I Picked Up Talents in the Interstellar Battlefield

The moment the fusion was complete, a scorching torrent surged within Qin Tian's body.
He subconsciously raised his palm, and a cluster of black flames actually rose from his palm. The flames flickered quietly, yet exuded an overbearing aura that seemed to devour everything, even the surrounding light appeared to be drawn into it.
At the same time, in his Soul Sea, a black fire lotus slowly bloomed.
Its petals layered, each one condensed from pure black flames, with a deep void at the core, as if it could devour souls. The fire lotus swayed gently, and the fluctuations it emitted made the entire Soul Sea tremble. This was the Devouring Soul Flame, born from the fusion of dozens of flame talents.
Qin Tian focused, carefully savoring this new power. The temperature of the black flame in his palm was not searing; touching it even brought a strange coolness. Yet, the pulling sensation from his fingertips was chilling – a terrifying suction that could drag, shred, and devour all surrounding energy, as if he held a miniature black hole in his palm.
With a thought, the black flame suddenly flared up by half a foot, its temperature rapidly soaring to several thousand degrees in an instant. The air crackled from the scorching heat, and the gravel on the ground even began to melt into a glassy state.
Not only that, the Devouring Soul Flame could absorb all flames in the world. With each wisp of high-quality flame it devoured, the black flame's color would deepen, and the sense of void at its core would become more pronounced, holding the potential for infinite growth.
When he tried to mobilize all his mental power, the black lotus in his Soul Sea suddenly spun, and the surrounding black flames instantly climbed onto his body. A flame imprint appeared on his brow. The sense of power in the "Flame Lord" state surged like a tsunami; his speed, strength, and flame control precision all skyrocketed wildly, as if he were the Flame Monarch at this moment.
"A very powerful talent."
A hint of satisfaction flashed in Qin Tian's eyes. Although his primary spiritual energy focus was on the dark and lightning elements, the awakening of the Devouring Soul Flame also diversified his attack methods.
He especially valued the Devouring Soul Flame's characteristics regarding the soul.
The black fire lotus in his Soul Sea constantly emitted warm yet resilient fluctuations, like an invisible barrier that could block all incoming mental attacks and soul erosion, even devouring and transforming them into nourishment for his own Soul Fire. This made his soul-level defense impregnable.
And when he actively activated it, the Soul Flame could transform into an omnipresent vanguard, infiltrating deep into the opponent's soul through their mental connection, burning their will and origin. Even opponents skilled in mental secret arts would be wary before this Soul Flame.
Qin Tian slowly clenched his fist, and the black flame in his palm receded, leaving only a faint warmth. He could feel that this Devouring Soul Flame was like an unpolished jade; as it continued to devour and grow in the future, it would undoubtedly radiate even more astonishing brilliance, becoming another trump card in his hand capable of overturning the battle.
Yan Song was dead, but through Soul Imprint, Qin Tian knew he still had two good items on him.
He scanned Yan Song's body, his gaze falling on the dull jade pendant around his neck.
That jade pendant was called the Fire Spirit Jade Pendant, a protective magic tool specially made by the Yan Family.
Normally, flame energy would be infused and stored within it. Once a fatal attack was encountered, the energy in the jade pendant would instantly erupt, forming a translucent flame shield to envelop the person. The flame patterns flowing on the shield could nullify most of the attack.
It was this jade pendant's timely activation that allowed Yan Song to narrowly survive the Charge Accumulation.
Looking at Yan Song's wrist, a black ring lay quietly there. That was the Shadow Concealment Ring.
The ring body was crafted from an unknown black metal, with intricate dark patterns carved on its surface. Normally, it would adhere to the wrist, almost blending with the skin color. By simply activating it with a specific secret art, the ring would emit faint energy fluctuations, mimicking the aura of any surrounding living creature – whether it was the agility of a forest bird, the heaviness of a beast under a rock, or even the violent aura of a Demon, it could imitate them perfectly, thereby achieving the effect of concealing one's figure and confusing perception.
Yan Song had relied on this Shadow Concealment Ring for his previous multiple infiltrations into the Demon Cave for reconnaissance.
For Qin Tian, the Fire Spirit Jade Pendant might not be very useful, as his own defensive capabilities were already astonishing, and he also wore the green sandalwood holy branch bracelet on his wrist, which could withstand sixth-order attacks, overlapping somewhat in function with the Fire Spirit Jade Pendant.
As his strength increased, both the Fire Spirit Jade Pendant and the green sandalwood holy branch bracelet would become less effective. In the future, these two protective spiritual artifacts could be given to his subordinates.
In contrast, the Shadow Concealment Ring was quite an interesting treasure. He could transform into anyone, even a Demon, but his aura could never be perfectly mimicked. With the Shadow Concealment Ring, this sole shortcoming was also remedied.
