Please be my partner.

When one topic came to an end, Sima Xian suddenly looked at Mellen and said, "I've heard that you've recently made quite a splash in the martial arts world, and I'm quite envious. May I ask if you could offer some guidance?"

Upon hearing this, the other three Martial Saints all looked at Mellen, revealing expressions of anticipation. They had heard about the recent events in the martial world, and whether they believed it or not, they certainly had some doubts. Now that Sima Xian had stepped forward to test Mellen's abilities, they were naturally happy to watch from the sidelines.

King Jing was also very interested. He had received more detailed information and was certain that his subordinates would not dare to deceive or exaggerate. However, as the saying goes, seeing is believing, and he did want to see for himself. Nevertheless, he said, "Gentlemen, since you have come to my birthday banquet, it would be best not to spoil the harmony."

Sima Xian laughed and said, "Your Highness is right. Moreover, it would be too impolite to start a big fight in the Prince's residence."

He looked at Mellen: "How about we just demonstrate a few moves?"

This time, King Jing did not stop him. Instead, he looked at Melun and decided that as long as Melun showed any sign of refusal, he would immediately smooth things over.

After all, although Sima Xian looks young, he is actually nearly fifty years old. He possesses both inner and outer strength, which makes him a powerful figure even among martial saints.

Mellen picked up his teacup and chuckled, "Why go to such trouble?"

Just as the group was puzzled, a vast and powerful spiritual force suddenly spread out.

In that instant, heaven and earth twisted, and the sun and moon were overturned.

The royal palaces and gardens have all vanished, replaced by a vast and boundless landscape of mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas.

From the perspective of the four martial saints, Mellen sat motionless, but his figure gradually grew taller and taller. In the blink of an eye, he stood with his head touching the sky and his feet on the ground, like a mountain, looking down at them with a calm and indifferent gaze. In contrast, they themselves gradually shrank, like grains of rice or fireflies.

The four Martial Saints were shocked, realizing that they had been pulled into the inner realm. No matter how much they resisted and struggled, they could not break free from this vast landscape, not even Sima Xian, who had already cultivated the outer realm.

Although King Jing wasn't directly targeted by Mellen's inner realm cultivation, he could still see the absolute difference in their abilities. He first waved to the Martial Saint, who was instinctively protecting him, indicating that the other party didn't need to be nervous. Then, he exclaimed in amazement, "Brother Mellen is indeed a genius! When you went to the snow mountain to challenge it before, you hadn't yet achieved the inner realm cultivation, had you? To cultivate your inner realm to such a level in just a few days is truly amazing! Amazing!!"

Gongsun Yang was overjoyed, and the meaning of his address "Brother Yang" was becoming increasingly significant.

Mellen chuckled and said, "Your Highness is too modest."

With that, Murren released his inner vision, the illusion vanished, and everyone returned to the previous room. Murren then casually took a sip of the tea in his hand.

The other four Martial Saints all had complicated expressions, especially the other three, who even felt a little wronged. It was clearly Sima who provoked them first, but they were also humiliated as a result. Who could they complain to?

But as for jealousy and resentment, including Sima Xian, they didn't have any, not because they were unwilling, but because they dared not.

The three—artistic conception, inner scene, and outer scene—have completely different effects on the combat power of a Martial Saint. To put it bluntly, the inner scene is essentially hypnosis, only an upgraded and enhanced version.

An ordinary martial saint can hypnotize a commoner with just one glance, but it would be a little more troublesome if he were to face a martial artist with a strong will.

Once the Martial Saint has created his inner realm, he can hypnotize a large number of martial artists. From then on, sheer numbers will no longer pose any threat to the Martial Saint in his inner realm.

Once in the outdoor realm, the Martial Saint can even trigger small-scale celestial phenomena, making it easy for him to create an environment favorable to himself or to cause widespread destruction.

If a martial saint can comprehend the mysteries of heaven and earth, unify the power of the inner and outer realms, and add the appropriate artistic conception, it will be enough to truly trigger large-scale natural disasters and anomalies. Whether it is destroying a city or slaughtering an army of 100,000, it will be as easy as turning one's hand.

This level of martial saint is also known as the Celestial Martial Saint.

Of course, there is a logic to why this world is dominated by dynasties, rather than sects and aristocratic families sharing power. Even a Celestial Martial Saint is not without a solution.

