I will eventually become a god through sheer hard work.

"Huh? Senior sister, is this your car?"

Xue Jing asked.

Meng Qingjiao nodded, her eyes shining.

She took out the remote key to unlock the car, then opened the driver's side door, climbed in, fastened her seatbelt, and patted the seat next to her, signaling Xue Jing to get in.

Xue Jing got into the car, fastened his seatbelt, and glanced at Meng Qingjiao.

Although it wasn't very obvious and her expression didn't change much, he could sense that Senior Sister Meng seemed to be in a very high mood.

He thought for a moment and then asked, "Does Senior Sister really like driving?"

"..." Meng Qingjiao nodded heavily.

He then glanced at Xue Jing, as if to say, "Sit still?"

Xue Jing felt something was off, but he nodded nonetheless.

Meng Qingjiao started the engine, and the deep red convertible sports car immediately emitted a deep engine roar.

She sat up straight and turned the steering wheel.

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle—"

The wheels made a rapid screeching sound against the ground, and Xue Jing suddenly felt a 'push' coming from the front, causing his body to lean forward involuntarily.

The car quickly reversed out of the parking space, and then Meng Qingjiao professionally flicked the gear shift lever, stepped on the accelerator, and the car sped out of the parking lot.

A strong push came from behind, and Xue Jing looked at the scenery rushing past the car window, his lips twitching:

"...Senior sister, this is the city center."

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle—"

The car braked suddenly at a traffic light, and Xue Jing felt that if he hadn't been strapped in by the seatbelt, he would have been thrown out of the front window.

He crossed his arms, not panicked at all, but with a strange expression.

...Senior Sister Meng, are you sure you're here to protect him?

……

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle—"

The deep red convertible drifted precisely into the narrow parking space of the parking lot, without veering off course. Apart from a few overly conspicuous skid marks left on the ground, it was almost perfect.

The car was turned off, the doors on both sides opened, and Xue Jing and Meng Qingjiao got out of the car.

Although it was not very obvious, Xue Jing inexplicably felt that Meng Qingjiao's still aloof expression seemed to look more radiant and refreshed than usual.

He smiled helplessly, swallowing back the words of advice that were on the tip of his tongue.

'Well, she seems to really enjoy racing... Her skills are so good, her reflexes are so quick, and with a martial artist's intuition for danger, she should be fine.'

"Let's go in, senior sister."

He opened his mouth with a smile.

"..." Meng Qingjiao nodded.

She paused for a moment, then reached out and took Xue Jing's right arm with both hands.

An incredibly soft touch came over him, but Xue Jing remained unmoved, only coughing lightly:

"Let's go."

The two walked towards the main gate of the Tiger Soul Dojo.

At this moment, in the banquet hall of the Tiger Soul Dojo, at the very center of the main table, sat a robust old man.

He was dressed in a rather festive dark Tang suit. Although his face was old, he stood straight and had a strong, imposing presence, like a powerful tiger dominating the mountains and forests.

"Huh? Where's Chan'er? Wasn't she just here?"

Zong Jinkui scanned the surroundings with lightning-fast eyes, then frowned and asked.

"She probably went to the restroom. That girl seemed pretty nervous; she kept drinking her beverage," the disciple sitting next to her said with a smile.

"Let alone her, I'm nervous about seeing Xue Jing too," another female disciple muttered.

"Damn it, this little girl is actually my husband's apprentice! I'm so envious!"

She gritted her teeth.

Zong Jinkui glared at him: "What do you mean 'your husband' or 'her husband'? Speak properly to this old man!"

The female disciple explained, "Master, 'my husband' is the nickname our fans use for him..."

Zong Jinkui waved his hand and snorted, "Stop talking nonsense. Nothing has been decided yet. Whether he can be Chan'er's master or not, I will have to test his qualifications!"

At this moment, a disciple from the dojo jogged up to Zong Jinkui and whispered, "Master, Xue Jing and Meng Qingjiao from Canglong Dojo have arrived."

Zong Jinkui raised an eyebrow. "Bring them here."

"Yes," the disciple replied.

Soon, the disciple led Xue Jing and Meng Qingjiao in.

"Huh? That is?"

In the banquet hall, many people turned their curious gazes toward it.

"I've seen him on TV! It's Xue Jing!"

"The newly accepted disciple of the Hidden Dragon Dojo, right... The last time I heard news of him was when he killed some monster. I didn't expect that his reputation would be so great in such a short time."

