I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

Pei Tiancheng and Pei Youguang leaned against the car, wordless.

“Is he really a high school student?”

“Youguang, are you sure this senior of yours just started practicing martial arts over a month ago?” Pei Tiancheng asked his brother again, unable to control his twitching eyelid.

“I... I think so? Probably?” Pei Youguang replied hesitantly, feeling uncertain himself.

Could it be that Brother Jing was pulling a "play the pig to eat the tiger" on him, actually having practiced martial arts since childhood?

But the foundational breathing method was indeed something he taught Brother Jing.

And judging by his earlier actions, it really seemed like his first time practicing the breathing method...

How could such a monster train to this level in just over a month?

Pei Tiancheng patted Pei Youguang's shoulder, looking serious.

"No matter what, you must not sever your relationship with this guy."

"Even if it's just a normal friendship, it could be of great use in the future."

"I've hardly ever seen such a figure even in the inner city... As long as he doesn't die young, even if he doesn't take forbidden drugs or install exotic implants, sticking to the old martial path might lead him to become at least a Longmen Grandmaster, perhaps even touching the level of a 'Title'."

Pei Tiancheng's eyes revealed his deep thought.

If this Master Xue really grows to touch a Title, even the lowest one, a mere 'Ten Duan', it would be remarkable...

Decades ago, the one who mastered Cang Court valued old martial warriors greatly, and old martial artists with Titles were always welcomed by that one.

Pei Tiancheng's eyes shone with ambition.

Perhaps the Pei family could leverage this relationship to indirectly gain a connection with Cang Court, which represents the highest power of Zhu Xia!

Even the slightest connection could bring immense fortune!

Pei Tiancheng said seriously to Pei Youguang:

"The future of our Pei family depends on you."

Pei Youguang: ""

He was baffled, feeling like a headless chicken.

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He's just a second-rate successor that even his own dad looks down upon. What future, what responsibility, ain't that nonsense of gods and demons?

However, before he could say anything, new changes happened on the field.

The Mountain Ape, skewed into the grassy slope by Xue Jing's Cloud Tail strike, moved.

Dangling mid-air with his head buried in the dirt, his body twitched. Using both hands to brace against the slope, he forcefully pulled his head out.

"That punch..."

"Felt so satisfying!!!"

The Mountain Ape stood up, spread his arms wide, and howled at the sky. His voice was so loud that a rabbit nearby leapt away in fright.

He turned to look at Xue Jing, his eyes filled with extreme excitement, as if a lustful demon had found his perfect beauty soulmate.

"What are you waiting for? Keep going!" The Mountain Ape tapped his chest, the sound resonating off his muscles.

"I spent so much money on this thing, if I don't take more hits, wouldn't it be a waste? Huh?"

"Come on, hit me!"

Xue Jing glanced at the opponent's left shoulder, where his Fengyun Tail had struck.

He didn't aim for the head because he didn't want to kill.

A purplish bruise was visible on the slightly tanned skin of the right shoulder, evidence of his blow.

The Fengyun Tail, capable of blowing apart the heads of cockroach monsters, seemed ineffective on the human body?

Even without enhancing it with his Dual Force, this man's physique was unusually tough.

Xue Jing sensed a familiarity.

Previously, on a mission to contain the "Crown of the Wicked Woman," he encountered a man named Zhu Yingkun, whose skin was exceptionally durable, rendering his punches ineffective.

It felt much like that now.

Xue Jing raised an eyebrow and asked, "Transplanted Tissue?"

The Mountain Ape was surprised, "Oh? Didn't expect someone from the outer ring to be so knowledgeable... Indeed, it's a Transplanted Tissue."

"I've got a layer of 'B1 Protective Dermis' under my skin, an entry-level military Transplanted Tissue with excellent shock absorption, especially effective against you martial artists' 'force'."

The Mountain Ape grinned.

"How about it? Tempted? Wanna get one too?"

Xue Jing shook his head, his tone unwavering, "Mere technology could never surpass a body forged through countless trials."

The Mountain Ape clicked his tongue.

"That's why you martial artists... refuse to face reality."

"The old era is over two hundred years gone."

"—Wake up, the times have changed!"

With the last words, the Mountain Ape was already in front of Xue Jing.

