Departure

Time continued to pass. To an Immortal, several years were no more than the flick of a finger.

Inside a vast meditation chamber on Yunmo Star, Hu Yanbo sat cross-legged, his mind turned inward.

Even with the system, he still had to keep cultivating. He must never grow complacent!

Suddenly, Babata's lively voice broke the silence. "Master! The ship is about to reach the Virtual Universe Company's Universal Headquarters!"

After securing a slot with Void True King and paying the fee over a year earlier, the Yunmo Star Ship had set off at full speed.

"We're finally here!" Hu Yanbo slowly opened his eyes. A divine gleam flashed through their depths, and a trace of emotion rose alongside surging anticipation.

The Yunmo Star Ship was the personal vessel Hu Yanbo had poured his heart and resources into building. Though it could not match the extraordinary models used internally by the Virtual Universe Company, its speed of thirty times the speed of light in the Dark Universe was more than sufficient for his needs.

Besides, the actual distance between the Virtual Universe Company Headquarters and the Ganwu Universe Country was not particularly great-roughly six hundred million light-years.

In the original timeline, even the high-end F-class ship Luo Feng had taken from the Virtual Universe Company had traveled at only twenty times the speed of light, arriving within three years.

Naturally, the Yunmo Star Ship, traveling at thirty times the speed of light, was faster still!

Thus, in less than two years, it had crossed six hundred million light-years and reached its destination!

Inside the Yunmo Star Ship's lavish main hall, Hu Yanbo stood tall in his Black Battle Armor, calmly gazing into the space ahead.

"Master, we're about to leave the Dark Universe and enter the Original Universe," Babata announced.

Hum!

The ship trembled slightly for just over ten seconds. The spatial ripples settled, signaling its return to normal space.

"Activate one hundred percent external view simulation!" Hu Yanbo ordered.

Though he had lived for sixty million years, visited countless star regions, and fought on the Outer Domain Battlefield, this was his first personal visit to the Virtual Universe Company Headquarters, which represented the pinnacle of the Human Race's core power.

As for the written accounts in his mind, they could never compare to seeing it with his own eyes.

The hall's four walls vanished instantly, bringing the boundless starry sky before him.

Hu Yanbo's gaze was immediately seized by the colossal structure in the depths of space.

An immense, seemingly endless supercontinent floated quietly against the backdrop of the universe.

Beside it, stars and planets that had once seemed enormous were now as insignificant as faint points of light scattered along its edges.

A shock swept through Hu Yanbo from the depths of his soul.

Even with his experience as an Immortal God, even after seeing the vast Barracks Bases on the Outer Domain Battlefield, built from shattered continents and war fortresses, he felt an unprecedented sense of awe.

The continent before him was a complete, magnificent creation brimming with life. Its scale and the energy it contained far surpassed utilitarian military installations such as the bases.

"The Virtual Universe Company Headquarters..." Hu Yanbo's low voice echoed through the hall, carrying genuine approval. "Truly breathtaking."

This grand sight conveyed the weight of being "one of the five great powers" far better than any written description could.

As he gazed at the continent that housed the foremost powers of human civilization, a thought naturally arose. I truly hope that one day, I can build a foundation like this too.

After entering the Original Universe, the ship did not arrive immediately.

The vast continent suspended in the starry sky was far larger than he had imagined. Though it appeared close at hand, an immense stretch of space still lay between them.

The Yunmo Star Ship advanced steadily through the void at nearly the speed of light. Only after flying for more than half a day did the vast continent truly grow large enough in his field of vision to blot out the sky.

Along the way, the bustle of space was on full display.

Countless spaceships of every shape and size traveled back and forth like swarms of bees around an enormous hive.

Some flew deeper into the continent, while others departed from it and vanished once more into the depths of space.

Even a casual glance revealed quite a few ships that were no less impressive than his Yunmo Star Ship.

"Approaching the designated entry zone. We've received a guidance signal from the Virtual Universe Company," Babata reminded him at just the right moment.

Without guidance, even a Universe Venerable would not dare advance recklessly here!

A clear set of spatial coordinates and a guided route appeared on the control interface.

Following the directions, Hu Yanbo steered the Yunmo Star Ship toward an enormous three-dimensional gateway at the continent's edge, shimmering with radiant colors.

The ship smoothly joined its assigned flight lane, passed through an entrance barrier resembling a thin membrane of energy, and finally settled inside a spacious docking hall.

The hatch slid open silently.

Hu Yanbo flew out in his Black Battle Armor, his aura restrained yet as unfathomable as an abyss.

A World Lord Level staff member in a silver-gray uniform was already waiting quietly beside the berth.

Though he knew the visitor was a powerful Immortal God, the silver-gray-uniformed staff member still stood straight and remained composed. The backing of the Virtual Universe Company gave him an unspoken confidence.

"Hu Yanbo, Ganwu Universe Country," Hu Yanbo stated calmly. Raising a hand, he transmitted the electronic credentials Void True King had provided.

"The purpose of my visit is to enter the Initial Universe for study."

The silver-robed World Lord expertly checked the credentials.

Beep!

The silver-robed World Lord's gaze fell on the displayed access level and strength assessment-"Marquis Immortal, special referral channel."

His fingers paused over the light screen for the briefest instant.

Marquis Level?!

And through the "special referral channel," at that?

This meant that Mr. Hu Yanbo before him had not obtained his slot through a conventional auction. Instead, a member with extremely high access privileges had personally nominated him and vouched for him!

In all his long years handling arrivals, this was the first time the silver-robed World Lord had encountered an independent Marquis-level Immortal from outside the company under such circumstances!

A faint flicker of pure surprise passed through his eyes!

Immediately, that surprise vanished as completely as ripples fading from water, replaced by an impeccable professional smile without the slightest sign of anything amiss.

He quickly completed every verification procedure, confirmed that everything was in order, and said clearly with a smile, "Identity verified. Welcome, Mr. Hu Yanbo. Please follow me."

Hu Yanbo nodded. With a slight stir of his will, the enormous Yunmo Star Ship was instantly stored inside his World Ring.

He then followed the silver-robed World Lord into a broad passageway filled with soft light and faintly flowing energy.

A short while later, an enormous doorway opened at the end of the passage, leading him into an exceptionally vast space.

It was an enormous oval hall, seemingly constructed from a material with some unusual light-transmitting property.

The walls and domed ceiling were almost completely transparent, presenting the brilliant spectacle of deep space in full to everyone inside. It was as though the entire starry sky had been brought indoors, a sight so magnificent it took one's breath away.

The hall was not empty. More than a thousand auras, some powerful and some weak, were already scattered throughout it.

Their forms varied greatly, but every one of them carried an extraordinary bearing.

"This is the waiting hall for those entering the Initial Universe for study." The silver-robed World Lord stopped there.

Still wearing his standard service smile, he explained, "Mr. Hu Yanbo, you only need to wait here."

"When do we depart?" Hu Yanbo asked.

"You're very fortunate," the silver-robed World Lord answered succinctly. "The dedicated ship taking you to the Initial Universe is almost full. Once at most two more participants arrive, you can depart immediately."