Please be my partner.

Zuoqiu Wudi sighed, "Young people are indeed more capable of accepting new things. Unlike me, I went and got several doctorates in biology and genetic engineering back then in order to study martial arts."

Mellen: ...

Zuoqiu Wudi said, "After saying so much, you should have a basic understanding of the martial arts system of our time. Now let's talk about the school we belong to."

"Our school is called the Divine Dragon School, which is also a martial arts school inherited from the Middle Ages. Although many things have been lost by now, the Martial Saint's Way has been completely preserved. In addition, there are the cultivation methods of the Nine Divine Treasures."

"Unfortunately, according to some fragmentary records, during the heyday of my Divine Dragon School in the medieval era, I possessed nine major divine treasures and ninety-nine minor divine treasures, and was known as the cultivation method of the 108 Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends."

"Legend has it that once all these divine treasures are mastered, one can achieve an invincible holy body, allowing oneself to remain in a state of eternal immortality."

"Now, the nine great divine treasures have been lost, and of the ninety-nine lesser divine treasures, only nine remain."

"But don't be discouraged. In this era, a Martial Saint is already one in a billion. If one day you can truly cultivate to become a Martial Saint and unlock the nine divine treasures, you will be at the very top among Martial Saints."

A thought struck Mellen, and he asked curiously, "Master, how many divine treasures have you unlocked?"

Zuoqiu Wudi revealed a smug look, but said in a calm tone, "I, an old man, have only opened the Twelve Divine Treasures. I am merely the number one in the world, invincible among mortals, and not worth mentioning."

Mellen: ...

"Of my twelve divine treasures, nine are naturally secrets passed down through my school, while the other three are things I've figured out on my own over the past few decades. If one day you become a Martial Saint, I will gladly impart all my knowledge to you."

Zuoqiu Wudi waved his hand and said, "Alright, I had eight disciples above you, which are your eight senior brothers. However, the second, fifth, and sixth brothers were unlucky and embarked on the path of seeking the Dao. Currently, only the eldest, third, fourth, and eighth brothers remain."

"They are either managing groups or exploring various border areas. They are very busy on weekdays. We will hold a formal apprenticeship banquet for them later. They will all come then, and you will get to know them one by one."

"However, there's no rush for the apprenticeship banquet. Let's wait until you've achieved some mastery of martial arts and have a certain ability to protect yourself."

Mellen asked in confusion, "Master, where is Seventh Senior Brother?"

Zuoqiu Wudi remained calm, neither avoiding the question nor offering a detailed explanation. He simply stated, "You don't have a seventh senior brother; he has already been expelled from the sect by me."

Zuoqiu Wudi said, "Next, you will have to make a choice. My Divine Dragon Martial Saint Path has two training methods: one is to nurture the dragon within the body, and the other is to imprison the dragon."

"The former is the most righteous and respectable path. Its advantage is that the strength developed is as responsive as an arm, but its disadvantage is that progress is slow."

"The latter is evil and radical. Its advantage is that it progresses very quickly. It can absorb power and increase its strength by constantly fighting and killing. Its disadvantage is that every time it increases its strength, it will be backed by the evil dragon in its body. It needs to be suppressed at all times. In severe cases, it will cause mental disorder and even the birth of a second personality to replace itself."

"So, which training method would you like to choose?"

Zuoqiu Wudi spoke casually, but Mellen could sense that he seemed to care about the issue.

"Can't these two be practiced together?" Mellen asked.

Zuoqiu Wudi smiled slightly. He had long expected that Mellen would ask this question, or rather, he, in his youth, and six of his first eight disciples had all asked the same question.

Zuoqiu Wudi explained: "Martial arts, although it begins with the physical body, will ultimately return to the spirit. Cultivating both simultaneously is fine for the physical body, but when the physical body reaches its limit and begins to nourish the spirit, it will make the spirit impure, resulting in more harm than good."

Without further hesitation, Mellen said, "I choose to raise a dragon within me."

Zuoqiu Wudi nodded without saying anything more.

Next, Zuoqiu Wudi began to explain the Shenlong Style martial arts in detail, which consisted of quiet cultivation and dynamic training.

