I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

“...”

The three individuals in the dark alley were shocked and speechless by the unexpected scene, staring at Xue Jing in astonishment.

“...So cool,” Yun Qian murmured softly.

Ning Fengwan widened her cat eyes and asked, "Ah Jing... why are you here?"

Xue Jing hesitated, rubbing his chin.

"If I said I was just passing by, would you believe me?"

Ning Fengwan rolled her eyes at him, "Stop joking around. You should head home quickly. What are you wandering around for in the middle of the night?"

Her tone carried a trace of urgency.

Mr. An glanced at her, then at Xue Jing, a strange look flashing in his crimson vertical pupils.

"So it seems, the leader is temporarily staying at this young man's house," Mr. An remarked, shaking his head as he looked at Ning Fengwan.

"Leader, come with me to the main sect. There's nothing worthwhile left in Qingcheng. Once we're at the main sect, even the Kangde Corporation can't touch us."

"Once you receive the infinite divine grace from Anantashesha, given time, annihilating the Kangde Corporation would not be an impossible task."

“...”

The cat shook her head and said in a soft, girlish voice, "No, I don't want to go."

Mr. An paused, withdrawing his hand, puzzled, "Why?"

He couldn't comprehend. As the leader of the Dragon Sect, she should naturally be a devout follower of Anantashesha. Knowing she could receive Anantashesha's blessing, why would she refuse?

Hmm?

Mr. An turned his head, looking at the young man who had just descended from the sky.

He lingered on the overly handsome face for a moment, then suddenly understood.

Ning Fengwan sighed, about to say something.

But Mr. An spoke directly, "Leader, you don't want anything to happen to this young man, do you?"

Ning Fengwan: “...”

Yun Qian: “...”

Xue Jing: “...”

“What did you just say?” The three others paused in surprise.

Yun Qian mumbled softly, "...below."

A chilling, almost human-like expression emerged on Ning Fengwan's feline face.

"Are you using him to threaten me?"

Xue Jing squinted and took two steps forward, his tone carrying a hint of danger, "I can't pretend I didn't hear that."

Mr. An quickly realized his words could easily be misunderstood and hurriedly clarified, "No... it’s not a threat. What I mean is, if you, the Leader, continue staying in Qing City—living at this young man's house—what if Kangde Corporation finds out? It could spell disaster for him. It's better if you come with me to the main sect."

These words indeed struck a chord with Ning Fengwan's weakest point.

Frustrated, she cursed, "Nothing would've happened if you hadn't come. I told you not to look for me for a while!"

"I never wanted to be the Leader of the Dragon Sect. That old geezer decided it all on his own, making me his successor. And fine, let it be. But did he have to cause such a big mess before dying?"

"Now you want me to go to the main sect and receive divine blessings? If you want them, go get them yourself and leave me out of it!"

Yun Qian instinctively shrank her small body, her innocent face hidden behind sunglasses.

Xue Jing listened to their conversation, unable to step in due to his unfamiliarity with what had transpired between the Dragon Sect and the cat.

After a lengthy silence, Mr. An finally said, "...Alright, let’s leave it here for today. If you change your mind, Leader, contact me anytime."

Ning Fengwan had no further response.

Mr. An turned and walked away from the alley, with Yun Qian feeling disappointed as she bowed her head and followed him.

The small alley was now left with just one man and one cat.

Xue Jing chuckled gently, "Let’s head home, Teacher Ning. I’ll make you a midnight snack."

The cat blinked her emerald-green eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then softly agreed.

The next morning, Xue Jing awoke and first checked his injuries.

To his surprise, his condition was better than he expected—all his wounds had already scabbed over.

He initially thought he’d need a day of rest, halting his martial arts practice, but that didn’t seem necessary anymore.

Throwing off the quilt, he stretched and glanced at the cat sleeping beside him.

He reached out to gently pet the cat's cheek.

Yesterday, when Xue Jing returned home, he didn't ask too many questions, and Maomao didn't say much either. Their interaction was as usual.

However, Xue Jing faintly sensed that Maomao might be considering leaving.

She didn't want to burden him.

Previously, due to the divine relic, she remained in the form of a cat, hidden well enough that staying put wasn't an issue.

But now that the people from the Dragon Followers had tracked them down, the risk of her exposure had significantly increased.

"Kangde Security Company..." Xue Jing mused, rubbing his chin.

Security companies were quite extraordinary here, having evolved beyond the typical scope of businesses.

In this world, myriad factors have led to a rampant proliferation of highly empowered individuals. Martial artists, cyborgs, and even those Xue Jing heard about from Wu Youqing, the 'Endowed Ones', all posed instability risks.

With a metaphorical hammer, every problem looks like a nail; thus, so many powerful people roaming the streets are bound to stir up trouble.

Compared to Earth from Xue Jing’s past life, maintaining public order is an exorbitantly costly affair here.

With limited official law enforcement, what's the alternative? Naturally, they had to seek help elsewhere.

