I feel terrible all over It's like there are ants crawling on me.

This is nothing less than a gem buried in dust, a pearl cast before swine!

"A thousand a month—what kind of doghouse is that? How can you live in such conditions? The cultivation environment, safety measures, nutritional support—none of it is up to standard!"

The balding man grew angrier the more he spoke, furious at himself and at Great Xia's entire talent-scouting system.

"This is sheer madness!"

He couldn’t fathom how Su Qi had managed to develop such a groundbreaking Origin Essence Capture Method under such dire circumstances.

After all, Great Xia poured tens of billions in funding every year, along with hundreds of experts who had dedicated decades to this field, laboring tirelessly just to refine the method once every three to five years.

And each improvement was marginal—usually just two percent, sometimes even just one.

As absurd as it sounded, some people simply defied common sense.

A similar incident had occurred in the pre-civilization era.

A problem that had stumped the world for centuries was solved by a teenager in a single afternoon—treated as nothing more than a routine homework assignment.

"Parents lost in an Origin Realm upheaval..."

"With your level of talent, you should’ve qualified for a government stipend. Why did you have to work part-time?"

"And then, right after entering university, you suffered injuries so severe you had to drop out? Which academy was this? Do they just treat students as expendable?"

Su Qi waved it off. "It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s all in the past now. Doesn’t matter."

"The thousand-yuan rental is decent enough. If I can’t afford things in Demon City, I can just buy frozen dumplings online—five yuan covers a whole day."

But clearly, the balding man wasn’t about to let this slide.

If a prodigy like Su Qi were to perish prematurely due to such laughable negligence, who could possibly bear the responsibility?

Since Su Qi refused to elaborate, he wouldn’t press further.

But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t investigate on his own after class.

He’d drag these parasites of Great Xia into the light, no matter what.

"That’s not how it works..."

"Here’s what we’ll do. I have a vacant villa—whenever you’re ready, I’ll transfer it to your name."

"I’ll also secure a personal research grant for you. It’ll be deposited into your account at the start of every month."

"If you can’t afford things, that’s not your failing—it’s Demon City’s."

Su Qi promptly put on a convincingly flustered, overwhelmed expression.

"Ah? That... that’s too much. It’s too valuable. I can’t accept it..."

His acting was flawless—the perfect portrayal of a poor kid suddenly faced with unimaginable fortune, torn between shock and hesitation.

"You will! You absolutely will!" Wu Gong cut him off with an unyielding wave. "This is what you deserve! This is what Great Xia owes you!"

"Your contributions to Great Xia? Forget one villa—even ten, a hundred, would be justified!"

He was about to continue when the combat instructor clapped him on the shoulder.

"Old Wu... enough already. If he actually asked for a hundred, would you buy them?"

"A thousand a month, plus a back alley—think carefully about where that is..."

"He might not even want your villa."

The balding man finally caught on. "Right, right. Best not embarrass myself with that villa."

"That old man’s eye for talent is as sharp as ever..."

Su Qi: ...?

Since when did he not want it?

What did that old man’s prowess have to do with him?

And seriously, why was the security at the Arcane Card Academy so lax?

Were they just letting dogs into classrooms to bark?

This combat instructor—was there a single human sentence in his vocabulary?

Thankfully, Su Qi only took two spoonfuls of sugar in his coffee.

One more, and this instructor would’ve already crossed the line into "deserving death."

Why do you think Su Qi kept rambling about unrelated things?

Never mind.

This wasn’t the main issue anyway.

...

The balding man suddenly seized Su Qi’s wrist with a grip like iron, as if he were dragging him not to a lab but to a battlefield.

"We’re leaving now! Headquarters!"

"Class dismissed!"

He scanned the room, addressing the bewildered students with a sweeping gesture.

"Self-study! And keep your mouths shut about today."

"Every day we delay verifying whether this student’s Origin Flow Construction Method poses risks is another day Great Xia misses out on its benefits! This is for the nation, for the people—not a second to waste!"

Wu Gong had spiraled into a fervent, self-righteous frenzy.

He could already envision Great Xia’s glorious future, propelled by this technology to unparalleled heights.

And who knows? Maybe when future generations spoke of Su Qi, his name might be mentioned in passing.

But then, from the front row, a previously silent student stood up.

A young man with gold-rimmed glasses and an air of quiet refinement adjusted his frames, the lenses glinting coolly.

"Professor Wu, if I may."

His voice was calm, measured.

"Might we have the privilege of hearing the core principles of this Origin Flow Construction Method?"

Wu Gong halted mid-step, turning to glare at the student as if he were an upstart who didn’t know his place.

"Ridiculous!"

He dismissed it outright.

"This isn’t for your ears. The clearance level is too high—you lack the authority."

Another student, a tall, striking young woman, rose to her feet, her tone firm.

"Professor Wu, I’d also like to hear it..."

"Same here."

How many fools could make it into Demon City’s top academy?

And after watching the balding man rant like a madman for half the class, even a fool would recognize the value here.

Wu Gong’s patience wore thin.

"What do any of you understand? This isn’t something you can just dabble in. Your elders might qualify, but you? Try again in thirty years!"

Half-truth, half-sarcasm.

To him, these students were pampered seedlings, clueless about the weight of a national treasure like this.

Yet the moment he finished, the bespectacled boy wordlessly pulled out his phone.

No further argument. Just a direct call.

It connected instantly.

"Grandfather, it’s me."

"Yes, attending Professor Wu Gong’s lecture at the academy."

"There’s been a... development. A classmate seems to have proposed a revolutionary Origin Essence Capture theory. Professor Wu believes it’s... well, epoch-making."

His delivery was concise, methodical.

