I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield Chapter 680 - 501: The Fourth Holy Blood Talent

Da da da~

From the heart of the most potent Demonic Qi, a diminutive figure slowly materialized.

No taller than five feet, it was hunched like an ancient, desiccated tree root, its entire being as black as obsidian. Its skin, stretched taut over bone, was entirely hairless, giving it the appearance of a bald, black ape.

Its limbs, though slender, possessed an unnerving strength. Sharp claws, three inches in length, extended from its fingertips, glinting with an eerie green luminescence. Its head hung low, allowing glimpses of crimson eyes within the disheveled black hair, their chilling gaze fixed upon Qin Tian with unmistakable avarice, as if he were a prize beyond measure.

Qin Tian's brow furrowed intensely. His eyes instinctively darted to the ice platform. The once robust knuckle of the black finger had diminished considerably, its skin withered and creased, akin to dried wood completely devoid of moisture.

It appeared this minuscule demonic entity was, in fact, a manifestation born from the dispersed power of that severed finger. By his estimation, its strength surpassed Tier Seven.

"What sort of monstrous being is this..." Qin Tian mused, taken aback. That a mere finger segment could birth a Tier Seven demon was a terrifying thought; one could only imagine the might of a complete entity.

At the very least, Tier Nine, a nascent form.

At this juncture, his thoughts drifted to Zhuge Yu, Taishi Feng, and Huo Yuansheng, who were dispersed throughout the treasury. Could they too have encountered similar bizarre entities?

As the notion solidified, the black, ape-like demon creature emitted a sharp, peculiar cry. Its form blurred instantly into a streak of black, hurtling towards Qin Tian with a sound that ripped through the air.

The velocity was so immense it caused Qin Tian's pupils to constrict momentarily.

"Bring it on!"

Qin Tian reacted with practiced speed. His wrist flicked, and the Black Frost Blade, crackling with violet electricity, sliced horizontally, its trajectory precise towards the demon creature's limb. A dull 'puff' echoed as the blade met the demon's ebony skin. Instead of the expected spray of blood, it felt as though the blade had struck taut rubber, recoiling forcefully and leaving behind only a faint white abrasion.

The demon creature shrieked piercingly, its speed amplifying exponentially. It became a whirlwind, darting around Qin Tian with astonishing agility.

Its razor-sharp claws rained down in a relentless assault, each strike aimed with deadly accuracy at Qin Tian's vital points—his throat, heart, and forehead. The wind generated by its claws carried a dense Demonic Qi, which hissed corrosively upon contact with Qin Tian's defensive spiritual energy.

Qin Tian dared not falter. He wielded the Black Frost Blade, its movements weaving an impenetrable barrier of steel. The incessant 'ting ting tang tang' of clashing metal filled the air. His internal spiritual energy surged at its peak, and the violet electricity surrounding him erupted like a sprawling web, forcefully dispelling the encroaching Demonic Qi and revealing the true expanse of the ice cave.

Within the confined space, the two battled ferociously. The residual force of their combat continuously battered the ice walls, causing large shards to break free and plummet to the ground with dull thuds.

Qin Tian felt a jolt of surprise internally. The resilience of this ice cave far surpassed his expectations. The aftermath of a Tier Seven combatant's struggle would have flattened a small town in the outside world, yet here, aside from falling ice fragments, the entire mountain remained as steadfast as Mount Tai, showing no signs of collapse. It was evident that a potent solidifying enchantment had been employed.

"I refuse to believe you can withstand a few of my strikes!"

A fierce resolve blazed in Qin Tian’s eyes. He stomped the ground, cracking the icy surface like a spiderweb.

Seizing the momentum, he spun and swept the Black Frost Blade. The blade hummed with power, suddenly wreathed in surging violet electricity. It was akin to a furious dragon, breaking free from its bonds, coiling around the weapon and condensing into a Thunder Blade Qi several meters in length. It tore through the air with a low rumble of thunder, striking powerfully towards the black, ape-like demon creature.

The demon's crimson eyes widened drastically. It let out another sharp, wild roar, its sturdy arms instantly encased in three thick layers of dark magic armor. It decisively raised a limb to intercept the blow.

The instant the blade met the magical defense, Qin Tian uttered a single word with a soft tone: "Detonate!"

The dominant mark, which had long been affixed to the demon creature, suddenly ignited with explosive force.

A torrent of unseen Qi surged, relentlessly assaulting the demon’s defenses. The amplified 40% Armor-Piercing damage immediately reached its peak, causing the demonic armor to shatter like brittle porcelain. This allowed the Thunder Blade Qi to slice through with ease, cleanly severing the demon’s arm with a soft "poof."

The severed arm dropped to the ground, still twitching sporadically before dissolving into a pool of viscous Demonic Qi.

However, this injury proved insignificant for the monstrous creature. The coalescing pool of Demonic Qi appeared sentient, rising into the air and rapidly flowing towards the wound on the detached arm, seemingly preparing to reform.

Yet, Qin Tian had foreseen this very possibility; his objective was never merely to dismember the opponent.

This demon creature lacked a true physical form, subsisting solely on the primordial power emanating from the shriveled finger segment situated on the stone platform. Even decapitation wouldn't prevent it from regenerating using Demonic Qi.

His ultimate objective had consistently been that shrunken, black finger segment!

Exploiting the demon creature’s momentary lapse in focus as it directed its Qi to heal, Qin Tian moved like a phantom towards the side of the stone platform. His Black Frost Blade, clutched firmly in his hand, whipped down like a bolt of lightning, striking the finger segment atop the icy platform.

"Roar—!" The creature perceived the imminent, fatal threat, emitting a soul-piercing shriek. Its form, enveloped by exploding Demonic Qi, contorted into a black streak, hurtling forward with fierce intensity. Its claw lunged directly for Qin Tian’s back, attempting to force a defensive maneuver.

Regardless of its astonishing speed, it was no match for Qin Tian’s meticulously prepared strike.

At the precise instant the blade descended, the black finger segment on the stone platform pulsed violently. Dense Demonic Qi condensed upon its surface, forming a formidable dark shield intricately adorned with unsettling blood-red patterns.

But Qin Tian’s strike was imbued with his complete spiritual energy, the might of Thunder coursing ferociously through the blade. An earsplitting "clang" reverberated as the dark shield disintegrated like decaying timber, leaving the blade unimpeded as it sliced into the finger segment.