The military has its own battle formations. Tens of thousands of elite troops, together with a few Outer Realm Martial Saints, can contend with Celestial Phenomenon Martial Saints. In addition, some long-established first-class sects also have many secret techniques and methods hidden, and are not afraid of Celestial Phenomenon Martial Saints.

Thus, with various checks and balances in place, this world has evolved into what it is today.

Getting back to the point, in reality, the difference between the inner and outer realms is quite significant. The main function of the inner realm is to suppress, interfere with, block, and repress at the spiritual level. However, the clash between 'gods' does not have a significant impact on the physical world.

The fact that Mellen was able to suppress four Martial Saints, including Sima Xian, who was in the outer realm, simply by using his inner vision was enough to make them understand the absolute difference in strength. Their gazes towards Mellen became much clearer.

For a time, amidst King Jing's hearty laughter, both host and guests enjoyed themselves immensely.

The birthday banquet that followed lasted for a week, and everything served was truly the finest delicacies.

Of course, this was also because it was King Jing's 40th birthday, so it was made more grand. King Jing couldn't possibly come to such an event every year.

On the first day of the birthday banquet, the Great Yu Sage also sent a large number of gifts in a high-profile manner. There were even rumors that he himself came, but did not show his face in front of everyone.

Mellen also agreed with this statement, because he clearly sensed that two of the auras that had been entrenched in the palace had been at Prince Jing's residence for some time.

Near the end of the birthday banquet, King Jing met with Mei Lun privately and subtly expressed his intention to recruit and support him.

Mellen did not directly refuse, but said that he would now focus on martial arts and planned to travel to various countries.

King Jing simply laughed it off.

The carriage gradually moved further and further away, leaving the inner city, exiting the outer city, and slowly moving away from the capital.

Cai Die'er and Jiang Ling seemed to have broken free from their restraints and returned to their original forms.

Mellen chuckled and asked, "What do you two think of this capital city?"

Cai Die'er said, "Compared to the riotous flowers and the blazing fire, Emerald Stone City can only be considered a 'small place'."

Jiang Ling patted her chest exaggeratedly and said, "Although everyone seems to be smiling, I always have this feeling that I'm about to be 'eaten up' if I'm not careful! It's really scary!!"

Mellen glanced at Jiang Ling with some surprise, not expecting the little guy to have such keen senses. He said earnestly, "For us martial artists, only strength is our courage, and only by mastering enough strength can we have the confidence to face everything. Do you understand?"

Cai Die'er and Jiang Ling agreed repeatedly, confirming that this trip to the capital had indeed brought them a unique experience.

Jiang Ling blinked and asked, "Master, where are we going next? Are we going to travel to various countries?"

Mellen's lips curled slightly as he said, "Of course, but before that, we need to go back to the Wudang Sect."

He looked at Jiang Ling and added, "If you want, you can take this opportunity to go home. We won't be back for a while after we leave."

Jiang Ling blurted out without hesitation, "I'm not going back. There's nothing there for me to miss."

The preference for sons over daughters was a result of the historical context. However, even as a disciple of Mei Lun, Jiang Ling could feel the equality and respect that Mei Lun inadvertently showed her.

This shocked Jiang Ling and also made her truly certain of her feelings. In her heart, her master was someone ten or a hundred times closer than any of her previous family members.

Mellen paused for a moment, nodded slightly, and said, "Whatever you say."

In Mellen's mind, returning home in glory is like wearing fine clothes in the dark. He doesn't understand Jiangling's decision not to go back and show off, but he respects it.

Chapter 643 Departure and Settling in the Frontier

In the quiet room of the Wudang Sect, Mellen and the Supreme Elder sat facing each other.

The Supreme Elder smiled and nodded, saying, "Your progress is beyond imagination, and you are no worse than the outstanding inner disciples of the Wudang Sect in the Upper Realm."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Mei Lun said seriously, "Uncle Wu, I plan to leave Dayu for a long time to come. I want to complete this training in my own way."

The Supreme Elder didn't ask any further questions, and said nonchalantly, "You can arrange these yourself."

Seeing this, Mellen didn't say much, but instead asked about the martial arts questions he had accumulated over this period of time.

Three days later, Mellen left the Wudang Sect. However, just as he was about to descend the mountain, he noticed the mountain lord watching him from afar. After nodding slightly, the mountain lord turned and left without any hesitation.

On the journey, Mei Lun no longer allowed Feng Ling Ge to accompany him. Instead, he bought a carriage and set off alone with Cai Die'er and Jiang Ling.