Quiet rest involves meditation and energy cultivation, while active training involves exercising and striking the skin, flesh, blood, and bones.

For beginners, quiet rest is almost useless; the main focus should be on active practice. Only when one has made some progress in cultivation, with vigorous blood and energy, and is able to gain initial control over oneself, will quiet rest gradually become effective and increasingly important.

Over three days, under the tutelage of Zuoqiu Wudi, Mellen thoroughly understood and absorbed the martial arts of the Divine Dragon Style.

In Mellen's view, this was not difficult. In fact, by combining what he had learned before, Mellen had many ideas that could be gradually improved and perfected the Shenlongliu martial arts system.

However, having just entered the realm of the extraordinary, Mellen was not in a hurry to make any big moves. He planned to proceed step by step and wait until he had cultivated to a certain level before starting to make improvements.

Actually, Zuoqiu Wudi is usually very busy. In his original plan, he only had one day to teach Mellen, and then he would just hand it over to Uncle Zhong to teach slowly.

This is not a lack of attention; on the contrary, Zuoqiu Wudi took it very seriously after learning that Mellen could directly enter the border area. Otherwise, he would not have set up a formation at the pond the next day to test him.

To enter the border area, one must at least have achieved a minor level of martial arts prowess, possessing abundant qi and blood and a full spirit. The fact that an ordinary person can directly enter the border area means that they have innate spiritual strength.

If such a person achieves success in martial arts cultivation, they may even be able to display some of the power of a Martial Saint ahead of time.

However, plans aside, because Mellen showed such high martial arts talent, he could learn any martial arts knowledge in no time and master it in no time. This kind of once-in-a-millennium talent completely inspired Zuoqiu Wudi's enthusiasm for education, so he stayed for two more days.

In the last two days, Zuoqiu Wudi almost had the illusion that he had been completely drained.

Looking at Mellen, who had undergone a complete transformation in just three days and was still somewhat unsatisfied, Zuoqiu Wudi chuckled and said, "Xiao Jiu, keep cultivating. With your talent and the resources of Tenglong Group, becoming a Martial Saint is not necessarily a difficult thing. The key is the path after becoming a Martial Saint."

"This pond is for you and Shiyu. There are resources here that you can use."

After saying that, Zuoqiu Wudi patted Mellen on the shoulder, then laughed and left in a dashing manner.

Mellen stretched, his joints cracking slightly, and said to Uncle Zhong, "Uncle Zhong, I need to go back to school. Can you give me a ride?"

Zuoqiu Wudi did not interfere with Mellen's future plans. He could drop out of school to focus on martial arts if he wanted, or he could go back to complete his studies if he wanted. After all, the master could only lead him in; the rest was up to him.

If Mellen neglects martial arts, it would only be a waste of some resources and effort for Zuoqiu Wudi.

This is one of the reasons why Zuoqiu Wudi waited until Meilun had achieved some success in martial arts before holding the apprenticeship banquet.

Because Uncle Zhong had already made arrangements for Mellen in advance, even though he was away from school for four or five days, it didn't cause much of a stir. Only his advisor and three roommates showed any concern.

Mellen had also done some research on Tenglong Group. It was a behemoth that ranked among the top five in China and had considerable influence internationally. Compared to Chi Xiao's small family, it was nothing.

He didn't publicize the fact that Mellen had become Zuoqiu Wudi's disciple, because in his opinion, it was unnecessary.

After that, Mellen's life returned to normal. The only change was that he would find a secluded corner every morning to do some martial arts training, and he would also go to the pond every three days for a medicinal bath.

The Shenlong Style martial arts differ somewhat from the martial arts systems that Mellen had previously encountered. Instead of progressively training the skin, flesh, blood, bones, and internal organs in layers, it trains all organs to achieve a holistic improvement.

The so-called "vigorous blood and energy" of a minor mastery of martial arts actually refers to the physical and mental strength that the human species naturally possesses when it reaches maturity and adulthood under normal conditions.

Don't underestimate this point. Of the nearly 10 billion people in the world today, 99% will never reach this level in their lifetime, and the remaining 1% can only have this state for a very short period of time in their lives.

