Chapter 44: Old Acquaintance

After meeting the Marquis of Qingcang, Lu Qing quickly connected to the Virtual Universe and arrived at his palace on Thunder Island.

At this moment, he gained several new permissions, the most important of which was the emergency distress permission during missions.

During the execution of tasks by transportation department staff, distress signals are divided into three levels.

The lowest level of distress signal generally refers to issues such as spacecraft malfunctions;

the second level involves more urgent problems;

The highest level of distress signal can only be activated when encountering alien elites!

Thus, after familiarizing himself with the relevant permissions, Lu Qing promptly submitted his formal employment application within the Virtual Universe.

After officially joining, he quickly received training materials from the transportation department.

After completing numerous training assessments, Lu Qing received his first task: deliver a designated World Ring to a powerful figure at Camp 002 of the Seventh Outer Battlefield within one month, via the logistics department.

“A mission from headquarters to the Outer Battlefield?” Lu Qing blinked in surprise.

Thanks to Hogetsu’s introduction, Lu Qing was fairly familiar with the various tasks of the Virtual Universe Company’s transportation department.

Among the transportation department’s many tasks, these short-duration deliveries were the worst—given how little time there was, slacking off was nearly impossible.

Moreover, both departure and destination points were key human territories, meaning after completing this mission, he’d likely receive another one immediately, leaving even less time to slack off.

Fortunately, numerous fixed teleportation channels connected these key human territories, so even with only half a month for the mission, it was still very generous for Lu Qing.

“Oh well, what can you do—I’m a new recruit!” Lu Qing sighed, then quickly headed toward the logistics department’s zone.

After receiving the designated World Ring from the logistics department, he also received two World Lord-level elites from the same department.

These two World Lords were assigned by logistics to assist Lu Qing with the transport mission, so he soon brought them to Space Channel No. 3 Transit Hub on the headquarters continent.

Space Channel No. 3 Transit Hub contained thirty-six fixed teleportation routes to various Virtual Universe Company branches across human territory, one of which was near Canglong Star, one of humanity’s eight major logistics bases.

By using the fixed teleportation channel on Canglong Star, one could quickly reach Camp 002 of the Seventh Outer Battlefield.

“Greetings, my lord!” Upon arriving at Space Channel No. 3 Transit Hub, a Domain Lord-level staffer in uniform quickly approached him.

“Hello!”

Lu Qing nodded slightly and said: “I’m Lu Qing from the transportation department. I’ve already submitted my application to reach Branch 27!”

“Please follow me, my lord!”

The staffer bowed respectfully, then led Lu Qing and the other two to a teleportation portal.

The portal appeared as a rippling curtain of water; Lu Qing nodded to the staffer, then stepped forward with the two World Lords into the portal.

These fixed teleportation channels between locations typically used the divine realms of Immortals as transit hubs, with the realm’s owner effectively dedicating their divine realm to the Virtual Universe Company.

Naturally, under such arrangements, the divine realm was made utterly secure by the Virtual Universe Company—a benefit to the realm’s owner as well.

Through the fixed teleportation channel, Lu Qing soon arrived at Branch 27, tens of millions of light-years away, then boarded Blood Red No. 3 with the two World Lords to head for Canglong Star.

After three days of dark-space travel, Lu Qing and the others soon appeared near Canglong Star, one of humanity’s eight major logistics bases.

Using the ship’s external simulation function, Lu Qing quickly spotted the massive planet ahead, over a million kilometers in diameter.

It was an artificial planet, and also a terrifying space fortress.

As a staff member of the Virtual Universe Company’s transportation department, Lu Qing’s identity was verified, and he was swiftly escorted via a special channel to Camp 002 of the Seventh Outer Battlefield.

After reconfirming their identities, Lu Qing and the two others were guided by staff to the entrance of a luxurious villa covering over a kilometer.

Remember, this was not the heartland of human territory, but a military camp within the Outer Battlefield—where even “an inch of land for an inch of gold” failed to describe the preciousness of space.

The fact that the villa’s owner could occupy such a luxurious residence here spoke volumes about his strength!

“Hahaha, you’ve finally arrived!”

As soon as Lu Qing and the others appeared, a slender figure stepped out of the villa.

“Sir, this is your ordered goods—all here!”

After verifying the man’s information with a special device, Lu Qing bowed slightly and presented the designated World Ring before him.

“Hmm!”

The slender figure nodded slightly, then sent a thread of Immortal power into the interior of the World Ring.

Seeing this, Lu Qing continued: “The mission is complete. We won’t disturb you further.”

“Wait!”

Just as Lu Qing was about to leave with his team, the man’s surprised voice echoed again: “You’re Lu Qing?”

“Huh?”

Hearing his name called, Lu Qing felt a flicker of confusion.

When he looked again, the slender figure’s face had shifted into another appearance.

“You’re ‘Purple Ray’ Luo Si?” Lu Qing asked, astonished.

‘Purple Ray’ Luo Si was the strongest opponent Lu Qing had faced during his second participation in the Cosmic Human Peak Talent Competition.

He had once reached the top 2,000 in the entire universe’s Trial Tower rankings—that was the closest he’d ever come to entering the core ranks of the Five Great Powers through multiple talent and elite battles.

According to Virtual Universe Company rules, he only needed to defeat three other talents who had also entered the top 7,300 in the global rankings, and he would qualify to join the company’s core layer alongside the top 100 Trial Tower-ranked talents.

But just as he had defeated two terrifying opponents and stood one step away from entering the Virtual Universe Company’s core layer, he encountered ‘Purple Ray’ Luo Si!

After a grueling battle, he ultimately lost to Luo Si, who stepped over his fallen body to enter the Virtual Universe Company’s core layer!

(End of Chapter)