Please be my partner.

Finally, Mellen's gaze passed over Qi Dianwu, who was second in the rankings, and looked at the number one of the Ten Heroes.

At this, the other ten heroes all widened their eyes. Yu Junhui and Zhuo Gu naturally looked anxious, while Cheng Yuanshan asked incredulously and hesitantly, "These people from beyond the realm, could they possibly be planning to...?"

Zheng Jiayun's eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, "He really is a newborn calf that is not afraid of tigers?! Judging from this junior brother Mei Lun's past behavior, I originally thought he was the humble and patient type, but I didn't expect him to be holding back so much! It seems that there is going to be a good show to watch!"

Qi Dianwu shook his head slightly and commented indifferently, "Overestimating himself."

Even Jun Tianqi showed a hint of amusement, as if he found it quite interesting.

Mellen ignored the thoughts of others and looked at the first person, saying calmly, "Senior Brother Long, please enlighten me."

The room fell silent upon hearing this.

Many spectators who had watched the inner sect competition twenty years ago showed complicated expressions. They never expected to have the chance to see this number one person make a move again.

Long Zizai, who had been meditating with his eyes closed since the beginning of the inner sect competition, only paused briefly when Lian Wenren went mad. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Mellen. His expression was calm as he said, "Junior Brother Mellen, challenging me is not a good choice. You should choose someone else."

Mellen calmly looked at Long Zizai, whose face was heroic and had a pair of delicate horns on his head. He wore a brocade robe embroidered with intricate cloud patterns and soaring dragon designs, each line flowing with golden light, as if a real dragon was leaping on his clothes.

How could Mellen be completely unaware of this top ten disciple of the Golden Jade Immortal Sect, who had been recognized as the sect's senior disciple ever since his first participation in the inner sect competition twenty years ago?

Long Zizai is not human, but a true dragon. He is the thirty-ninth son of the Dragon King of the South Sea and North Sea. His birth was accompanied by auspicious phenomena such as a golden dragon circling the sun and all demons paying homage. He was also born with the Golden Water Immortal Spirit.

After joining the Golden Jade Immortal Sect, Long Zizai used the sect's and Dragon Palace's power to find three kinds of heavenly treasures—wood, fire, and earth—to complete his foundation, thus forging the Five Elements Immortal Foundation. He then abandoned the dragon race's own innate divine abilities, making the cultivation more difficult but also more compatible with his own [Great Five Elements Reincarnation Seal].

With his formidable strength, Long Zizai won first place in his first Inner Sect Competition. He then challenged the top of the Ten Outstanding Individuals and won, becoming the senior disciple of the Golden Jade Immortal Sect's Inner Sect.

Now, Long Zizai's level has long surpassed that of the sect's top ten talents, and he has been accepted into the true disciple circle ahead of time. His participation in the inner sect competition is only to absorb the power of the tide of the times and improve his own cultivation and supernatural abilities.

Unexpectedly, someone actually wanted to challenge him.

However, according to the rules, this is indeed reasonable. Since Long Zizai has received the benefits from the Ten Heroes, he should naturally abide by the rules of the Ten Heroes.

Long Zizai is a true peerless genius. Even in the entire Immortal Realm, he belongs to the smallest group of people. Among the younger generation of Yuheng Heaven, he can be ranked in the top three, or even not necessarily the third!

Qi Dianwu stepped forward and said, "Mei Lun, you are not qualified to challenge Senior Brother Long. Since you want to fight, then let me play with you."

Although this was somewhat against the rules, Jun Tianqi did not stop it; instead, he watched the situation unfold with great interest.

The news of Long Zizai had already spread among the outside audience, and everyone looked on with anticipation, wanting to see what kind of demeanor this peerless genius possessed.

Mellen didn't speak, but just looked at Long Zizai, who had slowly closed his eyes, clearly not intending to pay attention to this farce.

Seeing that Mellen ignored him, Qi Dianwu was also filled with anger and was about to teach the latter a lesson.

