I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

“Little Brother, Little Brother.”

Xue Jing was practicing with his blade when Zhushan Ying’s voice came from outside the training room door.

He paused, sheathing his long sword and placing it on the ground, then grabbed a towel hanging on the wall beside him to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

The door to the training room swung open, and Zhushan Ying’s petite figure darted inside.

“Ding-ding-ding! The hero has arrived!”

The girl’s bright and lively eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, holding a long rectangular piece of black cloth in her hands.

“Little Brother, look what I brought you.”

Xue Jing smiled and greeted her, “Sister Zhu.”

Then he eyed the black rectangular cloth in her hands with curiosity:

“What’s this?”

Zhushan Ying grinned mischievously, “Take a guess?”

Xue Jing glanced at the long black cloth and was about to speak when his gaze suddenly shifted.

He inexplicably felt a peculiar sense of familiarity with the black cloth, as if it was calling out to him.

Xue Jing reached out and grasped the cloth, a feeling of deep connection washed over him.

He exclaimed, “What a fine blade!”

Zhushan Ying blinked, puzzled, “How did you know it was a blade?”

Xue Jing chuckled, “I guessed.”

Zhushan Ying pouted, “Little Brother, you’re lying.”

“If you were guessing, you’d only say it’s a ‘blade,’ so how could you immediately call it a ‘fine blade’?”

Xue Jing exclaimed in surprise, “Zhushan Ying, you suddenly seem a bit smarter.”

Zhushan Ying was not pleased to hear this.

She glared at Xue Jing and muttered, “What do you mean ‘seem’? I've always been smart!”

The young woman stretched out her hands and pinched Xue Jing's cheeks.

“Come on, tell me, how did you know this is a good blade?”

Xue Jing untied the black cloth strip in his hands and uncovered the object.

Before him lay a long sword with a black scabbard, embroidered in a simple yet elegant silver pattern.

Xue Jing slowly drew the sword, revealing a flash of silvery-white brilliance.

His eyes lit up, and he fondly caressed the blade as he laughed, “It... was just introducing itself to me.”

Zhushan Ying looked puzzled, “Huh?”

Introducing itself? Can this sword talk or something?

Xue Jing gently stroked the beautiful long sword in his hand.

With a black handle and a silver-white blade, it was about one and a half meters in length.

The sword's design seemed to align with that of an Imperial Guard saber, having a slight curve. In the sunlight streaming through the window, it reflected a chilling sheen—an exceptionally sharp blade, even to the naked eye.

Xue Jing's innate affinity for weapons through his [Martial Skill] allowed him to quickly understand everything about this sword.

It was as if... the sword was introducing itself to him.

Seeing Xue Jing so captivated by the weapon, Zhushan Ying felt pleased herself. She put her hands behind her back and said, with a bright smile, “This sword is part of my grandfather's collection.”

“Little junior brother, aren't you heading to participate in the U19? You need a good weapon for that... I've never given you anything since you joined us, so I'm giving you this sword!”

Xue Jing paused in his movements, shaking his head, just about to say something.

Zhushan Ying, however, stood on tiptoes to pat his head, her eyes twinkling with humor as she said, "Don't worry, my grandpa has plenty of collectibles, and I already told him this sword is meant to be a gift. He agreed."

"I see…" Xue Jing glanced at the beautiful long sword in his hand, thought for a moment, and said, "Thank you, Senior Sister Zhu... By the way, can I ask how much this sword is worth?"

Zhushan Ying tilted her chin thoughtfully.

"Hmm... The main material of this sword is 'Dragon Bone Steel,' an alloy forged from the dragon bones of a dragon species mixed with other rare metals."

"It's said to be crafted by a master named He Jiu Xi, who has since retired."

The young woman calculated on her fingers.

"Including its collectible value, it should be around twenty million."

Xue Jing's lip twitched.

Was it really his entire fortune at a mere gesture?

For a moment, Xue Jing swiftly discarded the notion of himself being a wealthy man from his mind.

"Senior Sister Zhu... this is too valuable."

Zhushan Ying softly replied, "Little Junior Brother."

"You once said, 'For the strong, money is everywhere, easily obtainable, and of little consequence even if discarded like a stone.'"

She fixed her gaze on Xue Jing.

"It's merely a two-million-dollar sword, do you feel you can't handle it or repay it?"

Her tone was extremely calm, completely different from her usual demeanor.

"..."

Xue Jing stared intently at Zhushan Ying.

Her lively eyes seemed to carry a hint of hope.

After a while, Xue Jing smiled.

“I was being petty.”

He sheathed the long sword in his hand and sincerely said to Zhushan Ying, "Thank you, Senior Sister Zhu. I'll keep this sword."

Over the past month since entering the dojo, his skills had improved rapidly.

Yet, his mentality... didn't seem to have fully kept up.

Xue Jing rubbed his forehead, realizing that the bravado he displayed before had come back to haunt him like a boomerang.

Yes, it's only a mere twenty million after all.

To him, it's no longer something of such value that it couldn't be repaid.

Just like an ordinary person wouldn't feel uneasy about a friend treating them to a meal, to him, the twenty million sword was just "a meal."

He needed to reflect and adjust his mindset.

“Ah, that's the junior brother I like to see.”

Zhushan Ying's eyes gleamed with renewed cheer, and she patted Xue Jing's back.

“Senior Brother, Senior Brother!”

Urgent calls suddenly came from outside the training room.

Xue Jing and Zhushan Ying exchanged glances, then Xue Jing, carrying his sword, walked to the door and opened it.

Outside stood a regular male disciple in a white training uniform, who hurriedly spoke as soon as he saw Xue Jing:

"Little Senior Brother, Master wants you to go over to the training hall."

"What's going on?" Xue Jing asked in confusion.

The male disciple explained, "People from the Golden Wind Dojo have come... It seems like they're here to cause trouble."

Xue Jing squinted his eyes, "Golden Wind Dojo?"

...

"So, you're here to challenge us?"

In the Canglong Dojo's training hall.

Li Qi sat in a wheelchair, looking at the two people in front of him, his tone flat.

Opposite him, Li Chengxuan raised an eyebrow and said, "Please, don't misunderstand."

"In Qingcheng, who would be so reckless as to dare challenge the 'Dragon King'?"

"I only mean to exchange ideas, purely for that purpose."

Li Qi glanced at him twice and let out a cold snort.

"I've heard of you. Being so young and already mastering the Golden Wind Baihong Sword to the level of 'Blade Reaching Four Tips' is indeed some talent."

Li Chengxuan immediately bowed slightly and smiled, "It's an honor to be known by you."

Li Qi ignored his flattery and instead touched his balding head with indifference, "However, that old coot Jiao Hongyuan has protected you too well, making you a bit arrogant."

"Compared to my apprentice, your talent is nothing more than some dried-up wild dung by the roadside. I can't even be bothered to look at it."

Xue Jing, having just reached the entrance of the training hall, heard this and immediately had an odd expression.

"Master's description… it's quite peculiar."

"..."