"You are all talented young disciples selected by Desolate God Mountain. Now I'll tell you about our mountain.
Although Desolate God Mountain can't compare to the Virtual Universe Company, the Giant Axe Martial Arena, and the other five top powers, we rank among the best aside from them.
And although Desolate God Mountain isn't as powerful as the Virtual Universe Company, we cultivate fewer geniuses. That means we can provide you with more resources.
You all come from different branches of Desolate God Mountain. Some of you are even direct descendants, but I want you to understand that we don't judge our members by their origins. At Desolate God Mountain, the strong rise and the weak fall. Our only ironclad rule is that members must not kill one another.
Remember, in this vast universe, you are all weak. Only by supporting one another can you go further."
At the foot of Desolate God Mountain, a bald, burly man was addressing the crowd. An oppressive aura that seemed to weigh on their very lives radiated from him. His body, which he had revealed at that moment, stood a hundred meters tall. He wore a carapace, and his two bulging, muscular arms looked especially imposing.
He was the Immortal in charge of welcoming new members to Desolate God Mountain. Before him stood the latest batch of Universe Level geniuses. As he watched their expressions shift, a look of satisfaction flashed across his face.
"Soon, attendants will take you to choose a mentor. Choosing the right one is crucial, so consider your options carefully. This may be the most important choice of your lives.
"Each of you will have three chances to choose a mentor. Of course, while you choose your mentor, your mentor will also choose you. If you don't meet their standards, they'll turn you down.
"I hope you'll be able to control your own destinies, gain endless lifespans, and stand alongside us. But it's hard! Hard! Hard! Move forward! Only by becoming Immortal will you gain the power to take control of your own fate."
The bald Immortal God laughed as he looked at the youngsters, their expressions now serious. Then he vanished.
Once the Immortal God had left, the assembled geniuses began chatting among themselves.
Huang Wuye and the others were among them.
"Whoa! So that's what an Immortal God is like? He's incredible. That oppressive aura coming from the depths of my soul is really unforgettable!" Ye Wuhen's flippant voice rang out, but his solemn expression showed that he was far from calm.
Huang Wuye and the others felt much the same. Despite their backgrounds, none of them had ever witnessed the power of an Immortal God.
They were beings who had mastered a complete lower law. In a sense, each one was the embodiment of a lower law.
Huang Wuye, Huang Hu, and the others were only a little over twenty. Their parents were merely World Lords, and even when they were with their children, they kept their auras in check.
As far as Huang Wuye was concerned, Huang Tian was indeed powerful, but he was still a World Lord at his core. Besides, he could rein in his aura when he was with Huang Wuye. Although Huang Wuye had still sensed his strength, nothing compared to the shock he felt now.
This was a life form from an entirely different level. The word "god" wasn't used lightly. Though Immortal Gods might not seem especially remarkable in the world of Swallowed Star, at that moment Huang Wuye realized he might not have had a clear enough understanding of what it meant to be powerful.
His rapid progress during this time, along with his victory over Ye Wuhen, had gone to his head a little. Now, faced with the pressure of the bald Immortal God, he'd been given a sharp wake-up call.
He had immense talent, extraordinary comprehension, and two extraordinarily powerful Innate Secret Techniques. He was destined to become a powerhouse. But none of that changed the fact that he was still weak.
Nor did it change the fact that he was not yet twenty. For the powerful beings of the universe, who measured time in tens of thousands of years, that was less than a fraction of a moment.
He was still weak, Huang Wuye told himself. His powerful background might make things easier for him, but if he couldn't keep his mind straight, then even with his great talent, he would fade into the crowd.
The only person he could rely on was himself—the spear in his own hands.
In an instant, he felt the shackles that had been troubling him all along disappear. His mind became tranquil and clear. A feeling came over him that nothing in the world could disturb his thoughts. He felt he could perfectly control every emotion within him.
Huang Wuye felt a deep joy well up inside him. At last, he had reached the first stage of the state of mind he had set out to achieve.
He called it the Three Harmonies of State of Mind. It required a pure mind, a tranquil mind, and a mature state of mind. Only when he had mastered all three could his state of mind be considered accomplished. Of these,
a pure mind was the cleansing of consciousness;
a tranquil mind was the forging of thought;
and a mature state of mind was the maturation of the soul.
A pure mind was the lotus, a tranquil mind the leaf, and a mature state of mind the root. None could be missing.
In that moment, through a sudden realization, Huang Wuye finally broke through his shackles and achieved a measure of mastery over his state of mind.
Seeing Huang Wuye lost in thought, Huang Xue and the others grew worried.
"What's wrong, Wuye?"
"Nothing. I'm fine—better than ever. Let's choose our mentors first." Huang Wuye shook his head to show he was all right, then suggested they choose their mentors.
"Mm." Seeing that he really did seem fine, Huang Xue and the others stopped worrying and turned to look through the mentors' profiles.
"Mm, as expected of a top power second only to the six great factions. Desolate God Mountain's Immortal Level mentors aren't much worse than those at the Virtual Universe Company.
"There are quite a few King Level Immortal Gods among them, and even more Ordinary Immortals and Marquis-level Immortals."
As Huang Wuye looked through the profiles, he couldn't help but marvel.
"It seems Desolate God Mountain may lag far behind the Virtual Universe Company in terms of its very strongest, but the number of Immortal-level powerhouses it has isn't that much lower.
"At the very least, there are more than enough to teach little Universe Level kids like us." Suddenly, Huang Wuye's eyes lit up as a profile caught his attention and stirred his interest.
An information page opened.
Huoyu King, a peak King Rank Immortal, excelled in the Fire-Space Law and was also skilled at teaching disciples.
He was powerful and renowned across the Outer Realm Battlefield for his swordsmanship. His strength was close to that of an invincible King Rank Immortal. He was also fiercely protective of his own.
Huang Wuye held down his pounding heart and continued reading the profile.
"Then I'll submit an application to this Huoyu King first!" Then he looked toward the others.
Before long, Huang Xue and the others had finished reading the profiles as well. Their faces were bright with excitement, so they must have chosen their targets too.
"Looks like you've all picked your mentors. How did it go?" After asking one another, they had a better idea of each other's choices.
Huang Xue, Huang Hu, and Ye Wuhen had chosen Ice Snow King, Golden Sword King, and Phantom Light King, respectively.
All three were powerful King-level Immortals, and each one matched one of their lower laws. They had all submitted their applications to become disciples.
"Boss, Huoyu King sent you a message. You can go take the test." Just then, Dasheng received an email. It was a message from Huoyu King.
Before you continue