Achieving a minor level of mastery in martial arts requires maintaining this state for a long time, and subsequent martial arts training is all about surpassing this foundation.

Therefore, achieving a minor level of mastery in martial arts is considered by many masters in the martial arts world as the true starting point of martial arts.

Chapter 629 Re-entering the Border of the Ghost Carriage

Learning and cultivating oneself make for fulfilling days.

Once life gets busy, it's easy to lose track of time. Before you know it, a month has passed since Mellen became an apprentice of Zuoqiu Wudi.

At school, Mellen and Zuoqiu Shiyu remained strangers, with only occasional glances revealing a hint of understanding between them.

Perhaps because Mellen went to the pond every three days, Zuoqiu Shiyu also slightly adjusted her routine, going every three days like Mellen.

At such times, Mellen would consult Uncle Zhong and Zuoqiu Shiyu about martial arts, and in his spare time, he would also spar with them to verify what he had learned.

The speed at which Mellen made progress each time amazed the two of them.

In the front yard of the pond, Uncle Zhong stood quietly to one side, while Mei Lun and Zuoqiu Shiyu were exchanging blows.

Mellen's movements and strength were slightly inferior, so he focused on defense, using slowness to overcome speed, and combining defense with offense.

Zuoqiu Shiyu has been practicing martial arts under Zuoqiu Wudi since childhood. Whether it is physical fitness or martial arts skills, she should be far superior to Mellen. However, for some reason, she can never break through Mellen's slow defense. It seems that every attack is just right.

When they had nowhere left to retreat, their fists clashed. Zuoqiu Shiyu merely swayed slightly, dissipating all the force, while Mellen retreated three or four steps, each step leaving a solid footprint on the grass.

Mellen adjusted his breathing, exhaled slightly, and a scorching wave shot out, causing the air in front of him to distort slightly.

Zuoqiu Shiyu's eyes were filled with complex emotions, a mixture of amazement and disbelief as she asked, "Xiao Jiu, have you already achieved minor mastery of martial arts?"

Mellen said helplessly, "Zuoqiu, could you please stop calling me Xiao Jiu?"

Zuoqiu Shiyu blinked and smiled, "Alright, from now on I'll call you junior brother, and you can call me senior sister!"

Mellen shrugged. "It's not necessarily a bad thing."

Zuoqiu Shiyu urged, "Tell me quickly, have you really achieved some success in martial arts?"

Mellen nodded slightly and said, "That should be it. My physical improvement over the past month has been unstoppable, but since two days ago, the progress has slowed down significantly."

The "vigorous blood and energy" and "full spirit" mentioned in the minor achievements of martial arts, although there are natural differences between people that make this degree vary, is a normal state that every human being should reach when entering middle age.

In other words, as long as a healthy human being maintains a regular daily routine and persists in daily exercise, they can easily achieve this by the age of twenty-four or twenty-five.

For martial arts practitioners, the training efficiency will only be more efficient. If combined with some special medicinal baths, they can usually achieve a minor mastery of martial arts within two or three years.

But Mellen moved too fast!

Even if the martial arts of the Divine Dragon School are very powerful, and even if the resources provided by the Tenglong Group are excellent, reaching the minor mastery of martial arts in just one month is still too fast.

It should be noted that Mellen did not lay a foundation from childhood. Not only was he past the best age for martial arts training, but he was also several years away from entering his prime. Before he began practicing martial arts, he was just a brittle college student!

To be transformed in just one month is beyond description; it's practically monstrous.

After achieving a minor level of mastery in martial arts, one has essentially exhausted their innate advantages. Every subsequent step forward pushes the limits of the human species, making further improvement increasingly difficult.

The next morning, Uncle Zhong took Mei Lun and Zuoqiu Shiyu back to school. On the way back, he called Zuoqiu Wudi and gave a detailed report on Mei Lun's progress over the past few days. Finally, he exclaimed, "Master, the Ninth Young Master's talent and aptitude are even more terrifying than before..."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Zuoqiu Wudi's voice came through: "Pass on the word, in seven days, I will be holding an apprenticeship banquet for this new disciple."

Uncle Zhong respectfully agreed.

At school, Mellen and Zuoqiu Shiyu walked one after the other, as if they were complete strangers.

