I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

“Dragon Wing System?” Xue Jing murmured.

With a hint of pride, Mountain Ape explained, “This is a unique implant crafted from the core organs of a dragon species.”

“You know about the dragon species, right? They are a very special type of creature in the Boundary Lands.”

Xue Jing nodded.

The secret potions he consumed daily used many raw materials sourced from dragon species. However, the affairs of the Boundary Lands were always shrouded in mystery, and even the internet offered no clarity. He didn't truly know what the dragon species looked like.

“The most notable feature of the dragon species is their ability to fly.” Mountain Ape gazed towards the figure drawing near, gradually transforming from a mere speck into a well-defined human shape.

“All dragon species possess an incredible ability to fly, without exception, even those that stretch dozens of meters long and weigh hundreds or thousands of tons can fly.”

“For them, flying is as natural as breathing, costing no energy. They can remain in the sky indefinitely, even sleep in the air, entirely unaffected by gravity.”

“Years of research on dragon species have shown that they fly due to an innate strange ‘anti-gravity biological field’.”

By now, the woman in the sky had reached overhead, descending slowly.

Mountain Ape looked up at her and said, “The Dragon Wing System is crafted from the core organs of dragon species, which possess the 'anti-gravity biological field'. By implanting it into the human spine and connecting it with the nervous system, one can gain the ability to fly.”

“This is the most popular bio-implant from South Sky Heavy Industries, with no rivals, and it’s highly praised.”

At this moment, the woman softly landed before them.

Xue Jing took a glance at her appearance.

She looked average, with sharp eyes, appearing around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a blade-shaped scar at the corner of her eye. Her black tactical outfit was adorned with a variety of blades at accessible spots.

“You can call me ‘Void Blade’.”

Her tone was calm as she introduced herself.

“We are under the Special Operative Unit of the ‘Emergency Management Special Agency for Anomalous Disasters’, known as the White Crows Task Force, specializing in handling anomalies related to the Boundary Lands.”

She extended her right hand.

“I'm the captain of the 838th Squad of the White Crows, and this gorilla here is a team member.”

Mountain Ape: “Hey.”

Xue Jing extended his right hand to shake hers and asked, “So you're planning to invite me to join this [White Crows Task Force]? Why?”

Void Blade replied, “You have great potential... Do you know the origins of the creature you killed a few days ago?”

Xue Jing pondered and said, “A creature from the Boundary Lands?”

“Yes, but also no.”

Void Blade spoke as she extended her right hand. There was a silver bracelet on her wrist. She tapped a few buttons, and the bracelet lit up, casting a blue light that formed a 3D hologram, rotating slowly in mid-air.

The hologram depicted a creature with a human torso, legs, and six insect legs—a cockroach monster that Xue Jing had defeated.

"We've examined the creature's corpse. It does contain certain elements unique to Borderland creatures, such as a core organ."

With her other hand, she manipulated the hologram, enlarging the cockroach monster's body before slicing open the throat to reveal its cross-section.

Inside, countless neural pathways converged around a seemingly soft orb.

Seeing this, Xue Jing's heart stirred. When he had reached inside the cockroach monster, he must have grabbed this object.

"This is the core organ of a Borderland creature, an intrinsic part present in every such creature, albeit in various forms, whether it be a heart, brain... even limbs, nails, or skin."

"Core organs are the source of a Borderland creature's unique powers. For instance, this cockroach's tremendous explosive force and speed derive from the energy supplied by its core organ. Otherwise, with a creature of such size having an insect structure, even breathing oxygen would be problematic, let alone other functions."

Xue Jing asked, puzzled, "Since it has a core organ, clearly it's a Borderland creature. Why say 'it's also not one'?"

With a wave of her hand, Void Blade dispelled the cockroach monster's hologram. She then tapped her bracelet again, and a new hologram appeared in the air.

It was a strange worm-like creature, mutating and resembling a human brain yet without folds. "This creature is called the 'Celestial Parasite Primarch.'"

"It's from Borderland F056, known as 'Carrion Lake.'"

Void Blade said softly, "Its danger rating reaches up to a staggering 6.2..."

Xue Jing waved his hand dismissively, "Wait, what's with this danger rating?"

Void Blade: "..."

"Do they not teach this at the Outer Ring Dojo?" She was somewhat speechless.

"Mountain Ape, give me the battle data you just had with him." Void Blade turned to call out to the Mountain Ape.

The Mountain Ape sighed, "It's not Mountain Ape..."

He pressed behind his ear, seemingly operating something, while Void Blade mimicked the action.