Melen's destination was the western part of Dayu. In the border area between Dayu and Dayong, there was a sizable buffer zone where three small kingdoms and dozens of tribal forces were located.

Because the local environment was extremely complex, it fell into the category of being useless to keep but a pity to abandon. In addition, the two major countries also needed some areas as a buffer zone. Therefore, neither Dayu nor Dayong had any intention of taking over the area.

Mellen's purpose in this trip was to reach that neutral zone.

Those brothers who have fought for the world must know that the most important thing to start a rebellion is to have a base of support. No matter how invincible a person is, he cannot build a country on that alone...

An army strong enough to suppress all sides, a sufficient number of grassroots officials, a sound system, a smooth economic system... none of these came from nowhere.

Mellen has no foothold in this world. Although the Wudang faction is good, its location is already limited, making it almost impossible to start with it.

Unless the Great Yu Dynasty immediately descends into chaos, Mei Lun will have a chance to gradually erode and win over the various forces in Qingzhou Prefecture, slowly expanding his territory. Otherwise, he will essentially be just a 'spot on the horizon'.

Therefore, if Mellen wants to achieve something, he needs to rebuild a base outside of the three great empires, and he needs to be careful in managing it to avoid being detected and nipped in the bud.

Of course, it's unlikely that we'll make a mistake in the latter point in the short term, since the three great empires wouldn't even consider those small, peripheral countries and tribes.

Going on and on.

About two months later, Mellen and his party arrived at the border of Dayu. Compared to when they set off with only one carriage and three people, this was now a fairly large group.

Not only did they have three more carriages, several horses, and more than thirty servants, but they also had twelve boys and girls.

These servants were all fierce-looking, strong, and skilled in martial arts. They were the bandits who had initially tried to rob the three men, Mellen, from their frail appearance.

After sending them away, Mellen kept some of the most vigorous ones by his side. After a period of 'reformation', these former bandits and thieves repented and were willing to risk their lives for Lord Mellen.

For ordinary martial arts masters, although they have the ability to hypnotize, it is almost impossible to fundamentally and permanently change a person's mind.

But Mellen is different. As his martial arts skills improve, his various abilities are gradually unlocked, and subtly reshaping a person's consciousness is a very simple thing for him.

The twelve boys and girls, the youngest being eight years old and the oldest eleven, were orphans that Mellen had taken in over the past two months.

Mellen didn't have that much time to build up his power, nor could he afford to waste too much of his energy on it, so his solution was simple... to usurp someone else's position!

These disciples and servants are crucial to achieving this.

After this training, the newly recruited disciples and servants have already laid a good foundation. Mellen is still teaching the Divine Dragon Style, and they just need to improve step by step.

Rock Mountain Castle.

This is a fortified city on the frontier of Dayu. Once you leave here, you are considered to have left Dayu territory and arrived outside the pass.

Normally, to enter or leave Rock Mountain City, one needs not only a travel permit but also to undergo rigorous scrutiny. However, Mellen had already had Wind Chime Pavilion handle all of this, and given his status as a Martial Saint, he did not encounter any difficulties.

After leaving Yanshan City, Melen spread out a map in the carriage and fixed his gaze on the border area between Dayu and Dayong.

On the map, this is a long and narrow strip of land. To the south, it is mostly rainforest terrain. Not only is it full of miasma and swamps, but it is also inhabited by indigenous tribes who have lived there for generations. These tribes are not only primitive and difficult to communicate with, but they are also good at using various poisonous insects. They are extremely troublesome when they occupy the terrain. Moreover, they do not have much profit to offer. Therefore, neither Dayu nor Dayong would dare to target the rainforest.

To the north are three small kingdoms huddled together. Though called kingdoms, even the largest of them, the Song Kingdom, consists of only five cities and has a combined population of less than a million.

It should be noted that in either Dayu or Dayong, each prefecture has at least three or five large cities with a population exceeding one million.

The states of Song, Qi, and Nian are said to have connections to empires from thousands of years ago. For example, it is rumored that the state of Song was founded by the remnants of the Da'an clan, which belonged to the previous dynasty of the Da Yu dynasty and was an empire that was overthrown by Da Yu.

Mellen's gaze lingered for a moment before finally settling on the State of Qi. Among the three border states, Qi was relatively weak, but due to the tripartite balance of power, it was usually quite peaceful.

