Please be my partner.

After hearing what the mountain lord said, the three elders fell silent. They naturally respected their ancestor, but this matter was indeed too unbelievable, and they could not help but be cautious and suspicious.

The emergence of a descendant of a patriarch in the world is a matter that can be considered both significant and minor.

More importantly, it's a matter of interests.

This is not a problem for the three elders. They and their family forces are all rooted in the Wudang Sect. Even if a successor of the patriarch emerges, at most they will only share some of the existing benefits in the future.

Perhaps this person will be strong enough in the future to expand the Wudang faction's territory, and they will be able to gain even more.

However, the mountain lord has only been in power for a few years and is in the prime of his life. If this successor of the patriarch's generation gains a lot of power in a few years and starts to have ulterior motives, it will inevitably endanger the mountain lord's position.

That's why the mountain lord took the lead.

Of course, the mountain lord didn't want to completely destroy Mellen, but delaying for a few years, suppressing Mellen's arrogance, and at least giving him a few years to build up his resources would be good.

With the mountain lord leading the way, the three elders were naturally happy to accept this arrangement. They didn't say much, and they only needed to see what the one at the head of the table thought.

The Supreme Elder, who was also the current Martial Saint of the Wudang Sect, pondered for a moment and then said, "Bring the person over. We should at least see him before making a decision."

The mountain lord frowned, but he couldn't refute it. Although the Supreme Elder didn't usually get involved in affairs, as a Martial Saint, his words carried considerable weight. Once the elder spoke, the mountain lord could only agree.

So, after wandering around the Wudang Sect for more than an hour, Mellen was summoned to the Wudang Hall.

Upon raising their eyes, they saw the two characters 'Wudang' on the plaque of the main hall. Although it was different from the characters on the sect's archway, it had its own unique charm. In the main hall, in addition to the golden statue of the patriarch in the center, there were five people sitting cross-legged on five futons. In front of them was an empty futon, which was obviously reserved for Mei Lun.

Mellen first bowed, and then sat cross-legged on the futon.

Of the five people in front of him, the one on the far right was the Third Elder, whom he had met before. The two on the left were also white-bearded elders. Judging from this arrangement, Mellen guessed that these two should be the Second Elder and the First Elder.

The fourth person to the left was a man who looked to be around thirty years old. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a commanding presence. He was scanning Mellen with his sharp gaze.

The man on the far left, who appeared to be middle-aged, gave Mellen a strange feeling. Judging from his aura, he was undoubtedly a Martial Saint. Among the five people present, only this man could pose a threat to Mellen.

After the five people took turns asking some basic questions, Murren answered them all fluently. However, when asked about his origins, Murren hesitated for a moment and said, "I come from a very, very far place."

"Very far?" The mountain lord frowned and pressed, "Where exactly?"

Mellen shook his head and said, "It's hard to explain."

Mellen originally intended to just say any place to get by, but changed his mind at the last minute.

The three elders looked at Mellen, quite dissatisfied with his ambiguous words. The mountain lord also looked displeased, but was secretly overjoyed.

Only the Supreme Elder looked at Mellen with a meaningful gaze.

After a moment of silence, just as the mountain lord was about to send Mellen away, the Supreme Elder suddenly said, "You may all leave first. I have something to say to this young friend alone."

All four showed surprise, and the mountain lord exclaimed, "Lord Wu..."

But before he could finish speaking, he was given a faint glance by the Supreme Elder surnamed Wu.

A moment later, only Mellen and the Supreme Elder remained in the hall.

The Supreme Elder suddenly said, "Young friend, you are not from this world, are you?"

Mellen was startled. Although he knew he had most likely been exposed, he didn't say anything.

The Supreme Elder said to himself, "I wonder which sect or school you belong to, young friend? Your sudden arrival in this realm seems somewhat against the rules."

Mellen remained silent, but this time, as if sensing something, the Supreme Elder looked puzzled and asked, "Could it be that you, young friend, came to this world by accident for some reason?"

