"Little Angel, this won't do."
Bai Mu squatted down and reached out, lifting Qian Renxue's chin so she had no choice but to meet his gaze.
Under the moonlight, her face was smeared with dust and traces of blood. Her golden hair was disheveled, yet her eyes still burned with stubborn defiance.
"Tell me," Bai Mu said calmly, "how did you lose to me again?"
Qian Renxue clenched her teeth. Her lips trembled, her voice hoarse and strained.
"This… this isn't right. I clearly fused more spirit bones this time. I became stronger. So why—why am I still completely no match for you?"
Her composure finally cracked.
To grow stronger, she had exposed herself early and risked returning to Spirit Hall.
To grow stronger, she had endured the agonizing pain of spirit bone fusion.
To grow stronger, she had abandoned caution and personally challenged him again.
And the result?
Total defeat.
No room to fight back. Not even a sliver of hope.
"You keep saying you want to conquer me," Bai Mu said evenly, every word striking like a blade.
"You keep saying the loser must obey the winner."
"Then tell me—when do you plan to honor your own words?"
He leaned closer, his presence pressing down on her like an invisible weight.
"How many times do you need to lose before you accept it?"
"Impossible!"
Qian Renxue forced the words out through clenched teeth.
"I may lose now—but the final victor will be me. It has to be me!"
Bai Mu paused, then suddenly laughed.
"Then let me give you a chance."
Her eyes flickered. "A chance… where?"
He straightened, his tone casual.
"When the time comes, stand with me. Fight beside me. If you truly believe you can surpass me, then prove it there."
Qian Renxue stared at him, breathing uneven, her emotions in turmoil.
"Together?" she asked coldly. "On what grounds do you think you can stand on equal footing with me?"
Bai Mu didn't argue. He didn't explain. He simply stepped back and met her gaze head-on.
"Because whether you admit it or not," he said calmly, "you already understand this—alone, neither of us is enough."
Silence stretched between them.
Moonlight bathed the ruined valley as Qian Renxue slowly steadied her breathing. The turbulence in her eyes gradually settled, replaced by a sharp, calculating clarity.
"…Interesting," she said at last.
She withdrew her hand and took a step back, her posture regaining its former pride.
"But remember this, Bai Mu. Everything in this world belongs to me. Including allies. Including enemies."
Bai Mu smiled faintly.
"If you can truly reach that point," he replied, "then I'll acknowledge it."
Qian Renxue's gaze sharpened.
"This isn't over," she said firmly. "Not by a long shot."
"I know," Bai Mu answered.
From the shadows, Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo silently exchanged glances, then turned away without a word. Whatever had just been decided between the two of them was not something outsiders were meant to interfere with.
Under the moonlit sky, the Angel's successor and the rising powerhouse stood facing one another—not as victor and defeated, but as two ambitions beginning to overlap.
The fragile outline of a united front had finally taken shape.