I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

Xue Jing merely turned a page in the book.

What seemed like a simple task that even a one-year-old could manage felt like an exhausting battle to him. He was overwhelmed with fatigue, a sensation he hadn’t experienced in over a month, as if his immense energy had been utterly drained.

He held his head, sank to the ground, and rubbed his temples, feeling dizzy.

It took quite a while before he finally regained his composure.

“I did it... I actually did it...”

Xue Jing’s eyes were filled with intense disbelief.

“If I tell this to the BOSS, even she might be astonished.”

Xue Jing stood up, gazing at the book with its single turned page, double-checking that the window was firmly closed and no breeze had coincidentally flipped it.

“This isn’t something as simple as ‘superpowers’...”

he muttered.

To Xue Jing, superpowers weren’t extraordinary. The skills 'Twin Birth' and 'Shadow Flame', with their divine attributes, surpassed traditional superpowers. Simply gaining a skill like 'Telekinesis' wouldn’t overly excite him.

Using his mental power to turn a page seemed straightforward on the surface.

But in reality, it signified something terrifying.

“This means my mental power can alter not just my personal reality, but also the reality beyond myself!”

His eyes shone with a spark of realization.

“I don’t know if others can achieve this, but it’s definitely not a common case. Otherwise, the BOSS would have mentioned it when we talked about it.”

“This 'True' character in 'True Visualization' is quite profound.”

Xue Jing opened his interface, focusing on this newly acquired skill.

“Everything I imagine is somewhat tied to ‘Truth’...?”

“If I can intervene in reality beyond myself, what enhancements might it bring to manipulating my personal reality?”

After a long contemplation, Xue Jing suddenly recalled something.

“Oh right, I need to deal with 'Bai Chi Gan Tou'."

He glanced at the mattress he'd damaged with a single ‘Shifting Starfire’.

The mattress, soaked in his sweat during his visualization evolution, was troublesome to clean, so Xue Jing decided to discard it. Testing his newfound 'Shifting Starfire' on it was simply a way of making the most of it before throwing it away.

On the mattress lay 'Bai Chi Gan Tou', which had grown significantly taller, with its bamboo body turning yellow.

Xue Jing stepped forward and examined it closely.

“Strange, the database doesn’t indicate that 'Bai Chi Gan Tou' would look like this after use.”

Such a noticeable transformation should ordinarily be included in divine artifact descriptions.

But there was no record of the bamboo turning yellow, nor did it mention such drastic elongation as it appeared now.

“It seems A-ban played a role in this... Also, 'True Visualization' clearly isn’t a skill imparted by ordinary mental aptitude increase... I wonder if this thing will even be usable in the future.”

Xue Jing gazed at the listless 'Bai Chi Gan Tou', exuding a feeling of being thoroughly exhausted, and felt a mix of emotions.

Following Ning Yuantai's explanation, the peculiar item known as "Baichi Gandou" was borrowed from him, implying that the first one to use it upon its return would surely be him again.

I hope he can still make some use of it.

“In any case, let's deal with it first.”

Xue Jing extended his hand, assuming a hand-chopping stance, channeling his strength into a swift chop at the "Baichi Gandou."

“Crack—”

The portion that had grown directly snapped off under his hand's force.

Seeing this, Xue Jing nodded in satisfaction.

“That should do the trick.”

Every divine relic carries its own side effects, some more severe than others.

Naturally, "Baichi Gandou" also has its share of side effects.

Once the "Baichi Gandou" is used, if the newly grown bamboo segment is left unattended, it will "connect" with the user's body after three days.

By that time, if one attempts to cut the bamboo segment, it may lead to the user's body being severed as well.

However, as long as it's cut in advance within three days, the bamboo is no different from an ordinary bamboo segment.

Thankfully, it's a very mild and manageable side effect...

It's just that the first person to trigger and realize this side effect might have faced dire circumstances.

After trimming the bamboo segment, Xue Jing took a seat in a chair, resting for a while and feeling much spiritually rejuvenated.

Due to the presence of "Longevity," his recovery rate was notably rapid, seemingly effective on his mental prowess as well.

“It seems that this trick 'Telekinesis' holds no immediate practical use as of now, even turning a page is exhausting.”

“Perhaps there are other applications to explore.”

Xue Jing pondered to himself.

He stood up, walked to the door, and reached out, intending to twist the doorknob.