He extended his long, ape-like arms, aiming to slap Xue Jing’s head from both sides.

A fast move, possibly using some strange technique, creating air currents that wrapped around Xue Jing, giving him a sense of confinement and immobility.

Xue Jing's expression remained unchanged. He surged his internal force, a true dragon coursing through his body, instantly breaking free of the mysterious bind. He ducked, dodging the incoming attack from both sides.

"PA!!"

The two palms collided above Xue Jing's head, creating an eardrum-piercing explosion as the air pressure from the impact spread outward.

Xue Jing felt a sharp pain in his ears and dizziness in his head.

The Mountain Ape smirked.

His hands had been modified, capable of emitting special sound waves through clapping that could cause dizziness.

The purpose of this technique, striking the ears from both sides, wasn't to hit the target directly but to perform the slap near the enemy, maximizing the sound wave's effect.

Youngsters remain youngsters, and he fell into the trap.

Xue Jing felt his consciousness gradually drift away amidst the vibrating sound.

Yet, though startled, he remained calm, immediately running the visualization technique of the Dormant Dragon Art in his mind.

With a level nearing Lv5, his [Visualization] provided him with immense control over his thoughts, also enhancing his mental fortitude.

The dragon's roar echoed in his mind, forcibly dispelling the dizziness, and Xue Jing's consciousness swiftly regained clarity.

He clenched his right hand into a fist, channeling the force of a true dragon into the punch, and launched a Rising Dragon Punch towards the Mountain Ape's chin.

"Bam—"

The Mountain Ape soared upwards, rising a full seven or eight meters, and then started to freefall.

"What!?"

He was flabbergasted.

How is it possible that this young man's awareness is strong enough to resist the sonic attack!?

Xue Jing looked at the airborne Mountain Ape and softly spoke:

"Perhaps the era has changed."

"But you—you still can't represent the era."

He raised his right hand, delivering a light palm strike that gently brushed the chin of the Mountain Ape just as it landed.

Compared to the previous grand punches, this palm seemed powerless, not even budging the Mountain Ape.

However, the Mountain Ape, still vigorous in the air, suddenly rolled back its eyes after the palm strike, twitched twice upon hitting the ground, and then went still.

In countless martial arts, this is—gentle force.

If your skin is tough, then I won't hit your skin. Instead, inject the force directly into your body to explode.

Even if this skin can miraculously block most of the gentle force, it doesn't take much to knock someone out.

A gentle jab to the chin suffices.

Xue Jing looked at the Mountain Ape, who had sunk into a baby-like slumber at his feet, and muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear:

After showing off, Xue Jing pinched his chin.

"So, what did he come to me for?"

Just as he was wondering whether to wake the Mountain Ape or not, an unknown part of the Mountain Ape's body suddenly emitted a noise similar to tuning a radio.

Then, a female voice spoke.

"The Mountain Ape's consciousness has been disrupted; it seems he's no match for you."

It was a calm and deep feminine voice.

Xue Jing's expression didn't change; he simply asked, "Who exactly are you all? What do you want from me?"

"Just wait a moment; I'll be there shortly," the female voice said.

Xue Jing frowned slightly, saying, "You'd better hurry."

“I won't keep you waiting for long—”

The female voice disappeared, suggesting the ‘call’ had already been hung up.

“Jing, is it over?” Pei Youguang shouted from afar.

The fight between Xue Jing and the Mountain Ape sounded lengthy, but it actually took less than a minute.

Even though it was brief, the Pei brothers watched with keen interest.

It was spectacular, indeed.

Xue Jing grabbed the Mountain Ape's black vest, dragging him to the car and propping him against the rear tire.

“So why exactly was he looking for you, Brother Jing?”

Pei Youguang asked, puzzled.

Just as he spoke, an idea struck him, and he blurted out, “Could it be like one of those secret government tests on new recruits from the novels?”

“To show off the organization's power, defeat the newcomer, and then tell him that if he joins, he can have it too…”

Pei Tiancheng chuckled beside him, “You've been reading too many novels.”

“I think it sounds pretty plausible,” Pei Youguang scratched his head.

Xue Jing nudged the Mountain Ape with his foot and said calmly, “Hey, since you're awake, get up.”