“I’ve watched this kid’s match videos, and he’s definitely got something. Just the fact that he’s already mastered the ‘secret technique’ is something that not everyone can do. No wonder the disciples in our dojo idolize him.”

"Tsk, how come she looks even better in person than in the video? I'm so annoyed!"

"That cripple at the Hidden Dragon Dojo is incredibly lucky. He's almost dead and still manages to find such a piece of gold..."

"Shh, keep your voice down..."

"Hiss!! That's Meng Qingjiao, isn't it? This is the first time I've seen her. She's just as amazing as the legends say..."

"If I could marry her, I wouldn't have to worry about having twenty children..."

"Forget it, she's the daughter of that 'Little Dragon King' Meng Boshang. If you're not afraid of death, try getting close to her..."

Various comments came from the room, but Xue Jing remained unmoved as if he hadn't heard them. He merely glanced at some of the people who were saying unpleasant things.

Upon reaching the main table at the very center, the disciple who had led the way whispered to him, "That gentleman is our owner..."

Xue Jing glanced at him and said gently, "Thank you."

Upon hearing his thanks, the disciple seemed quite excited, his face flushing slightly, and he stammered, "No...you're welcome."

Xue Jing strode forward, approached the elderly man in a Tang suit seated at the head of the table, cupped his hands in greeting, and said in a clear voice:

"Xue Jing, a disciple of the Hidden Dragon Dojo, respectfully wishes Elder Master a happy birthday. May Elder Master enjoy good health and longevity, and may he have many more birthdays like this one!"

Although he had some reservations about Xue Jing beforehand, Zong Jinkui couldn't help but smile when faced with such a handsome, talented, and energetic young man offering such a heartfelt congratulation.

"Okay, okay, good boy."

He took out two red envelopes from his pocket and placed them in Xue Jing's and Meng Qingjiao's hands respectively.

Xue Jing reached out and took it, laughing, "We've really hit the jackpot thanks to the old farm owner."

Zong Jinkui laughed heartily: "You child, you're so good with words. Come, sit down."

He patted the chair next to him.

Then he turned to Meng Qingjiao and said in a gentle tone:

"Qingjiao, please sit down too."

Meng Qingjiao nodded and sat down in the seat next to Xue Jing.

After Xue Jing took his seat, he took out the elegant scroll that Li Qi had given him, unfolded it, and revealed five large characters written with a brush.

A good teacher produces outstanding students.

“This is a birthday gift from my master to the old farm owner. He couldn’t come because of his mobility issues. Please forgive him.”

Xue Jing smiled and said.

“A good teacher produces outstanding students… Hmph, this old man Li certainly understands my mind.”

Zong Jinkui nodded, reached out and took the scroll, his eyes showing satisfaction.

The thing he's most proud of in his life so far is teaching a good apprentice. Right now, these five words have really hit the nail on the head, making him happier than any expensive gift.

Meng Qingjiao had already picked up her chopsticks and silently began to pick up the dishes on the table.

After handing the scroll to the disciple beside him to take away, Zong Jinkui glanced around and frowned.

"Where's Chan'er? Why hasn't she come back yet?"

"Quickly send someone to look for her. It's true, she said she wanted to become Xiao Jing's apprentice, but her master has already arrived, and she's not here at all. She doesn't seem to know any manners..."

The disciples of the Tiger Soul School standing nearby all looked on with strange expressions.

Who was it that just now looked like they were going to make things difficult for someone and said they wanted to test Xue Jing?

"I've already sent someone to look for it, Master."

A rather robust disciple standing nearby spoke in a low voice.

"Call a few more people," Zong Jinkui said, frowning.

"Yes," the disciple replied.

Zong Jinkui turned to Xue Jing and said in a friendly tone, "Come on, Xiao Jing, have some food."

He pointed to the table.

"This is 'Dragon and Tiger Scholar Soup,' a secret remedy of my Tiger Soul School. It's extremely beneficial for increasing strength. Back in the day, Old Man Li shamelessly came to my place every day to freeload, all for this soup. You should drink a few more bowls..."

……

Meanwhile, inside the Tiger Soul Arena, in a secluded warehouse.

A little girl, her mouth taped shut and her hands and feet tightly bound by steel cables as thick as chopsticks, slowly woke up while lying on the ground.