I will eventually become a god through sheer hard work.

Skyscraper Center, 1049th floor, Xu's Biotechnology Company.

In the futuristic, sci-fi-themed operating room, Xu Mude, dressed in surgical scrubs, a surgical cap, gloves, and a mask, gazed at the human stick lying on the large operating table ahead.

"Young Master Zhou, you're really in a sorry state. You were actually beaten up like this by that kid from the outer ring."

He spoke with a smile.

A doctor was standing in front of the operating table, holding various surgical instruments. Eight flexible mechanical tentacles, like those of an octopus, extended from his spine and were swaying as they stitched and mended the body of the human puppet Zhou Yinglin.

Ears, arms, collarbones... all the parts that Xue Jing tore apart were neatly arranged on the table next to him, and were being continuously installed and sewn back together.

Zhou Yinglin kept his eyes open, not unconscious, and without even anesthesia. He just stared at the ceiling with a gloomy look in his eyes, enduring pain that was directly repairing his physical nerves.

He gritted his teeth and endured the extreme pain, having no mind to respond to Xu Mude's words.

Out of sheer boredom, Xu Mude turned on his silver bracelet and started browsing the internet.

"[The first shockwave in U19 history (just kidding), they won the championship before the tournament even started, but then they were physically crushed in the quarterfinals, so hilarious!]"

"【The reckoning has arrived. Zhou's loyal followers are frantically deleting previous comments. If you see any that slipped through the net, please @ my stupid little brother below...】"

"[Zhou Xiaoji has truly become a chick now, his wings have been broken. The fake has been matched against the real eagle, and his true colors have been revealed...]"

He began reading aloud comments from the online public opinion that had reversed, his tone light and teasing.

Zhou Yinglin initially didn't want to pay attention to him, but as he listened, he couldn't help himself and turned to glare at him.

The doctor immediately reprimanded:

"Don't move! The ear is sewn in the wrong place!"

Zhou Yinglin scoffed angrily and straightened his head.

"Hahaha, you got scolded by Doctor Zhang, didn't you?" Xu Mude laughed.

Doctor Zhang turned and glanced at him: "Don't say anything that might upset the patient."

"Yes Yes Yes."

Several hours later, the surgery was completed, and Zhou Yinglin, who was originally in tatters, was stitched into a complete human form, with fine suture marks all over his body.

Holding a glass medicine bottle filled with a dark green, glowing liquid, Doctor Zhang said, "You should think carefully. Although this stuff can quickly heal your injuries, it's not a miracle cure that can bring the dead back to life. Instead, it's a potent poison that will overdraw your life potential and shorten your lifespan."

Zhou Yinglin's sharp, hawk-like eyes were filled with an unyielding hatred: "There's no need to think about it, just use it now!"

'Xue Jing...this isn't over yet!'

……

The day after the quarterfinals was a rest day.

In the villa at the Zhige base, Xue Jing sat cross-legged on the rooftop, his eyes closed, completely still, his breathing extremely shallow and long.

He's been sitting here all night.

In the space of consciousness, two Xue Jings, each wielding a nine-foot-long spear, continuously used their perfect techniques against each other, the sound of metal clashing against metal ringing out incessantly.

But no matter how many times he tried, no matter how hard he tried, he would always stop at the ninety-ninth shot and couldn't get the hundredth shot out.

However, Xue Jing showed no signs of impatience or anxiety. He simply buried himself in his cultivation, entering a state of blissful oblivion akin to flow.

Gradually, he instinctively began to adjust the rhythm of each shot.

That's right, it's not about technique. A flawless technique is perfect in itself, leaving no room for adjustment. It's about the more mysterious 'rhythm'.

With each complete execution, his firing rhythm would improve, becoming closer to some kind of 'ultimate principle of heaven and earth'.

It's as if the spear strikes through some unseen crack in the void, making the movement even smoother and more fluid.

After an unknown amount of time, when the two Xue Jings in the consciousness space simultaneously thrust out their ninety-ninth spears, they suddenly paused, then exploded into countless pixelated pieces.

In reality, Xue Jing suddenly opened his eyes and stood up.

He picked up the nine-foot alloy spear standing beside him, and as if a god had descended upon him, he thrust forward with a perfectly executed spear.

Then came the second shot, the third shot... faster and faster, and in less than a few seconds, ninety-nine shots were thrust forward.

At this moment, he paused for a moment, and then suddenly thrust his spear out!