His soft palm strike had not been held back, but his use of it was still unskilled; most of the force had been absorbed by the Mountain Ape's skin, and little reached the jaw.

Thus, although it knocked the ape unconscious, the injury wasn't severe.

Detecting a subtle change in the Mountain Ape's breathing, Xue Jing immediately knew he was awake.

“……”

The Mountain Ape, hearing this, opened his eyes, dropping the pretense of unconsciousness.

He felt a bit awkward, rubbing his chin as he twisted his neck, “...That really hurt.”

“Don't change the subject. Talk.”

Xue Jing prompted.

“Hmm…”

The Mountain Ape looked towards the Pei brothers, “You two, go find somewhere else to wander.”

The Pei brothers exchanged a glance, nodded, and without saying more, walked away.

Once they were out of earshot, the Mountain Ape began to speak, “Actually, that chubby kid wasn't wrong. I do come from an official organization, and we do plan to invite you to join, which is why…”

He was interrupted by Xue Jing shaking his head.

“I'm not interested in joining any so-called official secret organization—especially not now.”

Xue Jing looked at the Mountain Ape, “Having met you, I'm not impressed with your group's style. I have no desire to join at all.”

"Can't they just invite him straightforwardly? Why the need for games and roundabout ways?

Even if they extended a proper invitation, he wouldn’t join. He's quite content with his current life—tranquilly practicing martial arts, slowly developing, occasionally taking on some containment tasks to level up his divine skills. How comfortable is that?

Why bother joining some official organization?"

Mountain Ape scratched his head. "Don't be hasty to reject. I admit there are some issues because our unit specifically handles abnormal events related to the ‘Borderlands.’ It's quite dangerous, so naturally, the pressure is relatively high, and our methods can be somewhat unrestrained."

"However, there are many benefits too. For instance, the B1 protective skin layer I'm wearing—this military bio-implant isn’t something money can easily buy. You've seen its effectiveness; it alone can match the hard training martial artists put in for twenty to thirty years."

"Moreover, there are various verified safe enhancement drugs provided. As long as you join us, you will grow stronger at a speed you can’t even imagine."

Mountain Ape stood up, patting dust off his military pants. "You might think of yourself as a genius, which I'll admit. I’ve seen the records; you’ve only been practicing martial arts for barely over a month, yet you managed to defeat me. In terms of talent, few I've seen can compare to you."

"But you'll soon discover, humans have limits. Your rapid growth will suddenly slow down as you near your peak, the closer you get to the limit, the slower it becomes, until finally, it completely stops."

Mountain Ape said meaningfully, "That's when you'll understand the limitations of the old martial arts."

"That feeling of not being able to advance any further will drive you utterly mad. No matter how determined a person is, once they find that there's truly no road ahead, they'll fall into despair."

"The body of a pure human is such a mundane thing..."

Xue Jing listened quietly, then merely smiled. "You’re right. However, I refuse."

"Using the pure physical body of a human, with what you see as just fragile flesh and blood, to crush you bio-enhanced cyborgs, I find that quite interesting," he said softly.

Mountain Ape rolled his eyes. "Alright then, as long as you're happy. Someday you’ll realize how ignorant you are right now, and then you'll understand how rare this opportunity was."

At that moment, Mountain Ape's expression changed, as he placed his hand behind his ear and pressed a button. After a while, he looked up towards the sky, pointing in a direction. "The captain’s here. Look."

Xue Jing followed his finger, gazing towards the horizon. In the clear sky, with only a few clouds floating, like a drop of ink spreading on a painting, a small black dot gradually enlarged.

Xue Jing intently focused his powerful static vision on the black dot, seeing it clearly. It was a person.

A woman in a black, form-fitting tactical suit was flying through the air unaided by any machines, rapidly heading towards them.

Surprise flashed across Xue Jing’s face. Flying in the sky, breaking the chains of gravity, is one of humanity's ultimate dreams.

"So, what do you say?" Mountain Ape noticed the brief surprise on Xue Jing’s face, and he couldn't help but boast. "No matter how much you multiply your talent or practice martial arts for a hundred years, you still can't fly like that. You're just a human bound by gravity."

"But, bio-implants can!"

“Produced by South Sky Heavy Industries, the Anti-Gravity Bio-implant: Dragon Wing System!”