"It worked…"
Bai Mu opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them.
Perhaps because his foundation had been too weak, or perhaps due to his special physique, the medicinal effects of the Qi Rong Tong Tian Chrysanthemum far exceeded his expectations.
He could clearly feel that his current physical strength was no weaker than that of a Spirit Grandmaster possessing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit.
While he still couldn't be completely certain that his second spirit ring could reach the thousand-year level, the possibility had increased significantly.
"I feel like the current me could beat the old me to death in three punches."
Bai Mu clenched his fists, sensing the explosive power surging through his body.
The changes weren't limited to the surface—internally, the transformation was just as drastic.
His meridians had been thoroughly cleared and widened by the Qi Rong Tong Tian Chrysanthemum. The circulation of qi, blood, and spirit power was now incredibly smooth, and his future cultivation speed would increase yet again.
On top of that, his spirit power rank had leaped directly from Rank 11 to Rank 16.
Five ranks in one go—and this was before the medicinal power had even been fully absorbed.
He had a strong feeling that even without deliberate cultivation, he could easily reach Rank 20 within a year just by relying on the remaining medicinal effects.
More importantly, Zygarde had benefited as well, splitting off five additional Z-Cells.
Setting aside the one Z-Cell left behind at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the total had reached thirty-four.
Including the Core itself, he only needed fifteen more to reach the threshold for the 50% Zygarde Form.
If everything went smoothly, that would take no more than one or two years.
"Little Soft, how do you feel?"
Bai Mu walked over and sat beside Zygarde, looking at the distant sunset.
Splitting off too many cells in one day… I need to rest properly for a few days.
Zygarde lazily rubbed its head against Bai Mu's leg.
"Then let's rest and adapt for a few days together."
With his strength increasing so drastically in such a short time, Bai Mu felt slightly unsteady.
After that, he found a secluded cave nearby and entered seclusion for three days to completely consolidate his cultivation.
During that time, he continued monitoring the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well through the Z-Cell he had left behind.
Dugu Bo never once returned there.
"It seems I really was being overly cautious… but caution is never wrong."
As for Dugu Bo, Bai Mu didn't harbor much personal hatred toward him.
Given the circumstances back then, even if the Poison Douluo hadn't intervened, Prince Xue Xing would still have expelled him.
A Rank 11 commoner genius with no backing or influence simply had no voice in front of the Imperial Family.
In fact, it was even more absurd in the original story—when the Shrek Seven Devils had already gained fame and even defeated the Heaven Dou Royal Team, Xue Xing still expelled the entire academy just because Xue Beng was beaten.
Understanding was one thing, but displeasure was another.
"Since you helped Xue Xing, then your antidote… is gone."
Bai Mu calmly wrote Dugu Bo's name into the little notebook in his heart.
A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and Bai Mu faced a new problem.
"Where should I go next?"
His original plan had been to join the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, get close to Dugu Yan, learn about Dugu Bo's situation, and then plot for the Immortal Herbs.
Now, despite a few twists and turns, he had already obtained one Immortal Herb and completed more than half his objective.
For a moment, he felt strangely lost.
At just the right time, Xue Beng's disgusting face surfaced in his mind.
"To keep the plot from changing too much, I can't kill you yet."
A cold glint flashed in Bai Mu's eyes.
"But trash… can always be reused."
He stood up and headed toward the exit of the Sunset Forest.
—
Heaven Dou Royal Academy
"What? That junior named Bai Mu was driven away by you?"
Dugu Yan had just learned of this from her grandfather and was instantly stunned.
"What? Is that kid really that important to you?"
Dugu Bo frowned. Since his son's death, his granddaughter was his only concern, and he feared this matter might affect her mood.
"That's not it… I just think he's very special."
Dugu Yan shook her head, a hint of regret in her voice.
"Before, when I was within the range of his healing Spirit Ability, my whole body felt extremely comfortable. I was planning to find him and chat these past few days, but I didn't expect him to have already left…"
She sighed, completely missing the stiffness that flashed across her grandfather's face.
"Yan Yan… are you saying his healing Spirit Ability made you feel very comfortable?"
Dugu Bo's voice sounded strained.
"Yes, it felt like soaking in a hot spring—every bit of pressure in my body was released."
Dugu Yan nodded.
Dugu Bo's heart sank.
The Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison was hereditary. Both he and his granddaughter had suffered from it their entire lives.
Over the years, he had searched everywhere for a cure, yet never succeeded.
And now, Bai Mu's healing Spirit Ability had made Dugu Yan feel unprecedentedly comfortable.
This very likely meant that Bai Mu's Spirit Ability had a suppressing, purifying—or even curing—effect on the Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison.
He had personally driven away a potential hope.
"No. He must be found!"
Dugu Bo stood up abruptly. After giving Dugu Yan a few instructions, he immediately went to Prince Xue Xing to ask about Bai Mu's whereabouts.
However, Xue Xing's reply made his heart plunge into an icy abyss.
"Rest assured, Poison Douluo. I already sent people to 'take care of it.' They haven't found him after several days of searching. Perhaps… he was already eaten by a powerful Spirit Beast nearby."
Hope had just ignited—only to be ruthlessly extinguished.
Dugu Bo's expression darkened instantly.
"Damn it!"
He ground his teeth.
"Alive, I want to see the man. Dead, I want to see the body. Find him immediately! Issue a bounty! No matter the cost, he must be found!"
"…Understood."
Xue Xing's expression was complicated, but he nodded heavily.
—
Heaven Dou City
"Tsk tsk… has Dugu Bo completely lost his mind? A bounty of ten thousand gold coins just to find me?"
Bai Mu looked at the notice on the wall with amusement, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
After a moment of thought, he came to a conclusion.
"Could it be… Jungle Healing can suppress the Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison?"
"Sigh… if you'd known this would happen, why act that way back then?"
He shook his head with a light chuckle and began wandering the city casually.
After Zygarde consumed the Immortal Herb, its greatest gain—aside from splitting Z-Cells—was acquiring the aura-concealment effect of the Yearning Heartbroken Red.
Combined with invisibility, as long as Bai Mu didn't deliberately expose himself, ordinary people simply couldn't detect him.
Even a Titled Douluo would have difficulty discovering him unless actively searching.
He wandered in and out of the city, even secretly sneaking back into Heaven Dou Royal Academy for observation over several days.
Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, three months went by.
—
Heaven Dou Royal Academy, a shaded path
"A bunch of low-level Spirit Masters are only fit to be my lackeys!"
Xue Beng walked toward his private dormitory in high spirits. Thinking about all the flattering words he'd heard today, he couldn't help humming to himself.
Suddenly, his foot stepped into empty air.
"Ah—!"
A hole had appeared in the ground without warning. Xue Beng fell straight down!
Before he could react, a heavy blow struck the back of his head. His vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
The ground trembled slightly. The hole closed up again, as if it had never existed.
Only a few slips of paper appeared inside the academy's administrative building at some unknown time.
[The delicate Fourth Prince is now in my hands.
If you want him alive, prepare 100,000 gold coins, along with ten pieces each of hundred-year, thousand-year, and ten-thousand-year Whale Glue.
Everything must be packed inside a storage spirit tool capable of holding living beings.
Otherwise…
Seniors, you wouldn't want the Empire's Fourth Prince to die young, would you?]