"Ice Ring Armor!"
"Extreme Speed!"
A strange suit of ice armor rapidly condensed between the girl and the Green Wolf Bandit.
"Bang!"
Before the Green Wolf Bandit could destroy it, a flying Zygarde slammed into it and sent it flying.
"?"
The blue-haired girl turned around and discovered that a four-foot-tall Dragon Dog had pounced onto the eight-foot-tall Green Wolf Bandit, its jaws locked tightly around the latter's neck!
"Aah!"
The Green Wolf Bandit howled in agony. Unable to tear Zygarde off no matter what it did, it could only reveal its wolf claws and attack frantically, trying to kill it.
However... Zygarde showed no fear whatsoever. After using Glare to paralyze the Green Wolf Bandit, it ignored everything else and tore savagely at its throat.
Its white eyes blazed with a crimson light. It had clearly been thoroughly enraged!
In such a situation, the beautiful woman could not offer support for fear of accidentally injuring it.
She raised her hand and cast an Ice Shield over Bai Mu and the girl, then devoted her full strength to eliminating the remaining Wolf Bandits while keeping part of her attention on them.
"Xiao Ruan, hang in there!"
With the Ice Shield protecting him, Bai Mu slowly stepped forward and activated Jungle Healing.
His body seemed to merge with nature itself, releasing strange ripples that enveloped Zygarde and continuously healed it!
The Green Wolf Bandit was strong! Extremely strong!
Even ordinary Spirit Masters of level thirty or fifty would have found it difficult to defeat one head-on.
But now, Zygarde had ambushed it and bitten its vital point. Combined with the paralysis that had left its body weak and limp, it could barely use one-tenth of its strength.
Not to mention Bai Mu's healing from the sidelines!
As time passed, the force behind its attacks and struggles grew weaker and weaker.
"Aah!"
Suddenly, dark light erupted from Zygarde's mouth, and the force of its bite surged once more!
"Crack—"
Its neck bone snapped, and the Green Wolf Bandit died completely.
Bai Mu's mind trembled slightly as a stream of information entered his head—
[After a life-and-death battle, Zygarde had successfully learned a new move—Crunch (It attacks by crushing the opponent with its sharp teeth, sometimes lowering the opponent's defense.)]
"Not bad. It learned another new move."
Bai Mu smiled in relief.
He had thought that with Jungle Healing, which could restore physical strength and Soul Power, he could wear down opponents like a perpetual-motion machine during prolonged battles.
But the two uninterrupted minutes of full-force healing just now had shown him that he had been somewhat naïve.
His Soul Power and physical strength had not been a problem, but the mental strain had been immense!
If it had gone on for another two minutes, he would probably have had a headache for quite a while afterward.
So weak. Looks like I need more practice later!
Bai Mu looked at the victorious Zygarde returning to him.
"You did great, Xiao Ruan. You actually defeated such a powerful opponent!"
"Such a being is unworthy of being my opponent."
Zygarde snorted disdainfully, looking incomparably proud.
"You little rascal!"
Bai Mu laughed helplessly and vigorously rubbed its dog head.
By now, the battle had nearly subsided, and the mountain path gradually returned to silence.
"Are you two all right?"
Bai Mu walked over and greeted the two girls.
"Yes. Thank you for saving our lives. My name is Shui Bing'er, and I'm from Skywater Academy."
The calm-natured Shui Bing'er nodded lightly and gave him a grateful smile.
"My name is Shui Yue'er. You're amazing! You actually managed to kill that terrifying monster!"
The lively Shui Yue'er saw that their savior was a handsome young man about her own age, and her eyes were filled with curiosity and interest.
"My name is Bai Mu, just an ordinary Spirit Master passing by."
Bai Mu introduced himself with a smile.
"Bing'er! Yue'er! Are you two all right?"
At that moment, the beautiful woman, who had completely eliminated the Wolf Bandits, landed on the ground and anxiously checked the two girls over.
"Mom, we're fine."
Shui Bing'er finally relaxed. "It was all thanks to Bai Mu saving us."
"Shui Yunxin of Skywater Academy. Thank you for your assistance, young friend!"
Shui Yunxin's gaze lingered on Bai Mu and Zygarde for a moment before she solemnly bowed.
If Bai Mu had not intervened, she truly might not have been able to protect her two daughters with complete certainty.
"It's nothing, Auntie. It was just a small effort."
Bai Mu waved with a smile. "Wolf Bandits are vicious. Since I encountered them, I had to do my part to eliminate them."
