I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield Chapter 1058 - 667: One Man Army (Part 2)

"This..."

Vahag’s body was rigid, a profound sense of fear and relief surged from the depths of his heart.

Was the creature I faced just now truly such a monster?

...

Within the valley.

The flames of the Body Burning Tribulation had completely engulfed Li Qi, turning him into a man of fire, his clothes long burnt to ashes, his body hair all singed away.

Li Qi stood in the center of the valley, his body hunched, skin charred and cracked, emitting a pungent burnt odor.

Even more terrifying, his soul was also enduring the ravages of the tribulation fire.

The kind of pain that words cannot describe — not the pain of cutting, nor the burning of fire, but a scorching sensation that penetrates the bone and soul, as if someone extracted his soul from his body and threw it into a furnace.

Every inch of the soul screamed, every thought trembled.

This is the Body Burning Tribulation.

The Celestial Thunder Tribulation is destruction from the outside in, shattering your defenses and piercing your meridians.

The Body Burning Tribulation, however, is incineration from the inside out — starting from the internal organs, from the depths of the soul, gradually burning away your body and soul, letting you slowly perish in endless agony.

If one can overcome it, they will be reborn from the fire, transformed anew.

If not, they will turn into a pile of ashes, not even leaving a corpse behind.

Li Qi’s legs trembled, his spine bent, his head hung low.

The flames seared every inch of his skin, the tribulation fire roasted every strand of his soul. He felt himself being consumed bit by bit, like a candle about to burn out, ready to extinguish at any moment.

Yet he did not collapse.

Inside, the Night Demon King’s blood boiled.

The power originating from deep within his bloodline surged wildly within, dark spiritual energy gushed from his dantian like a black tide, roaring through his meridians, attacking the areas scorched by the tribulation fire.

At the same time, the Ice Purity Pill he had just taken began to take effect.

Cool energy emerged from the dantian, flowing gently within his body like a mountain stream.

Wherever the cool energy reached, the burning sensation of the tribulation fire lightened slightly, as if someone poured a basin of cold water on his burning body.

More importantly, the energy of the Ice Purity Pill could also nourish the soul, helping the tribulation crosser to stay awake amidst the pain of the Body Burning Tribulation.

The tribulation fire of the soul still burned, but that cool energy was like a thin layer of shield, protecting the core part of the soul, preventing Li Qi from losing consciousness in agony.

Not only that, the Little Pollo he meticulously cultivated with tremendous resources and effort also played a crucial role at this moment.

The round, chubby little fellow, at this moment, was floating within Li Qi’s Sea of Souls, emanating a gentle silvery-white glow all over its body.

Its body trembled slightly, clearly also bearing the pressure of the tribulation fire, yet it did not back down, instead opening its short little hands, firmly protecting the core of Li Qi’s soul.

Little Pollo, as a soul body, was inherently gifted with protecting souls.

After establishing a bond with its master, it grows stronger alongside the nurturing of the soul and resource investment.

It can provide a solid barrier for its master’s soul, resisting external spiritual attacks and soul damage, while also amplifying its master’s soul power.

Even a Spirit Martial Artist, with the assistance of Little Pollo, could have spiritual power comparable to a Soul Mage of the same tier.

If Little Pollo is properly nurtured, it can even enable a pure Warrior to contend with a Spiritual Mind Master.

Li Qi, as the Shadow Division Minister, was Qin Tian’s most trusted lieutenant, and the resources he obtained were nearly limitless — any spiritual Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, elixirs, or soul fragments, as long as they aided Little Pollo’s growth, Qin Tian never hesitated.

Therefore, Little Pollo’s growth was astonishing, having entered Peak Tier Six early on, and if not for being limited by its master’s realm, it could have stepped into Tier Seven.

For the trial of the body, Li Qi was confident in relying on the Night Demon King’s blood and the Ice Purity Pill to cope. The regenerative ability of the Night Demon King’s blood allowed him to keep being reborn amidst the flames, and the cool energy of the Ice Purity Pill kept him from losing his mind in the extreme pain.

