Studying Civil and Martial Arts, Racing Against Time! (Part 1)

Shi Tiexin was stunned for a long time, immersed in the afterglow of the information overload, unable to snap out of it until his desk was slammed.

Bang!

An impatient slap landed in front of Shi Tiexin. The teacher stood by his desk, gritting his teeth and looking furious, "Student, this is class! In the prime of your youth, what are you spacing out for? An inch of time is an inch of gold, and an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time. Hurry up and open your book to study!"

Shi Tiexin stared blankly at the teacher, finally jolted back to reality. He had been dazed from looking at the pictures, but the slap brought him back to his senses.

Shi Tiexin stood up.

He was much taller than the teacher, like a mountain.

Seeing the imposing and serious Shi Tiexin, the entire class held their breath. This guy, Brother Tie, wasn't going to hit the teacher, was he? That would be too much. The teacher also felt a bit flustered. He had just walked around and noticed that this fellow hadn't even opened his textbook. The anger he had suppressed surged up. But when he truly faced this guy, an inexplicable aura made his heart pound.

Look at him, those ox-like eyes staring intently at him, it was terrifying!

Just as the teacher couldn't help but want to take two steps back, unable to help but say something in panic, Shi Tiexin spoke.

"You're right."

"Huh?" The teacher couldn't believe his ears. This delinquent teenager, who looked like a triad boss, was actually backing down to him?

He didn't know that Shi Tiexin was repeatedly pondering his words.

An inch of time is an inch of gold, that statement was so reasonable!

If he could never go back, it would be fine. He could honestly develop here, practicing Heart Arts and Strength Arts step by step. Anyway, this world didn't seem to have martial arts, so he had no competitors. But now he suddenly realized that it wasn't like that at all! Although he hadn't gotten a specific timetable, Shi Tiexin just knew that he couldn't stay here for too long.

Since he couldn't stay here, the Minor Provincial Examination, which he had previously dismissed, had to be brought back to the forefront of his mind.

The qualification test for the Minor Provincial Examination was just around the corner!

Fengming First High School offered such excellent conditions, so many secret manuals, and such cheap Auxiliary Cultivation Manuals. Once this opportunity was gone, it would be gone forever. And then there was that inexplicable enlightenment – wasn't this precisely an inch of time is an inch of gold? If I had money, if time could be recharged, I would definitely spend all my fortune to shout, "Admin, renew my subscription!"

"Time is precious, it cannot be wasted!" Shi Tiexin's body erupted with a blazing aura, like the cultivation progress bar from last night, even his eyes seemed to flash with electricity.

He clenched his fist, declaring with an unstoppable and immense momentum, "I must seize every second to study!"

Then, ignoring the teacher, he sat down and took out his Four Basic Arithmetic Operations card, continuing to practice diligently.

The teacher beside him was stunned, completely unable to understand what this guy was up to.

This... was he moved by me?

This delinquent was touched by my few words and turned over a new leaf?

I didn't even say much, this is too miraculous!

And, student, this... I'm teaching a politics class, why are you taking out a math problem? And it's elementary school math at that!

But, forget it, no matter what, since this guy has backed down and his attitude is acceptable. Besides, as long as he's learning, learning anything is better than not learning. I'm magnanimous, I won't dwell on it anymore—if I keep dwelling on it and get beaten, it'll be me who gets hurt...

With a strange feeling, the teacher continued his lecture. Meanwhile, Shi Tiexin, like a supercharged car, began to speed down the path of the Four Basic Arithmetic Operations.

He was already very focused, but now, with an unknown countdown, his concentration reached a new peak.

Swish, swish, swish, his pen tip was like a scanning probe, continuously outlining the correct answers to the problems as he thought. That inexplicable feeling of enlightenment reappeared. This time, he didn't know if it was because he was more focused or because he had seen that picture, but Shi Tiexin finally understood the source of this enlightenment.

This wasn't some union of heaven and man, nor was it an anointment of cosmic rules. His ability to have this sense of enlightenment, this feeling of being carried by a master to a higher level, was entirely due to his Avatar in this possibility, due to this "Scholar Stone."

As he solved problems, fragments of memory dissolved. Shi Tiexin seemed to suddenly merge with this Scholar Stone, as if he could see the Scholar Stone diligently writing and studying hard in elementary school, just like him.

He saw the Scholar Stone practicing over and over again, through springs and autumns, through cold and heat, year after year, never stopping his arduous training of fundamental skills. The reason the Scholar Stone was the Scholar Stone was precisely because of these small efforts, which laid a solid foundation. It was because he was superior to others from the very beginning with the Four Basic Arithmetic Operations that he was able to astonishingly perform in the high school entrance examination and become the top scholar in one district.

Shi Tiexin suddenly understood that without this enlightenment, even if he had top-quality secret manuals and auxiliary manuals, he would not be able to achieve good results or aim for excellent results overnight. These were the fruits of hard work accumulated drop by drop of sweat. Even if there were shortcuts, those shortcuts themselves required time and sweat to accumulate.

And this enlightenment was precisely because the Scholar Stone had displayed the path he had once taken before him. Only through effort could a foundation be built. And the Scholar Stone had already worked hard, had already felt, had already persisted, which was why Shi Tiexin could now make rapid progress and achieve a thousand miles in a day.

Shi Tiexin suddenly understood that this was probably also a reward for the Destiny Mission. It was precisely because he had beaten up Teng Chaoguo and avenged the Scholar Stone, fulfilling his wish, that the Scholar Stone had become closer to him, and that the Scholar Stone had fed back his foundation to him.

Feeling the Scholar Stone's persistence, Shi Tiexin was suddenly moved.

You and I are indeed the same person.

Our temperaments are the same.

Stubborn as stone, hard as iron.

Don't worry, Scholar Stone, I will not waste your gift, I will not waste "our" efforts. I will carry your persistence forward and break free from the shackles of fate together.

I will definitely pass the Minor Provincial Examination, and I will definitely help you fight your way back into the Elite Class!

"Class dismissed!"

The teacher packed up his books and glanced at Shi Tiexin, finding that the guy had indeed been studying with a special focus for the entire class. He suddenly felt a trace of fondness for this student.

After all, a prodigal son's return is more precious than gold.

What was this guy's name again? I'll mention it to his homeroom teacher.

After finishing work and returning home, I just discovered that today is the number one on the new book signing list. Congratulations, congratulations. Speaking of which, it's probably the first time Old Shou has taken first place with a new book. To thank everyone for their help, I'll add another update tonight!