The practical combat instructor froze completely.
His name was Li Yunpeng.
What the hell was going on?
Did this old geezer wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?
He had merely come to remind him, as per routine, that class should be dismissed.
At first glance, the two of them seemed mismatched—one with a receding hairline, the other looking barely past thirty, just stepping into middle age.
In reality, both were thirty-seven this year.
Li Yunpeng had been roommates with this balding "Mediterranean," Wu Gong, for all four years of university.
As an aside, Wu Gong also had an older brother named Wu Qian.
Their parents' intentions had been good—"elder brother modest, younger brother respectful"—but taken separately, the names didn’t sound particularly flattering.
Over a decade after graduation, the two had ended up teaching at Maga Academy one after the other.
Well, that’s how it was for some theoretical researchers—either they scratched their heads bald from overthinking or became "brilliantly hairless."
Their bond was so tight they could’ve shared the same pair of pants.
Li Yunpeng knew Wu Gong’s temper—he rarely raised his voice, let alone cursed like a sailor.
For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating and instinctively rubbed his ears.
Seeing Wu Gong’s face flushed with anger, and the few remaining strands of hair atop his head trembling as if ready to abandon ship, Li Yunpeng wasn’t even mad—just amused.
"Old Wu, you—"
He was about to tease him when Wu Gong’s next words choked him silent.
"Goddammit! You’re a traitor to Great Xia!"
"Couldn’t you have used your damn eyes before barging in and interrupting class?"
The accusation was beyond excessive.
Li Yunpeng’s smirk vanished instantly.
Something was seriously off.
On a normal day, if Wu Gong didn’t want to give up half the class, he’d just tell him to "piss off."
What was going on today?
He scanned the classroom—every student was rooted in place, eyes wide, not daring to breathe.
The atmosphere was wrong.
Very wrong.
Li Yunpeng dropped his usual carefree demeanor, his brow furrowing slightly.
Could it be that Wu Gong had lost another handful of hair this morning and was in a foul mood?
But it was only the first day of the semester—there couldn’t possibly be anything that critical being taught, right?
Wu Gong—the "Mediterranean"—ignored him completely.
He didn’t even spare him a glance.
With bloodshot eyes, Wu Gong charged toward the lectern like a madman, shoving past Li Yunpeng at the door and grabbing Su Qi’s arm.
His hands were shaking.
His lips trembled.
"Student, don’t… don’t stop."
"Keep going, please!"
His voice carried a desperate, almost pleading tremor, the urgency resonating with everyone present.
Yes!
Keep going!
The mind-blowing spectacle they’d just witnessed had left them all craving more.
That earth-shattering revelation had only just begun!
Wu Gong stared at Su Qi’s loosened grip and the now semi-transparent Origin Crystal on the desk, his heart aching as if wrung dry.
So close!
They’d been so damn close!
How could he possibly stay calm?
A theory revolutionary enough to overturn Maga Academy—no, the entire Great Xia cultivation system—had been born right before his eyes… only to be stomped out by an oblivious fool!
Worst of all, he could tell Su Qi had completely snapped out of that inspired state.
That spark of genius—one that could’ve altered Great Xia, no, the entire course of human history—had been snuffed out by a single reckless interruption!
"Ah—!"
Wu Gong threw his head back and let out an inhuman wail.
Then he whirled around, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Li Yunpeng at the door.
"You motherf—!!!"
A stream of colorful, barely intelligible dialect erupted from Wu Gong’s mouth, thick with tears.
His entire body trembled, the few remaining hairs on his head standing on end from sheer rage.
He pointed a shaking finger at Li Yunpeng.
"#@&!!"
He cursed again, ready to unleash more, but suddenly bit his tongue.
Swiveling back, his demeanor did a complete 180.
"Student, it’s fine, it’s fine…"
"Losing focus after a flash of inspiration is normal, perfectly normal…"
"Don’t rush yourself. Don’t panic."
"It’s not your fault."
"I saw it. I saw everything."
"This is on me—I should’ve had a recording device ready."
While soothing Su Qi, he suddenly remembered something urgent.
"Quick! Write it down!"
"Your earlier idea—the ‘Origin Flow Construction’ approach—how much do you remember? Write whatever you can!"
"Paper! A pen!"
He frantically rummaged through the lectern, though his usual teaching style never required such tools.
In desperation, he snatched a notebook from the front row, tore out the filled pages, and shoved the half-empty notebook and a pen into Su Qi’s hands.
"Write! Now, while it’s still fresh!"
"This is vital! More important than your life, than mine!!"
Wu Gong had truly lost it.
If the experiment couldn’t be replicated, the theory had to be preserved!
Even fragmented notes would be priceless—a beacon for future pioneers!
This time, even Li Yunpeng and every student in the room grasped the gravity of the situation.
They might not understand the deeper implications, but Wu Gong’s near-meltdown spoke volumes.
For a Maga Academy elite instructor to lose his composure over a student’s theory meant Su Qi’s work had surpassed all expectations.
And the one who’d interrupted it all—Li Yunpeng…
Dozens of eyes, some bewildered, others gleeful, converged on the man at the door.
Li Yunpeng’s scalp prickled.
He finally realized he might’ve just committed an irreversible blunder.
But he still didn’t get it.
So what if it was a theory about absorbing Origin Crystals faster?
By how much?
One percent? Two?
And without verification, who knew if there’d be side effects?
Sure, even a single percentage increase in Origin Energy absorption efficiency was a big deal.
But there’d been theories before that boosted absorption at the cost of severe drawbacks.
Haste makes waste—surely Wu Gong knew that?
He stepped into the classroom.
