What's it to you

Su Qi sidestepped to avoid Elder Feng's bow.

Holy shit, he was just putting on a casual act—why was the old man going this far?

He reached out to steady the elder's arm, his usual lazy demeanor returning to his face, mixed with a hint of exasperation.

"Elder Feng."

He sighed.

"This bow of yours—I don’t deserve it."

Elder Feng straightened up with Su Qi’s support.

The deep lines on his face showed no trace of embarrassment, only an unprecedented solemnity.

"This bow isn’t for you as an individual."

The elder’s voice was steady and firm, each word resonating from his chest.

"It’s for the conviction to ‘carry forward the wisdom of past sages,’ for the grand aspiration to ‘pave the way for eternal peace.’"

"This bow, you do deserve."

He turned away from Su Qi, shifting his gaze to Wu Gong, who stood frozen like stone.

"I have urgent matters to attend to—I must leave now."

"From now on, report everything to me. Don’t decide for yourself what’s important or not."

Wu Gong stiffened, his back straightening instantly, sweat trickling down his temple.

"Yes, sir!"

Only then did Elder Feng look back at Su Qi, the sharpness in his eyes softening into warmth.

"Child, I know you’re exhausted. Get some proper rest."

"The foundational logic of the ‘Sourceflow Construction Method’—I’ll come for it personally tomorrow. It’s the cornerstone of the entire plan."

"Great Xia’s finest minds will immediately form a dedicated research institute to assist you in refining and extrapolating it."

Su Qi waved a hand dismissively, as if it were nothing.

"I’ll sort it out later and write it down for you."

He walked to the bed and flopped down, sinking into the mattress.

The grand narrative, the weighty responsibility—it all seemed tossed aside without a second thought.

Right now, he was just a young man pushed to his limits, on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.

Seeing him like this, Elder Feng’s expression grew even more complex.

Admiration, concern, and above all, deep respect.

He knew Su Qi wasn’t indifferent—he had already staked everything on that grand vision.

Compared to that, any formalities or courtesies were superfluous.

"Very well."

Elder Feng nodded.

"Rest properly."

He took one last long look at the young man sprawled on the bed, then turned and left the room, leading the still shell-shocked Wu Gong behind him.

Yun Huang remained standing where she was, unmoving.

Her emotions were like a lake struck by a boulder, its surface still unsettled.

Outside the door, Elder Feng’s voice, though hushed, carried clearly.

"Send all the best nutritional and restorative agents from the base here."

"Make it happen."

"Yes, sir!"

Footsteps faded into the distance.

The room was left with only the steady rhythm of Su Qi’s breathing, Yun Huang still standing there, and Liu Yuan, who had been sitting quietly at the head of the bed the whole time, hugging her knees and watching everything with wide eyes.

Yun Huang stared at the back of the seemingly asleep figure on the bed. Inside her, the newly formed "canal" flowed slowly.

With each cycle, her understanding of power deepened.

She could feel herself growing stronger at an astonishing rate.

Yet the joy of this growth was drowned by an even greater emotion.

If she had this power to rely on…

That day wouldn’t be far off…

She walked to the door, her hand pausing on the handle for a moment.

"Thank you."

She murmured the words, unsure if they were heard, then pulled the door open and stepped out.

…

Yun Huang walked slowly, her thoughts in turmoil.

Predestined champion, an unrepeatable miracle, a new foundation for cultivation, paving the way for eternal peace…

These phrases relentlessly battered the worldview she’d built over eighteen years.

Rounding a corner, she saw her teammates waiting up ahead.

Li Ran, Liu Feiyu, and the other squad members stood there.

The moment they noticed her coming from the direction of Su Qi’s resting area, their expressions turned strange.

Especially Li Ran—his face darkened, fists clenched so tight his knuckles cracked.

"He… didn’t do anything to you, did he?"

His voice was low, simmering with suppressed anger.

To him, Yun Huang’s long absence and dazed expression could only mean something bad had happened.

"None of your business."