In the Virtual Universe, at the Nine-Star Bay of Heilong Mountain Island.
Luo Feng, Hong, and Thunder sat around an open-air stone table. In front of them floated a screen displaying a vast amount of information regarding the precautions for the Novice Mercenary Examination of the Universe.
“The Novice Mercenary Examination of the Universe is always conducted within a ‘World-Lord Realm’?”
“Inside the World-Lord Realm, besides the inherent dangers of the realm itself, the greater danger comes from other examinees participating in the test?” “Ambushes can happen anytime, and others may rob you of the items you obtain during the examination?” Luo Feng read the precautions with a furrowed brow.
“For the Novice Examination, if you’re a new participant at the Stellar-Level second or third stage, it’s best to form a team with those at the Stellar-Level eighth or ninth stage! This way, you at least have the ability to resist or escape if attacked.”
“Whatever you do, don’t enter the exam in groups of just a few newbies at the Stellar-Level first or second stage! Even if you’re lucky enough to obtain the examination items, they’ll be robbed from you.”
…
After reading the precautions, Luo Feng, Hong, and Thunder exchanged glances, each feeling a bit speechless.
“It turns out the most dangerous thing is actually the other participants in the Novice Mercenary Examination,” Thunder shook his head helplessly.
“The human heart is the hardest to predict,” Hong said solemnly.
“Fortunately, we brought two servants,” Luo Feng felt the pressure but wasn’t too nervous. When they set out, to prevent encountering trouble, Luo Feng had brought two Stellar-Level ninth-stage servants. After all, he had purchased a group of Stellar-Level ninth-stage servants.
One was a Mentalist, and the other was a Warrior.
They were among the very best!
These Stellar-Level ninth-stage slaves had all been taught some of the early cultivation secret techniques of the Yimo Star lineage. Since they were slaves, naturally, there was no fear of betrayal, so Babata didn’t object.
“Forming a team with Stellar-Level eighth or ninth-stage participants?” Thunder laughed. “Ha ha, fortunately, we have two powerful allies.”
“Yeah, we don’t need to look for others to form a team,” Hong also smiled.
Forming a team.
There was no legal protection, so naturally, there was no 100% trust between team members. Preventing betrayal from behind was exhausting! Luo Feng and his companions were lucky to have two Stellar-Level ninth-stage servants, so they could form a five-member group with complete unity within the team.
In the vast universe.
Generally, people of the same race or from the same homeland would share deep bonds, as there were countless human races and planets in the universe.
“Dad, Dad, what are you looking at?” A young boy in battle armor, ‘Luo Hai,’ came running joyfully.
“Busy here, come, give Dad a kiss,” Luo Feng quickly smiled and ran over to pick up his son.
…
That night, Luo Feng and the others left Bailan Star aboard a spaceship.
The first time one applied for an adventurer’s identity, it had to be done in person at the ‘Galactic Mercenary Alliance,’ and only after obtaining the adventurer’s identity could one participate in the Novice Mercenary Examination. Their destination was precisely ‘Qiulong Star.’
…
Ten days later.
The Galactic Mercenary Alliance’s base on Qiulong Star was like a city in itself. Luo Feng, Hong, Thunder, and their two Stellar-Level ninth-stage bodyguards entered it.
“There sure are a lot of people,” Luo Feng marveled.
“It’s absolutely packed,” Thunder also felt overwhelmed.
A large crowd entered the Galactic Mercenary Alliance, with over eighty percent there to register as adventurers! The five of them joined the throng, queuing with people from various human races to complete their adventurer registration. After about an hour, they finally finished.
“Adventure card, this is the adventure card?” Thunder looked at the card in his hand.
“Don’t lose it; replacing it is a hassle,” Luo Feng chuckled. “Come on, let’s go apply for the Novice Mercenary Examination.”
There were the most applicants for adventurer registration.
But for the Novice Mercenary Examination, the number of applicants was much fewer, so Luo Feng and his group didn’t even need to queue.
“A Stellar-Level second-stage Mentalist, a Stellar-Level second-stage Warrior, a Stellar-Level first-stage Warrior, a Stellar-Level ninth-stage Warrior, and a Stellar-Level ninth-stage Mentalist. You all meet the requirements for applying to the Novice Mercenary Examination. Please pay 10,000 Heilong Coins per person.”
“Very well.”
“Here are the detailed contents of your examination mission; please read them yourselves.”
After swiping the adventure cards of the five, their numbers were already entered into the ‘Galactic Novice Mercenary Examination’ system, and they were now eligible to participate in the exam.
Luo Feng, Hong, Thunder, and the two bodyguards quickly found a nearby bar, entered, ordered some drinks, and immediately began carefully reading the mission details.
“Enter the World-Lord Realm of Canglan Star, obtain three Fengjiao Stones and one horn from a Dujiao Tiexi. Then hand them over to the staff of the Galactic Mercenary Alliance stationed at the exit of the World-Lord Realm. This will signify a successful Novice Mercenary Examination, and you will officially become a qualified Novice Mercenary of the Universe.”
The examination mission served an evaluative purpose.
It was not a typical adventure; this mission was designed to eliminate a large number of participants.
“It’s definitely not going to be easy,” Thunder muttered, then grinned. “Fengjiao Stones and the horn of a Dujiao Tiexi? Couldn’t someone just buy them and claim they obtained them themselves?”
