Era of Mist

His gaze swept joyfully from one book to the next, then lovingly back again, unable to tear his eyes away. After a moment, the strange text appeared, just as he had hoped.

[Secret Manual: Basic Mathematics First Level (Fragment, 6/6)]

[All fragments for Basic Mathematics First Level have been collected.]

’Elementary school textbooks... they really completed the first level of my Basic Mathematics!!’

Shi Tiexin was so excited he could have jumped for joy.

’It’s been so long... Finally, finally! Er, on second thought, it’s only been a day. I guess that’s not that long... But no one else could understand this feeling of each day dragging on like a year. Finally, finally, I’ve found a Heart Skill Secret Manual I can cultivate, and I can finally start cultivating my Heart Skill again!’

Shi Tiexin huffed warm air onto his hands and wiped them carefully on his pants. Then, with the reverence of a pilgrim, he opened the first elementary school math textbook. The cultivation content for the first level of Basic Mathematics was "Numbers and Basic Calculation." Simply put, it was about recognizing numbers and performing the four basic arithmetic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

The four basic operations are the foundation of Basic Mathematics, the very first step in cultivating the Mathematics Heart Skill. Back in Tumu Castle, it had taken Shi Tiexin considerable effort to obtain the secret manual for this section. Besides, that manual had been incredibly brief, ending after just ten short pages of sparse text. Nothing like these—the six books stacked together were quite thick.

Shi Tiexin glanced at them and immediately saw the benefits of this secret manual.

The thickness wasn’t just for show. Not only was the content extremely detailed and the progression exceptionally clear, but it even came with its own supplementary cultivation records! Sections like "In-Class Exercises," "Fun House," "Brain Teasers," and "Q&A," took up a huge portion of the Heart Skill Secret Manual.

Shi Tiexin didn’t know how the elementary school students of this world felt when they saw a secret manual like this, but he himself was about to burst with joy.

’Could there be a better Heart Skill Secret Manual than this?’

’Could there be a more generous secret manual?’

Moreover, after he skimmed through all of them to get a general sense of the secret manual, a new line of text appeared on the textbooks.

[Secret Manual: Basic Mathematics First Level]

[Quality: Supreme]

[Attribute 1: Step-by-Step Progression. This secret manual’s descriptions are detailed and progress sequentially, effectively lowering the cultivation threshold and reducing the talent requirement by 30%.]

[Attribute 2: Integrated Learning and Practice. This secret manual contains extended sections. These sections are considered supplementary cultivation records for Basic Mathematics First Level, increasing cultivation speed by 20%.]

Th-th-th-this!

Shi Tiexin’s hands were trembling.

’The secret manuals here actually have attributes! A manual he’d casually sent some punk out to get, one that seemingly didn’t cost much at all, actually had attributes—and two of them at that!’

In all his life, this was the first time Shi Tiexin had ever known that secret manuals could have attributes, and even quality grades. Putting aside the second attribute, "Integrated Learning and Practice," which was equivalent to a secret manual combined with its supplementary cultivation record, the first attribute, "Step-by-Step Progression," was the truly heaven-defying one. It could actually reduce the talent requirement.

It had to be known that not everyone could cultivate Heart Skills. The cultivation of a Heart Skill depended not only on whether the previous level was mastered, but also on the cultivator’s own talent. If one’s talent was too poor, progressing to the next level of a Heart Skill would be incredibly difficult. But if one’s talent was good, even if the previous level wasn’t perfectly consolidated, a breakthrough wasn’t out of the question.

Basic Mathematics First Level was the foundation of all foundations. Aside from someone with a genuine intellectual disability, it would be hard to find anyone who couldn’t even master this level. The concept of "talent" was barely a factor here. This attribute seemed rather useless.

But that wasn’t actually the case.

First, a person’s talent improved with age and brain development. Something a ten-year-old couldn’t figure out might seem simple to a fifteen-year-old. Lowering the talent requirement meant it was possible for someone to begin their Heart Skill initiation at a younger age.

A 30% reduction in the talent requirement was almost equivalent to starting cultivation three years earlier. After three years, by the time others were just starting the first level, this early starter might have already reached the second level. A genius might even have reached the third.

A step ahead is a world ahead. This point absolutely could not be overlooked.

Second, the further one progressed in Heart Skill cultivation, the more important talent became. Shi Tiexin didn’t know the specifics, as his status hadn’t allowed him to access such high levels. But he had heard about some people from the Orphanage who had later gotten stuck at a certain stage, unable to advance. No matter how hard they cultivated, they could barely improve at all.

At the time, he hadn’t understood why. Now he did. It had to be a matter of talent.

’So, what if this "Step-by-Step Progression" attribute appeared on a more advanced Heart Skill Secret Manual?’

’I wonder if the textbooks from Fengming First Middle School have this attribute?’

Shi Tiexin stared at the "High School Mathematics, Grade 10, Volume 2" for a long time, but couldn’t see anything special about it. ’Maybe this secret manual really doesn’t have any attributes. Of course, it’s more likely that my own Heart Skill level is just too low, and I’m completely unable to "Identify" its hidden attributes.’

After all, although he couldn’t understand it, a quick look told him this high school math book was also explained in great detail, definitely far better than the few sheets of paper from Tumu Castle.

’Thinking about it, it was most likely because my own level was too poor.’

’So what am I waiting for?’

’Time to pick up the secret manual and start cultivating! Wait, wait, wait... I almost forgot. There’s one more thing. I’ll be itching with curiosity if I don’t take a look.’ Shi Tiexin temporarily set the six math textbooks aside, rummaged through his bundle, and quickly found what he was looking for.

Arithmetic workbooks.

Zhou Nan, without a second thought, had grabbed one of every kind of arithmetic book in the bookstore, so Shi Tiexin now had fifteen workbooks. Some of these workbooks were very basic, even starting with a multiplication table, looking like they were meant for second-graders.

But some of the Calculation Books were quite difficult. As Shi Tiexin looked them over, his eyes suddenly lit up.

[Supplementary Cultivation Record: Basic Mathematics First Level]

[Quality: Supreme]

[Usage Progress: 0%]

[Effect: Basic Mathematics First Level cultivation speed increased by 20%]

[Attribute 1: Abstruse. This supplementary cultivation record is very difficult. It cannot be used without reaching the Good Realm in Basic Mathematics First Level. Without reaching the Profound Realm, usage speed will be reduced according to one’s level. In exchange, it further increases cultivation speed by 40%.]

’It really appeared! A Supreme-quality supplementary cultivation record with an attribute!’