I'll go check the gap.

On the screen, the battle ended abruptly.

One moment, the [Earthrend Bear] was still tearing through the chaotic crowd.

The next, it had turned into a charred corpse billowing black smoke.

Lin Xiao took a step forward, leaning slightly as he stared at the girl in the footage who had walked aside alone, her face slightly pale from the sudden burst of exertion.

He muttered to himself, his voice tinged with intrigue: "To find a weak point in such a short time despite its defenses and directly incinerate its nerve center—what precise control, what decisive judgment."

"This feels passable."

"Both her combat experience and her timing are remarkably seasoned."

"Lin-ge, see? I told you!" Wu Gong’s anxiety vanished in an instant, replaced by a grin as he straightened his back.

Lin Xiao shot him a glance before turning back to the screen, his tone still icy.

"The result is decent, but wipe that smile off your face. This was a team hunt."

"Not a solo performance."

"My admiration for her individual skill has nothing to do with teamwork."

"If she hadn’t intervened, at least two of those idiots would’ve been severely injured—if not dead."

"This kind of victory is luck, not inevitability. Relying on luck is a fatal mistake on the battlefield."

The nearby clerk promptly added a new remark to Yun Huang’s record:

[Ability: High-tier Pyrokinesis (unique properties), excels in pinpoint burst damage and decapitation strikes. Evaluation: High tactical value, but team coordination requires further assessment.]

Wu Gong’s smile froze. Inwardly, he cursed Su Qi for the nine-hundredth time.

We agreed this was just a formality to buff your credentials—why stir up trouble?

Even if your Source cultivation method is impressive, it’s only been a month!

How could one month possibly lead to a qualitative leap?

If the initial score falls below the team’s projected baseline, making up the difference later will be hell.

---

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Everyone stared at the fallen Earthrend Bear, then at Yun Huang, who had quietly sat down to recover. Their expressions were a mix of shock and stung pride.

"Ahem… just luck," Li Ran broke the silence, his voice dry. "That beast was already tied up by us. She just took the chance to sneak attack."

Though his words were defiant, he knew the truth—even if the bear had stood still, he couldn’t have delivered a killing blow as cleanly as Yun Huang.

Liu Feiyu adjusted his glasses and stepped forward, his face grim.

"I warned you it was risky! This was pure luck. What if Yun Huang didn’t have that ability? Or if she’d missed? Have you thought about the consequences?"

"That’s bullshit! She didn’t miss, did she?" Li Ran retorted, neck stiff. "A win’s a win. Stop with the what-ifs."

"This isn’t about winning! It’s about coordination! You acted on your own, threw off everyone’s rhythm. Maybe you should just leave the team—"

"Enough."

Yun Huang’s voice cut through, soft but absolute. The arguing ceased instantly.

She opened her eyes, her cool gaze sweeping over them.

"If you’re here to fight,"

"then by all means, continue."

With that, she closed her eyes again, shutting them all out.

A single sentence shattered their illusions.

Li Ran’s face flushed crimson. He wanted to argue but found himself speechless.

Liu Feiyu exhaled deeply, exhaustion weighing on him.

Looking at his so-called teammates—each lost in their own insecurities—he felt a wave of helplessness.

How am I supposed to lead this team?

---

Behind the waterfall, inside the cave.

Su Qi pried his little sister’s restless hands off him.

"Inferiority? Why would they feel inferior? Aren’t everyone at Magi-Card Academy supposed to be prodigies?" Liu Yuan sprawled beside the lounge chair, baffled.

"Prodigies?" Su Qi snorted, rolling onto his side for comfort.

"You think everyone’s like your genius brother here?"

"They’re not."

Half-lidded, his voice was lazy but razor-sharp.

"It’s not that they lack talent or resources. Their hearts are just… hollow."

Liu Yuan blinked, still not quite following.

"Let me put it this way," Su Qi switched to simpler terms. "If you aced your exam, I’d buy you a new phone as a reward, right?"

