I Picked Up Talents in the Interstellar Battlefield

Half a day later, the private spaceship of the Wu Family successfully docked with the Zelda, and the moment the hatch opened, Wu Ziyan rushed out impatiently, “Dad! Mom! Brother!”
She was like a bird returning to its nest, flying straight into the embrace of her family.
Her mother held her tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly, her voice choked, “It’s good that you’re back—it’s good that you’re back—”
The beautiful young woman’s eyes were red, and tears silently streamed down her face, but she still gently patted her daughter’s back, as if confirming her real existence.
At this moment, everyone’s gaze involuntarily fell on the two men behind Wu Ziyan—
Wu Shouwen, the patriarch of the Wu Family, was burly and stood as steady as a mountain, with a resolute face, thick eyebrows like knives, a pair of piercing tiger eyes, and a short beard on his chin, which added a touch of rugged and bold aura.
Despite his luxurious attire, it could not conceal the valiant spirit of someone who had long been on the battlefield, like an unsheathed domineering saber, with an introverted power that made people dare not underestimate him.
However, Wu Jianming, the eldest son standing beside him, was completely different. He had a slender figure, dressed in an elegant long gown, with a handsome face and a scholarly gentleness in his brows and eyes. He exuded an air of clear breeze and bright moon, refined and composed. Only those deep eyes, identical to Wu Shouwen’s, occasionally flashed with a hint of sharpness, suggesting that he was not as delicate as he appeared.
Wu Shouwen strode forward, a hearty smile blossoming on his rugged face, “Young heroes, thank you all for protecting my daughter this time.”
“I, Wu, thank you here!”
He clasped his fists in a salute, his voice as loud as a bell, making the cabin walls faintly echo.
Zhuge Yu was the first to return the salute, “Uncle Wu, you are too kind. We all worked together to overcome the strong enemy this time, and Ziyan’s Spark spell also posed a great threat to the enemy.”
“Hahahaha! Good! As expected of the Zhuge Family’s boy! Ziyan told me that your Eight Trigrams Formation is surprisingly powerful, having truly inherited the legacy of the Martial Marquis.” Wu Shouwen laughed and patted Zhuge Yu’s shoulder. The latter stumbled a bit from the pat, his eye twitching, but he still maintained an elegant smile.
Wu Shouwen scanned the group. He had already recognized all the geniuses present through the roster, with only one unfamiliar face.
This person should be Black Crow, and also the greatest contributor in this crisis.
Wu Shouwen strode to Qin Tian’s front, a rare hint of warmth in his tiger eyes, “Little friend Black Crow.”
He extended his calloused large hand, his voice deep and strong, “Ziyan told me everything. If it weren’t for you turning the tide at the critical moment, these children might have...”
At this point, the voice of this iron-blooded patriarch paused slightly, his Adam’s apple bobbing before he continued, “Our Wu Family will remember this kindness.”

His palm hung in mid-air, with unhealed scars on his knuckles, marks left by years of battle.
At this moment, this hand, accustomed to wielding weapons, waited for Qin Tian’s response with unprecedented solemnity.
Everyone present held their breath. They knew how much weight the words “remember this kindness” carried when spoken by Wu Shouwen, the overlord of the star sector.
Wu Ziyan’s eyes widened even further. The last time her father had thanked someone with such solemnity # Nоvеlight # was ten years ago, in her memory.
Feeling the sincerity in Wu Shouwen’s words, Qin Tian stepped forward and unhesitatingly grasped the calloused large hand.
“Crack—”
The subtle sound of bones rubbing was exceptionally clear in the quiet cabin.
The immense force from Wu Shouwen’s palm was as terrifying as a hydraulic clamp, and Qin Tian’s hand instantly lost all color from the pressure.
Veins protruded on his forehead, but he maintained his composure, increasing the force of his return grip, even a calm smile gracing his lips:
“The Wu Family’s way of showing gratitude is truly... passionate and powerful!”
The muscles in both their arms tensed simultaneously, and the bulging lines beneath their clothes indicated the intensity of this silent contest.
The surrounding geniuses instinctively stepped back half a pace, as if invisible sparks were flying in the air.
Wu Ziyan sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. She knew her father’s temper too well—this was clearly him venting his anger over her earlier ordeal.
But watching two grown men compete in front of everyone, she only felt her cheeks burning.
“Dad!” she couldn’t help but stomp her foot, “Can you... please pay a little attention to the occasion?”
The latter half of the sentence was almost squeezed through her teeth.
This kind of childish probing was simply lowering the Wu Family’s prestige, wasn’t it?
Wu Jianming coughed discreetly at the opportune moment, and a jade fan smoothly opened, perfectly concealing their clasped hands: “Everyone has traveled a long way. Why not go to the lounge for some refreshments first?”
His gentle voice was like a clear spring, instantly diffusing the tense atmosphere.
Only then did Wu Shouwen laugh heartily and release his grip. There was a clear white palm print on the back of his hand, but a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes as he patted Qin Tian’s slightly reddened right hand: “Good boy! You must have a few more drinks with me later!”
Qin Tian clasped his fists: “It would be disrespectful to refuse.”
Upon arriving at the lounge, Wu Shouwen first exchanged a few pleasantries with everyone, then said:
“Everyone, the Oriental Family is aware of your situation. The Oriental Family’s intention is for everyone to return to Qingmu Star to complete the final arena battle. Of course, due to the Oriental Family’s negligence, which caused you all to suffer, this time the rewards will be much more generous than before.”
Upon hearing this, the geniuses exchanged glances.
To be honest, after experiencing such a life-and-death crisis initially, they still harbored a lot of resentment towards the Oriental Family and developed a strong shadow and resistance towards the genius competition.
However, if the rewards for the genius competition were more generous, ahem... it wasn’t impossible.
“What do you all think?”
Yue Shenghe looked at the people around him, especially lingering on Fu Ning for a few seconds. He didn’t care about others; he only wanted to determine a winner between himself and Fu Ning.
He wanted to see if he, the second-ranked genius, was truly weaker than the top-ranked one.
“I want to participate.”
Wu Ziyan was the first to express her stance, “I didn’t gain anything from participating this time. If I skip the arena battle again and don’t get any rewards, wouldn’t that be too easy for the Oriental Family?”
“Exactly, we must make the Oriental Family bleed heavily.”
“Thinking that way, it makes sense. I agree.”
“I agree too.”
Everyone expressed their agreement, and even the usually aloof and silent Fu Ning spoke up, stating his willingness to continue the competition.
Rewards were one aspect; battling other geniuses was what a sword cultivator looked forward to most. When everyone nodded in agreement, their gazes involuntarily fell on one person.
“Why are you looking at me?”
Qin Tian shrugged, “The arena battle is your stage as geniuses, and I am just a small C-Level Examiner. Of course, if the Oriental Family agrees to let me participate with my symbiotic spiritual plant, I won’t refuse.”
Everyone chuckled. What would be the point of fighting with that symbiotic spiritual plant? They might as well surrender directly.
“Qin Tian, the Oriental Family specifically entrusted me to tell you that they have also prepared a generous gift for you,” Wu Shouwen said with a smile.
Oh?
Qin Tian’s eyes lit up, a strong look of anticipation appearing on his face.