Before he could speak, Wu Gong growled under his breath: "Get out."
Just one word.
Wu Gong had already dismissed him, instead fixing Su Qi with a begging stare.
"Please, just write something, anything…"
On one side—a baffled combat instructor.
On the other—a deranged theory professor.
Yet Su Qi just held the pen, unmoving.
Wu Gong finally snapped completely.
It seemed like his high blood pressure was acting up—his body swayed unsteadily, barely able to stand.
"Right..."
"Right... there are surveillance cameras in the classroom..."
"Even if the footage isn't high quality... it's better than nothing."
With that, he was about to dash out of the classroom, even skipping the lesson.
As he reached the doorway, he suddenly turned back: "Don’t let anyone leave before I return!"
He issued a stern warning to Li Yunpeng.
But it was this very turn that revealed something horrifying.
The ‘Baldy’ was stunned to discover that the imperceptible particles of source energy within the crystal were being violently drawn toward the young man on the podium, as if pulled by some terrifying force, forming tiny swirling currents!
Su Qi’s body had transformed into a black hole, voraciously devouring energy!
The other students, being far weaker, barely noticed—only sensing a slight increase in air movement.
But as an experienced Card Wielder and master of theory, ‘Baldy’ was acutely sensitive to the flow of source energy!
He could clearly "see" the torrent of energy converging around Su Qi, intensifying by the second!
This wasn’t absorption—
This was outright plunder!
Crack.
A crisp sound pierced the silence of the classroom.
The once-pristine first-tier source crystal on the podium had now crumbled into a pile of dull, transparent dust.
Su Qi finally opened his eyes, looking at the utterly dumbstruck ‘Baldy’ with just the right hint of confusion.
"Teacher..."
"Are you sure this source crystal was genuine?"
"It felt... a little too flimsy?"
[Delight +9999]
The classroom remained deathly silent.
But this time, it wasn’t out of fear from Wu Gong’s earlier outburst—it was sheer, speechless awe.
Li Yunpeng stood frozen, mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg.
As a combat instructor and a tenth-tier Card Wielder, he knew exactly what this meant.
The class had only been going for thirty minutes.
So this student had absorbed an entire first-tier source crystal in just half an hour?!
Even at his full strength, Li Yunpeng would need at least ten minutes to do the same.
Sure, he was faster—but at what level?
And Su Qi was just a seventh-tier freshman!
People always said that anyone plucked from Magic Card Academy was a genius.
But this wasn’t genius.
This was monstrous!
No—even monsters couldn’t pull this off!
This was... revolutionary!
Li Yunpeng’s mind went blank with a deafening buzz.
Now he understood.
Now he knew why Wu Gong had called him "Great Xia’s greatest sinner."
Interrupting a miracle like this—if Su Qi couldn’t replicate it—no amount of atonement would ever be enough.
Cold sweat drenched his back in an instant.
Wu Gong trembled—not from fear, but from overwhelming excitement.
His gaze at Su Qi was no longer that of a teacher looking at a student.
He was staring at a living monument, a deity about to usher in a new era!
In the blink of an eye, ‘Baldy’ teleported right in front of Su Qi.
"Can you replicate it?"
"How universally applicable is it?"
"When did you come up with this absorption method?"
"How long have you been using it?"
"Any physical side effects?"
"What if—"
Blah blah blah.
‘Baldy’ fired off questions like a machine gun, harder to suppress than an AK.
Meanwhile, Su Qi calmly brushed the pile of crystal dust off the podium as if it were nothing more than a nuisance.
"Dunno."
"Just something I figured out on my own."
"Guess it’s a bit faster than the usual source energy absorption?"
His soft-spoken words landed like a sledgehammer on everyone’s hearts.
A bit faster?!
Absorbing a first-tier crystal in three minutes was just a bit faster?!
What made it worse was—
You knew he was showing off, but you couldn’t even call him out on it!
Because this was next-level insanity.
Undeniably legendary!
"Don’t be modest, kid. ‘A bit faster’ doesn’t cut it..."
"You should measure this in multiples."
Su Qi had been waiting for this exact reaction—a perfect setup for his next move: "Wait, seriously? That much? Damn, I’m that good?"
"Legendary, no doubt... But at your age, with achievements like this, you can afford to be proud—just don’t overdo it. Once word gets out, people will be lining up to praise you."
"They won’t be lining up. I live in the slums—narrow alleys, terrible conditions. Can’t fit that many people at once."
Wu Gong: "..."
That’s what you’re focusing on?!
Seizing the moment, Su Qi doubled down—commitment was key in acting: "Honestly, I was just curious. Not trying to take credit."
"Otherwise, wouldn’t I have reported this to the authorities already?"
Wu Gong’s expression sharpened.
Now this was serious.
He had a point...
Why hadn’t he reported something this groundbreaking?
Su Qi explained: "My parents died in a source energy disaster when I was young. Grew up dirt poor, with a little sister to feed. I’ve been working odd jobs while attending the academy—no energy left to watch how others train."
"Also, I’m technically an auditor. This is my second stint here. The first time, I got injured in a source realm and had to drop out. Didn’t interact much with my roommates either."
"And damn, the cost of living in Magic City is insane... Spent all yesterday hunting for a place. Lucky an old man near the academy’s bamboo grove took pity—only charged me 1,000 for rent, no deposit."
"That’s why I was so exhausted this morning. Wasn’t slacking off on purpose."
‘Baldy’ was on the verge of tears.
It all made sense now.
So many prodigies came from nothing.
Hardship was the forge of greatness.
While they researched theories in labs...
This kid was fighting just to survive.
How could they even compare?
"Great Xia has failed you!"
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
