Chapter 1: Brothers Reunited

Through the noisy, bustling streets of Bomas Harbor, Sol, Rek, and Akafir wandered aimlessly, luggage in hand.

They'd arrived three days ago, and each day they had been searching through every street and alley for any sign of Mels. However, as the days passed, they still hadn't found their brother, and their anxiety and worry grew with each passing moment.

"Rek, by our calculations, the boss should have arrived before us! Could something have happened to him on the way?" Sol said listlessly, stopping in his tracks.

"No, the boss said it might take up to three months at most. It hasn't even been a month since he left us. Maybe he took a detour to avoid the pursuit of the brothel! I think we should be patient and wait a little longer," Rek replied, equally worried but trying to comfort Sol after a moment of thought.

"Sigh, the boss really should have sent someone here to let us know how he's doing!" Sol grumbled slightly.

"Sol-er, Rek-uh, look ahead!" Akafir suddenly pointed forward, his expression excited as he shouted to the two.

"What? Akafir, did you see the boss?" Rek asked, unusually agitated.

"Where? Where?" Sol widened his eyes, scanning ahead for any sign of Mels.

Yet, despite the bustling street filled with people coming and going, there was no sign of Mels anywhere.

A moment later, Sol finally realized what Akafir was pointing at.

Turning back to Akafir, Sol wore an expression that could kill as he said, "You brat, you're pointing at that meat bun shop, aren't you!"

Akafir smiled, pointing at his own stomach and saying, "Akafir hungry! Sol big brother buy!"

"You brat, all you know is eating! How many times have I told you, my name is Sol! Not 'Sol-er'! Say it after me, Sol, Sol!" Sol rapped Akafir on the head and yelled at him.

However, no matter how much Sol insisted, Akafir couldn't correct his pronunciation.

"Sol, forget it. It's getting late, so let's go buy something to eat first," Rek gently pulled Sol aside, speaking with a hint of dejection.

In truth, Rek was the most worried about Mels. Whether Sol had forgiven him for leaving Mels alone to face a powerful enemy or not, Rek always felt he had let Mels down. Thus, ensuring Mels' safety had become Rek's greatest wish.

Seeing Rek's despondent expression, Sol didn't know what to say either.

After a brief silence, Sol turned to Akafir and said, "You brat, you're in luck! Come with me." With that, Sol grabbed the excited Akafir and the expressionless Rek, heading toward the meat bun shop.

However, at that moment, they had no idea that the Mels they cared about most was in a narrow alley just three streets away, facing a perilous battle!

Deep in the alley, Lannis lay unconscious before a man in black, while the gang of ruffians had long since fled in terror. Mels, of course, paid no attention to the ruffians; his focus was entirely on the man in black. The man in black also seemed very interested in Mels. Behind his black veil, a pair of sharp, piercing eyes fixed intently on Mels, who held a Soft Sword and was fully prepared for battle. The two stood silently, maintaining a distance of about four meters!

Time passed minute by minute until the man in black suddenly spoke, "Kid, judging by your stance, you must have learned swordsmanship from the Cloud-reaching Sword God Udais! Heh, if you were up against anyone else, just mentioning the name of the 'Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes' might be enough to scare them off. Unfortunately for you, today you've met me!"

"Hmph, who I learned swordsmanship from is none of your business! You, hiding your face and using a woman as a shield, aren't even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes!" Seeing the formidable aura of his enemy, Mels knew he was no match in a direct fight. He tried to provoke his opponent in exchange for Lannis's freedom.

"Haha!" After hearing Mels' words, the man in black wasn't angered but instead laughed heartily. After his laughter subsided, he said, "You're a clever kid, aren't you? Knowing you're no match for me, you're trying to provoke me to save her! Fine, since you haven't run away, I'll give her back to you first!

But remember, don't even think about escaping from me!" After saying this, the man in black raised his left hand and gently waved it toward the unconscious Lannis. An invisible surge of Qi energy immediately sent Lannis flying toward Mels.

