Chapter Seventy: The Cosmic Galaxy Bank

"Lord Ming Yu, may I ask," Hong looked at the burly man before him, "if we join the Virtual Universe Company, what must we do, what obligations are required?"

"In the early stages, your strength is weak, so the company is nurturing you. Management is strict—you must obey company orders, undergo training, face trials of life and death, and so on. However, as your power increases, your freedom will expand. At Universe level, Domain Lord, Sector Lord—greater strength brings greater freedom. At critical moments, you need only perform certain tasks," Ming Yu replied directly.

Strict management? Luo Yuan and the others were less than willing. Hong and Thunder God had both founded martial arts halls—they were not used to being strictly managed by others.

Luo Yuan needed to roam freely to collect attributes; he couldn’t be constrained, especially by any so-called life-and-death trials. His goal was to survive to the very end—breakthroughs by risking one's life sounded like a joke to him.

Luo Feng was soon to be married, with children on the way; he didn't want frequent separation from his family.

The four exchanged glances, discussed briefly, and shook their heads.

"We cannot accept," Luo Yuan said.

"Ah, well, what I described just now is for 'internal members.' Our Virtual Universe Company splits members into internal and external. Internal members enjoy many benefits, but management is strict. External members have much more freedom, though the benefits are far fewer—not nearly as good as internal members.

If you become external members, you cannot receive evolution agents for free, but you can buy them. Your first purchase is at a low price, the second at a higher price, and a normal external member can buy up to three," Ming Yu explained casually.

Hearing that they could become external members, with more freedom and the option to purchase evolution agents, the four became interested.

"Here are the rules for external members of our company. Please review them to see if you can accept," Ming Yu gestured to a screen, which displayed a long list of regulations.

...

Five minutes later.

"Welcome to the Virtual Universe Company. You are now external members of the Black Dragon Mountain branch, temporarily under my jurisdiction. If you need anything, contact me by email," Ming Yu said with a smile.

"Understood, Lord Ming Yu."

Luo Yuan, Luo Feng, Hong, and Thunder God bowed slightly.

...

Leaving the Killing Field, the four returned to Luo Yuan’s residence, the ancient palace at Nine Star Bay on Black Dragon Mountain Island.

"Being an external member is truly liberating."

"It's amazing—they even allow us to join ordinary organizations, and even places like the Qianwu Dojo. Unbelievable," Thunder God exclaimed, walking along the cobblestone path by the lake. "They only forbid us from joining cross-universe powers like the Giant Axe Arena."

"Are you planning to buy the bloodline evolution agent?" Luo Feng asked.

"Yes, my brother and I still have money; we can buy a standard one to try," Thunder God said, and Hong nodded as well.

"I’ll pass. I don’t want to inject any strange things into my body," Luo Yuan shook his head.

"I’ll buy one too. Now that we’re members of the Virtual Universe Company, as the saying goes, it’s good to have a big tree to lean on; it adds a layer of security when we go out," Luo Feng said with a smile.

"Third and fourth, after talking with the external officer, I’ve decided to register at the Universe Mercenary Alliance," Hong’s eyes sparkled. "I can’t take the probationary mercenary exam yet, but... I can't wait any longer."

"Me too!" Thunder God licked his lips, a wild gleam in his eyes. "Dancing on the edge of life and death—that’s the thrill I crave."

"Count me in. I need some challenges too," Luo Feng said.

"Third brother, are you coming?" Hong asked.

"Shall we go together?" Thunder God and Luo Feng looked at Luo Yuan.

"Of course, I’ll join you—but we’ll need to wait a while," Luo Yuan replied with a smile.

"Why?" Luo Feng asked, Hong and Thunder God also looked at Luo Yuan in confusion.

"I’ve looked into the Universe Mercenary Alliance. The probationary mercenary exam is extremely dangerous—even a ninth-level Star class suffers heavy casualties. With our current weak abilities, it’d be suicide. Let’s improve ourselves first," Luo Yuan warned, though he was not wrong. Besides, joining the exam now would mean missing the opportunity to reap benefits from the Thunder World.

"Ah, you're right—it was just a rush of blood; we lost our heads," Hong admitted, feeling embarrassed.

After logging off, Luo Yuan resumed his daily routine: collecting attributes at the Qianwu Dojo by day, and purposefully challenging outstanding cosmic talents in the Duel Space by night, picking up attributes as he went.

In the blink of an eye, another half-year passed. Luo Yuan broke through to the ninth level of the Star class—both as a spiritual master and a gene warrior. In the eight dantian fields of his gene warrior body, nine immense stars rotated in each.

Gold, wood, water, fire, earth, thunder, light, wind, space—he had reached the seventh level in each of these nine domains, and had acquired rules for each, except for the domain and rules of time, which he’d never encountered, to his regret.

After testing in the Killing Field, Luo Yuan found he could now defeat opponents up to the third level of Universe class, and fight evenly with those at the fourth or fifth.

"Beep~ Luo Yuan, Luo Feng and the others are here to pick you up—they’re waiting at the spaceship dock," the intelligent Babata suddenly reminded him.

"Got it. Tell them to wait a moment," Luo Yuan replied.

Soon, he packed his things and headed to the dock, boarding the Black Dragon spaceship with Luo Feng, Hong, and Thunder God.

"Babata, let’s go to Jade Rock Star first," Luo Yuan said.

"All right, everyone buckle up."

...

Jade Rock Star, one of the planets directly controlled by the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, a mid-level civilization in the universe. It serves as a vital hub for the six neighboring affiliated nations, more important even than the imperial capital of a lower-level civilization. Naturally, both the Universe Galactic Bank and Universe First Bank had branches here.

The four descended from the planetary dock.

"Follow me to the Universe Galactic Bank!" Luo Yuan smiled.

In the heart of the bustling city, at a location where land was more precious than gold, stood a magnificent and soul-stirring building. Around it stretched over three kilometers of lawn—no other buildings, just grass, trees, and flowers. Such extravagance in a place where every inch mattered was unbelievable.

People from other planets passing by showed envy in their eyes as they looked at the building.

Because—this was the Universe Galactic Bank.

"So tall!"

"So beautiful!"

Luo Feng and Thunder God stared up at the building, dazzled by its artistic grandeur.

"What presence—how did they build it?" Hong’s eyes shone.

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