Era of Mist

The golden light came from the void, from the rules of existence, from chaos itself—from a source Shi Tiexin couldn’t possibly fathom. It seemed to be an illusion piercing through to reality, or perhaps a fundamental law illuminating the material world. It was indiscernible, incomprehensible. But Shi Tiexin didn’t need to know what it was.

He simply felt it, viscerally—every part of him, from soul to flesh, was completely pierced by that ray of golden light in an instant.

Actually... there didn’t seem to be any particular sensation. It didn’t hurt or itch, nor did it feel particularly pleasant.

Yet, an indescribable sense of immensity and solemnity reverberated through his very being.

His visual interface changed with it. A massive icon shaped like an award certificate suddenly appeared right in the center. The icon was outlined with fine golden lines and bore a large, stylized word for "Award." It was square, almost identical to the award certificates in this world. But its interior was empty and transparent, completely devoid of substance.

This certificate seemed to be a vessel specifically designed to contain the golden light. After piercing through every part of Shi Tiexin from the void, the light transformed into a golden waterfall, cascading down from the top of his vision and pouring into the empty, radiant certificate.

Like an empty bottle being filled, a radiant golden liquid immediately appeared at the bottom of the certificate, its level rising as the light continued to pour in. GLUG, GLUG, GLUG. The celestial golden light shone for about three full seconds, filling the once-empty certificate nearly halfway.

After three seconds, the golden light vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, disappearing completely as if it had never existed.

Shi Tiexin snapped out of that state of immense solemnity with a jolt. His eyes flew wide, an indescribable shock seizing his heart.

’What was that?!’

’What the hell was that golden light?!’

’What’s going on? This is like something out of an old TV show where someone’s about to ascend to immortality!’

Shi Tiexin frantically looked around and saw all the students staring at him, wide-eyed, as if he were some kind of rare animal. ’Did... did they see it too?’

"Is that him? The Champion Scholar from the trash class?"

"So that’s him. He’s really tall!"

Whispers rippled through the crowd. Shi Tiexin listened closely, but he heard no mention of golden light or ascending to immortality. Looking closer, he realized the students just seemed surprised by his presence.

’Even I, a transmigrator with a visual interface who’s seen *that* diagram, almost jumped out of my skin. If these students had really seen it, a few of them probably would have fainted from shock on the spot.’

’Judging by their reactions, it seems they didn’t notice the golden light at all.’

’Phew... I can finally relax a little.’

’Huh? Right, what the heck *was* that golden light anyway?’

Shi Tiexin quickly focused his gaze on his visual interface. The massive certificate icon had now shrunk down, becoming a small icon slightly larger than his old "Enlightenment" circle, positioned to one side of his vision. The icon was less than half full of a shimmering, pale gold liquid that swirled slowly. The rhythm of its movement suggested both an astonishing spiritual essence and an immense weight.

It was as if every single drop of this pale gold liquid was incredibly heavy.

’So this is what the system created after collecting that golden light?’

’What exactly is it?’

Shi Tiexin focused intently on the certificate icon. As expected, a description appeared after a moment.

[Celestial Golden Light Melting Fluid]

[Amount: 45]

[Description: The Celestial Dao rewards the diligent; the victor is king. The Origin Saint inscribed a rule into the Great Dao of the universe: Any member of a pan-human species who becomes the champion of a reputable competition shall receive the Celestial Golden Light.]

[Note: The Celestial Golden Light is extremely potent. It can directly advance the cultivation progress of any of the recipient’s unperfected Cultivation Techniques. The Celestial Golden Light has a wide range of applications; please discover its other functions on your own. The Celestial Golden Light is difficult to acquire. Please use it with caution.]

’Celestial Golden Light?’

’The victor is king?’

’Wait, wait, the most crucial part is... it can advance the progress of any unperfected Cultivation Technique?!’

’Doesn’t that mean—!’

As the thought crossed Shi Tiexin’s mind, his visual interface changed in response. A list of all his Cultivation Techniques appeared, and his most advanced one automatically leaped forward, transforming into a familiar progress bar that hovered in his vision.

Basic Mathematics, First Stage. Profundity: 99 marks.

Like a terminally ill patient who had just stumbled upon a miracle cure, Shi Tiexin was both ecstatic and disbelieving. With a "might as well try it" attitude, he directed his thoughts to use a single ’dose’—SWISH! A ray of golden brilliance shot out from the certificate icon—looking identical to the Celestial Golden Light—and struck the progress bar for the First Stage of Basic Mathematics.

VWOOM!

The entire progress bar erupted in a blindingly brilliant light. In that instant, Shi Tiexin sensed a massive, natural barrier that had been blocking his path. He had never been able to perceive this barrier before, but now he saw it as clearly as a blind man regaining his sight. The massive obstacle was like an insurmountable cliff, enough to make anyone give up in despair.

But now, this wall, which he had been utterly powerless against, began to loosen, crack, dissolve, and crumble under the golden light.

CRACKLE, POP! The psychic energy in his mind began to boil, as if welcoming some beneficial mutation. The golden liquid in the certificate icon was consumed drop by drop like fuel, and the barrier Shi Tiexin sensed was rapidly dissipating along with it.

Finally, at a certain moment, the immense golden power surged forward irresistibly, completely shattering the last of the barrier.

BOOM!

A massive explosion erupted within Shi Tiexin’s visual interface. The progress bar representing the First Stage of Basic Mathematics finally filled its last mark and exploded into an infinite radiance. From within the radiance, the single, glittering golden word "PERFECT" leaped out and hung high in his vision, illuminating everything.

The word "PERFECT" did not fall, and no new progress bar appeared for the First Stage of Basic Mathematics. Perfection was the end of the line for this stage of cultivation.

The changes weren’t limited to his visual interface; real transformations were happening as well. His boiling psychic energy surged as if it had broken through a floodgate, beginning to grow at a rapid pace. The psychic energy linked to his mathematics cultivation nearly doubled in a short time. It also became more resilient, stable, complete, and active than before.

It was as if the psychic energy itself had taken a small evolutionary step forward.

The changes in his visual interface weren’t over. The hovering word "PERFECT," carrying an undeniable, massive presence, suddenly contracted and condensed, finally becoming a single star.

It wasn’t a cartoony, five-pointed shape, but a true star, like one from the night sky of this world—crystal clear and mysterious, ancient and profound, beautiful and captivating.

This star symbolized the flawless foundation Shi Tiexin had laid in the first step of his Mental Arts cultivation.

[Basic Mathematics, First Stage cultivation progress has been raised to Perfect.]

[Attribute Activated: Comprehension +1]