Seeing Lannis returned to him, Mels seized the opportunity without hesitation. His arm shot out and he caught Lannis in his embrace!

With the warm, soft figure now in his arms, Mels' mind raced. He saluted the man in black with one hand and said, "Ah, so you are a true hero after all! I was disrespectful earlier and deserve to die! However, I have one question: with your demeanor and bearing, why would you stoop to such lowly acts as kidnapping?"

Upon hearing Mels' words, the man in black suddenly erupted with killing intent, roaring, "Nonsense! Do I, the Venerable One, need to report my actions to a brat like you?

You brat, prepare to face me! If you can't defeat me, next year at this time will be the anniversary of your death!" With that, the man in black raised his blade, ready to charge at Mels.

Seeing the situation turn dire, Mels thought to himself, "This guy managed to get close to me without me noticing earlier, so I'm definitely no match for him! If I really fight him, won't I be walking straight to my death? Sigh, what should I do?"

As Mels stood there pondering, the man in black didn't wait. His long blade stood poised against the wind, and his body leaned forward, ready to charge. Just as the man in black was about to launch his attack, Mels suddenly shouted, "Wait!"

"You brat, what more do you have to say when you're about to die?" Although Mels' martial skills were inferior to his opponent's, his volume certainly wasn't! At his loud shout, the man in black unconsciously slowed his advance and engaged in conversation once more.

"Senior, your martial skills are exceptional, and I am certainly no match! However, as a martial artist myself, I believe I can withstand ten of your moves without issue! Since you intend to take my life, could you allow me to first place this young lady aside, then give it my all and face you in a life-or-death duel?"

"You brat, so many words even when you're about to die! Hmph, ten moves? If I, the Venerable One, don't take your life within five moves, I'll call you 'Master' the next time I see you! Now hurry up and move her!" the man in black shouted loudly.

"Thank you, senior!" Mels said as he carefully placed Lannis by the roadside, secretly rejoicing: Hehe, ten moves would definitely be impossible, but five moves should be no problem! Just you wait... Before Mels could finish his internal celebration, the man in black suddenly threw aside his long blade, reached behind his back, and pulled out two short rods, each about a meter long. He connected the two rods end to end, and a pitch-black long staff immediately appeared before Mels!

"Kid, are you ready?" Without waiting for Mels' response, the man in black's left hand, holding the staff, suddenly released a massive surge of Qi energy. As the Qi infused the staff, the originally black rod began to emit waves of red light. Within the red light, a golden dragon coiled around the staff flickered in and out of sight, like a divine dragon riding red clouds, soaring against the wind! "The Thunderblood Golden Dragon Staff!" At the sight of the weapon wielded by the man in black, Mels' jaw nearly dropped to the ground. He never expected that "Mad Venerable" Dikao, ranked seventh on the continent's Top Hundred list, just after the White-haired Wind God, would appear before him! Even more unimaginable was that he would become his opponent!

"Haha, kid, I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable! You actually recognized my famous weapon!" The Mad Venerable's mood shifted faster than flipping a page—one moment he was furious, the next he was all smiles.

However, his smile lasted only a moment before he loudly declared, "But even if you know who I am, I won't let you off!" With that, the Mad Venerable immediately raised his staff and charged toward Mels with unimaginable agility!

Given the Mad Venerable's strength, Mels couldn't withstand even half a move, let alone three! Mels, of course, was aware of the vast gap between his abilities and the Mad Venerable's. As he saw the Mad Venerable charging at him, he suddenly made a decision no one could have anticipated!

Before the staff even reached him, the force of its swing was already closing in! Just as the furious attack was about to strike Mels, he suddenly went limp at the knees, knelt on the ground, and shouted, "Senior, your might is unmatched! I surrender and await my fate!"

Mels' action immediately provoked a reaction from the Mad Venerable. At the Mad Venerable's level of skill, he could control his movements freely as long as the strike hadn't landed.

