I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

The car drove along the cobblestone driveway, and Xue Jing gazed through the window at the elegantly arranged scenery of the estate, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the scabbard of his sword.

“That's the stables over there. Have you ever ridden a horse, junior brother?”

Zhushan Ying pointed to a circular enclosure on the grassy area not far away. Inside were wooden stalls, each housing well-groomed horses of various colors. Servants were busy topping up the troughs with large ladles.

“How about we go for a horseback ride later? From my home, there's a back exit leading to the northern district's hills—it's a great place for a gallop.”

Xue Jing shook his head. “I can't ride a horse.”

Zhushan Ying's eyes gleamed with a playful smile. “That's perfect; I can teach you.”

Xue Jing was about to refuse but suddenly reconsidered and smiled, “Alright, let's give it a try.”

Zhushan Ying chirped in surprise. “I thought you'd be all serious and say, 'I'm here to train, not to play,' and refuse with righteous solemnity.”

She poked Xue Jing's cheek, teasingly saying, “Seems like you're more interesting than I imagined, junior brother.”

The car slowly pulled up to a small plaza in front of the main house. As the door opened, Xue Jing stepped out, glancing at the beautifully designed fountain in the plaza's center. He asked Zhushan Ying, who had just stepped out as well, “Where's your family? I should at least say hello.”

The reason for their visit to Zhushan Ying's home was primarily the need for a spacious place to train, particularly for sword techniques. His usual practice room at the Hidden Dragon Dojo was too cramped for anything beyond basic forms.

The training hall was full of ordinary disciples, and practicing was cumbersome due to the risk of injuring someone and the constant spectatorship, which was frustrating.

Coincidentally, the Hidden Dragon Dojo was undergoing renovations, and since Zhushan Ying had mentioned her spacious home, Xue Jing accepted the offer. Otherwise, he would need to find a new training spot, which would be bothersome.

Having come here, it was only polite to greet Zhushan Ying's family to avoid any rudeness.

At Xue Jing’s inquiry, Zhushan Ying shook her head, “My family isn’t in Qingcheng. Apart from the household staff, I live here alone.”

Hmm?

Xue Jing raised an eyebrow, giving her a quick glance.

“What? Are you a city girl experiencing rural life?”

Zhushan Ying scoffed, “Pretty much... though your way of saying it is odd.”

“Qingcheng is where my ancestors started out... Before passing, they left instructions, declaring Qingcheng as our family’s place of origin, where we must reside for some time each year.”

“Two years ago, when I came to live in Qingcheng, I met my master and became his disciple. Since then, for martial arts training, I've settled here permanently.”

Xue Jing pondered for a moment after hearing this.

Such a small Qingcheng, yet so many hidden talents.

Although uncertain about the full extent of Zhushan Ying's family's status, given their ancestors dared to describe Qingcheng as the birthplace of dragons, it must be extraordinary.

Besides Zhushan Ying, there's Master Li Qi, a ‘Dragon King’ who withdrew from the metro area, and Wu Youqing, whose prowess remains uncertain but undoubtedly formidable.

And who knows how many others are out there beyond those connected to him.

“Senior Sister Zhu’s ancestors were knowledgeable, they spoke of ‘places where dragons rise’.”

Xue Jing shook his head, saying.

Quiet City indeed hides talents, and the greatest ‘dragon’… was himself.

Zhushan Ying casually waved her hand, “It doesn’t matter. Come on, junior brother, let’s go in.”

She took the lead, walking towards the main residence, with Xue Jing following behind.

The massive, double-panelled black wooden doors slowly opened, revealing an entrance hallway decorated in soothing beige tones.

To Xue Jing’s surprise, the decoration style of the main house wasn’t aiming for grandeur, but rather quite homely, with modern touches focused on comfort and practicality scattered all around.

Apart from being excessively large, the whole house had an extremely down-to-earth style, lacking the pretentiousness of oil paintings, antique sculptures, or grand crystal chandeliers.

Past the foyer, there was a small living room opposite, but Zhushan Ying didn’t take Xue Jing there; instead, she led him up a staircase along the left corridor to the second floor.

“This house is just for me right now, junior brother, you can explore freely without any concerns.”