The Hundredth Shot - A Hundred Needles and a Thousand Threads!

A sharp, spear-shaped burst of energy emanated from the tip of his spear, piercing through the alloy dummy punching post and everything in its path, stretching for hundreds of meters.

A solidified Heavenly Feather Robe, indistinguishable from the real thing, fluttered in the wind atop the spear tip Xue Jing had thrust out, an extremely beautiful sight.

"A hundred needles and a thousand threads...it's done."

Xue Jing whispered, sheathed his spear, and opened the panel to look at it.

[Upgradeable skill detected: Soldier Strike]

Sublimation conditions:

Firstly, ? ? ? ? ? (Already satisfied)

Secondly, the level has reached Lv10 (already satisfied).

Thirdly, required divinity: 1000.

[Conditions met. Spend 1000 Divine Ascension?]

Xue Jing let out a soft breath.

at last……

Without hesitation, he clicked "Sublimation".

The next moment, on the panel, the [Soldier Strike] skill in the regular skill bar gradually melted away like ink.

On the Extraordinary Skills panel, below [True Martial], a brand new skill slowly appears.

Its name is——

[The Lord of War]!

……

Chapter 249 Extraordinary Skills: The Soldier Master is Just a Stone, Kick It Away (4K)

【War Master Lv1 (Transcendent)】

[Upgrade Requirements: 0/10000 Experience Points, 329/1000 Divinity]

Finally... the first Ascendancy skill appeared.

As Xue Jing had predicted, after the ordinary skills were sublimated, he obtained extraordinary skills similar to the fused [True Martial].

"【Master of Weapons】...presumably means the master of weapons. The name is the same as 'Master of Weapons' among the seven titles. It's quite a coincidence."

Xue Jing closed the panel, eager to try out the effect.

He calmed his mind and introspectively observed the changes occurring in his body.

Hmm...it seems like nothing has changed.

Unlike when [True Martial] was activated, the War Lord did not bring any changes to his body.

This is not surprising, since the skill [Weapon Strike] did not enhance his physical body much, but rather gave him top-tier talent in using weapons.

"Since the physical body remains unchanged, the effectiveness of the skills lies entirely in the use of weapons..."

Xue Jing reached out and picked up the nine-foot alloy spear standing beside him.

The moment he gripped the gun, he experienced a completely different feeling than before.

The spear in his hand—all its information, including its strength, toughness, hardness, length, diameter, weight, defects on the shaft, weak points, tiny nicks on the tip, and whether it was under metal fatigue—was vividly and precisely displayed in his mind.

With a slight wave, the spear swept through the air.

He knew perfectly well, as if by instinct, where to hold his hand, which angle to shoot at to cause maximum damage, and how much force would damage the weapon.

Xue Jing never imagined that he could understand a weapon so thoroughly.

It was as if this was not a strange spear that he had randomly picked out from the Zhige base to practice with, but an old companion that had been with him for countless years, one that he knew intimately and was perfectly suited to.

"Any weapon, without any practice or honing, can be perfectly adapted to the first use..."

Xue Jing nodded; it did indeed fit the effect of the name "Master of War."

But... that's not all.

Xue Jing has a strange feeling right now.

It felt as if I... could control the weapon in my hand at will.

He fiddled with the spear in his hand for a while, and then a realization dawned on him, and an instinctive thought arose.

The spear in his hand immediately changed; the metallic spearhead gradually developed a layer of white-gold color, starting from the point where Xue Jing's palm touched it.

The platinum color continued to cover the gun body, and in a short time, it completely soaked the entire gun body.

At this moment, thanks to the [Weapon Master] ability to perceive weapon information, Xue Jing immediately sensed the updated information about the spear in his hand after it was imbued with platinum.

"The strength has increased several times, the defects in the gun body have been filled, and the minor nicks on the blade have been repaired and restored to sharpness..."

"This weapon has been upgraded several levels; it's probably no worse than the Futu Blade now."

Xue Jing said with slight surprise.

The second effect of [Soldier Master] is Armament Enhancement.

This is practically a superpower; it truly deserves to be called an extraordinary skill.

"The White Emperor belongs to the metal element and is associated with war and warfare, hence his outward appearance is white-gold?"

Xue Jingping, holding the platinum spear, suddenly released his grip.

However, the spear did not fall to the ground; instead, it floated in the air.

Xue Jing's mind raced.

The spear suddenly began to spin in mid-air, faster and faster, making a 'da da da da' sound like a helicopter propeller.