The Mad Venerable immediately halted his staff, drew himself up and stepped closer to Mels, and scolded, "You brat, I thought you were a man of integrity, but you're nothing but a coward afraid of death! Hmph, someone like you isn't even worthy of dying under my Thunderblood Golden Dragon Staff! You—"

Before the Mad Venerable could finish venting his anger, Mels, who was kneeling, suddenly sprang up like a coiled spring. The gleaming silver Soft Sword in his hand twisted like a venomous snake, thrusting toward the Mad Venerable's vital points in the chest and abdomen!

At that moment, the distance between the Mad Venerable and Mels was no more than half a meter. The sword technique Mels used was the lethal move "Laughing at the Wind and Clouds" from the "Elegant Famous Sword" style passed down by the Cloud-reaching Sword God. Although Mels had only studied swordsmanship for a short time and his moves were more form than substance, for the Mad Venerable, it was still incredibly difficult to defend against!

The Mad Venerable proved why he was one of the continent's top experts. Even when caught at a disadvantage, he could still react!

In his surprise, relying on his profound martial skills and instincts honed through years of combat, the Mad Venerable slightly retreated, instantly creating distance between himself and Mels. Then, with a move called "Golden Dragon Returns to Its Lair," he swung his staff to deflect Mels' Soft Sword!

Mels seemed to have anticipated that the Mad Venerable would evade his sword strike! As his Soft Sword was deflected, his free left hand immediately transformed from a fist into a palm, unleashing the "Wind God Palm" taught by the White-haired Wind God, desperately aiming for the Mad Venerable's face!

The Mad Venerable hadn't expected Mels to change tactics so quickly, nor that he would leave his own chest and abdomen exposed just to attack! To protect himself, the Mad Venerable could only extend his left palm, gathering Qi in haste to meet Mels' challenge! Although one side was well-prepared and the other was caught off guard, the Mad Venerable's decades of cultivated Qi were far more powerful than anything Mels could muster!

When their palms collided, the Qi within Mels' body was immediately overwhelmed! A powerful surge of foreign Qi rushed along his arm toward his chest and abdomen! At this critical moment, the "Supreme Innate Qi" within Mels' body revealed its power, neutralizing the Mad Venerable's Qi effortlessly!

Although Mels' body wasn't severely injured, the force of the Mad Venerable's Qi sent him flying backward through the air!

When Mels landed, the distance between the two instantly widened to three meters! Though it was only three meters, to Mels it felt as vast as the ends of the earth! His plan to force the Mad Venerable into defending for three moves was now shattered! The situation was critical, but Mels hadn't lost confidence! As soon as he landed, he grabbed a long blade left behind by the fleeing ruffians! Wielding the Soft Sword in his right hand like a long blade and the steel blade in his left, he unleashed the "Rakshasa Blood Blade" technique taught by the Frost Death God toward the Mad Venerable!

"Ignorant brat!" Seeing Mels charging at him again with reckless abandon, the now firmly grounded Mad Venerable said disdainfully.

Just as the Mad Venerable was about to unleash a lethal technique to finish Mels in one move, Mels suddenly shouted, "Little One, come out!" At Mels' call, the Summoned Beast Little One immediately appeared on his shoulder! Man and beast were of one mind—without needing Mels' command, Little One spewed a mist-like spray of strong acid toward the Mad Venerable! Caught completely off guard by Mels' ability to summon a beast so quickly, the Mad Venerable could only dodge backward to avoid the overwhelming acid spray. His fully charged staff was forced to change techniques again, using "Coiling Dragon Forms a Barrier" to block the acid assault!

Three of the agreed five moves had now passed, and Mels couldn't allow his enemy to escape. Even though strong acid filled the air before him, Mels steeled his resolve, using the long blade to shield his head as he charged straight through the acid!

The Mad Venerable, already flustered by the acid attack, never expected Mels to disregard his own safety and emerge from the front!

Even more surprising was that Little One, sharing Mels' determination, continued to spray acid without concern for Mels' well-being! As the Mad Venerable stood in shock, Mels broke through the acid rain, his right-hand Soft Sword once again thrusting toward his heart.

