I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

Xue Jing tried to maintain a calm demeanor as he spoke.

“Consciousness exists independently of the physical body; we should view our consciousness separately from our physical entities.”

“—So, this is not my true intention, but a reaction driven by the body itself.”

Zhushan Ying's face was flushed, displaying disbelief.

She chuckled, saying, "Go on with your excuses, Senior Sister Meng and I are listening."

Xue Jing: “……”

He sighed, “You know, I’m in the throes of adolescence, the most uncontrollable phase of life, teetering on the cusp of a complete teenage realm at seventeen…”

“At such an age, prone to wandering down errant paths at any moment, encountering a Daoist maiden or a righteous witch might naturally trigger the holy sword to unsheath itself. Isn't this quite a logical occurrence?”

“One could argue that this isn't my problem at all but a bodily issue, perhaps even your problem.”

Zhushan Ying was astounded by Xue Jing's convoluted reasoning.

She squinted, saying, “Little Junior Brother, you shouldn’t train in martial arts; you should be a lawyer, or in ancient times, a litigator. This mouth of yours can twist truths and stir the heavens.”

Beside her, Meng Qingjiao folded her arms, slightly covering her chest, her cool cheeks tinged with an unshakeable blush, nodding in agreement.

Xue Jing scratched his cheek awkwardly, saying, “I just wanted to lighten the mood…”

He breathed a sigh of relief.

After such a convoluted speech, he finally managed to ease some of the awkward, amorous tension caused by the holy sword’s unsheathing.

At that moment, Zhushan Ying’s delicate hands landed on Xue Jing’s thigh with a threatening raise of her brows.

“So, I have to ask, in your eyes, who is the Daoist maiden, and who is the righteous witch between Senior Sister Meng and me? Speak clearly.”

“Hiss—” Xue Jing inhaled sharply from the pain and hurriedly gestured, “Does it really matter? It was just a metaphor…”

“No, you must clarify!” Zhushan Ying's hand began to exert more force.

Xue Jing was left with no choice but to say, “You, you are the maiden.”

“Oh?” Zhushan Ying’s eyes sparkled with humor, yet her words pressed on, “Your consciousness says I'm Daoist?”

Xue Jing's mouth twitched.

He thought, compared to Senior Sister Meng, you are definitely Daoist.

“……” At this moment, Meng Qingjiao reached out, holding his head, staring into his eyes.

Her cold and beautiful face carried a strange seriousness, as if asking: Am I the witch?

Xue Jing looked at the looming shadow before him, thinking you are definitely the witch.

He spoke sincerely, “I'm sorry, I was talking nonsense.”

“It's all my fault from the beginning to the end, please forgive me.”

Zhushan Ying, witnessing his submission, snorted softly, teasing, "Junior brother, if you're this easily swayed, you need to watch out for honey traps in the future."

Xue Jing did not respond.

Is this really about self-control?

He inadvertently glanced at Meng Qingjiao's trembling "World Cup."

Who wouldn't be confused by that?

What official could withstand such a test?

If you had it, you'd also have to take action.

Everyone is equal before the World Cup.

"...So, junior brother,"

Zhushan Ying's gaze inadvertently dipped downwards again, quickly retreating as if shocked, a blush spreading across her small cheeks.

"...When will it be sheathed?"

"Like this... it's hard for us to continue with the medication,"

Zhushan Ying murmured softly.

Xue Jing: "..."

Not sure if it was just his imagination, but it seemed like Zhushan Ying was hinting at something.

Of course, this was definitely a hallucination.

Possessing [Meditation], his mental control was incredibly strong, and even now, his clarity of mind remained intact.

Saying anything strange at this moment would truly be irredeemable.

"...I’ll handle the rest myself, it's easy for me to reach."

Xue Jing spoke softly.

"Then... we'll leave you to it. Senior sister Meng and I will head out first."

Zhushan Ying exhaled in relief, yet her expression carried a trace of indistinct disappointment.

"..." Meng Qingjiao nodded, her calmly indifferent face betraying no emotion, though the lingering blush revealed her inner turmoil.

After they left, Xue Jing twitched his lips, gazing at the still unsheathed Sacred Sword, a hint of distress creeping in.

This stubborn blade wouldn’t possibly need "blood before it can be sheathed," would it...?

...

Finally, using the breathing technique from the Armor Shaking Skill to disperse the gathered blood, Xue Jing finished applying medicine to himself, lay down in the Heart-nurturing chamber, and drifted into sleep.

As he opened his eyes once more, it was already several hours later.

He assessed the condition of his injuries and found his entire body still tingling and aching with pain.

“Looks like I got hurt pretty badly this time...” he thought to himself.

Previously, when he had gotten those deep, bone-revealing cuts from the cockroach monster at the Ruizhu Hotel, he was nearly healed by the next day, completely recovered in three or four days.

Now, with his fitness and health maintenance skills further improved, alongside his progress in the five major forms of training, logically, his recovery should have been even more impressive.

Yet, his injuries seemed slow to heal.

Xue Jing touched his arm gently.

Then, he activated the "Golden Scale Transformation," and a pattern of dragon scales began to appear densely over his skin, almost as if a real layer of scales had grown.

Pinching his skin between two fingers, he immediately experienced a robust resilience; as he tugged at it, there was a sensation as if his entire skin was being pulled by this small piece.

