Joining the Beihua Branch

The second option was to join the Virtual Universe Company, but that would restrict his freedom. He would have to undertake mandatory missions.

Fortunately, the time commitment was manageable: one secret-realm mission every thirty years and one mercenary mission every ten.

He needed to take risks and gain experience anyway. He'd been wondering where to go for training.

The headquarters offered more resources than the branches, but ultimately, the goal of growing stronger at either place was to secure one of the 100 spots to enter the "Doomsday Secret Realm."

That didn't worry him. The Doomsday Secret Realm wasn't the Primal Secret Realm, and the Universe Level geniuses there weren't nearly as monstrous.

Besides, judging by Luo Feng's generation in the original story, most previous generations had been fairly mediocre.

Under normal circumstances, the top contenders from Luo Feng's generation would have been championship material in any previous generation.

Qi Tian didn't dare claim he could achieve a good result right away, but he could stay for a hundred years. If he didn't make it in the first competition, he could try again at the next one. One way or another, he'd secure a spot in the Doomsday Secret Realm.

Seeing Qi Tian still deep in thought, Tegages assumed he was torn between joining the headquarters or a branch.

For the sake of his performance—and so he could transfer back to the headquarters sooner—he decided to sweeten the deal for them.

"If you choose the second option and join the Beihua Empire Branch, I personally promise to reward each of you with one trillion Universe Coins."

"If either of you makes the branch's top ten, I'll reward you with another ten trillion Universe Coins."

"If you enter the Doomsday Secret Realm through the ranking competition held once every hundred years—note that I mean actually entering the Doomsday Secret Realm, not merely securing a spot to challenge for entry—"

"Then I'll reward you with one hundred trillion Universe Coins."

Hearing Tegages offer such a staggering cash incentive to get them to join the Beihua Branch, Qi Tian and Chi Xin were practically dazzled by the sums, each measured in trillions.

"I was planning to join the branch anyway. I was just playing hard to get. This is... wonderful."

Qi Tian thought this to himself, but his expression remained composed. Chi Xin, meanwhile, had a powerful teacher and wasn't particularly impressed by the money.

Weitz, however, was stunned.

"I can't believe Lord Tegages is offering one Hunyuan Unit just to recruit them—and a hundred Hunyuan Units if they enter the Doomsday Secret Realm."

He was a Domain Lord Level 9 powerhouse and an external executive of the Virtual Universe Company, yet his entire fortune amounted to only a few hundred billion Universe Coins—not even half a Hunyuan Unit.

After Tegages made his offer, Qi Tian immediately accepted the invitation to join the Beihua Branch.

After giving it some thought, Chi Xin also chose the second option and joined the Beihua Branch.

Qi Tian was his first friend. If they joined the Virtual Universe Company together, they could look out for each other during secret-realm training and mercenary missions.

Seeing that both of them had agreed, Tegages breathed a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face.

"I've seen their abilities with my own eyes. They're bound to enter the Doomsday Secret Realm. Once they secure their spots, my teacher can pull a few strings, and I'll soon be back at the Virtual Universe Company Headquarters."

Seeing Tegages smile after recruiting the two, Weitz realized how highly he regarded Qi Tian and Chi Xin. He turned to them and said, "Congratulations on joining the Virtual Universe Company. If you run into any problems in the Beihua Empire, feel free to contact me anytime."

Tegages nodded and added, "Although I'm in charge of the Slaughter Arena on Beihua Island, I'm based at the Noah Universe Kingdom branch office. For any routine matters in the Beihua Empire, just go to Weitz."

Qi Tian and Chi Xin immediately thanked Weitz. They knew he was trying to build a good relationship with them, and having a local like him looking out for them would make things much easier.

A few minutes later, the two signed their agreements to join the Beihua Branch of the Virtual Universe Company, officially becoming internal members of the company.

Tegages' smile only grew when he saw them finish signing.

Qi Tian found it a little unnerving. Tegages looked like the kid from Ju Yuan, but remembering how the man had showered him with money, he suddenly found him quite warm and amiable.

"Qi Tian, I see you're using a Tier 3 Telekinetic Weapon called 'Hundred Flowers Bloom.' Do you know who created it?"

Seeing Tegages bring up his telekinetic weapon, Qi Tian replied at once, "My lord, the weapon's manual says that it was created when Lady Qishala, an Immortal Expert of the Noah Universe Kingdom, was a World Lord."

Tegages nodded and continued with a smile, "As it happens, Qishala is my senior sister. I can arrange for her to give you three lessons over the next ten years."

Qi Tian hadn't expected such good fortune. He immediately stood and bowed to thank Tegages for giving him the chance to learn from an Immortal.

"One more thing: the weapon you have is only an early version of my senior sister's creation. She's already developed fourth- and fifth-tier versions of the same lotus-style telekinetic weapon."

"Since fate has brought us together, I'll give you a fifth-tier 'Hundred Flowers Bloom' as well. It may not be as perfect as the Yan Shen Armament, but it should suit you."

"Thank you, Lord Tegages."

Qi Tian thanked Tegages again, thinking that he'd really met a benefactor.

Afterward, Tegages gave the two an introductory guide to the Virtual Universe Company branch, along with their reporting deadline, then dismissed them.

Once Qi Tian and Chi Xin had left, Weitz also bowed to Tegages and took his leave.

When he saw Qi Tian's signature, he noticed the character "Qi" and suddenly remembered a report on his desk that one of his subordinates had submitted, containing a name with the same character.

He hadn't had time to review it earlier because of Qi Tian. Now that he'd remembered, he hurried off to check it.

After everyone had left, Tegages activated his communications system and called someone named "Qishala" from his contact list.

"Heh heh... Senior Sister, no... Sis, how've you been lately?"

"Shut up and get to the point. I'm still on the Outer-Domain Battlefield."

After leaving the Meditation Room, Qi Tian and Chi Xin didn't stay at the Slaughter Arena.

The introductory guide to the Virtual Universe Company branch stated that they had to report to Imperial Capital Planet in the Beihua Empire within a year.

After gathering there and checking in, the branch would arrange a spacecraft to take them to the Noah Universe Kingdom branch's training grounds.

Although they said they were joining the Beihua Branch, the actual branch covered all the intermediate-level nations within the Noah Universe Kingdom.

In fact, the two of them were elite representatives of the Beihua Branch.

The Virtual Universe Company established a branch director in every intermediate-level Universe Country to recruit geniuses.

If the geniuses under a director achieved good results in the branch, the director earned points that could be exchanged for all kinds of treasures from the Virtual Universe Company.

And if they could cultivate enough true geniuses who surpassed those at the headquarters, they would have a chance to rise in rank and even take up a position at the headquarters.