In a certain plane of the Virtual Universe, within a vast hall.
There were a full 108 ancient thrones in the hall, each occupied by a powerful being—some human experts, others experts of foreign races—all radiating formidable auras.
"I gathered everyone here because, according to information from the Outer Domain Battlefield military system, the human expert Jiu Li slaughtered eighty-three High Marquis and Early Marquis experts in a short period of time. After obtaining a precious treasure, he fought several King-level experts of foreign races and successfully escaped!" A tall human seated upon one of the thrones, clad entirely in black armor with a towering single horn at the center of his forehead, explained in detail.
"In such a short time, he killed so many Marquis?"
"He actually seized a precious treasure in the outer domain?"
"Venerable Lunhui, may we watch the surveillance footage recorded by the military system?"
This immediately piqued the interest of all the other beings.
A precious treasure was incomparably valuable even to them. Many Venerables possessed only one or two such treasures.
"Of course you may!" The tall, horned figure nodded slightly.
With a wave of his hand, footage of the Nine Li clone's battle appeared before each of the 108 ancient beings. Brilliant blade light and the Blood River filled the void, and wherever they passed, the foreign races perished.
With one slash, he split the claws of the demon race's King Level Kuang Jin Hou in two. Faced with the combined attack of a million Zerg Kings, he had easily evaded it...
"Everyone, according to the internal regulations of our Hong Alliance, the human Jiu Li slaughtered so many Marquis in such a short time and clearly suppressed the Early King-level opponents he fought in battle. He can be deemed to possess King Level strength. Although the Human race's Five Great Powers have not granted him the title of King Level, we can still recruit him into the Hong Alliance!" The tall, horned figure's voice boomed like a great bell.
The Hong Alliance was a racial alliance centered around humanity, incorporating humanity's many allied races and vassal races. Normally, Immortal Gods received an invitation upon officially becoming King Level. However, the Nine Li clone was a Lone Wanderer, not a member of the Human race's Five Great Powers. Even if his strength had reached King Level, no one would grant him the title, so naturally he had never received an invitation from the Hong Alliance.
But now, because of his frenzied slaughter and his acquisition of a precious treasure, he had entered the sight of these ancient beings of the Hong Alliance.
The tall, horned figure swept his gaze across the human and foreign-race super experts before him, his booming voice ringing out once more. "Therefore, I propose that we send an invitation to the human Jiu Li and recruit him into the Hong Alliance. Do any of you have objections?"
"No objections!"
"No objections."
"I second it!"
"I second it!"
Every powerful being agreed. The Nine Li clone's battle footage had already fully proven his strength.
The human Jiu Li was not merely King Level—he was a powerful King Level expert!
"Good. Since it has passed unanimously, I will immediately arrange an envoy team to invite Jiu Li to formally join our Hong Alliance." The tall, horned human nodded slightly, then vanished into thin air. The powerful beings on the other thrones also disappeared one after another. In an instant, only the 108 ancient thrones remained in the hall.
Several days later, while the Nine Li clone was cultivating within the War Base, he received an email.
"An invitation for me to join the Hong Alliance? The Hong Alliance's envoy team wishes to meet me in the Virtual Universe?" The Nine Li clone opened his eyes, a trace of surprise in them.
Before entering the Outer Domain Battlefield, he had acquired a human identity in the Ganwu Universe Country under the name Jiu Li. Then he had hurried into the Outer Domain Battlefield, so he had never purchased a residence in the Virtual Universe.
Come to think of it, over the past five thousand years, aside from the Virtual Universe training grounds, he had truly never gone anywhere else.
Now, the Hong Alliance's envoy team wanted to visit and invite him, only to awkwardly discover that he did not even have a door... no, he did not even have a home.
"I should buy a house! I'll buy one on Ganwu Continent!" The Nine Li clone made his decision.
Very quickly, he settled all the arrangements and purchased a palace in a quiet area of Ganwu Continent. After replying to the email, the Hong Alliance's envoy team soon came calling.
The Nine Li clone stepped out of the divine hall and saw a group of Immortal Gods standing outside its enormous gates. They had all sorts of appearances—some human, some of foreign races—and there were nine experts in total.
He could sense the intangible pressure of consciousness emanating from the nine experts. Every one of them was King Level.
"Everyone, welcome!" The Nine Li clone said with a smile. "Come inside my divine hall so we can talk in detail."
"Good, then we won't stand on ceremony!" The leader, a tall bald man wearing pale blue battle armor, smiled as well. His smile unconsciously made the Nine Li clone relax.
Led by the Nine Li clone, this envoy team dispatched by the Hong Alliance entered the living room.
The Nine Li clone had long since arranged for an outsourced service company to prepare a lavish banquet in the living room.
"Please, have a seat," the Nine Li clone said with a smile.
Every one of these Hong Alliance members was tremendously powerful, a supreme existence within a Universe Nation. Yet they all maintained a friendly attitude toward the Nine Li clone. After all, he was an existence on the same level as them, and not long ago, he had made a tremendous name for himself on the Outer Domain Battlefield. He was far from an ordinary King Level expert.
Once all nine envoys had taken their seats, the Nine Li clone sat down as well. "I still don't know who you all are."
The bald man smiled. "I am human—Star Brilliance King!"
The other eight envoys also openly introduced themselves. The Nine Li clone's senses had been correct: all nine were King Level. Apart from the bald man and two other female King Level experts who were human, the remaining six envoys came from other races within the Hong Alliance.
The bald Star Brilliance King smiled. "Jiu Li, I sent you an email before. You presumably already understand our purpose. The Hong Alliance is a highly inclusive alliance, formed by the Human race and many other races in the universe. We will never force anyone to join, but once one joins... one must not betray the alliance. Jiu Li, are you willing to join?"
Naturally, the Nine Li clone would not refuse this invitation.
As far as he knew, nearly all human existences at King Level and above were members of the Hong Alliance. His teacher, the Dry Witch Universe Master, was also a member of the Hong Alliance. By joining the Hong Alliance, he would be able to meet nearly every King-level Immortal of the Human race, and he would gain the qualifications to participate in the trading of all manner of treasures and rare wonders!
It could be said that the benefits were countless!
"I am willing to join the Hong Alliance!" The Nine Li clone nodded.
Ding! The moment the Nine Li clone spoke, a dazzling star suddenly condensed in midair above the living room.
The star shone brilliantly.
Then it gradually shrank into a stream of light and flew directly onto the armored bracer of the Nine Li clone, revealing a tiny star.
Boom!
At the same time, a hazy human silhouette floated in midair. Under that invisible pressure, the Nine King Level envoys and the Nine Li clone could vaguely see the silhouette, yet none of them could raise their heads to look directly at it. They were like ants before a deity, utterly incapable of resistance.
The human silhouette lowered its head slightly and looked down upon the Nine Li clone.
"Human Jiu Li!" The silhouette spoke, its voice neither male nor female and piercing straight into the soul.
"Welcome to the Hong Alliance. From this moment onward, you are an official member of the Hong Alliance!"
"Crisis lurks within the universe. For a race to survive, its strong must fight. Fight for the Hong Alliance, fight for humanity—this is the mission of every human expert, and it is also your mission." The silhouette gradually faded away, but its voice continued to echo through the Nine Li clone's consciousness. The entire living room remained silent for a long time.
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