I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

Xue Jing's vision sharpened once more.

He slid open the glass door, stepped onto the balcony, and gazed at the cityscape below.

His pupils underwent a subtle transformation, imprinting all the scenes into his sight.

Having honed his internal strength, his eyes grew clearer with every practice. Coupled with reaching Lv7 in aiming, his observational range now extended over dozens of kilometers, as long as there was no obstacle in his line of sight.

Xue Jing focused his gaze on a large tree by the roadside over ten kilometers away.

Through the gaps in the leaves, he distinctly saw a bug, known as a stinkbug, perched on the trunk, sipping on the plant’s sap.

With a single thought, his pupils turned a luminescent white, like moonlight spilling forth.

Silently and seamlessly, the stinkbug split into symmetrical halves, including its tiny mouthparts that were feasting, with astonishing precision.

"Oh, it works at this distance too?"

Xue Jing was a bit surprised.

He had merely tried his Moon Reading Slash instinctively at this range to see if it would work, and it did.

He had bisected that bug from over ten kilometers away.

Closing his eyes, Xue Jing gauged the expenditure of his mental energy.

"...The consumption is the same as when I cut a carp, no increase in expenditure due to the distance."

He had a hypothesis forming.

"One more test."

Xue Jing scanned his surroundings, then moved to a corner of the balcony where he could avoid a large building, granting him an even wider view.

He adjusted his focal length and directed his sight towards the rooftop of an apartment nearly thirty kilometers away.

A row of plastic railings for drying clothes lined up there.

Unexpectedly, one plastic railing suddenly cracked open, nearly severed in two, hanging on by a thin layer of plastic, teetering to fall.

Retracting his gaze, the white brilliance in his eyes faded.

"As I thought...identical consumption."

Xue Jing murmured to himself.

The Moon Reading Slash was far more potent than he had imagined.

The range of this move matched his field of vision!

As long as his eyes could clearly see a target, he could execute this move.

"This is a mechanism-based skill...the range disregards mental stats, relying solely on its mechanism..."

"Assassinating across dozens of kilometers...who would have thought?"

And this wasn't the peak.

As his vision strengthened, allowing him to see greater distances...

Perhaps, if there were a way to bypass visual obstructions with some kind of vision-enhancing ability...

Maybe one day, he could take out a target on the other side of the star, with a single glance.

"Intercontinental sniper rifle, huh..."

“There's a certain beauty to mechanics.”

Xue Jing pinched his chin.

Just as he was contemplating the promising prospects of the Moon Reading Slash, he heard the click of keys turning in the front door.

Xue Jing walked from the balcony into the living room to see the door open and Ning Fengwan, in her cat-eared girl form and wearing glasses, step inside.

She was carrying several semi-transparent white plastic bags, through which he could roughly see vegetables, meats, and other household items.

“Teacher Wan, you went grocery shopping.”

Xue Jing stepped forward, speaking in a gentle tone as he reached out to take the items from her hands.

Ning Fengwan adjusted the glasses perched on her delicate nose, the lenses catching the light.

She was dressed in a light yellow cotton dress with a black bow at the collar and a sash cinching her waist, emphasizing her slender figure and enhancing her upright, full, and rounded silhouette.

Her overall fresh and sweet outfit, paired with legs that were just right, neither too plump nor too slender, like jade under the hem of her knee-length skirt, along with those eye-catching cat ears on her head, made her...

completely unnoticeable.

Just like a stone by the roadside, utterly unremarkable.

“These glasses are really useful.”

Ning Fengwan nodded satisfactorily.

The GOD-1280 that Wu Youqing had given Xue Jing had recently been her go-to item.

With these presence-suppressing glasses, she could walk around in human form without fear of being detected.

Xue Jing opened the refrigerator and started putting away the groceries Ning Fengwan had bought, smiling at her comment.

“They are quite handy... it's just a pity they can't be used on you anymore.”

He remarked with a hint of regret.

A few days ago, he used these glasses to pull off a cosplay stunt, exploiting the suppressed and then erupted presence to extract a burst of divine nature from Ning Fengwan, which led her to activate Bastet's second otherworldly ability.

It was named—Invincible Lionheart.

Whether by coincidence or something else, one effect of this ability was to become immune to mental interference.

Although it was unclear to what extent the immunity held, Xue Jing tried suppressing his presence for a day to tempt her again, yet Ning Fengwan... remained indifferent.

The idea of using the GOD-1280 to draw out substantial divine essence daily had to be abandoned.

