What do you mean I'm a cultivator?-Chapter 22

The midday sun beat down upon the mining camp as Jiang Cheng remained seated in quiet meditation. He had long since trained himself to remain aware of his surroundings even as he circulated what little Qi he had recovered.

Of course, his unusually strong perception also helped him there.

And so, when two powerful Qi signatures entered the edge of his perception, he did not startle.

Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The sect had arrived.

Jiang Cheng opened his eyes, glancing toward the treeline. Two figures in white and blue robes strode forth with deliberate grace, their movements swift like the wind. he could tell they were barely using Qi. and yet, he felt like even that was more than twice the fastest he could go.

One was a man, broad-shouldered and imposing, with streaks of silver in his dark hair despite his youthful face. The other, a woman, bore the poised elegance of a seasoned expert, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings with practiced vigilance.

Neither wore the insignia of an Elder as predicted, meaning they were likely inner sect disciples entrusted with such tasks.

No elder would come here for such insignificant matters.

More than likely, an elder was at least two cultivation realms above these two.

Jiang Cheng immediately stood, brushing the dust from his robes. Though exhaustion tugged at his limbs, he forced himself to maintain proper decorum.

Bringing his hands together in a cupped-fist salute, he lowered his head in a respectful bow.

"Disciple Jiang Cheng of the Outer Sect greets Senior Brother and Sister." His voice, though steady, carried the weight of fatigue.

The man regarded him with a neutral expression before speaking. "You are the one left to guard the mine?"

"Yes, Senior. I have remained on watch as instructed by Senior Sister Fang Lin while she and the others returned to report the situation."

The woman glanced toward the darkened entrance of the mine. "Explain the situation in full detail."

Jiang Cheng straightened, forcing himself to remain composed despite the sheer pressure of their presence.

"ten of us outer sect disciples were sent to handle a infestation of these mines. But there was a half step foundation establishment mole present."

"I and the three that returned to the sect were the only ones able to escape, senior sister."

A flicker of acknowledgment crossed the man's face, though he said nothing. The woman merely gestured for him to continue.

Jiang Cheng exhaled slightly before adding, "I have also deterred a group of rogue cultivators from attempting to enter. Their leader was at the seventh stage of Qi Condensation."

At that, the man's brow rose ever so slightly. "And how, exactly, did you accomplish that?"

Jiang Cheng hesitated briefly before answering, "By… exaggerating the threat, Senior."

The woman hummed in approval. "A wise decision. Had they entered and perished, the beast may have grown even stronger."

"Indeed." The man turned his full attention to Jiang Cheng. "You have done well. The sect does not waste its resources needlessly. your efforts will be noted."

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Jiang Cheng bowed once more, this time lower. "I only did what was expected of me, Senior brother."

The man nodded before stepping forward, his gaze fixed on the mine entrance. "Very well. You may rest. We shall take over from here."

Jiang Cheng exhaled softly, the tension in his shoulders easing just slightly.

The reinforcements had arrived. But whether that would be enough to deal with the threat lurking below remained to be seen.

Bah, who he was to speculate. These two were not Recently broken through cultivators. They were hiding their Precence, not leaking any of it, but Jiang Cheng could tell their aura was stable.

Even if the mole somehow managed to break through, it would be unstable. Even one of the would suffice, but Cheng speculated that the sect wanted to make sure the mole didn't get a second chance.

Jiang Cheng sat on the ground, his back resting against a large rock as he finally allowed himself a moment of relief. His tense muscles loosened, the weight on his shoulders easing ever so slightly.

The Inner Sect disciples had taken over. His duty was complete.

For the first time in god knows how many days, he didn’t feel the need to stay alert for every rustling leaf or shifting shadow. His body still ached from the overuse of Qi, and the gnawing hunger from neglecting food didn’t help, but at least he wasn’t in immediate danger.

HE was really starting to get hungry right now. his satiation pills, stored in a nice pouch, got ripped during the escape.

The camp, which had remained eerily silent in the presence of the Foundation Establishment cultivators, slowly returned to a sense of normalcy. The caravan workers, still hesitant, busied themselves with minor tasks, though their eyes frequently darted toward the mine’s entrance.

Jiang Cheng allowed his eyes to drift shut, taking deep breaths to regulate his Qi flow. He hadn’t truly rested since this ordeal began.

Not even an hour passed before the ground beneath him trembled.

His eyes snapped open.

The earth rumbled in steady, rhythmic bursts, as if something massive was being moved. The once muted murmurs of the caravan workers turned into gasps and hushed exclamations.

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He turned his gaze toward the mine entrance. A thick, metallic scent seeped into the air. A familiar scent. Blood.

Moments later, the two Inner Sect disciples emerged from the depths of the mine. The woman walked ahead, her robes pristine, her expression calm and composed. The man followed, but unlike his companion, he was drenched in blood.

And draped over his shoulders was the lifeless body of the jade mole.

Jiang Cheng’s breath hitched, As he saw the true size of the monster.

It was massive, even larger than he had thought, as half its body had been burried constantly in the rock. Its thick jade plated fur was slick with blood.

Its crystalline claws, once sharp enough to carve through solid stone, now hung limply. Its once-brilliant eyes, filled with predatory will, were now dull and lifeless.

It almost seemed too easy for them. The mole, around the size of a small child, was on the man's shoulders, as clearly they didn't bother just grabbing it's core, the equivalent of a monster's dantian.

It's meat had probably enough Qi rich meat to feed a village for a month or two.

It was dead. Just like that.

The two cultivators had done their job, With far more ease than he thought they would.

The man dropped the corpse unceremoniously onto the ground with a heavy thud, the impact kicking up dust. He stretched his shoulders, rolling out the stiffness as if he had merely carried a sack of rice rather than a monster capable of slaughtering multiple Qi Condensation cultivators.

"Troublesome thing." he muttered. "Had a tough hide, but it died all the same."

Jiang Cheng slowly rose to his feet, unable to hide the hint of awe in his gaze.

The woman turned to him, her tone casual yet firm. "The mine is secure. The sect will send others to assess the jade deposits later. Your task is done here."

Jiang Cheng cupped his hands and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Senior Brother, Senior Sister."

The man waved him off. "No need for that. You did well holding the line, kid. If you'd been weak-willed, those rogues would have gotten themselves killed and made things messier for us."

"then again, a foundation establishment core might have been worth that trouble." the female disciple spoke with a disinterested tone.

It was then that Cheng realized it. She didn't even fight. The man took on the Jade mole, and crushed it with minimal effort.

Was this the gap between realms? was he, just like the mole, a mere ant for them? Cheng thought, suppressing a shudder.

Jiang Cheng straightened but remained silent.

The woman gave him a final glance, as if committing his face to memory, before speaking once more. "Return to the sect with the next caravan."

"Oh. and do eat the leftovers. The mole will likely do good to you."

She spoke, as the man dug his hand in the mole, and fished out it's core, a brownish, smooth sphere.

With that, they both set off with a leisure pace, one far faster than Cheng could ever hope to run, with the man using some sort of tool to rinse himself, a mist sprouting from somewhere, cleaning him, and leaving behind bloody footprints.