I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

After seeing Li Ge off, Xue Jing also made his way to the bus stop to head home.

On the way, he opened his panel to check the gains from his latest experience.

"You have experienced a battle, Fitness XP +109"

"You have experienced a battle, Marksmanship XP +50"

"You have experienced a battle and feel greatly invigorated, Wellness XP +33"

"Condition met, Skill Activated: Martial Arts"

"You have experienced a battle, Martial Arts XP +68"

"Fitness Lv2, Wellness Lv1, Cooking Lv2, Running Lv3, Charisma Lv2, Marksmanship Lv1, Martial Arts Lv1"

Firstly, let's talk about experience points. His fitness skill skyrocketed by over 100 points. Usually, after an hour of strenuous workout at the gym by himself, he'd only earn as much. Yet now, just after a not-so-tough brawl, he's acquired these experience points.

Aiming saw a 50-point increase, likely due to his use of dynamic vision during the fight, coupled with the precision of his punches, and the impressive feat of hitting Pei Youguang's left eye with a stone. These far surpass his usual training achievements.

What stunned Xue Jing the most was that his 'Wellness' experience unexpectedly increased by more than 30 points.

Was a skill that previously only gained experience by sleeping and waking early now benefiting from a brawl?

What, is fighting considered a wellness activity now?

However, Xue Jing glanced at the panel indicator showing [In High Spirits] and found it made sense.

A crucial aspect of wellness is maintaining a good mental state, undeniably influencing the body. There are frequent tales of severely ill patients miraculously recuperating due to their excellent mindset.

After the fight, he indeed felt significantly refreshed, with an exhilarating sense of joy.

Battle, it's thrilling!

“Seems like I should frequently engage in activities that make me happy in the future...”

The massive experience gain further confirmed that the panel doesn't encourage seclusion; rather, it requires more active participation in the outside world.

Finally, there's the newly activated skill—'Combat'.

Xue Jing truly didn't expect to unlock a skill directly linked to fighting prowess here.

Initially, he thought the month-long training just following videos was all in vain, but unexpectedly, all the accumulation erupted at this moment.

In the quiet alley, seeing that there was no one around, Xue Jing executed a high leg split, lifting his right foot high to form a vertical split.

At this moment, he could hardly feel the pain of being stretched between his legs, a flexibility he had never possessed before.

Moreover, once his leg was lifted over his head and paused, he didn't feel the slightest strain, and his left foot remained standing with remarkable balance and stability.

"Combat" had transformed the structure of his body.

A person's physique subtly changes due to different lifestyles and training methods; for instance, the body structures of a gymnast and a weightlifter are vastly different.

Years of training attune their physiques highly to their professions, one being light and flexible, the other robust and powerful.

Upon activating the combat skill, Xue Jing's body was 'specialized,' transforming from a regular structure to one 'suited for combat.'

Aside from basic physical enhancements, abilities related to combat, such as reaction speed, explosiveness, flexibility, resilience, agility, punch sensitivity, and balance, were all enhanced to various extents.

“This skill only strengthens my 'combat ability,' without directly granting me 'combat techniques’...”

“In this sense, it’s much like language, math, or physics; techniques are 'knowledge,' not an inherent part of the skill itself. 'Combat' enables me to better grasp techniques, yet it doesn’t magically bestow them upon me...”

“Rather than calling it a ‘combat skill,’ it’s more like a ‘combat talent.’”

Actually, other skills are quite similar. 'Culinary Arts' strengthens his grasp of cooking techniques and use of utensils, yet it doesn't provide recipes directly; 'Fitness' doesn't give him fitness knowledge, it only boosts his physical condition.

'Running,' 'Aiming,' 'Charm Techniques,' 'Health Cultivation,' all function similarly, merely enhancing related abilities without directly imparting knowledge.

“Anyway, it was definitely exhilarating.”

Xue Jing wore a delighted expression on his face.

This feeling of growing stronger was truly addictive. His body, already nimble due to the enhancement from "Combat," now felt even lighter.

"Time to go home and chill with the cat."

...

Riding the bus to the street where his apartment complex was located, Xue Jing didn't go straight home. Instead, he made a detour to the supermarket, picking up some groceries before heading back.

He took out his keys, turned the lock, and opened the door, only to find the cat sitting at the entrance as if waiting for him.

As he stepped in, the cat immediately let out a meow, its tail with a ring swaying gently in greeting behind it.

Placing the backpack and grocery bags on the living room table, Xue Jing crouched down, holding the cat's head between his hands and began to stroke its cheeks skillfully.

"Do you want some attention, little kitty, huh?"

The cat initially seemed to struggle but quickly surrendered to his expert technique, squinting its eyes in pleasure.

"Meow~"

The texture of the cat's head felt wonderful under his fingers. After a while, Xue Jing reluctantly stopped, still holding onto the cat's cheeks as he grinned, "Are you hungry, hmm?"