Mellen sighed and said, "Since you already know, senior, I won't hide it anymore. I come from a world where martial arts have declined. I was delighted to learn a little about this world when I first entered it."

"Senior, could you please explain in detail what exactly is going on?"

The Supreme Elder smiled and said, "This realm is shared by our five sects and is mainly used for training our disciples. There are few outsiders here on ordinary days. Your entry can be considered a matter of fate."

"I observe that you possess a natural air about you as you walk; I wonder which school of thought you follow?"

Seeing that the Supreme Elder had asked the question again, seemingly quite persistent about it, Mellen did not hide anything and said, "My martial arts are inherited from the Divine Dragon Style of my hometown. I wonder if the Supreme Elder has heard of it?"

The Supreme Elder thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No."

This time it was Mellen's turn to be surprised, because according to Zuoqiu Wudi, the Divine Dragon School should be quite famous. He had even speculated that his own Divine Dragon School might be one of the 'Five Schools' mentioned by the Supreme Elder.

Seeing Mellen's expression, the Supreme Elder asked, "Do you have any questions?"

After a moment's hesitation, Mellen finally asked, "Senior, to be honest, what I see and hear is quite similar to a certain period in the history of my hometown, including the Wudang Sect. According to the elders of the sect, the Shenlong School should be quite famous in the current era, but this does not match my understanding."

"I used to think I had traveled through time to ancient times, but now it seems..."

Hearing Mellen's question, the Supreme Elder smiled and said, "The world is vast, like the sands of the Ganges. There are always some similar 'flowers' among them, and it is not surprising to occasionally encounter some seemingly similar 'past' and 'future'."

Mellen nodded, seemingly enlightened, and said, "I see. I didn't come here through time and space, but rather into a completely new world, which is why there are so many seemingly plausible but actually ambiguities."

In that case, it's understandable that there's no trace of the Divine Dragon School in this world.

The Supreme Elder smiled and said, "I see that you have quite the talent, young friend. It is truly remarkable that you have been able to reach this level at such a young age in a world where martial arts are declining. I wonder if you would be willing to become a disciple of my Wudang Sect?"

Mellen blinked in confusion at first, because this was his original purpose for this trip. He didn't understand why the Supreme Elder would ask such a question. But after thinking about it for a moment, he understood the meaning. The Supreme Elder was obviously not asking about the Wudang Sect in this world, but about the Wudang Sect on a higher level.

After thinking for a moment, Mellen asked directly, "Senior, could you please describe the Wudang Sect in detail?"

The Supreme Elder was speechless for a moment, then laughed and said, "Our Wudang Sect, starting with Patriarch Wudang, enjoys a great reputation in the myriad worlds. There are many senior masters in the sect who have embarked on the legendary path and reached the other shore. Patriarch Wudang is even close to the Dao Fruit realm and is expected to achieve eternal immeasurability in this era."

At this point, the Supreme Elder stopped speaking abruptly and smiled, "These things are too early for you. In short, all you need to know is that being able to join the Wudang Sect is a blessing you've accumulated over several lifetimes."

"How is it, young friend?"

Mellen showed interest, but still cautiously asked, "Senior, what are the conditions for me to join the Wudang Sect?"

The Supreme Elder chuckled again. He felt as if he had seen a child clutching a small candy in his arms, as if afraid that he would snatch it away. He not only did not feel offended, but also found it quite amusing.

The Supreme Elder thought for a moment and said, "To be honest, I did have a little selfish reason for summoning you to join my sect. But don't worry, whether you succeed or not, it will be a good thing for you. You don't need to worry about anything else, just focus on improving your strength as much as possible."

This time, Mellen didn't hesitate and said directly, "I am willing to become a disciple of Wudang."

The Supreme Elder nodded with a smile and said, "Since we are away at the moment, let's keep everything simple. The formal ceremony will be held when we return to the Wudang Sect."

Then, even the ceremony that the Supreme Elder called "simple" still required Mellen to bathe and burn incense, and then present a memorial to Heaven and Earth before the statue of the Ancestral Master, performing all the proper rituals.

