Please be my partner.

The scene was exactly the same as the one Mellen saw when she last entered.

As if understanding what Mellen was thinking, Zuoqiu Shiyu whispered, "What we see in the border area is not necessarily reality. It may be some legendary scene. The scene below may be a legend of a certain world, which is why we see the same scene every time we enter."

"We might be able to communicate with that ghost sedan group, but it's unpredictable for us, so the best approach is to avoid contact."

Mellen nodded, then asked in a similarly low voice, "Senior sister, aren't we not allowed to talk here?"

"Hehe!" Zuoqiu Shiyu revealed a sly smile.

Mellen immediately realized that he had been tricked last time.

Because the two of them did not look directly at the strange group this time, they did not trigger the gaze of the Underworld Messenger.

Once the strange procession disappeared past the gate, the two quickly arrived near the gate.

Zuoqiu Shiyu took out a metal cylinder about the thickness of a fist and the length of a forearm from a small package on her back and said, "This is the 'filler'. I don't know exactly what it is, but I have heard about how it works."

"The so-called boundary is the place where our world meets other parallel worlds. There is a delicate spatial balance there. Space itself has weight. The role of the 'filler' is to 'increase' the weight of our world at the boundary, thereby breaking the spatial balance and causing the boundary to disappear naturally."

"Of course, this method is only effective for newly formed and relatively unstable border areas."

Zuoqiu Shiyu placed the metal cylinder below the letter archway, then pressed a button. The metal cylinder rotated and opened, releasing a faint mist.

Only then did Mellen realize that inside was a cube the size of a longan fruit, emitting a fluorescent glow.

While Zuoqiu Shiyu was speaking, Mellen was also checking his own condition.

Having already achieved some success in martial arts, Mellen had a more refined control over himself. After entering the border area, he noticed that his spirit seemed to be slowly and naturally dissipating. This was probably the fundamental reason why only those who had achieved some success in martial arts could enter the border area.

At the same time, that strange increase in strength reappeared. Although it wasn't as rapid as the first time, it was still equivalent to five or six months of hard work, based on Mellen's current rate of improvement.

The so-called human limit is actually a rather vague concept. It does not refer to simple and specific data such as strength and speed, but rather to the life field emitted by humanity as a whole.

If we set the life field of someone who has achieved minor success in martial arts to '1', then the human limit is roughly '10'. Of course, this number will vary depending on each person's specific talent.

When the growth gradually slowed down and stopped, Mellen looked at the 'filler' and asked, "Senior sister, how long will it take for this thing to take effect?"

Zuoqiu Shiyu said, "It will take at least half an hour. The situation will vary at different borders. We need to confirm that it is in effect before leaving to avoid any accidents."

During the conversation, Mellen inquired about more information about the border area.

An hour later, suddenly, a distinct buzzing vibration appeared centered on the 'filler', and the surrounding space seemed to overlap in a subtle way.

Mellen discovered that the 'filler' was noticeably smaller.

Zuoqiu Shiyu pressed a button, the metal cylinder closed, she put it back in her backpack, and then said to Mellen, "Let's go, the mission is complete. Normally, this border area will gradually disappear over the next few days due to spatial deviation."

"Normally?" asked Murren, puzzled.

Zuoqiu Shiyu nodded, her expression seemingly becoming slightly somber, and explained, "The border area is extremely mysterious. With our current technology, we simply cannot fully analyze it. We can only glimpse a small part of it. It is inevitable that some unexpected situations will occur."

Seeing this, Mellen didn't ask any more questions and left the border area with Zuoqiu Shiyu.

After leaving the border area, Zuoqiu Shiyu seemed to have regained her spirits and smiled, "Junior brother, it's getting late. Would you like to stay at my place for the night, or go back to school?"

She does have off-campus accommodation, and it's a pretty nice apartment.

Mellen shook his head, declining Zuoqiu Shiyu's offer, and said, "I'd better go back to school."

Then he asked, "Senior sister, what should I do if I want to see more of the borderlands?"

Zuoqiu Shiyu paused for a moment, then said, "In that case, you'll have to join the action team. But this matter needs Grandpa's approval, since even some fully explored border areas can't guarantee absolute safety."

Upon hearing this, Mellen said nothing more.

After saying goodbye to Zuoqiu Shiyu, Mei Lun returned to school, where he was greeted by a scolding from the dormitory supervisor and a 'three-way interrogation' from his roommates.