The sword's gleam was cold, but the fighting spirit burned hot! Facing Mels' desperate attack, the Mad Venerable could only change techniques again, using "Nine Dragons Protect the Master" to block Mels' Soft Sword with his staff!

Then, as Mels' initial force was spent and his follow-up hadn't yet gathered, the Mad Venerable struck Mels squarely in the chest with a move called "Raging Dragon Emerges from the Sea"!

The Mad Venerable's strength was not to be underestimated! Even in a hurried strike, his power was enough to break Mels' ribs! When the Thunderblood Golden Dragon Staff struck Mels' chest, he was sent flying over ten meters like a broken kite, with three of his ribs shattered!

After hitting the ground, Mels immediately coughed up a large amount of blood, while Little One anxiously called his name. Seeing the fearless young man before him, the Mad Venerable suddenly halted all movement, refraining from delivering the final blow!

After a moment, Mels used the blade as a crutch, slowly and painfully rising to his feet. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he looked at the Mad Venerable and said, "Th-thank you, senior, for going easy on me!"

As soon as Mels said this, the Mad Venerable immediately understood why Mels had attacked him so recklessly!

First, he used a fake surrender to force him to use "Golden Dragon Returning to the Cave," then raised his palm to compete in Qi energy, followed by a sudden attack with the Summoned Beast to force him into "Coiling Dragon Formation," and finally, at the cost of his own body, lured him into using "Nine Dragons Protecting the Lord" and "Mad Dragon Emerging from the Sea" in succession! Thinking of this, the Mad Venerable suddenly realized the outcome was clear!

Looking at Mels, whose intellect and martial arts were both extraordinary, the Mad Venerable's face beneath the black veil turned various shades of pale and red! He had been active for over thirty years and had never met defeat; the humiliation and resentment in his heart at losing to a nobody like Wu Ming today went without saying!

Mels, standing with great difficulty, was not only wounded in his vital organs by the Mad Venerable but also had many parts of his body corroded by Little One's strong acid! At this moment, let alone fighting a master like the Mad Venerable, even a common thug could kill him!

After the two stared at each other in silence for a long while, the Mad Venerable finally took a step forward! The red staff in his hand still emitted waves of killing intent, yet there was not a trace of expression in his exposed eyes! One step, then another! The Mad Venerable slowly approached Mels. The Thunder-Blood Gilded Dragon Staff was held diagonally in his hand, ready to strike at any moment! At this point, if Mels had any strength left, he would likely have picked up Lannis and fled, but now he found it arduous even to stand, let alone carry Lannis and run!

Finally, the Mad Venerable reached Mels. The towering Mad Venerable looked down at Mels from above but said nothing. Mels, not knowing how the Mad Venerable would deal with him, was even more speechless! Suddenly, the Mad Venerable raised the Thunder-Blood Gilded Dragon Staff!

"Master, please forgive my earlier rudeness! I beg for your great magnanimity and ask that you do not take it to heart!" the Mad Venerable said, cupping his hands toward Mels!

The Mad Venerable's words nearly made Mels faint! Mels stared with wide eyes and an open mouth, unable to say a word to the Mad Venerable for a long time!

Seeing Mels's strange expression, the Mad Venerable asked in confusion, "Master, what is wrong? Could it be that my Qi energy injured your internal organs just now, so that you cannot speak?"

"No, no! Senior Mad Venerable, please don't joke! How could I possibly be your master!" Mels said, coming to his senses.

"Haha, so Master was surprised by this! Although I have always gone my own way, I am a man of my word! A real man living in this world must do what he says!

When I made the bet with you earlier, I said that if I couldn't kill you with my staff within five moves, I would recognize you as my master! Now that I have lost, I must naturally fulfill my promise!" the Mad Venerable said to Mels without any reservation.

"This... this still won't do!" After weighing it back and forth, Mels still decided to refuse!

"Is Master truly unwilling to take me as a disciple?" The Mad Venerable's expression turned serious as he stared intently at Mels.