The Supreme Elder also summoned a virtual register in front of the ancestral master's golden statue and entered Mellen's name into it. The process was much more formal than Mellen had expected.

By the time everything was done, half a day had passed. The Supreme Elder simply told the Mountain Lord and the three elders, "We have informed the Ancestor and formally accepted Mellen into the sect," and then dismissed them.

Inside the Ancestral Hall, it was still Mellen and the Supreme Elder, and their relationship had clearly become closer.

Mellen asked impatiently, "Uncle Wu, how exactly are martial arts realms divided? And what path lies beyond Martial Saint?"

The Supreme Elder looked at Melon with a kind expression, feeling a pang of emotion. With his level of understanding, he could naturally see through Melon's foundation. He could even sense whether others were lying or harboring malice when they were communicating with him. Therefore, the Supreme Elder could understand how good Melon's aptitude was. If such a person were born in their world, he would have been a precious gem and carefully nurtured. How could he be like this now, with only a superficial understanding of martial arts?

Perhaps because he had personally discovered Mellen, the Supreme Elder liked Mellen more and more as he looked at him, and explained with a smile: "Your so-called 'Martial Saint' is just a name used in some worlds. Although it's not wrong, it's not a normal way of saying it."

"The path of martial arts is divided into three steps. The first step is to perfect the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit. The second step is to unravel the legendary path. The third step is to embark on the journey to the other shore."

"The first step in martial arts is to accumulate the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit. First, you need to use the refinement of martial arts to fill your essence. Then you can use essence to transform into energy, energy to replenish spirit, and spirit to promote essence, forming a positive cycle. The martial saint you mentioned is just the first person to fill his essence. After that, he needs to open his divine treasure, comprehend the meaning, enrich his inner vision, and refine his outer vision, expanding his essence, energy, and spirit to the ultimate perfection step by step. Only then can he hope to continue forward."

"The second step in martial arts is to decipher the path of legend. This step emphasizes comprehension. Everyone has a hidden legendary power within them. If one can decipher it, one can achieve it overnight. If one cannot decipher it, one will waste one's life. This cannot be taught; one can only rely on oneself to comprehend it."

"If one can see through and condense one's own legendary essence, one can truly embark on the journey to the other shore and advance towards that unique self. If one can achieve true self-unity in the current era, one can compete for that unique epochal Dao Fruit, truly step onto the other shore, and achieve eternity."

Mellen keenly grasped the key point, his eyes brightening slightly as he asked, "Uncle Wu, what does 'I am the only one' mean?"

The Supreme Elder seemed still lost in thought, and casually replied, "Legend has it that in ancient times, this realm we inhabit was not like it is now. There was only one main world, and every life born in the main world was a born god."

"But later, for some unknown reason, the main world split apart, giving birth to thousands of fragments and countless reflections, which eventually evolved into the Ganges Sands as we know them today. However, theoretically speaking, every world is connected, and every person in each of these worlds is their own 'true self' in their own world, and in other worlds, they have a corresponding 'other self'."

"If one can absorb the 'other self,' one can inherit the 'other self's' position in the current world and complete oneself. If one can unify all realms, one can return to the 'true self,' possess the qualifications to receive the Dao Fruit of the Era and step onto the other shore."

At this point, the Supreme Elder looked at Mellen with a smile and said, "You should have sensed it long ago, right? The power that has been increasing every moment since you entered this world."

"Boom!~" At that moment, Mellen understood everything.

The Supreme Elder continued, saying, "You may wonder why, after coming into this world, you didn't engage in a struggle between your 'true self' and your 'other self,' yet you were able to directly obtain everything."

"It's actually quite simple. Because the Ganges world is ultimately different. Perhaps in some worlds the 'other self' has died, or perhaps in some worlds the 'other self' has not yet been born. In such cases, one can naturally receive the gift of heavenly status directly without having to fight for it."

"Of course, this kind of improvement has limitations. Before you have the essence of legend, you cannot truly refine the heavenly status of 'other self' and truly complete yourself."