Half a month later, Mellen and his party arrived in a city belonging to the State of Qi. Although it was called a city, it was actually just a slightly larger town with a total population of less than 100,000.

The group easily bought a manor in the area. Naturally, Mellen didn't need to do these trivial matters himself. Among the servants they recruited was a man named Wang Wu, who had once been the leader of a band of mountain bandits. He was not only skilled in martial arts but also quite clever. Mellen temporarily used him as a steward.

Once the manor is established, the first thing to do is, of course, to settle down and figure out the specific rules of the game in this border region.

After a month of peace, Mellen focused on his cultivation and continued to train his disciples, while Wang Wu led a group of people out early and back late every day.

Thanks to Wang Wu's efforts, Mellen gained some understanding of the local area.

Throughout the border region, basic industries were controlled by the royal families and nobles of the three kingdoms, making it virtually impossible for outsiders to gain a foothold.

Even if Mellen, this powerful dragon, could use strong means to suppress the local bullies, the commotion would be too great, which would not align with his original purpose.

Apart from that, there were very few ways to settle down. In the end, Mellen chose the simplest one for him... smuggling and escorting goods.

After all, it is a border region. Whether it is moving goods back and forth between Dayu and Dayong, or transporting some scarce goods to the local area, it is a business with huge profits.

Of course, in order to make a living in this field, in addition to sufficient military support, the most important thing is to have channels that can connect both sides.

The former goes without saying, and as for the latter, it would be simple for Mellen to use his connections with the Wind Chime Pavilion, but as I said before, he intends to act quietly this time and doesn't plan to make too much of a fuss.

Even so, this matter was equally easy for Mellen.

Take Bangya City, where Mellen currently resides, for example. There are three or four escort agencies or caravans that make a living from this business, and they all have their own channels.

With just a few tricks, Mellen gained several lackeys under his command. He then released some of the servants he had trained to join these forces. Soon, they rose to middle and upper management positions based on their performance and deliberate promotions from above.

Even though this process caused dissatisfaction among some core members of the original forces, in this world, strength ultimately prevails. With Mellen's guidance and the forced stimulation of future potential, those servants who originally only knew some basic skills all became martial arts experts. Using the algorithm from the previous world, their life field was at least close to 5. Of course, the price was that it would be more difficult for them to continue to improve in the future.

A year later, through this subtle and gradual infiltration and development, the smuggling forces in Bangya City had been completely eroded and controlled by Melen, and the number of his servants had expanded from the original thirty to more than two hundred. The number indirectly controlled by him would only be more.

In addition to smuggling-related forces, Melen has also extended his reach into other areas, becoming one of the de facto powerful families in Bangya City.

The thirteen disciples, including Jiang Ling, have all made remarkable progress. While teaching them martial arts, Mei Lun also invited some teachers to teach them to read and write, as well as to learn about military and civilian affairs. Occasionally, Mei Lun would also personally teach them some advanced ideas and wisdom.

What Mellen wants is not just a reckless man who can only fight and kill.

In the blink of an eye, it has been almost two years since Mellen came to this world, and there are only twelve years left before the end of his training. Now that the basic foundation has been initially completed, he is preparing to make bigger moves and move faster.

Bangya City, a suburban manor.

At this time, the manor where Mellen lived was in no way inferior to the Prince Jing's manor in terms of size, although it was far less luxurious. There were nearly two hundred servants and maids in the manor. Although most of them were just ordinary people, at least their loyalty was not an issue.

In the main courtyard, Mellen was resting in a rocking chair, while Cai Die'er would occasionally feed her master a peeled piece of fruit.

Wang Wu stood to the side, reporting the latest information without looking to the side...

"...The Zhang family has recently started contacting us frequently again. Master should know their little schemes; they simply want to become part of the upper class in Qi. Now they're practically one step away from that goal..."

"...The Kaga clan seems to be in some trouble lately. They are being besieged by several tribes and want to ask us for help. The Kaga clan has been trading with the Falcon Escort Agency for several years, and the cooperation has never had any problems. Moreover, their specialty products, black jujubes and red peaches, are quite profitable..."

"...Recently, those forces that have come to our aid have been getting too close, which seems to have aroused the suspicion of the Shentu family. I have received information that some of our subordinates have already been secretly contacted, and I have instructed them to keep the other side calm for the time being..."

"..."

For Mellen, everything else was irrelevant; he could let his subordinates handle it themselves, but...