I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield

Chapter 708 - 513: Invincible Stance, The End of the Ice Abyss (Part 2)

For over ninety-five percent of Spiritualists, Tier Six is already their personal ceiling. Even in the prominent Holy Blood Clan, cultivators below Tier Six make up the vast majority.

The real chasm is the Celestial Human Three Tribulations from Tier Six to Tier Seven.

This checkpoint is the first "Fallen Genius’s Land" on the path of Spiritual Energy. Throughout history, countless outstanding talents have fallen here; but once you pass it, the rewards of transformation are unimaginable for ordinary people.

Qin Tian could clearly sense the changes within himself: the tide of Spiritual Energy flowed smoothly through his meridians, each strand several times more solid than at Tier Six. His physique had undergone triple tempering and transformation with heavenly thunder, tribulation fire, and heart demon, becoming like an Immortal Golden Body, even his bones glimmered faintly with golden luster, and his soul was more magnificent than ever, as vast as the sea.

He even dared to assert that with just a casual strike at this moment, he could effortlessly kill his former peak Tier Six self.

This nearly tenfold surge in power is the most direct gift from the heavenly tribulation.

Of course, this enhancement came from his profound foundation, far surpassing others.

The ironclad law of the Celestial Human Three Tribulations—the stronger the power and talent, the higher the intensity of the heavenly tribulation, and accordingly, the more astonishing the breakthrough benefits.

He bore the Four Great Holy Blood Talents and Five Great Golden Talents, along with dozens of Silver Level Talents, making his encounter with the Celestial Human Three Tribulations unprecedentedly "Purgatory Level."

Shengongsi Yuzuo was merely affected by the tribulation’s aura, resulting in nothing left of his body, which showed how perilous it was when Qin Tian faced it alone.

Especially the final heart demon tribulation, a realm of illusions built by fear and obsession, almost engulfed him.

If it weren’t for the Ice Heart Lotus Seed stabilizing his soul, allowing him to vaguely detect the anomalies in the illusion, and the timely awakening by the Heaven-Burning Purgatory Gun Soul Blaze, he would have been dead by now.

After enduring the most brutal storm, he also welcomed the most dazzling "rainbow."

"Qin Tian."

"Qin Tian."

Taishi Feng and Hou Yuansheng came over, giving Qin Tian’s shoulder a hearty pat.

"Congratulations on successfully breaking through to Tier Seven."

Taishi Feng laughed heartily, "I believe, from now on, we can walk sideways in this treasure vault."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Yu and Hou Yuansheng also laughed.

Judging by the strength Qin Tian had just displayed, apart from very few like Ji Taiyan and Dongfang Qi who could exchange a few moves with him, anyone else encountering Qin Tian would be instantly defeated.

"Thanks for your help earlier, brothers."

Qin Tian smiled and said, "If it weren’t for you buying me some time, I might not have woken up this time."

"Oh, come on, without you, not to mention breaking through, our lives would have been lost long ago."

Taishi Feng said earnestly, then the few exchanged glances and laughed—all along, since entering the relic, they had been each other’s strongest support, and without anyone, they wouldn’t have made it to today.

"By the way, you dealt with such troublesome monsters, so what about our rewards?"

Taishi Feng glanced around, especially pacing back and forth on the ice platform, but found no mechanism.

Previously, they had all received rewards for slaying monsters, including the Treasure Ice Heart Lotus Seed for breaking through the Tier Seven heart demon tribulation, but after they killed two more terrifying fusion monsters, the rewards stopped appearing.

What is this?

Is this fishing?

"The reward probably comes at the end."

Qin Tian looked towards the far end of the glacier, aware ever since entering this treasure vault that there was certainly someone orchestrating it, borrowing the strength of hundreds of the Empire’s geniuses to cleanse the vault of monsters.

The reward is a major motivation for geniuses to declare war on the monsters, but once the battle enters a heated state, whether there are rewards no longer matters.

Because the monsters within the vault would madly attack these "intruders," even without rewards, they would be forced to fight the monsters to the death,

However, he could feel that at the far end of the glacier, something seemed to be calling to him.

