I Picked Up Talents in the Interstellar Battlefield

On Emperor Star's Eastern Imperial Continent, the White Jade Pill Tower stood like a pillar reaching the heavens, its hundreds of meters tall body constructed from flawless white jade. After millennia of weathering, it showed no signs of age; instead, it exuded a profound and sacred aura. The faint scent of medicinal herbs lingering around the tower could be subtly detected several streets away.
"This is the headquarters of the Alchemist Association."
Dongfang Mingyue looked up at the majestic Pill Tower, its outline reflected in her pupils, gradually overlapping with the 'Alchemy Holy Land' she had seen in picture books when she was young.
Years of arduous nights by the pill furnace and fierce competition in alchemy tournaments had finally brought her here, on the verge of entering her dream sanctuary.
Qin Tian looked at the undisguised longing and expectation in her eyes, and a gentle smile unconsciously formed on his lips.
"Qin Tian, I should go report." Dongfang Mingyue turned to him, a hint of reluctance in her eyes, then deliberately emphasized, "Don't forget our agreement, we pinky swore."
"Don't worry, I won't forget."
Qin Tian nodded, lifting his chin towards the Pill Tower's entrance, and smiled gently, "Go on in, don't keep those waiting for you impatient."
Dongfang Mingyue's gaze swept across the bustling crowd in front of the Pill Tower, then returned to Qin Tian. After a moment of hesitation, as if gathering all her courage, she stepped forward quickly and gently hugged Qin Tian, resting her head on his chest. Her voice was soft but clear: "Thank you, Qin Tian."
Qin Tian was slightly startled, then raised his hand and gently patted her back, playfully saying, "Keep it up, future Ninth-Grade Alchemist Grandmaster."
"Qin Tian, I will definitely become a Ninth-Rank Alchemist!" Dongfang Mingyue's voice had a hint of a nasal tone, but it was full of determination.
"Mhm, I believe you."
"Cough, cough!"
Just then, two deliberately loud coughs suddenly broke the atmosphere between them.
Qin Tian turned his head and saw an acquaintance — Zhuge Yu was still in his loose, plain long robe, his smooth long hair covering his eyebrows, and his signature squinted eyes were half-open, as if he was perpetually half-asleep.

And standing beside Zhuge Yu was Eastern Haoyue, whom he had met once before and who had recently been frequently mentioned by Dongfang Mingyue.
Eastern Haoyue was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with a handsome face and the elegance of a ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) young master from a prominent family in his every movement. But at this moment, his expression was not very pleasant — watching Dongfang Mingyue and Qin Tian embrace, his brows were tightly furrowed, his face subtly darkened, looking exactly like someone whose 'precious cabbage had been snatched away.'
"Brother!"
Dongfang Mingyue also saw Eastern Haoyue, and a surprised smile instantly bloomed on her face. But the next second, seeing her brother's expression and remembering her own actions just now, her little face flushed, and she quickly pulled away from Qin Tian's embrace.
"Cough cough, Qin Tian, long time no see." Zhuge Yu was the first to step forward, his tone casually familiar, cleverly diffusing the awkward atmosphere.
"Indeed, long time no see. You're still the same, always—"
Qin Tian's words were cut short by Zhuge Yu's urgent interruption.
"Stop!" Zhuge Yu's mouth twitched, looking helpless. "Can't you change the subject, you guy? I'm talking to you with my eyes open now!"
"Pfft—"
—"
Dongfang Mingyue was amused by their interaction, and her previous embarrassment instantly vanished. Eastern Haoyue's tense lips also relaxed slightly, and a faint smile flickered in his eyes.
Qin Tian spread his hands, feigning regret, "Alright, I thought you'd already become desensitized to this."
【Writing here, I hope readers remember our domain 101kansh.com for entertainment, 101kansh.com is super smooth】
Zhuge Yu shook his head helplessly. Qin Tian, this guy, usually appeared calm, serious, and unapproachable, but once he got familiar, his sharp tongue was absolutely merciless.
He changed the subject, stepping aside to make way: "Qin Tian, allow me to formally introduce you. This is Mingyue's brother, Eastern Haoyue. We've met once before."
"I remember." Qin Tian extended his hand, his tone calm, "Hello."
Eastern Haoyue raised his hand to shake back, without any cliché 'secret competition, sudden exertion' drama. He simply looked at Qin Tian seriously, his expression completely back to normal: "Qin Tian, thank you for protecting Mingyue all this way."
He had already learned from Dongfang Mingyue about the dangers of their journey—the assassination on Frost Flower Star, the desperate situation in the subspace. Every step was a matter of life and death.
Even if he had personally protected Mingyue, it would likely have been difficult to ensure both their safety, yet Qin Tian had brought Mingyue safely to Emperor Star.
Although he couldn't help but feel a subtle emotion of 'his own precious cabbage being snatched away' when he saw his sister actively embrace Qin Tian, his overriding feeling was genuine gratitude towards Qin Tian.
From Eastern Haoyue's tone, Qin Tian could clearly feel the deep affection between the siblings. He nodded gently: "Protecting Mingyue was my mission. Now that the mission is complete, I should go handle my own affairs."
"Qin Tian, are you free tonight?" Zhuge Yu suddenly invited, "We haven't seen each other in a long time. How about I treat you to dinner, and we can have a good chat?"
Qin Tian, however, shook his head: "I'm afraid not. I have to go to the military to complete my onboarding procedures later. I might even have to depart for Pluto today, so let's put this meal on hold for now and reschedule for next time."
He knew very well that he had already delayed too much time — according to the original plan, he should have taken office on Pluto months ago. Now, with the delay, even if there were reasons, the outside world wouldn't know.
His subordinates waiting to hand over work, and departments needing to adjust their deployments based on his arrival, might have already been put in a passive position due to his delay.
Whether for his own responsibilities or to avoid delaying others' work, he had to complete the procedures as quickly as possible and rush to Pluto.
"Alright, well, there'll be plenty of opportunities in the future anyway." Zhuge Yu didn't insist, turning to look at Eastern Haoyue beside him, and added with a smile, "We're not far from each other. I'll come find you on Pluto when I have time."
"No problem." Qin Tian nodded in agreement, then looked at the three of them: "Then I'll be heading off. Goodbye, everyone!"
"Goodbye!"
Boarding the flying device, Qin Tian looked back through the porthole — Dongfang Mingyue, Eastern Haoyue, and Zhuge Yu below gradually shrank, eventually turning into three blurry black dots, disappearing into the crowd in front of the Pill Tower.
He withdrew his gaze, the gentleness in his eyes fading, replaced by renewed determination.
The mission of escorting Dongfang Mingyue was successfully completed. Thoughts of romance were temporarily suppressed deep in his heart. For him, the most important thing remained only one: to become stronger.
From the day he obtained his cheat, he had set a goal: to become the strongest across the universe, no longer manipulated by fate, truly able to control his own life.
The Qingmu Star Region was his starting point — from an ignorant, weak clone soldier who could die at any moment, to a powerful individual who had broken through to the sixth-tier and possessed three great saint blood talents, he had completed his initial rise there.
And Pluto would be his broader stage.
That planet, perpetually covered in ice and snow, with countless terrifying creatures lurking underground, was a forbidden death zone that others avoided. For him, however, it was a uniquely advantageous breeding ground for growth.