Signing the contract (4k)

Back at his residence, Hu Yanbo poured himself a glass of rich, fragrant wine and savored it slowly, enjoying that rare sense of peace and satisfaction.

Sure enough, the greater one's talent and potential, the more the truly powerful organizations valued and recognized them. This feeling was utterly different from anything he had experienced before.

Joining the Core Layer of a superpower had been one of the original owner's wishes for many years.

"Master! The Universe Mercenary Alliance's Core Layer! A Special-grade King Rank Seed!" Babata's excited voice rang out in his mind, brimming with disbelief and exhilaration.

"You're destined to become a King Rank expert now! As far as I know, there isn't a single true King Rank among the so-called Three Hundred Kings and Marquises of the entire Ganwu Universe Country! And none of them are Core Members of the five major powers!"

Babata continued excitedly, "If you went back to the Ganwu Universe Country now, the way they treated you would be worlds apart from before! Snow Silver Marquis, Golden Feather Marquis... hmph, let's see which of them still dares act superior in front of you! Let's see who still thinks so highly of himself!"

A faint smile curved Hu Yanbo's lips.

He remembered that, long ago, the Ganwu Universe Country had indeed sent an Immortal named Thirteen to recruit him, hoping he would become one of the Three Hundred Kings and Marquises under the Ganwu Country Lord.

But he had politely declined with barely a moment's consideration.

The so-called Three Hundred Kings and Marquises sounded impressive, but in truth, they were merely a bunch of old fellows who had stagnated at the Marquis level for countless eras, with almost no hope of advancing.

What great future could he have by joining their ranks and sinking to their level?

He feared their complacency would rub off on him, wearing away what ambition he had.

The ancient saying "you become like the company you keep" was just as indisputable a truth in the Primal Universe, where strength reigned supreme, albeit expressed in a different form.

And now, he had chosen the Universe Mercenary Alliance, one of the most elite circles of the Human Race!

The company he would keep here consisted of true King-level Immortals, and even higher beings-Universe Venerables!

Hu Yanbo raised his glass and drained it.

"Hahaha! Not just the kings and marquises of the Ganwu Universe Country-even true King Rank experts will have to treat us with courtesy!" Babata's voice echoed in Hu Yanbo's mind, filled with the triumphant excitement of finally getting to hold one's head high, positively drunk on newfound status.

Did they have any idea how much prestige a King Rank "inside the establishment" carried?

Among equals, they were a cut above!

No, two cuts above!

Hearing Babata's almost giddy tone, Hu Yanbo couldn't help chuckling. He took another sip of wine and shook his head with a smile. "All right, all right, Babata. Set your sights a little higher."

"This little achievement is only the beginning. Once your master grows stronger and saves up enough contribution points, I'll exchange them for a real Mechanical Heart so you can evolve properly too."

"A Mechanical Heart?!" Babata's voice instantly shot up, filled with incredulous joy. "Master! Do you really mean it?! That's a cosmic treasure that can transform the very essence of my life! Wonderful! Hahaha!"

After soothing the overexcited Babata, Hu Yanbo let his smile fade and turned his attention to the Universe Mercenary Alliance Core Member privileges he had just obtained.

A cursory look put his mind at ease.

Leaving the more distant benefits aside, he already had a way to complete the "repayment mission" for his advance to High-level Marquis!

When he had emerged from the Chaos Stele cultivation chamber earlier, its guardian, Lord Kandri, had made it clear.

To study the Chaos Stele again, he had to join the Core Layer of one of the five major powers. Only then could he apply for access to the "Heavenly Bridge" plane in the Virtual Universe and earn opportunities to study it by clearing the bridge's trials.

Now, he was a Core Member of the Universe Mercenary Alliance, and he had the necessary privileges!

"The Heavenly Bridge..." A sharp gleam flashed in Hu Yanbo's eyes.

With his current High-level Marquis comprehension of Space Law, he was strong enough to clear the Sixteenth Layer of the Heavenly Bridge corresponding to the Nine Universes Chaos Stele.

That was more than enough for the repayment mission!

A confident smile curved Hu Yanbo's lips. "Looks like I won't need to remain at High-level Marquis for long!"

Having settled his next step, Hu Yanbo turned to the many newly unlocked functions in the privileges list before him.

With a thought, he selected one of them-the passage to Glory Sacred Mountain, the exclusive Virtual Universe plane for the Universe Mercenary Alliance's Immortal Core Members.

