I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield Chapter 1108 - 686: The Mystery of the Space-Time Amber (2)

Keeping Kesler here was equivalent to keeping a tool who could endlessly produce Ice Silk, and a top-tier enforcer. The profit from this was undoubtedly the greatest.

Unlike Angke and Agatha, the two Tier Seven Royal Family members he had subdued before, Kesler had been forcibly abducted by him right under the noses of countless Beastmen.

Therefore, Kesler could no longer return to the Beastman ranks.

If he wanted to keep Kesler by his side at all times, Kesler would have to conceal his physical features and absolutely could not make a move unless it was truly necessary. Otherwise, once Beastmen or humans discovered that he had taken a Tier Seven Beastman Royal Family member as his subordinate, both the Beastman Empire and forces within the Empire would place immense pressure on him.

"From now on, you will stay by my side." Qin Tian said calmly.

"Yes, Master." Kesler lowered his head, his heart in turmoil.

He had originally thought that after Broden’s death, his greatest threat had been eliminated, and that he would naturally become one of the strongest contenders among the next generation of heirs.

Yet who could have imagined that in the blink of an eye he would fall into the state of a prisoner in chains, becoming a slave of the Soul.

But who could he blame for this?

If back then he had not followed Raymond to Ice Extreme Pass, had not caused trouble there, he would not have provoked Qin Tian, and there would be no present outcome.

Everything was the seed he himself had sown; no matter how bitter the fruit that had ripened now, he could only swallow it. He could not blame others.

"Tell me in detail the entire process by which you first discovered the Space-Time Amber." Qin Tian said.

"Yes."

Kesler sorted through his thoughts, his gaze drifting slightly into the distance.

"About two years ago, my subordinates inadvertently obtained a clue to an ancient ruin, located in the Merak Star Zone of the Azure Wood Star Realm. It was an extremely ancient star map, and the marked location was something I had never seen in any public records. For this, I led an elite team to secretly infiltrate the Azure Wood Star Realm, and it took us two months to finally find the entrance to the ruin."

As he spoke up to this point, a flicker of recollection passed through Kesler’s eyes, but that recollection carried traces of fear and pain.

"To open the ruin’s entrance, you had to inject sufficient Energy into a gigantic stone gate. At that time, my men and I simultaneously poured Spiritual Energy into that gate, yet the gate was like a bottomless pit, greedily devouring everything of ours—Spiritual Energy, Qi and Blood, Life Force. Even more terrifying was that once we began to input Energy, we could not pull away our hands no matter how we tried."

"In the end, all of my subordinates except for me had the Spiritual Energy within their bodies and even the power of their flesh sucked dry, turning into desiccated corpses on the spot. As for myself, I was on the brink of death and was forced to enter the Celestial Silkworm Transformation—that is the most important life-preserving secret technique of the Eternal Ice Silkworm clan, locking the final shred of vitality in a state of slumber. Only then did I manage to survive."

Kesler paused briefly, then continued, "After the Celestial Silkworm Transformation ended, I did not give up on opening the ruin. But I was clear that with my own strength alone, it was absolutely impossible to open that gate. So I deliberately released the news and attracted several A-Level Mercenary Corps to come, using their strength to open the gate to the ruin. Afterward, I killed them."

"Immediately thereafter, once I entered the ruin, I discovered this."

Kesler took out the two pieces of Space-Time Amber he had previously shown Qin Tian.

Qin Tian once again examined the two Ambers. The Ambers were dim yellow throughout, like solidified sunlight, with faint halos of light flowing within.

One Amber contained a sealed blood-colored Battle Sword. The blade was broad and thick, and on its edge there still remained dark red bloodstains that time had yet to erode. Those bloodstains seemed to be still flowing, emitting a faint, indistinct Evil Qi.

The other Amber sealed a Human Demon—its face was no different from a human’s, with regular features and eyes tightly closed, as though merely sleeping.

