No Playing With Other Sisters

He seemed to have been flipped like a switch, suddenly launching into a fervent recitation of praises, his voice growing increasingly impassioned, his expression ever more devout.

Su Qi’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Enough. Stop singing," Su Qi interrupted impatiently. "It’s grating."

The Golden Glasses Man’s voice cut off abruptly, like a duck whose neck had been wrung, leaving only a faint, wheezing gasp in his throat. His eyes widened in terror as Su Qi’s fingertip traced an arcane pattern in the air before him.

This wasn’t mere energy—it was a higher-dimensional "command."

In an instant, the Golden Glasses Man felt his mind become an open book, flipped through at will. Every memory, every thought, every secret spilled out uncontrollably before Su Qi.

[Memory extraction in progress…]

[Searching keywords: "Master," "Harbinger," "Gardener"…]

A flood of fragmented memories surged forth.

Scenes of reporting to a blurred silhouette in an opulent room.

Moments of receiving encrypted intelligence from the "Gardener."

And… the truth about the "Master."

It was no ancient deity.

Just some lucky fool who had stumbled upon "discarded scraps."

Yet those scraps had been enough to catapult him to the top.

This lucky fool had crowned himself the "Star-Stealer."

He’d gathered a band of equally disgruntled, ambitious misfits.

On one hand, they secretly bargained with creatures from the Source Realm for resources and power. On the other, they infiltrated the upper echelons of Great Xia, scheming to steal the nation’s core strength.

Their ultimate goal? A ritual to "anchor" the real world to a chosen Source Realm, allowing the "Star-Stealer" to break free from the Source’s constraints and reign over this land as a god.

"Star-Stealer…"

Su Qi digested the information, his expression unchanged—just mildly bored.

So, after all that, it was just some upstart who’d lucked into treasure, rallying a mob to play at rebellion.

He withdrew his finger, glancing down at the Golden Glasses Man, now utterly hollow-eyed.

The man’s soul had been ground to dust during the forced extraction. What remained was little more than a breathing husk.

Su Qi pondered for a moment, then conjured a card between his fingers.

[Card Name: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust]

[Type: Consumable]

[Rarity: Common]

[Energy Level: ? (Tier 1)]

[Effect: Accelerates the natural decomposition of organic matter.]

[Note: Environmentalism starts with me.]

With a flick, he sent the card flying.

It dissolved into a wisp of light, sinking into the Golden Glasses Man’s body.

In the next second, the finely tailored suit—and the body within—underwent a time-lapse decay spanning millennia. Skin, flesh, bone… all withered to ash in seconds, scattered by the night wind without a trace.

The process was silent, efficient, and eco-friendly.

Su Qi dusted off his hands with a light clap.

Turning, he melted back into the night, leaving only a sigh hanging in the air.

"Ugh. Now I have to hail a cab back."

…

3:00 AM.

The military command center still blazed with light.

Dr. Qin’s bloodshot eyes remained fixed on the steady data line displayed on the screen. He had already downed three cups of ultra-strong energy-boosting coffee, but the mental exhaustion refused to fade. It wasn’t fatigue—it was defeat.

Yun Huang’s cultivation speed was like a resounding slap to the face, shattering the worldview he had once prided himself on. The foundations of his understanding of the extraordinary were crumbling, piece by piece.

Nearby, Lin Xiao was also irritated.

But his annoyance stemmed from the fact that the guy who’d gone out for barbecue still hadn’t returned.

“Report!” A guard’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Su… Su Qi is back.”

Lin Xiao whipped his head around and sure enough, there was Su Qi sauntering in with his usual infuriatingly lazy demeanor, a plastic bag in hand, the rich aroma of cumin and chili oil wafting from it.

“Instructor Lin, still awake?” Su Qi greeted him cheerfully.

Lin Xiao’s eye twitched violently.

He could feel his blood pressure skyrocketing at a dangerous rate.

Su Qi, completely unbothered, lifted the bag and shook it. “Here, got you some. Wasn’t sure what you liked, so I just grabbed some beef tendon and chicken cartilage.”

The command center fell silent.

