Please be my partner.

Only a strong person like Yu Junhui, who has the qualifications to compete for the top ten, can remain calm.

In the underwater cave, Mellen slowly opened his eyes. He stretched out his palm, and a ball of energy from heaven and earth gathered in his palm. With a slight sense, one could find that his application of the power of heaven and earth in the landscape painting was more harmonious. However, none of this mattered. What truly delighted him was the growth of his knowledge of all realms.

After a quick calculation, he realized there was only one day left until the end. Without further hesitation, Mellen immediately took to the air.

Mellen randomly chose a direction to move forward, letting his senses wander along the way.

In the ten minutes or so, although Mellen sensed the presence of some inner disciples, none of them carried promotion tokens, clearly indicating that they had given up the competition and were focusing on digging for treasure in the Mountain and River Map.

Mellen could kick these people out of the game and take the treasures they found, but in his perception, these treasures weren't very valuable, so he couldn't be bothered to be the villain.

At the exact hour, beams of golden light shot into the sky—the marks of the promotion orders.

Within a thousand miles of Mellen, there were five beams of light, four of which were moving rapidly, but the one closest to Mellen was stationary.

A slight smile played on Mellen's lips as he headed straight for the nearest beam of light.

There are only two possibilities for remaining stationary: either the carrier is temporarily entangled and unable to escape, or the carrier has absolute confidence in themselves and is unconcerned about challenges from others.

When Mellen arrived at the location of the Marked Light, she realized it was the latter.

In the center of the arena, a young man stood calmly, surrounded by eight people, but none of them dared to step forward.

Upon seeing Mellen's arrival, the eight men seemed to want to approach and win him over.

Mellen naturally ignored him. He waved his hand slightly, and with a gentle breeze, everything stood still, as if frozen in amber.

Mellen nimbly approached the young man, took the still-glowing promotion token from his arms, and then walked away.

After a while, the frozen space began to flow again.

As the young man recovered, his expression became extremely interesting, while the eight men who were preparing to attack him looked at each other in bewilderment.

Chapter 612 Momentum

"Pop!~"

With a sound like bubbles bursting, the Landscape Map disintegrated like a dream, followed by thousands of rays of light that fell from the last remaining inner disciples in the Landscape Map.

Among them, the sixty-four figures holding promotion orders were the most eye-catching.

"Wow!"

The cheers from the outside world seemed to penetrate through layers of space and enter Bifeng Mountain, mixed with the amazement and admiration of countless people.

But suddenly, amidst the cheers of the crowd, Mellen sensed something different. It was as if a special power, or rule, was constantly transforming the invisible power of worship emanating from countless people outside into a more tangible force, bestowing it upon the sixty-four inner disciples.

This is completely different from the power of faith, incense, and vows; it is a much more magnificent and vast force.

Murren thought of some descriptions from traditional novels and biographies...

A peerless genius, unrivaled in his generation, gathering invincible momentum, breaking through constraints in one fell swoop, achieving what was impossible for his predecessors!

Now, Mellen felt an invisible force supporting him, a force somewhat similar to the tide of the times, but no longer an abstract concept, but forcibly transformed into a more substantial power.

Even though the 'momentum' allocated to Mellen was still very weak, under the support of this 'momentum', Mellen faintly felt an invincible sense of success, as if nothing in this world could defeat him, and he could surpass what no one had ever done before and turn the impossible into the possible!

In a daze, Mellen's gaze pierced through the barrier of space and saw the countless spectators outside, their young faces sparkling with expressions of worship, respect, admiration, and so on.

At this moment, Mellen seemed to understand why the Golden Jade Immortal Sect was holding such a grand inner sect competition. It was clearly an opportunity to harvest some special power from the younger generation of the entire Jade Balance Heaven in order to cultivate outstanding disciples in the sect.

Mellen could even imagine the immense boost that would be generated when he reached the top of the inner sect competition!

At this moment, Mellen once again realized the domineering nature of the Golden Jade Immortal Sect, and this 'domineering' nature permeated every aspect of their being in a subtle and pervasive way.

but……

A slight smile played on Mellen's lips, and a glint of light flickered in his eyes.

This perfectly aligns with his previous vision of a celestial realm theme... strife!

Everything must be fought for!

Jun Tianqi smiled and said loudly, "Very good! You are all quite good, really quite good! Being able to obtain and retain your promotion orders in such a complex environment is enough to show that your overall qualities far surpass those of your peers. However, you can do even better!"

"For us cultivators, the world is vast, but reason is the most important thing."

"But this world is cruel, and the outer heavens are even more unpredictable. In times like these, fists will be our best 'truth'!"

"Next, the sixty-four of you will fight in pairs. For each level you advance, the rewards from the sect will increase by one level. So, give it your all and push forward as far as you can!"

"Boom!~"

The promotion orders for the sixty-four people, including Mellen, transformed into a stream of light and flew out, imprinting themselves on the back of their right hands. Then, golden beams of light shot into the sky, intertwining into a net in mid-air.

This golden net represents their next battle order. Mellen looked at the first golden light that intertwined with his own and saw a beautiful woman with a slightly aloof temperament. She was also looking at him in the same direction.

