Please be my partner.

Page 559

"Woof!~"

Sensing its master awakening, Little Red Lotus immediately let out an excited cheer, and surging blood power surrounded Melon. With each rotation, it seemed to be pulling a vast world.

Faintly, strange scenes unfolded around Melon, and those who were cultivating or collecting in the Cloud Court felt the pressure emanating from the aura and couldn't help but show their awe.

Jun Tianqi, who was cultivating, suddenly raised his eyebrows and looked in the direction of the Floating Cloud Court. His expression was somewhat doubtful, but he did not hesitate. In a few flashes, he arrived outside the Floating Cloud Court. Just as he was considering whether to rush in, the gate of the Floating Cloud Court opened automatically, obviously inviting him to enter.

Jun Tianqi had nothing to worry about. He stepped into the Floating Cloud Court and saw Melen looking at him with a smile.

Jun Tianqi laughed and said, "Good heavens, you do have some skills. You have completely recovered from injuries that touched the very foundation of your body and soul in just ten years, and you have even made further progress."

"Huh?!" After looking at it a few more times, Jun Tianqi suddenly sensed something was wrong and said, "This is... a True Immortal? No! No!! It's a Demon General?!"

"Kid, what's going on with you? Why do I sense the aura of a demon general on you?! Could it be that you've possessed a demon general?!"

Mellen smiled slightly and said, "I have a partner who can suppress the life forms in the Blood Sea and take everything from them. He went on an adventure in the Blood Sea before to plot against a Demon General. He was lucky and succeeded by chance."

"Tsk tsk!~" Jun Tianqi looked at Melon with a strange gaze and said, "No wonder Styx went crazy. This ability is indeed quite exaggerated. What if you become strong enough one day to suppress that old guy Styx? Wouldn't you be able to become the Lord of the Blood Sea directly?!"

"It's not that easy," Mellen laughed.

Of course, Mellen wouldn't take the initiative to explain that the real reason that drove the Styx Ancestor mad was that Little Red Lotus had gained a status equal to his in the Blood Sea, and the secret of the Twelfth Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus.

However, Mellen also knew that the Twelfth Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus was a secret to ordinary True Immortals, and even to top True Immortals like Jun Tianqi, but it might not be so for the true powerhouses of the Immortal Realm. It was just that a half-finished innate treasure was not worth their time.

If they were to actually interrupt the gestation process of the Twelfth Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus, they would only be able to obtain a top-tier innate spiritual treasure. A single step would mean a world of difference.

Therefore, it would be better to place the Twelfth Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus in the Blood Sea. Even if the hope of it evolving into a Primordial Treasure is slim, at least it is not zero.

Jun Tianqi suddenly sighed and shook his head, saying, "If I had known you had such abilities, I would have risked paying a price to retrieve Modica's body when I was saving you. That guy is considered quite powerful among the demon generals."

Even if it comes at a price.

Upon hearing this, a sudden realization dawned on Mellen, and he understood that his guess at the time must have been correct; the Styx Ancestor was lurking on the other side of the passage, waiting for his chance.

Thinking of this, Mellen showed gratitude and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Lord. Once I am strong enough, I will go back into the Blood Sea to take back what I want."

Upon hearing this, Jun Tianqi was taken aback for a moment, then said with a strange expression, "You don't actually think I regretted not bringing back the Demon General's corpse and was planning to give it to you for free, do you?!"

Mellen blinked, his expression saying, "Isn't that right?"

Jun Tianqi chuckled and said, "That's a true immortal, how could I give it to you for free! I was actually looking to exchange some good things for you. Troublemakers like you usually have a lot of amazing treasures. At the very least, I could make you owe me a favor, which I can earn back many times over in the future."

Mellen gave a wry smile, speechless for a moment.

Jun Tianqi waved his hand and laughed, "Alright, alright, I'm relieved to see you haven't been possessed."

"You haven't even achieved immortality yet, but you can already wield the power of a true immortal. Tsk tsk, that's truly frightening. With your strength, you could compete for a spot on the Young Immortal Ranking."

"The Ranking of Prodigal Immortals?" Mellen asked疑惑地, "What is that?"

Jun Tianqi explained, "You should know about the Immortal Ranking. Those who can make it onto the list are all top-tier True Immortals, and those who rank at the top are only one step away from becoming Dao Lords."

"The Immortal Ranking corresponds to the Immortal Seed Realm, and everyone who can make it onto the list is an unparalleled genius in the Immortal Realm."

Upon hearing this, Mellen showed little interest. He was long past the age of seeking the limelight, and he felt that appearing on such a list would be of no use to him.

