The former is something only he himself knows—how difficult it was to earn that first pot of gold, how much humiliation he endured—while the latter is a reward for all the hard work he has put in over the years.

Could it be that he was influenced by the original host?

Nathaniel Clark then smiled and shook his head, dismissing the thought.

It had nothing to do with the original body; it was simply that he himself clearly realized that even if he had a lifespan of ten thousand years and the energy of the Longevity Fruit, and his future wouldn’t be too bad, if he couldn’t continue his studies, he would end up wasting many years.

Longevity does not mean one can squander time.

A long life is still lived day by day, so why not live well from the very beginning?

If he wanted to live well, joining the government as an official runner was currently the most ideal and reliable path.

All his understanding of this world came from the original host, but the original host was just a boy living at the bottom of society—did he really understand this world?

Even in his previous life, in an era of highly transparent information, ordinary people still didn’t know that there were two circles in the world—one that ordinary people could never touch in their entire lives.

In that circle, the way things were handled was completely different from the ordinary world.

A single drinking session could decide the ownership of a position that ordinary people could never reach no matter how hard they tried their whole lives; a single sentence could determine the life or death of a company, possibly turning the world upside down, causing many to lose everything, but a single admission of defeat could wipe the slate clean.

It was like this in his previous life—so what about this world?

Before figuring all this out, joining the government was the safest choice.

Because it meant joining the side that held the right to speak in this world.

Pulling his thoughts back, Nathaniel Clark took a batch of medicinal herbs to decoct, while also opening the letter from Chief Harris.

Chief Harris’s reply was brief, expressing that he knew how hard it was for him to practice martial arts and was sending some herbs to support him.

The simpler the content, the more Nathaniel Clark was convinced that his relationship with Chief Harris had grown closer, because there was less empty talk and fewer grandiose words.

Those in high positions only spoke this way to those close to them.

An hour later, the herbs were ready, and Nathaniel Clark began his medicinal bath.

……

Day 86

……

Day 87

……

Day 88

……

That night, Nathaniel Clark sat in the bath barrel, still circulating the internal method of “Bull Demon Force.”

A long-missed warm current appeared in his dantian, and this time, it didn’t just flow to the crown of his head, but slowly spread throughout his entire body.

Nathaniel Clark’s body began to heat up, the temperature even surpassing that of the medicinal liquid, and the medicine was absorbed through his skin at several times the usual rate.

This was an experience Nathaniel Clark had never had before.

He circulated his energy for three cycles.

Crack!

A sound like firecrackers exploded in Nathaniel Clark’s body, and the little medicinal liquid left in the tub splashed out.

Bones rang, skin trembled!

This was the sign of “Bull Demon Force” reaching the third level.

Nathaniel Clark stepped out of the tub, looked at the stone piers in the courtyard, and didn’t even glance at the 500-jin stone pier, but looked directly at the 550-jin one.

With both hands, he grabbed it and lifted it straight up.

Five hundred and fifty jin!

In the last two days, his strength had finally surpassed the baseline of 500 jin.

But this wasn’t the greatest gain—the greatest gain was that after “Bull Demon Force” reached the third level, it wasn’t just a simple increase in strength. A warm current appeared in his body, and wherever this current flowed, the strength of that part of his body would increase.

“No wonder the academy requires 500 jin to continue enrollment.”

Nathaniel Clark understood now. The first three months at the academy were all about cultivating “Bull Demon Force” to break through to the third level. Only after reaching the third level could one practice martial arts.

What Instructor Foster taught must be martial arts.

……

……

Three months had passed.

The Dragon King returned to his place.

A crooked smile.

“All students, proceed with the assessment in order.”

Instructor Brooks’s words snapped Nathaniel Clark out of his wandering thoughts. Looking at the only stone pier placed in front of the line, Nathaniel Clark knew he had guessed right—no one could cheat in this assessment.

The seven students from Room A at the front of the line all easily lifted the stone pier, followed by those from Room B.

Of the two students from B1, one failed.

The failed student stood to the side, his face full of unwillingness—he was just two breaths away from success.

“Teacher, please give me one more chance. I’m sure I can do it this time. My family sold all our land so I could enter the academy and practice martial arts. If I fail, I won’t have the face to see my family.”

The student’s words struck a chord with many in Room B, because his situation was theirs as well.

Even if their families didn’t sell everything, at the very least, they had spent most of their savings to support them in practicing martial arts. If they were eliminated this time, they truly would have no face to return home to their parents and relatives.

Nathaniel Clark could understand the decisions these students and their parents made. It was just like university students in the 1980s and 90s—so long as the child got into college, the family would beg or borrow whatever it took to send them.

Getting into college meant escaping poverty in the countryside, moving to the city, and having a stable and respectable job.