The next day, led by Uncle Zhong, Mellen went to the headquarters of Tenglong Group in Hanjiang City. The purpose of this trip was to use the instruments there to test his own life field.

Originally, Mellen hadn't planned to conduct the test because he thought it was meaningless. However, the improvement he received at the border of the ghost sedan was too significant, and he wanted to know some specific data as a benchmark for himself.

After passing through a special passage and several strict security checks, the two arrived at the underground laboratory.

At the staff's suggestion, Mellen lay down inside a large machine.

The testing process went smoothly and quickly.

Before long, a sprightly old man came out with a report and said with a smile, "Young Zhong, where did you find such a promising talent? He's so young and his life field has already reached 2.4. That's really impressive."

Uncle Zhong was about to explain when he suddenly heard the number 2.4. His eyes widened in disbelief as he asked, "Mr. Miao, what did you just say?!"

Chapter 630 Apprenticeship Banquet

As Mellen walked calmly over, he saw the two people talking.

Uncle Zhong said, "Perfect timing, let me introduce you..."

"This is Miao Jinghong, the head of the Expansion Department. Mr. Miao is mainly responsible for project research and has extremely high expertise in the fields of space and energy. He is involved in accelerating the stability of the boundary space and the 'filler' that disrupts the spatial balance."

Mellen said politely, "Manager Miao."

Miao Jinghong waved his hand and said directly, "Don't call me supervisor."

Uncle Zhong looked helpless and said, "Because of some things that happened in the past, Mr. Miao doesn't like to be addressed by his title. You and I will just call him 'Mr.'"

Then he said to Miao Jinghong, "Remember the message I sent yesterday? This is him."

Miao Jinghong stared wide-eyed at Mei Lun, clicking his tongue as he said, "So that's how it is. No wonder, no wonder. It seems that Old Ghost Zuoqiu has also moved on from that incident and is even in the mood to train new disciples."

"Kid, besides the life field, how about we measure some more detailed physical data, like strength, speed, cell vitality, nerve response... and so on?"

Mellen shook his head and said, "No need, Mr. Miao, I know all that."

As he spoke, he took the test report from Miao Jinghong and began to look at it.

The so-called life field is not just a simple set of data, but the final conclusion drawn from a series of complex data after summarizing and calculating.

When Mellen's martial arts reached a minor level, it could be roughly considered a baseline of 1. After passing the Ghost Carriage Intersection, it skyrocketed to 2.4!

Of course, the enhancement of one's life field does not mean that one's basic stats such as strength and speed have also been enhanced by the same amount. However, if amplified through martial arts, the actual increase in strength will only be more terrifying.

This is just the harvest from one border region. Mellen is not sure if the strength improvement from the border region is unique, but if this experience can be replicated, he can reach the Martial Saint level in the shortest time by going to more border regions.

On the way back, Uncle Zhong said, "Master has set the date for the apprenticeship banquet. It will be held in five days at the Tenglong Group headquarters. Master's other disciples will also be present."

Mellen nodded and asked, "Is there anything I need to prepare?"

Uncle Zhong shook his head and said, "No need. The master doesn't like formalities either. We can just treat it as a regular banquet."

Although many important figures would surely attend the apprenticeship banquet five days later, given Zuoqiu Wudi's status and position, his disciples didn't need to pay too much attention, so Uncle Zhong didn't deliberately remind them.

Mellen could guess some of this, but he didn't care.

In the past few days, the entire Hanjiang City, Huazhong Province, and even the Great Xia Kingdom have been abuzz with news about the Tenglong Group. Even though Zuoqiu Wudi only informed some relatives and friends, his acceptance of disciples, as the number one martial artist in the world, still caused a stir from all sides.

Of course, none of this mattered to Mellen. He continued to practice martial arts and study as usual. During this time, he even fought Zuoqiu Shiyu again. However, even though Mellen had restrained himself this time, it still made Zuoqiu Shiyu question his life.

Soon the day of the agreed-upon apprenticeship banquet arrived. The formal apprenticeship ceremony would be held at noon, but the banquet would last all day.

In the morning, in dormitory 501, just as Mellen was about to leave, she saw that Chi Xiao had already finished washing up and looked like she was about to go out as well.