Seeing this, Jun Tianqi laughed and said, "Don't underestimate this Young Immortal Ranking. You should know that it was jointly determined by many powerful sects in the Immortal Realm. Once you are on the list, it means that you have reached the pinnacle of a certain level in the Immortal Realm and can attract the great fortune of the Immortal Realm. Whether it is breaking through in cultivation or exploring and adventuring, you will receive mysterious blessings."

Upon hearing this, Mellen's heart stirred, and he thought of the inner sect competition of the Golden Jade Immortal Sect. One of the purposes of opening the inner sect competition to the public seemed to be to harvest the luck of the younger generation.

This Immortal Ranking and the Young Immortal Ranking are similar in purpose, except that the scope has been expanded to the entire Immortal Realm.

In that case, it's worth a try.

After saying goodbye to Jun Tianqi, Mellen prepared to leave, taking all his dogs back with him.

Now, another ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. Both Mellen and the dogs have made great progress, and it's time for them to prepare for their ascension to True Immortal status.

Our first stop was naturally the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Traveling at a moderate pace, stopping frequently, it took about a month for Melen to reach the Demon Eye Mountain.

Mount Tianlang was as lively as ever, except that all the other dogs had gone out on adventures, leaving Nasus to guard the house. Fortunately, after years of development, the channel business had long been on track, and with a large number of demons coming to join them, Nasus only needed to control the overall direction and didn't have to worry too much about the many trivial matters.

Nasus, of course, knew of Melon's arrival in advance, so he finished his research and waited in the main hall.

Upon seeing Mellen, Nasus immediately floated over and carefully examined him from head to toe. Only after confirming that Mellen's injuries had healed did he reveal a happy smile.

"Merlen, me, I've discovered many interesting supernatural and secret techniques..."

"Merlen, Mellen, I have restructured my soul path, perfecting and elevating it from its original form..."

"Merlen, Merlen, using the resources of the Ten Thousand Mountains, I have developed a Soul Golden Pill that can strengthen the essence of life's soul..."

"Merren, Melren,..."

Nasus excitedly told Melen about his research findings, unable to stop talking for a moment.

Mellen listened with a smile, sharing in Nasus's joy.

After Nasus finished speaking, seemingly still wanting to continue, Melen said, "I'm here to take you all with me. What are your plans for the distribution channels here? Do you have any trustworthy subordinates?"

Nasus nodded and said, "A long time ago, I developed a secret technique for fusing spirits. This technique can condense the aura of one's own soul into a soul seed and plant it in the souls of other demons. As the soul seed takes root, sprouts, and grows, the demon that has the soul seed planted in it will gradually become my loyal subordinate, and in some ways, even become my avatar."

"Now I have planted the soul seeds in the vast majority of the great demons in Tianlang Mountain, which is why I can be a hands-off manager and focus on my research without worrying about my subordinates rebelling."

Mellen showed interest and inquired carefully before understanding that although the Soul Seed technique was useful, it also had many flaws. For example, the most basic point was that it took a long time for the Soul Seed to grow, and during this time, the demon who had the Soul Seed planted could not be too far away from Nasus, otherwise the Soul Seed would wither due to the lack of soul energy infusion.

Furthermore, aside from making the target develop a favorable impression of Nasus, an incompletely grown soul seed has very limited other effects.

Fortunately, after years of preparation, Mount Sirius has long been fortified by Nasus, so it doesn't matter if he leaves.

After giving his explanation, Nasus packed up his research and happily left Mount Sirius with Melon.

Next stop, inside the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Garuru, Golden Retriever, and Void—the three dogs together are practically a mad dog duo. Wherever they go, chaos ensues. They fleece those they can defeat relentlessly, and for those they can't, the three dogs often manage to escape using their powerful spatial abilities. Coupled with the hidden backing they have, even the strongest demons won't stoop to their level. In this way, the three dogs have made quite a name for themselves in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

One day, three dogs found some treasures in a large bird's nest. Unexpectedly, the bird possessed the bloodline of an ancient winged god, was skilled in speed, and had considerable spatial abilities. It chased after the three dogs all the way.

The three dogs have seen all sorts of big scenes over the years. Although they can't beat a big bird, they are still very confident in their ability to escape.

Void Dog unfolds the ancient star field, leading the three dogs in a frantic rush. Garuru unfolds layers of space to block the giant bird's pursuit. Whenever the giant bird gets close enough, Golden Fur will unfold the Sun and Moon Rotation to suppress it. The three dogs have been playing this routine to perfection over the years.