Seeing their reactions, Mellen clicked his tongue and muttered to himself, "It really isn't that easy. In that case..."

Then, Mellen raised his right hand, and the sun and moon rose, radiating boundless brilliance.

"Boom!~"

The sky collapsed, shattered, and reassembled, the entire space resembling a broken mirror, which was then randomly rearranged to form cracks, like an infinitely reflecting spatial labyrinth.

Mellen's attack was extremely sudden, directly engulfing all ten heroes, including Yu Junhui and Zhuo Gu, forcing everyone to react.

To their astonishment, their supernatural attacks were completely ineffective in the spatial labyrinth.

In the various spatial mazes, the Ten Heroes looked grim. They could see other areas, but they could not touch or influence them.

In the central area of ​​the spatial maze, Mellen and Long Zizai stood facing each other. Mellen said, "Now there are no more eyesores. Senior Brother Long, please give me your guidance."

Long Zizai had stopped his meditation. He surveyed the spatial labyrinth and nodded, saying, "Not bad. Your strength indeed surpasses that of the other ten heroes. Since that's the case..."

Long Zizai raised his hand, and the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth appeared in turn. The five elements rotated and returned to one, transforming into a hazy radiance that swept across the area. Wherever the radiance reached, the spatial maze silently collapsed.

What made Long Zizai raise an eyebrow was that after the spatial maze collapsed, he did not return to Bifeng Mountain, but appeared in a dark and vast starry sky. Under his feet was an endless, constantly rotating nebula, with stars all around him emitting a faint light, and the sun and moon shining brightly in the sky.

Long Zizai looked at Mellen, his expression becoming more serious, and said, "I see. I acknowledge you. You are indeed qualified to fight me."

Mellen smiled slightly; his aura was now connected to the entire star field, infinitely vast and ethereal.

This star field was built by Melen by combining the power of Garuru, Golden Retriever, and Void Dog. All three dogs have spatial abilities, and during the more than ten years they spent 'hunting' in the starry universe, they honed their powers to perfection. When the combined power was unleashed, their strength increased exponentially.

"Boom!~"

As Mellen moved, the entire star field spun, the sun blazed, the moon shone coolly, starlight spilled, and the heavens and earth trembled.

Long Zizai remained calm, his body radiating the brilliance of the Five Elements. Any attack would be dissolved and neutralized, and each time the brilliance of the Five Elements swept over, the stars would shake and all things would collapse.

The battle between the two sides has completely exceeded the scope of immortal beings. Even ordinary immortals would be overwhelmed or even killed by the aftershocks of the battle.

Jun Tianqi emanated a layer of golden spiritual light. Although he was in a corner of the star field, he had an air of detachment and indifference to cause and effect. Behind him were the other nine of the Ten Heroes, who were also enveloped by the golden spiritual light emanating from Jun Tianqi.

Jun Tianqi said with some emotion, "You should all watch carefully. Such a battle of geniuses is a rare sight indeed."

The other nine members of the Ten Heroes were all shocked. They knew that Long Zizai was very strong, far beyond their level, but when they actually saw him make a move, they realized that their imagination was still too limited.

What shocked them even more was the strength that Mellen displayed. This person, who ascended from the lower realm, clearly did not have the various resources of the immortal realm, yet he was able to grow to such a level. One can imagine how extraordinary his talent was.

If Mellen had been born in the celestial realm from the beginning, perhaps...

The powerful figures who were once only seen in stories and biographies, who were invincible among their peers in their youth and who fought against heaven and earth and swept across the Thirty-Three Heavens of the Immortal Realm, seemed to be brought to life at this moment.

If even someone as insightful and knowledgeable as the Ten Heroes was so shocked, one can imagine how astonished the audience outside was.

Some powerful cultivators couldn't resist getting themselves into the battle, only to find that no matter which of the two opponents they faced, they would be defeated in a short time. At most, the difference in their fighting styles would lead to slight variations in how they lost, but the outcome was always predetermined.

