I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield - Chapter 621 - 476: Breaking the Seal, Entering the Ruins
Chapter 621: Chapter 476: Breaking the Seal, Entering the Ruins
In the meeting room, the aroma of tea lingered, the steam forming a faint white mist in the cool air.
Dongfang Haoyue held a celadon teacup, gently rubbing the rim with his fingertips, and slowly spoke: “In fact, the seal of the Ice Gate was already breakable half a month ago. The reason we haven’t acted yet is mainly due to finalizing the list of those entering the ruins.”
He paused, his gaze becoming serious: “Behind the ruins is a completely unknown world, potentially harboring deadly dangers or perhaps a treasure trove. Hence, the selection this time emphasizes quality over quantity—the chosen ones are primarily direct descendants of the Holy Blood Clan and the Golden Clan, along with key cultivated talents from the Military Department, the Tribunal, and the Elder Council. Everyone’s strength is above Tier Six, and many are Tier Seven Spiritualists. Even if unexpected dangers arise, at least they have the ability to protect themselves.”
“But the Empire’s quota is only five hundred, yet the number of applicants has multiplied several times,” Zhuge Yu added, with a hint of emotion in his tone. “In the past month, major forces have been secretly competing, either pulling strings with high-ranking officials or exchanging resources, all to squeeze their own people onto the list. It was only the afternoon before yesterday that the list was finally settled, and the opening time was officially confirmed.”
Dongfang Haoyue put down his teacup, looking at Qin Tian with a teasing gaze: “This time, even the Golden Clan, with their thousand-year legacy, only got one spot, while your small Ice Extreme Pass got two. Many are inquiring about the background of this ’Guardian Envoy Qin’.”
Qin Tian spread his hands when he heard this: “Maybe those above think I deserve credit for discovering the Cold Tree, so they granted an extra spot.”
At these words, Dongfang Haoyue just smiled and said no more.
Discovering the Cold Tree indeed deserves credit, but claiming it warrants two spots seems far-fetched. Any Golden Clan alone contributes and achieves much more for the Empire annually, yet they only receive one spot.
The real reason, he knew very well.
On one hand, it’s a reward for Qin Tian’s first discovery of the Ice Gate, as without him, the Empire wouldn’t have known about this ancient ruin on Mingwang Planet.
On the other hand, Marshal Lin has been working diligently in the Military Department and the Senate, secretly pushing for the quota approval.
Without Marshal Lin’s strong support, not to mention two spots, even Qin Tian himself making the list would be uncertain.
Dongfang Haoyue discreetly glanced at Taishi Feng and Huo Yuansheng beside him, bringing them to the Ice Extreme Pass this time, seemingly a simple introduction, but actually with dual intentions.
The first intention is truly hoping Qin Tian can protect the two inside the ruins.
Qin Tian once led Mingyue through the perilous subspace storm and was able, by his own strength, to break through the subspace barrier with Mingyue, returning to the cosmos.
His spatial ability can be called a “life-saving Divine Artifact.” With Qin Tian present, even if they encounter deadly danger in the ruins, they have a greater chance to escape.
The second intention targets the other spot at the Ice Extreme Pass—an outsider named Lan.
He remembered that when the four first arrived in front of the Ice Gate, a flicker of familiarity clearly flashed in Lan’s eyes when seeing the strange script on the ice pillar.
However, at the time, Lan communicated soul-to-soul with Qin Tian, so he couldn’t comprehend the content.
Now, a month later, even the Empire’s top expert team hasn’t deciphered the ice pillar script, but Lan recognized it at a glance. This is enough to indicate that Lan has some unknown connection with this ancient ruin, though Qin Tian is unwilling to disclose this information openly, and naturally, he won’t actively tell others.
After Qin Tian and Lan enter the ruins, they will likely overpower others and seize a great fortune, and with Taishi Feng, Huo Yuansheng, and Zhuge Yu beside them, they’ll benefit by association, gaining unexpected rewards.
This judgment isn’t based on baseless speculation but derived from his sister Mingyue’s dream.
Apart from that incident, the fragments Mingyue dreamt of before eventually became reality.
As for whether this “foresight” creates the future or the dream itself influences the future trajectory, Dongfang Haoyue doesn’t care—he only knows that as long as the development path is beneficial to himself and those around him, he doesn’t mind following this “guidance of destiny.”
In the next three days, Dongfang Haoyue’s party temporarily stayed at the Ice Extreme Pass, quietly awaiting the opening of the ruins.
During this time, Qin Tian had particularly engaging interactions with Taishi Feng and Huo Yuansheng, gathering in the lounge almost every day for talks, deepening their mutual understanding.
Since graduating from the Military Academy, Taishi Feng entered military service, rising from a low-ranking officer through hard-earned battle accomplishments, eventually being promoted to Major General and taking the role of Deputy Commander of the Seventh Fleet.
Though the Taishi family provided substantial support, his current position relies heavily on his strong personal abilities.
His military expertise is extremely solid, with unique and profound insights into army construction and daily management; he’s experienced countless ground battles amid gunfire and space battles across the stars. When discussing his combat experiences, he articulates details and tactical analysis, even pulling from the classic battles in imperial history.
In just a few days of interaction, Qin Tian learned much practical military knowledge from him, especially in structuring military systems and optimizing combat power, which opened his eyes and exceeded his expectations in gains.