To the three dogs' surprise, the big bird they had provoked this time seemed quite stubborn. Even though it knew it was impossible to catch it, it still chased after them relentlessly, which gave the three dogs a bit of a headache.

Just when the three dogs thought the chase would take a long time, a slightly chuckled voice suddenly entered their minds: "Looks like you've had a great time lately. Judging from how much you're enjoying yourselves, am I too early?"

The three dogs were stunned at first, then overjoyed. They immediately followed their telepathic connection and found Mellen, then pounced on her without hesitation.

The three dogs snuggled into Mellen's arms, rubbing against her frantically, expressing their longing.

The giant bird didn't care what Mellen and the others were doing. Seeing that its target had stopped, it immediately let out a shrill cry and swooped down on them, enveloped in layers of blue gale.

With a single glance, Mellen understood that the giant bird's strength had reached the peak of the immortal realm, and its bloodline was on the verge of transformation. Perhaps once it completed this transformation, the giant bird could advance further and possess strength comparable to a true immortal.

Of course, strength is one thing, but in reality, for cultivators, becoming a true immortal is just the beginning. There is still a much broader road ahead. As for the great bird's true immortal strength, it has basically reached its limit. Unless it encounters an extraordinary opportunity in the future, it will stop here.

Looking at the three dogs again, I noticed that their bloodlines had become more active to varying degrees. I immediately realized that the three dogs had probably eaten the treasure that the big bird had prepared for them, which was why the big bird was chasing them so relentlessly.

However, whether it's the demon race or the entire immortal realm, it's all about the survival of the fittest. If you don't have the strength to protect your treasures, then you're unworthy of your position and can only say that you deserve it.

Mellen glanced at the large bird indifferently, and a wisp of blood-red light overflowed, turning into a faint ripple that swept past the bird.

The giant bird froze instantly, the fierce winds enveloping its body dissipated layer by layer, its soul was extinguished, and it crashed into the ground with a loud bang, creating a huge crater.

Mellen ruffled the dogs' heads and laughed, "Let's go, we're having yakitori today!"

"Woof woof woof!~..." "Woof woof!~..."

The bird was enormous, with a wingspan of up to a kilometer, enough for the dogs to have a taste.

Mellen gnawed on a bird wing; it was chewy and quite delicious.

After bringing back three more dogs, only Spike and Little Liuli are still outside. After a brief conversation, Mellen discovered that Spike's exploration of the [Holy Temple] is progressing well. They just need to continue following the clues at hand, and they might be able to find the treasure lost in the [Holy Temple], although it will take some time.

As for Xiao Liuli, the preliminary work has been completed. Now, Xiao Liuli has become a leading figure among the younger generation in Qingqiu. Although there are still many controversies, she has more supporters and has accumulated enough contributions. She can start the elder challenge at any time and compete for the position of Qingqiu elder.

So Mellen decided to go to Qingqiu first to fulfill her promise to Yu Caicai, and then go to find Spike.

Having decided on his course of action, Mellen began his return to the Golden Jade Immortal Sect.

Although possessing the strength of a True Immortal would allow one to travel through the myriad heavens of the Immortal Realm, being merely a beginner in True Immortalhood would not only result in slow movement but also pose certain dangers. Naturally, Mellen would not go to such lengths.

We can simply return to the Golden Jade Immortal Sect and take the teleportation array to Purple Cloud Heaven; it's convenient and fast.

Chapter 707 Elder of Qingqiu

Purple clouds in the sky, green hills.

Little Liuli happily came to Mellen's side and buried her head in her master's arms, expressing her longing.

After comforting Xiao Liuli, Mellen looked at Yu Caicai and said, "I will fulfill the promise I made back then."

Yu Caicai's expression was somewhat complicated. After a moment of silence, she said, "I should have reminded you, right? To become an elder of Qingqiu, you need to have at least the strength of a True Immortal."

"Liuli is indeed very talented, and it has made rapid progress in the past ten years, but with its current strength, it is probably still far from being able to challenge a true immortal."

"You don't need to be in such a hurry. We have plenty of time. I believe that within a hundred years, Liuli will definitely be able to become a true immortal."

Mellen patted Xiao Liuli's head and smiled, "It's alright, I know what I'm doing. Let's start the appropriate procedures."

Yu Caicai gave Mellen a deep look, then said, "Alright, as you wish."

It's still that small courtyard in the center of Qingqiu.

Compared to the five elders I met last time, there are four more this time, bringing the total number of elders to nine.

Although the four new elders maintained the typical handsome men and beautiful women look of Qingqiu, with Mellen's keen perception, it was clear that they seemed to be of a higher generation than Yu Caicai's generation.