That's right. The reason why Mellen can directly receive the gifts of heaven and earth when he enters the borderlands and other worlds is because he is not a person from beyond the heavens, but a visitor from outside the realm. This means that he has no "other self" in any world, and as long as he enters it, he can obtain the power of his status without any obstacles!

This not only means that Mellen can quickly improve his strength through the gifts of different worlds, but also that the journey to the other side of the third step of martial arts is not an obstacle for Mellen. Once he arrives, he can achieve it in one fell swoop!

Chapter 637 The True Meaning of Wudang and the Trials of the Five Sects

"The Other Shore! The Other Shore!" Mellen murmured twice, then asked, "Uncle Wu, what kind of power do these legendary experts, who are specially crafted, and the great beings who embark on the journey to the Other Shore, possess?"

The Supreme Elder thought for a moment and said, "Legendary experts are no longer like ordinary people. They can travel through the Ganges world with their own will. The great beings who embark on the journey to the other side can travel through time and space at will. Their battles can easily destroy countless worlds."

"However, those destroyed worlds will not actually be greatly affected, because the powerful beings on the other side can rewrite the past and restore the history of those destroyed worlds."

The Supreme Elder looked up at the sky and said with some emotion, "Perhaps the world we live in now is being destroyed by the battle of the powerful beings from the other side, and then restored by their intervention in history. Who knows?"

"And the ultimate goal of martial arts is to truly reach the other shore, which could also be called the fourth step of martial arts."

Mellen's pupils contracted sharply. To alter the past and influence the future, the most basic requirement is to possess the ability to interfere with the dimension of time. Furthermore, it is necessary to consider the strength of the universe's rules themselves and whether they are compatible.

For example, in the starry universe, it's not impossible for Xiao Li to modify the course of history on a small scale, but it would require paying a huge price. In the Immortal Realm, the rules are much stricter and more perfect, making it almost impossible to do the same thing again, unless Xiao Li's strength can be increased a hundred or a thousand times, then it might be possible to barely try.

However, for smaller universes, modifying time for small-scale ideas becomes much simpler.

In any case, the idea of ​​destroying a world and then restoring it by simply changing history with a thought seems a bit too exaggerated.

At this moment, Mellen finally understood why a powerful immortal sect like the Golden Jade Immortal Sect valued this Outer Heaven so much and kept emphasizing that it was a miracle born in the outer universe sea.

The peculiar rules of this universe are more worthy of study than we imagined.

Seeing that Mellen was deep in thought, the Supreme Elder smiled and said, "Alright, Mellen, you've just entered the path, so don't be too ambitious. You should first perfect your essence, energy, and spirit, and take this first step in the martial arts path in a solid manner before considering anything else. The path of martial arts is one step at a time; you can't rush it!"

"Now that you have learned Wudang Fist, you should practice it diligently. Wudang Fist was created by the Wudang patriarch and contains the Wudang spirit. If you can comprehend this spirit, the first step in martial arts will be without any obstacles."

Mellen humbly asked, "Uncle Wu, I understand opening the divine treasure, but what is artistic conception? And what do you mean by enriching the inner landscape and condensing the outer landscape that you just mentioned?"

The Supreme Elder said, "The realm of mind is the reflection of the universe and all things in the world. It is mysterious and profound. You need to comprehend it yourself. The inner and outer realms are the means that you can naturally comprehend when you begin to preserve your spirit. The main purpose is to connect the spirit with the universe, so that the human body is a microcosm and can borrow the power of the external universe."

After thinking for a moment, Mellen asked again, "Then what is the meaning of 'nothingness'?"

The Supreme Elder explained: “A drum cannot be appropriate to the five tones, yet the five tones cannot be discordant; water cannot be appropriate to the five colors, yet the five colors cannot be discordant; learning cannot be appropriate to the five senses, yet the five senses cannot be well-governed; a teacher cannot be appropriate to the five degrees of kinship, yet the five degrees of kinship cannot be intimacy.”

"The principle of harmony lies in the absence of fixed forms."

