"Little friend, what do you mean by this?"
Long Gong halted, forcibly suppressing his temper as he spoke.
"We've already apologized. What more do you want?"
"Heh—if apologies actually worked, there wouldn't be so many conflicts in this world."
Bai Mu snorted coldly and slowly stood up.
"Can a half-hearted apology really make up for the offense you just gave me?"
Snake Po felt a chill run through her heart.
"Then… what exactly do you want?"
"Coincidentally, I'm short a maid."
Bai Mu spoke calmly.
"I want your granddaughter. What do you say?"
He didn't bother hiding his gaze as he looked Meng Yiran up and down.
Though her looks couldn't compare to Xiao Wu's and her temperament wasn't as pure as Ning Rongrong's, she had the advantage of maturity—her figure had already developed nicely.
At first glance, she looked quite… supple.
"Y-you… I—I won't!"
Meng Yiran's mind was in chaos as she screamed and hid behind Snake Po.
Snake Po immediately erupted in fury.
"You little bastard! You're courting death!"
"Brat, even if you have outstanding talent and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School backing you, you're still only a quasi–Spirit Ancestor without a Titled Douluo at your side. What gives you the right to be this arrogant?"
Long Gong released the full pressure of a Spirit Douluo, his gaze icy and dangerous.
"If I kill you right now, so what if your talent and background reach the heavens?"
A dragon has reverse scales—touch them, and you die.
Meng Yiran was precisely Long Gong's reverse scale.
"What's with all the nonsense?"
Bai Mu sneered.
"You've already seen my spirit rings, and you still think you can leave?"
A chilling smile appeared on his face as he slammed his palm onto the ground.
"Zygarde—transform!"
"Roar!!!"
Zygarde stepped forward and let out a long roar toward the sky.
In an instant, the forty dormant Z-Cells inside Bai Mu's body resonated, flying out as streaks of green light and surging wildly into Zygarde's body.
Light expanded, twisted, and reorganized at incredible speed.
Two seconds later, the glow dissipated.
A five-meter-tall green giant serpent, majestic like a divine being, appeared before them.
Its massive body coiled on the ground, and with the slightest movement, the earth trembled.
Two strange eyes lit up, casting a gaze that seemed to oversee all things, instantly locking onto its targets.
Zygarde 50% · Z-Snake · Ecology Monitor · Form!
As the Z-Cells successfully assembled, the already terrifying aura around it soared even higher.
It might not be able to contend with a peak Titled Douluo, but suppressing a Spirit Douluo was absolutely within reach.
"This… what kind of ability is this?"
Long Gong's voice trembled.
"Could it be a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"
"No! How could a Martial Soul Fusion Skill be used by one person?!"
Snake Granny was completely stunned.
The two of them could perform a Martial Soul Fusion Skill themselves and had seen many others do so.
But never had they seen one that required only a single person.
"I don't care to explain it to you—and you're not worthy of hearing it."
A wicked glint flashed across Bai Mu's face as he waved his hand.
"Little Soft, go have some fun with these two old fogies."
"Use Earth Divine Power!"
"Roar—!!!"
Zygarde let out a furious roar and launched the attack.
The ground beneath it cracked open, spreading at terrifying speed until it reached beneath Long Gong's group.
The next instant, an overwhelmingly destructive force erupted from below, like a volcanic explosion!
"What?!"
Sensing a blow no weaker than that of a top-tier Spirit Douluo, Long Gong's expression changed drastically.
Spirit power burst from his body as he shoved Snake Po and Meng Yiran out of the attack zone. His fifth and sixth spirit rings lit up simultaneously.
"Dragon Elephant Strength—Dragon Staff Thousand-Jin Break!"
He leapt into the air, the dragon-headed staff in his hand blazing with golden light.
With the phantom power of a giant dragon, he smashed it down viciously!
Boom—!
The heavy strike collided with the erupting earth, triggering a terrifying explosion of energy.
Shockwaves surged, the ground shattered, and blinding white light flooded the area.
"Ugh—!"
Taking the impact head-on, Long Gong let out a muffled groan and was blasted backward more than ten meters.
"Old man, are you alright?!"
"Grandfather!"
Snake Granny and Meng Yiran rushed over at once.
"I'm fine."
Long Gong shook his head slightly, staring solemnly at the completely unharmed Bai Mu and Zygarde.
"Yiran, hide for now. Your grandmother and I will finish him quickly."
"O-okay…"
Just as Meng Yiran responded and was about to move, Bai Mu's voice rang out again.
"It's broad daylight—what are you whispering about? Why not stay and chat with me properly?"
"Use Thousand Arrows Volley!"
Zygarde's body radiated green light. The ground around it split apart like a spiderweb as countless light arrows shot out, surging toward Long Gong's group like a monstrous tide!
Each seemingly ordinary arrow was condensed from Earth Power, carrying the immense weight of the land itself.
Once struck, even someone airborne would be slammed straight back to the ground.
"This—!"
Meng Yiran's face turned deathly pale.
With such a wide attack range, she wouldn't even have a chance to escape—she'd be shredded instantly!
"Damn it! No martial honor at all!"
Long Gong and Snake Granny's expressions changed sharply. With their granddaughter present, they couldn't fight without restraint.
"Dragon Staff—Soaring Wilderness!"
Facing the falling storm of arrows, Meng Shu raised his dragon-headed staff high.
As his eighth spirit ring lit up, the golden dragon head seemed to come alive, projecting a massive dragon phantom that coiled through the sky, perfectly blocking the rain of arrows.
Snake Granny didn't hesitate either—her sixth spirit ring flashed.
"Snake Venom Mist!"
Dark green poisonous fog spewed forth, withering plants and corroding the ground wherever it passed.
Yet as it neared Zygarde, a mysterious green light shimmered, effortlessly isolating the poison outside.
It was Safeguard.
"Heh… is this all the legendary Unrivaled Dragon-and-Snake Duo can do?"
Bai Mu brought his hands together, one above the other.
"Earth Divine Power!"
"Gah—roar—!"
Zygarde let out a shrill roar. While maintaining Thousand Arrows Volley, it triggered Earth Divine Power once more.
Just like its battle against Zhao Wuji, it attacked from both sky and ground simultaneously, leaving no room to dodge.
Sensing the violent tremors and scorching force beneath them, Long Gong's expression changed completely.
"You dare!"
"Martial Soul True Body!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Meng Shu activated his Martial Soul True Body.
His form transformed into a massive dragon-headed staff, spinning and tumbling through the air, blocking the incoming attacks head-on.
Snake Granny transformed into a snake staff as well, carrying Meng Yiran into the air to avoid the ground-based assault.
"Smart."
Bai Mu praised them lightly before his tone shifted.
"Use Time Roar!"
"Roar~!"
Zygarde opened its mouth, unleashing a surging purple torrent of energy that shook time itself.
Wherever it passed, even time seemed to warp and distort.
What?!
Caught off guard, the giant dragon staff and snake staff flared with light, condensing dragon and snake phantoms to meet the attack head-on.
Boom—!!!
Energy detonated violently, leveling trees in all directions.
Three figures were sent flying backward.
"What a terrifying attack…"
"Cough—cough!"
Blood spilled from the mouths of Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang—they had clearly suffered internal injuries.
As for Meng Yiran, usually lively and fiery, she stood there in a daze, her face deathly pale.
If not for her presence holding them back, perhaps the two elders really could have fought Zygarde properly, even gaining a slight edge in the early stages.
But with an extra burden, both offense and defense had become exponentially more difficult.