“Ha, the same trick doesn't work on Saints twice.”

Ning Fengwan sat on the sofa with her arms crossed, a hint of smugness playing at the corners of her lips, her cat tail wagging uncontrollably behind her.

Hearing this, Xue Jing chuckled and shook his head, casually remarking as he washed his hands:

“Tomorrow, we'll take a boat to Maple City. Is there anything you need to prepare...”

……

The next day, South District, docks.

Xue Jing dragged a black suitcase toward the ticket gate, with the Vutu sword tied with string on the handle, and a black cat with four white gloves sitting atop the suitcase.

"Cruise ships don’t allow pets, so you'll have to find your own way on after the security check. Can you manage?"

Xue Jing asked the kitten.

"No worries, I'll be fine," replied Catcat in a youthful, girlish voice, her tone calm yet full of confidence. Over time, she had fused with the power of Bastet within the cat-tail ring, becoming a being of remarkable transformation.

Not only had she acquired the abilities of two ancient gods, but her physical prowess had been enhanced to an incredible degree, granting her the agility and strength of the feline goddess. Slipping unnoticed past staff and scaling walls to get on the cruise was no challenge for her.

"Hoo—"

The sound of a ship's horn echoed across the sea. Xue Jing turned to see an enormous black-and-white cruise ship slicing through the massive waves as it approached the dock. "Alright, let's meet up on the ship,"

Catcat said, her small form disappearing in an instant, moving so swiftly that she was gone without a trace. Xue Jing paid it no mind. He picked up his phone to double-check the boarding time, then snapped a photo of the approaching cruise ship to send to his sister, Xue Wan.

...

What Xue Jing didn’t notice was a number of figures lurking in the shadows of the nearby dock warehouse district, covertly observing him. "Are you sure? That’s the Xue Jing from the Hidden Dragon Dojo?"

A tall and bald middle-aged man spoke in a low tone. "It’s definitely him. That pretty boy’s looks aren’t something you’d mistake," replied the long-haired and skinny young man quickly.

The bald man pondered for a moment and then said, "Go inform Senior Brother Zhao at the Golden Wind Dojo, and retrieve those 'tools' from the basement."

The young man was shocked. "What? You’re planning to use guns? Isn’t that against the rules?"

The bald man cast him a glance, speaking calmly: "Xue Jing is a formidable opponent, capable of defeating our junior brother in a one-on-one match. Senior Brother Zhao alone may not secure victory over him. We must ensure success with firearms."

The young man looked worried, "But using guns is against the rules, what about the Security Department…"

"We can’t afford to worry about that now."

the bald man’s gaze was steely. "The Hidden Dragon Dojo has been troubling us every day lately, and our senior and master are severely injured. Zhang Senior Brother and Chen Senior Sister are in the inner circle, and Senior Brother Su has vanished without a trace… Who knows what’s happened to them now… Our Golden Wind Dojo has deteriorated to such a state within a few days."

"Xue Jing is Li Qi’s most valued disciple, and capturing him would force the Hidden Dragon Dojo to compromise…"

"Go, retrieve all the weapons; this is a rare opportunity to achieve everything in one strike!"

...

With time to spare before boarding, Xue Jing, feeling idle, bought a bowl of oden and some fries from a convenience store near the dock gates.

He strolled to the rail near the sea, enjoying the sea breeze and view while eating his food. "Caw—Caw—" Seagulls circled overhead, screeching as they noticed the food in the young man’s hand, eyeing it with ill intentions. "Swoosh—"

A seagull swooped down from Xue Jing's blind spot, aiming for the fries he was holding.

It was a seasoned thief, adept at snatching fries with hardly any failures.

However, the young man seemed to have eyes on the back of his head, moving the fries away just as the bird's claws were about to touch them.

Once the first seagull launched its failed assault, the others immediately flocked around, intending to rob him.

The sound of flapping wings was incessant as Xue Jing found himself enveloped by dozens of seagulls.

"Shoo."

A flash of silver passed through Xue Jing's pupils.

His tone wasn't harsh, nor was his voice loud; it was just a simple, bland "shoo."

Yet, all the seagulls froze, their cacophony of screeches stopping abruptly.

Then it was as if they had encountered some terrifying predator, panic-stricken as they desperately flapped their wings, scattering in all directions away from Xue Jing.

"Ah!"

Some bystanders were startled by the frantic seagulls crashing into them, eliciting shrieks of surprise.

