Chapter 10: Cultivation Secrets, Register Now to Receive! (Part 1)

A night of peaceful sleep.

At six o’clock the next morning, Shi Tiexin woke up. He had slept early yesterday, so his rest was sufficient. Besides, since he hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since the previous evening, hunger stirred him awake.

He opened his eyes and felt something strange on his face—a book was covering it. He figured, perhaps last night, bothered by the dormitory lights, he had absentmindedly pulled a book from his bundle to shield his eyes.

Listening carefully, he found all seven people in the dormitory were still asleep, snoring, grinding their teeth, even farting—a chorus of bodily noises, with several pairs of smelly feet filling the air. Shi Tiexin couldn’t help but lament inwardly.

This is even worse than the orphanage at Tumu Fortress. At least the orphanage maintained some semblance of hygiene, but here... In the corner, clothes soaked but never washed were nearly sprouting mushrooms!

Is there nothing good in this miserable life?

Frustrated to the extreme, Shi Tiexin reached for the book on his face. With dull eyes, he glanced at its cover and saw the words “High School Mathematics, Grade One, Second Semester.” Just as he thought to flip through it, several words suddenly appeared in his vision.

Secret Manual: Basic Mathematics, Third Level (Fragment, 1/4)

With a thud, Shi Tiexin sat up abruptly, the wooden bed creaking beneath him, his eyes wide as an ox’s.

What on earth is happening?!

He put the book down and the words in his vision vanished. Picking it up again, and focusing on it for a moment, the writing reappeared.

Am I hallucinating?

Shi Tiexin tossed aside the mathematics book and hurriedly dug another from his bundle. Its cover read “High School Chemistry, Grade One, Second Semester.” As he stared at it, the vision returned.

Secret Manual: Basic Chemistry, Third Level (Fragment, 1/2)

Shi Tiexin slowly set the book down, his eyes glazing over.

It’s real...

It’s really real...

Something good has actually happened!

At that moment, Shi Tiexin was so excited he wanted to shout to the heavens again.

The third-level secret manuals for the six foundational mind arts were extremely valuable. If he failed the provincial exam, his social status and finances would never allow him even a glimpse of them.

At the Tumu Fortress Star Worker School, apart from Basic Mathematics and Basic Rhetoric, the other four mind arts were only accessible at the first level. The prices had always humbled Shi Tiexin, who scraped together every penny just to afford the textbooks.

Now, he looked at the chemistry manual in his hand, flipped to the back, and found the price clearly printed.

Seventeen point nine yuan.

What does seventeen point nine yuan mean? What purchasing power does it represent? How much effort does it take to obtain it? Shi Tiexin didn’t know yet; his understanding of this world would deepen only as he explored and as the other consciousness thawed.

But one thing was clear—he glanced at the bundle he’d casually tossed on the bed last night, packed full of such books. Flipping through it, he found not only mathematics and chemistry, but also fragments like Basic Physics, Second Level (1/2), Basic Biology, Third Level (1/2), and more—all present.

Just this one small bundle, if brought back to Tumu Fortress, wouldn’t be priceless, but would certainly take many staff members years of effort to afford.

However... Shi Tiexin frowned.

Fragments? 1/2?

He had never seen this kind of secret manual before. The basic mathematics first-level book he’d seen at the Star Worker School was a thin pamphlet, with no mention of fragments or fractions.

Could it be that fragments can’t be cultivated?

Shi Tiexin hurriedly picked up the fragment of Basic Mathematics, Third Level, carefully wiped his hands, rubbed them red, then, filled with anticipation, opened “High School Mathematics, Grade One, Second Semester.”

The result was both joyful and disheartening.

The joy: this secret manual was of excellent quality. The printing was clear, the structure logical and progressive; even though Shi Tiexin couldn’t understand its contents, he knew it was far superior to the first-level book he’d received at the Star Worker School. Though it was a fragment, Shi Tiexin felt at ease. The content was so detailed, there was no reason it couldn’t be cultivated. If secret manuals had grades, this one was crafted with care and was far more advanced.

The concern: as he read, he realized he truly couldn’t understand a single thing. Every character was clear, but to him, it was no different from a book with no words at all.

After leafing through it for a while, words appeared in his vision again.

Prerequisites insufficient, Basic Mathematics Third Level fragment cannot be cultivated.

Prerequisites: First, Basic Mathematics, Second Level, cultivated to at least “qualified.” Second, possession of prerequisite fragment manual.

Reminder: The higher the cultivation of Basic Mathematics, Second Level, the faster the progress with this manual. If forced, the lower the fulfillment of prerequisites, the slower the progress, and deviations or even inner turmoil may occur.

So that’s how it works?

Shi Tiexin wasn’t too worried about the completeness of the manuals. Even if the other consciousness had only dissolved at the edges, he knew his manuals here were called textbooks—and they were whole. The writing indicated the Basic Mathematics, Third Level, fragment consisted of four books. He quickly deduced the others were likely “High School Mathematics, Grade One, First Semester,” and “Middle School Mathematics, Grade Four, both semesters.”

The manuals were complete.

This made Shi Tiexin indescribably happy.

But the biggest problem was that these manuals required Basic Mathematics, Second Level, at least “qualified” to cultivate. And based on the notes, “qualified” was only the minimum; to cultivate the third level quickly, one needed to reach “good” or even “excellent” at the second level.

So, what level is my Basic Mathematics?

Concentrating, words appeared before his eyes.

Basic Mathematics, First Level, Qualified.

So after all this, my Basic Mathematics is only “qualified” at the first level?!

Every martial arts secret manual had a few stages. As far as Shi Tiexin knew, these included “qualified,” “good,” and “excellent.” Anything below “qualified” was unqualified; unqualified martial arts weren’t even worth mentioning. So, although Shi Tiexin remembered he had cultivated Basic Mathematics, Second Level, the interface didn’t show it—probably because it wasn’t “qualified.”

As for whether there were levels beyond these three, Shi Tiexin didn’t know. But he vaguely felt that there must be a level above “excellent,” since his Basic Boxing surely hadn’t reached its limit.

What about his strength skills?

Concentrating, he sensed, and words appeared again.

Basic Vitality Technique, Excellent.

Basic Boxing Technique, Excellent.