I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

"Captain, shouldn't we stop Young Master Ning?"

The Mountain Ape asked Void Blade as he watched Ning Yuantai charge forward.

"What if Young Master Ning ends up seriously hurt by Xue Jing? We'll probably take the blame."

Void Blade replied calmly: "Don't worry, even though he was taken down quickly a few days ago, Young Master Ning is not weak."

"When fully prepared, Xue Jing... might not really be his match either."

She looked into the distance at the two figures about to clash.

"A month ago, Young Master Ning successfully consumed the second set of forbidden medicine from the 'Red Lotus Volcanic Flow,' achieving an initial transformation into a 'Volcanic Alien Form'..."

Seeing the figure sprinting towards him, Xue Jing raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"Interesting."

With top-notch dynamic vision, he clearly saw Ning Yuantai's body beginning to glow red midway through his charge.

His skin, hair... even the surrounding air within half a meter of him erupted in a crimson aura, akin to a character in a fighting manga powering up.

"What is this? An alien plant form? A special martial technique?"

Initially posing as a cool-headed expert, Xue Jing suddenly found himself intrigued.

The fiery red figure approached.

Ning Yuantai felt the volcanic power within him, boiling to the point of erupting, and his confidence surged, banishing the shadows cast by those silver-white eyes.

"I will win!"

He thought to himself.

Having trained for years under the Red Lotus Dojo, enduring the pain of the forbidden drug's transformations, he had finally cultivated the infamous Volcanic Alien Form in the martial arts world.

Volcanic eruptions are one of the most terrifying natural disasters on this planet.

To simulate a volcano's internal movements in the human body, the Volcanic Alien Form naturally possesses unparalleled explosive power.

Even as a beginner, it is far beyond what mere old martial techniques can compete with.

"Three days ago, I was just careless. Xue Jing, in front of this fully triggered 'Volcanic Alien Form,' can you withstand it?"

Ning Yuantai's spirits soared, looking at the close-range, slightly surprised Xue Jing, his entire body’s power like boiling magma, concentrating on his right hand, as he struck out like a cannonball.

"Boom——"

The explosive power blasted out from the point of his crimson fist, like lava spewing from a volcano, surging towards Xue Jing.

Xue Jing's pupils contracted slightly, sensing something unusual.

With years of martial arts experience, his understanding of the human body was unparalleled.

This punch, utilizing energy in an extremely peculiar manner, was entirely different from any martial artist's technique he knew—completely a different system.

"Is it the new martial system using the forbidden drug?"

"Interesting, an opportunity not to be missed, let's engage head-on."

His hunting spirit awakened, Xue Jing formed a fist with his right hand, channeling energy, a spiral groove forming on his right arm, converging towards his fist.

"Spiral Thunder!"

"Boom!"

Amidst the rumbling thunder, his right fist propelled a spiraling airflow with ferocity.

“Boom!!”

As the two fists collided, a deafening explosion resonated, causing the distant observers, Void Blade and Mountain Ape, to feel a painful ring in their eardrums, compelling them to cover their ears involuntarily.

The grassy terrain tore apart, and soil scattered wildly, obstructing the view and concealing the specifics of the battlefield.

At that moment, a figure shot out directly from the dust and soil, crashing heavily onto a grassy slope dozens of meters away.

“Huh, Xue Jing!?”

Mountain Ape exclaimed in surprise.

Could it be that... Xue Jing lost in this exchange of fists?

From afar, Xue Jing sprang up from the ground in a nimble motion, his entire body—save for above the neck—imprinted with dragon scale marks, evidence of his energy surging through his skin membrane to activate the Golden Scale Skin.

He was unharmed except for a slight soreness in his right fist.

“Is this... the new martial system?”

Xue Jing's eyes were filled with wonder.

The moment their fists connected, he felt as if he wasn't clashing with a human fist at all but rather a chunk of magma ejected from a volcano's core.

Such savage and domineering explosive power was entirely different from his expectations of Ning Yuantai's strength.

“I can win, I can absolutely win!”

Ning Yuantai shouted excitedly in his heart, watching Xue Jing, whom he had knocked away.

“As I thought, last time was just me being careless, he's no match for me!”

“With the volcanic alien form fully activated, the energy will only boil and escalate with each fight, stronger as we go, he couldn't initially defeat me, and he'll only fare worse from now on!”

“Those strange eyes were surely just an illusion!”

“I've won, I've won!”

“Ha!”

