"How… how is this possible…"
Liu Erlong murmured to herself, her mind in turmoil, as if everything before her were nothing more than a nightmare.
"This must be a dream…"
"A dream?"
A calm voice answered. "No. This is reality."
Bai Mu pulled her out of the water and set her down on the shore, his tone unhurried.
"Come. Face it properly."
Liu Erlong struggled weakly. "Let go of me."
"You're injured," Bai Mu said flatly. "If you collapse again, I won't bother catching you."
He brought her to a small hut by the lakeside and placed her inside, keeping his distance.
Moonlight filtered through the window, illuminating Liu Erlong's pale but resolute face. Her eyes burned with anger and humiliation.
"I'll never submit," she said hoarsely. "Never."
Bai Mu regarded her quietly.
"Stubbornness," he replied, "is not the same as strength."
Suddenly, Liu Erlong forced herself upright, flames erupting around her as she poured everything she had left into a desperate counterattack.
"Fifth Spirit Ability—Blazing Fire Rush!"
The fire surged forward, fierce and overwhelming, filling the hut with searing heat.
Bai Mu was pushed back a step, his expression tightening.
"So you still had that much left," he muttered.
When the flames dissipated, he stood firm, unharmed, though the ground around him was scorched black.
Liu Erlong stared in disbelief.
"How… are you still standing?"
Bai Mu exhaled slowly, then waved his hand. The oppressive pressure vanished, and the raging heat subsided.
"That attack could have seriously injured someone else," he said calmly. "But it won't change the outcome."
Liu Erlong clenched her teeth and gathered her last strength, throwing a final punch before her body finally gave out. She collapsed, barely conscious.
"I won't… yield…"
Bai Mu caught her before she hit the floor and gently set her aside.
"You don't need to," he said. "This isn't about submission."
He straightened, his voice firm and composed.
"Rest. When you wake up, everything will already be decided."
The night passed in silence.
The lake lay calm beneath the moon, reflecting its light like a mirror. Only the charred remains of the hut bore witness to the clash that had taken place.
---
Several days later, Blue Tyrant Academy.
The academy grounds were unusually lively. All teachers and students had been summoned to the training field, whispering among themselves in confusion.
"Why a sudden full assembly?"
"No idea. There was no notice at all."
"For the dean to appear personally, it must be something big."
Soon, Liu Erlong stepped onto the platform.
Though her face was slightly pale, her posture remained upright, and her voice carried clearly across the field.
"Teachers and students," she announced, "I am Liu Erlong. I have gathered everyone today to make an important announcement."
The crowd fell silent.
"From this day forward, Blue Tyrant Academy will officially be renamed—Order Academy."
A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd.
A name change?
Why now?
"Other than the name," Liu Erlong continued, "the academy's structure and teaching will remain unchanged."
She paused briefly before adding, "In addition, we will be welcoming a new instructor—Mr. Bai Mu."
She turned slightly.
Bai Mu stepped forward from the crowd, nodding calmly.
"So young?"
"An instructor?"
"He doesn't look much older than us…"
The discussions spread, but no one dared openly object.
After all, the decision had already been announced.
Following the assembly, several experienced administrators joined the academy, streamlining its internal order. Without fanfare, Order Academy began operating under a new structure—more disciplined, more unified.
Standing at the edge of the grounds, Bai Mu looked over the academy and smiled faintly.
His first foothold on the Douluo Continent had been secured.
"And now," he murmured to himself,
"what should I do next?"
An idea surfaced in his mind.
And the smile on his face slowly deepened.
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