Chi Xiao tried his best to appear casual, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips. He said, "I've managed to snag a spot at a high-end banquet, so I probably won't be coming back today."

"A high-end banquet?!" Wood and Idiot looked interested and asked, "How high-end?"

To be honest, although Chi Xiao usually appeared to be from a well-off family, after living and eating together in the same dormitory for so long, Mu Tou and Dai Zi could tell that Chi Xiao's identity was not so simple.

However, this is Huazhong University of Science and Technology, where everyone who gets in is a genius. They are all college students, at an age when they are full of ambition and believe they are no less than others, so they did not investigate further.

Chi Xiao laughed and said, "Very, very tall! At least three or four stories high!!"

Then, somewhat awkwardly, he said, "If possible, I would love to take you all with me, but this time it's a bit..."

Wood waved his hand dismissively and said, "The people attending your banquet are definitely business elites. Newbies like us would only make ourselves uncomfortable. Let's not join in the fun."

Chi Xiao smiled and said, "Okay, I'll treat you to a big meal when I get back."

The fool laughed and said, "Alright, it's settled then."

When Mellen heard this, he already sensed that something was wrong, but he didn't ask any further questions. He simply told the three of them that he also had some personal business to attend to.

The three of them were already used to Mellen's elusive behavior during this period and didn't pay too much attention to it. As for the school, it was even simpler. An internship certificate from Tenglong Group was enough for the dean of students to tolerate his frequent absences during this period.

At Tenglong Group, Mellen and Uncle Zhong discreetly made their way through an internal passage to a luxurious room on the top floor, where four people were already chatting and drinking tea.

Zuoqiu Wudi sat imposingly in the main seat, occasionally letting out loud laughter. Upon seeing the two arrive, a hint of mockery flashed in Zuoqiu Wudi's eyes as he said, "Little Jiu, these are your eldest brother, third brother, and fourth sister. Aren't you going to greet them?"

Mellen looked at the other three: one was an elderly man with slightly graying hair, who looked to be around fifty years old, but was very energetic; another was a bald, strong man in his thirties with a square face; and the last was a charming and fashionable mature woman, also around thirty years old.

Mellen instinctively bowed to the old man, about to say "Greetings, Senior Brother," but suddenly paused. He vaguely sensed something, and after a moment of silence, turned to the bald, burly man and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother." Then he said to the old man, "Greetings, Third Senior Brother." Finally, he said to the mature woman, "Greetings, Fourth Senior Sister."

All three were somewhat surprised. The third senior brother stroked his beard and asked, "Ninth junior brother, how did you confirm our identities?"

The older woman asked curiously, "Yes, Master likes to play these kinds of jokes. He shouldn't have told you beforehand. How did you guess?"

Mellen explained, “Although the three senior brothers and sisters have all restrained themselves, I am naturally perceptive and can sense the strength of the life field you release to some extent. Moreover, I have a certain understanding of Master’s personality. If it’s just about recognizing people, there’s no need to be so vague. They’re clearly waiting to see me make a fool of myself.”

When his disciple saw through his intentions, Zuoqiu Wudi was not embarrassed at all; instead, he laughed heartily.

After a brief introduction, Mellen also learned the names of her three senior brothers and sisters...

The eldest brother's name is Zhang Wei. He is a martial arts fanatic who does not pursue a career and has no family. He devotes all his energy to martial arts and is the only martial saint among Zuoqiu Wudi's disciples. Although he looks young, he is actually much older than the third brother.

The third senior brother was named Shi Wusheng. He had also worked hard on the path of martial arts before, but he wasted ten years in front of the Martial Saint, which wore down all his spirit. In the end, he turned to business and helped Zuoqiu Wudi manage the Tenglong Group.

The fourth senior sister is named Song Jiajing. She has the lowest martial arts achievement among all of Zuoqiu Wudi's disciples. It seems that she was able to become Zuoqiu Wudi's disciple because her father had a past relationship with Zuoqiu Wudi when he was young. Later, some changes occurred and he entrusted his daughter to Zuoqiu Wudi on his deathbed. Now, like the third senior brother, the fourth senior sister is managing many affairs of Tenglong Group.

The group got along very harmoniously and amicably, which Mellen guessed might also be related to Zuoqiu Wudi himself.

In this world, no matter how well an ordinary person takes care of themselves, living to a hundred years old is already the limit. But the Martial Saint has broken the limits of the human body and can live to at least two hundred years old.