Light flashed, and Hu Yanbo's consciousness appeared at a public teleportation point on the outskirts of Glory Sacred Mountain.

Since he had yet to be assigned a private palace, he had appeared in this public area for the time being.

The moment he arrived, a World Lord attendant dressed in the alliance's standard silver robes flew over and bowed respectfully. "Lord Hu Yanbo, I have been waiting here on King Qian Cang's orders to guide you and help establish your private palace."

Hu Yanbo nodded slightly. "Sorry for the trouble."

The attendant then led Hu Yanbo deeper into the sacred mountain.

As they flew, magnificent mountains and rivers stretched beneath them, wreathed in mist, with palaces of every style scattered among them like stars.

Hu Yanbo estimated that this residential plane alone was no smaller than the Ganwu Continent in the Virtual Universe!

The attendant explained from beside him, "Please look, my lord. The palaces in these outer regions are relatively densely packed. Most were built by our Immortal Army Lord-level Core Members."

Hu Yanbo nodded and continued onward with the attendant.

He had originally assumed that, as a Marquis Immortal, his palace would most likely be built in the Marquis district.

Yet the attendant did not stop there. Without slowing at all, he continued flying toward an area closer to the sacred mountain's heart.

After a long flight, the surrounding palaces had grown sparse. Each occupied an expansive tract of land, far beyond anything in the outer districts.

Only then did the attendant slow down and turn respectfully to Hu Yanbo. "Lord Hu Yanbo, based on the alliance's assessment of your potential, you have been designated a 'Special-grade King Rank Seed.'"

"As such, your palace-building privileges apply to this area-the King Rank district!"

Hu Yanbo surveyed the vast, imposing region. Unlike the Immortal Army Lord and Marquis districts they had passed through, where palaces stood in dense clusters, the space here was relatively open.

The attendant continued, "You may choose any unclaimed mountain peak or plain in this district as the site of your palace."

Hu Yanbo's arrival, and his flight straight toward the King Rank district under an attendant's guidance, had already drawn the attention of quite a few experts on Glory Sacred Mountain.

Many divine senses swept quietly past, filled with curiosity and scrutiny.

"Hmm? An unfamiliar face? He went straight into the King Rank district?"

"Has our Universe Mercenary Alliance recruited another King Rank expert?"

"I wonder which King Rank he is. What's his title?"

"How enviable... I expect that King Rank lord will be entrusted with important duties before long. Once he becomes our superior, we'll know his title."

Under the scrutiny of those many divine senses, Hu Yanbo did not stop at the edge of the King Rank district. Instead, he continued deeper, toward the sacred mountain's heart.

Even the attendant accompanying him looked a little surprised at this.

Although no explicit rule existed, the unwritten convention was that the stronger one's abilities and potential, the closer one's palace stood to the center.

Lord Hu Yanbo might be a Special-grade King Rank Seed, but he had not truly reached King Rank yet.

By convention, choosing a site at the edge was the safest course. He could always relocate once his strength improved.

Yet Hu Yanbo showed no intention of stopping. His gaze swept over one enormous palace after another as he continued flying toward the innermost area.

The attendant was astonished, but dared say nothing and could only follow closely behind.

Hu Yanbo kept flying until, at last, he pointed toward an unoccupied, towering mountain peak in the distance.

Only a handful of palaces stood here, with immense distances between them. Each seemed like an independent Divine Kingdom, radiating a vast, unfathomable aura.

The attendant beside him had gone somewhat pale, and his voice carried a barely perceptible tremor. "Y-yes, my lord! I'll register the site and construct your palace at once!" As he worked, his thoughts reeled.

Everyone living in this area was a renowned Peak King!

This Hu Yanbo truly had incredible nerve!

He had better not be blindly confident... otherwise, if his strength failed to catch up while he lived among a group of Peak King neighbors, he would utterly humiliate himself!

With the Virtual Universe's privileges, construction was completed in an instant. A complex of black palaces, dignified and classical in style and suited to Hu Yanbo's tastes, stood upon the plain. It blended with its surroundings and possessed considerable grandeur.

Hu Yanbo briefly inspected the virtual residence that symbolized his status in the alliance's Core Layer. Without lingering, he withdrew his consciousness from Glory Sacred Mountain and returned to reality.

The moment he returned, he noticed that a communication request from King Qian Cang had already arrived.

He opened the connection, and King Qian Cang's three-dimensional projection appeared, wearing a rather peculiar, amused smile.

