I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

In a certain flower bed at the Horticultural Institute of Fengcheng University.

Xue Wan hung up the phone and stared at the screen, a pensive look on her face.

The Xue family had good genes, granting her striking beauty; her features were well-proportioned, her eyes soft yet bright, holding a gleaming brilliance as if they contained rippling autumn waters. Such astonishing beauty at first sight could not be overlooked.

Her slightly wavy black hair cascaded like a dark waterfall down to her waist, and her skin was as fair as milk, maintaining her elegance even in simple, earthy clothing.

As Xue Wan pondered, a figure crouched nearby among the flowers, trimming the excess branches of the plants, asked in a detached tone, "Was it your family again?"

Xue Wan returned to her senses, glanced at the horticulture professor squatting beside her, and smiled gently, "Yes... my younger brother. He said he's coming to Fengcheng to visit me soon."

The professor rose from her crouched position, her dark green hair intricately braided like dreadlocks, hanging down like vines and swaying as if alive.

"I don't understand," she said plainly.

"You are the one chosen by the Master of a Thousand Colors. Mortal ties mean nothing to you, why do you cling to them?"

Hearing this, Xue Wan sighed helplessly, "Why do you keep bringing this up, teacher?"

"We were merely bestowed divine power; it doesn't mean we've become gods... I'm still just the mortal you speak of."

She laughed softly, commenting, "My brother has recently taken up martial arts, the news even calls him a martial arts prodigy."

The professor gently brushed a vibrant pink and white rose beside her.

Instantly, the rose began to grow visibly, expanding and sprawling into numerous branches, transforming into a giant flower-like tree.

Countless tendrils extended from the giant flower, dancing in the air, dense and intimidating.

"Martial arts are merely the arrogant delusions of mortals," she said softly.

"Some see it as the 'only path truly belonging to humans,' boasting and pursuing that minuscule possibility, trying to use pure carbon-based flesh to elevate their 'status' to equal the divine."

"Yet, over three hundred years in the New Era, it has been proven impossible. Even the one closest to accomplishing it... could not take that seemingly near yet truly unreachable step, ultimately succumbing to the limits of lifespan, accepting the 'immortality surgery,' becoming an 'impure being.'"

"Your mortal kin brother walks a dead-end path... better he worship the Master of a Thousand Colors, perhaps gaining divine favor and joining you on the true ascent to godhood..."

Hearing this, Xue Wan's expression turned cold.

"Teacher, I don't quite understand your words."

"But just in case, I must respectfully say to you."

Flames seemed to ignite invisibly in her eyes, a severe warning as she enunciated each word nearly through clenched teeth, "Do. Not. Harm. My. Brother!"

The giant flower transformed from the rose suddenly stiffened, rapidly withering, collapsing until only a bud remained.

"……"

The professor's expression remained unchanged, his tone flat as he began, "What a surprise, it's the first time I've seen you like this."

"You’re even a bit cuter than your usual carefree self."

Xue Wan immediately donned a cheerful smile. "Eh? I think I'm cuter when I'm my usual self, you know? Teacher, your aesthetic sense is quite questionable."

Her ability to switch moods was seamless, effortlessly dispelling the earlier tense atmosphere as if nothing had happened.

"Hmm, suddenly remembered I have a class today, I’ll head off now."

Xue Wan paused, speaking nonchalantly, "Teacher, even if a student's words don't weigh much, you ought to listen once in a while, or else the student might get upset."

With that, she stretched her arms over her head and walked out of the garden with a spring in her step.

The professor watched her retreating figure thoughtfully.

––––

Xue Jing hung up the phone, rubbing his chin with a puzzled expression.

"What's this about? She doesn’t want me to visit?"

"Has she got a secret boyfriend? Or has she opened the doors to a new world and isn’t ready to face the family yet?"

He speculated with a hint of mischief.

"Oh well, I’ll find out in a few days."

He shook his head, got up from the sofa, and headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

By the time he finished cooking—chef skills +80—the glass door to the balcony opened. Catcat shook off outside, kneading the mat with her paws to rid them of dust before entering.

"Teacher Wan sure is a psychic, huh? Back just in time?"

Xue Jing teased as he carried a pot of hot chicken soup single-handedly, raising an eyebrow.

The cat ignored his banter, strutted towards the bathroom, leapt onto the sink by the door, turned on the faucet, and began to cleanse her paws with the soap dispenser there.