Yet his entire body was covered in dense black scales, arranged like fish scales, glinting with a dim metallic sheen. Behind him a broken tailbone was slightly curled, the fracture smooth and even, as if severed in a single stroke by some sharp weapon. Strands of black vapor were clearly visible within the Amber, slowly wandering like living things.

"So, back then when you told me that to enter the ruin one had to pass through spatial turbulence, and thus you needed to cooperate with me—that information was also false?" Qin Tian looked at Kesler.

Kesler bowed his head, his voice heavy with deep guilt. "Forgive me, Master. At that time, in order to increase the persuasiveness and make you agree to trade with me, I had no choice but to fabricate that part. But I truly did deceive you. Please punish me, Master."

"Forget it." Qin Tian waved his hand.

All of that had already happened; he would not go so far as to punish a captive who had already completely submitted for such a trivial matter.

What he cared about far more was the secret of the Space-Time Amber within the ruin.

"And after that, what else did you see?"

"After that..." A strong and complex look surfaced in Kesler’s eyes; it seemed that scene still made his heart tremble even now. "I saw many living beings sealed within Space-Time Amber. There were humans, Beastmen, Astral Giant Beasts, and other races I could not identify. They were neatly displayed in the depths of the ruin, like a...like a museum of collections."

"The most crucial point is, I don’t think they were dead."

What?

Qin Tian’s gaze sharpened instantly, and he pressed, "Why do you judge it that way?"

Kesler said, "Space-Time Amber can isolate the Laws of time and space, allowing the flesh and Soul to remain Immortal and undying even after weathering ten thousand years. If a person is sealed by Space-Time Amber while still alive, then when the seal is lifted, they will still be able to live again—Master, are you aware of this?"

"I know." Qin Tian nodded.

The core characteristic of Space-Time Amber was precisely: "Seal everything, Immortal and indestructible."

Kesler continued, "I judged it from the outward state and eyes of those sealed beings.

Some of them had no external injuries at all, their postures peaceful, as if they had merely fallen asleep.

However, some had their eyes slightly open, and there was still a hint of vitality left in their pupils.

That feeling was hard to describe clearly, like expectation, yet also like release. It was as if at the moment they were sealed, they were still alive, still retained consciousness, and that consciousness had continued within the Amber all the way until now."

Kesler gave a bitter smile. "It was precisely because of this that I dared not linger too long in the Secret Realm. I couldn’t be sure whether I myself might be sealed by Space-Time Amber without even realizing it. I even more couldn’t bear to imagine the possibility that my consciousness would remain within the Amber—my body utterly immobile, yet my thoughts running clearly, like a living corpse thrown into a coffin, enduring thousands or even tens of thousands of years, unable to die even if I wished to—such a state would be more cruel than any torture. If it truly were so, I would rather die."

Qin Tian fell silent.

He understood why Kesler had said such things.

If the people within the Space-Time Amber truly retained consciousness, that would mean their Souls remained perpetually awake, while their bodies were like being nailed inside an eternal stone coffin, unable to move, unable to speak, unable to resist.

Such a state was undoubtedly more terrifying than death.

"After that, I left that place." Kesler added. "As for whether the original body of the Space-Time Amber exists there, I myself do not know."

After listening to Kesler’s account, Qin Tian sank into prolonged contemplation.

Living beings of different races being sealed by Space-Time Amber and displayed together like collectibles—who in the world would do such a thing?

Just how long had they been sealed?

And for what purpose were they sealed?

For research?

For collection?

Or for some even grander, more secretive scheme?

The curiosity and desire in his heart did not diminish because of Kesler’s warning; on the contrary, they grew even stronger.

However, the Space-Time Amber lay far away in the Azure Wood Star Realm, separated from the Royal star by countless light-years.

And as the Lord of Ice Extreme Pass, without the Royal Council’s approval, he could not leave his post without authorization.

To unravel the secret of Space-Time Amber, he would likely have to proceed with a long-term plan.