Every pair of eyes locked onto the greasy plastic bag in Su Qi’s hand, expressions ranging from disbelief to amusement.

Lin Xiao stared at the skewers of still-steaming barbecue being shoved toward him, his lips trembling for a long moment before he managed to choke out a single word.

He wanted to explode, to roar, to grab this guy by the collar and demand where the hell he thought they were.

But all that came out was a deep, resigned sigh.

Because, to his horror, he realized he actually kind of wanted to eat it.

“I—”

“Eat it while it’s hot.” Su Qi cut him off, shoving the skewers into his hands before casually plopping down in an empty seat nearby. He fished out a grilled lamb kidney from the bag and took a satisfied bite.

Lin Xiao looked down at the skewers in his hand, then up at Su Qi happily munching away, then back at the baffling data on the screen.

His brain felt like a tangled ball of yarn—utterly scrambled.

Finally, he took a deep breath, as if steeling himself, and shoved a piece of chicken cartilage into his mouth.

Crunchy.

And surprisingly delicious.

Su Qi chewed on his kidney skewer while pulling out his phone to check a previously ignored encrypted message from Elder Feng. He’d been too busy killing people to notice it earlier.

The message was short:

[Weeding in progress. The rotten roots run deeper than expected.]

He tossed the phone aside and went back to focusing on his barbecue.

Cleaning house was Elder Feng’s job. Su Qi was just a concerned citizen who’d provided a few clues—and collected a modest favor in return.

…

The storm, it seemed, had passed.

Over the next few days, training within the Source Realm resumed its usual rhythm.

The students continued to push themselves in the cultivation zones, fighting for points and rankings.

But something felt off.

Ever since that day, the ambient Source energy concentration in the cultivation zones had remained slightly below normal.

It wasn’t enough to hinder training, but the thinness of it lingered like a thorn in everyone’s side.

Especially for Li Ran, Liu Feiyu, and others, the sensation was most pronounced.

They discovered that no matter how hard they tried, their absorption efficiency had drastically declined, as if the purest energy in the air had been sucked away by some invisible black hole.

And the source of that black hole was something everyone silently understood.

Compartment No. 22.

Yun Huang’s name had become an inescapable shadow in the minds of all the advanced trainees.

They could only watch helplessly as Yun Huang’s cultivation progress skyrocketed at a rocket-like pace, leaving everyone far behind, not even a glimpse of her taillights in sight.

Jealousy?

Resentment?

Of course, such emotions existed.

But more than anything, it was a sense of powerlessness.

When the gap grew too vast, all that remained was awe.

As for the other protagonist of this storm, Su Qi, he had been completely forgotten.

His daily routine consisted of staying in the cave with his younger sister, Liu Yuan.

While Liu Yuan cultivated, he lounged on a recliner, either sleeping or playing on his phone.

When Liu Yuan got hungry, he would magically produce an assortment of snacks from who-knows-where to feed her.

He was like a parent accompanying their child to study, his leisurely demeanor utterly out of place in the tense atmosphere of the training camp.

Lin Xiao had somehow managed to locate this hidden spot behind the waterfall.

He had come twice, attempting to subtly probe for information about Yun Huang.

The first time, Su Qi was asleep and couldn’t be roused.

Lin Xiao’s professional ethics forbade him from disturbing someone’s slumber.

The second time, Su Qi claimed he was researching a revolutionary new set of calisthenics with miraculous effects on kidney health and vitality, asking if Lin Xiao wanted to learn it.

Lin Xiao left with a darkened expression.

After that, no one bothered the siblings again.

On this particular day, Liu Yuan awoke from her sleep.

She could feel her soul sea growing slightly stronger, the enhancement brought by the "Source Flow" slow yet incredibly steady, allowing her to clearly sense her progress every single day.

"Brother," she called softly, nudging Su Qi on the recliner.

"Hmm?" Su Qi opened his bleary eyes.

"I think… I might be about to reach the sixth rank," Liu Yuan murmured, her small face lit with tentative excitement.

From the third rank to now had taken only a few short months—a pace that could already be called genius.

"Not bad," Su Qi mumbled without even opening his eyes, merely rolling over as if searching for a more comfortable position to continue his nap.