With the two treasures in his possession, Yan Song's body was thrown into the Yin space. Afterward, Qin Tian opened the Gate of Void. He still had another person to deal with: the sixth-order Soul Master by Yan Song's side, nicknamed "Old Ghost."
High in the wilderness, strong winds carried sand and grit, howling past. Two figures sped like arrows released from a bow.
"Qin Tian, how much longer until we catch up to them?"

Old Ghost's voice was somewhat distorted by the wind, the anxiety in his eyes almost overflowing. Yan Song absolutely couldn't die, at least not now. He hadn't yet pried the whereabouts of that child from that guy's mouth.
"Soon," the "Qin Tian" leading the way responded in a deep voice. As soon as his words fell, his nostrils twitched almost imperceptibly. "Their aura is just ahead."
As he spoke, a fleeting, extremely faint hint of cunning flashed in the depths of his pupils as his peripheral vision swept over Old Ghost behind him. Unfortunately, Old Ghost was consumed by anxiety, staring intently at the horizon ahead, completely oblivious to this fleeting anomaly.
"Good!"
Old Ghost suddenly clenched his fists, and soul power surged through his limbs and bones like a tide. A faint blue glow emanated from his body, and his speed abruptly increased, drawing level with the "Qin Tian" ahead.
In less than half a minute, the scene on the wasteland below became clearly visible.
A Silverwing Demon with silver wings on its back was hunched over, clinging tightly to a body, its sharp claws deeply embedded in flesh. Its throat constantly gulped, and the fresh blood hanging from its mouth glowed with an eerie red in the sunlight.
Hearing the sound of rushing air from above, the Demon suddenly looked up, and fierce light shot from its crimson vertical pupils.
"Damn beast!"
Old Ghost's eyes were about to split. He suddenly raised his right arm, and immense soul power condensed into a pale purple light mass in his palm, which he then slammed out.
The light mass shot out like a meteor, precisely hitting ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ the Silverwing Demon's back. With a shrill shriek, the Demon's body flew out like a rag doll struck by a heavy hammer, dissolving into a black mist in the air, vanishing without a trace.
What!
Seeing this, Old Ghost's pupils constricted. No, this wasn't that Silverwing Demon. Thinking of this, he urgently began, "Qin Tian, little..." Before he could finish, a piercing pain suddenly shot through his chest.
Pfft!
A dark black short blade inexplicably pierced through his chest from within, and the blood dripping from its tip traced an eerie arc in the wind.
Old Ghost's body suddenly stiffened. He looked down at the familiar short blade in disbelief.
Old Ghost slowly turned around and saw that the owner of the short blade had already retreated several hundred meters away, his skin peeling off like melting wax, revealing a strange and indifferent face.
"You—" Old Ghost's voice was as hoarse as a broken gong.
Just then, the chaotic fragments in his mind suddenly pieced together at high speed – the strange timing of the Silverwing Demon's raid, Qin Tian's unexpected help, and the dissipation of that Silverwing Demon...
A clap of thunder exploded in his mind.
Old Ghost suddenly turned around, only to see the "Yan Song" lying on the ground slowly standing up. The wound on his neck healed at a visible speed, and his blood-stained face twisted and changed in the wind, finally settling into Qin Tian's familiar face, looking at him with a half-smile.
At this moment, Old Ghost's blood seemed to have frozen.
It turned out that from beginning to end, this was a play Qin Tian had directed himself.
He and Yan Song were merely pawns manipulated by this cunning fox.
Old Ghost took a deep breath, the sharp pain in his chest making him groan. Another mouthful of blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth. He clearly knew that it was too late to run now; Qin Tian's speed was certainly far superior to his, not to mention that guy also possessed spatial teleportation techniques.
Fortunately, he was a Soul Master specializing in the path of the soul. Although his physical body was pierced by the short blade and seriously injured, his soul power was not greatly affected.
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. Since he couldn't escape, he would fight to the death!
Old Ghost said nothing more. His eyes suddenly glowed with a ghostly purple light, and immense soul power erupted from his body like a tsunami. The surrounding air seemed to become viscous.
"Soul Cage!"
With Old Ghost's fierce shout, countless purple soul threads appeared out of thin air, weaving into a huge cage that instantly enveloped Qin Tian.
These soul threads appeared delicate, yet contained powerful restrictive force. Once entangled, not only would the physical body be bound, but even the soul would find it difficult to move.
With a thought, Qin Tian's surrounding Devouring Soul Flame suddenly erupted, transforming into a giant black fire lotus that enveloped him.
The petals spread in layers, and the black flames, as they flowed, emitted an aura that devoured everything.
When the Soul Cage collided with the fire lotus, the purple soul threads were exceptionally tough, creating a stalemate with the black flames. The soul threads continuously impacted the fire lotus barrier, emitting sizzling sounds of scorching, and the fire lotus's light also flickered slightly, clearly indicating the power of this attack was not to be underestimated.