After a moment, Void Blade looked at Xue Jing with slight surprise, "Oh? Your current danger rating is already between 2.9 and 3.1."

Xue Jing shrugged, "I don't comprehend."

"The danger rating is a system devised by a battle enthusiast doctor in Inner Ring City."

"A healthy adult male has a danger rating of about 1 to 1.1."

“The grading system is like the Richter scale for earthquakes, where each 0.1 level difference represents an increase of approximately 1.414 times. Meaning, a person at level 1.1 is theoretically about 1.4 times stronger than a person at level 1.”

“In simple terms, the highest danger level for the Celestial Parasite Primarch is 6.2, equivalent to piling sixty-five thousand of you together.” Void Blade explained.

Xue Jing raised an eyebrow.

That indeed sounded quite dangerous…

“Of course, this is only an extreme case. In reality, the Celestial Parasite Primarch’s level fluctuates greatly, with a maximum of 6.2 and a minimum of only 1.8.”

“The Celestial Parasite Primarch can absorb genetic information from the creatures it consumes, giving birth to corresponding insect species. It can even consume different creatures and blend their genes together…”

“Over a month ago, a contraband smuggling group from the borderlands captured a Celestial Parasite Primarch in the ‘Putrid Flesh Lake’ and transported it out.”

“Once we learned of this, we pursued them relentlessly until they vanished into Sunny City, and suddenly disappeared without a trace.”

“Their disappearance doesn’t matter as much, but the Celestial Parasite Primarch must be found. If it consumes something horrendous, it could spawn unimaginable monsters, and that’s no joke.”

Void Blade looked at Xue Jing.

“And now, through you, we finally have a clue.”

Xue Jing frowned, “Are you saying that the cockroach monster I killed was something born from the Celestial Parasite Primarch?”

Void Blade nodded, “Exactly.”

Xue Jing’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“So this thing… is a blend of a cockroach and a human?”

Void Blade looked at Xue Jing, speaking earnestly, “Xue Jing, you’re only seventeen, yet after just over a month of training in martial arts, you’ve reached such a level. Your talent is outstanding, and you possess the courage to face borderland creatures directly… Someone like you would only waste your potential by staying in the outer ring.”

“I hope you can join our White Crow Special Ops. We are backed by [The Organ], with the most professional and advanced training system in all of the Chuxia, which can comprehensively and thoroughly unleash your full potential.”

“You deserve a bigger stage.”

Xue Jing remained silent.

For a fleeting moment, he was genuinely tempted.

But quickly, he dismissed the thought.

Joining White Crow, backed by The Organ, sounded great when Void Blade described it, but unfortunately, it wasn’t suitable for him.

From the very beginning, he already possessed a training system that was above all others…

Perhaps joining such an official organization would indeed accelerate his growth rate significantly, but the accompanying lack of freedom made him uncomfortable.

There’s no free lunch… Taking things from the authorities inevitably means paying a price.

What if, one day, those above demanded him to carry out orders he didn’t want to follow?

Sacrificing personal freedom for a bit of growth wasn’t worth it.

Xue Jing shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I must decline."

Void Blade's expression remained unchanged, seemingly anticipating this response. "No worries, I understand your perspective, but don't be so quick to refuse."

"Here's the deal: Using my authority as the captain of Squad 838, I'll temporarily grant you the status of an auxiliary member of the White Crow task force."

"You'll still enjoy your freedom and won't be required to follow orders from anyone within the organization. However, when necessary, I'll commission you for tasks, which you can choose to accept or refuse."

"Should you accept and complete the tasks, I'll report to the organization to reward you accordingly."

"If you ever wish to officially join, you can regularize your status at any time."

"How does that sound?"

Beside them, Mountain Ape displayed a peculiar expression, as if he had words to speak but hesitated to voice them.

The captain was offering him... too much leniency.

Is being a prodigy really that exceptional?

Xue Jing: "..."

The terms seemed overly generous.

However, they held little significance for him, and he was about to refuse when an idea suddenly struck him.

Xue Jing asked, "Does your [Organization] possess any Divine Relics?"

Void Blade was slightly taken aback, but recalling Xue Jing’s status as a C-Class containment agent, a hint of a smile crossed his eyes.

"Yes, we do. One of our organization's research departments is the 'Divine Relic Institute,' which contains numerous Divine Relics, including several ranked among the top hundred."

"Are you interested in Divine Relics?" Void Blade inquired.

Xue Jing rubbed his chin, "Yes, I am. To be honest, I'm a passionate enthusiast of Divine Relics. My dream is to touch every Divine Relic, just a touch is enough."

