Following updates had never been this satisfying.
Just as Bai Yuan was about to respond, the other seven Domain Lords spoke almost simultaneously, hastily cutting him off.
"Hold on. Why not hear what Three Axe Mountain has to offer first?" said a Domain Lord in silver-gray battle robes, speaking up first.
"Three Axe Mountain has two undying beings and resources to match any faction. We can provide everything Black Dragon Mountain can, and we'll also arrange for a Domain Lord to personally guide your cultivation year-round until you reach the Universe Realm."
"North Dragon City is just as sincere. You may name your terms, and I can personally recommend you to the City Lord. If he takes a liking to you, you may even have the chance to become his disciple. The City Lord is an absolute powerhouse, one of the top five Domain Lords in the Black Dragon Mountain Star Sector."
"Hundred Tiger Tower is willing to offer you the same. Resources, territory, inheritances... If you join us, the first three levels of every secret art in the tower will be open to you."
"Young friend, although the Xinluo Family isn't as powerful as the other factions, I can mobilize the entire family to help you break through all the way to Domain Lord!"
Bai Yuan's treatment by the various factions was remarkably consistent: they were all determined to win him over.
With the talent Bai Yuan had displayed, advancing to Domain Lord was almost a certainty, and he had an excellent chance of reaching the Domain Lord level.
On the surface, the Two Great Holy Lands and Four Great Organizations seemed to be full of Domain Lords, but that was the result of accumulating power over countless years.
Compared to the prospect of gaining another Domain Lord, the terms they were offering now were truly insignificant.
Bai Yuan gave a wry smile and could only turn to Bai Kuangren, his eyes full of helplessness.
Bai Kuangren immediately understood. He stepped forward with a laugh and spoke in a booming voice to smooth things over.
"All right, all right. One person after another—you're giving me a headache. Why not let the boy go back and think it over? He can give you an answer later."
The Domain Lords were reluctant, but they knew they couldn't rush things too much.
"Very well. Let's all head back for now. I'll await good news," Basiha said with a smile.
He genuinely valued Bai Yuan.
Not only was his comprehension astonishing, but his will was as strong as iron.
As for his cultivation talent, with the resources of these factions, there would always be treasures to help him improve.
Comprehension, will, and aptitude—someone with all three was bound to rise.
"Bai Yuan, we'll be on our way, then. Come find me for a drink when you have time."
Lion Sha walked over and patted Bai Yuan on the shoulder. Bai Kaluo stood nearby.
"You two?" Bai Yuan asked, momentarily confused.
Bai Kaluo smiled and explained, "Lord Man Luo has been watching everything that happened here. Lion Sha just told me he received word that he's supposed to take me for a test. If I pass, I'll become a Third Grade Elite of the Virtual Universe Company."
Bai Yuan's expression shifted slightly.
In the original story, Man Luo hadn't taken an interest in Bai Kaluo.
It seemed his own appearance had caused some things to veer off course.
For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
If Bai Kaluo joined the Virtual Universe Company, he wouldn't become Nuolanshan's disciple. That also meant he might never cross paths with Luo Feng.
On the original path, Bai Kaluo had followed Luo Feng, and his future had been smooth sailing. But now...
Bai Yuan sighed inwardly. So be it if things went off course. It shouldn't cause too great a disruption.
He couldn't exactly stop Bai Kaluo and tell him not to join the Virtual Universe Company, but to wait for a Luo Feng who hadn't even been born yet—and even persuade him to become Luo Feng's Soul Slave.
--
Back in the castle, Bai Yuan's consciousness returned to reality. Bai Kuangren was already gone from the hall.
That was hardly surprising. For a Domain Lord, it was no trouble to send a wisp of consciousness into the Virtual Universe; his true body could still move around freely.
Bai Yuan had just sat down when the space beside him rippled. Bai Kuangren suddenly appeared and casually tossed him a medal etched with a Blade Clan design.
"I've opened an account for you at the Cosmic Galaxy Bank. The account number is '9871--6125--8528--QZDA--8858--5269--132'. The medal in your hand is your credential. The password is ﹟#﹩$﹠&﹪%﹡﹢*﹦‐. The calculation method is..."
"Wait!" Bai Yuan quickly raised a hand to interrupt him, his expression earnest.
"I only remembered half the password. How about... you send it to me directly?"
The Cosmic Galaxy Bank's password system was extremely complex. It used triple-layer four-dimensional wave encryption and changed in real time according to variables such as time and spatial coordinates.
The original password had to be combined with a preset algorithm to generate a real-time password based on the current time and coordinates, as well as the user's level of mental power.
The account holder set this algorithm themselves, so even if someone killed them, they still couldn't withdraw the funds.
Of course, there was a simpler method:
Bind the account to its owner.
Once the account was successfully bound, its owner wouldn't need to go through the tedious password verification process to use it, whether they were using mental power or Origin Force.
Bai Kuangren nodded and sent Bai Yuan the complete password and calculation method.
"The account contains the forty billion Universe Coins I promised you. It'll be enough for you at this stage."
"Of course. I have you to thank for all of this, sir."
Once he'd finished explaining everything, Bai Kuangren didn't linger.
"My business here is done, so I should be on my way. I'm going farther this time. If you need my help again, it won't be so easy to find me. Be careful from now on."
"I understand. Life and death are up to fate; wealth and honor are up to heaven. I chose this path, so if I die along the way, I have no one to blame," Bai Yuan replied calmly.
Bai Kuangren gave him a look and smiled, then vanished from the spot.
The hall fell silent again. Bai Yuan looked away and summoned the system interface.
[Remaining Epiphany Points: 4]
"Only four Epiphany Points left. There's no telling when the next mission will start. I'll have to use them sparingly," Bai Yuan thought.
With four hundred billion Universe Coins in hand, Bai Yuan felt much more confident.
The first thing he did was contact a Virtual Universe Company employee and place an order for a Bloodline Evolution Agent.
The first Bloodline Evolution Agent cost one hundred million Ganwu Coins, while the second was ten times as expensive, at one billion Ganwu Coins.
Bai Yuan genuinely hadn't been able to afford one before, but now the expense was nothing.
One Universe Coin was worth about 3,300 Ganwu Coins.
One hundred million Ganwu Coins amounted to just over 30,000 Universe Coins.
The only pity was that he didn't have permission to buy higher-grade Bloodline Evolution Agents.
After all, he was only an external member, so his permissions naturally couldn't compare to those of internal members.
Bloodline Evolution Agents altered a lifeform's genes and raised its bloodline level.
The Blade Clan's bloodline was only sixth-grade. Among the various races in the universe, it was merely average—not particularly outstanding.
That made the Bloodline Evolution Agent extremely important to him.
He didn't expect to raise his bloodline all the way to fourth grade. Members of fourth-grade bloodline races could naturally reach the Star Realm as adults.
Even reaching fifth grade would be quite good. At the very least, it would lay a solid foundation for his cultivation.
Three days later, an employee of the Virtual Universe Company arrived as promised and handed Bai Yuan a sealed silver case.
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