"Once you comprehend the meaning of Wudang, your essence, energy, and spirit can always be in a state of harmony and nourishment, which can not only slowly enhance your potential, but also keep your essence, energy, and spirit in balance at all times."

"You should know that every time you open a divine treasure, your essence will increase greatly, and when your realm improves, your spirit will increase greatly. This imbalance that occurs from time to time will actually slowly erode your own talent and potential. Only by balancing the three can you find the true way to nurture your potential."

The Supreme Elder's explanation gave Mellen a sense of sudden enlightenment.

Next, Mellen consulted many martial arts-related questions, supplementing his knowledge and correcting any misunderstandings he had previously made.

Three days passed in this question and answer session.

Throughout this process, the Supreme Elder showed no impatience whatsoever. In fact, if it were any other disciple who persisted like this, the Supreme Elder would certainly not have been pleased. However, the talent that Mellen displayed was simply too good. He could grasp any question in no time and master it in a short while. Moreover, he could apply what he learned to other situations. Teaching such a disciple naturally gave the Supreme Elder a great sense of accomplishment.

After a brief introduction, Mellen also learned that the Master Wu in front of him was a master who had already perfected the Three Treasures and completed the first step of martial arts. What he needed to condense the legendary special item next was not training and accumulation, but enlightenment. That's why he came to this world to carry out some tasks that were not very difficult but took a very long time.

Incidentally, it is worth mentioning that since this world is worth the joint occupation of five factions, including the Wudang Sect, it must have its special features. Compared with other ordinary worlds, the time flow in this world is much faster, reaching a ratio of one to seven. That is, seven years in the outside world will pass forty-nine years in this world.

Based on this, the five factions also use this world for their disciples to train, and it also contains some comparisons and clashes between the five factions.

After all, although the five factions are closely connected, each has its own strengths and weaknesses. For martial artists, there must always be a hierarchy, right?

The training period is usually seven years, which is equivalent to 49 years in the current world. Whoever can make more extraordinary achievements during this period will have better results and will receive a joint reward from the five factions.

However, for the sake of fairness, the disciples of the five sects need to have their martial arts strength and memories sealed before entering this world, starting from scratch. Furthermore, the sect's power in this world must be maintained at an ordinary first-class level.

As for whether to let the disciples grow freely after the trials, or to guide them to sects in this world for training, it doesn't matter; they can decide for themselves.

Speaking of which, the Wudang Sect is in a rather pitiful state. The current generation of disciples undergoing training, who is also the sect's leader, has yet to awaken his memories. It's been thirty-five years since the training began, and the other four sects have already expanded significantly under the leadership of their disciples. Only the Wudang Sect is still content to live a comfortable life, clinging to its small territory. The key issue is that the sect leader is always afraid that someone will take his position, so he engages in some internal strife, which makes the Supreme Elder who is in charge even more displeased.

To be honest, the Mountain Lord is an extremely outstanding disciple in the Wudang Sect of the Upper Realm, but he is still somewhat different from the true core elites of the Wudang Sect.

After all, while this kind of training has many benefits, the time span is simply too long. In such a long period of time, the strength of those core elite disciples would have improved by who knows how much.

For someone like Mellen, who recruits disciples from the Wudang Sect of the Upper Realm into the current world, it's equivalent to tacitly joining this trial. Even if they don't achieve any great results in the end, they will still receive at least some basic rewards.

The five major factions have done similar things before.

This is also the fundamental reason why the Supreme Elder said that regardless of whether it succeeds or fails, it will benefit Mellen.

As for the Supreme Elder's own selfish motives, he naturally hoped that with the addition of Mellen, the Wudang Sect's performance in this training exercise would improve, or at least prevent them from losing too badly.

The Supreme Elder himself cannot participate in the trials; he is merely a high-level NPC who can only provide basic assistance and ensure that the lineage of the Wudang Sect in the lower realm is not severed.

As for how the mountain master should act, even the Supreme Elder cannot interfere.

Next, the news that the Wudang Sect had gained a third-generation disciple, and that he was also a successor of the Wudang patriarch, spread quickly throughout Qingzhou Prefecture.