I will eventually become a divine being through accumulating constantly

Seagulls circled in the sky, squawking noisily, as a giant cruise ship slowly docked.

On the wharf, Jiao Hongyuan, a man with an aged face but a robust stature, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at a handsome young man on the cruise ship deck who was waving at him.

Standing behind Jiao Hongyuan, the leader of the Razor Gang, Su Bijin, spoke with a smile,

"Little junior brother really stole the show in Maple City this time, crushing the twelve preliminary matches with overwhelming victories, spreading the name of our Golden Wind Dojo throughout the whole Outer Ring.

Jiao Hongyuan's expression remained unchanged, save for a hint of satisfaction in his eyes; he spoke lightly,

"It's still early, that little brat doesn't know who he is after winning a few matches, bragging about taking on ten in front of the media, without a semblance of composure, making a laughingstock of himself."

Su Bijin had been a direct disciple of Jiao Hongyuan for many years and knew his temperament well, clearly seeing the deep satisfaction Jiao harbored, despite his customary habit of verbally pressing his disciples to keep them from becoming arrogant and rash.

Laughing, he flattered, "It's natural for the young to be spirited, and little junior brother is a prodigy. Even in the Inner Ring City, he would be considered a standout. A bit of arrogance isn't bad, and he was just speaking the truth; Master need not take it to heart."

Jiao Hongyuan nodded and grunted in acknowledgment.

Then he spoke lightly,

"Is White Crow still on to us that tightly?"

Upon hearing this, Su Bijin briefly paused, his expression turning serious as he replied in a low voice,

"Many brothers from the Razor Gang have been arrested... I guess it'll be my turn soon."

Jiao Hongyuan turned to look at him,

"Have you taken care of everything?"

Su Bijin nodded, "A couple of days ago, I intentionally stirred up trouble and had a fierce battle with the Blood Claw Gang, silencing everyone who knew about it, making it look like an accident during the fight... White Crow won't find anything out."

Jiao Hongyuan took two steps forward, his tone solemn,

"Once this matter is exposed, we will definitely have no place to be buried, no luck can save us, you understand that, right?"

Su Bijin, with a grave look, nodded.

"Master, I understand…"

Jiao Hongyuan, watching the young man descending the cruise ship's staircase, spoke indifferently,

"After this matter is settled, we will officially join Kangde Security, become a part of this giant entity, status, power, money... Setting aside these external things, Kangde promised they would provide us with 'breakthrough surgery.'"

Jiao Hongyuan's eyes showed a hint of fervor.

"I'm old, and the decline of my vital energy is inevitable, self-breakthrough is a dim hope, leaving me no choice but to rely on such means... But who said technologically induced breakthroughs are inferior to natural ones?"

"I've grown tired of seeing Dragon Gate grandmasters who've broken through on their own being hung up and beaten by artificially-enhanced warriors that have undergone several surgeries!"

He patted Su Bijin on the shoulder,

"Bijin, Kaiping's death is a regrettable thing... but it's just a small setback on the road to success. In this matter, among the direct disciples, you put in the most effort. After success, there will definitely be a spot for you in the breakthrough surgery arranged by Kangde."

Upon hearing this, Su Bijin's spirits lifted.

He quickly bowed his head, suppressing the sudden excitement and quickened heartbeat in his chest, and said eagerly,

"Thank you, Master!"

After a moment of thought, Su Bijin asked, "And little junior brother?"

Jiao Hongyuan gave him a look, "With Xue Jing's talent, he'll be able to break through without surgery... Those who leap over the Dragon Gate on their own not only elevate their bodies but also their spirit. The path he needs to take is different from ours.

"Don't let Xue Jing know about this matter. He's still young and can't yet understand our reasoning, you get it?"

Su Bijin quickly nodded, "Understood."

...

Hidden Dragon Dojo, Heart-Nourishing Room.

Xue Jing sat cross-legged on the hardwood floor and asked Li Qi,

"Master, does our Hidden Dragon School have any weapon techniques within its martial arts?"

Li Qi sat in a wheelchair, going through the steps of tea-making on the table in front of him. Hearing Xue Jing's question, he paused his actions and smiled,

"Why do you ask all of a sudden?"

Xue Jing placed his hands on his knees, rocking back and forth, his body spinning around like a weathervane as he spoke,

"Isn't there an U19 unrestricted fighting competition coming up? I want to give it a try, but weapons are allowed in that contest and I feel at a disadvantage unarmed."

In the end, Xue Jing decided to participate.

The U19 competition had a long schedule. Upon checking the format, starting from the elimination matches in Maple City, it would be at least one to two months before he could face Otogirusu.

For others, this period was short, hardly enough to make a difference, but it was different for him.

From the start of his martial arts practice to now, in just over a month.

Give him another month or two, and defeating Otogirusu might not be impossible.

For GOD-519... it was worth a try.

Li Qi lifted the teapot high, pouring tea like a thread into the cup, his hand steady, the tea swirling slightly along the bottom of the cup without spilling a drop.

He then said, "U19... that's a decent competition, it's considered to have a high standard among traditional martial arts contests. Now many Dragon Gate grandmasters, even those who have won 'titles,' participated in this competition when they were young.

"You can enter if you want. Even though you haven't practiced martial arts for long and it's unlikely to achieve a high rank, it's not bad to gain some experience."

Li Qi held up his cup of tea, taking a sip, before continuing,

"About the Hidden Dragon School's use of weapons... Of course, there is."

"The techniques of first-rate martial arts are fundamentally interconnected; moves that can be executed with fists and feet can certainly be done with a blade, and those performed with a blade can also be done with fists and feet."