More importantly, one of the nine divine treasures of the Divine Dragon Stream is related to lifespan. As long as this divine treasure is opened, one can immediately gain an extra hundred years of lifespan.

In other words, it wouldn't be a problem for Zuoqiu Wudi to live to be over three hundred years old.

In this way, the disciples no longer have the option of fighting over the inheritance, and they may be sent away one by one by Zuoqiu Wudi in the future.

Once the younger generation is free from the struggle for inheritance, conflicts will naturally decrease by 90%, and harmonious coexistence will become a matter of course.

During their casual conversation, Zuoqiu Wudi began to test Mei Lun on some martial arts questions. Mei Lun naturally answered fluently and even drew inferences from one instance to another. Before long, the test turned into a discussion on martial arts.

In the past month or so, he has exhausted Zuoqiu Shiyu and Uncle Zhong, and with his own broad knowledge and experience, he naturally has a unique understanding of the martial arts of the world.

Zhang Wei's eyes lit up as he joined the discussion. Shi Wusheng and Song Jiajing could occasionally chime in, but they soon found themselves unable to get a word in edgewise. They were all amazed to see Mei Lun, who was still talking freely and eloquently in front of his master and senior brother.

After chatting for nearly two hours, Zuoqiu Wudi smacked his lips with a hint of reluctance and said, "Alright, some old friends have arrived. I'll go greet them. You should get ready too."

With that, Zuoqiu Wudi stood up and strode outside.

After Zuoqiu Wudi left, Mellen could sense that his senior brother and the others had clearly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Wei laughed and said, "I never expected that Junior Brother has such a profound understanding of martial arts..." Then, he pushed a palm-sized box next to Mellen and said, "This is a treasure I found in a border region, which is just right for you to use now."

Seeing that Mellen hesitated, Zhang Wei smiled and said, "Take it, this is your first gift."

Shi Wusheng and Song Jiajing smiled and each took out a box and pushed it in front of Mellen, clearly they had been prepared.

At Zhang Wei's prompting, Mellen opened the three gifts one by one. Zhang Wei gave him five thumb-sized pearls, which he said were treasures born from the bodies of merfolk-like monsters in some borderland. He said that consuming them could replenish qi and blood and greatly enhance one's life field.

The gifts from Shi Wusheng and Song Jiajing were both treasures from the border region, which could help with martial arts cultivation.

Of course, according to the three of them, these treasures can only exert their maximum effect when the life field is below 5. If it is close to, reaches or exceeds 5, the effect will decrease accordingly.

Soon the apprenticeship banquet began, and Mellen officially appeared before many high-ranking officials of the Great Xia Kingdom.

The banquet was divided into three levels. The lower two levels were occupied by ordinary wealthy people or middle-class power figures. They didn't even know the true purpose of the banquet, only that it was a rare big move by the Tenglong Group.

Only the third level consists of qualified and influential figures, including martial arts experts, top-tier billionaires who rank among the world's best, and a few individuals or their representatives standing at the top of the Great Xia power pyramid.

In the banquet hall on the lowest level, Mellen also saw Chi Xiao, who was dressed in a handsome suit and had his hair combed like an adult, looking like a young version of a business elite.

Chi Xiao and another young man who looked four or five parts similar to him followed a middle-aged man. If there were no surprises, the latter two should be his father and brother.

Chi Xiao also saw Mellen, but even though Mellen was still dressed in the same casual clothes he had when he left the dormitory that morning, he didn't recognize him at all.

Mellen didn't seem to mind. He smiled slightly at Chi Xiao and then whispered a few words to Uncle Zhong.

Uncle Zhong glanced in the direction where Chi Xiao was and nodded slightly.

Chi Xiao watched as her roommate ascended to the upper banquet hall, which was said to be accessible only to the most elite figures in the Great Xia Kingdom. She felt a mixture of surprise and shock.

The men accompanying Mellen were clearly important figures, because when they appeared, everyone in the banquet hall, including his own father, looked at them with respect.

Chi Xiao's mind was racing with countless thoughts, and he felt a little dizzy. He wasn't even sure if what he had just seen was a hallucination.

Chi Xiao's father noticed his son's unusual behavior and felt anxious. He had originally wanted to broaden his son's horizons, but if his son's behavior offended others and caused trouble for their family, it would be a loss.