Could it really be that I'm overthinking

Though still one step away from the fifth rank, this rocket-like ascent was enough to drive anyone mad.

"This is just the beginning," Su Qi said calmly. "'Sourceflow' has already been constructed for you. How far you go from here depends on your own heart."

With that, he ignored Lin Jing, as well as the petrified students in the classroom, and leisurely walked away.

This time, no one dared to stop him.

Not until his figure had completely vanished from sight.

"Thud!"

One student, unable to withstand the overwhelming shock, collapsed to his knees, legs giving way beneath him.

"Teacher… no, a god…"

His voice trembled with emotion.

Then, as if infected by his reaction—

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

More than half the students in the classroom dropped to their knees, unable to resist.

They weren’t forced.

It was an instinctive surrender—awe and reverence for something beyond comprehension, something great.

Their gazes burned with fervor as they stared at Lin Jing, who remained standing, absorbing the changes within herself.

"Lin Jing!"

"No—Lin Jing, the legend!"

The burly young man who had mocked Su Qi earlier for sounding like a cult leader was the first to rush forward, his face plastered with an ingratiating smile.

"Please, take me under your wing! How… how did Teacher Su do it?"

"Yeah, Lin Jing! How do you feel now? Like you could punch through a bull?"

In an instant, Lin Jing was swarmed by a crowd of frenzied students, all desperate for even a sliver of the secret behind this "miracle."

Meanwhile, at the back of the classroom…

Shi Lei sat rigidly in his seat.

His eyes flickered between Lin Jing, now the center of attention, and his own notebook—filled with crude stick-figure doodles.

A crushing wave of regret and despair washed over him.

He knew.

He had missed it.

Missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one that could have changed his entire existence.

……

The news of Su Qi’s on-the-spot "enlightenment" of a struggling student—helping her break through multiple ranks in under a minute—spread through the academy like wildfire, far more explosively than the last uproar.

This time, the forums were devoid of skepticism or criticism.

Instead, they were flooded with worship and self-reproach.

"I was wrong! I was so wrong! I should never have doubted Teacher Su! Teacher Su is a true deity! I repent!"

"If anyone dares call Teacher Su a fraud, I’ll fight them myself! Do you even understand what it means to go from mid-fourth rank to late-fourth rank in a minute? My dad’s a ninth-rank powerhouse, and I just texted him—he said even he couldn’t do it!"

"Regret. Nothing but regret. Why did I ever sign up for 'Advanced Theory'? I just want to kneel before Teacher Su and beg him to glance my way!"

"Is there any way to late-enroll in 'Sourceflow Construction Practice'? I’ll pay extra! Someone, give me a spot!"

The entire Tianxing Academy had gone mad over Su Qi’s "open class."

Countless students who had once dismissed the course were now green with envy, scrambling for any chance to squeeze into it.

Those already enrolled walked with newfound pride, chests puffed out, as if they were the chosen ones.

Sure, it hadn’t been them this time.

But the opportunity was still there, wasn’t it?

……

In the Dean of Education’s office…

Zhao Hong stared blankly at the replay of the surveillance footage.

He rewound the moment Su Qi "imparted enlightenment" to Lin Jing over a dozen times.

With each viewing, his shock deepened.

Finally, he slumped back in his chair, eyes glazed over.

"Monster…"

He muttered the word under his breath.

"This isn’t teaching. This is god-making…"

Everything he prided himself on—systems, standards, principles—crumbled into insignificance before such absolute, unreasonable power.

"Ring—"

The communicator on his desk buzzed.

It was President Xiao Ya.

"Dean Zhao, have you finished the evaluation report?"

Her voice carried a faint trace of amusement.

Zhao Hong’s face burned.

He felt like a clown.

"President, I…"

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Admit he was wrong?

Admit he’d been blind?

For someone like him, it was impossible.

"Don’t bother," Xiao Ya said, as if reading his mind. "I’ve already written it for you."

"Evaluation results: The instructor’s teaching methodology is innovative and remarkably effective. Recommended for academy-wide implementation."

Zhao Hong: "…"

He felt humiliated—outmaneuvered in a way he couldn’t refute.

"Additionally," Xiao Ya continued, pausing briefly, "starting tomorrow, auditing seats for this course will be open to all faculty."

"I expect you to attend as well, Dean Zhao."

"Perhaps you’ll find some… new inspiration."

With that, she ended the call.

Zhao Hong stood frozen, communicator in hand, silent for a long time.

……

The next day.

