I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

Xue Jing flexed his wrist, placed the notebook recording scores in the office, and headed to the cafeteria for a medicinal meal.

After eating, he left the cafeteria, navigated several turns, and arrived at a doorway.

Pushing the door open, a powerful medicinal aroma immediately enveloped him.

The room resembled a traditional medicine store.

All four walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling medicine cabinets, densely packed with what seemed like hundreds of compartments.

Each compartment was fashioned from rich mahogany, with inscriptions indicating the type of medicine stored within.

This was the storeroom of the Hidden Dragon Dojo, its shelves brimming with pharmaceuticals.

In the room's center stood a large table designed for concocting remedies, cluttered with various equipment for mixing medicines.

Xue Jing expertly picked up a scale from the table and began selecting the day's required ingredients from the medicine cabinets.

Once he finished, the scale was piled high.

He carried it over to the mixing table and began preparing the Hidden Dragon's secret body refining elixir according to the steps Li Qi had taught him.

After completing the process, Xue Jing poured all the ingredients into a container resembling an electric kettle, added the appropriate amount of water, switched it on, and left the concoction to brew automatically.

With that done, Xue Jing retrieved the notebook and pen from the table, opened it, and meticulously recorded the exact quantities of each ingredient he had used.

After noting them down, he cross-referenced with the price list beside him, calculating the cost to be approximately twelve thousand Zhuxia coins.

"How can an average person afford to practice martial arts..." Xue Jing sighed.

Half an hour later, as the kettle dinged, the elixir was ready.

He grabbed a nebulizer resembling a thermos, opened it, and poured in the freshly brewed liquid.

The black concoction emitted a strong, pungent odor, yet Xue Jing's expression remained unchanged—he was used to it by now.

Finished with his task, Xue Jing exited the storeroom, closing the door behind him, and returned to his practice room.

He placed the nebulizer aside, took a deep breath, and assumed his stance, beginning today's Draconic Stance training.

Xue Jing was practicing one of the five intricate routines of his martial art, which cycle weekly with one set each day. Today, he focused on the "Bone Training" sequence.

As he executed each elaborate posture, aligning his breath with the practice, it was apparent these movements were challenging and demanding.

At the completion of each posture, a subtle shiver ran through his body, reminiscent of a dragon shaking its armor, while within him, a cacophony of cracking bones resonated like distant thunder across a clouded sky.

Despite the intense stinging and burning sensations radiating from deep within his marrow, Xue Jing remained unfazed, his expression unchanging, as he methodically and resolutely persevered through the sequences of this "Dragon Shake Technique."

Time slipped by unnoticed.

With the final tremor, a series of crackling bone echoes filled the air, allowing Xue Jing to slowly regulate his breathing as he stood steadfastly.

A shadow of insight flitted through his mind. In this complete "Dragon Shake Technique" routine, he sensed a faint grasp of something significant; a fleeting awareness beyond his reach.

"Master mentioned this 'Bone Training' motion is tied to the Hidden Dragon Style's five principal lethal strikes, particularly the 'Cloud-Sealing Tail.' It's designed to fortify one's own robust skeletal structure to absorb and redirect an enemy's force back upon them in a retaliatory move."

"Perhaps, if I experience an adequately intense real combat, I might just seize this spark of inspiration..." contemplated Xue Jing.

Shaking his head slightly, he picked up a vapor inhaler nearby, donned it, and initiated the device, inhaling the faint black vapor according to the corresponding breathing technique.

While continuing the breathing method, he glanced at the display:

[Fitness Lv6]

[Wellness Lv4]

[Cooking Lv4]

Xue Jing spent the past seven or eight days completely absorbed in honing his martial skills as well as grinding away at other abilities, reaping considerable benefits.

With his aiming skill upgraded to Level 5, his precision, vision, and reaction time have all seen improvements.

Moreover, his daily sparring sessions with Senior Sister Meng have further advanced his combat prowess.