Simultaneously, the scene outside the door instinctively surfaced in his mind.

In the living room, Ning Fengwan, currently in her human-cat-ear girl form, was casually dressed in a white shirt and black silk shorts, lying on the couch watching cartoons, reaching for the chips on the table.

Her posture was relaxed, her shirt carelessly worn, buttons misaligned so that the topmost button remained unfastened, revealing a sliver of pale skin.

When Xue Jing opened the door and walked into the living room, the sight was identical to what he had imagined.

There was not a single difference, even the creases in Ning Fengwan's clothing matched perfectly.

“This is...”

Xue Jing was taken aback.

“Mind projection? Divine mind scanning?”

“No, it's somewhat different.”

He pinched his chin, eyes showing contemplation.

Seeing Xue Jing emerge without the green bamboo on his head, Ning Fengwan spoke in an innocent, melodious voice:

“Did it work?”

“As she spoke, Ning Fengwan took out a chip from the bag and popped it into her mouth.”

“Her sharp feline teeth momentarily peeked out as her small mouth parted, complementing her narrow, phoenix-like eyes, giving her a sort of adorable fierceness.”

“Hearing this, Xue Jing snapped back to reality and nodded with a smile, saying:”

“‘Yes, it worked.’”

“Ning Fengwan’s delicate face lit up with delight, and she shrank into a cat form.”

“‘That's great! I haven't had your cooking for three days!’”

“In his effort to maintain a relaxed state, Xue Jing had essentially done nothing for the past three days, and naturally, all cooking was left to the cat.”

“However, having been spoiled by Xue Jing's almost level 6 cooking skills, eating her own food again was like chewing wax—not exactly inedible, but definitely lacking flavor.”

“A meal or two was fine, but three whole days without Xue Jing's cooking made her feel almost like she was having withdrawal symptoms.”

“Sitting on the sofa, Xue Jing reached out to stroke her little cat head and said with a smile, ‘Alright then, let's have a good meal for lunch.’”

“Catcat stretched lazily, lifted her paw, and jumped onto Xue Jing's lap, where she sat, yawned, and began watching cartoons, her eyelids slowly drooping as if she were about to fall asleep.”

“Xue Jing gently stroked her fur, meanwhile contemplating the ‘mental projection’ he’d just perceived in the living room.”

“‘It doesn’t feel like mental projection…but rather a ‘real’ imagination,’ he pondered.”

“‘Based on the noises I heard before opening the door, [Contemplation Reality] captured the scene outside the door and projected it into my mind.’”

“‘Essentially, it is imagination, but this imagination is real!’”

“‘It's as if I've interfered with reality outside myself using mental power—this imagination has reached the ‘extraordinary’ domain.’”

“‘It’s not mental projection, yet it surpasses mental projection!’”

“With a clear and powerful consciousness, Xue Jing's mind faced no obstacles, quickly theorizing the truth.”

“Reflecting quietly, Xue Jing gently closed his eyes.”

“He attempted to construct within his mind a space-time belonging solely to his imagination.”

“In his consciousness, countless colorful pixel blocks appeared out of nowhere, swirling like a storm.”

“They interlocked and embedded into each other, gradually constructing a scene.”

“Xue Jing chose one of the places he was most familiar with: Qing High School.”

“The playground, the teaching building, the classrooms…every detail was exactly as it was at Qing High School.”

“The scene model, complete.”

“Next, the character data…”

“Countless pixel blocks formed a tornado, assembling into Xue Jing's body on the Qing High School playground after a flurry of combinations.”

“He looked at his hands, clenching his fists; every data point of this body perfectly mirrored his real self with no differences, utterly identical.”

“‘Unbelievable…it actually works,’ Xue Jing marveled.”

“‘It's said Nikola Tesla had a remarkable delusion, able to conduct scientific experiments purely through imagination…’”

“‘Though I'm unsure if his delusion was real, it certainly couldn’t be as genuine as this.’”

Xue Jing murmured to himself, “Next, it's time for the opponent…”

With a thought, he conjured up all the data he had experienced and remembered about the cockroach monster he encountered at Qingfuzhong.

In an instant, not far in front of him, a mass of pixel blocks began to rotate, forming a monster with six insect legs and four huge thin wings. “Interesting…”

Xue Jing chuckled and beckoned provocatively at the cockroach monster.

The creature seemed to recognize the challenge and assumed a slightly crouched posture, its mouthparts snapping open and closed, bang!