“The Golden Scale Transformation... utilizes force to coil on the dermis, forming individual golden scales that connect the skin, dispersing and resolving attacks as the entire dermis bears the brunt.”

“The larger the area of force, the smaller the pressure.”

“This is the secret behind the unparalleled defense of the golden scale skin,” Xue Jing mused aloud.

No wonder Li Qi claimed that the golden scale skin could counter the likes of the Goldwind White Rainbow Sword, which morphs fists into blades and swords.

They rely on blade-like force with an extremely small contact area for output, rendering them ineffective against the pressure-distributing golden scale skin.

“What remains to be understood are the 'Stellar Shake' for blood training and the 'Eye Thread Flow' for muscle training...”

“But there's no rush; first, I need to heal my injuries,” he thought.

Sitting up, Xue Jing got off the bed, twisted his neck, and did some stretching exercises.

Outside, the moon had risen high in the sky.

“Time to head home...” he murmured to himself.

...

It was midnight by the time he arrived home.

As soon as he entered, Xue Jing paused unexpectedly.

Unlike usual, he didn’t see his cat waiting to greet him at the door.

Instead, a young girl with long black hair was sitting composedly on the sofa.

She wore an oversized white men’s T-shirt, her long, slender and silky legs exposed beneath it. The hem of the shirt fell to cover her thighs, leaving him wondering if she was wearing shorts or... perhaps nothing at all.

A petite, perfectly straight nose, lips untouched by any lipstick, and long, willow-like brows framing a pair of phoenix eyes, together form a flawless, enchanting face.

This face is strikingly unique, exuding a certain aggressiveness that ordinary women lack, as if the very concept of 'beauty' has been made tangible, gripping your attention and compelling you to adore it.

Yet, what truly catches the eye are the fluffy black cat ears on the girl's head and the swishing tail, adorned with a ring, on the sofa.

“Teacher Wan, have you turned back into a human?”

Xue Jing's voice sounded gentle as he spoke.

Ning Fengwan sat curled up on the sofa, hugging her legs, tilting her head slightly to gaze sideways at Xue Jing with her phoenix eyes.

Her lower face hidden below her knees obscured her expression, but she let out a muffled "hmm."

Strands of hair fell across her forehead, adding a touch of fragility to her charm.

“...Around noon, I suddenly found I could change back on my own,”

Ning Fengwan said, a trace of sadness in her voice.

Xue Jing sat down in front of her. He wanted to pinch her cheeks, just like when she was a cat, but he held back, smiling instead, “That's great, isn't it? You don't seem too happy about it?”

Ning Fengwan's beautiful face showed a hint of dissatisfaction as she said, “If I can turn back into a human, I'll have to leave. You think that's a good thing?”

Xue Jing looked baffled, “Why do you have to leave just because you're human again?”

Ning Fengwan rolled her eyes, “If I don't leave, you'll take care of me?”

Xue Jing nodded, smiling, “Of course I'll take care of you.”

He said it so naturally, as if it were just casual conversation, without a hint of hesitation.

Ning Fengwan assumed he didn’t understand her meaning. She shook her head, softly saying, “It's not like that...”

She paused, her tone filled with sadness, “You don't understand, just being near you brings you danger...”

The presence of Kong De's Security Company was like a mountain weighing on her heart.

The thought that her exposure could drag Xue Jing into danger, being crushed by that behemoth, made it hard for her to breathe.

It was time to leave.

The month spent by his side was indeed a happy time.

It felt as if she had truly become a cat, carefree, concerned only with eating, drinking, playing, and sleeping, without a care for any other complexities.

Although there were occasionally awkward moments... overall, she was satisfied with this brief encounter.

But dreams must end.

I am the leader of the Dragon Sect, not an actual cat.

A faint mist veiled Ning Fengwan's eyes, her expression somber.

Xue Jing sighed softly.□“Don’t look like an abandoned kitten,” he said gently.□“I told you, I'll take care of you.”□His voice was soft.

Ning Fengwan blinked, looking at him with a hint of surprise, seemingly not fully comprehending.□“You don't think I'm the kind of irresponsible owner who'd abandon a pet halfway, do you?” Xue Jing chuckled.

He reached out and gently wiped the moisture from the corner of Ning Fengwan's eyes, his fingers damp with a hint of her tears.□“Once you’ve taken a stray home and decided to care for it, you must see it through,” he assured her.□Gently, with a soft voice, he embraced her tenderly and spoke:□“From the moment I brought you home, you became part of my family.”□“If I were to abandon you just because you might bring danger, distancing myself from you... I would lose something immensely precious, albeit intangible.”□“Stay with me, no matter the danger. We'll face it together.”□“That is what family means.”

Ning Fengwan rested against his shoulder in silence for a long while.

Suddenly, she shut her eyes and embraced Xue Jing tightly, as if trying to blend herself into his being.

A warm, wet sensation spread across his shoulder, as though drops of something tearful had fallen there.

The scent of the cat-eared girl lingered at his nose, as her voice, tinged with sobs, reached his ears.□“Can I... stay?”

Xue Jing smiled, holding her a little tighter.□“Of course, as long as I'm here, this is your home.”□His tone was ordinary, not forceful, yet it sent a ripple through her heart.□“Stay as long as you want.”

Xue Jing's eyes were deep as he softly began to speak.

...

Suddenly hearing about the passing of Mr. Akira Toriyama, mixed emotions welled up within me. Another one of those who shaped my youth is gone... Everyone, please take good care of yourselves and live healthily.