I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield Chapter 663 - 493: Mirror Nation, Return of the Ice Abyss

As the Gate of Space materialized upon the desolate ice plains, four figures emerged in unison.

"Haha, truly exhilarating!" Taishi Feng exclaimed with hearty laughter. The four of them, all being Low Tier cultivators, had successfully eliminated targets right under the nose of Shengongsi Yuzuo, a Tier Seven Seven Stars powerhouse, and made a clean escape.

Compounded with Qin Tian's prior elimination of Shengongsi Hao Er and five generals, the Shengongsi family had suffered significant losses this time around.

Zhuge Yu cast his gaze upon the corpse of Beitiao Hezi, which Qin Tian was holding, and a smile graced his lips as well.

Beitiao Hezi served as Shengongsi Yuzuo's eyes. His 'Mirror Nation' talent was remarkably troublesome, particularly within the confines of the ruins, making escape from the Mirror Demon's tracking virtually impossible for most.

However, with Beitiao Hezi deceased, Shengongsi Yuzuo would be rendered blind, incapable of locating them further.

A subtle smile flickered in Qin Tian's eyes. From the outset, his sole objective had been Beitiao Hezi. He was acutely aware that confronting Shengongsi Yuzuo with his current strength would be a futile endeavor. Since he couldn't integrate the Holy Blood talent, Shengongsi Yuzuo's survival or demise was of little consequence; the crucial element was Beitiao Hezi's 'Mirror Nation' talent.

He then turned his attention to the description of the 'Mirror Nation' within the orange light orb.

[Name] Mirror Nation (Orange)

[Type] Composite Talent

[Introduction] Utilizing a life-bound Mirror Artifact as a conduit, this talent establishes an exclusive mirror domain, granting the wielder the power to transmute reality and illusion. Within this mirror realm, an eternal domain can be constructed, cultivating a community of Mirror Demons. This allows for the pervasive surveillance of all matters, the disruption of minds, and even the ability to imprison beings within the mirror, thereby commanding dominion over their existence. It is a comprehensive talent that seamlessly integrates investigation, control, sealing, and domain suppression.

1. Mirror World: By expending Spiritual Energy, the user can nurture their life-bound Mirror Artifact, creating an independent mirror space with the artifact at its core. The spatial dimensions expand in correlation with the Mirror Artifact's quality and the user's own cultivation level. Initially, only Low Tier Mirror Demons can be fostered within this space, but as the space matures through sustained nurturing and accumulation, the capacity to birth High Tier Mirror Demons emerges. All governing principles within this mirror world are dictated by the host.

2. Mirror Demon Formless: Mirror Demons, coalesced from the spiritual essence of mirrors, exist without physical form. They can freely traverse any reflective surfaces, including but not limited to copper mirrors, bodies of water, ice, and polished metals. Possessing omnidirectional investigative capabilities, they can analyze target data, share vision, and launch soul assaults capable of inflicting damage directly upon a target's soul.

3. Mirror Flower: The user can activate their life-bound Mirror Artifact to project a mirror domain. All entities within this domain are drawn into an illusory mirror world. The landscape of this illusory realm is meticulously constructed by the mirror host, thereby distorting the target's perception and judgment. Furthermore, damage sustained within this illusory world can be converted into tangible physical harm.

4. Mirror Seal: Guided by Mirror Law and requiring a substantial expenditure of Spiritual Energy, the user can activate their life-bound Mirror Artifact to unleash a sealing ability upon designated targets. If the target's mental fortitude is weaker than the host's, or if they are ensnared by the illusory world of Mirror Flower, they will be forcibly drawn into the Mirror Artifact's internal dimension and sealed. Throughout the sealing process, the target's strength is gradually depleted by the mirror's power, and the mirror host retains the prerogative to unseal or obliterate them at any moment.

"Indeed, an exceptionally well-rounded talent!" Qin Tian remarked with evident satisfaction.

While the 'Mirror Nation' might not possess overwhelming direct combat prowess, its strength lies in its unparalleled comprehensiveness, offering capabilities in reconnaissance, tracking, mental offense, sealing, and beyond. With this talent, he would possess a god-like vantage point within a specific radius. Coupled with his existing Spatial and Perception Abilities, he would be poised to seize the advantage in virtually any scenario.

Moreover, he had acquired Beitiao Hezi's life-bound Mirror Artifact. Once ownership was reclaimed, he could utilize it. Although the Mirror Demons would need to be cultivated anew, the arduous process of nurturing the artifact itself would be bypassed.

He felt a surge of excitement regarding this acquired talent. However, integrating an Orange Talent could induce bodily reactions. Thus, he resolved to fabricate an excuse to withdraw momentarily during a designated rest period to undergo the fusion process in solitude.

"Qin Tian, this belongs to you," Zhuge Yu stated, retrieving the Frost Realm Tablet from his spatial equipment and presenting it to Qin Tian.

Qin Tian promptly returned the tablet to his Spirit Space. Though this artifact could perform at its peak potential in Zhuge Yu's hands, it was, after all, a rare treasure, and he had no intention of bestowing it upon Zhuge Yu without due consideration.

"Where do we proceed from here?"

Taishi Feng observed Qin Tian and Zhuge Yu.

"Qin Tian, the decision is yours." Zhuge Yu deferred the leadership role to Qin Tian.

After a moment of contemplation, Qin Tian declared, "Let's focus on collecting the Ice Element first. This may provide us with more intelligence regarding the Ice God Race and their Treasure Vault. If fortune favors us, perhaps we can even discover another vault."

A single Ice God Treasure Vault had significantly bolstered their power, supplying them with weapons, ores, precious materials, and vital resources. By all accounts, this expedition into the ruins had proven remarkably fruitful.

However, human desire knows no bounds. With a total of seven Ice God Treasure Vaults scattered across existence, the prospect of locating a second one was understandably appealing.

"Understood."

No objections were voiced.

Just as they were preparing to depart, a faint vibration suddenly emanated from the ice layer below.

Initially, the tremor was as subtle as a mosquito's wingbeat, but in the blink of an eye, it intensified dramatically. A deep, resonant rumble surged from the depths of the icy plains, akin to an ancient behemoth stirring from its slumber beneath the ice, its movements violently shaking the very foundations of the earth.

"What is happening?"

Everyone's expressions grew tense as they witnessed the snow beneath them being flung skyward. The solid ice layer began to fracture visibly, with cracks spreading outward like intricate spiderwebs in every direction.

Even more disturbing was an unseen wave that swept over them moments later.

Despite lacking any offensive capability, this wave carried an ancient, palpable pressure, washing across the entire ruin like an incoming tide. Both the Empire's prodigies and the demons slumbering beneath the ice perceived this soul-stirring vibration. Their actions ceased, and they found themselves blankly staring in the direction from which the wave originated.