Era of Mist

Shi Tiexin’s mouth couldn’t help but fall open. Even his stoic, almost expressionless face couldn’t hide the emotion boiling inside him.

’Perfect?’

’It’s really perfect!’

The insurmountable chasm, the sheer cliff that he had tried everything to overcome, was finally broken through. It was finally perfect!

Listening to the wind chimes in his mind, looking at his name hanging first on the great red ranking board, feeling his psyche-energy surging and boiling, Shi Tiexin was suddenly overcome with a profound sense of catharsis, of bitterness finally turning to sweet. This feeling came not just from him, but also from the Champion Scholar Stone in his mind.

Two world lines, two Shi Tiexins. Their progress in studying and cultivating might have differed due to their respective circumstances, but their relentless, unceasing effort and persistence were the same. The pain of enduring humiliation and struggling forward was the same. He might not have been the fastest runner or the most gifted, but either version of him could beat his chest and say that he had never, ever given up.

Persist, and persist again. All for the sake of seeing the day when the clouds would scatter, the fog would lift, and all his suffering would turn to joy.

Now, in that brilliant, shimmering golden light, it seemed that day had truly come.

The boy born at the very bottom of society seemed to have finally seen the goddess of fate smile upon him.

A powerful emotion surged within him, and his eyes began to sting. Shi Tiexin pinched the bridge of his nose, holding back the welling tears. In their place, a different, special kind of emotion swelled up, seeking an outlet for expression.

’I have to say something. I really need to say something right now to vent these feelings!’

’But what the hell should I say? Not being good with words is so frustrating! My copy of *Miscellaneous Ancient Texts* isn’t on hand, so what on earth am I supposed to say at a time like this! This is killing me, it’s killing me!’

Just then, an inscription board rose into his field of vision like the sun. On it were characters written with the grace of silver hooks and the strength of iron strokes, forceful enough to pierce the paper. The large characters were bold and unrestrained, their presence as magnificent as mountains and rivers—

[Though a thousand siftings and filterings are arduous, gold is only found when all the sand is blown away.]

Gazing at the inscription board, Shi Tiexin was entranced. He softly murmured the words, "Though a thousand siftings and filterings are arduous, gold is only found when all the sand is blown away..."

’It’s a little embarrassing to be outdone in eloquence by an inscription board, but... but... this is exactly what I wanted to say!’

Shi Tiexin’s heart surged. Following the impulse welling up inside him, he raised his head and roared at the sky, "Though a thousand siftings and filterings are arduous, gold is only found when all the sand is blown away!!"

The surrounding students jumped in surprise, but Shi Tiexin couldn’t care less what they thought.

He clenched his fists, feeling incredibly fortunate for the choice he had made.

The Celestial Dao rewards the diligent. The victor becomes the king.

’Thankfully, I chose to persevere in the bitter training of mathematics. I worked hand-in-hand with the Champion Scholar Stone to break through the first limit of basic mathematics. Otherwise, I would never have achieved this joint first place.’ Looking at the densely packed list of names on the red board, especially the golden names at the very top, he saw they were all geniuses.

Zhou Zhengyang.

Gu Xuechao.

Fang Qingjue.

Including those below with scores over 390, if he hadn’t persisted in his arduous math training back then, he probably wouldn’t have even made it into the top twenty in the entire school. If he hadn’t studied well, he wouldn’t have gotten first place. If he hadn’t gotten first place, he wouldn’t have received the Celestial Golden Light. If he hadn’t received the Celestial Golden Light, it would have been impossible to break through to the Perfect Realm. He wouldn’t have even known that champions received something like the Celestial Golden Light in the first place.

In that case, his future would have been one of breaking through with an imperfect foundation, of facing life in an imperfect state.

A single different thought, and perhaps the entire trajectory of his life would have changed.

Therefore, no effort is ever wasted.

No persistence is ever in vain.

Keep persisting, and then persist some more. Strive and struggle without rest or relaxation, and one day the sun will rise in the east, its golden light illuminating the land! One day, just like on today’s red board, he would stand with no one above him and five thousand below, reaching the absolute summit!

’So, what am I wasting time for now?’

’Let’s go! Time to keep fighting!’

Shi Tiexin spun around abruptly, held his head high, and strode away from the crowd, making his way to the Class 28 study hall. When he entered Class 28, he was surprised to find many delinquents already waiting in the classroom. These delinquents weren’t just from Class 28; some were even from other classes.

The moment they saw Shi Tiexin enter, all the delinquents shot to their feet with a WHOOSH, their gazes fixed on him in unison. Shi Tiexin didn’t know what they had discussed, but they all seemed extremely agitated. With a sense of ceremony, they stood at attention. Then, at one person’s command, they shouted in one voice to Shi Tiexin.

"Big Brother Tie!"

The non-delinquent students at the front stared blankly at the scene. They seemed to have a sudden realization, and their gazes turned to Shi Tiexin, filled with envy and awe. Some whispered among themselves, "The fourth Celestial King is set!" "No doubt about it, it has to be him!" "I can’t believe he beat all the competition this way!"

But soon, amid the solemn atmosphere, all the chattering died down.

No one spoke. The Class 28 classroom fell silent.

Everyone was looking at Shi Tiexin. Zhao Qingmiao, who had followed him, was flushed red with excitement.

’Big Brother Tie? Are they talking to me?’

Shi Tiexin was confused, but he quickly dismissed it.

’There are too many strange customs in this Heart Technique Sacred Land. I’m a newcomer, so I have no idea how these kids think. Still, Big Brother Tie? Not a bad title. I like it.’

"Mm!"

Shi Tiexin nodded, accepting the title. He walked to his seat with the gait of a dragon and the stride of a tiger, then turned and sat down, his presence seemingly vast enough to swallow the world. He took out his copybook. His heart was bursting with heroic spirit today, making it unsuitable for rational analysis or calm study.

’Natural history and all that can wait. Right now, there’s only one thing I want to do!’

Lifting his pen, Shi Tiexin recalled the golden phrases from *Miscellaneous Ancient Texts*. Then, riding the wave of his heroic pride, his pen began to move, writing his own grand chronicle.

He whose will is not strong cannot attain wisdom; he whose words are not trusted will see no results in his actions.

Even if I fall into the abyss, I shall strive to fly without pause.

I, Big Brother Tie,

Today,

Rise!

A thousand words flowed like a torrent, grand and eloquent. Form and spirit became one as he found his groove. At this moment, Shi Tiexin’s hard-pen standard script began to show traces of a master’s style. He had finally grasped the essence of Wang Xingshun’s standard script copybook.

For the entire night, Shi Tiexin wrote furiously.

At midnight, Shi Tiexin tossed his pen aside and stood up. CRACKLING stars crashed into his progress bar. Following the first level of Basic Mathematics, the first level of Basic Rhetoric had also reached 95% proficiency. He had completely surpassed the point the Champion Scholar Stone had once reached, striding forward onto his own path.

The limit of rhetoric was now in sight.

With a hearty laugh, Shi Tiexin left the room and enjoyed a full night’s sleep.

The next day, Shi Tiexin woke up bright and early, feeling refreshed and full of energy. This time, however, he didn’t immediately begin cultivating. Yesterday, his turbulent heart had made it the perfect time to strike while the iron was hot and practice calligraphy. Today, his emotions were much more stable.

The best-laid plans are made in the morning. Now was the most suitable time to first calmly analyze his situation and see exactly where he stood.