"It's not that I'm unwilling, it's just that it won't work! Think about it, my martial prowess isn't even one percent of yours, and you're more than double my age! There's no logic in a junior taking a senior as a disciple! It won't do, it won't do!" Mels shook his head with a bitter smile.

"In that case, since I cannot fulfill my promise, I can only take my own life before Master!" With that, the Mad Venerable raised the Thunder-Blood Gilded Dragon Staff, preparing to smash it onto his own head!

Seeing that the Mad Venerable was about to do exactly as he said, Mels grew frantic and couldn't help but shout, "Stop! Stop at once!" "I don't take orders from anyone, unless it is my master's command!" the Mad Venerable said, holding the staff high and looking up. "Fine, it's a master's command! I order you not to kill yourself under any circumstances!" Mels said with a bitter smile. "Yes, I respectfully obey the master's command!" the Mad Venerable said happily, seeing that Mels had agreed to take him as a disciple.

"Sigh, I really don't know what you're thinking!" Mels shook his head, speechless as he looked at the seemingly eccentric Mad Venerable.

A moment later, just as the Mad Venerable was about to call Mels "Master," Mels immediately spoke up: "Mad Venerable, must you listen to everything I say?"

"Of course, disobeying a master's command is no different from being a beast!" the Mad Venerable answered as if it were a matter of course.

"Good. From now on, when you see me, you are not allowed to call me 'Master.' You can only call me Mels. Do you understand?" Mels said.

"This..." The Mad Venerable looked into Mels's eyes and thought about how calling such a young person "Master" would indeed be a blow to his pride. He smiled slightly and immediately agreed: "Fine, Young Master Mels! Will that do?"

Although Mels wanted to object further, seeing the firm conviction in the Mad Venerable's eyes, he cast the thought aside. With his body trembling slightly, Mels struggled to move closer to Lannis.

The Mad Venerable supported Mels and said, "Ma—Young Master Mels, is the lady of the Magic Family your friend?"

"Yes." Mels nodded slightly, then turned to ask the Mad Venerable, "By the way, who exactly wanted you to capture her?"

"Actually, I don't know who it was! Years ago, when I traveled the world, I issued three Venerable Tokens to three people who had been kind to me. I said at the time that with this token, I would do one thing for the holder! Three days ago, in an inn in Bomas, I suddenly found the last token, and under it was a note that read: Capture the eldest daughter of the Magic Family and bring her to the capital of the Relkes Empire! Because the token was real, I came to capture her. But kidnapping is dirty work after all, so—so I came masked! I figured I'd end up killing you, which is why I brought out the Thunder-Blood Gilded Dragon Staff!" The Mad Venerable confessed the whole story to Mels.

"Oh, so that's how it is!" Mels realized. Then, Mels asked again, "If that's the case, since you didn't complete the task, haven't you broken your word? You're not going to try and kill yourself again, right?"

"Haha, your disciple isn't that stupid! Although I didn't complete the task, I never said I would definitely succeed when I issued the command!

I did the kidnapping part, but failure can't be blamed on me! The token is already in my hands, and I don't know who held it, so I don't have to answer to anyone!

Besides, it's a matter of priorities. Since the master's command forbids me from harming her, even if this spreads through the martial world, no one would dare say I was in the wrong!" the Mad Venerable said with a loud laugh.

"Hmm, that makes sense, makes sense!" Mels said this aloud, but thought to himself: What a weirdo. Just now he said a promise is heavier than a mountain, and now he's found a bunch of excuses to say breaking his word doesn't matter! Hehe, it's better to have less to do with him in the future, otherwise if he goes crazy, I can't outfight him or outtalk him—I'll die at his hands sooner or later! The Mad Venerable didn't care what Mels was thinking; he hoisted Mels onto his shoulder with one hand and picked up Lannis with the other, preparing to walk out of the alley.

Although the Mad Venerable's movements weren't gentle, Mels felt quite comfortable at the moment! After all, covered in injuries as he was, every step he took was painful; being carried was certainly better than walking himself!

Just as the Mad Venerable followed Mels's instructions and strode back toward the harbor, Lannis, who was being held in his single arm, slowly woke up.