Therefore, during a particularly chaotic period, the official government outsourced a portion of their 'law enforcement rights' to various security companies.

These companies were allowed to form and expand their own armed forces to assist in maintaining order.

Just think about it—legally having your own armed force is terrifying enough, especially when it comes with some 'law enforcement rights'.

Those rights can nearly equate to 'rule'.

Even limited ruling power is still ruling power.

During that time, the major security giants grew exuberantly, becoming colossal entities deeply embedded in the country.

To oppose these firms, which even the authorities found vexing, was a daunting prospect.

Xue Jing shook his head.

"Forget it, stop thinking about it."

"Practice martial arts, grow stronger; one day, I'll solve all issues, even if I can't resolve every issue, I can certainly handle every problem maker."

A fierce resolve rose within him.

"Damn it, no matter which company, I'll sweep them all away with a punch!"

...

In the Hidden Dragon Dojo, within the training room.

Xue Jing was practicing a technique called the 'Shaking Armor.'

According to the schedule, today he practiced the movements of 'Blood Training', the most difficult of the five sets of exercises, demanding the highest level of physical fitness.

Just like the other movements of the Shaking Dragon Technique, each movement concludes with a full-body shiver, known as the True Dragon's Shake, making his blood boil.

Today, however, the sensation was entirely different from before.

Ever since the specialized energy, known as Hidden Dragon Force, manifested within him, it felt as if a dragon resided in his body, operating with seamless fluidity as if it were an extension of himself.

As the energy surged, his blood was refined and tempered by this 'dragon', becoming increasingly pure and viscous, akin to mercury.

With each tremor, Xue Jing felt the 'dragon' growing larger.

After completing all the moves, Xue Jing calmed his boiling blood, steam visibly emanating from every inch of his body, the heat menacing.

“Hoo—”

He threw a straight punch into the air.

The Hidden Dragon Force naturally surged into his fist, concentrating power at a single point, before bursting out.

The air split with a sharp whistle, faintly accompanied by the roar of a dragon, and the curtain in the distance dented as if struck by an invisible fist, taking a few seconds to return to normal.

“This blood training movement corresponds to 'Shaking Starfire', one of the five deadly moves of the Hidden Dragon Flow,” Xue Jing pondered.

“It's a technique that channels energy through a small point to burst inside an opponent, designed especially to break through the defenses of those with hardened skin.”

He swung again.

“Hoo—”

The force exploded, whipping up a strong gale.

“Using the Hidden Dragon Force to unleash the Shaking Starfire, it's like releasing a dragon into someone else's body to wreak havoc—” Xue Jing had a peculiar thought.

【You completed a session of the Shaking Dragon Technique, fitness experience +331】

【You completed a session of the Shaking Dragon Technique, Hidden Dragon Force experience +367】

Having glanced at his gains on the panel, Xue Jing picked up the nebulizer by his side and began absorbing the medicinal mist.

After a while, footsteps came from the door of the training room.

“Little Junior Brother, Little Junior Brother,”

Chen Fuguang called at the door.

Xue Jing opened his eyes, removed the nebulizer, and stepped out of the training room.

In the hallway, Chen Fuguang stepped forward, slung an arm around Xue Jing's shoulder, and with a twinkle in his eye, said, "Little Martial Brother, you've struck it rich."

Xue Jing looked puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"Didn't you slay a monster and save that group of second-generation rich kids at the Ruizhu Hotel yesterday?" Chen Fuguang explained, a hint of envy in his gaze. "Today, our Hidden Dragon Dojo received a lot of donations, all traced back to the parents of those second-gens."

"Master said it's your reward; every penny is credited to your account."

Xue Jing's eyes lit up. This is wonderful news — these wealthy and influential families really knew how to show gratitude.

"How much is it?" he asked out of curiosity.

Chen Fuguang pulled out his phone from his pocket and checked it. "Hmmm... Each donation is over a million, and so far, several have come in, totaling twenty-two million."

Hearing this, Xue Jing raised an eyebrow. Have I become rich?

Chen Fuguang ruffled Xue Jing's hair and chuckled, "Don't get too complacent just because you made a lot. Martial arts training is a massive undertaking. You could devour a mountain of gold and it wouldn't last long, certainly not enough to sustain you."

"You've just started with the Five Great Practices. As you progress, you'll need elixirs for 'Nurturing Organs', 'Nurturing Essence', and even 'Nurturing Heart' — each absurdly expensive."

"Get ready to bid farewell to your twenty-two million."

Xue Jing's mouth twitched. Poverty-stricken scholars, but wealthy warriors...

"Oh, right, Little Martial Brother, there's something else." Chen Fuguang said, scrolling furiously on his phone before handing it to Xue Jing. "Take a look at this."

Xue Jing took the phone and glanced at the screen. On the display, there was a news article.

[Qingcheng Morning News]

【Seventeen-Year-Old High School Student Takes Down Non-Human Monster Barehanded—The Martial Arts Prodigy of Qing University?】

……