I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

Xue Jing sat on the bus, idly scrolling through his phone.

This phone was a new purchase because his old one had been completely ruined by an electromagnetic pulse at the Renzhu Hotel.

He opened up a news app.

"The regional qualifiers for the U19 have ended. The dark horse contestant, Li Chengxuan, from the Golden Wind Dojo, has dominated the Maple City district, boasting he could defeat ten competitors..."

"Recently, there have been frequent occurrences of boundary quakes across various regions. Experts suspect the emergence of a new intersecting zone."

"In the 'unfinished district' of South City, six boundary quakes have occurred in three days, with the strongest reaching a magnitude of 5.6. These may trigger a 'weak overlap.' Residents are advised to stay safe..."

"The unfinished district..."

Reading this news, Xue Jing was reminded of the cockroach-like shadows he thought he'd glimpsed from afar.

"I wonder if Bai Ya managed to gain any insights."

Xue Jing shook his head.

The bus came to a gentle stop. Xue Jing got off, entered the campus, and headed straight to the Qing University Library, to the seventh floor.

In the old loft, the girl sat alone on a wooden chair, silently flipping through a book, as if eternally bound to this place, trapped like a restless spirit.

Her waist-length ponytail swayed slightly, her serene face seemingly forever unchanging, and her graceful figure and upright posture contributed to a tranquil yet elegant scene within the aged loft.

When Wu Youqing saw Xue Jing approaching, she looked at him with her light purple eyes and gestured to the seat opposite.

"You're here, have a seat."

Xue Jing stepped forward, pulled out the chair, and sat down.

Two cups of hot tea were set on the wooden table. Xue Jing picked up the cup in front of him and took a small sip.

A strange sweetness...

"Boss, couldn't we drink something better?"

Xue Jing shook his head.

Wu Youqing also took a sip of her tea.

"This is made from the relic-produced water you like so much," she said with a light chuckle.

"I prefer cola, thanks."

Xue Jing stood up, went to the wall, opened a hidden panel, and took out an aluminum can of cola. With a pop, he opened it and downed it, enjoying the invigorating sensation of the carbonated beverage.

After returning to his seat, Wu Youqing finally spoke: "You've likely encountered Bai Ya by now, haven't you?"

Xue Jing's grip on the cola faltered slightly, but he nodded. "Yes, just recently. They want to invite me to join Bai Ya, but I declined."

Wu Youqing gave a soft hum in acknowledgment.

“If it were any other unit within the organization, it might be fine... But Bai Ya is not a great place. You were right not to choose to join.”

Xue Jing asked, puzzled, “Why do you say that?”

Wu Youqing put her teacup down on the table.

“Do you know the meaning of the term 'Bai Ya'?”

Xue Jing shook his head.

“The crow is typically considered an ominous creature, a bird that brings death and disaster,” Wu Youqing explained softly.

“In contrast, the white crow is seen as a symbol of rebirth, an auspicious bird bringing fortune. This name carries a beautiful hope.”

“The reason it was named so is because the work of Bai Ya carries a very high mortality rate...”

“They investigate all abnormal incidents related to the boundary zones and frequently enter these dangerous areas to carry out various tasks. Should a new boundary zone emerge, Bai Ya would be responsible for the preliminary exploration.”

“Someone joining Bai Ya and surviving for over three years is considered elite. Few live past ten years. In the sixty-plus years since Bai Ya was formed, you can count on one hand those who have safely retired.”

Xue Jing's mouth twitched, “That does sound extremely dangerous…”

It seemed that if Bai Ya approached him with work in the future, he would need to seriously reconsider... He couldn’t just agree for the reward of touching divine relics.

"The resurrection effect of 'Twins' only works once in a short period, after all..."

“By the way, BOSS, what exactly is this 'Mechanism'?”

Xue Jing inquired.

This Mechanism, the name so long he couldn’t remember, had Bai Ya—an organization that already sounded pretty hardcore—as a subordinate department of its subordinate departments.

So just how massive is the Mechanism itself?

Wu Youqing thought for a moment and said, "It's good for you to understand a bit."

“The 'Special Mechanism for Emergency Management of Anomalous Disasters' was established by Zhuxia at the beginning of the new era to deal with various anomalous disasters. It has a history of over two hundred years.”

“Its founding principle was that unconventional incidents require unconventional responses.”

“As such, from its inception, this organization possessed an incredible range of authority and autonomy.”

“It has its own independent system, unaffected by any domestic judicial, prosecutorial, judicial, administrative, or military bodies, standing apart from the Five Major Institutions, hence it is also referred to as the 'Sixth Mechanism.'”

Wu Youqing paused for a moment, then added, “Simply put, you can think of it as a 'nation within a nation.'”

