Nothing is impossible.
A cold glint flashed through Bai Mu's eyes.
Without special armor-piercing effects, breaking through Protect head-on was far from easy.
"Substitute, Extreme Speed!"
"Awooo—!"
Inside the barrier, Zygarde instantly activated Substitute and slipped away. Its true body flickered to another position, then slammed into Zhao Wuji's side with Extreme Speed, sending him flying.
"Substitute—Crunch! Earth Power!"
A Substitute split off from Zygarde's body. Like a ferocious wolf or tiger, it lunged forward and tore into Zhao Wuji with Crunch after Crunch.
The moment Zhao Wuji hit the ground, he could only defend passively. His defenses were steadily torn apart under the relentless bites.
Meanwhile, Zygarde's main body seized the opening and unleashed Earth Power, forcing Zhao Wuji to endure a brutal baptism.
Rumble—!!!
Dust exploded into the air above the entire training ground, dirt and rocks blasting in every direction.
Tang San and the others, watching from the sidelines, were forced back by the shockwaves, their faces filled with disbelief.
After enduring another round of attacks, Zhao Wuji—his defenses already shredded by Crunch—was in an even more miserable state.
Even his spirit power was being rapidly drained.
"Teacher Zhao, didn't you say you wanted to show me just how powerful a Spirit Saint is?"
Bai Mu asked with a gentle smile, sounding genuinely puzzled.
"I've been watching for quite a while now, but I really don't see anything amazing."
"To me, it looks like you have absolutely no way of dealing with my Zygarde."
Blatant mockery.
The people around them couldn't help but swallow nervously.
In a one-on-one fight, they had never seen a Spirit Master who dared to mock a Spirit Saint while crossing so many cultivation ranks.
"Your external spirit is strong! But what does that have to do with you, Spirit Master—your own body?"
Zhao Wuji panted heavily, his eyes bloodshot, on the verge of losing control.
"This farce ends here!"
His gaze sharpened as the fourth spirit ring beneath his feet lit up.
Lock-On—Bai Mu!
With a savage roar, Zhao Wuji lunged forward, pouncing straight toward Bai Mu, who stood at the edge of the arena commanding the battle.
"How can he dodge that?!"
Tang San and the others were stunned. They never imagined Bai Mu could force Zhao Wuji this far.
Yet Bai Mu remained calm and composed, as if Zhao Wuji flying toward him didn't exist at all.
Even in that critical moment, he merely said calmly:
"Thousand Arrows."
"Awooo—!"
The bear charged ahead. The arrows followed behind.
Bai Mu didn't move.
Bang!
Puff!
The massive bear paw slammed down, and Bai Mu's slender body instantly shattered.
White smoke billowed outward, as if he had never been there.
A Substitute.
"No—where is he?!"
Zhao Wuji looked around in shock, unable to find Bai Mu anywhere.
The next instant, Thousand Arrows rained down, carpet-bombing Zhao Wuji from above.
"Where… did he go…?"
As the dust settled, Zhao Wuji—having already withdrawn his Martial Soul True Body—knelt on the ground in utter disarray, his mind completely shaken.
After fighting for so long, after finally going all out and directly attacking the Spirit Master himself—
The Bai Mu standing opposite him had been fake?
Fake.
"When did this happen?"
The shock Tang San and the others felt was no less than Zhao Wuji's.
They said bystanders saw things most clearly—but none of them had noticed a thing.
"It was a decoy…"
Even Tang Hao, hidden in the shadows, was stunned.
A peak-level Titled Douluo, yet even he hadn't noticed Bai Mu's movement.
Something was very wrong.
"Are you… looking for me?"
At that moment, Bai Mu casually walked out from the bushes beside a nearby building, smiling and waving at everyone.
"Kid, when did you do that?"
Zhao Wuji couldn't help asking.
"Just now," Bai Mu replied calmly. "When you were testing Tang San and the others and weren't paying attention."
As he spoke, he walked over to Zygarde, gently patting its head with a smile.
"Teacher Zhao, I suppose I won this round?"
"You're mysterious, powerful, and bold, kid."
Zhao Wuji slowly stood up, his expression complicated.
"But I'm not down yet, and the result hasn't been officially declared. You just show yourself like this—aren't you being a little careless?"
The moment the words fell, the fourth spirit ability's tracking effect had already locked onto Bai Mu once again.
Lock-On.
The threat was very real.
"I think…"
Bai Mu ignored the remark and looked Zhao Wuji straight in the eyes.
"Teacher, you're a Spirit Saint. Surely you wouldn't do something so shameless, right?"
He would.
Zhao Wuji stared at him for several seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! You're right! As expected of a little monster. You win—I admit defeat!"
On the surface, he was all smiles. Inside, he was cursing nonstop.
After being beaten this badly, he really wanted to give Bai Mu a proper beating.
But using brute strength to bully others would seriously damage his image.
Garlic bird… garlic bird… I'll settle this another time!
"Little kitten, how was it? Did I do well, Master?"
Bai Mu walked over to Zhu Zhuqing and naturally reached out to rub her head.
"Mm… very strong."
This time, Zhu Zhuqing didn't dodge. She simply looked up at Bai Mu, her eyes shimmering with a new light.
A thought she had never considered before suddenly surfaced—
Maybe… if I follow him, I really can change my predetermined fate.
"Congratulations."
Tang San couldn't help but wonder whether he would ever have a chance of defeating Bai Mu.
"Wow! Bai Mu is amazing! He actually defeated a Spirit Saint!"
Xiao Wu skipped over excitedly.
"Yeah! We never imagined you could beat a Spirit Saint head-on!"
Ning Rongrong chimed in. "But if I had been supporting you in that fight, you definitely would've won even more easily!"
"Perhaps."
Bai Mu nodded with a smile, neither fully agreeing nor disagreeing.
Having support was certainly beneficial—but only if it didn't drain his attention and could protect itself.
Ideally, it would be like Yao or the cat—completely untouchable.
Otherwise, no matter how strong the support buffs were, they wouldn't help much if the supporter got targeted.
After all…
He was a selfish man who valued his life. He wouldn't risk himself for a woman, nor would he rush forward to take a blade for her.
If you die, I can find a way to revive you.
But if you're alive, I will never put myself in danger to protect you.
That was a matter of principle.
"Congratulations, little monsters. You've all passed the test!"
Zhao Wuji strode forward, sweeping his gaze across the group as he spoke loudly.
"Welcome to Shrek Academy! From today onward, the teachers and I will do our utmost to train you into true monsters!"
"Wait."
A voice suddenly interrupted him.
"What is it, Bai Mu?"
Zhao Wuji smiled and looked at him. "If you have any questions about cultivation or the academy, feel free to ask."
"No, that's not it. Teacher Zhao, I think you might be mistaken about something."
"Mistaken?"
Bai Mu straightened his slightly rumpled clothes and looked at Zhao Wuji oddly.
"I don't recall ever saying I wanted to join Shrek Academy, do I?"
"!!!"
The words stunned everyone present.
The shock in their eyes was no less than when Zhao Wuji had admitted defeat earlier.
"What did you say?"
Zhao Wuji's expression shifted from admiration, to disbelief, to grim seriousness.
Bai Mu stood there calmly.
"I said… I never intended to join Shrek Academy."
"You came here to register, passed every test, and now you're telling me you're not joining?"
Zhao Wuji's face darkened.
"Are you sure you're not joking with me?"
Or… are you playing me?