Previously on I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield...
The monsters attempted to fuse, creating powerful beings that then attacked the vault's barrier. Qin Tian unleashed his full power, rapidly destroying the fused monsters with lightning, shocking the other talents. The Holy Blood Prodigies joined the fight, intent on protecting the barrier and escaping.
The clamor of the conflict before the Ice Spirit Ancient Tree echoed throughout the frigid chasm. Yet, within the immense ice mountain looming behind the combat zone, a starkly different tableau was unfolding.
A spectral, pale blue ice silhouette glided silently through the layers of ice. Its form, constructed from crystalline ice, merged seamlessly with the surrounding glacial environment, appearing as if it were an intrinsic part of the mountain itself.
Its movements were characterized by an eerie mechanical precision, expertly navigating around the ethereal energy veins faintly perceptible within the icy caverns. Finally, it paused before what appeared to be an unremarkable ice facade.
The ice shadow abruptly ceased its motion, its form gradually disengaging from the ice.
The ice crystals adorning its exterior began to liquefy and reconfigure at a visually discernible pace.
Delicate, pale blue ice shards cascaded down like shattered diamonds, unveiling skin as pristine as jade. The previously indistinct facial features slowly coalesced into clarity—a cascade of raven hair shimmered with a cold, bluish luminescence, framing sharp brows and a noble nose bridge. However, the deep violet irises remained devoid of any animating spark, much like a lifeless puppet guided by an unseen hand.
Should a prodigy of the Empire lay eyes upon this figure, their identity would undoubtedly be recognized.
This was Jiang Mobai, the scion of the Jiang family within the Golden Clan, possessing a bloodline known as the Eternal Winter.
"Imprisoned for millennia, this decrepit formation... I discerned its intricacies long ago."
Staring into the vacant ice cavern before him, "Jiang Mobai" acknowledged the latent, formidable perils concealed within. Yet, through protracted observation and diligent study, he had unraveled every secret.
Hoo~
The aura emanating from Jiang Mobai underwent a dramatic metamorphosis.
Within the once-unblemished Ice Cold Power, a nauseatingly dense black qi surged—this was Demonic Qi, sharing an origin with demonic entities but possessing an even more profound potency.
The dark Demonic Qi coiled around his limb, creating a striking visual paradox against his alabaster skin. Without a flicker of hesitation, he pressed both hands against the ice wall. He fused the demonic qi with the frigid essence of Eternal Winter, generating a torrent of gray-blue energy. This focused beam drilled into the ice strata, following the intricate patterns etched at his fingertips.
"Buzz—buzz—"
Just as the energy flow breached ten meters into the ice, several faint golden lights abruptly illuminated within the ice mountain.
These lights represented the array’s defensive nodes, akin to the awakening of celestial eyes, rapidly probing the ice veins in pursuit of the intruder.
However, the energy flow expertly manipulated by Jiang Mobai proved remarkably elusive. It would sometimes trace the minute fissures within the ice veins, or conversely, utilize the profound cold of Eternal Winter to freeze localized segments of the formation. It moved like an astute infiltrator, intimately familiar with the terrain, perpetually lurking in blind spots the moment the vigilant sentinels turned their gaze.
A few of the golden lights nearly intersected with the energy torrent. Yet, they were preemptively frozen at their respective nodes by the chilling aura unleashed by Jiang Mobai, flickering briefly before extinguishing completely.
He remained poised before the ice wall, his gaze still placid, betraying no inner turmoil. It was as if he were not breaching the sanctum of an ancient formation, but rather executing a task rehearsed countless times.
In a mere ten breaths, the gray-blue energy torrent had navigated through layers of obstructions, finally arriving at the ice mountain's core.
Here, no array guardians stood watch. Instead, a black heart pulsed, its every feeble beat resonating with the rhythm of the entire ice mountain—this was the heart of Mogaro, suppressed by the Frozen Throne for eons.
The energy torrent under Jiang Mobai’s control halted abruptly a few meters from the heart. The demonic qi and the cold essence separated. The cold formed a shielding layer, deflecting the ice veins’ sensing mechanisms, while the demonic qi transmuted into a delicate black thread, writhing like a serpent in place.
It did not launch an assault. Instead, it subtly emitted a resonant frequency, akin to a key gently tapping against the seal of the Demon Heart.
The following instant—
Thud!!!
The quiescent black heart suddenly convulsed with vigorous power, shattering the icy shell encasing it.
Dark demonic qi erupted from the heart, rapidly coursing through the ice veins, causing the entire ice mountain to tremble violently and vast sections of ice to succumb to gravitational collapse.
From a fissure in the armrest of the Frozen Throne, dense streams of demonic qi spewed forth.
Jiang Mobai continued to channel his energy, observing the black tendrils spreading across the ice wall. A subtle arc began to form at the corner of his lips, growing more pronounced.
......
Boom—
Purple lightning, enveloped in whistling winds, descended, severing the fused demon’s head. Its scalding, dark green blood instantly vaporized into acrid green smoke by the crackling arcs of electricity.
Qin Tian stood, his blade poised, the residual purple electricity on the Black Frost Blade dissipating as he surveyed the battlefield. The remaining fused demons were entirely ensnared by the Holy Blood masters, their strength nearly depleted, requiring no further intervention from him.
His gaze instinctively drifted skyward, and Qin Tian’s brows began to furrow.
In the vast expanse above, shimmering ice-blue magical halos engaged in relentless combat with abyssal, pitch-black demonic qi. Lan, accompanied by the majestic Four Divine Beasts, formed an unyielding battle formation, effectively cornering Mogaro.
White Xiong advanced with earth-shattering momentum, each paw strike imbued with crackling lightning and biting frost, compelling Mogaro to muster all his strength for defense.
Spirit Deer gracefully navigated on ethereal ice blossoms, its radiant antlers weaving threads of spiritual light around its allies, bolstering White Xiong's defenses and amplifying Lan's Spiritual Energy.
The Ice Crystal Phoenix unfurled its magnificent wings, unleashing a torrent of ice-blue feathered projectiles akin to a fierce downpour, meticulously blocking Mogaro's avenues of escape.
The formidable armored beast, a moving bastion of unyielding defense, steadfastly protected Spirit Deer's flank, its hardened carapace repelling numerous retaliatory Qi Blade strikes from Mogaro.
A symphony of flawless cooperation resonated from the Four Divine Beasts, and Lan's own prowess was equally breathtaking.
Formerly a Tier Seven Spiritualist, his entry into the ancient ruins had unlocked latent abilities. Bolstered by the blessings of several Divine Artifacts, his aura now stabilized at Tier Eight, establishing a dominant five-on-one suppression against their foe.
However, even when confronted by the united assault of five Tier Eight experts, Mogaro displayed an unnerving calm, consistently maintaining the advantage.
Witnessing this spectacle, Qin Tian's gaze grew heavy with concern.
Lan was his comrade, and the desire to aid him in vanquishing their adversary burned within him.
Furthermore, the inherent nature of demons—their inclination towards slaughter and utter destruction—marked them as the natural enemies of all sentient life. Even without Lan's involvement, Qin Tian would have sought a means to confront and neutralize such a threat.
