I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

In a dimly lit room, a colossal rectangular stone table stood solitary.

The table looked ancient, bearing marks of oxidation and wear, as if it had endured countless years of time, culminating in its current appearance.

Three candles were neatly placed on the stone table, quietly burning and offering the sole light source in the gloomy room.

Surrounding the stone table were nine equally aged high-back stone chairs.

At this moment, four figures, cloaked with hoods, shrouding their upper faces in shadow, sat on separate stone chairs.

"...Do we really have to meet in this place?" one of them queried with apparent frustration.

"It's already the New Era 267, can't we ditch this cult-ish vibe? Haven't you noticed how the number of new followers is dwindling? Don't you care why?"

A voice, sounding somewhat resigned, broke the silence.

She reached up and pulled back her hood, revealing a mature and beautiful face.

"...Qin, all rituals are decided by headquarters; we can't alter them," a gentle male voice responded from beside her.

Qin pursed her lips: "Is every meeting part of the ritual? Are there rules even for a restroom break?"

The man chuckled, maintaining his tone: "Technically, yes."

"The Honorable Lord of All Blossoms is the origin of all flora; and those blessed by Him, their bodily fluids are to..."

He was cut off by Qin.

"Enough... How can you say those things with a straight face? Out there, you'd be sued for harassment," Qin seemed unable to hold back, covering her face with her hand.

Unfazed, the man's voice remained gentle: "I didn't mean it that way; I was merely stating facts."

Qin chose to ignore him, instead turning to face the person across from her: "Professor, where's your precious student today? Didn't bring them along?"

The professor, sporting vine-like long hair, leaned forward slightly, dispelling the shadow on her face to reveal an unremarkable middle-aged woman.

"Her mortal relatives visited Feng City," the professor responded calmly.

Qin cast her a meaningful glance and smiled: "Seems you really care about that student... Alright, since it's already this late, others probably won't come. So, what's the reason for this gathering? Spill it."

The professor nodded and stated: "Then, I shall convey the message from headquarters."

Her face showed a look of reverence.

"Seven days ago, The Lord of All Blossoms bestowed the ‘Petal’ engraved with divine revelation at the Celestial Temple," she revealed.

This declaration sent a shiver through the attendees, widening their eyes.

Qin smacked the table, exclaiming in disbelief:

“The Oracle Flower!? Are you certain it's not just some cryptic message like the 'Divine Child's Dream Medium,' but an actual 'flower' with substance?”

She couldn't help but be astonished.

In the circles of the Cult of Other Gods, there are some universally acknowledged truths and common knowledge.

Gods—whether they've perished or remain alive—cannot directly interfere with the mortal realm.

They exist beyond the 'strings,' unfathomable entities whose 'status' transcends human understanding.

If one were to comprehend it, they could be seen as akin to 'higher-dimensional beings.'

Once, a researcher used a simple analogy to explain why gods cannot directly intervene in the mortal realm.

If we consider gods as people, then to them, the mortal realm is like a book.

Those residing in the book cannot perceive the 'people.'

As for the people, they might tear the book apart but cannot affect what's inside—unless they are the author of the book.

Moreover, there’s a prerequisite to tearing the book apart—you must overpower the author first.

So, since other gods cannot interfere with the mortal realm, why do entities like the Blessed, who wield the power of these gods, appear in the mortal world?

Because the book's author has died, leaving the rights to the book ownerless. Thus, 'people' can scribble and make fanworks on the book.

And a good book, with a well-established logic chain and worldview—even when writing fanworks, one must adhere to the basic rules and not write carelessly.

Therefore, other gods cannot do as they please in the mortal realm; they can only exert influence in ways that 'align with the logic chain and worldview of this realm.'

After the death of God, the mortal world collided with the other realm, resulting in a phenomenon where the two realms overlapped, creating flaws in the once-perfect logic chain and worldview.

This made it much easier for other gods to create fanworks without adhering strictly to the original framework, allowing them to imbue the book with their own characteristics.

This is why the Blessed appeared, allowing the power of other gods to be used in the mortal realm.