Mellen smiled and nodded as a greeting, but the aloof beauty immediately looked away.

At Jun Tianqi's signal, Mellen and the other sixty-four retreated to the edge of Bifeng Mountain. A cross point in the sky lit up, splitting into two beams of light that shot towards two of them.

The two arrived at Bifeng Mountain under the influence of a spatial force.

At this moment, Bifeng Mountain seemed to have undergone spatial expansion. It still didn't look very big, but for the two people who fell into it, it felt like a vast and distant place.

After a brief exchange, the two quickly engaged in combat, during which they unleashed a barrage of supernatural and secret techniques.

After more than ten battles, it was finally Mellen's turn.

Teleported to the arena, Mellen smiled and said, "My name is Mellen. May I ask how this senior sister is addressed?"

The aloof beauty said calmly, "Qiao Ziyu."

Mellen said, "Then, Senior Sister Qiao, please guide me."

Qiao Ziyu said, "Make your move."

Mellen didn't mince words; with a flick of his finger, a spatial fluctuation shot towards Qiao Ziyu.

Qiao Ziyu frowned, snorted coldly, and said softly, "Frost!"

Suddenly, the white jade sword hanging at her waist was drawn, and a chill swept out from it, freezing the spatial fluctuations that Mellen had created. Then, with its remaining momentum, it swept towards Mellen, leaving a thick layer of frost on the ground wherever it passed.

Mellen then became serious. He hadn't intended to prolong the battle. Facing the oncoming chill, he conjured a great sun behind him. Wherever the sun shone, the chill dissipated and the frost melted. Qiao Ziyu felt as if he were in a blazing furnace.

Qiao Ziyu's expression changed slightly. He held the Frost Sword in mid-air in his hand, and an even deeper chill emanated from it, mixed with wisps of darkness.

"The Netherworld Snow Slays the Ceremony, a Thousand Wheels of Funeral Procession!"

As Qiao Ziyu unleashed his supernatural powers, it was as if a portal to the underworld had been opened, from which gusts of deep, dark, and chilling air blew out, seemingly freezing even the sun in the sky.

With a calm expression, Mellen directly increased the power of the Great Sun. The radiance of the Great Sun suddenly intensified, accompanied by the screams of demons and monsters, and the chilling air immediately dissipated in large swaths.

The Frost Sword was swept by the light, making a crisp sound, and several cracks appeared on its blade.

Qiao Ziyu's expression changed drastically, but he was powerless to stop it and could only let the radiance of the sun sweep over him.

During the competition, if a life-or-death crisis occurs, Jun Tianqi will intervene to stop it, but if it only results in some injury, Jun Tianqi will not care.

However, the scorching pain that Qiao Ziyu had imagined did not come. On the contrary, the sunlight shone on her body and brought her a warm feeling.

Then Mellen said gently, "Senior Sister Qiao, it seems there's something wrong with your supernatural ability. You should be more careful."

Qiao Ziyu's expression became extremely complex, showing anger, resentment, fear, and lingering apprehension. But in the end, these expressions slowly faded, leaving her thoughtful. After a moment, she looked at Mellen and said seriously, "I see. Thank you for reminding me, Senior Brother Mellen."

In just a short while, Qiao Ziyu's aloof temperament seemed to have dissipated somewhat, and even her aura became more harmonious, clearly indicating a significant improvement.

Mellen smiled and nodded, inwardly marveling at how worthy he was of being a genius who had fought his way out of tens of thousands of inner disciples. Just this kind of temperament alone was something that ordinary people could not compare to.

With the outcome decided, Qiao Ziyu stepped off the arena and sat cross-legged in quiet meditation, oblivious to everyone else, determined to transform his previous insights into tangible improvements in his strength.

If the current format of 64 people fighting in pairs with the loser being eliminated continues, only 63 battles will be needed in total. If Mellen wants to win first place in the inner sect competition, he only needs to win six of them.

Mellen watched the battles that followed with patience. Although apart from the likes of Yu Junhui, one of the Ten Outstanding Seeds, the strength of the other inner disciples was not very impressive, the various supernatural abilities and secret techniques they displayed truly broadened Mellen's horizons. Some of these techniques were not even recorded in the Golden Jade Immortal Sect's library, indicating that these inner disciples had obtained them through their own fortuitous encounters or other means.

Mellen's second opponent was a disciple who used earth-based supernatural powers. His supernatural powers were profound and resilient, with extremely strong defensive capabilities, and were also capable of offense. He was a perfect combination of offense and defense, with few weaknesses.

However, when Melen unleashed the Great Sun's Radiance, the earth was still scorched to ashes. This was no longer a difference between supernatural skills, but rather an overwhelming display of absolute power.

In the third match, the opponent used a combination of feng shui supernatural powers, possessing both the speed of wind and the entanglement of water, but Mellen still managed to overcome the opponent's skill with brute force.

By this point, Mellen had advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament, where they would face even tougher opponents.

Between heaven and earth, a vast 'momentum' was gathering. Mellen could feel that, driven by this 'momentum,' his cultivation techniques could become faster and his supernatural powers could become stronger.

