I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

"I'll call you Little Jing, then."

Jiang Siwei suppressed her excitement and tried to maintain a composed and sincere smile.

She opened her briefcase and took out a brown sealed envelope.

The seal was unbroken. Jiang Siwei tore it open and took out a roughly six- or seven-page paper document.

"The club said they used a special channel to secure you a spot as a signed player. You've already been submitted as a seed player for this U19 elimination round... This is your official contract."

"They instructed to open it only after meeting you. This is my first time seeing it too... Hold on, let me have a look."

Jiang Siwei said, flipping through the contract documents in her hand.

Xue Jing nodded, smiling, "No problem, take your time."

A male waiter dressed in a uniform approached politely, "Sir, would you like something to drink?"

Xue Jing glanced at Jiang Siwei, who was absorbed in reading the contract, thought for a moment, and said, "I'll have a coke... and a coffee, too."

She had an office lady vibe, typical of urban women who probably liked coffee, he estimated.

"What kind of coffee would you like?" the waiter inquired.

"I'm not sure, just pick something for me," Xue Jing replied warmly.

After a while, the waiter returned with a can of Coke and a steaming cup of coffee, placing them on the table.

"Enjoy."

Xue Jing picked up the Coke, popped open the tab, and took a sip.

Jiang Siwei, sitting opposite, was flipping through the contract pages, her brow furrowing deeper with every turn.

'What a strange contract... Signed for one year, a monthly salary of two thousand three hundred... just enough to meet the minimum wage.'

'Any prize money won in competitions is the player's personal earnings... No mandatory obligations... All activities are at the player's discretion...'

Jiang Siwei's lips twitched, feeling her newfound ambition utterly crushed...

No wonder a newcomer like him, who was undeniably destined for stardom in martial arts, was assigned to her.

He wasn't a regular athlete... More like someone with impressive connections, using their club's platform to get a taste of martial arts competitions.

She thought she could finally take on a big challenge, nurturing a great talent under her wing.

Jiang Siwei sighed, closed the contract, and pushed it over to Xue Jing.

"I'm done reviewing it, no issues. Have a look, Little Jing, and if you're satisfied, sign it."

Though slightly disappointed, Jiang Siwei forced a smile at Xue Jing.

It was almost like a holiday... at least he was pleasing to the eye, just watching him was enjoyable.

Xue Jing took the contract and opened it.

After so many years of martial arts training and a host of skills enhancing his ability, his mental acuity had far surpassed that of ordinary people. He could read and fully comprehend a page with a dozen clauses in almost two seconds.

This was evident as he casually flipped through each page, seeming to browse idly before quickly finishing, much like quantum speed reading, impressively nonchalant.

“Hmm, I've finished reading it,” Xue Jing nodded.

As Wu Youqing had mentioned, it was a contract with nearly no constraints.

He picked up the pen and red ink pad handed over by Jiang Siwei, signing his name in the section for the second party and affixing his thumbprint.

“Alright, let me tell you about the schedule for the U19 elimination tournament,” Jiang Siwei said with a smile as she put away the contract.

“There are a total of thirty-two contestants in this Feng City elimination match, twelve of whom are seeded players from major clubs…”

“Tomorrow the list of contestants will be officially announced, followed by the drawing ceremony, and the day after, the competition will officially begin.”

“The first match is a round of thirty-two to sixteen, held over two days with eight matches per day, followed by a day of rest. On the fourth day, the second round begins, which is the sixteen to eight, and after that, there are three days of rest…”

As Jiang Siwei explained, Xue Jing calculated that the schedule barely avoided conflicting with his mission at the border.

Currently, there were still five days left before the deadline agreed with Bai Ya.

He must head to the newly emerged border on that day to carry out his exploration mission.

‘The day after tomorrow the thirty-two to sixteen matches start, sixteen matches over two days, with one day of rest…’ Xue Jing contemplated.

‘That means five days later is the second round, sixteen to eight. It falls right on the deadline. After that match, I can rush over for the mission in time… perfect.’

After detailing the schedule, Jiang Siwei rummaged through her briefcase and pulled out a thick stack of documents, placing them on the table with a hefty thud.

