I ask you, what the heck is inside this thing

An hour earlier.

A total of twenty-three students stood in a line at the entrance checkpoint.

"Alright! Everyone gather close to me!"

Old Li held a slightly grimy card in his hand, its material resembling some kind of plastic.

[Card Name: Beacon of Unity]

[Type: Illusion]

[Rarity: Refined]

[Energy Level: ????? (Fifth Tier)]

[Active Skill: Shattered Boundary]

[Upon activation, all creatures within the designated range are treated as a single unit.]

"What are you brats staring at? We only use this thing once a year, so it’s not like we maintain it much. Is it really that weird if it’s a little dirty?"

"Still looking?! We’re about to move out!"

With that, Old Li stomped his foot, and a circle of light instantly flashed across the ground, spreading outward like ripples from a stone tossed into a lake. The glow enveloped Liu Yuan and the other twenty-two students.

"The entrance to this Origin Realm is unstable, so there’s a high chance of random teleportation."

"But with this card, we won’t get separated once we arrive."

"The teleportation range is only seven meters around me. Don’t move during the process—keep your eyes on me. Remember, you all signed waivers with the school yesterday. If you don’t listen and get flung somewhere else during the transfer, you’ll be on your own! Don’t blame me for not being responsible."

His deep voice made everyone tense up.

Of course, this was just Old Li’s way of scaring the students.

They weren’t strong enough to resist the effects of a Fifth-Tier card anyway.

But kids these days were too unruly—if he didn’t scare them a little, who knew what kind of trouble they’d stir up?

In an instant, Liu Yuan felt an immense force yanking her upward.

Then—whoosh!—she was "shot" forward as if propelled by some unseen power.

By the time she regained her senses, her feet were already planted on the ground.

But the landing felt like missing a step on the stairs, nearly twisting her ankle.

Liu Yuan didn’t waste time—she immediately scanned her surroundings.

Her classmates and Old Li stood nearby, their feet on a patch of withered grass so sparse that the dirt beneath was visible.

Not far away stood scattered trees of varying heights and what looked like long-neglected brick pavement.

The ground was weathered and cracked, with stubborn weeds pushing through the gaps. In a few more years, no one would even recognize this as a path without digging through the overgrowth.

Her gaze swept the area—then froze.

She saw something.

A wooden bench, long since rotted and broken.

The kind you’d find in a park.

Now, it lay overturned, its once-treated wood decayed beyond recognition. The iron legs, though still intact, were covered in rust.

"Ugh! What the hell? I almost threw up my breakfast!"

A few steps away, Xu Kun scrambled up from the ground, clearly struggling with the teleportation. He’d face-planted on landing.

Another student farther away wasn’t so lucky—they’d tumbled straight into a small mud pit.

No comparison, no suffering.

Liu Yuan was, by sheer luck, the least affected.

"Sound off!" Old Li called as he walked over.

He was used to teleportation, so he remained perfectly composed.

"One… two… twenty-three."

Once he confirmed everyone was present, Old Li nodded and continued.

"This is your first time entering an Origin Realm, right?"

"Most of you probably learned about it in class, but I’ll go over it again—just in case someone wasn’t paying attention."

He shot a pointed glance at Liu Yuan.

"Once an Origin Realm forms, it usually doesn’t disappear on its own."

"Think of it like a dungeon in a game—that might make it easier for you kids to understand."

"The area where the Origin Realm overlaps with reality isn’t vast. It’s more like two worlds sharing a sliver of space."

"The spot we just came through? That’s the dungeon entrance. But the monsters inside can also use it to enter Great Xia’s territory—that’s why you saw the security perimeter earlier."

"The only way to make it vanish from Great Xia’s map is to defeat the final boss or destroy the core sustaining the Origin Realm."

"And if we leave it unchecked, its influence will keep spreading—like ink in water. If we don’t clean it up in time, eventually, the entire country could be consumed."

"For example, take the island of Nippon—you all know about it. Their arrogance led to their downfall. The Origin Realm swallowed them whole, turning them into a footnote in history. They didn’t even get a chance to apologize."

"Great Xia doesn’t include it in the Origin Realm rating system because its danger level exceeds anything the scale can measure. Even Twelfth-Tier experts hesitate to set foot there."

"It’s one of the few forbidden zones in the world. Yet, despite the risks, countless superhumans still venture in every year, chasing fortune."

An entire nation, wiped out by an Origin Realm…

Liu Yuan was stunned.

"Nippon’s too far away to matter right now."

"Even this Origin Realm is vast. Based on our analysis, its predecessor was a fantasy civilization—a capital city with over five million people before its destruction. Surrounding it were villages, farmland, wilderness, forests, lakes…"

"So when it descended on Great Xia, it erased the small town at the ‘dungeon entrance’ without a second thought."

"Inside, your main enemies will be fantasy creatures—maybe even humans from that world."

"Of course, there might also be… other things. Certain elements in Great Xia’s air can twist them into monsters."

"Beyond that, watch out for other superhumans. The school doesn’t have exclusive rights here. Aside from the martial examinees from Jiangxia Sixth Academy, at least five hundred others have entered this Origin Realm."

"Enough talk."

"Open your suitcases and start setting up camp."

Old Li glanced at the students.

Nearly everyone carried a suitcase at least half their height—Xu Kun had three, standing out like a sore thumb.

"Good. At least you brought supplies. Out of all the classes I’ve taught, you’re the least headache-inducing."

"We’ll use this area as our temporary base. I’ll clear out any Fourth-Tier creatures within a five-mile radius—that’ll be your free exploration zone. As for anything below Fourth Tier…"

"If you die to them…"

"I’ll give you two words."

"Deserved."

"Don’t blame me for being harsh. If you can’t even handle mindless creatures below Fourth Tier—fine, if you can’t beat them, call for help. No shame in that."

"But if you’re weak and still go looking for trouble? Useless. Can’t recognize your own limits? You’re just wasting resources by staying alive."

Yet after he finished, no one moved.

He frowned. Had he been too harsh?

Past experience had taught him that the Origin Realm was no place for fooling around. Only with this mindset could students quickly adapt and grow.

And so it was.

Old Li stood glaring at the twenty-three students before him.

"Set up camp. Or do you expect me to do it for you?"

"If you don’t know how, then throw together some shabby shelter. It’s not like I’m the one who’ll be sleeping in it."

Yet... no one moved.

Just as the tension grew unbearable, Xu Kun finally broke the silence.

"Teacher... I don’t mind learning to set up camp, but... where are the tools?"

"Tools?" Old Li’s eyebrow twitched. "You’re asking me? I should be asking you!"

"Every single one of you dragged suitcases here. What’s inside?"

"Where are the tents? The sleeping bags?"

Old Li kicked Xu Kun’s suitcase hard, the metal frame emitting a dull thud. "Well? What’s in this thing, huh?"

When Xu Kun stayed silent, Old Li delivered another kick, this time busting the lock open.

The contents spilled out in a clatter—starting with a stack of pink burger buns branded with Dingzhen as the ambassador. Rumor had it these pastel buns were delicious.

The packaging even bore a "Buy Five, Get One Free" promo sticker.

A vein throbbed at Old Li’s temple. "Xu Kun, you’ve got a Dingzhen pink-bun addiction? You think this is a damn field trip?"