I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield

Chapter 538: Chapter 437: Snow Beast

The horn for battle preparations fell, and the soldiers quickly got into position.

The spiritual energy cannons on the city walls were activated one by one, with light blue energy lines spreading along the barrels. The muzzles gathered scattered light points, aimed at the approaching storm from the northwest.

On the ice wall, the soldiers were fully equipped, with energy rifles loaded with ice-breaking bullets in their right hands, cold weapons in their left, and spiritual energy grenades in their tactical packs at their waists. The collar of their special frost-resistant suits glowed faintly green—a standby activation indicator of a small energy shield. By pressing the collar button, they could deploy a close-fitting shield to ward off icy particles and extreme cold from the storm.

Everyone stood upright, eyes locked on the distant white mass steadily approaching. Though the wind and snow already started pelting their faces with ice particles, no one raised a hand to wipe them away.

Occasionally, someone would instinctively glance at Qin Tian atop the city walls. Seeing that black figure standing firm would cause their previously tense shoulders to quietly relax a bit.

With the Military Lord here, any storm, no matter how terrifying, seemed bearable.

Qin Tian stood atop the city wall, the crenellations of the profound ice beneath his feet glimmering coldly.

He could clearly see the distant white mass rapidly approaching, its previously blurred outline becoming distinct. The gale carrying ice particles rolled at the edge of the mass like a giant beast with an open maw of destruction.

His fingertips slightly moved, with the power of space flowing quietly in his palm.

With his ability, he could tear through the void and create a temporary passage to evacuate all the soldiers a hundred kilometers to safety.

However, after consideration, he abandoned this idea.

The Ice Extreme Pass was a bastion built by the soldiers through years of effort. Once abandoned, the storm and the subsequent snow beast waves would erase it from existence.

Abandoning the base on his first day would leave an indelible stain on his record. Worse, morale would plummet, and the soldiers would feel disheartened.

But if he chose to fight, leading the soldiers through the storm and beast wave, not only would the Ice Extreme Pass be saved, but morale would soar, and his military prestige would be established in one stroke.

If the situation turned truly dire, opening a void passage to retreat wouldn’t be too late.

By then, he would have demonstrated his resolve to coexist with the base and his commitment to protect his subordinates. The military department wouldn’t blame him, and the soldiers would be grateful. It’s a win-win.

As Qin Tian pondered, a strange spiritual energy fluctuation came from the rear city wall.

His brow slightly furrowed. Without turning back, he sensed more than a dozen people stealthily climbing over the wall under the cover of wind and snow, fleeing away from the Ice Extreme Pass.

The aura of the leader was all too familiar—Duan Guangtai, with his trusted followers.

A hint of coldness flashed in Qin Tian’s eyes, yet he did not order an interception.

With the storm approaching and people anxious, it was better to focus on battle preparations than chase deserters.

Duan Guangtai, choosing to abandon the pass and flee at this time, could be dealt with after the storm, slowly accounting for his actions.

“Buzz——”

With a sudden piercing hum, the spiritual energy shield of the city walls was fully activated. The light blue energy shield enveloped the entire Ice Extreme Pass, facing the approaching white mass from afar.

The howling winds grew nearer, slamming against the shield with crackling sounds. Everyone stared ahead, hearts pounding wildly, even breathing became difficult.

Qin Tian looked up; the white mass was nearly upon them. The trajectories of icy wind blades within it were now visible—

The snowstorm had arrived.

“Boom”​

The white mass, carrying a breath of destruction, collided into view. No longer a distant, blurred outline, it transformed into a surging tide of snow and ice. The light between heaven and earth was instantly swallowed, leaving only a chaotic blur of white.

The howling wind had become a deafening roar, like thousands of giant beasts bellowing simultaneously. Even the profound ice city walls beneath shook, forcing soldiers to grip the crenellations tightly to maintain their footing.

Within seconds of everyone seeing the storm’s true form, the snowstorm overwhelmed the entire Ice Extreme Pass like a tidal wave.

Countless ice pellets mixed with sharp wind blades poured down like torrential rain. Those ice pellets were as large as fists, hitting the Energy Shield with a muffled “bang bang” sound.

The wind blades carried a cold gleam, leaving short white marks on the Shield’s surface as they sliced through, akin to knives cutting fabric, or bullets sweeping across armor, creating a dense sound that made one’s scalp tingle.