“To give you an example, if you joined the Bai Ya Task Force, you’d be a part of the Mechanism. At that point, if you suddenly went crazy and started a massacre in Qing City, or even did something as insane as detonating a nuke...”

“Even if you committed such a grave crime, you wouldn't be subject to Zhuxia's laws. Theoretically, the rest of Zhuxia's governmental units would have no reason to arrest you or take any action against you.”

“The only entity theoretically capable of judging you would be the internal tribunal of the Sixth Mechanism.”

Wu Youqing smiled.

"Of course, this is merely theoretical..."

Xue Jing was somewhat dumbfounded.

Even if it is 'theoretical,' the power vested in the Sixth Mechanism seems a bit over the top, doesn't it?

"The Sixth Mechanism was originally established as a temporary organization to coordinate domestic efforts. The initial plan was to disband it once the abnormal calamities in the border areas were under control."

Wu Youqing spread her hands open.

"As you can see, the problems at the junction have not been resolved even now, and new issues arise daily, be it cults, martial artists, the blessed ones, companies wielding private armies, or various terrorist organizations... Abnormalities are increasing."

"This is why the Sixth Mechanism still remains to this day."

Xue Jing mused, "With the Sixth Mechanism wielding such extensive power, isn't the government worried it might go rogue?"

Wu Youqing shook her head, "At the very top of the Mechanism is the [Mechanism Management Committee], consisting of thirteen people, nearly all of whom reside in the 'Azure Court.'"

"In fact, every chairman of each generation of the committee is directly..."

She pointed upwards.

Xue Jing understood.

In that case, he comprehended it.

The Sixth Mechanism is essentially equivalent to the nation itself.

It's an official means to legitimately bypass all other bureaucratic hindrances and directly mobilize national resources as a 'reason.'

A thoughtful look crossed Xue Jing's face.

Though he suspected the Mechanism was influential, he hadn't anticipated it being this significant.

Wu Youqing gave him a long, meaningful look.

Then she shook her head slightly.

"Anyway, there's nothing else for now."

Xue Jing felt puzzled but asked no more.

After lingering a bit longer, chatting about trivial matters with the girl, he left the library and returned home.

Three days later.

Dragon-Hide Dojo.

In the training room, Xue Jing was practicing the 'flesh training' moves of the Shaking Armor Art. Each time he halted, his muscles rippled and trembled like rolling waves, making a rustling sound.

Li Qi was seated in a wheelchair, watching his progress attentively. After a while, he nodded in approval and spoke, "That's about right. Your muscle strength should now be sufficient to execute this move. Give it a try."

Xue Jing nodded, took a deep breath, and began the breathing exercise.

The True Dragon within roared, coursing through his body, and his muscles became suddenly taut.

Thereafter, the muscles of his right arm began to twitch near the shoulder, producing spiral-shaped indentations that slowly emerged.

These indentations rotated and extended towards his palm, gradually merging together, akin to twisting steel rods in the manner of wringing a towel.

Finally, all the spiraled indentations converged at a point right on the front of his fist.

Xue Jing narrowed his eyes and struck this spiraling fist towards the air with force!

“Boom!!”

The impact produced a thunderous explosion out of nowhere!

The airflow in front of Xue Jing was swept up by this punch, whirling violently as it lashed towards the curtain five meters away.

The window was open, causing the curtain to be caught in the fierce airflow. It flared outside, flapping wildly as if about to unhook and fly off.

“Good!”

Li Qi smiled, clapping his hands as he spoke:

“This is one of the five deadly techniques of the Dragon-Hide Style, Tornado Thunder!”

Xue Jing rubbed his right hand, now incredibly sore with many muscles torn and his skin bearing reddish-purple bruises from the broken tissues.

Tornado Thunder, a hallmark move of the Dragon-Hide Style, corresponds with the ‘muscle training’ aspect of the Shaking Armor technique.

This theory involves channeling force into the muscles, compressing it in a spiral, and unleashing an immensely powerful strike at the end.

It is the highest foundational attack technique among the five fatal techniques, embodying the ultimate in robust force.

“Tornado Thunder is the easiest among the five deadly techniques to learn, but it also demands the most.”

Li Qi chuckled.

“This spiraling compressed energy has virtually no upper limit. As long as your body can withstand it, you can unleash a force several times greater than that punch just now.”

“However, this move requires extraordinarily strong muscles. You're barely managing it now, but don’t try to compress the energy further, or your muscles will rupture or even dissolve, which is life-threatening.”

Li Qi cautioned.

Xue Jing nodded, “I’ll remember that, Master.”

“Hmm…”

Li Qi stroked his chin and mused for a moment before saying, “Your progress is as swift as ever. At this pace, you’ll soon progress from external to internal techniques and begin nourishing your organs.”