"Professor Wu says we’re unqualified to hear it, that only our elders would be. So I wanted your opinion."

A pause. Then, an aged voice rasped through the speaker:

"Child, how many times must I say it? Our Liu family doesn’t abuse privilege. Next time you bother me with such—"

The glasses-wearer interjected: "Tier Seven. Absorbed a Tier-One Origin Crystal in under three minutes."

"Grandson, what was it you needed? This old man’s memory... ah, age is a curse."

The boy repeated himself.

"Ah, it's good that my grandson loves learning. Then why don't you ask Wu Gong if I qualify? But we still need to follow procedure—have him send me the NDA to sign."

Almost simultaneously, several other students calmly pulled out their phones and made calls of their own.

"Hey, Dad..."

"Nonsense!"

"Seventh-tier, absorbing a first-tier source crystal in three minutes."

"But then again..."

...

"Uncle, it's me. I wanted to ask your advice on something..."

"I'm not your father—don't come to me for everything."

"Seventh-tier, three minutes, first-tier."

...

"Great-grandpa, it's me..."

"Who taught you this bureaucratic nonsense?"

"Seventh-tier, three minutes, source crystal."

"Listen! Listen well, then come back for your beating. I'll whip you myself—only then will you learn not to mess with these underhanded tricks."

...

The classroom atmosphere instantly turned eerie.

The once-rowdy lecture hall was now so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Only the hushed voices of those students negotiating over the phone remained.

Wu Gong's impatience froze on his face, morphing into stunned disbelief.

These brats were calling in reinforcements—right here, right now!

Before he could react, his own phone began vibrating wildly.

Fumbling to pull it out, the caller ID made his eyelid twitch uncontrollably.

[Ministry of Education, Modu - Minister Liu]

Wu Gong's hand trembled so badly he nearly dropped the phone.

Taking a shaky breath, he answered.

"H-hello... Minister Liu? You..."

"Xiao Wu, my grandson knows how to keep secrets. If you don't trust him, this old man will vouch for him."

"N-no, you misunderstand! That's not what I meant—"

Beads of cold sweat instantly dotted Wu Gong's forehead.

The call ended.

Before he could catch his breath, the phone rang again.

[Source Essence Research Institute - Director Li]

...

[Cardcraft Development Bureau - Chief Chen]

Wu Gong clutched his phone, hands trembling, his face cycling through shades of red, white, and green.

Those admitted to Modu Card Academy were no ordinary students.

And several in this classroom? Young masters and mistresses of influential families!

As a theory-focused academic, he was utterly unprepared for this onslaught.

Stiffly, he turned to Su Qi—the only person who'd remained unflustered throughout—with a look bordering on pleading.

"Um... classmate..."

"About this matter... perhaps you could... give them a brief explanation first?"

Internally, Su Qi was thrilled.

This had exceeded his wildest expectations.

Quietly amassing advantages was one thing, but in this world?

While strength decided battles, social savvy was equally indispensable.

The connections represented by these students far outweighed the value of a villa or research grants.

This was a ready-made network of influence...

More allies meant more paths forward—especially those with powerful backgrounds.

His gaze swept over the students staring at him with burning intensity.

"I... don't mind."

"If my fellow students won't judge my poor explanations... consider it friendship."

This was exactly what these students—and their elders—had maneuvered for.

Why?

Simple.

Once Su Qi's Sourceflow Construction Method was submitted:

First, hazard and applicability testing might take a year or two—even under urgent circumstances, at least six months.

Second, what eventually reached them would likely be a diluted version.

Not due to conspiracy theories, but sheer practicality—

Great Xia lacked enough source essence for unlimited distribution of this overwhelmingly potent method.

This was their only chance to access the original, unfiltered technique.

They tripped over themselves to appear humble:

"Judge you? Never!"

"Senior, would you... enlighten us?"

"Every word will be treasured."

Su Qi gave a slight nod.

"Very well."

As he prepared to speak, the balding professor remotely detonated the surveillance devices.

A privacy barrier shimmered into existence.

"Proceed now. Walls have... wait."

He then glared at the combat instructor: "You—out."

Li Yunpeng: "Me?"

"Who else? Are you qualified to listen? Should I make some calls?"

The combat instructor stormed off: "Fine! You win, you old centipede."

Su Qi began, his cadence measured:

"...By adapting array theory, I treat each node as a focal point. Controlling the sequence and intensity of sourceflow constructs a micro energy-gathering array in air."

"This array not only increases single-channel capacity but also guides essence along preset paths with minimal loss—like building reinforced riverbanks. They contain the torrent while directing its power precisely where needed."

"Furthermore..."

"...Advanced applications leverage elemental cycles. Water nourishes wood, wood feeds fire—through strategic alignment, we create cascading amplification..."

His words opened an entirely new paradigm.

Su Qi's insights into sourceflow dynamics and array synergies shattered conventional understanding.

The room held only his voice and the frantic scratching of pens on paper.

Every student hung on each syllable, terrified of missing a nuance.

Even the professor abandoned his lectern, hunched in the front row scribbling in a half-empty notebook.

After covering about one-third of Sourceflow Construction's fundamentals, the bell rang. Su Qi stopped mid-sentence.

The class erupted.

The bespectacled boy shot up first: "Teacher, please continue! The multi-circuit synchronization and backlash suppression—it's unbearable! I feel ants crawling under my skin!"

A brawny student bellowed: "Exactly! Your theory revolutionizes spiritual energy circulation! We beg you—finish the lecture!"

"Godlike! Absolute genius!"

Pleas and praises flooded in.

Even the professor clutched his notes hesitantly: "Teacher... just a bit more?"

Su Qi: "Class dismissed. Good teachers never overrun."

Everyone: ?!?!