I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield Chapter 618 - 474: The Shadow Division Ascends, Li 7 Reaches Tier Six (Part 2)

Once the turbulent Night Emperor bloodline and Spiritual Energy inside him fully settled down, he stood up amid subtle blue spatial ripples and vanished into the snow in an instant.

...

A frigid cavern five kilometers beyond Ice Extreme Pass.

This spot had served as a hidden outpost for The Shadow Division in the past, where operatives gathered to strategize operations and relay intel, steering clear of Ice Extreme Pass's Royal Soldiers.

Although both groups answered to Qin Tian, one consisted of imperial troops while the other was his personal spy network, necessitating secrecy for select operations.

Right now, within the frigid cavern, every member not on fieldwork had assembled, including Li Qi, whom Qin Tian had summoned back just days earlier.

Over the last month, Li Qi had penetrated a rival intel group, flipping more than ten veteran assassins to their side, all now integrated into The Shadow Division.

Silence enveloped the cavern, with operatives either standing or seated, their movements utterly soundless, like motionless sculptures.

Soon, spatial ripples stirred in the cavern, and a pale blue Gate of Space gradually materialized, allowing Qin Tian to step out.

The instant he appeared, The Shadow Division's members bowed their heads at once, their tones brimming with profound reverence as they chorused, "Military Lord!"

"Hmm."

Qin Tian gave a faint nod, his eyes scanning the assembled group before he declared steadily, "I've called you all together today to offer a special reward for your hard work lately."

Excitement and eagerness sparked in the members' gazes—The Shadow Division already boasted top-tier provisions, with no shortage of elixirs, plus a steady flow of rare Ice Marrow Ointment.

Since enlistment, every member's power had climbed by at least one full tier on average.

With the Military Lord summoning them personally now, this reward promised to be something extraordinary.

Qin Tian flicked his wrist abruptly, and the icy cavern floor bulged upward as if manipulated by unseen hands, swiftly shaping into a round basin over ten meters across, its walls sleek and solid like a carved jade basin from nature.

Right away, a thick crimson blood pillar erupted from emptiness, pouring like a torrent with a "whoosh" into the basin.

The moment the blood emerged, potent Life Energy flooded the entire frigid cavern, infused with a draconic essence that acted like an irresistible lure, awakening the bloodlines of all The Shadow Division members.

Intense desire blazed in their eyes; some fought back the stirrings of their Night Demon bloodlines, baring sharp fangs at their lips, breaths growing ragged—this elite blood's innate pull on Night Demons threatened to overwhelm them.

In short order, the round basin brimmed with dragon blood, the scarlet fluid gently undulating, radiating an alluring glow.

"This is Tier Five dragon blood I've readied for you, available without limit today; the amount you absorb rests on your own capacity."

Qin Tian's words landed like a lit fuse.

The Shadow Division operatives surged forward uncontrollably. Some plunged faces-first at the basin's rim, guzzling the dragon blood; others summoned Spiritual Energy to siphon slender streams straight into their mouths; a handful dove right in, bathing in the blood to soak up its power through skin and pores alike.

Gulping sounds and contented sighs echoed through the cavern as all lost themselves in the dragon blood's empowering surge.

Li Qi alone stayed composed.

As The Shadow Division's commander, he wouldn't scramble like the rank-and-file; besides, he trusted the boss had something superior in store for him.

True to form, Qin Tian shot him a look and headed further into the cavern.

Li Qi trailed right after, soon arriving in a broader chamber.

"They're taking in Tier Five dragon blood, but I've set aside Tier Six dragon blood just for you."

Qin Tian lifted his palm, summoning a dense dark red blood orb, thicker than the previous, wisps of black vapor coiling over its surface, pulsing with richer Life Energy tinged by an icy shadow vibe.

"This is the Essence Blood of the Dark Dragon, ideally suited to your Dark Spiritual Energy trait, boosting absorption efficiency."

"Thank you, boss!" Li Qi grinned.

I knew it, I’m the boss’s favorite.

"Begin."

On Qin Tian's order, a wrist-wide blood stream detached from the dark red orb, hurtling toward Li Qi.

Li Qi parted his lips without pause, guiding the stream into himself.

As it entered, his inner Night Demon King blood flared like ignited oil, surging to a boil; the primal force in his lineage rampaged like a ravenous predator, stripping away, consuming, and refining the vital essence and shadow power layer by layer.

The dragon's fierce energy, tamed by the Night Demon King blood's influence, turned mild and refined, racing smoothly along his meridians to invigorate his whole form.

His body strengthened swiftly from the influx, muscles firming, bones toughening, while dark spiritual energy roiled around him like a brewing eruption, cloaking him in thin black haze.

With continued absorption, Li Qi's eyes turned blood-red, fangs protruding fully with a frosty gleam.

Abruptly, his robes ripped open, unveiling enormous black wings unfurling from his back, stretching three meters wide, armored in tight scales that glinted subtly, whipping up gusts of chill air with soft beats.

"Roar——!"

Li Qi roared instinctively, unleashing the Night Demon King's presence in a sudden black tempest that rattled the nearby rock walls.

Spurred by the dragon blood, his bottleneck crumbled, propelling him to Tier Six!

The very second Li Qi advanced, the outer dragon blood absorbers froze, dropping to the ground in prostration, bodies quivering faintly.

All Night Demons hand-turned by Li Qi, they instinctively yielded to him. His Tier Six breakthrough and bloodline upgrade now pressed irresistibly on theirs, deepening their devotion.

Deeper in the cavern, Li Qi's aura kept climbing, faint golden veins emerging on his black wings, like stellar accents lending his presence greater splendor.

After a while, his spiritual energy surges settled, and he opened his eyes, the red fading to profound blackness.

"Finally reached Tier Six!"

Li Qi voiced his deep satisfaction.

As the boss's inaugural follower, he'd seen Tier Six elites like Feng Mochuan, Xiong, Terreda, and the Old Ghost join up one by one, each fueling his growing pressure.

To others, his rise looked like "rocket speed"—from basic Spiritualist to Night Demon Apostle, now Tier Six Night Demon King, all in just over two years of meteoric progress.

Yet Li Qi remained restless.

The boss's pioneer subordinate, inaugural Night Demon, he refused to let newcomers eclipse him; he aimed to stand as the boss's top commander.

This drive compelled his nonstop grind. He juggled running The Shadow Division, expanding the spy web, and carving out every second for training.

Backed by boundless resources and Night Demon King blood rivaling Golden Bloodline, he at last claimed Tier Six as desired.

Sensing the torrent of dark spiritual energy and mighty bloodline power coursing through, Li Qi flashed a smug, assured smile.

Freshly minted Tier Six Night Demon King, he was dead certain his fighting prowess outmatched Xiong, Terreda, and the Old Ghost.

Beneath the boss, only Feng Mochuan, another Night Demon King, could vie for "first general" honors.

Still, Feng Mochuan guarded the Azure Wood Star Realm outpost per boss orders, forgoing close-side perks and combat chances.

Li Qi was convinced he'd soon outpace Feng Mochuan for good, leaving no chance of pursuit.