Su Qi’s third class.

The lecture hall, capable of holding two hundred people, was now packed to the brim.

Not only were the aisles filled with people, but even the windowsills were occupied.

At the very back of the classroom, a special area had been cordoned off, with dozens of chairs arranged in neat rows.

Seated there were none other than the faculty of Tianxing Academy, including several department heads.

Zhao Hong, the stern-faced dean of academics, sat right in the center.

The atmosphere in the room was so solemn it felt like a sacred ceremony was about to begin.

The class bell rang.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on the doorway.

Five minutes passed.

Su Qi, as unflappable as ever, strolled in leisurely, sipping his milk tea and yawning.

Upon seeing the packed classroom—especially the row of rigidly seated "guest teachers" at the back—he merely raised an eyebrow, unfazed.

He walked to the podium, set down his tea, pulled out a chair, sat down, and took out his phone.

The entire sequence was executed with effortless fluidity.

The room fell dead silent.

Every pair of eyes was locked onto him, brimming with anticipation.

What kind of "miracle" would Teacher Su bring today?

Would he continue playing games, or would he randomly select another lucky student for "enlightenment"?

Just as the anticipation reached its peak, Su Qi finally spoke.

"Hey, Shi Lei."

He called out without even looking up.

At the back of the room, Shi Lei jolted as if electrocuted, leaping to his feet in an instant.

"Here!"

His voice was loud, firm, and trembling with excitement.

This was it—his chance!

The teacher had finally noticed him!

All eyes immediately shifted to Shi Lei.

Envy, jealousy—emotions ran rampant among the onlookers.

To be personally called out by Teacher Su was an honor beyond measure!

Was he the chosen one today, destined to receive the baptism of a "miracle"?

Shi Lei's heart pounded wildly, his face flushing red with exhilaration.

He tensely awaited Su Qi's next words, already fantasizing about his power skyrocketing, breaking through to the seventh tier, and ascending to the pinnacle of life.

Su Qi finally looked up from his phone and glanced at him.

"You. Come up here."

Shi Lei's breath hitched. He practically scrambled to the front, stumbling in his haste.

Standing before Su Qi, his body trembled with reverence as he bowed deeply.

"Teacher Su!"

"Mm." Su Qi nodded, then pointed to an empty spot beside the podium.

"Stand over there."

Confused but obedient, Shi Lei moved into position.

Su Qi stretched lazily and stood up.

"You want to learn how to break through to the seventh tier and become a supreme powerhouse, right?"

"Yes! I’m slow-witted, but I beg for your guidance, Teacher!" Shi Lei’s voice was thick with sincerity.

"Fine." Su Qi nodded. "Watch closely. I’ll only show you once."

With that, he began moving.

He didn’t perform any earth-shattering techniques or channel any energy.

Instead… he pulled up a video on his phone and started playing a sequence of movements.

Stretching exercises.

Chest-expanding exercises.

Torso twists.

Leg kicks.

…

A standard—even rudimentary—set of elementary school calisthenics.

The entire class was dumbfounded.

What was this?

Calisthenics?

This was the method to break through to the seventh tier and become a supreme powerhouse?

Were they being pranked?

Even the faculty members at the back exchanged bewildered glances, their faces etched with confusion.

Shi Lei stared at the calisthenics, then at the sea of watching teachers.

Realizing he might never get another chance like this, he gritted his teeth and began mimicking the movements.

As Shi Lei moved, Zhao Hong’s pupils abruptly constricted.

No.

This was no ordinary calisthenics!

As a genuine tenth-tier powerhouse, Zhao Hong’s insight far surpassed that of the students.

He could perceive something far deeper.

Every motion Shi Lei made—stretching, expanding his chest, twisting, kicking—seemed simple on the surface, but each was perfectly aligned with the fundamental rhythms of the universe.

Every lift of his arm subtly guided the flow of energy in the surrounding space.

Every bend of his waist resonated mysteriously with the earth beneath his feet.

This wasn’t physical exercise.

This was… tuning one’s "frequency"!

Aligning the "microcosm" of the human body with the "macrocosm" of the world itself!

And once those frequencies synchronized—what then?

Zhao Hong’s heart pounded uncontrollably.

He didn’t dare imagine the implications!

This seemingly crude set of calisthenics contained principles that completely transcended his understanding.

This wasn’t just a technique.

This was a "law" that pointed directly to the origin of the Great Dao!

"Madman… an absolute madman…" Zhao Hong muttered, cold sweat beading on his forehead without his realizing it.

