During the first-period politics class and the second-period mathematics class, Shi Tiexin kept wrestling with his Four Basic Arithmetic Operations problems. The mathematics teacher, Teacher Chu, Class 28's homeroom teacher, also noticed something odd about Shi Tiexin, but he did not bother with him. In his eyes, it was already rare enough for a hooligan from the Trash Class to sit there obediently without causing trouble.
At least he had not shouted and screamed during class, disrupted order, and then beaten up the mathematics teacher-slash-homeroom teacher. What more could anyone ask for?
He was satisfied enough.
So Teacher Chu finished his lesson and left the moment class ended, never dragging things out for even a minute and never saying one unnecessary word. Trash Class hooligans were not worth wasting his time on.
When the bell marking the end of second period rang, Shi Tiexin also let out a long breath and stood up. Massaging his sore wrist as he rose, he headed for the restroom to relieve himself.
"Fucking awesome!"
"Showoff, can you even stay seated?"
"Damn, damn, damn!"
Question panels kept flashing into view before his eyes, rising and falling one after another. Stars clattered out from the borders and all slammed into the progress bar. The icon representing the Auxiliary Cultivation Manual's usage progress filled completely, and this time it even exploded with three extra stars, all of which crashed into the progress bar.
The progress bar kept surging forward from around the seventy mark. About an hour and a half of focused study sent it charging toward the end. By the time Shi Tiexin reached the restroom and started relieving himself, the progress bar had reached its final few marks.
The "Comprehension" badge on the left side of his vision suddenly blazed with light, firing out several spinning pillars of radiance with sharp whooshes. Then it soared up and plunged into the progress bar, vanishing completely.
It seemed the "complete comprehension" buff had run its course.
But it had still contributed its final bit of strength.
Basic Mathematics First Layer cultivation progress raised to Excellent
The progress bar suddenly lit up with a brilliant glow, even flashier than when it had filled up last time. The word "Excellent" on the right side of the bar abruptly enlarged, covering more than half his vision, then smashed down toward the left.
With a boom that shook heaven and earth, "Excellent" replaced "Good" in its original position, taking command on the left side of the progress bar and becoming the new starting point. A phantom empty bar stretched out to the right, and new words appeared at its far end.
Profound Mastery
Shi Tiexin's whole body trembled three times, and the restroom before him instantly became utterly dull and flavorless.
Excellent! His Basic Mathematics First Layer had become Excellent just like that! What incredible speed—he truly had the Scholar Stone to thank!
And sure enough, the realm beyond Excellent was "Profound Mastery." Shi Tiexin had always felt there had to be another realm, and now it had finally appeared. When he had examined the Auxiliary Cultivation Manual's attribute description yesterday, he had already noticed this term. Now, this realm was beckoning to him as well.
Then he would charge toward it without stopping for even a moment!
Shi Tiexin returned to the classroom. After sitting down, he took out a fresh exercise book and prepared to continue cultivating. But after opening it and looking carefully, he frowned.
He suddenly felt that this exercise book was too simple for him. Or rather, too bland. Looking at these basic additions, subtractions, multiplications, and divisions, he no longer felt any urge to challenge himself. They simply did not get him fired up. Besides, he was confident he would not make mistakes on questions of this level. No matter how much he practiced, it probably would not improve him much.
He picked up his pen and tried a few problems. Sure enough, everything flowed like drifting clouds and running water. Questions that had once required careful thought could no longer stump him in the slightest. Moreover, he discovered that the effect of working through this exercise book had indeed diminished. He completed three sets of exercises in one breath; they should have given him at least seven or eight stars, but this time he received only one.
Too slow.
"Could it be that ordinary-quality Auxiliary Cultivation Manuals are no longer suitable for me?" Realization dawned on Shi Tiexin. He looked at the unfinished exercise book, but ultimately set it down.
Time was limited now. He had to study in the most efficient way possible.
After rummaging through his desk, Shi Tiexin pulled out a new Auxiliary Cultivation Manual.
Quality: Fine Usage Progress: 0% Attribute 1: High Difficulty. This Auxiliary Cultivation Manual is relatively difficult. Basic Mathematics First Layer must reach the Passing realm before it can be used. If it has not reached the Excellent realm, usage speed will be slowed according to the user's level. Correspondingly, cultivation speed is further increased by 20%.
This Auxiliary Cultivation Manual, titled "Advanced Four Basic Arithmetic Operations Practice," was precisely the fine manual he had picked up and then put back before. Back then, his newly attained Passing level had been beaten senseless by the swarming high-intensity, high-difficulty questions, forcing him to flee in utter defeat. But one day later, Shi Tiexin was launching another challenge.
Opening the exercise book, Shi Tiexin faced it as though confronting a great enemy and began solving problems.
Hmm...
I can understand it...
I can make sense of it—
I can solve it!
These high-difficulty problems were not difficult at all anymore!
In an instant, Shi Tiexin felt immense delight. His hand moved even more smoothly. He felt that this exercise book was now just right for him. It was neither so easy that it bored him nor so difficult that it imposed a speed penalty.
It fit his hand perfectly. It was truly just right!
Crack, crack, crack! Shi Tiexin squeezed his pen until it creaked, accelerating as he charged ahead without pause. Zhou Nan, sitting not far away, was extremely curious. He had no idea why this big shot could make solving elementary-school questions look like his Boss playing King of Fighters at an arcade. He curiously leaned over for a glance. Oh dear—his eyes spun, and his head hurt!
Instantly defeated, Zhou Nan looked at Shi Tiexin, and a sense of awe could not help rising in his heart. He had always been in awe of Shi Tiexin, but this time it was different—the awe of a poor student gazing up at an academic powerhouse.
He could not solve even one question like this, yet this Boss was solving an entire book of them!
The nickname Scholar Stone truly had not been given for nothing. An academic powerhouse like him was terrifying beyond measure...
Near the end of fourth period that morning, Shi Tiexin finally rubbed the bridge of his nose and stopped his mad charge. He could not keep going. He was too tired. After an entire morning of high-intensity, highly focused cultivation, even Shi Tiexin could not endure it any longer. His cultivation level in vital energy and mental energy was still too low; one morning was already his limit. With his mental energy exhausted, forcing himself to continue would only leave him riddled with mistakes and achieve nothing.
Stars flew out in strings, and the progress bar rose by nearly twenty-five marks. Even with a fine-quality Auxiliary Cultivation Manual, the speed had inevitably dropped. But this rate was still acceptable. At this pace, he could reach "Profound Mastery" in about a day. This was practically racing at full speed!
As for now, he should rest first.
Shi Tiexin stretched and relaxed. The moment he did, he noticed that something was off.
The teacher at the front was still lecturing at an unhurried pace, but the atmosphere below had subtly changed. Some people were packing their books and pens, some were eager to make a move, and some had even leaned half their bodies out of their seats, adopting the posture of athletes preparing to sprint.
What was wrong with these guys?
Finished writing—time to coax the kid~
Before you continue