Liu Yuan was long accustomed to his indifferent attitude.

Unbothered, she simply sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and began to steady her mind, preparing for that final breakthrough.

This time, she didn’t forcefully guide the "Source Flow" that had already merged with her being.

Instead, she emptied herself, sinking her consciousness into that vast soul sea.

Inside the cave, the faint energy mist swirling around her began to undergo a wondrous transformation. It was no longer just flowing aimlessly but started emitting a soft, moonlit glow.

The light wasn’t harsh—instead, it carried a gentle, almost jade-like warmth, enveloping Liu Yuan entirely.

The sound of the waterfall outside seemed to grow clearer and more melodious in that moment, even the droplets seeping from the cave walls slowing their descent, reflecting the soft luminescence.

There was no earth-shattering explosion of power, no terrifying vortex of energy surging inward.

Everything was so quiet it hardly seemed like a rank breakthrough at all.

It was more like a drop of water silently merging into the ocean.

A flower blooming naturally at just the right moment.

The sea of souls within Liu Yuan quietly surged past an invisible barrier, its surface rising steadily without a single ripple, yet expanding more than twice its original size.

Sixth rank—achieved.

She slowly opened her eyes, her already clear gaze now carrying an added spark of vitality.

The entire world felt different to her now.

"How does it feel?" Su Qi had sat up at some point, watching her with keen interest.

"It's... comfortable." Liu Yuan pondered for a while before settling on the most fitting word.

Su Qi nodded in satisfaction.

This was the true essence of the "Sourceflow Construction Method."

Not plunder, but resonance.

Not conquest, but harmony.

Yun Huang walked the path of dominance—twisting the rules to her will, forcibly claiming all energy for herself.

Liu Yuan, however, walked the path of sovereignty—resonating with heaven and earth, drawing all things to her naturally.

The former was swift and spectacular, but ultimately limited.

The latter was gradual and subtle, yet boundless in potential...

......

Observation Room.

"Dr. Qin, the energy readings in Zone 12 have shown a steady increase of 0.3%."

An assistant pointed at an inconspicuous corner of the data-filled screen. "This is worth noting."

Dr. Qin didn’t even glance away from the main display, waving dismissively without turning. "Normal fluctuations, ignore it. Rerun the energy cycle model for Zone 22! I refuse to believe it—how can her body withstand near 100% conversion efficiency? There must be a secret we’re missing!"

The assistant shrugged and said no more.

Everyone was used to it. In the presence of Yun Huang, the so-called "miracle," all other data paled in comparison.

......

"Still not back?"

Lin Xiao stared at the empty bed in Booth 23, his cheek twitching uncontrollably.

Today was the final day.

According to protocol, all trainees were to undergo their final assessment tests.

He had long given up on dealing with that guy.

Su Qi had returned once before—just to ask about Yun Huang’s results.

Then he’d dropped a casual, "Damn, that’s insane. Alright, I’m out," and actually left.

These past few days, Lin Xiao had been worn ragged by the "brilliant duo" of Su Qi and Yun Huang.

One treated the training zone like his personal backyard, coming and going as he pleased.

The other turned the entire training zone into her private charging station, leaving everyone fuming.

All he wanted now was to end this farce of a training session and apply for a transfer to Tianyuan.

He’d rather fight bloodthirsty creatures from the Source Realm than deal with these "geniuses" who kept shattering his worldview.

Lin Xiao waved a hand. "Notify all trainees—the one-month training concludes tomorrow at noon. Prepare for the final assessment."

......

Inside the cave behind the waterfall.

Su Qi lounged in a chair, engrossed in a mobile game.

"Brother, didn’t you say you were going to train a bit and boost your score?" Liu Yuan sat cross-legged on the carpet, looking concerned.

"Yeah, I will. Just let me finish winning over this little sister first." Su Qi didn’t even glance up from the screen.

Liu Yuan gave a quiet "Oh" and obediently waited.

Then suddenly, she frowned and asked, "Which girl are you trying to pursue?"

"You're not allowed to mess with other girls."

With that, Su Qi's phone was confiscated.

Su Qi stretched lazily.

"Let's go."