Even though he likely suspected that the cat was more than just a cute animal, Xue Jing's tone still turned slightly childish, as if he were teasing a little kid.

“Meow~”

The cat, adorned with white paws like gloves, pushed against Xue Jing's hands that pinched its cheeks, trying in vain to escape his grasp. It could only meow helplessly, acknowledging its hunger.

Xue Jing chuckled, letting go of the poor creature, and picked up the ingredients on the table, heading into the kitchen.

With an anthropomorphic expression of discontent, the cat rubbed its aching cheeks with a paw. ‘Foolish human, doesn’t know his own strength,’ it thought irritably, almost forgetting it was not just a regular cat.

Stepping stealthily into the hallway leading to the kitchen, the cat took a quick peek at Xue Jing, confirming he was busy, and then made a dash for Xue Jing's room.

Xue Jing's sudden return earlier had left some loose ends that it hadn’t tidied up. Once in the room, the cat jumped onto the computer desk, struggling to maneuver the mouse with its paw. Utilizing its ‘one-paw technique’ on the keyboard, it cleared the browsing history and uninstalled a suspicious program, restoring the computer to a state of 'nothing happened’ before shutting it down.

Breathing a sigh of relief after all this, the cat silently exited the room and headed to the living room. It leapt onto the sofa, lazily curling up and resting a paw on the remote control, turning on the television.

“...Chief of Security in Clear City, Shang Mingyang, stated that police have identified the escape route of the smuggling gang at the border. They are highly likely to pass through Clear City. The Security Bureau has issued a yellow safety alert; citizens should remain highly vigilant about their personal safety…”

In the kitchen, Xue Jing's phone suddenly rang.

He put down the soy sauce and soup ladle in his hands, washed them, wiped them on his apron, and took his phone out of his pocket.

Xue Jing glanced at the caller ID, recognizing the number by heart despite the lack of a saved contact.

He pressed the answer button and spoke, "Hello~ Mom, what's up."

Chapter 15 - Xue Wan

The gentle voice of Xue Jing's mother, Nan Jiayu, came through the phone.

"Hello, Mom," Xue Jing said with a smile, setting the phone on speaker and placing it in the hanging basket next to the stove as he busied himself. "What's up? Why the sudden call?"

In this lifetime, although his parents traveled often for work, their love for their two children at home was undiminished. They spent all their hard-earned money on the children.

"Must there be something wrong for me to call? Can't I just want to hear my son's voice?" Nan Jiayu feigned anger.

"You're right, Mom," Xue Jing conceded immediately.

Only then did Nan Jiayu, with a smile in her voice, begin to inquire about Xue Jing's recent situation. The two chatted about family matters for quite a while.

"Your father and I should be back around New Year's, and we'll bring you some gifts then."

"Also, be careful going to and from school these days. Don't wander around aimlessly. It's best to stay at home when possible. I just saw on the news that a group of smugglers might be in Clear City. They're dangerous people, and if you notice anything suspicious outside, please keep your distance."

Nan Jiayu warned earnestly and sternly.

Xue Jing realized that was the real reason for her call.

He reassured her, "Don't worry, Mom. I've got it handled. If something happens, I can run faster than a dog."

"That's good to hear."

Nan Jiayu sounded relieved and then seemed to remember something, asking, "Oh, have you called your sister recently?"

Xue Jing replied, "I haven't called her in about half a month. We did chat a little on WeChat a few days ago. What's up?"

Nan Jiayu was silent for a moment before saying, “Yesterday afternoon, Wanwan suddenly called, saying she missed your dad and me.”

“Isn't that quite normal?” Xue Jing asked, puzzled.

“It is normal, but I feel like something's not right. That child and your dad are alike; she seems lively, but when something happens, she likes to bottle it up and not let anyone know.”

“Maybe it’s a mother’s intuition. I just feel uneasy. Son, when you have time, check in with her. You and Wanwan have always been close, and you're siblings. If something's really troubling her, she might open up to you.”

Xue Jing thought for a moment and agreed, “Alright, don’t worry, Mom. I’ll make sure to ask her.”

…

After finishing the call with Nan Jiayu, Xue Jing looked thoughtful.

His sister, Xue Wan, was an outgoing and beautiful person, always one of the popular figures at school. She consistently topped the list for school beauties and had excellent grades. Though she didn’t get into the inner city, she was admitted to an outer-ring university ranked even higher than Qing University. She had always been someone reliable.

But Xue Jing, who grew up with her, knew she was far from perfect. She would laze around in bed unless forced to get up, often used underhanded tactics when gaming, had a poor attitude when betting and never admitted defeat. She could easily brush off those who called her out with a playful "woof," and she would even use the line, "Let me introduce you to my handsome brother," to make her female classmates treat her to meals.

Yet her biggest flaw, just as their mother said, was keeping things bottled up when troubled.

Xue Jing felt a touch of anxiety as he thought it over. He picked up his phone and entered a number, his finger hovering over the call button, but he didn’t press it. Instead, he exited the screen and put the phone away.