After a long silence, Yu Caimeng, sitting at the head of the table, looked at Yu Caicai with a complicated expression and asked, "Liuli, do you want to become an elder of Qingqiu?"

Little Liuli let out a soft cry: "Eek!"

Yu Caimeng nodded and continued, "Becoming an elder of Qingqiu means not only having power, but also responsibility. Are you willing to work hard for the growth of Qingqiu?"

Little Liuli cried out softly again, "Eek!"

“Good!” Yu Caimeng said, “Your achievements in Qingqiu are enough to qualify you for the elder promotion. Now there is only one last question. In our demon race, strength is always respected. To become an elder, you must have the strength to rival a true immortal. You don’t necessarily have to defeat one, but you must at least last long enough against a true immortal.”

"If you want to become an elder of Qingqiu, you must accept the test of one of the elders present. Since you were recommended by Elder Cai, she has automatically lost her eligibility to take the test."

Yu Lianxue blinked, raised her hand and said, "That..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she caught Yu Caimeng's glance and her face stiffened. She shrank back sheepishly and secretly gave Yu Caicai a helpless look.

Yu Ningzhen suddenly said, "Elder Meng, I object! I object to Liuli starting the elder promotion process."

Yu Caimeng asked calmly, "Oh? Tell me your reasons."

Yu Ningzhen pointed at Mei Lun and said, "Liuli and this true disciple of the Golden Jade Immortal Sect have a contractual relationship with the Spirit Lake. If such a fox becomes an elder of Qingqiu, how much will Qingqiu be affected in the future?! Will it even be controlled by the Golden Jade Immortal Sect?!"

Upon hearing this, the other elders felt a jolt in their hearts. In Qingqiu, becoming someone else's pet was not an unacceptable thing. It was said that during the most difficult period of Qingqiu, many Qingqiu ancestors relied on using the beauty trap and the handsome man trap to submit to the demon king or powerful people, which enabled Qingqiu to overcome one difficulty after another and achieve its current prosperity.

However, the Golden Jade Immortal Sect is different from other forces. It is a sect that dominates the Jade Balance Heaven and truly stands at the top of the immortal pyramid. The identity of the true disciple of Melon is even more special.

To be honest, this identity alone was all that Qingqiu valued, but that was all.

However, ten years ago, Jun Tianqi's earth-shattering sword strike showed Zi Yuntian the strength and domineering nature of the Golden Jade Immortal Sect. With a single sword strike, twelve True Immortals were killed, and eleven escaped. Who wouldn't be terrified by such a terrifying record?!

Therefore, over the years, the Qingqiu Elders' Council has always had two different attitudes towards Xiao Liuli.

Yu Ningzhen's words undoubtedly brought the undercurrents to light.

Mellen chuckled, realizing that Qingqiu was probably forcing him to take a stand. In fact, the power struggle among the Qingqiu elders was still centered on the two different voices of Yu Caicai and her opposing forces, which was the internal conflict of Qingqiu.

According to what Mellen currently understands, Yu Caicai seems to want to change Qingqiu, but the conservative forces are unwilling, which is the point of conflict between the two sides.

Regardless, they reached a consensus that no third-party forces should be involved.

In other words, Xiao Liuli can become an elder of Qingqiu, but she can only join one of the two factions and cannot become a faction on her own, thus attracting the intervention of the Golden Jade Immortal Sect in Qingqiu.

Mellen was naturally indifferent to this. His only request for Qingqiu was supernatural powers, and now that his goal had been achieved, all that remained was to fulfill his promise to Yu Caicai.

Therefore, Mellen said, "Don't worry, Xiao Liuli's competition for the position of Qingqiu Elder is our personal matter and has nothing to do with the Golden Jade Immortal Sect. The Golden Jade Immortal Sect will not interfere with Qingqiu in any way because of this."

Hearing Mellen's promise, the Qingqiu elders visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Yu Ningzhen, however, seemed somewhat unwilling. She stared intently at Mellen and pressed on, saying, "In that case, do you dare to make a vow against your inner demons?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Caicai's expression changed slightly, and even Yu Caimeng frowned when she looked at Yu Ningzhen.

Inner demon oaths are very common in the immortal realm. For cultivators, inner demon oaths have almost no presence when their cultivation level is low, but the higher their cultivation level, the more they fear them.

If one violates the vow against inner demons, it may leave a deficiency in one's mind, making it easier to go astray in cultivation and making it more difficult to break through bottlenecks.

Even if one does not break the vow made by the inner demon, it can still cause 'obstacles' in one's mind.