“Unfortunately, our Dragon-Hide Style follows an external focus, with little research on organ nourishment.”

Li Qi sighed.

“The most expertise in ‘organ nourishment’ is found among the Taoist martial artists. They have a scroll called ‘Yellow Matron’s Art,’ a quintessential guide in martial organ cultivation.”

Xue Jing queried, “Yellow Matron’s Art? What a strange name.”

Li Qi chuckled, “It’s not odd. You just haven’t grasped its subtlety.”

“In Taoist practice, they liken the internal organs to five distinct entities.”

"In the Five Elements system, the spleen is known as the 'Golden Matchmaker,' the lungs as the 'Golden Lord,' the liver as the 'Wood Mother,' the heart as the 'Scarlet Maiden,' and the kidneys as the 'Red Child.'"

"The spleen, or the 'Golden Matchmaker,' is the most crucial element in Daoist health practices."

Li Qi's interest piqued as he began to enthusiastically explain:

"The 'Golden Matchmaker' plays the role of a mediator among the five organs, ensuring balance and harmony. It acts as the peacemaker."

"In the Five Elements, the 'Golden Lord' (lungs) and 'Wood Mother' (liver) are fundamentally at odds. The liver energy tends to rise while the lung energy tends to descend, leading to a discord that results in illness."

"The 'Golden Matchmaker' can harmonize the liver and lungs, acting as a matchmaker between the 'Golden Lord' and the 'Wood Mother.'"

"As the saying goes, 'With the Golden Matchmaker mediating, the Red Child and Scarlet Maiden are united,' meaning once the 'Golden Lord' and 'Wood Mother' are in harmony, the heart and kidneys, like children, can thrive."

"There exists a Daoist technique focusing on the 'Golden Matchmaker,' using the spleen as a foundation to regulate all internal organs, improving overall health from the inside out. It's unparalleled in internal martial arts."

Xue Jing smiled, "You’ve really done your homework, Master Li."

Li Qi waved his hand dismissively, "When I was younger, I was quite handsome, and many women fancied me, including a young Daoist girl. Unfortunately, I was too focused on youth's vigor and neglected health, so I never learned her spleen technique."

Xue Jing blinked, "You've had quite a few romantic escapades, I see."

Li Qi glared at him, "What escapades? I'm a man of principles, with proper values, and I've always been devoted to my wife. Stop making things up."

Xue Jing: "..."

"Alright, I got up too early today. I'm going to take a nap. You continue your training."

With a wave, Li Qi wheeled himself out of the training room.

After he left, Xue Jing used his internal strength to dissolve the bruising on his injured right arm muscle.

With his improving fitness and health skills, plus his practice in the Arm Shaking Technique, the strengthening of his body was exceptional. His healing process was now well beyond that of ordinary people.

He could feel the torn muscles reconnecting and becoming even tougher.

However, it wasn't the right time to continue practicing the Arm Shaking Technique.

After some thought, Xue Jing showered, changed out of his training clothes, and left the Dragon-Hide Dojo to head home.

As he reached the nearby bus stop, his phone started vibrating, indicating an incoming call.

The caller ID showed his homeroom teacher, Du Shiwei.

An uneasy feeling set in.

He suddenly remembered today was the school sports meet—something he had promised Du Shiwei he'd attend, but completely forgot.

Xue Jing answered, clearing his throat, "Hello, Mr. Du."

"Xue Jing, where are you? Why aren’t you here yet?" Du Shiwei's voice was tinged with urgency.

"I'm almost there, just caught in some traffic," Xue Jing chuckled, quickly hailing a taxi at the roadside.

"Don’t worry, Mr. Du. I’ll be there shortly."

In the quiet mountains, a tense atmosphere enveloped the forest as the sound of rustling leaves mingled with distant rumblings of thunder. Bai Ya stood poised, his eyes fixated ahead where Li Qi was preparing his next move.

"This is it, the moment of truth," Bai Ya thought, feeling the pulse of energy building around them.

Meanwhile, back at the school sports meet, chaos reigned. Xue Jing dashed madly across the field, his arms pumping furiously. Despite his late start, determination shone in his eyes. "I can't miss this!" he muttered under his breath.

Pei Youguang, standing by the track, couldn't help but laugh at his friend's frantic sprint. "Go, Xue Jing! Break a leg!" he called out, half in encouragement, half in jest.

Nearby, Du Shiwei watched the proceedings with mild amusement, his attention split between his phone and the unfolding events. "This ought to be interesting," he mused, glancing at the student relay teams readying themselves for the next race.

As the sky darkened, the ominous clouds gathered, signaling an impending storm. In a tense moment, the air crackled with electricity, making everyone pause. Li Qi knew it was time to act. "The ultimate technique," he whispered, preparing to harness the natural energies at his disposal.