“These are detailed profiles of around fifty contestants, which I prepared in advance. While the official list of contestants hasn’t been released yet, these should be among the fifty. Take a look, Little Jing, understanding your opponents can’t hurt.”

Xue Jing glanced at her and picked up the thick file, flipping it open at random.

It contained the information of a contestant named ‘Gu Hongding,’ including a photo, age, fighting style, martial arts school, points to note when battling, past records, match details… all sorts of detailed data.

It was clear Jiang Siwei had gone to great lengths to collect this information, presented in a very neat format that was clear at first glance.

“Sister Wei, you've really put your heart into this,” Xue Jing complimented.

Although this information was likely not particularly useful to him.

Nevertheless, Jiang Siwei's dedication and capable work ethic were noted by Xue Jing.

“Glad to be of help,” Jiang Siwei smiled.

“By the way, after the list is revealed tomorrow, and the drawing ceremony is over, Feng City TV will come for contestant interviews. Additionally, a famous variety show is filming, and they’re keen to have professional martial artists appear on their program…”

Xue Jing waved his hand dismissively and said, "No, cancel them all."

Jiang Siwei's eyes revealed a knowing expression.

It was just as expected; he was here to experience life, not to make money as a professional player.

He had no intention of establishing a personal brand.

“Then there’s…”

…

After discussing some more about the competition, the time had come to meet for snacks after eleven in the evening.

Xue Jing found a well-reviewed place and treated Jiang Siwei to a late-night meal, after which she took her leave.

Returning to the Yunlu Hotel, Xue Jing took the elevator straight to the floor where his room was located. He found his room, unlocked the door with his room card, and entered.

Wu Youqing had never skimped on accommodations for him. This time was no exception—the suite was exquisite.

The room was extremely spacious and luxuriously decorated. The floor was covered with a soft beige carpet. A large bed fit for a king could easily accommodate five people at once, and there was a separate study, a living room, and even an entire wall dedicated to a wine cabinet and bar, perfect for mixing cocktails on the spot.

There was also a room filled with gym equipment.

Xue Jing placed his luggage, stretched, and then went to take a shower in the bathroom. After changing into a bathrobe, he lay down on the soft bed.

After a busy day, he finally had some time to himself.

He calmed his mind and sank into his consciousness.

Slowly, his figure in a white training uniform appeared.

He clenched his fists, felt his body, confirmed the data was correct, and then concentrated.

Before him, pixelated blocks rotated, forming the silhouette of a strong figure.

Long hair reaching the waist, rugged features, knotty muscles—this was Yin Mǔhǔ.

Even though he had only recently met him, during their brief exchange they had engaged in a precise contest of strength, enough for Xue Jing to gather sufficient data to materialize Yin Mǔhǔ in his consciousness.

Though he hadn't truly fought him, and thus didn't know his combat style, techniques, or signature moves, he couldn't fully replicate them.

But what Xue Jing needed was simply the unique force manipulation of the Vajra Wishful Hand. As of now, the 'Yin Mǔhǔ' he could manifest was more than sufficient.

“The special characteristics of any style must be paired with the training methods of its own system to exert the best effect.”

“The Vajra Wishful Hand is no exception—its unique manipulation also requires the power of its corresponding system to achieve such results,” Xue Jing pondered.

“However, the Dragontide Cultivation I train in follows an all-encompassing path and already covers both hard and soft techniques. This means even if the results aren't perfect, they won’t be far off when paired with the Vajra Wishful Hand’s manipulation.”

He gazed at the 'Yin Mǔhǔ' before him.

The evolved "Visualize True" at Level 5 crafts figures so lifelike that they seem to possess a certain degree of consciousness.

Upon noticing Xue Jing's gaze, the Yin Mother Tiger nodded promptly and extended a fan-sized hand to grip Xue Jing's shoulder.

A force as rigid as steel pierced through Xue Jing's flesh from the fingertips.

Xue Jing adopted no defensive measures; instead, he used his natural, unsullied physique to fully endure the damage from this force.

It was a force of extreme purity, devoid of any impurities.

Normally, martial artists practice using internal force that varies between rigid and soft, but never to the extent of being '100 percent rigid' or '100 percent soft.'

