Back at the academy, Bai Mu released Zygarde and headed straight for the back mountain.
"Little Soft, help me organize the information and send it to me through telepathy."
"Woof~"
Zygarde responded and quickly sorted through everything before transmitting it.
The next moment, a familiar panel appeared in Bai Mu's field of vision.
[Bai Mu — Level 11]
[Spirit Ability: Jungle Healing]
[Spirit: Zygarde (10% Form) (Core 1, Z-Cells: 10)]
[Attributes: Dragon / Ground]
[Ability: Aura Break]
[Capabilities: Invisibility, Synthesis, Telepathy, Land's Wrath]
[Moves: Bite, Dragon Breath, Heavy Stomp, Glare, Safeguard, Extreme Speed, Jungle Healing]
Bai Mu couldn't help but smile.
Aside from the obvious improvement from leveling up and move resonance, there were other benefits he hadn't fully realized before—especially when it came to spirit abilities.
Take Yu Xiaogang as an example. His spirit abilities could only be activated by himself and then used by Luo San Pao. Bai Mu didn't have that limitation.
Jungle Healing could be used directly by Zygarde as a move, but Bai Mu himself could also activate it as a Spirit Master.
If both of them activated Jungle Healing at the same time, the effect would stack, instantly restoring half of their own and their teammates' HP and spirit power.
More importantly, after absorbing his first spirit ring, Zygarde had naturally learned a new move—
Extreme Speed.
Extreme Speed was absurdly powerful in games, and even more terrifying in reality.
It had no special tricks—it was simply fast.
In terms of speed, very few attacking moves in the Pokémon world could match it, and those that could usually came with heavy restrictions.
As for power, Extreme Speed surpassed Bite, Dragon Breath, and Heavy Stomp.
Moves like Bite and Dragon Breath might eventually become obsolete, but Extreme Speed would never fall behind.
"Owo~ Woof~"
Zygarde barked proudly, its expression clearly smug.
Bai Mu's eyes lit up. "You're saying that every time I obtain a new spirit ring, you'll be able to comprehend another move?"
"Ah~"
Zygarde nodded, looking even more pleased with itself.
"Zygarde has four exclusive moves: Earth Power, Thousand Waves, Thousand Arrows, and Core Enforcer."
"If that's the case, then by the time you reach level fifty-one, you won't be missing any key abilities."
Bai Mu grinned. "Nice. Zygarde—use Extreme Speed!"
He pointed toward a massive tree a hundred meters away.
"Woof!"
Zygarde kicked off the ground, and the instant Extreme Speed activated, it turned into a green streak of light.
Boom!
Almost immediately, the massive tree collapsed.
A flash of green light followed, and Zygarde returned to Bai Mu's side.
Dash, strike, return—the entire sequence took less than three seconds.
"So fast…"
Bai Mu stared in disbelief.
Anyone who didn't know better would think that tree was nothing more than a speed bump.
"Owo~!"
Zygarde puffed out its chest, practically radiating pride.
"Don't get cocky," Bai Mu said, pressing a hand down on its head. "Spend the next few days digging more holes. With your abilities, learning Dig shouldn't be hard."
"Other moves can wait, but Dig is non-negotiable."
"If we ever run into real danger, I'm counting on you to dig us an escape route."
Zygarde froze.
(T＿T)
---
Inside the Dean's office at Nuoding Academy.
"What? You want to graduate early?"
The Dean frowned at the boy standing before him. "Bai Mu, you're only nine years old, and your spirit power is just level eleven. Leaving the academy now is far too early."
"I understand your concern, Dean," Bai Mu said calmly. "But I already have my own plans."
"I've learned everything I needed here—spirit theory, spirit beast knowledge, basic cultivation methods. Staying longer will only slow me down."
He was different from other Spirit Masters.
Because of move resonance, he didn't need to worry about which spirit beast matched which spirit, or what kind of spirit ability it would produce.
All he needed was to decide which moves he wanted, then hunt spirit beasts that could resonate with them.
As long as the species was compatible, even a lower-year spirit ring would be acceptable.
"Do you understand how dangerous the outside world is?" the Dean asked.
He stood by the window, watching students train in the courtyard.
"The world of Spirit Masters is far more complex than you think. You're still just a child."
"I've already made my decision," Bai Mu replied.
He valued stability—but he was never afraid of taking risks.
The Dean sighed deeply and sat back down. "If that's the case, I won't force you to stay."
"But remember—Nuoding Academy will always be your home."
He pulled out a document, filled it out, stamped it, and slid it across the desk.
"This is your graduation certificate."
Then he took out a small pouch and placed it beside the document.
"There are ten gold coins inside. Consider it support from the academy."
"Don't refuse it."
"Thank you, Dean."
Bai Mu accepted the items and bowed sincerely.
"Go," the Dean said quietly. "Come back alive."
---
The next day, outside the north gate of Nuoding City.
"Uncle, how much to get to Heaven Dou City?"
Bai Mu approached a familiar coachman while carrying his pack.
"Heaven Dou City?" The man hesitated. "That's far. It's over two thousand kilometers. A round trip would take at least ten days, maybe half a month."
"You'd be better off finding someone else."
Bai Mu placed a gold coin into his hand. "Two gold coins. This is the deposit."
The coachman's expression changed instantly. "I'll take it."
The carriage soon rolled out of the city gate, heading north along the official road.
"Little Soft, a new journey begins."
Bai Mu released Zygarde and leaned against the carriage window, watching Nuoding City fade into the distance.
He felt no lingering attachment.
This was only the beginning.
"Owo~"
Zygarde rubbed against his cheek, conveying warmth and resolve.
The journey remained peaceful for several days.
Bai Mu focused on cultivating alongside Zygarde, undisturbed.
But as the carriage passed through a mountain valley, a sudden change occurred.
"Awooooo—!"
Sharp howls echoed from the forests on both sides of the road.