I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

In the training room, Xue Jing, now dressed in a set of black martial arts attire, assumed his stance. His whole body harnessed energy to stimulate vital points, and he was practicing the Zhu Long Technique, a foundational exercise.

With his technique upgraded to Level 2, his energy control had reached a new height, allowing him to finely and precisely stimulate the critical nodes within his body.

His body temperature subtly elevated, and sweat seeped out from his pores, drop by drop, forming a small puddle on the hardwood floor beneath his feet.

This time, Xue Jing managed to maintain the practice for almost an hour before collapsing to the ground, bringing his cultivation of the Zhu Long Technique to an end.

【You have completed a session of the Zhu Long Technique. Fitness experience +198】

【You have completed a session of the Zhu Long Technique. Energy Control experience +187】

The results were indeed gratifying, nearly doubling the gains from his previous training session with the technique.

"Gradually getting the hang of it..."

Xue Jing could feel the aching in all parts of his body.

Although the training session lasted longer than the previous one, the discomfort was noticeably milder. This was not only due to the improved energy control but also because his body was gradually acclimating to the Zhu Long Technique.

Xue Jing picked up the container of Sleeping Dragon Balm left in the training room yesterday and began to apply and massage it into his muscles.

"With the regenerative abilities from [Nurture Life], it feels like I can train once more today," Xue Jing thought to himself.

It wasn't very convenient to apply medicine on oneself, and after more than ten minutes of struggling, Xue Jing finally managed to tend to himself. With a sigh of relief, he lay down on the floor to rest.

"Junior Brother, are you there?"

Outside the training room, Chen Fuguang's voice suddenly called out.

Xue Jing paused slightly, then sat up and replied, "I am. Senior Brother Chen, please come in."

The door opened, and Chen Fuguang, dressed in casual wear, walked in with his hands behind his back. Seeing Xue Jing covered in sweat, he chuckled and said, "Oh, you've been practicing?"

Xue Jing nodded with a smile, "Just finished."

"I heard from our master that during your first practice of the Dormant Dragon Technique, you held on for more than half an hour," Chen Fuguang marveled.

"I thought Senior Brother Da's brute strength was outrageous enough, but you've outdone him," he said with a shake of his head.

"Honestly, I'm a bit ashamed. The first time I practiced, I lasted only three minutes before the pain was too much to bear; our master was so angry," Chen Fuguang admitted with a wry smile.

"Although the Dormant Dragon Technique is much simpler and easier to practice than the Shaking Armor Technique, it's still beyond the capacity of ordinary people to endure. Only you and Senior Brother Da can handle it with such gusto."

"Just as the words left his mouth, someone suddenly jumped in through the open window of the training room."

"It was a middle-aged man with handsome features and waist-length hair. He was almost two meters tall, with a burly and powerful build that seemed to stretch his oversized training uniform tight. The sleeves were rolled up, revealing muscles so defined and shiny they appeared almost metallic, exuding an intense pressure."

"The middle-aged man landed with the grace of a cat, as his toes touched down silently on the hardwood floor, creating a stark contrast to his massive physique."

"…"

"If it was merely a case of coming in through a window, it wouldn't be a big deal."

"The issue was... the Hidden Dragon Dojo is on the seventeenth floor of an office building."

"Elder Brother."

"Chen Fuguang seemed unfazed, casually greeting the middle-aged man."

"Xue Jing, snapping out of his shock, quickly followed suit, "Elder Brother!""

Xue Jing was quite puzzled, not fully comprehending Elder Brother's attitude towards him.

Meng Boshang remained silent, simply walking out of the training room, leaving his destination unknown.

"'Elder Brother never takes the usual routes, always circling the Hidden Dragon Dojo. He enters through whichever window is open at the time," Chen Fuguang remarked with a sigh.

Xue Jing walked over to the window and glanced outside, confirming that it was indeed the seventeenth floor's daunting height.

“Seventeen floors... That must be seventy to eighty meters, right? How did Master Brother get in?” Xue Jing wondered out loud.

Chen Fuguang chuckled, “For martial artists like us, terrain has never posed a challenge.”

“Especially for someone like Master Brother, jumping straight from the ground to the seventeenth-floor dojo is hardly a feat.”

“Jump directly to the seventeenth floor?”

Leaping over seventy meters required immense strength.

The word “superhuman” popped into Xue Jing's mind.

“Master Brother has nearly perfected the Five Major Practices and is on the verge of leaping the Dragon Gate. Even the public security bureau, when confronted with difficulties, must seek Master Brother's assistance.” As Chen Fuguang spoke, a hint of pride appeared on his face.

“Five Major Practices? Leaping the Dragon Gate?” Xue Jing asked, intrigued.

“Oh, right, Little Junior Brother, since you have just joined, you might have limited understanding of martial cultivation. Let me explain.”

Chen Fuguang sat cross-legged on the hardwood floor.

“In our martial cultivation, regarding the physical body, there are five major practices: skin, flesh, tendons, bones, and blood.”

“These five are interrelated and not bound by sequence; they can be cultivated simultaneously or with emphasis on specific areas.”

“In our Hidden Dragon flow, we advance these five practices in lockstep, achieving versatility without favoring one over another. However, this lack of specialization can render one mediocre if not mastered well.”

“For those who perfect the five practices, their physical body reaches the theoretical pinnacle of human capability. At such a point, breaking past the human limits is akin to a fish leaping over the dragon gate, shedding its ordinary tail, and undergoing a complete transformation, allowing further ascent to greater peaks. It's said that the master from over twenty years ago reached this realm.”

Chen Fuguang spoke eloquently.

“The five practices, leaping over the dragon gate…”

“So is ‘leaping over the dragon gate’ the highest realm in martial arts?” Xue Jing inquired curiously.

Chen Fuguang shook his head, “I asked my master the same question, and his answer was that martial arts have no end.”

This seemed like an empty phrase without much practical meaning, but Xue Jing could only nod in agreement, as it came from his master.

“However… my master did mention to me some ancient legends.”

Chen Fuguang suddenly continued.

“It is said that ancient martial artists passed down a legendary ultimate embodiment, called the ‘Treasure Body.’”

……