I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

A pair of compound eyes, devoid of any visible emotional fluctuation, fixated on the prey that promised succulent flesh yet seemed particularly elusive.

"Bzzzt—"

With a swift motion, it extended its six insectoid legs, pulling itself out of the stone wall. Rubble fell to the floor, creating a soft clatter in the silent hall.

The cockroach man used the barbs on its insect feet to latch onto the wall, hanging suspended while stepping on it as if it were flat ground.

"Bang!"

The stone wall exploded outward. Black lightning struck again, moving even faster and causing a ring of air to burst from nowhere, spreading outwards and extinguishing the flames of several lighters in the hall.

The banquet hall was plunged into darkness once more.

In that instant, unnoticed by all, two black flames ignited in Xue Jing's pupils, quietly dancing within.

With a slight sidestep, he deftly evaded the cockroach man's lightning-fast charge in the thick of the darkness. As they crossed paths, he spun mid-motion, launching a reverse punch at the airborne cockroach man.

"Boom!"

A resounding bang echoed as the cockroach man was sent flying once again.

This time, however, it managed to right itself mid-air, its six insect legs clawing into the carpet with their barbs, skidding several meters and leaving a few gashes in the fabric before finally halting its movement.

Xue Jing, with the black flames still dancing in his eyes, regarded the cockroach man and murmured, "Beast... You’re not the only one who can move freely in the dark."

Originally, Xue Jing hadn't planned on intervening.

The strength of the cockroach man was secondary; the primary issue was the terrible combat environment.

With all electrical equipment in the hall disabled by what seemed like an EMP phenomenon, they had become completely useless. With only the flickering light of a lighter for illumination, his vision was severely limited.

No matter his ability to fight the cockroach man, in such conditions, he had no chance of overcoming it.

In the dark while his adversary remains unseen, any rash move was futile and tantamount to sentencing himself to defeat.

Nevertheless, amidst the cockroach man’s frantic leaps and lunges for prey, he instinctively kept his gaze locked on his foe.

Yet under the dim and weak firelight, it was impossible to see clearly.

At that moment, perhaps driven by his intense desire to see clearly, the [Shadow Flame] inadvertently activated, igniting in his eyes.

His vision immediately cleared up; though only in black and white, it was almost as if it were daytime compared to before.

This was the real reason why he decided to step forward.

“So [Shadow Flame] has a ‘night vision’ effect... The panel didn’t clarify that, I had to discover it myself.” Xue Jing shook his head.

He stepped forward, charging towards the cockroach man.

The cockroach man also opened its mandibles, emitting a bizarre hissing sound, and swung its six insect legs at Xue Jing.

When the gust from their clash extinguished the lighter’s flame, all they heard was a loud bang; no one knew what actually transpired.

Pei Youguang hurriedly reignited the lighter.

In the faint light, everyone’s eyes widened in shock.

The young man who had stepped forward was now locked in combat with the monster!

The six insect-like limbs of the creature slashed relentlessly, like a storm of blades raining down without pause.

Yet, the young man deftly dodged each attack with perfect timing, as if effortlessly weaving through raindrops in a downpour, displaying extraordinary agility.

He even had the capacity to counter with punches and kicks from time to time, thudding against the cockroach man with a muffled impact.

“This is...”

Pei Tiancheng and a few dojo disciples watched the battle, completely astonished.

Initially poised to assist, any notion of helping evaporated as they took in the scene before them.

The speed and rhythm of the battle were beyond their comprehension, let alone their ability to keep up.

In martial arts, speed often trumps all, and this overwhelming swiftness was the most despair-inducing quality of the fight.

Attempting to intervene would only hamper the young man's efforts, forcing him to divide his attention.

“Let’s move towards the exit, slowly and calmly. No rush or pushing!”

Ye Chenglin quickly instructed.

The crowd snapped back to reality.

“Yes, let’s go. Staying here will only hold him back, and distract him with concerns for us!”

“By leaving, we’ll allow him to deal with the creature more freely, and once outside, we can call for help!”

...

"Bang!"

"Screech——"

Xue Jing landed a heavy punch on the face of the cockroach man, sending it staggering several meters back. Simultaneously, his clothes got caught on an insect leg and tore apart, revealing his pale skin and well-defined muscles beneath.

"It's really that tough..." Xue Jing shook his slightly numb fist. The cockroach man's body was covered with a hard exoskeleton, making a punch feel like hitting rock.

Despite taking numerous powerful punches from him earlier, it still acted as if nothing had happened.

Once more, the cockroach man charged.

Xue Jing, now familiar with its attack pattern, instinctively dodged with a sidestep.

But just then, four large, thin wings unfurled from the cockroach man's back!

Furiously flapping in the air, its massive frame executed a subtle twist mid-charge, aiming straight for Xue Jing with precision!

Xue Jing's eyes widened, his scalp tingled, and his hair stood on end. A profound sense of danger washed over him, the shadow of death looming.

The world seemed to slow down.

In that split second, countless thoughts flashed through Xue Jing's mind like a revolving lantern, finally settling on one vision.

A true dragon, its back adorned with a pair of wings, weaved through the sea of clouds, its body entwined with mighty thunderbolts. Its golden scales quivered, emitting layers of radiant light, while its dark-golden vertical pupils glanced disdainfully in all directions. With each breath, it exhaled countless sparks.

The true dragon lazily rolled within the cloud sea and suddenly swished its tail in excitement.

In an instant, the boundless cloud sea surged backward like a receding tide, and in the blink of an eye, the sky cleared to reveal endless blue.

The cockroach man collided with Xue Jing.

The massive impact force radiated from the point of contact, spreading across Xue Jing, threatening to tear him apart.

Yet, at that moment, a sudden clarity dawned upon Xue Jing; his entire skeleton started to resonate, emitting a rolling thunderous sound that gradually absorbed and withstood the massive impact force...

This strike, potent enough to shatter stone and bend steel, astonishingly didn't cause Xue Jing to retreat even a step!

His entire body surged with strength, layer upon layer, transforming the absorbed kinetic energy into his own, channeling all the power to his right hand, focusing it intently.

In the dim banquet hall, a dragon's roar seemed to echo, causing everyone to instinctively turn their heads towards Xue Jing.

What they saw was—

An enormous true dragon, blocking out the sun, flinging its tail.

"Whoosh—"

The head of the cockroach man burst open, with dark green blood splattering like bullets in every direction, even striking many who were quite far away, drenching their faces.

Xue Jing stared at his fist in a daze, the sound of bones ringing still lingering in his ears.

Hidden Dragon Flow’s ultimate move—Sealing the Cloud Tail!

Xue Jing stood amidst the ruins of the battlefield, the echoes of their clash still resonating in the air. His heart thumped against his chest as he steadied his breath, recalling the desperate maneuvers that led to his survival.

He glanced around, searching for any lingering sign of the cockroach man, but there was nothing left but scattered debris and the wisps of Shadow Flames flickering quietly in the aftermath.

Such flames, borne of his mastery over the Hidden Dragon Flow, had not only turned the tide in his favor but also sealed the cockroach man's doomed fate.

As he surveyed the damage, a thought lingered—just how many more battles lay ahead on this treacherous path?

In that moment of tranquility, a sense of resolve surged within him. Xue Jing knew he must sharpen his skills further, for stronger foes would surely emerge from the shadows, and only through unwavering determination could he hope to prevail.

With a final, deep breath, Xue Jing turned away from the battlefield, leaving behind whispers of flame that would soon fade into memory.