Since the Sea of Stars Community existed in an online virtual world, its internal layout followed no real-world architectural principles. It had been built entirely with aesthetics and convenience in mind.
Participants could summon a panel and use it to teleport to various locations, such as private conference rooms where they could hold discussions.
Since the conference was online, every exchange would be recorded. To reassure the leaders of the alien empires, Xi Yan made all network data public and established a joint oversight body, allowing every participating faction to send its best network engineers to monitor the system and prevent data leaks.
Behind the scenes, the various empires had put considerable effort into ensuring that the Sea of Stars Community ran smoothly and gained recognition from most interstellar powers.
In one spacious conference room, Xi Yan and [Teacher] met with two interstellar empires at once.
Two delegations, two different kinds of aliens, waited in the corners of the conference room while their leaders spoke with Xi Yan and [Teacher].
One of the aliens looked fairly robust, with two powerful arms of tangled, interwoven sinew and bone, and disproportionately distorted lower limbs. Above its torso, which was covered in a pitted exoskeleton, there was no head-just a yellow lump of flesh sprouting dozens of pale-yellow feelers.
When it spoke, the exoskeleton on its chest opened outward, exposing the shit-yellow tissue beneath, and several short tentacles extended from inside.
Disgusting!
How could any alien look that goddamn awful?!
It was practically... an insult to the universe and nature. Enough to turn organics into fanatical purifiers and a blood court on the spot, ready to scour the cosmos, and machines into Determined Exterminators ready to unleash an apocalyptic judgment of purification!
*One look was enough to tell this was a bona fide