Zhushan Ying spoke as she stepped on the stairs, with Xue Jing following her, one above and one below, his gaze inevitably falling on the girl's rounded and firm figure, swaying captivatingly against her slender waist, exuding a youthful but lethal allure.

Xue Jing looked away, instead examining the house’s intricate structure, lighting design, and more.

“There’s quite a large swimming pool on the third floor; if you’re tired from martial arts practice, you can relax there. Swimming is very soothing.”

“Over there is the library, with many out-of-print books that are hard to find…”

Zhushan Ying walked Xue Jing around the house, introducing the basic layout, finally bringing him to the fifth floor.

The door opened to reveal an extremely spacious room, spanning several tens of meters in length and width, with light gray rubber flooring, and aside from a few dozen support pillars and some equipment, there was nothing else.

“This is the training room; you can practice martial arts here, junior brother, or go to the courtyard, or directly to the hills at the back of North City through the rear door, it’s all very convenient.”

Zhushan Ying grinned.

“Thank you, Senior Sister Zhu,”

Xue Jing expressed his gratitude.

“That’s about it, you can start training here, junior brother~ I have all the herbs you might need, and that small room over there is for preparing them, feel free to use it.”

Zhushan Ying pointed to an inconspicuous door in the corner of the training room.

“I have some matters to attend to, but I’ll be back to have lunch with you at noon, and I’ll teach you horse riding then.”

She said, waving her hand as she left the training room.

Xue Jing quelled the strange feeling of being kept, shook his head, took a deep breath, and began his routine training.

...

Elsewhere, outside Quiet City, in a desolate wilderness.

Jiao Hongyuan opened his eyes and started coughing violently.

“Cough, cough, cough—”

With each cough, he spat out a thick, nearly solid black blood, clutching his heart instinctively, his face twisted in pain.

Sitting next to him, Li Chengxuan quickly reached out to steady him, concern etched on his face, "Master... Are you okay?"

Jiao Hongyuan waved his hand dismissively and looked down towards his dantian region.

His clothes had a circular tear there, revealing a spiral-shaped wound three fingers wide on his exposed abdomen.

It was supposed to be a large hole, but he managed to control the muscles to forcefully contract it into a spiral shape.

"After nearly sixty years of hard training, my skills can't withstand a single blow from a youngster," Jiao Hongyuan sighed.

"Time waits for no man."

If only he were twenty years younger, would he find himself pushed around like this?

"Master, what should we do now?" Li Chengxuan asked softly, a hint of panic in his voice.

In his eyes, his master had always been invincible, yet here he was, beaten so severely...

And perhaps, just maybe, it was kind of, sort of, possibly his mistake?

No, Li Chengxuan rejected this notion.

He had only gone to the Hidden Dragon Dojo to seek justice for Senior Brother Kaiping's death and to clearly understand what had happened from Xue Jing.

He just hadn't expected the people at the Hidden Dragon Dojo to lack integrity...

No, wait, they actually seemed quite honorable, having only let someone younger like Xue Jing fight him...

Even if 99% of it was his fault, does the Hidden Dragon Dojo bear no 1% of the responsibility?

Both parties were at fault; arguing about right and wrong was pointless, Li Chengxuan mused.

Jiao Hongyuan looked at Li Chengxuan, his gaze complex, filled with both disappointment and something else.

He sighed, feeling despondent, "Chengxuan, you should head to Feng City immediately; the elimination rounds are starting soon."

Li Chengxuan whispered, "But... there’s still over a week to go, I want to spend more time with you, Master."

Jiao Hongyuan shot him a stern look.

"Don't you get it? I'm telling you to lay low for a while!"

"The Hidden Dragon Dojo is not to be trifled with; they won't let this slide."

"And they know full well, neither will I."

Jiao Hongyuan clutched his stomach.

“It’s beyond you kids now, better head to Maple City and get that injury of yours treated. I know a very skilled doctor there…”

Suddenly, a deep voice interjected from the side.

“Alright, save your trivial matters for later.”

A man swathed in a black trench coat, with an immensely tall and robust physique, sat on a fallen, withered tree trunk nearby.