Mels, on the Mad Venerable's back, saw Lannis waking up and said with concern, "Lannis, you—" Before Mels could finish, he suddenly noticed that Lannis's hair had turned black! Sensing trouble, Mels's voice trembled as he said, "No... it can't be!"

Sure enough, before Mels could finish his sentence, the fully awake Lannis glared with wide eyes and hissed at Mels, "You little pervert! Where are you taking this lady?"

"I... I—Agh!" Before Mels could finish, Bagina had already raised her fist and punched Mels right in the face! In an instant, Mels's left eye was bruised with a dark shiner.

"Haha, look at you two lovebirds!" The Mad Venerable, holding both Bagina and Mels, had no idea that Lannis had transformed into Bagina. Thinking they were just flirting and playing around, he laughed heartily.

Bagina had been so focused on "dealing with" Mels that she hadn't noticed the Mad Venerable was holding her. Hearing the Mad Venerable's words, she suddenly realized her feet were off the ground and began to struggle violently.

However, while Bagina's martial arts might be slightly higher than Mels's, they were useless before the Mad Venerable.

After her struggle proved fruitless, the girl roared in anger, "You bastard, put me down this instant!" "No can do! Young Master Mels wants me to take you back to the harbor. I won't let go until we get there!" The Mad Venerable shook his head while speeding up, seemingly unaffected by Bagina's struggling!

Hearing the Mad Venerable's words, Bagina turned her head toward Mels again. Although she didn't say a word, Mels knew that if looks could kill, he would have been sliced into mincemeat by Bagina's gaze!

At this moment, Mels really wanted to ask the Mad Venerable to put Bagina down, but as soon as he thought of the consequences of doing so, he completely abandoned the idea!

Poor Mels could only try to shrink his body behind the Mad Venerable's back to prevent his other eye from being hit by Bagina!

Emerging from the alley, although the Mad Venerable was in the middle of a bustling street, his singular movement technique allowed him to treat the crowded street as if it were empty, never slowing down or colliding with any person or vehicle! This alone made Mels admire him immensely, silently praising that among the figures on the Top Hundred List, there truly were no weaklings!

On the other hand, Sol and the other two, having eaten and drunk their fill, were once again wandering the streets looking for Mels! Even knowing the chances were slim, as long as there was a sliver of hope, the three of them would not give up easily.

The Mad Venerable's rapid pace soon brought him within the trio's line of sight. However, his high-speed movement was just a flash in the eyes of Sol and Rek, impossible to distinguish, let alone see Mels being carried on his back. Thus, while they marveled at the Mad Venerable's speed, they didn't realize that the Mels they were desperately searching for was right there in that passing shadow.

However, as the Mad Venerable's figure flashed by, Akafir's face suddenly filled with shock. He pointed at the Mad Venerable's retreating back and shouted, "Sol, Brother Rek, look!"

"Kid, you just filled your stomach, you can't be wanting to eat something else already, can you?" Seeing Akafir's gesture was exactly the same as when he had pointed at the meat buns earlier, Sol couldn't help but tease him.

"No, no, Brother Mels, ahead, person, back!" Akafir, unaccustomed to speaking, struggled to use the language he knew to explain to Sol and Rek. Although his words were simple, the name "Mels" clearly reached their ears.

Rek and Sol looked at each other, then almost simultaneously sprang up, racing in the direction the Mad Venerable had gone! Sol's stamina couldn't compare to Rek's; before they had even covered three meters, Rek had already taken the lead, leaving Sol behind. However, the noisy streets were incredibly crowded, which invisibly reduced Rek's speed by thirty percent! Moreover, the Mad Venerable moved like lightning and had a head start, so within less than a minute, his figure was about to vanish from their sight.

Seeing Mels, who had finally appeared, about to be lost again, the anxiety in Sol and Rek's hearts was palpable. Just as the two were pushing themselves but falling short, Akafir suddenly broke into a wild sprint! Although he wasn't as agile as the Mad Venerable, he was actually able to run faster than Rek through the noisy streets!