"But what if I were filthy rich—the world’s wealthiest man—and you flunked? I’d still buy you the latest phone and say, ‘Don’t cry.’ What’s that called?"

Liu Yuan—hypothetical sister of the world’s richest man—pondered. "That’s… compensation?"

"Exactly. Compensation."

"Everything they’ve gotten was handed to them, not earned. It’s their families saying, ‘You’ll never match your siblings, but here, take this so you don’t embarrass us.’"

"Since childhood, their ears have been filled with: ‘Why can’t you be like your brother?’ ‘If only you were half as capable as your sister.’"

"The harder they try to prove themselves, the clearer it becomes—the gap between them and their radiant siblings is insurmountable."

"Over time, their spirit erodes. Their pride? A brittle shell, shattered by the slightest touch."

"So they avoid risks, shirk responsibility, and can’t even believe they deserve to win. Deep down, they’re convinced they’re unworthy."

Su Qi’s tone was detached, as if discussing strangers.

Liu Yuan fell silent for a long while.

Studying her brother’s profile, she whispered, "They’re… pitiful."

"Not really. Their birth alone makes them luckier than most."

"Countless people would kill to trade places with them—inferiority complex and all. Hell, some would eat dirt for the chance."

Su Qi shrugged. "A pack of self-doubters won’t shake the world."

"Then why pick them?"

"Oh! I get it! Brother plans to make them surpass their siblings—that’ll show how amazing you are!"

Su Qi deadpanned. "No. Just no. I didn’t even choose them."

Honestly, had he known their backgrounds, he’d have demanded replacements from the baldy (Elder Feng).

He’d only learned these details recently, after receiving brief dossiers on his team.

One glance, and his head throbbed.

No wonder, out of forty-something candidates, only these nine remained.

They were handpicked—the "discount bin" of elites.

Only those stuck in such "awkward positions" would cling to delusions about a so-called "shortcut cultivation method."

"Still, better than a pack of arrogant lone wolves. At least sheep are easier to herd."

Otherwise, Elder Feng would’ve swapped them out already.

Liu Yuan listened, half-convinced yet sensing something off.

"So… we’re really just gonna nap here for three days?"

She still refused to give up.

"Otherwise?" Su Qi retorted. "Wait until they widen the score gap, then we swoop in to save the day—wouldn’t that make me look even more impressive?"

"..."

Liu Yuan was left speechless.

She realized her brother’s way of thinking was truly different from normal people.

"Alright, stop arguing. I’m going to sleep," Su Qi said, pulling a blanket over himself. "If you’re bored, go play by the cave entrance. Don’t wander too far. You can treat this as a trip to the Origin Realm, but remember, it’s not a tourist spot."

Within two and a half minutes, steady breathing echoed through the cave.

Liu Yuan stared at her brother, who had genuinely fallen asleep, puffing her cheeks in frustration.

She stomped her foot but ultimately couldn’t bring herself to disturb him.

After all, Su Qi rarely woke up this early.

Grumbling, she walked to the cave entrance alone, idly kicking at the water with her toes.

Fine, sleep all you want. By noon, she’d bite this annoying brother awake.

...

"Brother Lin, should I... go talk to them?"

Wu Gong ventured cautiously.

The team was falling apart. If this continued, they’d be at the bottom of the rankings by the end of the first day.

Lin Xiao didn’t answer. Instead, he picked up the communicator, his voice cold and firm.

"Thunderhawk Squad, respond."

A crisp voice immediately replied, "Thunderhawk copies. Awaiting orders."

"Move fifteen kilometers toward your three o’clock direction, coordinates 344, 581."

Lin Xiao spoke deliberately.

"There’s a competing team there. Make sure you ‘bump into’ them."

"After that, at 341.571, you’ll find an eighth-tier intermediate [Froststorm Sabertooth]."

"Eliminate it within ten minutes."

"Oh, and when you ‘coincidentally’ meet that team, casually mention you’re in a hurry to hunt an eighth-tier intermediate creature."