“I’ll call her later tonight,” he decided, planning to talk to his sister Xue Wan in the tranquility of the night.

That time of night was when people were more inclined to confide.

Putting his phone away, he continued his tasks in the kitchen, cooking a pot of rice and preparing three dishes, his culinary skills improving by over fifty points.

After lunch with the cat, Xue Jing picked up the now full and lazy cat sprawled on the floor, carried it into his room, and sat down at his computer chair, hitting the power button.

With one hand petting the cat's belly, too lazy to move, and the other on the mouse, Xue Jing planned to search for information on 'Jinli,' a type of internal energy.

He opened the browser, entering a frequently used search engine, ready to type when something caught his eye.

Xue Jing's keyboard was black, resistant to dirt, making most dust and grime difficult to see.

However, with his enhanced vision following the activation of his aiming skill, he could see what others could not.

He distinctly noticed that the gaps between the keyboard keys were littered with both black and white hairs, barely detectable.

'Is this... cat hair?'

Xue Jing glanced down towards the cat in his arms, without a hint of expression.

'This little thing, did it mess with my computer?'

Skipping past numerous useless advertisements and misguided information, it took Xue Jing about ten minutes to find some relevant material on a professional Q&A platform akin to something like Quora.

Lost in the content, the cat on his lap perked up, looking at the webpage.

'Hmm? Searching for martial arts? Is he planning to practice martial arts?'

The cat mused as it read along.

'These half-baked articles, all pretending to understand but they only fool outsiders. What nonsense about 'generating special abilities through advanced practice;' is that even possible through training alone? Without taking forbidden drugs or implanting foreign materials, even those who break through the limits, the so-called "Limiters," remain mere flesh and blood. There's no miracle of human body in this world, only relentless effort and technology...'

The cat lifted its head, gazing at Xue Jing's softly outlined chin.

"If he really is interested in martial arts... once I leave, I can introduce him to that person. Consider it as my rent for staying here..."

The cat mused as it yawned.

After eating its fill, drowsiness set in.

It curled up, resting on Xue Jing's lap, the comforting scent of the young man surrounding its nose, slowly lulling it to sleep.

"..."

Noticing the cat's steady, long breaths indicating it was fully asleep, Xue Jing quietly exited the website.

He opened a search engine, typed "hidden screen recording software," and after some browsing, successfully downloaded a suitable program.

Setting it to "auto-start" and "auto-record," he then rebooted the computer to check the setup, confirmed it was working fine, and turned off the computer.

Having completed these tasks, Xue Jing gently lifted the cat and placed it on his bed, then tiptoed out of the room.

...

In the "gym," Xue Jing stared at the barbell on the bench press rack in front of him.

It was a standard bar weighing twenty kilograms, with a pair of twenty-kilogram weight plates on each side, totaling one hundred kilograms.

This was his typical bench press weight, though he could push another twenty kilograms when pushing his limits.

After deliberating a moment, Xue Jing picked up two fifteen-kilogram weight plates from the yoga mat piled with them on the floor and added them to the bar, followed by two five-kilogram plates.

With this, the barbell now weighed one hundred and forty kilograms.

Lying down on the bench press rack, Xue Jing grasped the barbell with both hands, took a deep breath, and lifted the barbell off the hooks to bring it down to his chest before pushing it up with force. His muscles instantly tensed as he lifted!

The barbell, weighing a full 140 kilograms, was lifted steadily with almost no trembling throughout the motion, clearly indicating he still had energy to spare.

After successfully lifting it, Xue Jing didn't stop but continued to bench press repeatedly. Only after completing a set of nine did he return the barbell back to the hooks.

Slightly out of breath, he felt a sense of ease and satisfaction.

“After activating 'Combat,' my physical fitness has increased significantly. Along with over 100 fitness experience points gained from fighting, my bench press maximum weight has increased by about twenty to thirty kilograms.”

While this weight might not seem impressive, it's essential to understand that human training faces diminishing marginal returns.

The closer one gets to the human body's limits, the harder it is for strength to increase.

With diligent training, a person might go from bench pressing sixty kilograms to one hundred and twenty in just two or three years, but reaching one hundred and forty is no longer just a matter of effort. It might take eight, ten, or even a lifetime without success.

Thus, Xue Jing's additional twenty to thirty kilograms in bench press weight held significant value.

After testing the bench press, Xue Jing walked over to the freestanding punching bag in the middle of the room. He took a deep breath, focused his gaze, and struck out with a punch!

“Bang!”

A loud explosion-like sound echoed as Xue Jing's fist made solid contact with the leather surface of the bag, creating ripples. The force of the punch seemed to show faint air currents spreading, and the iron base, filled with sand and weighing over 300 jin, suddenly tilted drastically to one side.

Xue Jing extended a hand to steady the bag, nodded, and murmured to himself, “Not bad.”