With his elbows resting on his knees, his large hands clasped together, his emotionless, green-glinting eyes were fixed on Jiao Hongyuan and his companion.

The man was entirely bald, with six button-like objects embedded atop his head, and a black mask covered much of his face, not just worn but sewn into his skin.

Despite his seated posture, his considerable size made his towering figure evident, surpassing at least two meters in height.

Li Chengxuan fell silent upon hearing the man's voice, struck with an instinctive chill.

Their escape from the clutches of the monstrosity at the Hidden Dragon Dojo was entirely due to this man holding it off.

“Jiao Hongyuan, how is the task I assigned you?”

“The 'Grand Summit' is in just two months, don’t tell me there has been so little progress.”

The man’s voice carried a mechanical coldness, devoid of any hint of emotion.

Jiao Hongyuan coughed a few times before slowly responding:

“The matured specimens have been fully cultivated, and we are accumulating numbers. Why the rush?”

The man stared at him for a moment before nodding:

“It better be so.”

“Furthermore, this is the last time I’m helping… the company must not be involved in any way, you understand.”

The man stated with a blank expression.

“Solve your own problems yourself.”

Jiao Hongyuan scoffed.

“I never expected much anyway, no need for you to mention it.”

The man gave him a profound glance.

“As long as you understand.”

As noon approached, Xue Jing halted his swinging blade, sheathing his blade 'Futu'.

【You have completed a sword technique practice, combat experience +98】

Glancing at the information on the panel, Xue Jing pondered for a moment, deciding not to continue training. Instead, he opened the door and stepped out of the training room.

He ascended the stairs to the third floor, reaching the indoor swimming pool Zhushan Ying had introduced.

The pool measured twenty meters in length and ten meters in width, its surface a serene blue. The characteristic scent of chlorine from the pool lingered near his nose.

Stripping off his clothes, he neatly folded them with 'Futu' at his side before moving to a nearby cabinet and opening it.

Inside were variously sized, unopened swimsuits. Xue Jing chose a larger one and changed into it.

He stood there barely clothed, wearing nothing but swim trunks that showcased his sculpted body, as if carved by the gods themselves.

Approaching the edge of the pool, Xue Jing crouched down, dipping a hand into the water.

Then, with a powerful leap, he plunged into the pool with a splash.

He propelled himself awkwardly through the water in a butterfly stroke fashion.

‘I've never really swum before in this life,’ he thought to himself as he moved through the water.

In his previous life, he had dabbled a bit and learned the basics of butterfly stroke, a lingering skill from the past.

As Xue Jing swam, he started clumsily; the knowledge was in his mind but hadn’t yet settled instinctively in his body.

However, his extraordinary bodily control, honed through martial arts, allowed him to swiftly adapt to the nuances of butterfly stroke, mastering swimming techniques at a remarkable speed.

“Splash splash!”

Soon enough, he was darting through the pool like an arrow, back and forth, churning up the water like a torpedo with his powerful movements.

His formidable physical condition, combined with the breathing techniques that granted him immense lung capacity, meant he scarcely needed rest, continuing with relentless energy.

After some time, a notification unexpectedly appeared before him.

【Condition met, skill activated: Swimming】

【Swimming Lv1】

Seeing the notification, Xue Jing kicked hard, propelling himself to the edge of the pool and pausing for a moment to catch his breath.

“So the skill can be activated after all,” he said with satisfaction.

Gazing at the water, he felt an instinctive sense of belonging.

It was as if he were naturally meant to be an aquatic creature.

He twisted around, kicked off the pool wall, and dived into the water once more.

This time, his movements were far more skilled than before, exuding an innate grace.

Like a fish perfectly at home in the depths of the sea.

He moved swiftly through the water on the strength of his body alone, without relying on his arms.

“Haha!”

Xue Jing surfaced with a joyful grin.

“My swimming skills have improved so much, even my physical fitness, balance, and control have all seen a balanced enhancement.”

He felt the boost from the activated 【Swimming】 skill.

“They say it's the best exercise in the world, bar none, training every part of the body comprehensively.”

“Aside from its stricter requirements, it's a virtually flawless form of exercise.”

“Feeling fantastic!”

Xue Jing made a swift turn and plunged back into the water.