"Understood!"

The transmission ended.

Wu Gong’s face paled instantly.

Froststorm Sabertooth?

That was one of the apex predators of the eighth-tier Origin Realm, notorious for its speed and explosive power. Even elite squads struggled against it.

Sending military elites to hunt it was one thing, but why did it have to be near Su Qi’s team?

This was clearly meant to provoke them.

"Brother Lin, isn’t this... too harsh?"

Beads of sweat formed on Wu Gong’s forehead.

"They’re already demoralized. If they see the military elites in action, they might... completely lose confidence."

Lin Xiao finally turned to look at him, his gaze sharp enough to make Wu Gong swallow the rest of his words.

"Confidence?"

Lin Xiao sneered.

"That flimsy thing built on luck and infighting—you call that confidence?"

"I want them to see what real combat looks like. To understand that their pathetic pride is worthless in the face of absolute strength and ironclad teamwork."

He turned back to the screen.

"You don’t know if it’s a mule or a horse until you take it for a run."

"I don’t want greenhouse flowers. I want to see if they’ll rot when trampled into the mud—or if they can bloom again."

Wu Gong opened his mouth but couldn’t muster a response. He could only silently mourn for those poor students.

...

The team fell into an eerie silence after Yun Huang’s words.

They hadn’t come here to argue.

They wanted to prove themselves.

But how?

Su Qi had run off. The bald guy had too.

Were they supposed to do it alone?

If they could prove themselves on their own, would they even be in this state?

Li Ran sat in the corner, his expression dark, lost in thought.

Liu Feiyu kept wiping his glasses, his brow furrowed.

The others didn’t dare make a sound.

Amid the suffocating tension, hurried footsteps approached from a distance.

Rustle, rustle...

Liu Feiyu jerked his head up. The others instantly tensed, assuming defensive stances.

Soon, ten figures in standard combat uniforms emerged from the trees.

Their movements were disciplined, their aura sharp and lethal—a world apart from the students.

The leader, a young man, glanced at them, then at the corpse of the Shatterclaw Bear on the ground, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

He stepped forward, greeting them with casual familiarity.

"Hey, not bad, students. From the Arcane Card Academy, right?"

"A seventh-tier intermediate Shatterclaw Bear, taken down right after entering the Origin Realm? Impressive. You’re better than we were back then."

The praise didn’t lift their spirits. Instead, it burned their cheeks with shame.

Better?

They knew exactly how messy and lucky that fight had been.

Just then, the squad’s stern-faced captain frowned and barked,

"Enough chatter! The Froststorm Sabertooth is getting away!"

The young man immediately straightened. "Moving out!"

With an apologetic nod, he rejoined the formation.

Without another word, the ten turned and left.

...Froststorm Sabertooth?

The name hit the students like a hammer.

An eighth-tier early-stage Origin Realm creature.

The worst part? Nine of those ten were seventh-tier early-stage, just like them. Only the captain was seventh-tier intermediate.

If Yun Huang’s strength was comparable to their captain’s...

Then their team’s overall power was nearly identical.

Yet while they’d barely scraped by against a seventh-tier intermediate Shatterclaw Bear, these soldiers were already targeting an eighth-tier beast?

The gap was suffocating.

Liu Feiyu’s lips moved, but no sound came out. He slid down against a tree trunk, his throat dry.

Li Ran slumped to the ground, his eyes vacant.

The others weren’t faring any better—heads bowed, spirits crushed, like wilted eggplants.

She stood up, dusting off her clothes, and glanced in the direction the military squad had vanished.

"If the gap’s too big, you just give up?"

"The competition just started."

"Funny. Did you think they were born this strong?"

Simple. Direct. Like a knife to the heart.

So what now?

Wallow in self-pity?

Quit on the spot?

Just then, a violent surge of origin energy erupted nearby—fierce, relentless, accompanied by screeching winds.

"I’m going to see that gap for myself."

...