At last, he understood why Principal Xiao Ya had practically humiliated him into attending this lecture.

This wasn’t humiliation.

This was an immeasurable gift!

And yet, I, like a fool, almost missed it!

At the podium.

Shi Lei's mind was also blank.

Radio calisthenics?

This was the method the teacher wanted to teach me to become the strongest?

He stared at the virtual figure on his phone screen, dressed in a school uniform and moving as precisely as a robot, feeling as though his intelligence had been challenged like never before.

He wanted to demand answers.

He wanted to roar in frustration.

But when he lifted his head and saw Su Qi's face—still lazily indifferent, as if nothing had happened—his anger was doused like a bucket of ice water poured over him, instantly extinguished.

He remembered the terror of being controlled by that single finger yesterday.

He remembered the "miracle" of Lin Jing's power skyrocketing before his eyes in just a minute.

No.

The teacher must have a deeper meaning behind this.

It was me who was too stupid, too shallow, failing to grasp the profound wisdom within.

Yes! That had to be it!

Shi Lei's expression changed instantly.

No longer confused or furious, he was now filled with an almost fanatical fervor.

He began to learn.

His eyes locked onto the phone screen, imprinting every movement into his mind.

First section, stretching exercises.

Mimicking the figure in the video, he slowly raised his arms.

His movements were stiff, clumsy.

The students below finally snapped out of their stunned silence.

"Pfft—"

Someone was the first to fail to hold back their laughter.

Soon, waves of mocking laughter spread through the classroom like a plague.

"HAHAHAHA! I can't— Shi Lei, what are you doing? Some kind of shamanic dance?"

"The top-ranked fighter in our grade, the academy's unbeatable powerhouse, doing radio calisthenics on the podium? This is too hilarious to watch!"

"Oh no, no, Lei's completely lost it."

The burly guy who had earlier fawned over Lin Jing laughed the loudest, tears nearly streaming from his eyes.

"This is even crazier than a pyramid scheme! At least those give you some grand promises, but this Su Qi just hands out a set of radio calisthenics! What a genius!"

Jeers and chatter rose and fell like tides.

The classroom had turned into a noisy marketplace.

Only a few didn’t laugh.

Lin Jing, who had been enlightened, simply watched quietly. She believed every action of Su Qi held meaning.

And the teachers sitting in the back row exchanged bewildered glances, their faces full of confusion.

"Director Zhao, this…" one teacher couldn’t help but whisper, "Isn’t this going too far?"

Zhao Hong didn’t answer.

His eyes were fixed on Shi Lei, filled with tension and anticipation.

Come on!

Feel it with your heart!

Don’t be fooled by appearances!

Those aren’t just movements—they’re keys! Keys to a new world!

At the podium, Shi Lei tuned out the laughter around him.

His entire focus was immersed in mimicking the motions.

He finished the first section, the stretching exercises.

No sensation whatsoever.

The immense sixth-tier peak power within him remained dormant, undisturbed.

He didn’t lose heart.

He moved on to the second section, chest-expanding exercises.

Still nothing.

Third section, torso-twisting exercises.

No change.

The jeers from below grew louder.

Even Shi Lei himself began to waver.

Could it be… I overthought this?

Was the teacher just… messing with me?

Just as doubt crept into his mind, Su Qi’s lazy voice suddenly whispered in his ear.

"Use your heart."

"Not your brain."

"The power inside you is too 'dirty,' too 'chaotic,' like a tangled ball of yarn."

"Now, follow my rhythm and untangle those threads, one by one."

Su Qi’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an inexplicable magic, instantly soothing Shi Lei’s agitation.

Use his heart?

Not his brain?

Shi Lei’s body jolted.

He seemed… to understand something.

He closed his eyes, no longer looking at the screen or paying attention to the noise below.

He emptied his thoughts, channeling all his focus into his own body.

He began the fourth section, leg-lifting exercises.

This time, he didn’t obsess over perfecting the form.

Instead, he focused on feeling—every lift, every drop, the subtle shifts in the energy within him.

The moment his left leg rose—

Something miraculous happened.

He "saw" it. The source energy inside him no longer surged wildly, rampaging through his meridians as it always had.

Instead, with the motion of his leg, it flowed like a gentle stream, naturally coursing from his dantian down to the meridians in his leg.

Smooth!

Unbelievably smooth!

No resistance, no blockages!

As if this meridian was always meant to function this way!

What… is this?!