I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield Chapter 614 - 472: Steel Armor Knight Army (Part 2)

"Just a little more..." he muttered in a raspy voice, his gaze brimming with reluctance.

He had devoted two years to intricate schemes, pouring endless manpower and resources into it, nearly seizing command of this ancient relic—yet the Empire wrested it away in the final instant.

Adding to his fury, the kidnapping of Gao Shiniang’s team coming to light forced a deal between the Senate and the Military Department. Once the relic opened publicly, Luoho Clan entrants would face severe cuts, turning his two years of labor into a boon for others!

Suddenly, a mighty soul fluctuation crashed down, wrapping the whole mountain like a colossal entity, radiating a heavy suppressive force.

Inzaghi’s heart clenched—he recognized it as a caution.

The issuer was none other than Shen Qingyue, leader of the 29th Army!

As a Tier Eight expert with Golden Bloodline, Shen Qingyue ranked among the elite of Tier Eights, far beyond what Inzaghi could challenge now.

Inzaghi drew a deep breath, quelling the rage and resentment surging inside. He cast a final piercing glance toward the underground ice cave, then spun around and vanished into the raging wind and snow without a backward look.

Moments later, an Empire Academy of Sciences expert squad arrived on the ice field via flying craft.

Gao Shiniang joined them, clad in a fresh research outfit, his face showing mixed emotions on return, though his mindset had shifted profoundly.

Guarded by 29th Army troops, the specialists ventured deep into the ice cave via the tunnel, reaching the Frozen Door’s location.

Spotting the Frozen Door, the sealing specialists clustered around it, eyes gleaming with thrill and intrigue.

"This sealing method is truly odd, unlike any familiar system!" A gray-haired specialist noted while scrutinizing the door’s motifs. "Deciphering it from zero would demand at least six months to grasp the details."

"Good thing President Gao is here. President Gao, we rely on you to explain it all." Another specialist grinned.

"Honestly, I’d prefer knowing nothing about this and pretending it never occurred." Gao Shiniang gave a wry laugh and heaved a sigh.

His remark silenced the group instantly.

They all felt deep empathy for Gao Shiniang’s ordeal. Once a planetary sealing association head and Empire Spiritual Energy Academy guest lecturer, revered widely— who foresaw the Luoho Clan’s brazenness in abducting him and his team, holding them captive over two years?

A respected professor and association leader reduced to a captive.

Nobody would wish for such humiliation.

"President Gao, kindly share your findings and insights with us." Yet another specialist shifted to a brighter subject.

"Fine, we’ll begin with the core principles."

While explaining, Gao Shiniang indicated the door’s patterns, freely divulging his research outcomes.

The sealing specialists nodded along, posing occasional queries, sparking a hushed but intense exchange right there.

At the same time, history buffs huddled by the ice pillar, hotly disputing the ancient inscriptions carved on it.

"Which period does this script hail from? I’ve devoted my life to ancient writings, yet these strokes are utterly foreign!" One specialist furrowed his brow in confusion.

"It resembles Hebrahel scripts somewhat!" Another chimed in abruptly, jabbing at a glyph. "See this mark—it echoes those in Hebrahel ceremonies."

"No way!" A colleague shot back, indicating the same glyph. "Hebrahel writing uses flowing curves, but this features sharp angles—a wholly distinct style!"

The pair clung to their stances, debating fiercely as more specialists piled in—some backing the first, others the second, a few offering fresh ideas—turning it into a vibrant clash, unlike the sealing team’s serene study.

...

Inside the Ice Extreme Pass ice house, amid swirling chill, Qin Tian lounged in his seat, fingers lightly drumming the armrest.

Fresh reports confirmed the 29th Army’s setup on Mingwang Planet complete, with the Empire Academy of Sciences team now at the Frozen Door, tirelessly probing its secrets.

"Now we await the experts’ proposal, after which the superiors will settle the next steps."

Qin Tian mused softly, a spark of eagerness in his eyes.

Judging by the Empire’s history, they’d likely shatter the seal and delve into such a mysterious ancient relic.

The Royal star, Empire’s core, hosted scant Tier Nine demigods—countable on fingers—plus the galaxy’s finest space fleet in the nearby Royal star belt.

Be it fiends or fortunes inside the relic, the Empire trusted its grip on events, refusing to tolerate a enigmatic seal lingering near the Royal star.

Qin Tian had preemptively requested spots for himself and Lan to venture into the relic.

Lan’s background tied evidently to the Frozen Door; her entry could unlock more lost recollections.

For his part, intrigue about the relic pulled him in, and his Void Ability assured safety against threats. Uncovering relics, lost lore, or hidden truths would prove rewarding.

As Qin Tian pondered, a gentle rap sounded at the door.

"Enter," Qin Tian called.

The door swung open, admitting a figure in white combat gear.

A silver mask hid most of his face, revealing only icy eyes. He dropped to one knee upon entry, saluting deeply: "Military Lord."

In The Shadow Division, Li Qi served as nominal chief, but all knew the Night Demon Bloodline sprang from this very man.

Facing Qin Tian, awe gripped them like confronting their bloodline progenitor.

Qin Tian gestured for him to stand, then with a broad sweep, over a dozen rigid bodies materialized mid-room in the ice house. Frost still clung faintly to these corpses, frozen in agonized death throes—these were the Tier Six Guards who once protected the Frozen Door, slain by Lan’s Power of Ice, their forms impeccably preserved.

"Ye Wu, haul these off and share them among The Shadow Division brothers."

Qin Tian instructed evenly.

Ye Wu’s eyes lit with delight as he advanced, inhaling subtly under his mask—for Night Demons keenly sensed blood’s power, and he detected the potent Spiritual Energy in these Tier Six Spiritualists of prime bloodlines.

Though deceased, their blood’s vitality hadn’t fully faded; short time since death plus icy preservation limited dissipation, rendering them prized for average Tier Four and Tier Five Night Demons to shatter bottlenecks.

"Gratitude, Military Lord!" Ye Wu bowed once more, voice thick with thanks.

"Remove them."

Qin Tian dismissed with a wave; he’d already harvested talents from these Tier Six elites’ remains, and Jie La’s refined palate scorned them now. Still, bolstering The Shadow Division’s Night Demons made perfect use.

"Understood!"

Ye Wu approached the bodies, stowing them sequentially into a Space Ring.

With all secured, Ye Wu offered another deferential bow to Qin Tian: "Should the Military Lord need anything else, summon me anytime."

Then he pivoted and slipped from the ice house soundlessly, avoiding any disruption to Qin Tian.

Silence reclaimed the ice house as Qin Tian eyed the storm beyond, his excitement mounting.

What mysteries lurk past the Frozen Door?

Might the relic unveil Lan’s true heritage?

Qin Tian anticipated swift word on the relic’s fate, yet astonishingly, a month dragged by without unsealing, as the Mythical Society’s second "meeting" drew nigh unannounced.