Suddenly, Zuoqiu Shiyu, who was walking in front, whispered, "Junior brother, do you still remember the place where the ghost sedan chair crossed a month ago?"

Mellen's heart stirred. He was very interested in the border region, especially since his body would inexplicably become stronger after entering it, which made him even more concerned.

However, for the past month, Mellen has focused all his attention on martial arts training and has not had time for detailed research.

Moreover, although Zuoqiu Wudi had already accepted him as a disciple, it had not yet been officially announced, and Mellen could not rely on the former's influence to find relevant knowledge and information, which is why it was delayed.

Zuoqiu Shiyu's inquiry may be a good starting point.

Without hesitation, Mellen nodded and said, "Senior sister, of course I remember."

Zuoqiu Shiyu laughed and said, "Dare you come in with me one more time?"

Mellen asked directly, "When?"

Zuoqiu Shiyu was taken aback and asked, "Aren't you afraid of danger?"

Mellen replied, "I'd be willing to go through fire and water to be by my senior's side."

A blush flashed across Zuoqiu Shiyu's face, then she rolled her eyes at Meilun: "You're such a chatterbox."

"Okay, I was just kidding you. Actually, I've already explored the Ghost Lane Border Area several times this month. There's no danger inside, but there aren't any valuable resources either. To prevent any accidents, the group has decided to put 'filler' into the Ghost Lane Border Area to separate it from our world."

"'Stuffing'? What's that?" Murren asked.

"'Filling material' is..." Zuoqiu Shiyu gestured, but seemed unable to think of a specific adjective for the moment, so she said, "It can't be explained in a few words. Tonight we'll go to the border of the ghost sedan chair, and you'll see for yourself then."

Mellen nodded, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Master accepted me as a disciple, which must be related to my ability to enter the border area, right? Xia Tian was the first to see the Ghost Carriage at the border area. Do you have any plans for him?"

Zuoqiu Shiyu paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Junior brother, it seems you've misunderstood something. Although it's true that Grandpa accepting you as a disciple is related to your ability to directly enter the border region, that only accounts for a small part of it."

"Moreover, there is a big difference between being able to see and being able to enter."

"Human spirit is subject to fluctuations and deviations. When a person experiences emotions such as excitement, fear, agitation, or madness, their spirit often rises as well."

"Some border areas are inhabited by strange, intelligent life forms. They will actively create various factors to cause intense emotional fluctuations in humans who accidentally enter the area, thereby elevating their mental state to a level where they can come into contact with them and thus plunder the lives of those who enter."

"In fact, even if someone with insufficient mental strength sees something strange, it's just like a projected image; it won't have any real impact on them."

The day passed by in a routine.

That evening, as Mei Lun was about to go out, she was stopped by Chi Xiao, who looked at her with suspicion. He asked, "Mei Zi, why have you been so secretive lately? Are you in love?"

Hearing that there was gossip, Wood and Fool also pricked up their ears and looked over.

Mellen looked speechless, shrugged, and said, "You're overthinking it. Okay, I'll still be back a little late today. I have a key, so don't leave the door open for me. I'm leaving."

After Mellen left, the three of them huddled together and whispered among themselves...

"Something's wrong!"

"There is definitely a problem!"

"There's a big problem!!"

Chi Xiao pushed up his non-existent glasses, stroked his illusory beard, and said in a serious tone, "Based on my military experience, Mei Zi is definitely in love. How about we..."

The three exchanged a glance, immediately put down what they were doing, and quietly followed him out.

Unfortunately, Mellen disappeared without a trace as soon as he left. The three of them searched for a while but couldn't find him, so they had to return disappointed.

At 11 p.m., Mellen and Zuoqiu Shiyu met on the main road where they first entered the border area of ​​Guijiao. The latter had also changed back into her martial arts uniform, covered her face with a face mask, and carried a small package on her back.

Led by Zuoqiu Shiyu, the two quickly re-entered the area where the ghost sedan chairs met.

Still the same distant mountains, dense forests, small bridges, flowing water, and archways... a hundred ghosts clear the way, underworld messengers see them off, and five immortals carry their sedan chairs...