As she washed, she spoke in a youthful, girlish voice, "I just met with Mr. An... the masked fellow from before."

"I thought he was here to persuade me to join the main congregation again, but this time he didn't say a word. He just stayed silent, appearing almost... frightened?"

Catcat’s voice held a note of uncertainty.

Xue Jing responded, "It’s probably because of the 'Serpent Slayer'."

Catcat agreed, "I thought so too. After all, the Dragon Cult worships the 'Infinite Dragon', and both dragons and snakes are countered by the 'Serpent Slayer.'... It's only natural for Mr. An to react this way if he's gained some power from the main congregation."

She turned off the faucet, dried her paws with the small towel hanging nearby for cat use, and left the bathroom, hopping onto the dining table.

"Why don’t you change back to human form? Eating like this seems inconvenient."

Xue Jing lifted his rice bowl, took a bite, and asked with curiosity.

Catcat hooked a piece of braised pork with her paw, chewing and mumbling, "Well, that's the way it is..."

Xue Jing shrugged, "Then don't wear it. It's not like I haven’t seen it before."

Catcat rolled her eyes at him, "We have a very healthy and pure owner-pet relationship, and we need to clearly distinguish between such helpless situations regularly, or what will I become?"

Xue Jing took another bite of rice and thought, a woman shamelessly calling herself a pet really has nothing to do with healthy and pure...

But he didn’t argue, simply chuckling, "Okay, whatever makes you happy."

The next day.

After Xue Jing got up, washed, and went for his routine one-hour jog, he had breakfast but chose not to head to Zhushan Ying’s home to practice martial arts.

Instead, he decided to go to school, something he rarely did, with a backpack slung over his shoulders.

Riding the bus, Xue Jing calculated in his mind that ever since the school sports event where he killed that cockroach monster, he had been on leave and hadn’t been back since.

His homeroom teacher, Du Shiwei, used to call him to push his academic issues, but after that day at the sports event, he stopped urging, seeming to allow him to freely manage his affairs and was swift in approving his leave requests.

When he stepped into the classroom with his bag on one shoulder, Li Ge was the first to spot him.

"Whoa, Jing Lord!"

Li Ge exclaimed in surprise.

The students in the elite class all immediately turned their heads towards the door, subsequently releasing a chorus of incredulous exclamations.

"Oh damn, Xue Jing, you actually came to school?"

"There were rumors in the sophomore year that you passed the 'martial exam' and went to the Inner Circle University early. If you didn’t show up soon, I would've almost believed it!"

"Are you free tonight after school? All of us want to treat you to a meal, don't refuse!"

The elite class students gathered around him, chattering excitedly.

In the case of others, they might have felt overwhelmed, but Xue Jing smiled and answered one by one, making sure no one felt neglected.

With the confidence that came with his enhanced martial skills and the mental acuity bestowed by a suite of abilities, he handled the situation with remarkable ease.

When Xue Jing finally agreed to have dinner with them that evening, the students gradually dispersed.

He then chatted alone with Li Ge for quite a while, covering many topics, until the bell rang for class.

Barely managing through the first math class, Xue Jing realized he was falling behind with the current pace, so he swiftly ducked out during the break and headed to Qingda Library.

This was his primary reason for attending school today; reporting to the class was just an incidental task.

Using his library card to swipe up to the seventh floor, he arrived.

In the aged attic, there was still only one girl exuding a tranquil aura, seated serenely on a wooden chair, book in hand, as picturesque as ever.

Xue Jing couldn’t help but marvel, "BOSS, every time I see you, it feels like you’ve been here unmoving for thousands of years..."

Wu Youqing's hand paused slightly in turning the page before responding nonchalantly, "Are you implying that I look ancient?"

Xue Jing chuckled and responded, "Someone like you must have a very clear self-perception of your appearance... I'm not falling for it."

Wu Youqing snapped the book in her hands shut with a loud clap. "You have some understanding of me... but not of women as a species."

She stood up, walked over to Xue Jing, and lightly tapped his head with the book. "Even if it's known not to be true, hearing something unpleasant still leads to displeasure."

Xue Jing glanced at the book's cover: "Beyond 'Strings' — The Relationship Between Persona and Dimensions."

