"Alright!" After all, Ape Man still had some authority left. With just a light humph, everyone stopped cheering and looked timidly at the instructor.

"Starting today—or to be precise, from this very moment—your foundation course is over. Next, you can choose a level-one cultivation method to begin your training." The instructor announced this very seriously.

The end of the foundation course also meant that from now on, everyone no longer had to watch Ape Man's mood and tread carefully; they could cultivate freely without restrictions; there was no more worry about making mistakes in the basic body-strengthening technique; in short, they were free.

During the first and second years of high school, everyone had looked forward to this day, but now that it had truly arrived, they almost couldn't believe it, staring blankly at Ape Man, afraid he was lying.

"You bunch of kids, didn't you always want to finish the foundation as soon as possible? Why are you all suddenly mute?" Ape Man joked with everyone, feeling quite happy inside. At least, under his strict management, not a single one of these forty-some kids had any problems; all had completed their foundation. For a teacher, this was something to be happy about.

"Yeah!" Finally realizing Ape Man wasn't joking, the classroom instantly turned into a sea of joy, with banging on desks and chairs echoing everywhere.

William Carter was no exception, joining in the celebration. Completing the foundation also meant no more constant supervision and checks on cultivation progress, no more having to carefully control his training speed every day, no more worrying about being discovered as a cultivation genius and sent off as a lab rat. How could he not be happy?

After the wave of excitement passed, Ape Man quieted everyone down again: "One last assignment—after you go home today, have a good discussion with your parents about your future cultivation direction. Remember, you must discuss it well with them, and absolutely do not make decisions on your own."

At this point, who would want to jinx themselves? Besides, this wasn't a bad thing, nor was it a difficult assignment, so of course, every head nodded like a pecking chick.

"My personal suggestion: boys should choose the Giant Strength Technique." Ape Man struck a bodybuilder pose. "That way, you'll look more masculine." Maybe because it was the last class and everyone was relaxed, a chorus of boos rose up from below.

"Class dismissed, get lost, you little brats!" Ape Man clapped his hands, announcing the end of class. "One last warning: from level-one cultivation methods onward, never exceed your own training limits!"

But everyone had heard this countless times already, their ears were calloused, and they all shouted in unison, "Got it!" Then they scattered.

William Carter was the last to leave; the others had already rushed home in a swarm. William Carter wasn't in a hurry—his parents always came home late anyway, so it didn't matter if he left early or late.

He slowly packed up his things and dawdled out. Looking up, he saw that Ape Man was still standing in the classroom, watching him walk out.

To be honest, the instructor was strict, but it was all for the students' sake. From another perspective, being strict was also being responsible. As a teacher, he was truly dedicated.

After this class, he would no longer teach this group. For the last class, it made sense that he wanted to see everyone leave before he did.

William Carter walked up to the instructor and bowed deeply. "Thank you, teacher!"

A look of satisfaction, never seen before, appeared on Ape Man's face. He smiled and nodded. "From now on, it's up to you all."

"Yes, teacher." William Carter replied, and then, almost involuntarily, asked, "Teacher, do you have any advice? About future cultivation?"

"Advice?" The instructor was taken aback, then thought for a moment. "If possible, you should try to make your foundation training as solid as you can. Although two years is enough to lay the foundation, spending more time on basic body-strengthening techniques is always good. That's my personal experience—you can take it as a reference."

"Thank you, teacher!" William Carter bowed sincerely again. "Goodbye, teacher!"

"Goodbye! Kid, train hard!" Only after William Carter stepped out of the classroom did the instructor start to leave.

He made his way home slowly, not seeing Johnny anywhere along the way—he must have gone home early to discuss things. William Carter wasn't in a hurry, leisurely getting on and off the bus, dawdling all the way home, enjoying the feeling of newfound freedom.

That evening, William Carter told his parents what the instructor had said, and then discussed what to do next with them. Both his parents were level-seven experts, so they naturally knew which advice made sense and which didn't.

"Your teacher has a point," his father nodded. "No one ever told us that before, so as soon as we finished the foundation, we immediately started practicing a level-one cultivation method. As for level-one methods, do you have any thoughts?"