Black and white feathers littered the ground, while Xue Jing, as if nothing had happened, calmly skewered a fish ball with a wooden stick and popped it into his mouth to chew.

After finishing his bite, he dusted off his hands and grasped the handle of the nearby luggage with the Vutu sword on it.

He leisurely began to untie the sword's bindings.

Normally, weapons wouldn't pass security checkpoints, but since he was a participant in the U19 tournament, he had certain privileges.

As long as he handed the sword over to the staff for safekeeping once on board, he could bring it along, retrieving it once the ship docked.

"Oh right, the South District belongs to the Golden Wind Dojo's turf. Nearly forgot that."

Xue Jing, with the Vutu sword in hand, turned to gaze at the warehouse area ahead.

Countless multicolored containers were lined up, his eyes slightly narrowing as he scanned the seemingly deserted area, finding nothing out of place.

Yet, the vague sense of danger that lingered at the edge of his consciousness refused to fade.

"Bang—"

A gunshot rang out, and Xue Jing's pupils contracted.

In his field of vision, a steel bullet sped towards him, so fast that even with his current dynamics sight, it appeared only as a blur, a mere shimmering line.

"Clink!"

By instinct, Xue Jing swiftly drew his sword, holding the blade in front of him.

The bullet grazed the blade, splitting in two.

Without hesitation, Xue Jing immediately opened his status panel, applying the yet-to-be-chosen Twin Active Effect onto [Instinctual Intuition].

[Currently Activated: Physical Strength, Movement Speed, Physical Defense, Instinctual Intuition]

Bullet speeds exceeding the sound barrier were beyond his current reaction capabilities.

He could only rely on instinctual intuition for predictions.

In the next moment, dozens of figures emerged from behind the containers in the warehouse district.

Every person held a firearm.

The majority were various models of handguns, but there were also several individuals wielding long-barreled rifles that required both hands to handle.

Xue Jing couldn't identify exactly what kind of guns they were, but the continuous 'bang bang bang' of gunfire erupted around him.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of bullets were fired at him simultaneously.

Terrified screams echoed from the surrounding pedestrians as they scattered in all directions.

Xue Jing, meanwhile, swiftly stepped on the ground and vanished from his original spot at lightning speed.

Steel bullets struck the ground, railings, benches.

Some embedded themselves into their targets, others ricocheted, creating stray bullets that turned Xue Jing's previous standing spot into a chaotic mess with stone fragments flying everywhere.

“To use firearms within the city... quite daring.”

Xue Jing's eyes narrowed slightly, just as he considered circling around for a surprise attack. At that moment, he noticed a figure rapidly darting towards him.

It was a tall man, around twenty-eight or twenty-nine, sporting a goatee, impeccably dressed in a black suit.

His gaze was fixed on Xue Jing, his determined face showing a flash of anger.

“Die!”

With a loud shout, the man extended his palm flatly, aiming a 'penetrating hand' gesture toward Xue Jing.

As his fingers sliced through the air, a sharp, hissing sound of something cutting through was produced, the fingertips forming a sharp white cone.

Xue Jing instantly recognized it as the technique of the Golden Wind White Rainbow Sword.

“Targeting my abdomen, not intending to strike a killing blow, huh... I see.”

In a flash, Xue Jing realized what his opponent intended.

“I've truly been underestimated, haven't I?”

“You dare approach me even though I have a knife?”

Gripping the handle of the Vutu knife, Xue Jing's pupils shimmered in silver.

Spiral grooves emerged on his hands, spiraling towards his knuckles.

The spiraled compressed energy poured into the blade of the Vutu knife, causing it to tremble slightly and emit a resonant hum.

“Heavenly Blade · Whirlwind Thunder—”

“Boom!”

Out of thin air, a thunderous crash resounded, and the silvery spiral tornado of blade light whirred toward the suited man.

The sharp white rainbow technique clashed with the spiral blade light, momentarily deadlocked mid-air, clanging—

“Ah!!”

A horrible scream followed as the man was sent flying backward. The spiral blade light pierced into his hand, starting from his fingertips a deep spiral wound spiraled up, stripping away the flesh from his entire arm, leaving it dangling from the bone.

Simultaneously, unbeknownst to the man, Xue Jing had already appeared beside him, piercing a knife through his abdomen with a squelch, the silvery blade passing right through.

“Between bare hands and wielding weapons, lies a tall wall.”

Xue Jing looked into the man's wide eyes, speaking in a flat, emotionless tone.