However, the appearance of the Blessed is just an 'indirect interference’ of other gods in the mortal realm. To this day, history has not recorded any direct miracles or divine artifacts bestowed by other gods.

Even the 'oracles' given to believers are always vague and cryptic, never straightforward.

But now, that Master of Infinite Colors has bestowed a flower...

If this is true, then the flower itself is no longer important; the significance of this event is the crucial point.

It signifies the first act of 'direct interference with the mortal realm' by an other god since the New Era!

“So?! What does the oracle on the flower say?”

Qin asked anxiously.

The Professor glanced at her, saying: “The headquarters deciphered it for seven days and barely translated it into vaguely comprehensible words.”

“—South of the Constellated Blades, lies the Prince of Anomalies, Child of Duality, Master of Reversal, Infinite Steel Wings, 必需弑之不存之力, 岂无黄昏之晚钟荡彻—”

After the Professor finished speaking, countless question marks appeared on the foreheads of those present.

“This… it seems I recognize each word individually.”

The man beside Qin spoke with a slightly awkward tone.

“As expected of His Eminence, the divine oracle is truly profound and difficult to decipher.”

Professor nodded calmly. “In any case, that's the situation... Because the oracle clearly signifies something related to the 'South', all the southern divisions have been ordered to investigate the details of the oracle.”

“I've conveyed the orders. We can disperse now... Qin, stay behind for a moment.”

Once the others left, Professor approached Qin and whispered a few words in her ear.

“Huh? You want me to play the bad cop?” Qin scratched her cheek in frustration.

...

In a stylish, modern-themed restaurant, Xue Jing sat across from his sister, Xue Wan.

“Oh wow~ Those two made the news.”

Xue Wan stuffed a piece of sweet and sour pork into her mouth, chuckling as she stared at her phone.

She flipped the phone around for Xue Jing to see.

“Look!”

With food in his mouth, Xue Jing raised his eyes. The news article was published just three minutes ago.

【Shocking, U19 competitors caught in such an act in broad daylight——】

The cover photo showed two young men at the port's waiting hall, lying on the ground, unconscious and holding each other.

It was unclear whether their posture was the issue or if the photographer's angle was too peculiar, but it gave off an impression of close camaraderie, as if they were peacefully sleeping in each other's arms.

The article first detailed the history of these two prodigious youths, narrated their past grievances, and then described how today's accidental encounter at the dock led to a fight, eventually resulting in their defeat by another mysterious young powerhouse...

Even though the article was only a few minutes old, the comment section was already buzzing with remarks like ‘they should definitely stay together’, ‘so shippable’, and ‘I’ve always shipped them’.

At that moment, Xue Jing felt a rare twinge of guilt.

He could already imagine that no matter how vehemently the two deny, they would continuously be teased by those who love to stir trouble, and the labels of their supposed romantic pairing would only grow stronger...

“What an unfortunate situation...” Xue Jing sighed slightly.

“Strangely, they didn’t use your picture in the news.” Xue Wan retracted her phone, looking puzzled.

Although she wasn’t deeply familiar with journalism, she understood well enough how much impact a good-looking person could have in drawing attention.

Even an unrelated passerby, if caught by the camera looking good, might end up trending.

Let alone Xue Jing, who had defeated two not insignificant talents...

Even as his sister who was accustomed to his appearance, she found her brother extraordinarily handsome, a face that coupled with his role in the incident, would surely be a traffic magnet if featured in the news.

Could reporters possibly overlook this?

“Could it be that I'm misjudging the average ethical standard of the news industry? Are there really journalists who would forego such sensationalism due to personal morals or portrait rights?”

Xue Wan fell into thought.

Although she quickly dismissed the trivial question and turned her attention to the cat sitting on the table nearby, chewing on a steak.

The cat extended its paw, snagging a piece of beef Xue Jing had cut for it. With a puff, it blew on the meat twice, then placed it in its mouth to savor with eyes slightly squinting in delight.

“...Little Fengwan is amazing; I've never seen such an intelligent cat.”

Xue Wan was somewhat surprised.

“Is it alright for it to eat this? The seasoning was added according to human standards, it’s not good for its body, is it?”