His visualization skill has also leveled up during his practice of the Dormant Dragon Technique, resulting in a boost to his mental acuity and the strengthening of the "dragon energy" coursing through him.

Even though the enhancements to his muscles, bones, and blood from five sets of Bone Training exercises don't show up on his status panel, Xue Jing feels the gains acutely.

For instance, he can now apply flexible power, a feat tied not only to his energy manipulation skills but also to the Bone Training's focus on "blood exercise."

Blood is the source of human vitality; the cleaner and more superior it is, the smoother energy flows, akin to adding lubricant to gears, creating unparalleled slickness.

After staring at the elevation requirements for [Exercise] for a moment, Xue Jing closes his eyes, diligently performing the breathing technique to silently absorb the herbal mist.

On the other side of town, in the northern district, stood a certain villa.

The spacious and luxurious living room was occupied by Pei Youguang, who sat uncomfortably on a corner sofa, feeling out of place.

He couldn’t help but glance towards the group of people gathered and chatting amicably in the room, his expression a mix of emotions.

He felt utterly redundant here, like a square peg in a round hole.

His gaze was drawn to a handsome young man in the center of the group.

Dressed in simple casual wear, 'clothes make the man' didn’t seem to apply to him; instead, it seemed more like 'man makes the clothes.'

His clean and handsome face radiated a smile as warm as the sun, and he chatted effortlessly with the group of privileged young men and women, exuding confidence and subtly being revered as the centerpiece.

On him, those simple clothes appeared to transform into an elegant gown suitable for the soiree.

Only someone like elder brother could truly belong here, Pei Youguang thought wistfully, gazing at his elder brother, Pei Tiancheng, lost in thought.

For some reason, a particular figure flashed in his mind.

"Hmm... If it were Brother Jing, perhaps he could rival my elder brother," he mused to himself.

It had been a while since he'd last seen Brother Jing; recently, he’d been taking lots of leaves, absent for many days from school.

They'd only crossed paths briefly at school before; he mentioned he'd joined a dojo as a disciple under close mentorship... truly enviable.

"Youguang, why are you sitting so far away? Come here; I have something to tell you,"

It was then that Pei Tiancheng's warm voice resonated from the group’s center.

Pei Youguang shivered as if startled, quickly got up, and found a spot to sit beside him.

In his haste, he accidentally jostled a beautifully made-up girl, who turned to roll her eyes at him. Her lips curled in disdain, and she tutted, appearing as though she wanted to say something. But after glancing at Pei Tiancheng, she remained silent.

"Tomorrow is Young Master Ye's banquet. Make sure you dress up properly and don't disgrace the Pei family," Pei Tiancheng advised.

His voice carried a warm and pleasant tone throughout, eliciting smiles from several wealthy young ladies nearby.

"Huh? I'm going too?" Pei Youguang's chubby face showed a hint of confusion.

What was he supposed to do? Just be a number?

A well-dressed man sitting on the sofa laughed and said, "Pei Shao's younger brother is also quite dashing. Why would he be an embarrassment?"

"However, the hotel hosting the banquet is reportedly haunted by a serial killer. If anything dangerous occurs, Pei Shao, don't just focus on protecting your real brother and forget about us foster siblings," he added cheekily.

This remark drew laughter from everyone in the living room. Even the mention of a serial killer lurking around made them all gaze with excitement and curiosity.

Hosting a banquet in a hotel where a murderer might appear—just the thought was thrilling, like something straight out of a detective novel!

Pei Tiancheng chuckled and shook his head.

"Rest assured, everyone. Although my skills are a bit lacking, I still know some moves. Such vermin, who prey exclusively on weak and defenseless women, don't concern me," he said with his usual warm tone, yet an unmistakable confidence lurked beneath his words.

“I assure everyone here, tomorrow night will be a delightful banquet, and there won't be any surprises.”