Regardless of yesterday, not speaking of tomorrow, just today, Su Qi embodies a gentleman.

Su Qi opened his mouth, but the word "sorry" stuck in his throat. He looked at Yun Huang, whose clear eyes held no particular emotion—it didn’t seem like she was being spiteful. It was more like she was stating an indisputable fact.

The atmosphere around them grew even more tense because of her words.

Li Ran twisted his lips as if trying to smile, but the movement tugged at the wounds on his face, contorting his features in pain. He didn’t look at Su Qi again, instead lowering his gaze to his own hands, battered and stained with blood.

The others also avoided Su Qi’s eyes.

Right.

They were here to leave behind their cowardly selves—the ridiculous versions of themselves who pretended to have no way out when they actually did.

What did it have to do with whether Su Qi was here or not?

Slowly, Su Qi lowered the arm he had raised to steady his younger sister and stood straight on his own. Though the hollow weakness in his legs still made them tremble, he remained upright.

He did feel a little ashamed, but not much.

They were all adults. They should know what they were doing.

He wasn’t obligated to babysit everyone.

Su Qi simply watched the nine people before him calmly.

Then, he nodded.

"Understood."

...

Lin Xiao observed everything without comment.

Only after the medics had treated everyone and confirmed there were no lingering physical risks did he speak again.

"Alright."

Seeing that the teams had mostly recovered, he said, "All participating squads, follow me."

Lin Xiao led the seven teams through the heavily guarded base to a massive metal warehouse.

"This is the logistics depot."

"All the cultivation resources you’ll need for the next month will be distributed from here."

"Seventh-tier Source Realm cultivators normally don’t rely too much on external aids, but given the current circumstances, the military has prepared Source Crystals for you."

The thick alloy doors slid open, revealing neatly stacked crates of supplies inside.

The most eye-catching were the Source Crystals, stored in transparent containers and emitting a soft glow. Each one pulsed with refined energy.

"How many do you need?" Lin Xiao asked the team at the top of the rankings.

Their captain stepped forward, somewhat hesitant. "Instructor Lin, we... fifty should be enough."

Lin Xiao nodded.

A reasonable number. Even if they didn’t use them all within a month, they could still rely on them for emergency energy replenishment while hunting Source Realm creatures later.

"Next team."

Another squad approached. "Instructor, we’ll take fifty as well."

They might not need that many, but if everyone else was taking fifty, wouldn’t they be at a disadvantage if they didn’t?

Of course, there were also those from wealthy backgrounds who didn’t care as much. "Thirty will do for us. Any more would just go to waste."

When it was Zhao Teng’s team’s turn, he glanced at Yun Huang’s squad nearby and gritted his teeth. "We want eighty!"

Lin Xiao remained expressionless, simply motioning for the logistics officer to record it.

Soon, it was Su Qi’s turn.

Lin Xiao’s gaze lingered on him for an extra second.

"And you? How many does your team need?"

Su Qi raised a hand and held up a single finger.

Lin Xiao’s brow lifted slightly. "A hundred?"

That was already pushing the limit.

Zhao Teng immediately scoffed in disdain.

Others from the other teams also turned to stare.

A frail-looking captain leading a team that had barely scraped their way up by gambling with their lives—and now asking for so many resources? It was downright greedy.

Lin Xiao considered for a moment before nodding. "Fine. It’s a bit excessive, but given your team’s circumstances, I’ll approve it."

After all, if this team was determined to catch up, burning through extra resources was understandable.

He was about to order the logistics officer to fetch them when Su Qi spoke again.

"I want a thousand."

The entire warehouse entrance fell dead silent.

Even the logistics officer, poised to record the number, froze.

Everyone stared at Su Qi as if he were insane.

A thousand?

Did he even know what that meant?

On the market, a standard Source Crystal fluctuated around thirty thousand Da Xia coins.

Even if the military had its own procurement channels, a thousand would still amount to roughly twenty million.

This wasn’t cultivation anymore—this was treating Source Crystals like meals or dissolving them in bathwater.

Zhao Teng was the first to burst out laughing. "What, you think you’ve got no shot at the rankings, so you’re trying to cash out and run?"

"Are you out of your mind?"