Void Blade understood his intention.

"In that case, as long as you complete the White Crow commissions in the future, I'll report to the organization to reward you with opportunities to access Divine Relics within the organization."

Xue Jing extended his hand, speaking sincerely, "Deal. Honestly, I've been a fan of White Crow for ten years, dreaming of becoming one of you... of course, as an auxiliary member."

Void Blade shook hands with him, "Deal."

After exchanging contact details with Void Blade, Xue Jing called back the Pei brothers. The three of them left the northern district's hills in their car.

Once they departed, only Void Blade and Mountain Ape remained behind.

"Captain, is it necessary?"

Mountain Ape crossed his arms and placed them behind his head, "He’s just a martial arts prodigy. Rare, yes, but not unheard of. Was it really necessary to offer such terms just to keep him?"

Void Blade shook her head, "You don’t understand."

"This person... he's not merely a martial arts genius."

With a tap of the silver bracelet on her wrist against her forehead, her once scarred and unremarkable face pixelated, transforming into an unexpectedly striking visage.

"I probed the Wu family's eldest daughter yesterday, and her regard for Xue Jing is beyond what we imagined."

Mountain Ape expressed surprise, "The Wu family's eldest daughter? Is she the 'Born Blessed' one?"

Void Blade nodded, "Yes, she is."

"She's been tirelessly searching for a way to undo her bestowed status... only a god can contend with another god."

"Apart from the Divine Relic, she actually cares for something else... Xue Jing must possess qualities we haven't yet discovered."

Void Blade smoothed her wind-disheveled short hair and gazed in the direction Xue Jing had departed.

"Knowing it's something valuable, even if its nature is uncertain, we must seize it first."

"White Crow, such greedy creatures we are," she murmured softly.

...

Sitting in the car, Xue Jing suddenly recalled something.

As he was riding a taxi earlier, he thought he saw a creature resembling a cockroach outside the window near the abandoned buildings in the southern district.

Although he might have mistaken it for a black plastic bag, Just in case, he used his phone to send a message via WeChat to Void Blade about the incident.

He received a quick response, promising to investigate that area, to which Xue Jing nodded slightly and pocketed his phone.

Xue Jing didn't go to the Pei brothers' house for a visit; instead, he asked them to take him straight home.

The Pei brothers tried to persuade him to stay, but seeing Xue Jing's apparent lack of interest, they gave up.

After alighting outside his residential area and saying goodbye to the brothers, just as Xue Jing was about to go home and pet his cat, his phone vibrated suddenly.

He opened it to find a WeChat message from Wu Youqing.

"Come find me at the library when you’re free."

Xue Jing pondered for a moment, realizing he didn't have much else to do at the moment.

Since the 'wealthy boss lady' had summoned him, he might as well go. Maybe he'd even get to touch a Divine Relic.

Since the revelation that Wu Youqing was far more invested in Xue Jing than anyone had realized, the air around the library had been thick with unspoken questions.

Now, as Xue Jing made his way to their meeting spot, the weight of those questions lingered in his mind.

He couldn't shake off the feeling that whatever he was about to encounter was beyond his understanding.

"You never really know what the world sometimes presents you with, do you, Xue Jing?" He mused, remembering Void Blade's cryptic words before he decided to come.

The library's towering shelves were imposing, casting long shadows in the dim light.

Each aisle seemed like a passageway into the depths of time itself, where powerful secrets lay hidden in plain sight.

Arriving at a secluded corner, Xue Jing spotted Wu Youqing sifting through an assortment of ancient texts.

"Xue Jing," Wu Youqing acknowledged him with a nod, though his attention remained mostly on the book before him.

"Wu Youqing, what is it that you have to show me?" Xue Jing asked, curiosity now outweighing his apprehension.

Wu Youqing finally looked up, gesturing to the book he held with reverence.

"These words speak of a relic, something that might explain the disturbances you've noticed. Something of great consequence."

The term "Divine Relic" echoed in Xue Jing's thoughts, matching the unfamiliar sensations he had experienced.

He reached out, an inexplicable urge to touch the book, to feel the legacy it contained.

Wu Youqing closed the book gently before Xue Jing's fingers could brush its cover.

"Not yet, Xue Jing," he said, with a mixture of caution and intrigue. "Soon, but not yet."

The cryptic nature of their exchange left Xue Jing with more questions than answers, a theme that seemed to define his path more with each passing moment.

But he knew one thing - the pursuit of touching the unseen was a journey that had only just begun.