Xue Jing picked up a can of cola, took a sip, and casually replied.

“Don’t worry, it’s always eaten the same meals as me, never had a problem, all its bathroom business is quite normal—”

“Ack!!!”

A human-like flush of embarrassment and anger appeared on the cat’s face, and it let out a menacing 'ack' sound, all its fur standing on end. Its claws snapped out, giving his wrist a quick swipe.

A slight pain and a few white scratches appeared on his skin. Xue Jing chuckled, soothingly rubbing the cat's face.

“In any case, everything’s fine.”

Xue Wan shook her head repeatedly. “No, no, it’s like it even has a sense of shame, it’s too abnormal.”

She scrutinized the cat suspiciously, “This cat... could it be some result of an insane scientist’s experiment, like a human brain implanted in a cat or something?”

Xue Jing was momentarily stunned.

That was indeed a line of thought grounded in reality; why didn’t he consider this when he first met the cat?

“Meow~”

The cat walked up to Xue Wan, sat down, and meowed in a very clipped manner.

Xue Wan was silent for a moment, then reached out to hold it in her arms, rubbing it with her face repeatedly, a look of complete rapture upon her face.

“Never mind, as long as it’s cute, it’s fine. Ah, my little Fengwan, how can you be so adorable, mommy loves you...”

The cat allowed itself to be rubbed, casting a rather smug glance at Xue Jing from the corner of its eyes.

Xue Jing pinched his chin, smiling without a word.

...

After dinner, it was already 8 PM.

Xue Wan, who stayed in a university dormitory, noted the curfew time was approaching, so Xue Jing planned to temporarily bid farewell to his sister and take a walk around Maple City with the cat while meeting the agent arranged by Wu Youqing for him.

However, Xue Wan was unwilling to part with the cat, insisting on taking it back to her dormitory.

After getting the cat's unbothered approval with a glance, Xue Jing agreed.

At the door, he hailed a taxi and watched Xue Wan and the cat get in before standing alone in the street with his rolling suitcase.

He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contact list until he found the agent's number and made the call.

Almost as if waiting for his call, the phone was picked up instantly without even a dial tone.

“Hello, is this Mr. Xue?”

A respectful female voice came through the receiver.

Xue Jing said, "It's me, Sister Wei. Do you have some time now?"

His agent was a woman named Jiang Siwei.

"Yes, yes, I've been waiting for your call," Jiang Siwei quickly replied.

Xue Jing chuckled and said, "Then let's meet up now. I'll send you the address..."

After sending Jiang Siwei the location of the hotel that a wealthy businesswoman had booked for him, Xue Jing flagged down a taxi and headed to the hotel.

……

Knowing Xue Jing was an out-of-towner, the talkative driver eagerly introduced Fengcheng during the journey.

After about twenty minutes, the car stopped in front of a rather opulent hotel named Yunlu.

Xue Jing took out his phone to scan for payment, said thank you, and was about to get out of the car.

At this moment, a silhouette flew from afar.

"Bang!"

The figure crashed onto the car's hood with a loud noise, and the whole car shook.

The hood caved in deeply, the car stalled instantly, and the windshield splintered into a web of cracks.

"Eh? What's going on here?"

The driver exclaimed in panic.

Seeing this, Xue Jing frowned, opened the door, and got out.

"Damn, this girl's got some strength, I like it!"

Xiahou Shen climbed off the hood, patting the shirt imprinted with a large footprint.

As a signed fighter with the Xuandao Martial Club whose age had surpassed the U19 restrictions, he wasn't here to compete but to accompany a young teammate with little competition experience.

Unexpectedly, while booking hotels for the team, he encountered a rare and stunningly built woman...

Seeing those powerful curves, he couldn't resist giving them a pat.

And then got kicked flying.

Xiahou Shen grinned, ignoring the car dented from his crash, and took steps forward, planning to return to the hotel lobby to find that woman for further "discussion".

Just then, a slender, jade-like hand pressed onto his shoulder.

A flat, emotionless voice spoke from behind him.

"What, planning a hit and run?"