Hearing this, even Lin Xiao found the possibility plausible.

His expression instantly darkened.

He fixed his eyes on Su Qi.

"You’re sure?"

"How many?"

"A thousand."

Su Qi repeated it, his tone unchanged.

Lin Xiao took a step forward, and an oppressive weight pressed down on Su Qi.

Liu Yuan, standing beside him, paled at the pressure and instinctively hid behind Su Qi.

"Military resources aren’t for jokes."

"But since you dared to ask."

"I’ll dare to give them to you. The Da Xia can afford this expense."

"But you’ll be held accountable for your words."

"You must ensure every single Source Crystal is used to improve your team’s strength."

"If, after a month, I find that you and your team haven’t demonstrated progress worthy of a thousand Source Crystals..."

"The consequences..."

Lin Xiao left the threat hanging.

"If you have no objections, I’ll have them recorded for you."

"They’ll be delivered immediately."

The implied threat sent a chill through every trainee present.

When the military spoke of "consequences," it was never just a slap on the wrist.

Su Qi remained unfazed. "Fine."

A single word, crisp and firm.

No explanation, no promises—just acceptance.

Lin Xiao studied him deeply before finally waving a hand.

"Mark it down."

"A thousand."

The logistics officers exchanged glances but, under their superior’s orders, drove small forklifts to haul out three massive alloy crates from the depths of the warehouse.

BANG!

The three crates landed in a row before the crowd with a heavy thud.

The sound reverberated in everyone’s chests.

They stared at the crates, then at Su Qi’s impassive face, their expressions twisting with disbelief.

Li Ran’s facial muscles twitched.

Liu Feiyu adjusted his taped-up glasses.

Seriously?

A hundred per person on average?

More than some entire squads combined?

Lin Xiao ignored the three crates entirely.

He turned, his voice returning to its usual sternness.

"Alright, the Source Crystals have been distributed."

"Follow me. I’ll take you to the dedicated training grounds."

He led the group deeper into the base.

"When absorbing Source energy, know your limits. This isn’t some lab rat experiment."

"Your bodies are your own. Don’t push recklessly beyond what you can handle..."

Lin Xiao continued explaining precautions as they walked, his tone steady, betraying no emotion.

A month was too short.

Normally speaking, it was nearly impossible to bring about a qualitative leap in the strength of these trainees.

That’s why he came up with this method of concentrating resources and utilizing a special training ground to forcibly catalyze their growth, widening the gap between them.

It was urgent. Brutal, even.

But that wasn’t his concern. His job was simply to follow orders.

The three crates containing a thousand Origin Crystals were carried by logistics personnel, trailing behind Yun Huang’s squad, their metal surfaces scraping against each other with a grating sound.

The trainees from other squads could no longer hold back.

“Is he insane? He actually dared to ask for that much?”

“And Instructor Lin Xiao actually agreed?”

“Let’s just wait and see. A month from now, I want to see how he plans to deal with the fallout.”

Meanwhile, Liu Feiyu adjusted the broken glasses held together by tape on the bridge of his nose.

His mind was racing through calculations.

A thousand Origin Crystals, divided among ten people—that meant a hundred per person.

For a seventh-tier early-stage Origin practitioner, absorbing the energy of a single standard Origin Crystal without any assistance would take at least two to three days to fully digest.

Any more, and the body would reach saturation, even risking energy backlash.

It wasn’t just about capturing Origin Essence.

They also had to convert it into spiritual energy.

And as it happened, Su Qi’s teachings had skipped over the part about spiritual energy conversion.

So, for their squad, under normal circumstances…

Even if they trained nonstop for a month, they’d be lucky to absorb a hundred and twenty crystals.

Meaning, the "Origin Flow Construction Method" would have to demonstrate at least eight times the efficiency of the "Origin Essence Capture Method" to make it feasible.

Of course, that was just theory.

In reality, he figured three times would be enough.

They had already reached that point.

The Origin Crystals didn’t even matter anymore.

Even if they wasted ten thousand, it would still be an earth-shattering achievement.

Soon, the group arrived before a massive domed structure.

The building was constructed entirely from black, special-grade stone, its surface engraved with intricate patterns.

