Swallowing the Stars, Hu Yanbo's Pre-Godhood

Just as Hu Yanbo was immersed in planning for the future, his consciousness in the virtual universe detected a communication request.

"Hmm?" Hu Yanbo's heart skipped a beat. "Has the news already spread?"

He smiled slightly, a hint of relief in his eyes: "Luckily, I acted quickly enough. If it had been any later, it would have reached the ears of some lone kings."

Shocking news often spreads from top to bottom.

Once it spreads to the core groups of the various factions directly under their command, it won't be long before those lone kings, whose information channels are relatively closed but who have a beast-like instinct for danger, find out.

After all, there are only about 100,000 officially recognized kings in the human race. It is not difficult for them to remember the name of a newly added, highly skilled king who has reached the pinnacle of power.

The two people in this communication were Hu Yanbo's few close friends who had been granted the title of king.

Therefore, Hu Yanbo didn't bother with any particular order and, with a thought, connected to both communications simultaneously.

Virtual projections are generated instantly.

hum!hum!

Two 3D projections with very different styles appeared almost simultaneously inside the rest cabin.

The man on the left, dressed in ancient dark red armor, with a rugged face, was none other than the True King.

The person on the right appeared much thinner, wearing a blue battle armor trimmed with silver thread—the Thousand Cang King.

As soon as the two projections solidified, they exchanged a glance, as if they had known each other all along, and simultaneously looked at Huyan Bo, calling out in unison with drawn-out tones:

"I've seen the 'Soul~Destroyer~King~!'"

This deliberately quirky tone made Hu Yanbo roll his eyes and chuckle irritably, "You two, did you plan to come here together to make fun of me?"

Seeing his reaction, King Xuzhen and King Qiancang could no longer hold back and burst into laughter, their hearty laughter echoing in the rest cabin.

After laughing, King Xuzhen made no attempt to hide his smugness and pride, saying:

"Haha! Soul Destroyer King, you have no idea! It's all over the place now! Everyone says that the two most brilliant things I, Xu Zhen, have ever done in my life are breaking through to the peak of the King-Sealing Realm and recommending you, this 'lost gem,' to Chaos City thousands of years ago!"

The Thousand Cang King, not to be outdone, immediately chimed in: "Hey, hey, hey, then my decision to defy all opposition and recruit the Soul Destroyer King into the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance is the most boast-worthy investment of my long career, bar none!"

As Qiancang Wang spoke, a smug, mischievous smile appeared on his face. He lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret: "You have no idea how ugly Xinghui Wang's face is right now, considering he was recruited by the Virtual Universe Company!"

"It is said that the top management of Virtual Universe Company is preparing to hold him accountable severely, reprimanding him for dereliction of duty and serious oversight as the first discoverer!"

"Hahaha!"

This scene evoked a sense of emotion in Hu Yanbo.

Thousands of years ago, when he first entered Chaos City, the peak-level kings like King Xuzhen and King Qiancang were still the targets he needed to look up to and catch up with.

Thousands of years have passed, roles have reversed, and now it is the two of them who are incredibly proud of their foresight in making that "investment" back then.

After the lighthearted conversation, Hu Yanbo's expression turned serious, and he said, "Speaking of which, there's something I'd like to ask you two to keep an eye out for me."

"Oh? What is it? Speak freely!" King Xuzhen said generously.

King Qiancang also looked over curiously.

Hu Yanbo then briefly explained the matter of the Ink Prison King, emphasizing that he needed a large amount of resources to awaken and restore him. Therefore, he wanted to find a way to get rid of this 'sleeping peak king' in exchange for some urgently needed treasures or points.

As soon as he finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the other end of the communication line.

The smiles on the faces of King Xuzhen and King Qiancang froze simultaneously, their eyes widening as if they had heard something utterly unbelievable.

Two or three seconds passed.

"ha--?!!"

The King of Illusion suddenly let out a strange scream, his voice distorted: "You...you...what did you say?!"

"You want to sell a peak-level King-level cultivator?!"

"Alive, uh, no, a sleeping peak-level King?!"

Beside him, King Qiancang subconsciously rubbed his forehead, staring at Huyan Bo with an expression as if he were looking at a monster: "My goodness! I, Qiancang, have lived for billions of years and have seen my fair share of 'human traffickers'!"