The younger generation even felt dizzy and disoriented.

What's even more interesting is that some of those who initially felt a huge gap between themselves and true geniuses and whose spirits were broken, gradually calmed down after seeing this battle, as if they had undergone a spiritual baptism; while many who were originally determined and became more courageous in the face of setbacks gradually became dull and desperate.

Regardless of the uproar from the outside world, the battle between Mellen and Long Zizai is gradually coming to an end.

Of course, the end of this chapter doesn't mean they're going to determine a winner; that's no easy task...

Long Zizai's [Great Five Elements Reincarnation Seal] is the most balanced and harmonious of all supernatural powers, and it has no weaknesses. Whether it is offense, defense, or recovery, it is impeccable. If he really gets serious, he can fight continuously for several years without exhausting his mana.

The same is true of Mellen's star system. Its size far exceeds that of immortals, and it can continuously draw energy from the universe to replenish itself.

It can be said that if neither side can defeat the other immediately in a battle, there is no need to continue, because it will inevitably turn into an endless tug-of-war.

Chapter 615 The Ten Heroes' Authority

The battle between the two sides gradually came to a halt. Long Zizai's gaze towards Mellen was no longer indifferent at the beginning, but instead filled with admiration. He said, "To be able to cultivate to such a level in the lower realm where the rules are imperfect, Junior Brother Mellen, you are indeed exceptionally talented."

Universes are different from one another. The weaker the universe, the lower the potential for life to emerge. To put it quantifiablely, it would be...

For example, in the Golden Universe, the talents of all living beings can be roughly divided into 1 to 100. Even if they break through this limit due to various coincidences and become an unprecedented genius who transcends the era and the universe, they may not be able to exceed 150. Moreover, such a genius may not be born even once every billions of years.

In this situation, the overall power level of the universe would be restricted, and there would be an absolute difference between each power level, making it almost impossible to challenge someone of a higher level.

In the vast universe, the talent of living beings may range from 10 to 500, with the occasional emergence of an unparalleled genius who can even reach over 1000!

Challenging those above one's level is difficult, but not impossible. With these geniuses and unparalleled geniuses who transcend their era, the growth of the extraordinary system will be more complete, and many more divine skills and secret techniques that can enhance the essence of the extraordinary system as a whole will emerge.

For example, in the ancient starry universe, saints only had a saintly body and a saintly domain. These two bonuses alone made saints far superior to legends. Later, the system of saints' followers was created, which fundamentally raised the upper limit of saints.

Creatures born in the Immortal Realm possess even higher limits to their talents, and the power of their various supernatural abilities and techniques is unbelievably great. This is why geniuses can easily overcome challenges beyond their level by relying on their own talents.

Of course, so-called talent and aptitude are not static. Traveling through different universes and perfecting oneself through the rules of these universes is itself a kind of sublimation.

As the saying goes, when the winds of change come together, even ants can swallow the sky!

Mellen said modestly, "Not at all, Senior Brother Long is the one with truly exceptional talent."

Long Zizai waved his hand and said, "I'm just relying on my father's legacy."

Just as the two were exchanging pleasantries, Jun Tianqi appeared not far from them and said with a smile, "It seems you've finished your fight. In my opinion, it won't be easy for you to determine a winner. How about we settle for a draw?"

He then looked at Mellen and added, "From now on, all your privileges, resources, and benefits will be calculated according to the standards for the top ten."

Mellen nodded and said, "Okay."

Long Zizai didn't care at all.

Mellen could tell that Long Zizai was still holding back. After all, the supernatural power that the latter cultivated was the [Great Five Elements Reincarnation Seal], which contained not only the five elements' mutual generation and restraint but also the cycle of life and death. In the previous battle, Long Zizai had not used the power of the cycle of life and death.

Of course, Mellen also held back quite a bit, only using the full power of the 'Three Dogs'.

