I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

‘The key to breaking limits?’

Xue Jing's eyes flickered with interest.

Standing beside him, Zhu Shanying voiced his curiosity, "Master, what does 'breaking limits' mean?"

Li Qi smiled gently and explained, “The human body has its limits. As martial artists, once we have trained our muscles, skin, tendons, bones, and blood to their fullest potential, we reach our physical limits.”

He continued, “At that point, you can progress no further. This is due to our genetic constraints; no amount of effort can improve upon our current strength. That’s when ‘breaking limits’ becomes necessary.”

"Or, in terms you're more familiar with—leaping the dragon’s gate."

Xue Jing adjusted his posture, listening intently.

Li Qi expounded further, “The saying ‘fish leaps over the dragon gate’ refers to transcending natural limitations. The Western term ‘breaking limits’ is essentially about surpassing our physical boundaries. It’s not directly related to martial arts itself; rather, it represents an elevation of one’s life essence.”

“What does it mean to elevate life? It means breaking through one’s genetic limits and remodeling the fundamental components of the body. Though you would remain human in shape, the essence of your life would transcend humanity.”

Li Qi’s voice turned quiet.

“In ancient times, those who achieved such a transformation were called ‘Immortals in the World’ by Daoists, and ‘Living Buddhas’ by Buddhists. Such beings could live to at least a hundred and fifty years without aging, maintaining their peak physical condition right up until death.”

Xue Jing cast a glance at Li Qi's aged appearance, wondering if this was the 'unforeseen incident' spoken of.

“Achieving this transcendence relies not on the body alone but requires enforcing change through the abstract powers of ‘consciousness’ and ‘spirit’.”

Zhu Shanying’s eyes widened in disbelief: “Really?”

“That doesn't sound scientific, Master.”

Li Qi shot her a sidelong glance, “There’s nothing unscientific about it. It’s quite simple, really. Let me ask you, how do you perceive the relationship between human consciousness and the body?”

Zhu Shanying pondered, then ventured uncertainly, “Consciousness... is a network of logic formed by brain neurons?”

She tried recalling what she had learned.

Li Qi shook his head, providing a different perspective, “Wrong. The concept of ‘consciousness,’ ‘spirit,’ and the ‘self’ exist independently of the human body; the brain is merely an organ, not ‘you.’”

“If we liken the body to a computer, the brain would be its most crucial component—the CPU. Yet, the true ‘you,’ the real ‘consciousness,’ is the one operating the computer, not the machine itself.”

“However, within the material world, consciousness needs a medium, just as a computer cannot function without a CPU; your consciousness requires the brain as its vehicle to manifest in the physical realm.”

Li Qi was nothing like a traditional martial arts instructor; instead, he resembled a learned professor, beginning to explain the principles to the students.

This stark contrast struck Xue Jing as peculiar—was this the scientific martial arts of the new era?

However, Li Qi was unaware of Xue Jing's thoughts and continued speaking: "In truth, humans have very limited control over their own physical bodies."

"Take a simple example—one cannot kill themselves by holding their breath. Even if you've undergone some degree of training to overcome instincts, when you reach your limit, the brain will cut off your consciousness and make you faint, allowing instincts to take over and resume breathing."

"Thus, it can be understood that 'I' am not the body itself. 'I' am merely the user of the body. This is why Buddhism speaks of the mortal world as a sea of suffering, and the body as the vessel to cross it, because the body is the 'boat' that 'I' ride, not the true 'I,' merely something that belongs to 'me.'"

"The key point comes next—if 'I,' which is to say the consciousness, is strong enough, it can forcibly take over the body with abstract mental power."

"So, we would no longer control the body through the brain, issuing slow commands through nerves, but instead, we would directly use consciousness to cover the whole body, managing the body with the consciousness itself."

Li Qi extended a withered hand, grasping at the air.

"By using consciousness to forcibly interfere with the body, ordering genes to change, eliminating all weak and useless genes, and further strengthening the inherently powerful ones, escalating one's life level!"

"Thus, after perfecting the five practices, martial arts is no longer about tapping into physical potential but unlocking the hidden treasures in the spiritual consciousness!"

"The strength of the mind will bring strength to the body! As long as you have a matching powerful consciousness, you can be as strong as you believe yourself to be!"

"Of course, there are great crises in this process, grave dangers, and desires to leap the dragon gate, with the risk of being struck by lightning. In this process of burning away the remnants of mortality, one small error could lead to genetic collapse."

Xue Jing and Zhu Shanying, his two disciples, were captivated by these words.

The way of martial arts training seemed to be both scientific and unscientific; within its unscientific nature, there appeared to be a science...

Li Qi turned his gaze towards Xue Jing.

"At present, you have already achieved a critical step—letting the consciousness enter the body."

Xue Jing instinctively glanced at his arm, exercising his breath technique, prompting a surge of energy.

He could clearly feel that this energy seemed alive, flowing through his body like a river.

"Even though you are a hundred steps, if not a thousand, from truly breaking through the limit, you have taken the most crucial step. The rest is a long grind."

Li Qi patted his shoulder, expressing his satisfaction.

"Master, I heard from my senior brother that you were once a mighty figure who leapt the dragon gate. Why, then, did you age?" Zhu Shanying inquired curiously.

Li Qi chuckled lightly, replying nonchalantly: "The 'dragon' I nurtured was slain, and my consciousness could no longer immerse in the body, naturally unable to maintain the 'beyond-limit' state, hence aging was unavoidable."

Zhuying nodded in a way that suggested he understood, even if partially.

...

When Xue Jing finally returned to his apartment complex, the clock had already passed midnight.

Touching the wounds on his body, he marveled at the bizarre speed of their healing—torn skin had already begun to heal with a thin layer of new tissue.

