I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield Chapter 681 - 501: 4 Holy Blood Talents (Part 2)

"Puff!"

The knuckle was fractured, the break point alight with crackling lightning that swiftly incinerated the overflowing demonic qi. This caused the once-contorted finger to shudder violently, its malevolent aura rapidly diminishing.

Swooping in from the side, the demon creature suddenly froze. Its body contorted and shrank as if its very bones were being removed, then it swelled uncontrollably with the backlash of demonic qi, utterly unable to maintain its form.

Could Qin Tian possibly afford to grant it a reprieve?

With a gentle push of his toe, he ascended above the stone platform. The Black Frost Blade whirled in a fluid motion, its shadow so dense it seemed to meld into a singular entity.

"Swish swish swish!"

A symphony of sharp cutting sounds followed. Like a master butcher, he expertly dismembered the knuckle, reducing it to paper-thin slices in the blink of an eye. Each fragment was repeatedly subjected to the electrical surge from the Power of Thunder, extinguishing any chance of regeneration.

Concurrently, the demon creature’s body dissolved like sea foam, transforming into dissipating wisps of black smoke.

"It is finished."

Qin Tian slowly returned his blade to its sheath. The acrid scent of lightning-charred knuckle still perfumed the air, yet his countenance remained grave, devoid of any trace of relief.

The demon beast that had sprung from this knuckle had attained Tier Seven. Should Zhuge Yu and the others face adversaries of comparable might, escaping without injury through sheer individual strength would prove exceedingly difficult.

Just then, a sharp cracking sound reverberated from beneath.

Qin Tian’s gaze snapped downwards. The once-unblemished surface of the ice platform was fracturing like an intricate spiderweb. Pale blue restriction runes flickered within the cracks, and a low mechanical grinding ensued, as if a massive object concealed within the platform was slowly ascending.

Two starkly contrasting auras initially seeped from the fissure.

In the subsequent moment, ice shards exploded outwards. A colossal axe and a formidable great saber erupted from the platform, settling steadily on the ground.

"Could these be the rewards that voice mentioned?" Qin Tian’s brow arched slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips as he strode forward.

The giant axe was far more imposing than he had anticipated. Its axe head, broad as a shield and half his height, was affixed to a lengthy ebony handle wrapped in non-slip beast hide. The blade gleamed with an icy luminescence, appearing capable of cleaving mountains asunder.

Beside it, the great saber, designed like a standard execution blade, possessed a thick, heavy blade nearly waist-length. Its surface was adorned with dark gold patterns that writhed like living serpents, emitting faint spiritual energy—undeniably no ordinary weapon.

He stooped, gripping the handles of both the axe and saber with his hands. Activating his Divine Weapon Emperor golden light, pale gold spiritual energy, like fine silken threads, flowed into the weapon patterns, assessing their composition and spiritual essence.

This examination brought an unmistakable look of profound astonishment to Qin Tian’s face.

The core of these two armaments was, remarkably, forged from a fusion of thousand-year-old black iron and extraterrestrial meteorite iron. They possessed nascent spiritual wisdom within, though their weapon souls remained dormant.

With his current techniques, a mere month of nurturing them with the Divine Weapon Emperor’s Power would elevate them to the caliber of the Black Frost Blade. Once their weapon souls fully awakened, their might could even surpass that of Black Frost.

"Excellent materials. This reward is quite substantial. Black Frost, you’ll need to pick up the pace."

Qin Tian chuckled, his hand resting on the Black Frost Blade at his waist. The icy edge vibrated faintly, as if sensing the aura of the new weapons and responding to his playful taunt with a soft hum.

Qin Tian let out a soft laugh. Black Frost's origins had always been somewhat humble; initially just a sharp Mortal Iron Saber, it had required significant effort, utilizing Spirit Forged Soft Gold and various rare components for repeated enhancements. Only through the sustained nourishment of Master of Arms and the Divine Weapon Emperor’s Power had it barely awakened its blade soul to reach its present state.

Its inherent limitations persisted. To keep pace with his rapid growth, he needed to actively seek out further opportunities.

"However..."

His gaze fixed upon these two peculiar armaments, Qin Tian murmured, "This seems rather convenient."

One colossal axe, one execution blade.

Their dimensions were hardly suitable for average individuals.

Yet, coincidentally, his two subordinates, Xiong and Terreda, wielded weapons of remarkably similar design.

"Were these gifts specifically prepared for me?"

A subtle curve formed at the corner of Qin Tian’s mouth as a realization dawned.

If that were the case...

A sudden thought struck Qin Tian: perhaps he should not be in such a hurry to rejoin Zhuge Yu and the others.

Having finally found a moment of solitude, this was the opportune time to enhance his own capabilities.

His Evolution Points had now surpassed a billion. He resolved to evolve a new Holy Blood Talent.

He cast his gaze towards the talent group.

There are currently three golden-tier talents available: the Night Emperor, the Immortal Sacred Body, and the Void God Master.