Jun Tianqi laughed heartily, delighted that another prodigy had been added to the sect.

The battle ended in a draw. Mellen ascended to the heavens and stood beside Long Zizai, receiving the gazes of tens of thousands of inner disciples and hundreds of millions of spectators from the outside world.

Even the other members of the Ten Heroes looked at Mellen with complex and unfathomable expressions. They all understood that with the strength Mellen had shown, he was not on the same level as them at all. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before Mellen became a true disciple of the Golden Jade Immortal Sect.

Next came the internal challenges among the ten outstanding disciples. Although they were equally spectacular, with the epic battle between Mellen and Long Zizai preceding them, these subsequent battles seemed somewhat lackluster to outsiders.

In the end, Zhuo Gu narrowly won and retained his position among the Ten Outstanding Individuals. Geng Yongfu, who was originally ranked ninth, was squeezed out of the Ten Outstanding Individuals, while the ranking among the other Ten Outstanding Individuals did not change much.

After the competition ended, Long Zizai and Mellen made a promise to have a drink together sometime, and then he drifted away.

Mellen has a lot to deal with. Becoming one of the sect's top ten heroes and enjoying the treatment of the leader of the top ten heroes is naturally completely different from before.

First and foremost, the place where Mellen lived was changed from an unnamed place to the Cloud Mountain Cave.

Yunshan Cave is a floating mountain located in the inner area of ​​Jinyu Mountain. From the outside, the entire mountain is surrounded by clouds and mist, which is not unusual. However, once inside, you will find that the space is much more spacious, with all kinds of spiritual flowers and exotic herbs everywhere, and many spiritual plants and beasts are planted and kept.

In addition, there are two other spiritual treasures in Yunshan Cave: the Cloud Mist Spiritual Spring and the Nine Mist Purple Lotus.

The Cloud Mist Spirit Spring is a spring that produces some Cloud Mist Spirit Water every day. This Cloud Mist Spirit Water is an excellent spiritual substance to aid in the cultivation of water-based supernatural abilities. It can also be used for other purposes, such as refining artifacts and brewing wine.

The Nine Mist Purple Lotus has nourishing effects, can calm the mind, resist external demonic invasion, and improve cultivation efficiency.

There are nine Nine Mist Purple Lotus flowers in total, each with nine petals. One petal can be collected from each flower every month. No more than one petal can be collected, and it cannot be done in advance, otherwise it will affect the Nine Mist Purple Lotus flower itself. Although new petals can be regenerated in a month, it also takes some time to nourish the Nine Mist Purple Lotus flower.

More importantly, unlike the cave dwellings of other inner disciples which only have earth veins, Yunshan Cave Dwelling is connected to the Milky Way and the Abyss of the Sea. This is a thread connecting the two poles of the Jade Balance Heaven and the Earth. Under the convergence of the spiritual energy of these two poles, the spiritual energy born far surpasses the spiritual energy of the earth veins in both purity and quality. It can even be called... immortal spiritual energy!

Within the Cloud Mountain Cave, tens of thousands of spiritual warriors perform various tasks. The resources produced, whether ordinary or spiritual treasures, belong to the cave's owner, Melon. He can freely dispose of them, but he cannot cause any fundamental damage, such as removing the Cloud Mist Spiritual Spring and the Nine Mist Purple Lotus.

If one day Mellen ceases to be the master of Yunshan Cave, he will no longer have the right to control it, and everything in Yunshan Cave will temporarily belong to the sect until a new master appears.

Changing the cave dwelling was just the most basic step. In the following period, Mellen received a large number of visiting cards, all from families, forces, merchant guilds, sects and so on that were affiliated with the Golden Jade Immortal Sect.

The purpose of the visit was, of course, to obtain one of the privileges exclusive to the Ten Heroes... a blessed land!

The so-called blessed lands and grotto-heavens are special realms created by powerful beings above the level of True Immortals who integrate fragmented or complete universes into the Immortal Realm and then transform them in the process.