"They've traded slaves, sold realm lords, and even sold immortal military lords a few times!"

"But you can't just casually say you'll take care of someone at the peak of their King-level cultivation!"

"This is truly unprecedented!"

Hu Yanbo was both amused and exasperated by their reactions.

Is it really necessary to be so exaggerated? It's just selling the peak of the King-level title, right?

Hu Yanbo felt that his two old friends' reactions were a bit exaggerated, but he never thought about the deeper reasons behind them.

In this vast universe, immortal gods possess infinite lifespans, which makes the value of any immortal, especially a high-level immortal, far beyond imagination.

A loyal immortal servant means an additional powerful combatant and a mentor to guide the growth of one's people.

He has many functions, and the more the better for any power (excluding super powers) or family!

Not to mention the servants who were granted titles of kings!

Qiancang King seemed to suddenly realize something and hurriedly asked, his tone filled with great confusion: "Soul Extinction, you can enslave him now and wait for tens of millions of years for Mo Lao King to awaken. At this stage, he also has strength comparable to a king. Then, you can spend hundreds of millions of years waiting for him to fully recover and then keep him by your side."

"It took a little longer, but for us immortals, it's just a slightly longer period of seclusion. A servant at the peak of the King-level realm is invaluable!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Yanbo simply shook his head calmly, his tone indifferent yet carrying a suffocating sense of distance that made King Xuzhen and King Qiancang feel: "Hundreds of millions of years? That's too long. By the time that time comes, I myself won't even know what level I've reached in my cultivation."

"At that time, a peak-level kingship servant would be a waste of a precious soul enslavement slot for me."

"..."

The other end of the communication fell into a deathly silence once again.

The virtual projections of King Xuzhen and King Qiancang seemed to be completely petrified, staring blankly at Huyan Bo, their mouths slightly open, but unable to utter a single word.

Hundreds of millions of years, is that too long?

I wonder what level you've reached in your cultivation?

A prince's peak servant! Not very meaningful!

Wasting slots for enslavement?

These words together were like an invisible hammer, slamming heavily into the minds of the two veteran peak-level kings, leaving them dizzy and disoriented.

They had lived for billions of years and endured countless battles before finally reaching the pinnacle of kingship, and they knew all too well how difficult this step was.

A peak-level King-ranking warrior is an extremely important force for any King-ranking expert or family.

However, in Huyanbo's words, it has become an "idle asset" that needs to be dealt with in a timely manner, and he even worries that it will "take up space" in the future?!

This understated confidence in one's future growth, coupled with a grand vision overlooking the pinnacle of power...

After a long while, King Xuzhen finally let out a heavy breath, vigorously wiped his face, and said with a wry smile, "Fine! You're something else! Really something else!"

"Listen to me, you can try selling this Ink Prison King at the Hongmeng auction, or at a high-level auction within our human race. This level of 'goods' can definitely be the grand finale! The price will absolutely skyrocket!"

King Qiancang nodded in agreement. "That's right, King Hunmie. If we were to find a buyer privately, firstly, it would be difficult to find a suitable channel, and secondly, the upper limit on the price would likely be limited."

"But if it's auctioned publicly through the Hongmeng or clan auction houses, those individuals and ancient families who desperately need to replenish their top combat power will absolutely fight tooth and nail! The price could easily double, or even several times!"

However, after listening to his two old friends' advice, Hu Yanbo shook his head slightly and declined, saying, "Thank you for your kind offer. However, regarding the Ink Prison King... I still prefer to find a suitable private buyer for the time being."

"As for the auction house, it's too big a deal and involves too many people, so let's talk about it another time."

Upon hearing this, King Xuzhen and King Qiancang were somewhat puzzled, but seeing Huyan Bo's clear attitude, they did not insist further. They simply stated that they would help him find a reliable private channel as soon as possible.

After the communication ended, Hu Yanbo sat quietly in deep thought.

His earlier refusal of the auction house's suggestion was not due to a lack of interest in the potentially high price, but rather because of deeper considerations.

"An auction for a rare treasure that can elevate the level of life's genes." Hu Yanbo's fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the armrest of his seat, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

"I have another idea!!!"