"You seem quite young, Bai Mu, and your Soul Power isn't very high. How did you defeat the Wolf Bandits?"
As Shui Yunxin spoke, she secretly assessed Bai Mu and Zygarde.
Around ten years old, with Soul Power fluctuations no higher than level fifteen, yet he had faced Wolf Bandits without fear and successfully killed them.
No matter how she looked at it, it was absurd!
"Yes, I'm nine this year, and my Soul Power is level eleven."
Bai Mu smiled. "As for how I defeated the Wolf Bandits, it was through luck and hard work."
"Only level eleven?"
Shui Yunxin froze, her heart filled with indescribable shock.
An eleventh-level Spirit Master had killed several Wolf Bandits head-on and even successfully ambushed and killed an even stronger Green Wolf Bandit!
Was that even reasonable?
This boy is not simple!
Shui Yunxin's thoughts stirred as she asked, "Where are you from, and where are you going? If we're headed the same way, why not travel with us? It would also let us show some gratitude."
"I'm from Nuoding City in Fasnuo Province, and I'm heading to Heaven Dou City."
Bai Mu did not conceal it and answered directly.
"What a coincidence. We happen to be going to Heaven Dou City as well."
Shui Yunxin smiled and activated her Soul Power. "Although the carriage is damaged, we can replace it at the next town. If you don't mind, travel with us."
She paused, then added, "We'll cover your food and lodging along the way."
"Then I'll trouble you."
Bai Mu thought about it and did not refuse.
She was a Spirit Saint and also a teacher at Skywater Academy. There would certainly be no problem asking her to guide him a little!
"Great! We can have a good chat later!"
Shui Yue'er cheered excitedly.
"Come back, Zygarde."
After finding the coachman and paying the remaining fare, Bai Mu recalled Zygarde and boarded the Damaged Carriage with the mother and her two daughters.
Along the way, Shui Yue'er chattered endlessly with questions.
Shui Bing'er, meanwhile, occasionally stole glances at Bai Mu, looking as though she wanted to say something but hesitated.
"If there's something you want to ask, just ask."
Bai Mu took the initiative.
Shui Bing'er blushed and asked softly, "Is that wolf dog your Martial Soul? I've never seen one like that..."
"Zygarde. It's a mutated External Martial Soul, and it possesses intelligence no lower than that of a human."
Bai Mu explained with a smile.
"So that handsome big dog really is a Martial Soul! That's amazing!"
Shui Yue'er was thrilled. "If only my Dolphin Martial Soul could exist outside my body too! I really want to play with it!"
"It's very strong."
Shui Bing'er said seriously, "I saw the battle clearly just now. Your commands were also very precise. You don't seem at all like... like a Spirit Master your age."
"Other than hard work, I've also had a little luck."
Bai Mu smiled faintly.
Listening from the side, Shui Yunxin's opinion of Bai Mu rose another level—neither arrogant nor impetuous, he was steady in a way that did not resemble a child.
"By the way, Bai Mu, at your age, you should still be attending a Junior Spirit Master Academy, right? Are you traveling all the way to Heaven Dou City to visit relatives or friends?"
Shui Yunxin suddenly asked.
"Mm..."
Bai Mu pondered for a moment before deciding to tell the truth.
"I graduated early from Notting Academy a few days ago. I want to go to Heaven Dou City and see whether I can enter Heaven Dou Royal Academy to study."
Only by joining Heaven Dou Royal Academy could he get close to Dugu Yan and have a better chance of obtaining firsthand information about Dugu Bo!
Bai Mu also knew that accomplishing this would be difficult! Extremely difficult!
"Your talent and strength are both exceptional, but your age and level are still somewhat insufficient. Besides, Heaven Dou Royal Academy rarely accepts commoner Spirit Masters. Given your circumstances, you will most likely be unable to join."
After thinking for a moment, Shui Yunxin took the initiative to suggest, "How about this? Later, I'll help you ask one of the teachers there and see whether I can give you an opportunity to enroll."
"Thank you, Auntie! You're truly beautiful and kind-hearted!"
Bai Mu said sweetly.
"You really know how to talk!"
A smile appeared on Shui Yunxin's face, but she quickly sighed again.
"Ah... what a pity..."
Bai Mu was baffled. "What's a pity?"
"It's a pity you aren't a girl."
Shui Yunxin sighed deeply. "If you were a girl, even if your Martial Soul weren't water-attributed, I would still want to make an exception and recruit you into the academy. What a pity..."
"..."
Bai Mu: Not a pity. Not even a little.
Before you continue