I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield

Chapter 402: Chapter 352: Preparations Before Breaking Through Holy Blood

Over a thousand kilometers separate Flame Mountain from the Defensive Line, and the soldiers within the line remain unaware—the greatest source of disaster they have guarded against day and night has been completely eliminated.

At the foot of the mountain, warriors from the first and second battalions patrol in neat strides, their armor reflecting a cold, hard sheen in the sunlight; in the outer regions, sentinels from the fifth and sixth battalions hide behind rocks, scanning the distant wastelands with vigilant eyes; the other battalions take their turn to rest, with the sound of snores rising and falling from the barracks as the warriors seize the chance to rest and recharge.

With the demon caves outside the line eradicated one by one, the pressure on the three major battle groups has greatly reduced, no longer requiring all personnel to remain on constant alert against external enemies.

At the peak of the highest mountain on the line, Qin Tian opens his palm, quietly cradling the Unique Stone brought out from the lava cave.

Washed by magma, it once shone with a black-red luster as a peculiar stone. Now, in Qin Tian’s hand, it has lost all its brilliance, becoming a nondescript black stone—rough and uneven, about the size of a basketball.

Qin Tian can clearly sense the surging energy within the Unique Stone, as well as a faint, elusive consciousness.

Yet, no matter how he probes it with spiritual energy or communicates through thoughts, the stone remains unresponsive, like an unyielding piece of iron.

"Damn, I’m less appealing than a Magma Demon?" Qin Tian mutters, somewhat speechless, feeling a bit like a "handsome man outshined by a goblin."

But his innate tenacity is fully aroused; his spiritual power, like dense signals, continuously sends messages to the Unique Stone, resembling a "thought-based message bombardment."

Ignoring me? Then I’ll annoy you to death.

As if truly annoyed by this stubborn will, the Unique Stone finally transmits a faint consciousness: "Void... enemies."

Void?

Qin Tian’s mouth twitches as he suddenly realizes. Having consumed the Essence Blood of the Void Dragon, a trace of void-like breath inevitably remains in his body, causing the Unique Stone to mistake him for a Void Creature.

Having found the crux of the issue, he now has a path to resolution.

A brilliant strand of golden light bursts from his palm, slowly injected into the Unique Stone—it’s the power of the [Divine Weapon Emperor], and Qin Tian wants to see if it can move this stubborn stone.

However, the Unique Stone remains unmoved, even faintly emanating a sense of rejection.

Qin Tian is not disappointed. The [Divine Weapon Emperor] is meant to enhance weaponry, and apparently, the Unique Stone doesn’t fall under that category.

In the next moment, a faint blood-colored glow radiates from his palm, like flowing clouds, silently merging into the Unique Stone.

This time, the Unique Stone finally responds—its surface trembles slightly, sending a faint yet clear sense of joy from within.

Success!

A smile spreads across Qin Tian’s face. This power comes from his early-obtained purple talent [Celestial Guardian Bloodline], which allows him to communicate with various beings freely, fostering closeness, while the unique energy in the bloodline greatly promotes the growth of Spirit Beasts and strengthens their loyalty—every summoner’s dream talent.

Normally, he uses this power to nurture Jie La and Kazik. And this Unique Stone, through centuries of refinement, has transformed from an object sealing the Void Passage into an independent entity with spiritual consciousness. The power of the [Celestial Guardian Bloodline] presents an irresistible allure to it.

"Can you shrink a bit?" Qin Tian seizes the opportunity to communicate, "This way, I can carry you with me, and you can continuously enjoy the nourishment of my power."

The Unique Stone trembles slightly, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

A moment later, its volume begins to shrink, the black stone body compressing as though by an invisible force, finally transforming into a marble-sized black stone, exquisite and intricately polished.

A glimmer of a smile flashes in Qin Tian’s eyes as he takes a piece of cold-glowing refined iron from his storage space. A slight thought, and the refined iron automatically peels off a small piece, twisting and transforming in the air, eventually forming a silver necklace—its chain slender yet strong, with a slot precisely fitting the size of the Unique Stone.

Qin Tian inserts the Unique Stone into the slot, matching its size perfectly.

He raises his hand to wear the necklace around his neck, the Unique Stone resting against his heart, imparting a warm sensation; the consciousness within the stone lightly trembles as if expressing satisfaction.

Seeing this, a smile appears on Qin Tian’s face. Although the Unique Stone hasn’t fully trusted him yet, unlike its treatment of the Magma Demon King where it released the orange aura for body strengthening, at least it’s a promising start.

He believes this once void-sealing arbitrary object will undoubtedly shine in his hands in the future.

......

Demon Suppression Abyss, Second Floor, Sixth Battle Zone Command Center.

"What! A Demon Source has been destroyed?" The square-faced Major General bolts upright from his seat, struggling to hide the delight on his face. "Is the information confirmed? Which area specifically?"

The adjutant quickly responds, "In the Infernal Demon Sea region."

"Infernal Demon Sea..." The Major General taps his fingers lightly on the table, pondering momentarily before asking, "Is it Flame Mountain, Magma Sea, or Purgatory Fire Pit?"

"It’s Flame Mountain," the adjutant adds. "But this likely wasn’t done by our men. The Fenghuo Battle Group stationed nearby just reported they detected intense disturbances in the direction of Flame Mountain. Upon investigation, they found the entire mountain leveled, with the Demon Source vanished. According to witnesses, before the disturbance, they saw the Magma Demon King chasing a Black Flame Demon, and both eventually barged into Flame Mountain, likely a result of internal conflict among demons."