Six orange-tier talents are also present, which are the Spiritual Wisdom Divine Authority, the Sovereign of the Verdant Wilds, the Celestial Punishment Divine Thunder, the Divine Weapon Emperor’s Power, the Soul Devourer Flame, and the Mirror Nation.

From a purely combat standpoint, the Celestial Punishment Divine Thunder and the Soul Devourer Flame are the two talents he finds himself utilizing most frequently.

In terms of utility, the Divine Weapon Emperor’s Power and the Mirror Nation are also talents that merit considerable investment.

As for the Spiritual Wisdom Divine Authority and the Sovereign of the Verdant Wilds, the former is prioritized for its focus on Spiritual Power and Control, while the latter excels in Spirit Plant cultivation, placing their priority slightly lower.

"Let's choose one to enhance first."

Qin Tian was disinclined to immediately deplete his more than one billion Evolution Points. Just as he had done previously, he resolved to maintain a substantial reserve of Evolution Points, intending to allocate them towards strengthening suitable talents under specific, unforeseen circumstances in the future.

Perhaps, at certain critical junctures, a purple-tier talent might prove to be the solution he needed.

If a decision had to be made regarding which single talent to enhance, Qin Tian decided without hesitation to opt for the Celestial Punishment Divine Thunder.

After all, his Spiritual Ability Attribute is an amalgamation of the Thunder Element and the Dark Element.

Currently, the Dark Element talent has undergone a qualitative leap subsequent to the awakening of the Night Emperor bloodline, whereas the Thunder Element talent has, relatively speaking, lagged significantly behind.

The imbalance between the Dark and Thunder Elements has, to a certain degree, exerted an influence on his regular cultivation progress.

Therefore, Qin Tian decisively channeled 40 million Evolution Points into the [Celestial Punishment Divine Thunder] talent.

In the ensuing moment, a tempest of energy was unleashed within the collective of talents residing in his sea of consciousness. The orange sphere of light, symbolizing the [Celestial Punishment Divine Thunder], suddenly blazed with an intensely brilliant luminescence, akin to an erupting volcano—initially glowing with the hue of molten iron, it rapidly deepened to a striking golden color.

"Sizzle—Boom!"

Without any forewarning, the very fabric of the air surrounding Qin Tian was violently rent asunder. Countless bolts of golden lightning spontaneously erupted from his pores, instantly coalescing into a thunderous vortex, dozens of meters in diameter, encircling him.

Initially manifesting as fine wisps of lightning, these filaments swiftly transformed into thunder dragons as thick as a man's wrist. Their serpentine bodies were intertwined with threads of silver radiance, emitting roars that resonated like the cries of dragons, causing the surrounding space itself to tremble violently with electrical discharge.

An even more profound and formidable transformation commenced within the confines of his body.

Rather than dissipating outwards, the golden lightning surged along his meridians like an incoming tide, relentlessly scouring and refining them. Under the fierce tempering of the Power of Thunder Punishment, his already expansive meridians were forcefully widened threefold. Intricate patterns of golden lightning began to etch themselves onto the internal walls of his meridians, and the flow rate of Spiritual Energy coursing through them experienced a dramatic surge.

The lightning permeated his very bones, causing luminous symbols of lightning to ignite upon what were once smooth, jade-like bone structures. Each illuminated symbol served to augment the density of the bones, emitting a distinct and crisp "hum" sound.

The most agonizing yet undeniably potent aspect was the tempering of his flesh and blood. The golden lightning burrowed into every single muscle fiber, dismantling the muscular structures before reassembling them with pure lightning energy. The texture of his muscles became incredibly taut, resembling solidified lightning patterns, and faint, shimmering golden lightning scales began to appear on the surface of his skin. Arcs of lightning now flickered with every subtle movement of his hand.

"Ugh—"

A suppressed, guttural growl escaped Qin Tian's tightly clenched teeth. The tumultuous power surging within his chest threatened to overwhelm his very being, nearly breaking free through his throat.

He abruptly opened his eyes, and two incandescent beams of golden lightning shot forth from his pupils, piercing the void. These beams spectacularly detonated, transforming into two miniature thunderclouds suspended in the air. An endless cycle of lightning now circulated within his eyes, giving the impression that his gaze contained the entirety of a raging storm.

In this very instant, the Spiritual Energy coursing through him ascended at a terrifying velocity. The thunderous energy coursing along his meridians surged like a breached flood, relentlessly impacting the precarious barrier separating Tier Six from Tier Seven. This barrier had already begun to show fine fractures, and he keenly understood that with just a minor exertion, he could shatter these shackles and ascend into the Tier Seven realm, a domain ardently coveted by countless geniuses.

However, at this precise juncture, Qin Tian's mind was suddenly flooded with visions of the fearsome legends surrounding the Celestial Human Three Tribulations—the unavoidable trials that one must endure to successfully cross into Tier Seven, comprising the Celestial Thunder Tribulation, the Body Burning Tribulation, and the Heart Demon Tribulation, which descended in layered succession. Many a prodigious talent throughout the Empire's history had met their end at this perilous stage, with a grim mortality rate exceeding seventy percent.