscapes.

"What incredible control over ice magic," Ai Jiangtu said in awe as he watched Mu Ningxue.

The others were equally stunned. Mu Ningxue was freezing the triangular island faster than any of them had expected. No wonder she had said she could handle it alone.

"The sea's also starting to freeze, and it looks like Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan's antics have attracted quite a crowd. I saw at least fifty Scarlet Rending Demons chasing after them," Nan Jue commented.

To be honest, Nan Jue was somewhat impressed. The two of them were running for their lives, but they were still chatting along the way!

Ai Jiangtu then instructed the group, "During the fight, stay close to Mu Ningxue. The closer we are to her, the stronger the freezing power will be, which will weaken the Scarlet Rending Demons' water abilities. That will give us an advantage."

"Grawwwwrrr!!!"

A growl echoed from the icy winds, and a five-meter-tall Red Scaled Demon emerged from the caves, stomping across the frozen ground.

The creature had spotted the group and was furious. Not only did it not allow any species other than Scarlet Rending Demons to set foot on its island, but these humans had also frozen its warm home!

Scarlet Rending Demons hated the cold, so this one was seething with rage!

"They've found us! Get ready to fight!" Ai Jiangtu ordered.

"This is what I've been waiting for. Let me take care of this big guy first!" Guan Yu said, his body surging with wind magic as he dashed toward the five-meter-tall Red Scaled Demon.

With the Scarlet Rending Demons, size was a clear indicator of strength. The three- or four-meter ones were just small warriors, but the five-meter-tall ones were much stronger. Their skin was tougher, and their claws sharper, making them formidable enemies. Guan Yu was struggling to inflict any real damage, despite having battled for a while.

When Mo Fan and Zhao Manyan arrived, they witnessed this struggle.

"The national team really has a few weaklings. How did this small fry even make it in?"

"Mo Fan, as much as I hate Guan Yu, I think you're being unfair this time."

"Stop talking. Let's kill them together!" Mo Fan shouted.

"Damn it!"

The fight was already well underway by the time they joined.

"Raaaaargh!!!"

From the direction of the caves, a savage roar rang out, and a crimson whirlwind tore through the area, shattering everything in its path, including the frozen objects.

Hearing the roar, Mo Fan instantly recognized it. "That's the Crimson Split Demon! There's our little target!"

"Go help them out. I'll take care of this Crimson Split Demon," Mo Fan said to Zhao Manyan.

The crimson whirlwind was rapidly approaching. Nan Jue was currently surrounded by three four-meter-tall Scarlet Rending Demons, and seeing the fierce wind coming her way, she quickly summoned her shield magic gear to defend against the incoming attack!

"Boom!!!"

Nan Jue's Radiant Wooden Shield stood in front of her, but the Crimson Split Demon charged straight into it without hesitation.

The shield shattered instantly, and the impact sent Nan Jue flying. Fortunately, Mo Fan dashed over just in time to catch her.

"Buzz!!!"

At the same time, Ai Jiangtu appeared by their side.

"You okay?" Ai Jiangtu asked, seeing Nan Jue in Mo Fan's arms.

"I'm fine," Nan Jue replied, glaring at Mo Fan to let her down.

Mo Fan released her legs and said, "Leave this one to me."

"You sure you can handle it?" Ai Jiangtu asked with concern.

"Just watch," Mo Fan grinned.

(End of Chapter)