Qin Tian raised an eyebrow slightly. Old Ghost was indeed a sixth-order Soul Master; his soul power was truly profound.
"A bit interesting." Qin Tian's lips curled into a cold smile. A cluster of black flames rose from his fingertips. With a gentle flick, the flame transformed into a stream of light, shooting towards Old Ghost.
Seeing this, a hint of solemnity flashed in Old Ghost's eyes, but he did not panic. He formed a hand seal and muttered internally, "Soul Barrier, Triple Overlap!"
Three thick purple soul barriers appeared in layers before him. Fine soul patterns also swirled around the barriers. The black flame struck the first barrier, emitting a violent Explosion. The barrier shook violently but did not shatter. The flame successively broke through two barriers, losing momentum before the third barrier, and was finally completely blocked.
Feeling the devouring power contained within the black flame, Old Ghost's expression grew even more solemn. He activated his soul power, and countless twisted ghostly figures flew out of his body, emitting shrill screams as they charged towards Qin Tian.
A hundred ghosts walking at night!
Qin Tian's eyes narrowed, and the black fire lotus around him suddenly spun. The black flames at the edges of the petals transformed into sharp flame blades.
As the fire lotus rotated, the flame blades collided with the ghostly figures, emitting bursts of piercing sounds.
The ghostly figures were constantly shredded, and the light of the flame blades gradually dimmed. After a few exchanges, although the ghostly figures were all annihilated, Qin Tian's fire lotus also shrunk by a circle, clearly indicating a significant consumption.
The two went back and forth, exchanging a few more moves. Old Ghost, relying on his exquisite soul spells, repeatedly fended off Qin Tian's Devouring Soul Flame attacks. Although Qin Tian was not a Soul Master specializing in the path of the soul, his two orange talents, Divine Right of Spiritual Intelligence and Devouring Soul Flame, were both related to the soul.
Divine Right of Spiritual Intelligence gave him almost infinite potential in soul aspects. As he tempered and absorbed souls, his soul strength would increase at an unimaginable speed. Any soul-type treasures and skills would have their beneficial effects on him increased by 100%, and soul control and damage skill effects would be reduced by 90%.
Coupled with the protective effect of the Devouring Soul Flame, Old Ghost's soul spells not only couldn't harm him, but instead allowed him to continuously strengthen his control over the Devouring Soul Flame during the confrontation.
Therefore, even if he had the ability to quickly end the battle, he was not in a hurry now.
After a few exchanges of spells, Old Ghost realized that he couldn't defeat Qin Tian at all. He had originally planned to target another person to make Qin Tian hesitate, but he didn't expect that person had long since disappeared, giving him no opportunity whatsoever.
Just as Old Ghost was racking his brain for a way to break the deadlock, he suddenly felt a turmoil within his body, and a strong sense of dizziness assailed him. The scene before his eyes began to blur, and the circulation of soul power within him also became sluggish. His once fluid spell-casting hand seals became somewhat slow.
"What's going on—" Old Ghost's heart jolted, and a terrifying thought surged into his mind.
He looked down at the short blade in his chest; the blade body glowed with a faint, almost imperceptible, bluish light.
"Poison! There's poison on the short blade." Old Ghost instantly realized the problem, his face changing drastically.
Once the poison took effect, it was like a mountain torrent or a tsunami. Old Ghost's body began to tremble uncontrollably, and his breathing became chaotic.
Seeing this, Qin Tian also knew it was time to close the net. He fiercely activated the Devouring Soul Flame, and the black fire lotus instantly surged, sweeping towards Old Ghost.
Old Ghost desperately tried to condense soul power to resist with his last ounce of strength, but the toxins in his body had already spread through his blood to all his limbs and bones. His soul power was stagnant, like a frozen stream.
He watched helplessly as the black fire lotus surged like a tide, completely engulfing him with its devouring might. His consciousness rapidly sank amidst the searing pain, finally plunging into boundless darkness.
Whoosh—
The black flames receded like a tide, revealing the messy ground below.
Old Ghost lay unconscious in the pile of rubble. His once relatively neat black robe was scorched into tattered rags by the flames, revealing a wrinkled, aged face. The short blade was still embedded in his chest, but no more blood flowed out.
The sound of rushing wind came from afar. Li Qi slowly descended, treading on the air currents. His gaze swept over Old Ghost on the ground, and a smile played on his lips. He turned to Qin Tian and cupped his hands, saying, "Congratulations, Boss, another sixth-order subordinate acquired."
"This time, you are indispensable."
Qin Tian smiled slightly. With a raised arm, Old Ghost's body floated into the air. Immediately after, his large hand pressed against Old Ghost's forehead, swiftly planting a Soul Imprint.