If things continued at this pace, he guessed he'd be fully healed in just a couple of days.

Greeting the security guard with a nod, he entered the complex and returned home.

Opening the door, he didn't see the cat eager to greet him.

He closed the door and searched the entire apartment, puzzled. "Gone again?"

The cat's recent mysterious antics were unsettling; it kept disappearing without a trace, leaving Xue Jing to wonder what mischief it was up to.

Pondering for a moment, Xue Jing surveyed the entire house, committing every detail to memory, then closed his eyes.

[Meditate].

This skill, which enhanced his mental focus, endowed him with a terrifying level of mental control and imagination.

Especially since tonight, it had reached Level 4.

In his mind, he visualized every trace within the house, every detail laid bare.

He mentally reconstructed all the traces using his imagination.

In Xue Jing’s mental visualization of the house, a black cat wearing white gloves appeared.

It started to roam about, stretching lazily, watching TV, clawing at chairs, rummaging through the fridge, tinkering with the computer, and bouncing on the bed...

Every movement of the cat corresponded precisely with any subtle traces in the apartment.

Finally, the black cat, bored from playing with its tail on the sofa, seemed to hear something and turned to look out beyond the balcony.

After a moment, it rose gracefully, sauntered over to the balcony door, and pushed it open with its paws, slipping outside.

In reality, Xue Jing followed the imagined cat’s lead, eyes still closed, stepping out onto the balcony.

A black cat leapt onto the balcony railing—Xue Jing opened his eyes.

With vision enhanced to the extreme by a sense of aim, he scanned the railing for a moment, discovering two barely visible paw prints left by the cat on the black-painted surface.

Based on the shape of the prints, he visualized the cat’s jumping posture, direction, and trajectory.

He leaned his upper body over the railing, adopting a perilous position for an ordinary person as he gazed directly below the balcony.

From that position, he could just make out an air conditioning unit hanging below.

The unit, untouched by cleaning for some time, was covered in dust, with several cat paw prints imprinted on its surface.

Xue Jing pondered for a moment, grabbing the railing with both hands, flipping over it, and skillfully swinging down like an agile monkey to land on the air conditioning unit, making almost no sound in the process.

He then continued to visualize the traces of the cat's movements...

...

In a shadowy alley not far from Xue Jing's neighborhood.

Ning Fengwan was crouched on a crumbling brick wall, looking at two figures, one larger and one smaller, clothed entirely in black trench coats with black sunglasses and masks, making themselves completely anonymous. With a very human-like sigh, Ning Fengwan remarked, “I've told you, try not to come looking for me lately.”

“And the two of you, isn't this outfit a bit too much? Afraid no one will find you suspicious?”

Ning Fengwan teased.

The smaller figure timidly raised a hand, a soft voice sounding out: “I did object to dressing like this, like a stalker, but Priest…”

The larger figure's glance made her fall silent instantly, fear evident.

Ning Fengwan turned to the taller person, frowning:

“Mr. An, weren’t you supposed to have run off to the Inner City? Why are you back?”

Previously, when chatting on the 'Inner World Forum', Yun Qian had informed her that most of the Dragon Sect people had scattered, with Mr. An being among the first to flee.

Mr. An spoke in a low voice, “Leader, I didn’t run away; I went to the main sect.”

Standing at his side, Yun Qian murmured softly, “Going to the main sect is still kind of running away…”

Ning Fengwan looked surprised, “Huh? Did we have something like a main branch?”

She had ascended to the leadership of the sect rather abruptly, and the old leader hadn't mentioned many things to her. This was the first time she had heard about this.

Mr. An spoke with an unwavering voice, “Our Dragon Sect serves the 'Infinite Dragon' Anantashesha. As it possesses a thousand heads, our sect...”

“Has a thousand branches.”

Ning Fengwan exclaimed, “A thousand?”

Mr. An nodded, “Precisely, one thousand. It's quite normal that you're unaware. The branches are scattered across the globe, and their connections aren't particularly close. We haven't contacted any other branches for over thirty years. The old leader probably even forgot about this matter.”

Ning Fengwan frowned slightly, “Since the connections are so weak, why bring this up now?”

Mr. An removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of red, vertical pupils.

Ning Fengwan's pupils contracted slightly.

Mr. An's voice grew increasingly fervent, “Because Anantashesha has answered us!”

“The branch located in Source City has received the grace and oracle of Anantashesha. According to ancient customs, they are the main branch for this era.”

“Come on, Leader, follow me to Source City to worship Anantashesha and receive the infinite divine grace. This is a supreme honor, a blessing the old leader never had in his lifetime!”

Mr. An opened his arms, his fanatical faith apparent.

Ning Fengwan inexplicably felt a wave of terror, her hackles raised, her cat-like emerald eyes full of caution.

“Leader, your potential is exceptional. You can surely become a favored one of Anantashesha, perhaps even the 'Divine Child'...”

As Mr. An spoke, he approached Ning Fengwan.

“At that time, our branch of the Dragon Sect could be rebuilt with the power of the main branch. The old leader in the afterlife would certainly...”

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden explosion resounded nearby.

A tall, handsome young man fell from somewhere unknown, crashing onto the concrete ground of the alley, causing it to crack.

“Sorry, I didn’t think the air conditioner unit would be so slippery from water collection.”

Xue Jing spoke awkwardly.

He looked at the three gazes upon him, pondered for a moment, and hesitantly asked, “Maybe I came at the wrong time?”

Uncertain thoughts lingered, casting a shadow over the moment.

"Could this be the wrong time to arrive?" he wondered silently.

Silence reigned, leaving room only for unspoken questions and the quiet tension between breaths.

(End of Chapter)

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