It turned out that Akafir had always lived in the mountains and frequently chased prey through thickets, so he was very experienced at dodging trees and maintaining speed! At this moment, he was treating the crowds of people as trees, exerting his tracking skills to the fullest, allowing him to keep pace behind the Mad Venerable at high speed!

However, Akafir's speed ultimately couldn't be compared to the Mad Venerable's! Seeing the distance between himself and the Mad Venerable growing wider and wider, Akafir was consumed with anxiety!

Fortunately, the Mad Venerable's destination, the harbor, was not too far from the market.

As the Mad Venerable raced toward the harbor, the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes, who were handling some trivial matters, immediately spotted him! The Cloud-reaching Sword God and the Frost Death God instantly treated the Mad Venerable as an uninvited intruder, both drawing their weapons to intercept him!

"What thug dares to kidnap our lady? Put her down immediately, or face the consequences!" Seeing the Mad Venerable holding Bagina, the Cloud-reaching Sword God was wary of harming the hostage and could only try to pressure him with his title first, hoping the Mad Venerable would release her!

"Haha, Udais, you aren't qualified to speak to this Venerable! Bring out your leader quickly, or this Venerable will first punish you for disrespecting a senior!" The still-masked Mad Venerable laughed loudly at the Cloud-reaching Sword God.

"Don't talk nonsense! Third Master, he is the Mad Venerable, he's my friend and won't hurt the lady!" Seeing the Mad Venerable speaking incoherently and about to come to blows with the Cloud-reaching Sword God, Mels ignored whether he would be scolded by the Seven Immortals and hurriedly spoke up to stop the Mad Venerable and explain.

"The Mad Venerable!" The Cloud-reaching Sword God and the Frost Death God looked at each other and exclaimed softly!

Although the White-haired Wind God was ranked sixth on the Top Hundred List and the Mad Venerable followed closely behind, everyone understood that the strength gap between the top fifteen on the list was razor-thin. Most of them had never even fought each other, and the rankings were merely estimates based on their records. Therefore, to the Cloud-reaching Sword God and the Frost Death God, who hadn't made it into the top thirty, the Mad Venerable was undoubtedly a legendary master!

"Yes, yes, Young Master Mels! I was only joking with them, I wouldn't really take action!" Seeing Mels' anxiety, the Mad Venerable stopped his nonsense, gently put Mels down, and then removed the black veil from his face.

Looking at him, the Mad Venerable had thick eyebrows and large eyes, dark skin, and a square face that, though weathered, still held a sharp, intimidating gleam in his eyes.

Though about sixty, he showed no signs of aging; instead, he radiated a mature and powerful presence! Just as Mels was about to explain further to the Cloud-reaching Sword God and the Frost Death God, five figures suddenly streaked through the air. Led by the White-haired Wind God, the other five elders appeared simultaneously before the Mad Venerable and Mels.

"Haha, Brother Dikao, it's been five years, and you're as impressive as ever. Compared to you, I've really aged!" The White-haired Wind God said with a smile in his eyes, addressing the Mad Venerable.

"Hahaha, you old immortal! Five years ago, our battle ended in a draw. Now, seeing your aura, you've improved greatly! It seems we're still evenly matched!" The Mad Venerable laughed heartily as he spoke to the White-haired Wind God.

This made Mels realize that the Mad Venerable and the White-haired Wind God were not meeting for the first time; they had some history between them.

"Haha, brother, you haven't come today to have a death match with me, have you?" The White-haired Wind God said with a slight smile.

"No, no! Originally, I came to abduct the eldest daughter of the Magic Family, but I ran into Young Master Mels! I thought I could definitely defeat Young Master Mels in five moves, so I made a bet with him: if I lost, I'd become his disciple; if he lost, he'd die by the Golden Dragon Staff! Who would have thought that Young Master Mels actually made me go all five rounds and still survived!

Hehe, no choice—a bet is a bet—so I became his disciple, and that's why I had to return the Magic Family's eldest daughter.

