"Should I… ignore all the complications and just fight first?"
Bai Mu's brows twitched slightly as hesitation flickered through his mind.
"…Forget it. I'll proceed step by step. No need to rush."
He was already approaching the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest. With a flap of his Wings of Order, he descended rapidly, heading straight toward the Core Area.
Yet before he had even advanced a hundred miles—
An incomparably powerful mental force, icy and piercing, surged violently toward him.
"Something's wrong!"
Bai Mu's eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, he teleported downward, retracted his wings, and stood still among the trees.
His spirit power quietly circulated. Paragon Golden Body could be activated at any moment, and Zygarde was ready to be summoned.
Then—
Boom!
The undergrowth exploded apart as a massive, snow-white silkworm burst out, wriggling wildly.
"Hahahaha! Didn't expect this, did you?! I finally escaped!"
The silkworm rolled across the ground, laughing smugly.
"Those idiots were all busy discussing some million-year spirit beast! That gave me the perfect chance to slip away!"
It straightened its body proudly.
"From today onward, the world is vast and free for me! No more being suppressed by those vicious beasts!"
Its gaze shifted and landed on Bai Mu, examining him carefully.
"Oh? And who might you be?"
Its eyes lit up.
"Hey! Human with strong mental power—congratulations! You've hit the jackpot!"
Bai Mu's pupils contracted slightly.
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm.
He had already prepared to abandon the idea of targeting it and focus instead on Di Tian. Yet fate had delivered the silkworm directly to his doorstep.
What was supposed to happen ten thousand years later… had arrived early.
Bai Mu suppressed the delight in his heart and deliberately put on a wary expression.
"S-Such a terrifying aura…" he said cautiously.
"A-Are you… a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast?"
"Hundred thousand years?" The silkworm scoffed. "Your vision is far too narrow!"
It lifted its head arrogantly.
"Listen carefully! I am the incarnation of wisdom and heroism, the king among spirit beasts with both beauty and intellect—a supreme existence who has cultivated for nearly a million years and holds the record for longevity on the Douluo Continent!"
"You may call me—Brother Tianmeng!"
"N-Nearly a million years?!"
Bai Mu's face went pale in perfect cooperation.
"T-Then what do you want? Are you going to kill me?"
"Kill you? Of course not!"
Tianmeng's tone suddenly turned solemn.
"I am going to sacrifice myself to you and become the first Wisdom Spirit Ring in history!"
A moment later, it laughed again.
"Relax, kid. I'll be gentle. Just endure it a little!"
Eager to escape and fearing pursuit from the Star Dou vicious beasts, Tianmeng did not hesitate any further.
The Sacrifice ritual—one it had rehearsed countless times—was activated instantly.
"What?!"
Bai Mu feigned shock as an icy power rushed straight toward his Sea of Consciousness, attempting to freeze his mind and suppress resistance.
Instead of resisting, Bai Mu opened his mind completely and allowed it in.
Flash!
Blinding white light erupted as vast ice-attribute energy surged outward, completely engulfing him.
The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm entered Bai Mu's body—and immediately froze in shock.
"Eh?! Rank 90 already?!"
"Wait—so many hundred-thousand-year spirit rings?! There's even a million-year one?!"
"What kind of monster did I find?!"
Its excitement surged instantly.
"A peerless genius! This is perfect!"
At first, Tianmeng had worried that its power might overwhelm its host. Now, seeing Bai Mu's terrifying foundation, it trembled with joy.
"This is it! I'm destined to ascend without effort!"
"Kid, I'll help you even more—let's make you the most talented Spirit Master in the world!"
With a roar, Tianmeng released all of its power, not only sacrificing itself but also pouring its surplus energy into Bai Mu's other spirit rings.
In an instant, Bai Mu's first five spirit rings lit up simultaneously.
Yellow turned purple.
Purple deepened into black.
Black transformed into blood-red.
When the light settled, every one of Bai Mu's spirit rings—except the seventh blue-gold million-year ring—had become hundred-thousand-year spirit rings.
Finally, Tianmeng guided its own 990,000-year spirit ring, preparing for full fusion.
At that moment—
"Hahaha… you really fell for it."
Bai Mu brushed back his hair, a sharp, unrestrained smile appearing.
"A free feast before the real work even begins."
"Thank you, Brother Tianmeng," he said softly.
"You're truly a wonderful silkworm."
"You're welcome!" Tianmeng replied cheerfully.
Then—
Something felt wrong.
Bai Mu's smile vanished, his eyes turning cold.
"From now on," he said calmly, "leave everything to me."
Flash!
He condensed a sphere of pure Power of Faith and directly fused it into the 990,000-year spirit ring.
The spirit ring trembled violently.
In the blink of an eye, it was forcibly pushed past its limit—
A true million-year spirit ring was born.
"This… what?!"
Tianmeng was completely stunned.
Before it could react further, it felt its connection to the spirit ring being severed at terrifying speed.
It could no longer control it.
Instead, it was being rejected.
"Wings of Order—absorb."
Bai Mu spread his Wings of Order.
Blue-gold light locked onto the newly formed million-year spirit ring and dragged it away without mercy.
The wings shone brighter and brighter as their aura surged once again.
Moments later, the million-year spirit ring was completely devoured—leaving nothing behind.
And only then did Tianmeng finally realize—
It had not chosen a host.
It had walked straight into a predator's mouth.