I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield

Chapter 395: Chapter 348: Magma Sea and Solitary Stone

At the instant the Black Flame Lord broke through, a terrifying pressure swept across the entire Flame Mountain like a tsunami, spreading in all directions.

The demons, who were just fighting and struggling moments ago, instantly fell silent. Tier Three and Tier Four demons collapsed onto the scorching rocky ground as if their spines had been extracted, bodies uncontrollably trembling, lacking even the courage to lift their heads and gaze upward.

Even those usually arrogant Tier Six demons now prostrated themselves, their heads tightly pressed against the ground, scales opening and closing violently from fear, emitting subtle collision sounds—in the face of the pressure from a Tier Seven lord, their once proud strength was like a joke, not daring to entertain even a sliver of resistance.

Qin Tian stood inside the cave, feeling the overwhelming momentum, his heart squeezed as if by an invisible giant hand, even breathing became labored.

At such close proximity, he truly experienced that the gap between Tier Seven and Tier Six was not merely a difference in energy intensity, but rather a leap in the hierarchy of life.

Human Spiritualists must undergo the Celestial Human Three Tribulations—Celestial Thunder Tribulation, Body Burning Tribulation, and Heart Demon Tribulation—to transition from Tier Six to Tier Seven; Spirit Plants and Spirit Beasts must also experience the Spirit Plant Tribulation and Spirit Beast Tribulation respectively.

Though the cultivation system of demons differs from humans, the principles converge, presumably involving similar trials, and upon passing them, a true life transformation is complete.

At this moment, the Black Flame Lord in the center of Flame Mountain suddenly let out a roar, and its body underwent a bizarre transformation.

The colossal body, standing tens of meters tall, seemed like compressed flames, rapidly shrinking within dark golden light, bones crackling, scales stacking layer upon layer, finally stabilizing at around three meters in height.

Yet this seemingly “petite” body was even more chilling than before.

Its surface was covered with dense dark golden scales, each flowing with a ghostly black flame, no longer as chaotic as before but instead as concentrated as ink, seemingly capable of devouring all light.

Its Black Wings retracted mostly, with the edges faintly shimmering with spatial ripples, occasionally flapping, causing tiny black sparks to drift down, transforming into deep pits upon contact with the ground.

Most terrifying were its eyes, where the once-burning dark golden flames had been extinguished, replaced by two pure abysses of eerie light, as deep as cosmic black holes, a mere glance would seem to draw in one’s soul.

The current Black Flame Lord shed the grotesque of a Giant Beast but gained a demonic and majestic aura befitting a Demon King. It hovered in mid-air, surrounded by quietly burning black flames, yet more oppressive than the wildfire that swept hundreds of miles before—a repression so restrained it seemed ready to unleash world-destroying power at any moment.

It glanced down at the prostrate demons beneath it, the shimmering eyes devoid of emotion, as if looking at a group of insignificant dust particles.

Then it retracted its Black Wings, returning to the center of Flame Mountain, where the vast Demonic Qi emerged once more from the Demon Source, with the Black Flame Lord absorbing the Demonic Qi to adapt to its new body.

Qin Tian watched the vanished dark shadow, cold sweat already soaking his back.

“Tier Seven.”

Qin Tian’s brows knitted tightly; if this Black Flame Lord stabilizes through the post-breakthrough adaptation period, whether it led a demon army to sweep across the Infernal Demon Sea or delved into the second layer of the Demon Abyss, it would result in enormous casualties for the Military Department—no one could predict how many warriors would become engulfed in those black flames.

“Inform your human experts.” Blaze’s voice echoed in his mind, somewhat nonchalant, “Just a Tier Seven demon, nothing overwhelming for you all.”

Qin Tian’s eyes flickered. Indeed, throughout the Empire, even in the Azure Wood Star Realm and within the Demon Suppression Abyss, there were numerous experts capable of slaying a Tier Seven demon.

But with the forces in the Demon Suppression Abyss stretched thin, experts above Tier Seven had long been transferred to the second and third layers to suppress even more terrifying demon tides, making it as difficult as climbing the heavens to siphon personnel back to support the first layer.

Rely on himself?

Facing the Tier Seven Black Flame Lord was akin to throwing eggs against stone.

What should he do?

Qin Tian fell into contemplation, numerous trump cards and information swiftly flashing through his mind. Suddenly, a previously overlooked detail forcefully entered his thoughts, his eyes slightly widening, as if grasping a thread of hope.

“Blaze, do you remember the location of that fire-element treasure you and Yan Song found?”

“I remember.” Blaze paused, instantly realizing, “Are you thinking of…?”

Its tone grew a tad heavier, “You better think this through; if you mess this up, not even your bones will be left. I wouldn’t want to be buried in such a ghostly place for another few hundred years.”

“Don’t worry.” Qin Tian’s voice carried undeniable confidence, “I may not dare to claim expertise in other areas, but when it comes to escaping, I’m definitely a pro.”

“Alright… fine.” Blaze fell silent for a moment, ultimately agreeing. Besides, it was also curious to see what kind of treasure the one guarded by the Tier Seven Magma Demon King was.

“Go, hurry up.”

Qin Tian no longer hesitated, swiftly withdrawing from Flame Mountain.

With Blaze’s guidance, he dashed northbound, the Gate of Space continuously opening and closing, covering hundreds of kilometers in an instant.

When he halted, the scene before him sent a shock through his heart—

Having just escaped from the Purgatory of Flame Mountain, he had now stumbled into a vast sea of magma.

As far as the eye could see, countless large magma pools spread like shattered mirrors on the crimson mountain plains, connected by scalding lava streams, stretching endlessly into the distance.

The viscous magma roiled and boiled within the pools, shimmering with a gold-red luster, every bubbling burst exploding into a sky full of sparks, the steaming heat waves distorting the air, even causing the vision to waver slightly, as if threatening to scorch the very soul to ashes.