Just now, when I ran into your brothers, I wanted to mess with them a bit, but I didn't expect to draw out you, you old immortal!" The Mad Venerable proclaimed loudly, showing no shame at having become Mels' disciple! It seemed that, though the Mad Venerable's behavior was somewhat mad, he was still a true man of principle!

As soon as the Mad Venerable finished speaking, the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes exchanged bewildered glances.

To be honest, among the seven, aside from the White-haired Wind God, none could possibly defeat the Mad Venerable in a one-on-one fight! While they could certainly withstand five moves, what Mels was really made of—as his masters, how could they not know? Given Mels' abilities, though he ended up battered and bruised, surviving five moves from the Mad Venerable could only be described as a miracle!

"Oh, so it was my little disciple who made this playful bet with you. Well, since no one suffered any losses and you've safely returned the eldest daughter, why not just call off the bet? You can simply release the young lady." The White-haired Wind God said after a moment of thought.

"No, no!" Upon hearing the White-haired Wind God's words, the Mad Venerable shook his head emphatically and then spoke up: "First, I lost to Young Master Mels—how can a bet be changed so casually!

Second, Young Master Mels' will to fight to the death truly impressed me, and his mind and judgment on the battlefield are even superior to mine! So I willingly follow Young Master Mels, and I really want to see what he'll become in the future!

Hehe, to be honest, I've been roaming the world alone all these years, and now I really do want to rest for a while, so I've decided to follow Young Master Mels!

Old immortal, it looks like you're planning to head out to sea, right? If you don't want me on board, I'll just buy a ship myself and follow you. That shouldn't require your permission, should it!"

Seeing that the Mad Venerable was determined to follow Mels, the White-haired Wind God, though uncertain of the Mad Venerable's true intentions, could no longer stop him.

Thinking it would be better to have the Mad Venerable on board for easier monitoring and control rather than trailing their fleet, he said: "Haha, brother, how could we not welcome your esteemed presence! I'll immediately order my subordinates to prepare a cabin for you!"

"Hehe, that's perfect. The old immortal understands I'm broke! If I really had to buy a ship, I probably wouldn't have enough money in my pocket!" The Mad Venerable laughed heartily.

Before he could finish laughing, his wide-open mouth suddenly fell silent, and his smile seemed frozen on his face! Seeing the Mad Venerable's strange expression, the White-haired Wind God asked curiously: "Brother, why are you like this?"

"Old immortal, what did you just say Young Master Mels is to you?" The Mad Venerable shouted hoarsely. "Oh, so that's what you're worried about. Although Mels is the disciple of us seven, one thing is one thing—we would never demand that you pay respects to us!" The White-haired Wind God suddenly understood the intent behind the Mad Venerable's question. "Whew, that's a relief! I just suddenly thought, if Young Master Mels is your disciple, wouldn't that make me your grand-disciple? That nearly scared the life out of me!" The Mad Venerable exclaimed with relief after taking a deep breath.

Seeing the Mad Venerable's reaction, the two female members of the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes could no longer hold back their laughter, bursting out laughing. Seeing their response, the Mad Venerable realized his slip of the tongue and could only awkwardly chuckle twice to ease the embarrassment.

Just as everyone was about to return to the Mothership, Akafir, Rek, and Sol finally arrived in the distance. It turned out that after Akafir saw the Mad Venerable confronting the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes, he immediately turned back to Rek and Sol, pointed out the way, and then carried Sol on his back as they rushed over together, which was why the three of them arrived late.

"Boss! Boss!" Sol, being carried by Akafir, waved his arms and shouted loudly toward Mels.

Hearing the call, Mels immediately turned to look! When his eyes focused on Sol and the other two, overwhelming emotion enveloped him!

"Sol, Rek!" Mels broke free from the Mad Venerable's supporting arm and limped toward his long-lost brothers! Though covered in wounds and aching all over, the joy in his spirit had already dissolved all the pain!

At this moment, actions spoke louder than a thousand words! Under the radiant sun, brothers who had shared life and death embraced each other tightly!