This kind of especially poor rest, accumulated over many years, made him appear dispirited and worn out. So when he failed the college entrance exam, no one was surprised. Even his parents accepted the news of his failure with complete calm.

William Carter opened his eyes and stared blankly for a while, but in the end, he couldn’t resist the force of habit and got up to get dressed. He put on a black 720° tracksuit, the same one he bought last year. Now it was already a bit tight on him. He tiptoed to the entryway and changed into a pair of 720° brand running shoes as well.

William Carter actually preferred Nike or Adidas, but he didn’t have much choice. Still, this brand with the strange-sounding name could always be seen on TV, and at least it was much better than something like AdiWang. William Carter could only comfort himself with this thought.

His parents were just ordinary wage earners, their circumstances as average as could be. They still had to pay the mortgage, provide for his grandparents, and support both him and his younger sister through school, so the expenses of this low-income family were always tight. Sometimes William Carter envied those kids from wealthy families, but more often, he tried to be as frugal as possible to ease his family’s burden, even if just a little.

Deep down, William Carter truly loved his parents, and he understood how hard they worked to raise him. So he did his best to study, because in China, that’s the best way to repay your parents. Unfortunately, he just couldn’t achieve much in this area. The thought of having to pay his own way at some second-rate university filled him with shame. That would be another huge expense. Although he really wanted to save that money, he didn’t succeed.

Looking at the changing mirror on the wall, the young man with a pale face and dull yellow eyes, though his features were regular, the air of decadence and indifference between his brows made him look completely lifeless, like a man in his thirties. William Carter ran his fingers through his messy hair a few times, gently patted his cheeks, and then went out the door.

In this small northern city, even though it was August, there was still a bit of chill in the air at this time. William Carter went downstairs, and the cool morning breeze instantly swept away the last traces of sleepiness. After shaking himself a few times, relying on his young body, William Carter quickly adapted to the fresh, icy air outside.

After warming up his joints in place, Edward Carter started jogging. Leaving the residential complex, he headed north along the main road, gradually picking up speed. At this early hour, there were hardly any cars or pedestrians on the street, only sanitation workers sweeping with big brooms.

Although William Carter looked pale and tired, his body was in great shape. He was 1.8 meters tall, weighed 80 kilograms, and if he took off his shirt, even his lower abdomen showed a few sharply defined muscles. William Carter had always been physically fit; even without any formal training, he could run 100 meters in under 11 seconds. That was already near-professional level.

Besides explosive power, William Carter also had excellent endurance. For him, running 10,000 meters in thirty minutes was easy. With his physical condition, he could have easily been admitted as a special talent student with proper training. But William Carter always felt he wasn’t normal, and he never intended to use these slightly odd talents.

Half an hour later, William Carter reached Beishan, the hill at the northern edge of the city. This Beishan was only a few hundred meters high, with gentle slopes, and there was even a pavilion halfway up. The hill used to be outside the city, and its name—Beishan, or “North Mountain”—was as simple and straightforward as could be. As the city expanded, it gradually became enclosed within the urban area. A few years ago, the hill would have been leveled for villas or apartment buildings, but now, with the government’s growing awareness of environmental protection, the low hill had been turned into a park.

William Carter jogged all the way to the top, took a long breath as he looked at the small city under the rising sun. At this hour, the only people climbing the hill were elderly fitness enthusiasts—William Carter had never seen anyone under 50 here. Only as people age do they truly cherish their health. William Carter used to regret that beautiful women didn’t understand the way of fitness, but after ten years, he had gotten used to the tranquility of Beishan.

Walking for a few minutes along the pine grove at the summit, as the wild grass and branches grew denser, there were no more signs of people. Edward Carter, familiar with the place, easily found the weathered, mottled boulder, and, ignoring the dew on it, sat down cross-legged. With his eyes closed, facing east, William Carter breathed in the uniquely fresh air of the grass and trees, along with a wisp of pure purple energy from the east, and silently recited a scripture. As he recited the familiar text, William Carter entered a state of clarity and emptiness.

In fact, what William Carter was reciting wasn’t some martial arts secret, but the most ordinary “Heart Sutra.” When he was a child, he used to have nightmares every night, which became unbearable, so his mother took him to the Great Buddha Temple to ask a monk for a consecrated Buddhist scripture. With no other choice, William Carter could recite the several hundred characters of the Heart Sutra backwards and forwards by the age of four.

To be honest, the Heart Sutra didn’t have any demon-banishing powers. But after reciting it for several years, William Carter actually discovered a unique breathing rhythm from it. This special cultivation method couldn’t produce inner power, nor could it open up William Carter’s mind, but at least it allowed him to maintain peace and tranquility. However, after ten years of practice, William Carter did gain a very special ability from it.