"With my talent, the treatment I'd receive after joining the Beiming Divine Realm might be much better than what I'd get by joining a branch of the Virtual Universe Company."
Yu Duan remembered clearly that Hong, the best performer among the Earth Trio in the early stages, had only been rated a "First-Class Elite" by the Virtual Universe Company.
Hong was a Planetary Level Nine with a Triple Domain. Even at a branch of the Virtual Universe Company in an average Universe Country, he was merely a "First-Class Elite." There was an even stronger rank above that: Special-Class Elite.
Yu Duan's talent was far beyond Hong's.
Even so, after joining the Virtual Universe Company, at most he would be a "Special-Class Elite" and sent to the company's Beiming Universe Kingdom headquarters for cultivation.
After all, the minimum level for members of the Core Layer was Universe Level.
The Star Level geniuses selected through the Genius Tournament would also break through to Universe Level by the time they entered a Core Layer secret realm.
But if Yu Duan joined the Beiming Divine Realm, he would likely receive better treatment than a "Special-Class Elite" at a Virtual Universe Company branch.
It was worth remembering that even the geniuses chosen in the Universe Peak Genius Battle were considered "expendable" by the Virtual Universe Company.
That might sound like an exaggeration, but aside from the very best of each Genius Tournament, the death rate among these geniuses within a thousand years had remained stubbornly high.
Meanwhile, in the secret realms of the various Universe Countries, geniuses who had narrowly missed the top thousand in their country were cultivated like prized treasures.
Those places didn't have the Virtual Universe Company's bottomless resources.
And joining the Beiming Divine Realm wouldn't stop him from joining one of the Five Peak Powers.
When Yu Duan broke through to Star Level and then Universe Level, he could still take part in the Peak Genius Tournament and the Peak Powerhouse Battle.
Inside the spaceship's control room, Yu Duan withdrew his consciousness from the Virtual Universe Network and looked at Kun Zhu and Shen Jian beside him.
"Senior Kun Zhu, Senior Shen Jian, I've decided to join one of the great powers in the universe."
When Yu Duan finished speaking, Kun Zhu and Shen Jian both looked unsurprised.
After all, once someone could log into the Virtual Universe Network, their knowledge and understanding of the world expanded tremendously.
All it took was asking a Virtual Assistant to learn what it meant for someone at Planetary Level One to have mastered a domain.
Across the entire Chilian Divine Empire, and even the Beiming Universe Kingdom, that made him a genius.
For Light Source Planet to produce a genius of Yu Duan's caliber was a blessing for the entire civilization and its people.
"With your talent, joining one of the great powers in the universe won't be a problem. Have you decided which one?" Kun Zhu asked directly.
Yu Duan nodded and replied calmly, "I plan to join the Beiming Divine Realm. With my talent, they'll surely take notice of me. Then my entire people will be protected."
Kun Zhu and Shen Jian exchanged a glance, then both nodded.
Shen Jian said, "We respect your decision. Be careful in the universe."
"All right."
After speaking, Yu Duan logged into the Virtual Universe Network again.
Virtual Universe, Beiming Continent, Chilian God Island.
Yu Duan suddenly appeared on a busy street, drawing curious looks from passersby. It meant he didn't even own the most basic property in the Virtual Universe.
Anyone who owned property in the Virtual Universe Network wouldn't appear on the street when they logged in.
Without hesitating for a second, Yu Duan instructed his Virtual Assistant, "Number One, transport me to Shenjing City."
Number One, appearing as a palm-sized little sprite on Yu Duan's shoulder, said, "Master, transportation to Shenjing City costs 100 Chilian Coins."
"Fine. Send me there."
There were more than ten thousand cities on Chilian God Island.
Generally speaking, each city corresponded to a star system in reality. The star system Yu Duan was currently in was Hongyun City, corresponding to the Hongyun Star System, one of the largest star systems under the Crimson Empire.
Of course, there were exceptions.
For example, the Five Peak Powers and the Beiming Divine Realm each had their own independent city on Chilian God Island for their branches in the Chilian Divine Empire.
"Whoosh!"
Yu Duan saw the scenery before his eyes shift in an instant, and then he appeared in a much larger city.
Compared with Hongyun City's futuristic skyscrapers and floating buildings, Shenjing City looked far more "old-fashioned."
As far as the eye could see, vast estates stretched into the distance alongside magnificent palaces. All kinds of wondrous plants blended seamlessly with the buildings, creating an environment more like a natural planet.
Most of the people walking along the streets were students wearing identical uniforms. The uniforms came in three colors—black, gray, and white—depending on rank.
Black uniforms marked Planetary Level students. Though they were at the lowest level, Planetary Level students were surprisingly few.
Gray uniforms marked Star Level students, who made up the largest group.
White uniforms were worn by students at Universe Level and above. Silver patterns on a white uniform marked a Domain Lord Level powerhouse, while gold patterns marked a World Lord Level powerhouse.
Yu Duan wasn't a student of the Beiming Divine Realm, so he wore ordinary clothes.
Still, he attracted no attention. It was quite common for people to sign up as students of the Beiming Divine Realm through the Virtual Universe.
Following the directions, Yu Duan arrived at the imposing building that handled admissions.
The building was hemispherical, with a broad hall inside and dedicated staff to guide applicants through registration.
"Hello. What can I help you with?" A pretty young woman with a pair of fluffy cat ears hurried over and bowed.
Yu Duan nodded in greeting. "I'd like to apply to become a student of the Beiming Divine Realm."
"Certainly. The application fee is 1,000 Chilian Coins, and tuition is 10 Chilian Coins per year. Please fill out the application form."
The cat-eared young woman raised her hand, and a virtual screen appeared. Only she and Yu Duan could see it.
The screen displayed a form asking for his name, age, place of origin, level, and other information.
"So I don't need to make a show of myself just to get the attention of a Beiming Divine Realm powerhouse."
Looking at the detailed form, Yu Duan noticed that it asked whether he had mastered intent, a domain, or a law.
He could enter information very quickly. With just a glance, he could fill in the entire form.
The final field, "Comprehension," clearly stated Yu Duan's level: Third Layer Light Domain.
"Beep, beep, beep..."
As soon as Yu Duan submitted the form, a rather shrill alert rang out.
The cat-eared young woman's expression changed noticeably. She looked at Yu Duan differently now.
"Student Yu Duan, are you... are you sure there's no mistake in your application?"
"You can still make changes. If you choose not to, you'll need to pass some tests to prove your information is accurate."
The cat-eared young woman kept her emotions under control fairly well and didn't lose her composure.
Seventeen years old, Planetary Level One, Third Layer Light Domain.
The three things had almost nothing in common. Taken together, they were absurd.
But precisely because the information was so absurd, the cat-eared young woman couldn't help thinking it might be true.
After all, no one making things up would invent something this far-fetched.
Falsifying information could affect the school's arrangements. If discovered, the offender would be added to the Beiming Divine Realm's blacklist.
"I confirm that the information is accurate. What test do I need to take?"
Seeing how calm Yu Duan was, the cat-eared young woman swallowed nervously and said, "The test invitation has been sent. Once you accept it, you'll enter an independent virtual space. Do your best to kill every creature generated inside."
As soon as the cat-eared young woman finished speaking, a virtual screen appeared in front of Yu Duan. It displayed a single line of text.
"Will you accept the Beiming Divine Realm's highest practical combat test for Planetary Level students?"
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