I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield

Chapter 1120: Chapter 692: Tribulation Crossing, Invasion of Powerful Foes

In the center of the camp, Qin Tian sat cross-legged, surrounded by a potent force of Qi Blood Power and black death Qi, one bright and one dark, like two opposing forces fiercely clashing within him.

The first challenge of the Celestial Five Declines—the Flesh Body Barrier, had quietly arrived.

The layer of black Qi entwining Qin Tian’s body surface squirmed and spread like a living being, moving from limbs to torso, from torso to head, inch by inch eroding his body.

The first change was his skin—once tight and smooth, it visibly turned grey and withered, like old tree bark drained of moisture, revealing layer upon layer of wrinkles.

Next was his hair, the once jet-black and dense short hair lost all its color in just a few breaths, turning into withered, white strands.

Even more shocking were the black spots.

Coin-sized black spots appeared on his arms, neck, and cheeks, like mold eroded by time, exuding a decaying aura.

The face that was once youthful and handsome, with defined features, now seemed as if accelerated by time by decades, covered with ravine-like wrinkles and a worn grey-white appearance.

A young, heroic general had suddenly turned into a frail, near-moribund old man.

A decaying scent emanated from him, a sign that his flesh was approaching ruin—Qi and Blood withering, tendons and bones weakening, Life Force silently slipping away from every pore like fine sand in an hourglass.

This was the first challenge of the Celestial Five Declines: Flesh Body Barrier.

This challenge does not test the depth of Spiritual Energy, nor the resilience of Will; it examines only one thing—whether the essence of the flesh you possess can resist the decay rising from the origin of life.

If the flesh is not strong enough, and Qi and Blood not vigorous enough, the only result is to watch as your body ages, decays, and finally turns to dust.

However, for Qin Tian, the flesh is precisely one of his strongest trumps.

Immortal Sacred Body, Night Emperor Bloodline.

These two Holy Blood Level talents represent the pinnacle of physical enhancement.

Especially the Immortal Sacred Body, which can reduce all negative states by ninety percent, even the decay power of the Celestial Five Declines that erodes from the origin of life, is continually weakened under its suppression.

"Boom—"

A surge of Qi Blood Power suddenly erupted from within Qin Tian.

That Qi and Blood, like a red pillar of light soaring to the sky, shot straight from the crown of his head to the heavens, drenching the camp’s center in a crimson glow.

As the Qi Blood surged, the camp’s entire temperature seemed to rise, the overwhelming Life Force spread like a tide in all directions, repelling all the decaying black Qi around Qin Tian.

Then, a miracle happened.

The deep wrinkles on his face gradually smoothed out and flattened at a speed visible to the naked eye; the grey skin regained tightness and smoothness, radiating youthful luster;

The withered white strands of hair rapidly turned black from the roots, restoring their jet-black density.

The alarming black spots faded and dispersed one by one, as if they had never appeared.

In just a few breaths, the frail old man had returned to being the young and heroic Qin Tian—not even that, he was now even younger and more vigorous than before.

As the Qi and Blood surged, his aura was more majestic than it was before transcending the tribulation, and after undergoing the tempering of decay and rebirth, his flesh radiated unprecedented vitality.

The first challenge, the Flesh Body Barrier, was smoothly overcome.

"Phew—"

The soldiers surrounding them sighed in relief seeing Qin Tian restored to his full vigor.

Just moments ago, many had subconsciously clenched their fists, cold sweat beading on their foreheads—although they had faith in their Military Lord, witnessing him transform from a heroic youth into a decrepit elder was too visually overwhelming, inevitably causing concern.

But fortunately, their worries were unfounded.

"The Military Lord is indeed formidable!"

"He passed the Flesh Body Barrier of the Celestial Five Declines so effortlessly."

"I always knew, the Military Lord would be fine!"

Suppressed discussions rose among the crowd, the soldiers wore expressions of excitement and pride.

The Military Lord traversed the first challenge so easily, it seems that the Celestial Five Declines would pose no difficulty for him.

With the Military Lord’s talent and foundation, it won’t take long for him to successfully transcend the tribulation and step into the Tier Eight realm.

However, just as the soldiers were about to truly relax—

An unexpected and unstable soul fluctuation suddenly erupted from Qin Tian’s body.

That wave hit with extreme suddenness, like an undercurrent rising beneath a calm sea, swiftly and violently impacting Qin Tian’s Sea of Souls.

His brow furrowed slightly, and his Spiritual Energy aura experienced a brief turmoil.

The Soul Tribulation, the second challenge of the Celestial Five Declines descended.

In the depths of Qin Tian’s Sea of Souls, the vast Soul Power, akin to a mighty ocean, was suddenly shrouded in an eerie black mist. The mist churned and spread like a living creature, frantically consuming his Soul Power.

The once abundant Sea of Souls visibly withered and contracted, like a lake under the scorching sun, its water level continuously dropping, revealing the cracked lakebed.

An ominous aura pervaded deep within the soul, as if myriad tiny insects were gnawing at his soul’s core, a pain more unbearable than the flesh’s aging—even though decaying flesh can be resisted with Qi and Blood, the soul’s decline is like a dull knife cutting flesh, slowly eroding one’s Will.