"Congratulations, Master! Congratulations!" Babata's excited voice immediately rang out in Hu Yanbo's mind. "Your divine body and your comprehension of the laws have both advanced! High-level Marquis! Master, you're incredible!"
To Babata, ever since his master had escaped Demon Hand King's deadly pursuit, his fortunes seemed to have been blessed by the Primal Universe. Not only had good luck come his way again and again, but he had also made one breakthrough after another.
It was the perfect illustration of that ancient saying known throughout the universe-reborn from desperation, favored by the universe!
Hu Yanbo listened to Babata's praise, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as satisfaction filled his heart.
Just as he was about to consider how to repay the system's task, the space around his rooftop terrace abruptly froze.
Six distinctly different yet extraordinarily powerful auras crashed down!
The first to appear was Void True King.
He seemed to step out of illusion and into reality, his figure growing solid from a faint outline. A solemn-faced middle-aged man appeared alongside him.
With the smile of an old friend, Void True King landed right beside Hu Yanbo and patted his shoulder. "Haha, well done, lad! Your performance in Chaos City has really made me, your sponsor, look good!"
Almost the instant his words fell, four figures descended impassively from the skies in the other four directions around the terrace.
To the east, a figure shrouded in hazy starlight stood silently, countless miniature galaxies seemingly forming and perishing all around them.
"Xu Zhen, for once, you've done something right. You found a talent like this and didn't immediately hide him away. You even remembered to let us have a look." The figure within the starlight spoke evenly, though there was a barely perceptible hint of teasing in their tone.
To the west, a burly man in dark gold battle armor stood with his arms folded, an ancient-looking great axe strapped to his back. His voice rumbled like thunder.
"Have a look? As I see it, since the Mercenary Alliance has already missed out on this 'precious gem,' it shouldn't have come at all."
To the south, a being in magnificent silver battle armor quietly appeared, their face indistinct and their voice steady.
"Riftsky, it's rare to hear you say something so logical."
To the north, the last arrival wore a blue gauze dress flowing with a dreamlike radiance. She was a powerful female expert.
She let out a string of airy laughter that set hearts trembling. "Hehehe... Why must you gentlemen start with so much hostility? Brother Xu Zhen has already done us a favor by introducing such a gifted young man."
"Little fellow, look. It's rare for so many of us old folks to gather, but here we are, all for you."
Her gaze fell on Hu Yanbo, an indescribable allure and danger swirling in her eyes.
Merely being watched by her made the core of Hu Yanbo's soul tremble slightly. The Void Tower activated on its own, sending out faint ripples.
Hu Yanbo's heart tightened. He immediately steadied his mind, not daring to let his guard slip in the slightest.
He had no doubt that if his will faltered even a little and he revealed the slightest thought he should not have, that seemingly enchanting smile would devour him in an instant, leaving not even a scrap of bone.
This was unquestionably a powerful being with terrifying mastery of the soul path, someone who would eat him alive without a second thought!
They had come in person!
And they made no effort whatsoever to conceal their conversation.
At that moment, a deathly silence abruptly fell over an area a hundred li around Hu Yanbo's terrace.
The seemingly casual exchange between those Kings filled the frozen air with the invisible pressure of competition.
"Heavens, aren't these Kings all powerful beings renowned throughout the universe?!"
"They... they're competing over that Hu Yanbo?!"
Countless gazes filled with fear, shock, and disbelief turned toward them from afar.
In the distance, the Immortal Gods who had been alerted felt a shock far stronger and more complicated than that of the World Lords and Domain Lords.
They knew better than anyone just how difficult it was for a lone Immortal with no backing to truly gain acceptance into the Core Layer of the five great powers!
They were already Immortal Gods, yet even when they approached the five superpowers as gods, they often ended up with nothing more than a nominal affiliation as Outer Members.
What they received was basic support and limited channels for exchanging resources-a far cry from the resources, secret techniques, and guidance enjoyed by the core talents those great powers spared no effort to nurture.
Yet when it came to fighting for their organizations or carrying out dangerous missions, these "outer" members could not escape their share. They were even frequently assigned more dangerous, more time-consuming duties.
That severe imbalance between effort and reward was the fundamental reason why many Immortal Gods who struggled to rise in the universe ultimately chose to remain independent, or merely maintain loose cooperative relationships with the great powers.
If sheltering under a mighty tree truly meant enjoying its shade in peace, with vast resources and top-tier inheritances at their disposal, what fool would refuse?
It was not joining an organization itself that they resisted. They simply did not want to become "outer cannon fodder," giving so much and receiving so little, with almost no hope of ever entering the core.
Yet what were they seeing now?
Six King-level Immortals! Here in person! And their words even carried a hint of competition!
What had Hu Yanbo done to deserve this?
Why had these powerful Kings, whose names resounded across vast territories, appeared in person to offer him a place?
Such treatment was something Ordinary Immortals like them would not dare imagine even after fighting for hundreds of millions of eras!
"The Core Layer... If he agrees, he'll definitely receive Core Layer treatment!" an Immortal God murmured, their voice dry with disbelief and envy.
Countless eyes remained fixed on that sealed-off area, on Hu Yanbo at the center of the storm.
Those gazes held shock and horror, but above all, an envy that rose from the depths of their souls-and even jealousy.
They might spend their entire lives giving everything they had and still remain mere outer members.
Yet King-level beings were competing to offer that man a place in the core!
The gulf between them was like an impassable chasm.
Unlike the Immortals imagining possibilities from afar, Hu Yanbo felt nothing but unprecedented pressure.
On every side, six Kings surrounded him like six towering, insurmountable divine mountains.
The auras they naturally exuded were enough to make his newly advanced High-level Marquis divine body feel sluggish again and again.
He drew a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the shock within him.
With his increased strength, his perception had also grown much sharper.
Now he could vaguely sense that the auras of those five Kings were unfathomable, nearly all on par with Void True King beside him. Clearly, they were supreme beings who stood at the Peak King level!
Only the female King in the blue gauze dress to the north seemed a shade weaker, but her aura was still as vast as an abyss. He estimated that she possessed at least the terrifying strength of a High King.
When he had barely qualified as a Marquis, he could not have distinguished such subtle differences at all. Now, however, he could glimpse a trace of them.
His gaze swept quickly over the six powerful figures. He bowed slightly once more, his voice steady but without the slightest hint of disrespect. "I am Hu Yanbo. I pay my respects to you, honored Kings."
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