I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield - Chapter 743 - 530: Satellite City, Conflict

A hundred kilometers east of Ice Extreme Pass, the silhouette of a brand new small city was gradually emerging amidst the wind and snow.

Inside the city, it was vast and desolate, with only rows of engineering robots and large unmanned machinery methodically hoisting construction materials and pouring foundations, sketching out the outlines of numerous unfinished skyscrapers.

At the very center of the city, a dense forest of Cold Trees took root, with branches adorned with ice-blue diamond-shaped crystals.

The Cold Tree grove supported a semi-transparent, pale blue cold-proof shield, enveloping the entire small city securely, isolating the biting winds and severe cold of the outside world.

This was one of the eight satellite cities of Ice Extreme Pass planned by Qin Tian.

According to his vision, in the future, a city network will expand outwards layer by layer like a blossoming snow lotus, with Ice Extreme Pass as the core, along the east, south, west, north, southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest directions, eventually forming a cluster of cities covering a vast area.

For now, as funds and personnel were not yet fully in place, Qin Tian first planted Cold Trees in the core areas of these eight satellite cities to build basic protection and initially constructed a batch of simple barracks and supporting facilities to ensure that subsequent construction personnel would have a place to settle upon arrival.

Once all materials and personnel are complete, a comprehensive rapid city-building plan will be launched.

But nobody expected that before the city took shape, uninvited guests would quietly arrive.

Beside the Cold Tree grove, over a hundred soldiers from Ice Extreme Pass and Barbarian Warriors stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the front with solemn expressions, gripping the weapons in their hands tightly, with Spiritual Energy vaguely surging around them.

On the ground not far away, a few soldiers lay stiffly, covered in a thick layer of frost, their faint breaths proving they were still alive.

And in front of them, stood a group of chilling figures who had broken the peace, the uninvited guests.

At the forefront stood a tall Beastman, whose appearance was very similar to that of a human, yet carried distinct Beastman traits.

Silver-white hair fell like silk to the shoulders, the skin shone with a cold jade-like luster, and faint blue ring-shaped patterns, the racial mark of the Ice Silkworm Clan, were vaguely visible on the neck and wrists; behind him, a pair of transparent wings, as thin as cicada wings, were folded, and when they gently trembled, fine ice mist fell.

His gaze was indifferent, passing over the soldiers and Barbarian Warriors ahead without a trace of warmth.

At his sides were surrounded by many other Beastmen with icy characteristics.

On the left were more than a dozen Icefield Snow Wolf Beastmen, agile in body, with gray-white fur, erect pointy ears, and sharp ice-blue fangs exposed at the corners of their mouths.

In the center were two Ice Crystal Bear Beastmen, nearly five meters tall, covered entirely in something like polished ice crystal armor, with large, heavy paws, the claws at the tips gleaming with a chilling light, exhaling white ice mist with every breath.

On the right stood a few Frost Feathered Eagle Beastmen, with human bodies and eagle wings, the feathers on the wings as clear and transparent as ice sculptures, their eyes sharp, scanning the scene from a height.

Besides these Ice Beastmen, there were a few humans standing behind the leader of the Eternal Ice Silkworm Clan, looking respectful.

Unol, the Ice Silkworm leader, completely disregarded the soldiers and Barbarian Warriors, stepping forward, his hand stroking the branch of a Cold Tree, Spiritual Energy delving deep into the tree’s structure.

“Absorbing cold, condensing ice crystals, and also constructing a cold-proof barrier, the Human Empire actually possesses such a wonder.”

Unol’s gaze lingered on the Cold Tree grove, murmuring lowly, then turned to the middle-aged man bowing beside him, asking in Beastman language, “Li, are these wondrous trees native to this planet?”

Li Jingzhong slightly bent his body, his waist bowing just right, his tone respectful: “Mr. Unol, this tree is called the Cold Tree, a rare plant unique to Mingwang Planet, and across the entire Empire’s territory, it only grows here.”

“Unique to Mingwang Planet?” Unol’s eyes reflected a thoughtful gleam, then he inquired further, “Can I take them away?”

“The Cold Trees are not my private property, I cannot decide.” Li Jingzhong smiled humbly, then shifted the tone, “But sir, you are a distinguished guest of the Empire, your status is high, such a small request will surely not be refused by the Empire.”

“That’s good.” Unol nodded in satisfaction, uninterested in entangling the details further, waved his hand, “Take these Cold Trees away.”

“Yes!”

As his words fell, the Ice Beastmen behind him stepped forward towards the Cold Tree grove with heavy footsteps.

Thick arms grasped the branches of the Cold Trees, and with a burst of brute force, the frozen ground cracked, accompanied by the “crack” of breaking roots, the Cold Trees were forcibly uprooted, with ice-blue crystals rustling to the ground.

At that moment

“Stop!”

A furious roar exploded suddenly, the lieutenant among the soldiers flushed red, the veins on his arm holding the spear bulging, pointing towards the Beastmen group he shouted angrily, “These are the Cold Trees of our Ice Extreme Pass, without the Military Lord’s permission, no one can touch them!”

Hearing the voice, Unol turned his head, the translator on his ear clearly transmitted the soldier’s words, his eyebrows slightly raised, looking at Li Jingzhong: “Li, this ’Military Lord of Ice Extreme Pass’ he refers to, who is it?”

“Sir, the Military Lord of Ice Extreme Pass is named Qin Tian, a Major General of the Empire, and also the owner of this batch of Cold Trees.” Li Jingzhong answered truthfully.

“Qin Tian, a Major General.” Unol slightly furrowed his brows, then asked, “Compared to my friend Inzaghi Luoho, who is of higher status?”

“Naturally, Inzaghi Military Lord is.” Li Jingzhong replied without hesitation, “Lord Inzaghi is from one of the Nine Great Holy Blood Clans of the Empire, his status is far above that of an ordinary Major General.”