"I've arranged for you to participate in the U19 competition. From now on, you are signed with the 'Galaxy Martial Arts Club' and will represent them as a seeded player in the Feng City tournament." Wu Youqing said with a gentle tone, her arms crossed as she slightly emphasized her stance.

"Galaxy Martial Arts Club?" Xue Jing questioned, puzzled.

"It's one of my family's enterprises... rest assured, the contract conditions are flexible. You're free to choose when to fight; there are no binding clauses," Wu Youqing explained.

"In a few days, head to Feng City. I'll ensure you have a personal agent arranged there. Leave everything to the agent and focus solely on the matches," she continued.

Xue Jing nodded approvingly, then added, "The competition arrangements are up to you, BOSS. I came to you today for another matter..."

Xue Jing detailed the task entrusted to him by White Crow, to investigate the boundary, and mentioned the offer of GOD-508 as a reward.

"The zenith..." Wu Youqing's amethyst-like eyes shifted slightly.

"I see..." she murmured, nodding thoughtfully. "I recommend you take on this task."

Xue Jing raised an eyebrow, "Explain."

"[The Zenith] is quite beneficial to you as you are now." Wu Youqing settled into a wooden chair, her posture straightened, and her tight light blue jeans accentuated her form.

Xue Jing tilted his head, "Isn't this meant for enhancing skills already at their limit, for those at their peak with nowhere else to go... while it might be helpful to me, it wouldn't be remarkably useful, would it?"

Wu Youqing shook her head, "You're only seeing part of the picture."

"This GOD-508 is effective only once for anyone and loses its effect thereafter."

"There are two ways to maximize its utility." She raised her right hand, extending her index and middle fingers to signal two.

"First, as you mentioned, to push peak skills beyond their limits, further advancing your abilities."

"Secondly, it's used to enhance one's innate talents."

Xue Jing's eyes brightened.

“Talent?”

Wu Youqing nodded. “Exactly.”

“All you need to do is keep it on your head and do absolutely nothing for three days… or rather, make no special efforts. Remain in a relaxed state while constantly thinking about practicing something.”

“After three days, with the bamboo growing, you'll find that your talent in the subject you’ve been contemplating will noticeably improve.”

Xue Jing propped himself up and raised an eyebrow. “Is there really such a usage?”

“Then why did Void Blade not mention this when giving me the task?”

Xue Jing found himself puzzled.

If she had explained this other use of the Bamboostalk, the appeal would have increased exponentially, and the likelihood of him accepting the mission would have significantly risen.

Wu Youqing chuckled, “It's simple, because she didn't know either.”

“The Bamboostalk is an extremely important divine artifact that requires a significant contribution for a member of the organization to gain the privilege of using it… Someone in Void Blade's position wouldn't be privy to its detailed information.”

Xue Jing grasped the concept.

Wu Youqing continued, “The task wasn’t actually from Void Blade, but from those above her…or rather, it was not intended for you, but for me.”

“The leadership of White Crow thinks you're connected to me, so the Bamboostalk is actually meant to win me over.”

Her tone was calm, but her lips curled into a peculiar smile.

After hearing this, Xue Jing's mind lit up with understanding, the connections quickly aligning themselves.

On the surface, it appeared that the task was proposed by Void Blade for him, but in reality, it was the top brass of White Crow directing it towards Wu Youqing.

Hence, White Crow was offering the Bamboostalk, evidently a highly significant reward, not to entice him but to captivate Wu Youqing, the wealthy powerhouse she was…

Therefore, the upper echelon of White Crow didn't bother explaining the specific functions of the Bamboostalk to Void Blade, because offering such a reward was enough for Wu Youqing to grasp its significance.

To think that in others’ eyes, he wasn't eligible for using such a high-caliber divine relic...

Xue Jing found it amusing, yet not offended by being underestimated. It was only reasonable; this logic was sound. He hadn't yet demonstrated any characteristics that would draw such attention.

“If that’s the case…”

Xue Jing gazed at the girl before him, a thought emerging in his mind.

“White Crow could surely find other candidates capable of exploring the inter-junction.”

“The reason they came looking for me, offering the Bamboostalk as a reward, was actually…”

“Not about any ‘resistance against Ceasefire,’ but simply an opportunity to foster a good relationship with her…”

Xue Jing watched the peculiar smile on Wu Youqing's lips and sighed inwardly.

“These big players, their communications are convoluted beyond measure…”