Chapter Three: Biding Time and Concealing One’s Strength (Part Two)

In addition, there were specialized lightness techniques aimed at agility training. Upon reaching advanced levels, it was said one could leap dozens of meters in a single bound. There were even legends of those who, relying solely on their inner strength, could soar through the skies—though these were merely tales, and no one had ever witnessed such feats.

There was also a technique for hardening the body and increasing resilience, known as the Steel Body Technique. Taken to its pinnacle, the entire body would become as tough as steel, reputedly achieving an indestructible Diamond Physique.

Each training method was a different path, but most ordinary people chose to practice them all to some extent. This allowed them to gain adequate strength without becoming overly muscular, ensured they could move with lightness when needed, and provided a reasonable degree of defense in daily life.

Often, people would choose a combination of techniques tailored to their needs. For instance, dancers who required flexibility would focus on the Flexibility Technique and the Lightness Technique, rarely dabbling in others. Particularly among women, almost no one chose the Mighty Strength Technique, which dramatically altered one’s physique.

When one began practicing the first-level techniques, cultivation replaced traditional sleep, and the time spent training grew longer and longer. Yet, from the very first day of class, the instructors repeatedly warned everyone never to exceed their own limits; otherwise, they risked lifelong disability.

This warning was echoed throughout the course, and after witnessing some painfully realistic video examples, few dared to defy this iron law. Even during the basic Body Strengthening Technique, one was permitted at most nine cycles before having to conclude the session. To continue, one had to rest before starting anew.

However, most of these mishaps occurred only with advanced techniques. The foundational Body Strengthening Technique was safe, which led many to practice longer in hopes of laying a more solid foundation. Moreover, parents closely monitored their children’s basic training at home, so cases of losing control were rare.

Zhao Li was different. He dared not let his father know about his own physical condition. His father was a meticulous man, treating his own son no differently from others. If a genius child from another family could be studied, so could his own. Should he discover Zhao Li’s true situation, it was entirely possible he would personally take him for research.

Yet, subconsciously, he loved his son more than others, or he would not have revealed his true feelings when drunk. Zhao Li understood this well. To spare himself future hardship, and to avoid making things difficult for his father, he chose to keep his secret.

“What are you planning to do after graduating high school?” Johnny, for some reason, was unusually talkative today. This vexed Zhao Li, who was preoccupied with his own concerns, but he couldn’t brush off his classmate, so he went along with the conversation.

“My dad hopes I can get into Tsinghua University, but with my grades, I’m not so sure,” Zhao Li sighed, genuinely troubled. “So I might enlist in the army, try to earn some bonus points after service, and then attempt the entrance exams again.”

Both his parents were researchers, and from childhood, they’d instilled in Zhao Li the goal of entering Tsinghua to bring honor to the family.

Within the Chinese-speaking world, and indeed globally, Tsinghua University was among the very best. Zhao Li’s parents had developed an inexplicable obsession with Tsinghua at some point, and from the day he started school, they began what he called a campaign of mental torment.

Attending Tsinghua had become his own aspiration, too, though it started as his parents’ dream. After so many years, it had become a part of him.

But Tsinghua was not easy to enter. Ever since the merger of Tsinghua in Beijing with Hsinchu Tsinghua in Taiwan, it had become one of the world’s top universities, and the difficulty of admission was almost unimaginable.

Not only were the academic requirements near-impossible, but the standards for internal cultivation were also about fifty percent higher than at ordinary universities. Because of this, the famous words of a former Tsinghua president—“Work for the health of the nation for fifty years”—had been updated to “Work for the health of humanity for two hundred years.”

Yes, two hundred years. After practicing body-strengthening techniques, the human lifespan had already surpassed two centuries. For the truly gifted, even greater longevity was not out of reach. Thus, “work for two hundred years for health” became one of the school’s mottos.

“My condolences,” Johnny said, observing Zhao Li’s troubled face. He offered a sympathetic smile and patted his friend’s shoulder, as if genuinely sharing his sorrow. Even though Zhao Li always ranked third in class, admission to Tsinghua was hardly guaranteed. Perhaps, as Zhao Li suggested, joining the military and applying after discharge was another path.

But enlisting meant several years of hardship. Even though everyone’s physique had greatly improved, leisurely practice at home was nothing like the rigors of the army. Johnny knew he lacked the resolve for such a path and felt rather relieved that his own parents had not imposed such a demanding expectation.

“Still, joining the army isn’t bad. When you come back, if anyone bullies me, you’ll have to take care of them for me, haha!” Johnny, after a moment of sympathy, quickly found an upside, grinning mischievously.

“Get lost!” Zhao Li retorted, kicking Johnny, who dodged nimbly, still wearing that infuriating grin—clearly deriving amusement at his friend’s expense.

Yet Johnny wasn’t wrong. In the military, one could systematically learn martial arts, both offensive and defensive—skills impossible to acquire in civilian life. Though veterans signed non-disclosure agreements, basic techniques were rarely scrutinized. Even if they fought, as long as nothing serious happened, few would pursue it.

Whenever Zhao Li practiced the Body Strengthening Technique, he couldn’t help but think of Li Mengdie. As a genius, she and her peers must have laid their foundations and advanced to higher levels faster than ordinary people. He wondered if she had already begun first-level techniques, or even higher ones, since the military surely had advanced methods.

He envied their potential achievements, but never their lives. Even in training, they were surely under stricter surveillance, forced to practice while being scrutinized as lab rats by researchers, all in the name of advancing humanity.

Such a life was not one Zhao Li would ever choose.