Ning Yuantai cried out, transforming into a streak of crimson light as he charged toward Xue Jing.

Seeing this, Xue Jing thought for a moment and activated his Twin Defense.

“This new martial system is quite intriguing, I need to gather more data...”

He pondered, stepping forward to confront the challenge.

This time, Xue Jing chose not to meet him head-on; instead, he employed a parrying technique, using a gentle force to deflect Ning Yuantai's punch.

“So straightforward, and no change in technique after being deflected, it seems this kind of energy is difficult to control finely...”

Xue Jing mused with eyes gleaming.

Unleashing his Twin Speed, he swiftly grabbed Ning Yuantai by the neck before he could react, hoisting him up and executing a choke slam onto the ground, causing the earth to crack.

“The skin is so hot... this temperature must be at least a hundred degrees, is this the reason for such explosive strength?”

Boiling flesh, resulting in boiling power?

Caught off guard by Xue Jing's sudden swift actions, Ning Yuantai was momentarily taken aback, but he didn't lose his composure.

As he was slammed into the ground, his body unexpectedly emitted layers of pale red mist.

Xue Jing was about to pursue when the pale red mist blocked his way, its intense heat causing him to squint and raise a hand to shield his eyes.

“Is this... steam?”

Before he could react further, a foot wrapped in fiery red airflow darted out from the mist, aiming straight for his chest.

Xue Jing's reflexes were lightning fast. As he sidestepped, he simultaneously caught hold of an ankle with both hands.

Then his gaze sharpened.

"Golden Scale Spin!"

Grabbing Ning Yuantai's leg, Xue Jing rapidly invoked the Golden Scale Spin, rotating at high speed on the spot.

Originally, this move served purely as defense, utilizing his spinning body coupled with the golden-scaled skin to dissipate any enemy attack.

Yet now, it was creatively used for offense, proving its versatility.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

Round after round, the acceleration increased as Xue Jing, clutching Ning Yuantai's leg, transformed into an enormous spinning top. The swirling air took in loose dirt and scattered grass from around, gradually forming a small tornado.

After spinning countless times, Xue Jing released his grip. The immense momentum hurled Ning Yuantai far away.

"Swish—"

"Bang!"

"Creak—"

Stopping at a vast distance, over a hundred meters away, the helicopter was caved in by Ning Yuantai's impact. The craft tilted and fell to the side, its massive rotor blades piercing the ground like striking hard stone, snapping instantly.

Void Blade: "..."

Mountain Ape: "..."

A moment of silence passed between the two. Mountain Ape begrudgingly spoke, "The government of Qingcheng said we’ll have to cover the repair costs if another incident occurs..."

Void Blade, maintaining a calm demeanor, said, "You were piloting the helicopter. It's your responsibility for the poor landing. Repair costs are on you."

Amidst the rising pale red mist, Ning Yuantai crawled out of the tilted aircraft.

His eyes were filled with fervor as he roared, "Again!"

As he tore himself away from the wreckage, delivering a heavy stamp, the already battered helicopter suffered further damage—the tail beam bending into a V-shape.

Mountain Ape: "Hey."

Once more, Ning Yuantai transformed into a scarlet flash, now even faster than at the start.

The more fervent he grew, the mightier he became.

A volcanic anomaly, becoming stronger with each battle.

The two engaged once more, entwining in a fierce clash.

The sounds of fists and feet colliding resembled firecrackers going off continuously.

After dozens of exchanges, Xue Jing's gaze shifted, spotting an opening with Twin Speed.

With a forceful kick to Ning Yuantai's chest, he sent him flying.

Behind him lay a lake.

"Splash—"

Ning Yuantai crashed into the water. His intensely high body temperature instantly made the lake's surface boil, steam rising in thick, white plumes.

"What!?"

Ning Yuantai was slightly panicked.

He had been too engrossed in battle, completely oblivious to his surroundings and had failed to notice the presence of the lake.

Feeling his body temperature dropping rapidly as the lake water enveloped him, Ning Yuantai began to panic.

He lifted his head out of the water, intending to gather strength and leap out, but saw a shadow descending from the sky, aiming straight for him.

White steam swirled around, making it difficult for him to see clearly.

In a trance, he could only make out a pair of silver-white eyes.

Indifferent, disdainful, even—sacred.

In that moment, under the gaze of these excessively beautiful eyes, Ning Yuantai was utterly mesmerized, motionless.

By then, the figure was already close, and a hand lightly pressed down on his head.

