Cloud Sea Association

"Everyone, long time no see."

Inside the Virtual Universe, Bai Yuan smiled and greeted three familiar faces.

Pusis, Bai Kaluo, and Lion Sha were the three people Bai Yuan had been closest to over the years.

"You're leaving? Where are you going? I'm still waiting to beat you the next time we meet."

Lion Sha raised a cup of wine in one hand as he asked Bai Yuan where he planned to go next.

Bai Yuan shook his head. "I don't know either. I'll go wherever the road takes me."

Pusis looked at Bai Yuan and couldn't help smiling. "With you leaving, who knows how many people will be disappointed, and how many will be happy. You're the person everyone in our batch most wants to surpass."

At that, Bai Yuan could only give a helpless smile.

Though he spent most of his time at home in seclusion, people who wanted to challenge him had come one after another. Some had even wanted to become his followers.

The saying "Fame makes a person a target" was absolutely true.

"The next time we meet, I'll show you how much stronger I've become," Bai Kaluo declared proudly.

After undergoing the Virtual Universe Company's systematic training, his strength had improved significantly, and his potential had been further unlocked.

Not only had he reached Star First Rank before Bai Yuan, but he had also mastered the Wind Domain.

At the time, brimming with confidence, he had challenged Bai Yuan once again.

Yet even with his advantage in realm, he had still lost.

But he hadn't given up. As long as he kept moving forward, he believed that one day he would catch up to the person before him.

Bai Yuan had to admit that under the Virtual Universe Company's rigorous training system, Bai Kaluo was indeed growing far faster than he was through solitary cultivation.

That was precisely why he needed to leave.

After chatting for a while, the four of them went their separate ways and returned to the paths of their own lives.

Though they lived in different places and had different temperaments, they all shared the same goal.

To grow stronger!

Back in reality, Bai Yuan summoned the Cloud-Touching Vine he had spent a fortune raising.

The vine had now truly reached Star Ninth Rank.

To help it grow, Bai Yuan had not only invested a large number of Wood Bud Crystals but had also spent extravagantly to buy ten Lanke Fruits through the Virtual Universe Company.

Only ten of these fruits could be purchased in a single batch. It was possible to buy more, but the price would immediately increase tenfold.

Each Lanke Fruit cost as much as 1 billion Universe Coins, making a batch a full 10 billion Universe Coins!

The expense instantly ate up nearly a quarter of Bai Yuan's savings.

Of course, the investment had paid off.

The Cloud-Touching Vine was growing at an astonishing rate. If not for the upcoming Apprentice Mercenary Assessment, Bai Yuan would already have been preparing to push it toward the Universe Realm.

Five days later, at the Universe Mercenary Alliance headquarters on Qiu Long Planet.

The place was as bustling as an entire city, with crowds surging through its halls.

Most of those who flocked there were registering as adventurers.

Covered from head to toe in the Black Battle Armor formed by the Cloud-Touching Vine, Bai Yuan entered the hall with the crowd and silently joined the long queue.

About an hour later, he successfully completed his adventurer registration.

Looking at the Adventurer Card in his hand, Bai Yuan nodded slightly, then headed to the application window for the Universe Trainee Mercenary Assessment.

"Star Level One Psychic Master. You qualify for the trainee mercenary assessment. Please pay the fee of 10,000 Black Dragon Coins."

Bai Yuan hadn't revealed his strength as a Martial Artist. He had registered only as a Psychic Master.

It was best to be cautious when traveling.

Once the payment was complete, the staff member swiped his Adventurer Card across the reader.

"The details of your assessment mission have been sent to your account. Please check them yourself. Also, a word of advice: it's best to find a Star Ninth Rank powerhouse to accompany you."

"Thank you."

Bai Yuan thanked the staff member.

The Universe Trainee Mercenary Assessment was usually held inside a World Lord World.

The dangers within came not only from the world itself; often, the greatest threat came from the other competitors taking part in the assessment.

If they weren't strong enough, even if they obtained the mission items, they could easily have them stolen.

But with the Cloud-Touching Vine protecting him, even an ordinary Star Ninth Rank powerhouse would be walking to their death.

Red Mountain World. Retrieve ten Red Stones to pass.

After reading through the mission details, Bai Yuan headed straight to the "parking lot," boarded his spaceship, and set off for Red Mountain World without hesitation.

Naturally, he left the piloting to Xingwu.

He had no idea that every move he made had already caught someone else's attention.

"A C9-class spaceship! Looks like he's headed for Heavenly Fiend Planet. Hurry and inform the boss!"

A C9-class spaceship was worth at least tens of billions of Black Dragon Coins.

If even his ride was so luxurious, its owner must be even wealthier!

At Cloud Sea Association headquarters on Cloud Sea Planet.

The Cloud Sea Association had a genuine Universe Realm powerhouse in its ranks and controlled thirteen nearby life planets. Its influence was deeply rooted in the region.

Yet the one who truly called the shots in the association was a Star Ninth Rank powerhouse.

"Seventeen years until the Universe Genius Tournament... I can wait seventeen years!"

In the secret chamber, Yun Hai slowly opened his eyes, his gaze brimming with fighting spirit.

In the secret chamber, Yun Hai slowly opened his eyes, his gaze brimming with fighting spirit.

He already had the foundation to break through to the Universe Realm. But in order to participate in this year's Universe Genius Tournament, he had forcibly suppressed his realm and remained at Star Ninth Rank.

For a Martial Artist like him, the Universe Genius Tournament was more than just a grand event. It was a path to a higher level.

He yearned to prove himself in battle, and he hoped to catch the eye of one of the superpowers.

"Big brother, good news! Another fat sheep has shown up!"

A hearty laugh came from outside the door. A burly man with a deep, powerful aura strode inside.

This man was Yun Hai Association's only Universe Realm powerhouse, Yun Luo.

Though Yun Luo's realm was higher, he understood perfectly well that without Yun Hai's generous support back then—and without Yun Hai taking a fatal blow for him during a life-or-death crisis—he would never have reached the Universe Realm.

He had never forgotten that debt.

"What's his background? Do we know who he is?"

"We haven't figured it out yet, but when he registered with the Mercenary Alliance, he was alone."

"Alone?" Yun Hai furrowed his brow slightly.

"Anyone who dares to sign up for the trainee mercenary assessment alone is either a reckless fool who doesn't know his place or a genius absolutely confident in his strength."

"I don't think so." Yun Luo shook his head. "He's only a Star Level One Psychic Master. I'd guess he's a native of some remote planet who happened to stumble upon the wealth left behind by a powerhouse, then came out to explore without knowing his place. It's not like that hasn't happened before."

Yun Hai pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded. "You make a good point. Upstarts like that usually have no idea how cruel the universe can be."

He gazed out the window at the vast sea of stars, his voice tinged with indifference.

"In that case, let's follow the usual procedure. Have someone keep a close eye on him, then make our move once he enters Red Mountain World."

"Understood. I'll arrange it personally." Yun Luo grinned, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

To a Universe Realm powerhouse, a few hundred billion Black Dragon Coins was just a number.

What truly interested them was the possibility that the target might be hiding other treasures.

In the past, they had secretly ambushed an elite disciple of a major power and unexpectedly obtained a D3-Class Laser Cannon.

Its power was enough to kill a Universe Realm Ninth Rank powerhouse, and it remained their trump card to this day.

On another occasion, they had taken out an apparently ordinary wanderer, only to find a World Lord Level Secret Technique in his storage ring.

Windfalls like that were rare, but as long as they kept at it, they would eventually find another.