"You brat, you only just got access to Glory Sacred Mountain, and you've already set those old fellows in the alliance talking."

He studied Hu Yanbo with interest. "I heard you went in and built your palace right in the heart of the King Rank district? You've certainly got some nerve!"

"Not one of your neighbors is ordinary. Every last one is a long-established Peak King, and none of them is weaker than I am!"

Hu Yanbo replied calmly, "The attendant told me that palace locations on Glory Sacred Mountain aren't fixed. As a member's strength or potential changes, the size and location of their palace are adjusted accordingly."

"I thought that, since I'd be moving toward the center sooner or later, I might as well choose a place and settle there from the start. That would save me the unnecessary trouble of moving repeatedly as my strength improves."

King Qian Cang froze for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha! Good! 'Save the trouble,' eh? You've got spirit! That's the confidence I like to see!"

"I've brought your Special-grade King Rank Seed training contract. Take a look."

As he spoke, a detailed list appeared:

1. Universe Venerable-level guidance: receive personal instruction from a Universe Venerable of the Human Race, with the option to cultivate under a Universe Venerable for a period of time.

2. Customized top-tier secret technique: a Universe Venerable will personally design opponents based on your path of Law Comprehension and tailor a top-tier Combat Secret Technique for you.

3. Complete King Rank equipment set: a master smith of the Human Race will forge a complete set of King Level weapons and battle armor for you. (You may choose one piece to be forged from grade G metal.)

4. Starting funds: 300 million Hunyuan Units.

Every item on that list was enough to drive Immortal Gods outside the alliance wild!

Hu Yanbo's gaze swept over the list as he swiftly assessed the value of each item. On this lavish list, the starting funds of "300 million Hunyuan Units" seemed to be the most "ordinary" benefit.

But he knew very well that they were ordinary only in comparison to the scarce resources listed above them, resources that would tempt even King Rank experts.

For the vast majority of Immortal Gods, 300 million Hunyuan Units was already an unimaginable fortune!

Many experts who had only recently reached King Rank might have total assets worth around a billion Hunyuan Units.

These starting funds alone amounted to a third of a newly advanced King Rank's entire fortune!

They were enough for a Marquis Immortal to purchase many precious resources.

And the items at the top of the list were worth far, far more than 300 million Hunyuan Units!

Any sufficiently gifted genius who received wholehearted cultivation with these resources could become an outstanding King Rank, provided they did not perish along the way.

Soon, Hu Yanbo's gaze settled on a supplementary clause at the end of the list. It clearly stated, "As member Hu Yanbo remains in a period of rapid growth, the alliance will not require him to participate in its routine administration during this stage, ensuring that he can focus on cultivation and improvement."

At this clause, a truly satisfied smile finally appeared on Hu Yanbo's lips.

The Universe Mercenary Alliance had indeed kept its promise.

It looked like he would be enjoying a happy life with powerful backing and no responsibilities for a long time to come.

"Well? Are you satisfied?" King Qian Cang asked with a smile.

Within the training systems of the five major powers, both "Superior King Rank Seed contracts" and "Special-grade King Rank Seed contracts" were awarded to geniuses considered highly likely to reach King Rank, but the difference between them was enormous.

A high-grade contract recognized that its recipient possessed the potential to advance reliably to Initial King.

The alliance would invest the appropriate resources to ensure that they reached that goal smoothly.

A special-grade contract, on the other hand, recognized that its recipient possessed the astonishing potential to strive for High King!

This meant the alliance believed that, with sufficient resources and proper training, the recipient was overwhelmingly likely to become a powerful figure among King Rank experts!

If crudely measured in Hunyuan Units, the gap in resources invested between the two amounted to several billion, or even more!

As for why no higher contract existed to cultivate Peak Kings...

That level was already beyond what an ordinary "contract" could nurture.

Many extraordinary geniuses capable of reaching such heights had long since caught the eye of Universe Venerables, or even greater beings, and been taken as personal disciples.

Their teachers naturally supplied everything they needed. That was resource allocation on an entirely different level.

Hu Yanbo checked every clause once more, then, with a slight movement of his divine sense, imprinted his soul mark on the virtual contract runes.

"Very satisfied." He raised his head and looked at King Qian Cang. "Thank you to the alliance for valuing me so highly, and thank you, Lord King Qian Cang, for advocating for me."

"Haha," King Qian Cang laughed. "You'd better work hard, brat. Don't end up making me and that fellow Xu Zhen lose face."