Dirt burst apart as the cockroach lunged forward.

However, Xue Jing was no longer who he used to be.

His top-tier dynamic vision clearly captured the cockroach monster's speed and trajectory.

As the creature was about to collide with him, Xue Jing subtly sidestepped, letting it rush past him.

In that fleeting moment, he swung a punch at the sprinting cockroach.

The force surged like a thousand stars exploding, channeling through Xue Jing's fist into the monster's abdomen.

As they passed each other, the cockroach monster ended up motionless several meters behind Xue Jing.

Seconds later, its exoskeleton began to tremble, crack lines and bulges appearing all over. “Thud!”

The body exploded violently, jetting dark green slime everywhere.

Xue Jing stood with his back to the explosion, embodying the true spirit of a man who never looks back at the blast. “The Shaking Star is the ultimate soft force, an extreme defense-breaking technique that spreads from a point to a surface, perfect for dealing with opponents with tough membranes.”

“With a method that targets weaknesses, most opponents are no more than this.”

He felt invigorated.

“Using [Contemplation Reality]'s true imagination to simulate battles in the mental space…”

“The possibilities of this new skill are endless, like a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered!”

“And next…”

With another thought, countless pixel blocks appeared before him, assembling themselves.

An elderly figure seated in a wheelchair materialized in front of him.

It was Xue Jing's master, Li Qi.

He was curious about his master's current state, despite Li Qi often proclaiming himself a has-been.

Xue Jing didn't quite buy it.

A martial arts expert who once leaped over the dragon gate was surely still hiding many formidable techniques.

Xue Jing assumed a fighting stance, ready for anything.

But at that moment, 'Li Qi' shimmered like a mosaic, its pixel blocks falling away like dust.

With a crash, the figure fragmented, dispersing into countless pixel squares. “This… is there not enough data?”

Xue Jing sensed the reason.

He hadn't seen Li Qi truly in action, so the information he had wasn't sufficient to simulate specific data about Li Qi.

"Seems like there are certain limitations... Well, if it were completely limitless, I'd be a true god in the consciousness space... Just being able to conduct any experiment without any cost is essentially invincible."

Xue Jing shook his head, not feeling disappointed.

"Whatever, let's just enjoy it for now."

Xue Jing opened his right hand, and countless pixel blocks coalesced, forming the Futou Blade in his grasp.

Opposite him, six pixel block storms manifested, shaping into six 'Li Chengxuans'.

Silver-white seeped into his pupils, and dark energy flowed from the shadow behind him, coating the Futou Blade with a black membrane, turning it into a black blade.

"Golden Wind, White Rainbow Sword, right? Four-Blade Style, right?"

Xue Jing charged towards the six Li Chengxuans with his dark Futou Blade.

……

Ten minutes later, Xue Jing's clothes were in tatters, and deep cuts from sharp weapons covered his entire body.

The black film on the Futou Blade had faded, and bright red blood continuously dripped from the silver-white blade.

All around him lay human body parts of various sizes, scattered about.

Among the severed limbs and torsos, a few half-faces remaining vaguely resembled Li Chengxuan.

The silver-white receded from his pupils as Xue Jing took a deep breath.

"Hiss—"

"It simulates pain too..."

A thought crossed his mind, and countless blocks patched up his clothes and wounds, restoring him to perfect condition shortly after.

"Though painful, it's immensely satisfying..."

Xue Jing wore a comfortable expression as if he'd been thoroughly refreshed.

This kind of guilt-free and profoundly realistic slaughter deeply unleashed the violent instincts buried in human genes.

It was like playing an entirely realistic VR game, the ultimate dream of every gamer.

"The only problem is... the energy drain is huge."

Xue Jing shook his dizzy head, exited the consciousness space, and opened his eyes.

He took out his phone, fighting off the feeling of mental exhaustion, and glanced at the time.

Half an hour had passed.

Merely half an hour of simulation, and he felt utterly drained.

"Seems I need to be cautious about using it..."

Xue Jing instinctively opened the panel for a look and his pupils shrank instantly.

[You have completed a simulation of actual combat, Combat Experience +118]

[You have completed a simulation of actual combat, Weaponry Experience +138]

[You have completed a simulation of actual combat, Contemplation Reality Experience +127]

"This conscious simulation...

Damn it, it really can help grind experience!

...