Take, for example, the Crouching Dragon Flow’s killing move, "Waving Star Fire." Though categorized as a move of soft force, it actually incorporates a touch of rigidity as a signal.

Without that hint of rigidity as an indicator, a move comprised entirely of soft force would be completely benign—lacking any offensive capability, theoretically incapable of harming even an ant.

Moreover, achieving one hundred percent soft or rigid force is nearly impossible.

Yet, the force entering Xue Jing’s body was different.

It was pure rigidity.

Starting from the shoulder, it spread downward, piercing countless blood holes into Xue Jing's skin.

It was as if enormous, razor-sharp steel needles were impaling him, aggressively dispersing damage throughout Xue Jing’s body.

“Pure rigid force, uncompromised by any softness, is theoretically impossible to shape. You can't alter even a fraction of its form—it remains unchanged upon release."

“Yet, the rigid force delivered by the Vajra Wish-fulfilling Hand could remodel itself upon entering my body, transforming into shapes like blades or steel needles... It’s utterly incomprehensible.”

Xue Jing ignored the throbbing pain in his shoulder, absorbed in contemplation.

This almost shattered his current understanding of the martial arts system.

“Again.”

Xue Jing healed his wounds and addressed Yin Mother Tiger.

The tiger nodded in response and tried a different approach, landing a punch on Xue Jing’s stomach.

The higher the proportion of rigid force in a punch, the greater the impact. A punch imbued with absolute rigidity compromises nothing to air resistance, showing no intention of drifting with the airflow. Such a punch, upon release, generates intense air friction and disperses a huge white shockwave several meters outward.

“Boom!!”

The fist, as large as a sandpot, imprinted on Xue Jing’s stomach, producing an ear-piercing bang that could hurt the ears. Xue Jing's belly was almost pierced through, revealing a gaping blood hole. He was blasted dozens of meters back, embedding into the dojo wall, leaving a human-shaped dent.

Thick, fragrant blood as radiant as rubies was spat out from Xue Jing’s mouth; he ignored it and instead focused intently on the intricate sensations of the punch.

His spirit and will grew more resilient by the day; even pain that would render an average person unconscious was insignificant for him, unable in the slightest to cloud his consciousness.

Only after committing to memory all the nuanced sensations of that punch did Xue Jing open his eyes.

“Once more!”

Boom!

“Again!”

Splat...

“Again!”

...

Time and again, enduring the blows of the Yin Mǔhǔ's Vajra Hand.

Getting the torso sliced in half by a hand chop, the heart pierced by a single finger, kicked into the sky...

Xue Jing experienced and contemplated the mysteries of the Vajra Hand from countless angles and positions.

“Splat—”

After having his lower back pierced through, Xue Jing felt the subtle forces rampaging inside him, tearing through his organs, a flash of understanding in his eyes.

“The ultimate rigidity is the ultimate softness... too rigid, it snaps...”

He stroked his chin, musing, “I think I understand now...”

“So that's it. When seen in this light, the principle is surprisingly simple.”

Pixels rotated, filling his body, healing his injuries.

Xue Jing extended his palm, manifesting a piece of transparent glass.

He squeezed it hard, and the glass shattered instantly.

“Glass is an extremely hard material, yet a slight bend shatters it, impossible to mold and shape, pure rigid force is just like glass.”

“Yet at its hardest point, even the structure of the ultimate rigid is fragile, ultimate rigidity is ultimate fragility!”

“A mere touch can shatter it.”

Xue Jing kneaded the glass shards in his palm, and when he opened his hand again, it was a pile of glass powder.

“The shattered ultimate rigidity, like glass turned into powder... glass powder can naturally be molded into any shape!”

“The secret of the Vajra Hand's force lies in this, first shattering pure rigidity into powder, then controlling this 'powder force' for free movement...”

“Thus, this ultimate rigid force is even more plastic than soft force.”

Xue Jing struck a dramatic pose, covering his face with one hand, his pupils turning silver-white, gazing at Yin Mǔhǔ.

“I have seen through everything.”

“Before these eyes, you have no secrets.”

...