Generally speaking, grotto heavens are usually the result of intervention by powerful immortal sects, with a deep level of transformation and control. Blessed lands, on the other hand, are mostly fragments of the universe that the immortal realm spontaneously devours. If they are not discovered in time, they will most likely silently integrate into the immortal realm and become part of it.

The Bifeng Mountain used in the previous inner sect competition was able to create a realm like the Mountain and River Map by incorporating only a small fragment of another universe, and it produced some special resources.

The rare and precious materials produced in truly blessed lands and grottoes are far beyond imagination.

These are all miracles born from the convergence of rules between the Celestial Realm and different universes.

After becoming a member of the Ten Heroes, one gains the right to mine resources in some blessed lands, which is a highly coveted right.

People like Mellen, who don't have powerful backers, can choose to cooperate with a powerful organization or chamber of commerce to jointly develop their share of the profits. Usually, even if Mellen does nothing, he can still get at least 30% of the net profit.

It should be understood that the output of the blessed land is monopolistic. Any force or business association that obtains this authority is essentially opening up a golden road, and the profits that can be generated are as vast as mountains and seas.

After meeting with representatives from various powers and chambers of commerce, Mellen finally set his sights on the Treasure Pavilion.

In the Cloud Mountain Cave, Mellen sized up the woman before him. This was Yu Linglong, one of the five masters of the Treasure Pavilion.

Yu Linglong is a beautiful woman with a captivating charm. Her eyes are like deep pools, sparkling with wisdom, as if they can see into the depths of people's hearts. Beneath her slender eyebrows, her eyes always blink, as if they can speak, making her very charming and alluring.

She wore a dress similar to a cheongsam, with a thin veil over it, which made her figure appear even more graceful. As she walked, the hem of her skirt swayed gently, exuding an elegant and refined charm.

While Mellen was sizing up Yu Linglong, the latter was also sizing him up, seemingly quite interested.

Mellen took a sip of the spiritual tea brewed from the Cloud Mist Spring, then coughed lightly and said, "Pavilion Master Jade..."

Yu Linglong interrupted with a light laugh, "Brother Mellen, Pavilion Master Yu is too formal. You can just call me... Sister Linglong."

Mellen paused for a moment, then continued, "Pavilion Master Yu, are you sure about the price you offered earlier?"

Yu Linglong didn't take it to heart and smiled, "Of course, Treasure Pavilion is willing to exchange 50% of the net profit from the blessed land for your share of the blessed land access. Is there any problem?"

Question? Mellen certainly had no questions, but he felt that Treasure Pavilion was giving too much, so he asked directly, "If I remember correctly, Treasure Pavilion is a merchant guild. Is it really okay for them to 'give away' so much?"

Yu Linglong smiled and said, "Little brother Mellen, you can consider these as Treasure Pavilion's investment in you."

With the Golden Jade Immortal Sect as his backer, Mellen naturally wasn't worried about what tricks the Treasure Pavilion might play. Since Yu Linglong had already said so, he naturally had no reason to refuse the benefits that were offered to him.

After further detailed discussions, both parties signed a contract.

As Yu Linglong left, she didn't forget to wink at Mellen, but Mellen remained unmoved.

In fact, before Yu Linglong arrived, Mei Lun had already learned about the Treasure Pavilion's background through the Golden Jade Immortal Sect's channels.

The Treasure Pavilion is not just a merchant guild in Yuheng Heaven, but a vast power spanning several heavens in the Immortal Realm, wielding immense influence among both humans and demons.

Mellen put away the Treasure Token in his hand. This was a token given by the Treasure Pavilion to its most distinguished guests. As long as it was presented at any Treasure Pavilion, it would receive the full assistance of the local Treasure Pavilion.

By this time, most of the trivial matters had been dealt with. Mellen opened his communication app, found Yu Junhui's message, and replied.