"Stop! Who said you could leave?"
Just as the three were about to exit the academy, Xue Beng arrived with a group of followers, blocking their path.
"Oh?"
Bai Mu halted and looked at him with interest. "Isn't this the Fourth Prince?"
He hadn't gone looking for trouble, yet trouble had walked right up to him.
"Kid, who are you?"
Xue Beng planted his hands on his hips, his tone arrogant. "Where do you think you're taking members of our academy's battle team?"
He had been keeping a low profile recently and knew nothing of Bai Mu. Seeing an unfamiliar man leaving with two outstanding women instantly stirred his resentment.
"Yo, Fourth Prince, your memory really is terrible," Bai Mu chuckled, looking at him as though he were watching a clown perform.
"It's only been a few years, and you've already forgotten me?"
"I don't remember you at all!" Xue Beng snapped. "Don't act familiar. Why should I?"
Then his expression turned frivolous as he looked past Bai Mu.
"Tsk, tsk. Senior sisters, why follow this trash?"
"Come with This Prince instead. I'll guarantee you wealth and comfort—far better than staying with him."
The absurdity of it made Bai Mu laugh.
Dugu Yan frowned, staring at Xue Beng as if he were an idiot.
Ye Lingling didn't even bother to look at him, treating him as though he didn't exist.
That indifference enraged Xue Beng.
"You dare look down on This Prince?!" he roared, pointing at Bai Mu.
"Get him! Beat this trash down!"
But no one moved.
Clack.
His followers all stepped back at the same time, leaving Xue Beng standing alone in front.
They weren't fools. They all recognized Bai Mu—the man who had once taught many of them a painful lesson. Even Prince Xue Xing treated him with caution. None of them dared to provoke him.
"What are you doing?!" Xue Beng shouted, trembling with rage. "Get him!"
At that moment, Bai Mu released his pressure.
An overwhelming force descended like a mountain.
"Ugh—!"
Xue Beng's face twisted in agony. His knees buckled, and he slammed onto the ground, unable to move.
"You… you—"
He tried to curse, but the weight pressing down on him robbed him of even the strength to speak clearly.
"Hehe."
Bai Mu walked forward unhurriedly, looking down at him with a faint smile.
"Fourth Prince, what a grand greeting. This subject truly cannot accept such courtesy."
He shook his head lightly.
"Beng Beng, you really haven't grown at all. As a prince of the empire, you're nothing but an embarrassment."
With that, Bai Mu lost all interest.
He put an arm around Dugu Yan, took Ye Lingling's hand, and turned to leave.
Pfft.
Overwhelmed by pressure and humiliation, Xue Beng finally fainted on the spot.
---
After leaving Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Bai Mu first brought the two women back to Order Academy, briefly familiarizing them with the surroundings.
From his storage spirit tool, he took out a narcissus jade bone and handed it to Dugu Yan.
"Consume this Immortal Herb. It will help improve your spirit power and aptitude."
Dugu Yan accepted it happily, swallowed it without hesitation, and immediately entered seclusion to cultivate.
Once she was settled, Bai Mu brought Ye Lingling to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The moment they stepped inside, dense spiritual energy washed over them.
Among the Immortal Herbs, Xiao Yue and Xiao Wu were cultivating together. Seeing Bai Mu return, both hurried over.
"Master! You're back!"
Xiao Yue ran up excitedly, clinging to him.
Xiao Wu took his hand and looked at Ye Lingling curiously.
"Little Mu, who is she?"
Bai Mu smiled and introduced her.
"This is Ye Lingling. From now on, she'll be coming here often."
"Hello," Ye Lingling greeted softly, nodding in return.
Bai Mu then took out a qiluo tulip and handed it to her.
"Consume this. If nothing goes wrong, it will help your Nine-Heart Begonia Spirit evolve and completely break the curse."
Ye Lingling accepted the Immortal Herb with both hands, her gaze resolute. The moment she consumed it, a vast and pure life force surged through her body.
She closed her eyes and guided the energy with her spirit power.
Before long, a gentle green light enveloped her.
The Nine-Heart Begonia Spirit manifested, its petals growing fuller and more translucent, brimming with vitality as it absorbed the surrounding essence.
Half an hour later, Ye Lingling slowly opened her eyes.
Feeling the profound transformation within her spirit and the surge of power in her body, her usually calm face lit up with uncontrollable joy.
Her Spirit had fully evolved into the Nine-Heart Life Begonia.
Not only were its healing abilities greatly enhanced, but it also carried purifying effects and an astonishing vitality capable of nurturing life and supporting recovery. Most importantly—
The family curse was gone.
"It worked…"
Her voice trembled as her eyes reddened. "It really worked."
Seeing her reaction, Bai Mu smiled in satisfaction.
"What I promised has been fulfilled," he said calmly. "From now on, focus on cultivating well. This power will be the foundation of your future."
Ye Lingling nodded heavily, gratitude and determination clear in her eyes.
Nearby, Xiao Wu and Xiao Yue watched with amazement and admiration as the evolution completed, sensing the immense life force filling the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
A new path had opened—
And the pieces of Bai Mu's plans were falling into place, one by one.