The light blue Energy Shield was constantly rippling from the impact, its originally uniform light layer occasionally bulging and sinking, as if it might be torn apart in the next second.

“Quick! Replenish the Energy Crystal Stones! Don’t let the Shield fail!”

The officer on the wall roared, forcibly inserting fist-sized Blue Crystal Stones into the Spiritual Energy Reactor’s slots.

The soldiers nearby passed the Crystal Stones relay-style, each with cold sweat on their foreheads. Even with frost-resistant gloves, their fingertips turned white from exertion.

Fortunately, the Ice Extreme Pass’s area was inherently not large, and the required Shield energy consumption was relatively controllable. Previously stockpiled Energy Crystal Stone reserves were still somewhat abundant, and as each Crystal Stone was consumed, although the Energy Shield’s glow continued to fluctuate, it never developed cracks, managing to temporarily keep this impending disaster at bay.

The soldiers watched the still steadfast Shield, their tense nerves relaxing slightly, allowing them to take a breath.

But this ease only lasted for a moment before being replaced by deepening unease—they all knew that the snowstorm was just the first trial; the real danger was yet to come.

“Snow Beasts, they’ve appeared!”

Suddenly, a keen-eyed soldier pointed into the depths of the storm, his voice trembling.

Everyone looked in that direction, seeing vague silhouettes emerging amidst the endless snow.

Qin Tian squinted his eyes, his Spiritual Energy perception instantly expanding, clearly “capturing” the outlines hidden in the storm.

The first to reveal themselves were over a dozen giant beasts as large as houses, their bodies covered entirely in thick layers of snow, resembling massive moving Frostmen. Yet, their eyes emitted a ghostly blue light, like two Ice Crystals embedded in snowdrifts.

Not far away, dozens of Snow Beasts composed entirely of transparent Ice Crystals could be seen. Their bodies refracted the snowstorm, almost blending into it if not observed carefully. Their limbs tread silently on the ice surface, only occasionally flashing with an icy crystal luster, revealing their presence.

What was even more unsettling was in the sky, where over a hundred snow beasts, with wings spanning several meters, were circling. Their wings seemed made of thin ice, stirring small whirlwinds as they flapped. Their crimson eyes pierced through the snow, fixedly staring at the Ice Extreme Pass below, akin to hovering raptors waiting for prey to show weakness.

These Snow Beasts seemed inherently capable of maneuvering through the snowstorm. Instead of hindering their actions, the roaring wind and ice pellets became their cover.

They moved freely through the storm, their speed unabated, even gathering continuously. More and more beast shadows appeared from deep within the snow, faintly encircling the Ice Extreme Pass.

The soldiers could feel the terrifying auras emanating from the snowstorm, their complexions gradually turned pale.

Among those auras, many were far more formidable than even the captains’ auras, with powerful energy fluctuations penetrating the Energy Shield, making their hearts tremble.

This is definitely Tier Six level!

All across Ice Extreme Pass, only one person, Military Lord Qin Tian, had reached Tier Six.

As for the other, Duan Guangtai, he had already fled the battlefield before the storm arrived. How could his whereabouts escape the soldiers’ eyes?

At this moment, the soldiers felt like an invisible hand was tightly gripping their hearts, the tension almost making them unable to breathe.

They knew well the limitations of the Energy Shield; barely enduring the erosion of the snowstorm was its limit. Facing such a frenzied assault by countless Tier Six snow beasts, it would not last for long.

Once the Energy Shield shattered, Ice Extreme Pass would directly face the dual devastation of storm and snow beasts. By then, without any protective barriers, they would be like lambs before these ferocious snow beasts, total annihilation would be inevitable.

Desperation began to slowly spread among the soldiers, everyone’s gaze instinctively focused on Qin Tian atop the wall—at this moment, he was Ice Extreme Pass’s only hope.

Feeling the expectant yet anxious gazes turned upon him, Qin Tian slowly raised his hand, a dazzling silver light emerging from his palm, growing brighter, with faint void fluctuations flowing within.

Since the awakening of the Void God Master’s Talent, he had yet to use this power in combat, and now facing this crisis, it was a perfect chance to test the might of this Holy Blood Level void talent.

In an instant, a brilliant silver light flashed in his eyes.