There lay the grandest stage for the competition between geniuses and monsters.

Perhaps there, he might see his long-lost friends—

Lan

......

The wind at the glacier’s end was no longer bitterly cold but carried a heavy, oppressive weight.

A majestic ice mountain lay dormant like an Ancient Giant Beast, the entire surface pure white, covered with a layer of thin ice glaze as delicate as a cicada’s wings. Under the refracted sunlight, it emitted a rainbow halo as if formed by countless tiny diamonds.

In front of the ice mountain, an ancient ice-blue tree rose from the ground, several hundred meters tall, piercing the sky, its branches spread like coiling dragons around, every branch exuding a warm jade-like luster.

Clusters of fist-sized cold crystals hung from the ancient tree’s branches, transparent as diamonds, within which pale blue Spiritual Energy flowed, refracting fine light spots under the sunlight.

And between the gaps of these cold crystals, hidden were fruit resembling ginseng fruits—they were faint silver, full in shape, like frozen moonlight, difficult to notice with the naked eye if not for an occasional leakage of Spiritual Energy waves.

Strangely, the whole tree was enveloped in a semi-transparent black Energy, pulsing like a living being, perfectly synchronized with the heartbeat, with shallow black patterns creeping along its branches, like remnants after the Energy’s infiltration.

Just then, the sound of swift movements through the air consecutively rang out, as figures flickered onto the space before the ancient tree.

Leading was a man in a golden robe and jade belt, standing tall, none other than the Empire’s Fifth Prince, Ji Taiyan. His eyes carried inherent majesty, and cold gleams flashed as he glanced at the ancient tree.

Behind Ji Taiyan were four steady masters, each exuding the pressure of a Tier Seven Spiritualist.

One of them stepped forward, pressing his palm against the black Energy, which rebounded instantly, a thin layer of ice forming on his palm, "Your Highness, this Energy is highly corrosive and filled with intense Demonic Qi."

Ji Taiyan nodded slightly, remaining silent, but his gaze was fixed on the silver fruits among the tree’s branches. The jade pendant at his waist was faintly warm, a royal family exclusive treasure-seeking tool, whose unusual activity indicated a treasure hidden on the ancient tree.

"Your Highness, though the black Energy is strange, if the five of us join forces, we might break it forcefully," the person who had tested the Energy stepped forward to ask.

Ji Taiyan slowly waved his hand, "No need. This seal involves Demonic Qi; forcibly breaking it could cause unforeseen changes. We’ll wait for others."

The guard understood, stepped back respectfully.

Before long, the thick air was filled with the dense sound of breaking through the air from the distant ice passage, Spiritual Energy soaring like smoke, and the first wave of figures emerged into sight.

The leading figure was dressed in attire embroidered with the Azure Wood emblem, standing upright as a pine tree, none other than the Dongfang Clan’s direct lineage, Dongfang Qi, followed by other members of the Dongfang Clan and dozens of golden bloodline geniuses.

"Your Highness."

The group bowed slightly toward Ji Taiyan in greeting.

Ji Taiyan nodded, speaking calmly, "We’re waiting for the others."

"Yes!"

Soon, the Leng Family, Chen Family, Xiao Family, Luoho Clan... the waves of geniuses from the Holy Blood Clans and Golden Clans arrived in succession. Some were tall, smiling as if they had obtained plenty from the vault, while others were wounded and unstable, relieved to see the larger group, sighing in relief.

In just two hours, the Nine Great Holy Blood Clans had all gathered before the ancient tree, joined by numerous members of the Golden Clans.

The once-empty icy ground was now crowded, the air thick with Spiritual Energy collisions among the clearly divided family groups, filling the air with an intangible tension.

As he scanned the crowd, Ji Taiyan’s brows furrowed unconsciously.

Compared to the number of people who entered the treasure vault, there were now noticeably fewer, nearly half missing.

Some might still be en route, unable to arrive in time, but for certain, others would never arrive.

Everyone nearly noticed this fact, and for a moment, a heavy atmosphere quietly spread.