“Look here.”
Luo Feng flipped to page six of the detailed examination guide. “Fengjiao Stones are a type of stone unique to the World-Lord Realm, containing the realm’s attributes. The Dujiao Tiexi, raised within the World-Lord Realm, have their horns marked by the Galactic Mercenary Alliance… Each time a mission is completed, the examination items are collected.”
“Even if someone takes them out, the Galactic Mercenary Alliance will severely crack down. Once cheating is detected, the examinee will be permanently disqualified from the examination. Those who sell the items will be executed on the spot.”
…
Luo Feng, Hong, Thunder, and the two bodyguards were all discussing the upcoming Novice Mercenary Examination.
“Five gentlemen.”
“Five gentlemen,” a man with an extremely thin build and oversized ears approached with a wide smile. “You’re preparing to participate in the Novice Mercenary Examination of the Universe, right?”
“Hmm?” Luo Feng and the others looked over.
“All the Novice Mercenary Examinations within the Heilong Mountain Star Region take place in the World-Lord Realm on Canglan Star. I… have a detailed map of that realm and many insights from seniors who have completed the Novice Mercenary Examination.” The man whispered quickly. “With this, your chances of success will at least double.”
“A detailed map? Insights?” Luo Feng looked at the thin man.
“How much?” Thunder asked.
“Not much, 100 Heilong Coins per copy,” the thin man replied quickly.
“Not much? 50 Heilong Coins per copy,” Thunder countered directly.
“Deal!” The thin man agreed decisively.
…
On Qiulong Star, Luo Feng’s group purchased two copies of the Novice Examination books from two different sources. Upon comparison, the maps were identical. However, the insights varied widely. As they read on, Luo Feng, Hong, and Thunder were secretly alarmed… the World-Lord Realm would change periodically!
…
On Qiulong Star, Luo Feng purchased second-stage battle armor and second-stage primal (mental) weapons for his two bodyguards. While top-tier second-stage mental weapons could cost billions of Heilong Coins, the ones he used were merely low-grade third-stage mental weapons, so the ones for his bodyguards were naturally only ‘mid-grade second-stage weapons.’
For Stellar-Level warriors, second-stage weapons were sufficient.
…
Later, the five of them boarded a spaceship and left Qiulong Star, heading for ‘Canglan Star,’ a planet even more famous than Qiulong Star.
Canglan Star ranked among the top 100 important planets within the territory of the Heilong Mountain Empire. The planet’s owner was a ‘World-Lord,’ although the planetary lord was not currently residing on Canglan Star.
“Ougu, Tienanhe. From now on, you two are extremely important members of our team. When facing ambushes or other dangers, we three will rely on you,” Luo Feng said with a smile in the spaceship’s control room, looking at the two bodyguards he had brought along.
They both looked nearly identical to Earthlings.
Ougu was a Stellar-Level ninth-stage Mentalist, extremely thin, with no meat on his cheeks and messy dark red hair. His strength ranked first among the many Stellar-Level ninth-stage slaves Luo Feng had purchased.
Tienanhe was a muscular, tall man with sunken eyes. The only difference from Earthlings was the three scales on his forehead. He was the top-ranked Stellar-Level ninth-stage warrior among the slaves Luo Feng had bought.
“Protecting our master is our mission,” Ougu the elder said quickly.
“Master, please don’t say that,” Tienanhe added.
“Don’t be humble. Our team will last for a long time. If in the future our team disbands, and after enduring many life-and-death situations, if you two and I are still alive… I will choose to remove the bio-chip control over you, granting you freedom,” Luo Feng said.
Ougu and Tienanhe’s eyes lit up.
Freedom!
It was what every slave longed for! But under the control of the bio-chip, they couldn’t defy their master’s commands.
Luo Feng nodded inwardly. Slaves wouldn’t dare to rebel, but giving them a big promise would make the two bodyguards work even harder… and Luo Feng had also decided that when their strength was no longer sufficient and the team disbanded, if the two had survived many life-and-death situations alongside him, granting them freedom would be only natural.
“We’re almost at Canglan Star; the spaceship will soon enter hyperspace.”
“Canglan Star.” Ougu and Tienanhe, the two bodyguards, both had a glimmer of longing in their eyes. They would work hard and protect Luo Feng with their lives.
Because if their master died.
They would be finished!
And their hope for freedom would be even more distant. Not every master would grant freedom to their slaves.
…
After entering hyperspace, the deep-blue spaceship flew toward an incredibly beautiful water-blue planet.
“What a beautiful planet, it rivals our homeland,” Luo Feng stood in the control room, gazing at the distant planet in admiration.
“It really is beautiful,” Thunder also praised. “But it’s quite strange; Canglan Star has a diameter of about 32,000 kilometers, yet the ‘World-Lord Realm’ hidden within Canglan Star covers an area more than a hundred times larger than the entire planet. Such a vast world, it’s said that some peak World-Lords can conceal it within a single grain of sand.”
“A single grain of sand, a single world. This is the great power of a World-Lord,” Hong marveled.
The World-Lord Realm was incredibly mysterious.
This Galactic Novice Mercenary Examination would take place within such a World-Lord Realm.
“Whoosh!”
The deep-blue spaceship quickly entered Canglan Star.
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