As for the soul’s burning, it was originally his greatest concern. As a Spirit Martial Artist, the soul was a weakness, and once damaged, it was difficult to repair.

If the soul were completely obliterated by the tribulation fire, he would indeed become a walking corpse.

But with Little Pollo’s help, this hurdle became less perilous.

The flames burned more fiercely on Li Qi, the orange-red tribulation fire enveloping him, nearly obscuring his form.

Yet despite the intensifying blaze, his breath began to stabilize — no longer as erratic as before, like it could extinguish at any moment, but slowly and steadily rising.

On the charred body, the black scabs began to lighten.

In some spots, the edges of the charred scabs slightly lifted, revealing a layer of brand-new skin beneath. That skin was fair as jade, yet faintly gleamed with a layer of dark golden luster, exuding a subtle aura of the Night Demon King’s blood.

"This hurdle will be overcome as well."

Xiong stood in the distance, staring intently at the vague figure within the sea of fire, his voice suppressed and low.

Old Ghost did not respond, but his Ghost King’s Blood Eyes slightly squinted, watching as the black scabs on Li Qi’s body fell off piece by piece, his heart not relieved, instead, more apprehensive.

The Celestial Thunder Tribulation is the tempering of the flesh.

The Body Burning Tribulation is the dual burning of body and soul.

These two tribulations, though perilous, have some method to their madness — elixirs can aid, bloodlines can withstand, treasures can shield.

The suffering is indeed hard to bear, but once you endure it, the horizon broadens.

But the next trial — the Heart Demon Tribulation, is an entirely different test.

The Heart Demon Tribulation won’t cause you pain, won’t make you bleed, won’t subject you to any corporeal torment.

It wouldn’t even let you feel its existence.

It will creep into the depths of your psyche, transforming into what you desire most, fear most, the past you least want to face, the future you most dare not imagine.

It will, at your most relaxed state, drag your consciousness into the Illusion Realm.

In that illusion, everything is as you wish.

The person you want to see will appear, the objects you long for will be obtained, your goals achieved.

You might live very happily, content, possibly never wanting to wake up, or perhaps live extremely painfully, enduring unimaginable torment.

But regardless of which scenario, if you get lost in the illusion, your soul will forever be trapped there, and you will become a soulless shell, a walking corpse.

This is the strangest, most indefensible of the Celestial Human Three Tribulations.

Though Little Pollo can guard the soul, its role is quite limited in the Heart Demon Tribulation, for it is not an attack, not damage, but a temptation.

Only relying on oneself.

Relying on one’s will, one’s true self, finding the flaws within the Heart Demon Illusion Realm, awakening.

Of course, there are extremely rare means to increase the odds of overcoming the Heart Demon Tribulation.

For instance, the Ice Heart Lotus Seed Qin Tian once consumed — a treasure rarely seen in this world, which upon consumption could stabilize the mind, clarify the heart, basically ensuring a spiritualist’s steady passage through the Heart Demon Tribulation.

However, Ice Heart Lotus Seeds are exceedingly rare, and even with Qin Tian’s current connections and resources, obtaining a second one is nearly impossible.

Fortunately, through Dongfang Mingyue, Qin Tian found the Dan Tower Master, asking him to refine multiple Eighth Tier Elixirs — Soul-Stabilizing Pills.

Although this elixir isn’t on par with the Ice Heart Lotus Seed to directly see through heart demons, it can aid spiritualists in maintaining their soul’s composure during the Heart Demon Tribulation, preventing them from being easily deceived by illusions, giving them a chance to spot the flaws in the Heart Demon Illusion Realm.

"Li Qi, the final hurdle."

Xiong’s voice was deep and resolute, as if speaking to Li Qi, yet seemingly talking to himself.

Old Ghost, Terreda, and Ran Tu stood beside, eyes filled with tension and gravity.

The four stood on the edge of the valley, their gaze fixed on the increasingly distinct figure within the sea of fire.

"You must survive."