I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield

Chapter 565: Chapter 453: Cold Pearl, Secret Realm, Ice Palace_3

Qin Tian first experimented a little and found that in this Secret Realm, his spatial flicker wasn’t constrained, allowing him to transfer outside the barrier at any time. With an escape route secured, he could probe more boldly.

Qin Tian’s gaze fell on the ice steps in front of the palace gates.

The steps were made of Ice Crystal identical to the palace, divided into nine levels, each exuding a faint cold glow. Though they looked smooth, they concealed unpredictable dangers.

He took a deep breath and stepped onto the first level of the steps.

As soon as his foot touched the ice, the patterns on the palace walls suddenly lit up. Pale blue light patterns flowed as if alive, and a terrifying power far surpassing the cold at the lake’s bottom surged from the ground.

A thick layer of frost instantly formed under Qin Tian’s feet, with Ice Crystals creeping up his pant legs. In a blink, his calves were firmly frozen, even causing his Qi and Blood flow to become sluggish.

"As expected."

Qin Tian’s eyes narrowed, and he no longer held back.

The Immortal Sacred Body in his body fully activated, and the golden Qi and Blood boiled around him like magma. The scorching aura spread, making the surrounding air ripple minutely.

The temperature of the Secret Realm soared, and the frost freezing his calves melted at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning into droplets soaking into the Ice Crystal steps.

He lifted his foot and steadily stepped onto the second level of the steps.

"Buzz——"

As soon as he planted his foot on the second level, an invisible mental pressure descended like a tide, carrying a soul-freezing chill straight into Qin Tian’s mind.

He only felt a sharp pain in his brain, as if countless ice needles pricked his soul, and even a brief glimmer of black light appeared before his eyes.

But Qin Tian was prepared. A glint of dim light flashed in his eyes, and Soul Devourer Flames rose around his body, forming a barrier of black fire to protect him.

At the same time, the Talent of Spiritual Wisdom Divine Authority operated, with his mind aglow with golden light, driving away the invading soul chill like a blazing sun, blocking most of the mental harm outside.

He gritted his teeth and continued upward, stepping onto the third level of the steps.

This time, there was no chill or mental pressure, replaced by a blizzard.

Numerous snowflakes appeared out of thin air, sweeping towards Qin Tian like goose feathers.

But these snowflakes were far more terrifying than they looked. Each flake weighed like ten thousand pounds and fell on him like a mountain, instantly weighing down Qin Tian’s shoulders. His bones emitted an unbearable cracking sound, and his knees bent slightly as if they would buckle the next second.

Qin Tian took a deep breath, his Qi and Blood surging again.

He activated the ultimate form of the Immortal Sacred Body—Overlord Emperor.

Golden light burst from his body, bathing him in a blazing golden radiance, with complex golden Battle Patterns surfacing on his skin like a sacred Armor.

At this moment, his aura soared, and All Attributes directly increased by 500%, surrounded by an unassailable majesty. All control and debuff effects were instantly nullified, and even the snowflakes on him lost their weight.

In the Overlord state, Qin Tian straightened his spine, taking heavy yet determined steps, ascending the remaining steps one by one.

On the fourth level, icy blade wind could already tear the edges of his Qi and Blood shield, with fine ice shards embedding into his collar, numbing his skin.

On the fifth level, the golden glow of his Qi and Blood noticeably dimmed as if its momentum was clamped by the wind and snow, barely enveloping his body.

By the sixth level, even breathing carried white mist, with each breath feeling like swallowing countless ice needles, making his throat dry and painful.

Qin Tian’s steps grew heavier, each leg lift requiring his entire strength.

When he stepped onto the seventh level, the wind and snow suddenly formed an ice tornado, spinning straight at him—a tornado containing countless sharp ice ridges, like spinning giant blades, instantly tearing a gash in his Qi and Blood shield. The cold seeped through the gap, surging in wildly, making his golden Qi and Blood sizzle like a fire doused in cold water, gradually receding.

Upon reaching the eighth level, Qin Tian no longer released Qi and Blood.

His hair, eyebrows, and beard were covered in thick frost, with even his eyelashes crystallized, looking like a Frostman wrapped in the wind and snow, only with a slight rise and fall of his chest proving he was still alive.

The cold wind pressed invisibly on his shoulders, bending his knees even more, with his bones creaking under the strain, as if they would snap the next second.

Yet his eyes remained astonishingly bright—those eyes pierced through layers of frost, fixed on the ninth level without the slightest wavering, driven by a determination to "never give up until this barrier is broken."

"Hah!"

Qin Tian squeezed a low shout from his throat, using his last ounce of strength, and shakily lifted his right foot.

The foot felt weighted with lead, with each centimeter of upward movement fighting against tearing pain.

Finally, his foot landed lightly on the ice surface of the ninth level.

"Swoosh——"

As soon as the foot touched the ice, the blizzard seemed to pause, suddenly halting.

The swirling ice blades and howling cold wind all disappeared without a trace in an instant, as if they had never appeared. The Secret Realm’s sky cleared again, with the blue barrier’s light softly descending, landing on Qin Tian.

The next second, the Qi and Blood within Qin Tian burst forth like a dormant volcano.

Golden light surged from every pore of his body, immediately breaking through the white frost on his surface. The Ice Crystals that had formed on him cracked and shattered into powder, swept away by waves of heated Qi and Blood.

His aura visibly climbed, with the Qi and Blood fluctuations more formidable and refined than before, spreading outwards, even making the surrounding Ice Crystal steps tremble slightly as if acknowledging this power.

Qin Tian slowly straightened his spine, loosened his stiff limbs, and a smile appeared on his face.

The nine-level steps’ trial hadn’t made him fall. Instead, it tempered his Immortal Sacred Body under extreme pressure, making his Qi and Blood even more robust than before.

He looked up at the palace door before him, with a hint of anticipation in his eyes—having crossed the most challenging barrier, the secrets within the palace were finally about to be revealed.

Qin Tian raised his hand and pressed it against the cold door panel, feeling the chill in his palm. He took a deep breath, exerting a little force in his arm, pushing open to the sides.

"Creak——"

The ancient Ice Crystal door panel made a dull sound, slowly opening to the sides. A chill mixed with an ancient aura surged from within the palace, carrying a faint dim glow, gradually unveiling the palace’s interior scene to Qin Tian’s eyes.