“Don’t get too excited. No matter how much the Great Xia values this project, they wouldn’t dedicate this much manpower and resources just to build a training facility for you alone.”

“This is an eleventh-tier special card—‘Dragon’s Den Enlightenment.’”

“Activating it each time consumes a considerable amount of resources. Consider yourselves lucky.”

Lin Xiao came to a stop.

“Inside, it can simulate varying levels of pressure, helping you absorb Origin Crystal energy faster while tempering both body and spirit.”

“Once each squad enters, maintain your distance, don’t disturb others, and choose a suitable pressure level.”

“Remember—as always, know your limits.”

His gaze swept over everyone before lingering on Su Qi for a brief moment.

“Alright, dismissed.”

“After all, you’re not my soldiers.”

“Making you train in this state would be inhumane.”

“Go to the rest area and clean up.”

“At this time tomorrow, the second phase officially begins.”

With that, he turned and left without hesitation.

Yet before he could take two steps, a voice called out from behind.

“Hold on!”

It was Su Qi.

He stopped Lin Xiao in his tracks.

The squads, just about to disperse for rest, froze mid-step, their attention snapping back to the scene.

Lin Xiao turned around, his expression unreadable.

“What is it?”

Su Qi pointed at the three massive alloy crates.

“Are my Origin Crystals safe if I leave them in your training ground?”

Lin Xiao’s face visibly darkened.

He stared at Su Qi, enunciating each word.

“Your Origin Crystals?”

“These are public cultivation resources provided by the military for all squads. If your team can’t use them all, other squads can apply to requisition the surplus at any time.”

“Just a figure of speech, don’t mind the details.” Su Qi waved a hand dismissively. “I’m just asking if this place is secure.”

Lin Xiao’s chest rose and fell once before he suppressed his anger.

“Absolutely secure.”

“No one in the military base would dare to entertain inappropriate thoughts.”

Only after receiving this assurance did Su Qi nod in satisfaction, turning to the logistics soldiers.

“Gentlemen, could you help carry my crates of Origin Crystals inside?”

The soldiers glanced at Lin Xiao.

After receiving his nod, they stepped forward and hauled the three heavy crates through the gates of the "Dragon’s Den Enlightenment."

At this point, no one had anything left to say.

Each person retreated with complicated thoughts, heading to the rest area to wash up and recover from days of exhaustion.

Su Qi’s squad members also walked past him in silence, none of them speaking to him.

Just then, Su Qi spoke again.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly to every ear.

“Yun Huang.”

The woman at the front of the group stopped and turned back.

“After you’ve cleaned up, come find me.”

The air instantly froze.

The trainees who had just started moving again stiffened in place, staring at Su Qi with expressions caught between disbelief and morbid fascination.

Some couldn’t hold back, bursting into outright laughter—the kind that reveled in impending chaos.

“Holy shit… Trying to pull a power move on a female teammate right in front of everyone? Zero shame.”

“Well, he is the second-ranked captain. Guess some privileges come with the title.”

“Tsk tsk. What an interesting squad.”

Good grief.

This captain—first reeking of embezzlement, now oozing the stench of that kind of "special treatment"?

What a character.

Someone ought to investigate his family tree for three generations back!

The rest of Yun Huang’s squad looked even more disgusted.

Li Ran’s recently treated wounds seemed to ache again as he clenched his fists, glaring at Su Qi like he wanted to tear him apart.

Honestly, Yun Huang was a comrade they’d fought alongside.

Even if there wasn’t any romantic interest, there was at least some camaraderie between them.

How could they just let this slide?

…

Su Qi felt a little wronged.

What the hell was wrong with these people?

See an arm and immediately imagine the rest of the body—

For heaven’s sake, he just wanted to give her some private tutoring!

The others had already heard his explanations on the Origin Flow Construction Method, but Yun Huang hadn’t learned it yet.

Was it so wrong to teach her separately and maybe slip in a little extra?

Did they have to jump to the dirtiest conclusions?

Was he that kind of person?

What?

You say he is that kind of person?

Bullshit.

Look at his pale face right now and dare to repeat that.

Forget yesterday. Ignore tomorrow.

Just today.

Even the most virtuous saint in history couldn’t hold a candle to him.