Turning his gaze away, Mellen looked at his quarterfinal opponent, one of the top ten seeds he had initially noticed.

Mellen spoke first: "Senior Brother Zhong, please give me your guidance."

Zhong Wenyong sized up Mellen for a moment and said, "Junior Brother Mellen, I've heard of you before. You're from beyond the realm and have a foundation for immortality. In terms of talent, you might be better than all the inner disciples here, or even much better. But the moment you came to the Immortal Realm and entered the Golden Jade Immortal Sect, all your shortcomings were made up for."

"You flatter me," Murren said calmly.

Zhong Wenyong said, "Enough with the small talk, let me see the methods of those from beyond the realm in today's battle!"

Zhong Wenyong's arms trembled, and his wide sleeves moved without wind, with streams of light spreading out and carving arrays and symbols in the void.

This was clearly a divine power to form an array in the void.

Mellen observed the gradually taking shape array with great interest, but this gesture made Zhong Wenyong frown.

A few breaths later, Zhong Wenyong's void formation was fully formed, and the world around him was brought under his control, with the area under his control rapidly expanding outwards.

Zhong Wenyong's expression returned to calm as he said, "Junior brother, when my formation is complete, even opponents much stronger than me will be helpless against me. Moreover, as time goes by, my formation will gradually erode the heavens and earth, becoming stronger and stronger. This is an arena challenge, so you won't even have a chance to escape."

"Run away?" Mellen smiled and said, "Why would I run away?"

Zhong Wenyong said, "In that case, it seems that Junior Brother is very confident."

Mellen smiled slightly and did not reply. The sun rose behind him, its radiance blocking the expansion of the void array.

Zhong Wenyong said, "It's useless. My power comes from heaven and earth and will only grow stronger, while your power diminishes with every use. There is no comparison between us."

"Besides, do you really think this will stop me?"

As Zhong Wenyong spoke, his void formation began to dynamically adjust. Although the direction illuminated by the radiance of the sun progressed slowly, the other directions expanded rapidly, causing the overall strength of the void formation to surge.

This is no longer a simple contest of skills, but a more purely physical contest. Strong is strong, and weak is weak; there is simply not much room for compromise.

"That's certainly interesting," Mellen laughed.

"But when it comes to strength, I've never been afraid of anyone."

At the same time, a bright moon rises and reaches the same position as the sun, the two intertwining and rotating rapidly.

Instantly, not only did the power of the sun surge, but the radiance of the moon also shone down. As the sun and moon rotated, they rapidly destroyed and compressed the void formation.

Zhong Wenyong's expression changed slightly, and he said, "Isolated yin cannot grow, solitary yang cannot be born; the flow of yin and yang is... Tai Chi!"

"So it turns out that my junior brother's supernatural power is not simply the Great Sun, but the power of Yin and Yang in harmony. I have lost."

As he spoke, Zhong Wenyong put away the void array, and Mellen also stopped the rotation of the sun and moon.

Zhong Wenyong gave Mellen a deep look, then turned and left the ring without any hesitation.

Mellen's opponent in the semi-finals is Yu Junhui, which is not surprising, since there are only four players left, and the chances of them meeting each other are not small.

To Mellen's surprise, Yu Junhui seemed to have no intention of fighting.

Yu Junhui smiled and said, "Judging from Junior Brother's performance, I can tell that he has recovered very well."

Mellen also laughed and said, "I am very grateful to Senior Brother Yu for leading the way back then, which is why I was able to join the sect."

Yu Junhui shook his head and said, "That was just a sect mission. The reason you've gotten this far is because you're strong enough."

"I may not have any other skills, but my ability to judge people is absolutely first-rate. Junior brother probably didn't use his full strength just now, right? Let alone his full strength, even with that Yin-Yang Divine Power, I'm not confident I could defeat him. So, there's no need to humiliate yourself."

Mellen asked, "Senior brother, what's going on...?"

Yu Junhui smiled slightly and said, "It's alright. My main purpose in participating in this inner sect competition is not to win first place. As long as I can get into the top three and qualify to challenge the Ten Outstanding Ones, that's enough."

After saying this, Yu Jun would nod slightly to Mellen and then say to the sky, "I concede."

As Yu Junhui conceded defeat, the audience sighed in disappointment. They didn't think there was any behind-the-scenes manipulation involved; they were simply disappointed that a great fight had been lost.

However, many people understand Yu Junhui's approach. Cultivators are not reckless. The courage to challenge everything is essential, but appropriately assessing the situation and using simpler methods to achieve one's goals is also a shortcut.

Rather than going all out against Mellen, which would not only expose his weaknesses but also leave him injured, it would be better to save his best form for the opponent he needs to face most.

Chapter 613 Victory

The battle between Mellen and Yu Junhui ended peacefully, but the semi-final match between the two on the other side was not so peaceful, which is understandable.

In the inner sect competition, the rewards given by the sect are also tiered. The winner of the competition is naturally in a class of their own, followed by the second and third place winners, then the top eight, the top sixteen, and so on.