He only heard the words "Shaking Starfire" and felt as if his head was being taken out, placed into a bottle, and violently shaken until it turned into mush.

Afterwards, he knew nothing.

"Splash—"

Grabbing the unconscious Ning Yuantai, Xue Jing swam to the shore, effortlessly tossing him onto land with one hand.

Then, he jumped ashore himself, removing his shirt to reveal a body as perfectly toned as a deity's.

With a slight exertion of force, most of the water droplets were shaken off his body.

At this moment, Void Blade and Mountain Ape approached.

"I say, Master Xue, can't you be careful when fighting?" Mountain Ape said, twitching his mouth.

"You always seem to smash a helicopter for fun. Do you find it enjoyable?"

Xue Jing brushed his hair back with a smile, "Why? Is it costing you money to repair the helicopter? Ask this kid, won't his family boast of being quite powerful and wealthy?"

As he spoke, he pointed to Ning Yuantai, who lay sleeping like a baby.

Mountain Ape shrugged, "I wouldn't dare..."

Void Blade glanced at the prone Ning Yuantai and asked Xue Jing, "What do you think of Young Master Ning?"

Hearing this, Xue Jing pondered for a moment and replied, "Though he's somewhat lacking in skill, his martial arts are quite interesting."

Void Blade nodded, "Young Master Ning practices a renowned martial art from the inner circles, called 'Red Lotus Volcano Style.'"

"It's a forbidden technique."

Xue Jing's expression remained unchanged as he nodded, "As expected, a new martial system."

The so-called new martial arts system stands in contrast to the old ways that value the natural human physique. Instead, it emphasizes the use of injections or forbidden substances to enhance the body through transformation.

Martial arts practiced under this system are also known as 'forbidden techniques.'

Unlike the old martial arts, which anyone can learn unconditionally, forbidden techniques are too dangerous, explicitly banned by law for ordinary people, hence the name 'forbidden.'

By consuming forbidden substances and practicing corresponding forbidden techniques, one can develop a unique physique that native humans could never attain, surpassing the old martial arts in strength, speed, and limits.

"Transforming the internal body structure to resemble that within a volcano, thus gaining exceptional explosive power."

"You must see it too... Young Master Ning isn't inherently strong; in terms of basic physical strength and capability, he's at least two to three levels below you."

Void Blade spoke softly.

"Yet, once he activates the 'Volcano Anomaly,' he can immediately gain explosive power rivaling or even surpassing yours."

Xue Jing chuckled softly and casually asked,

"Have you ever seen me go all out?"

Void Blade shook his head, "No... but you should understand what I mean."

"The gap between old martial arts and the new is vast."

"With your talent, if you practiced the new martial arts, you wouldn't have even needed to exchange a move with Young Master Ning. He might not have lasted a single strike against you."

Xue Jing stepped to the side, picked up the yellowed 【One Hundred Feet of Progress】 from the ground, and tossed it to Void Blade.

"I know what you're trying to say, no need to elaborate."

"Perhaps, as you said, old martial arts indeed cannot compare to the new."

He glanced at Ning Yuantai, who was being helped up by the Mountain Ape.

"But what does that have to do with me?"

Void Blade couldn't quite grasp the meaning of this statement.

But Xue Jing had already turned and was walking away, waving a hand as farewell.

"Thanks for the 【One Hundred Feet of Progress】. When I'm ready for the borderlands, I'll let you know. Until then."

The Mountain Ape looked at his retreating figure and sighed, "So stubborn, why persist on this sinking ship of old martial arts?"

Void Blade mused, "No, he's not one of those traditionalists fervently clinging to the human physique."

"More like... he has something else up his sleeve."

...

Xue Jing rode the Wind Eater leisurely, making his way back to the manor.

He opened his status panel for a glance.

【You experienced a battle, fitness experience +337】

【...feeling refreshed, vitality experience +138】

【...aiming experience +89】

【...Hidden Dragon Technique experience +332】

【...combat experience +369】

【Someone has developed faith and worship towards you, charm experience +326】

"Hmm!?"

Xue Jing was momentarily stunned by the final notification on the panel.

Faith and worship? From who?

After pondering for a moment, he seemed unsure.

...

In the white hospital room, Ning Yuantai lay on the bed, his forehead wrapped in bandages.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and sat up abruptly.

In his mind, a pair of silver, indifferent eyes lingered like an indelible shadow.

Ning Yuantai mumbled to himself, "Those are... the eyes of a god."

...