Although what has been widely spread is not the most advanced, and can only be considered the most basic form of training, unable to strengthen everyone to the top level, it can still safely and efficiently enhance everyone’s physical fitness to at least several times higher than before.

　　In this era, when everyone receives compulsory education, there are almost no exceptions. Thanks to the timely implementation of this reform, except for those under eighteen, the physiological quality of almost all of humanity has made a qualitative leap.

　　Moreover, the improvement in physical fitness through acquired training seems to have greatly enhanced the genes of the next generation as well. Just as the healthier a person is, the less likely their offspring are to be weak, humanity has thus improved with each generation. Because of the increase in human lifespan, the time spent in education has also increased accordingly. Compulsory education has been extended from just a few years to sixteen years, so that by the time one reaches high school, it coincides with the age of eighteen, when one can begin cultivation as an adult.

　　The effects of practicing these basic techniques vary from person to person—some progress quickly, others slowly, depending on individual constitution and comprehension. Those who progress especially fast are often noticed by the government and military. Of course, research institutions also want to figure out the reasons behind their excellence.

Chapter 3: Concealing One’s Strength (Part 1)

　　Keeping a secret for a long time is a heavy burden. However, if this secret concerns one’s freedom for most of their future life, then any price is worth it.

　　“Hey, William Carter, how come you’re third place again in this exam?” Johnny was quite puzzled. Everyone studies for the same amount of time, so how does William Carter always manage to stay in the top three? Or rather, William Carter is always third—never higher, never lower.

　　Although it was exhausting to carefully maintain himself in a normal state of cultivation, it did bring extra benefits. The extra time allowed William Carter more opportunities than other classmates to study other subjects, and since the start of high school, William Carter’s grades have always been among the best.

　　“How’s your physical training going?” On the way home from school, everyone took the city’s automated bus. Even though they lived close by, Johnny still carefully moved closer to William Carter, looked around, and then secretly asked him.

　　William Carter was startled, already on guard in his heart: “So-so, not good or bad. Why?” Could it be that Johnny has discovered his secret?

　　“I’ll tell you in secret, I add an extra hour of training every day.” Johnny looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then leaned in to William Carter’s ear and whispered.

　　“Are you crazy?” William Carter was shocked. This Johnny was a childhood friend, and now that people from East and West lived together, there were no purely homogenous communities anymore. What Johnny was doing, according to the instructor, was very dangerous.

　　“Tch, it’s not as serious as that gorilla guy says.” Johnny waved his hand, completely unconcerned. “It’s just physical training, basic foundation work. The deeper your foundation, the faster your future cultivation. You know as well as I do, most of our classmates do the same. Only you, silly as ever, still follow the gorilla guy’s rules.”

　　As Johnny spoke, he looked William Carter up and down, a bit suspicious: “Be honest, are you secretly training extra too? Otherwise, how could you always keep up with our progress?”

　　“Heh heh.” William Carter didn’t know what to say, so he just chuckled twice. Johnny gave him a knowing look, patted William Carter on the shoulder, and dropped the subject.

　　“I plan to keep practicing the Giant Strength Technique and Steel Body Technique. What do you plan to practice for your first-level technique?” Johnny changed the topic, talking about future plans.

　　William Carter didn’t know how to answer, so he just smiled: “I haven’t decided yet, I’ll discuss it with my parents.” He brushed it off.

　　Although he didn’t say much, William Carter was still extremely cautious in his heart. With the most basic physical training, even though William Carter deliberately reduced his training time, he still maintained about the same level as most of the class, falling into the most normal category—not outstanding, but not slow either.

　　There was no choice. During these foundational high school years, to avoid any accidents, every week the instructor would monitor and record everyone’s training progress. If nothing unusual happened, this would continue until the end of sophomore year.

　　Of course, an “unusual situation” refers to someone suddenly showing a much faster and more stable rate of progress than usual during training. In that case, their evaluation would be re-measured, and based on the results, it would be determined whether they should enter a school for gifted students. After all, cultivation is not set in stone—there are countless cases of someone suddenly having a breakthrough.

　　William Carter’s caution was precisely because of this. It’s not enough to just muddle through at the beginning; he had to keep it up at least until the end of sophomore year. By then, even if he completed the basic physical training at a normal pace, he would have laid a solid foundation. After that, he could move on to more advanced techniques.