What do you mean I'm a cultivator?-Chapter 24

For the next four days, Jiang Cheng settled into a routine. By day, he would watch the miners work, occasionally helping with minor tasks that didn't require much physical exertion, to ease his boredom, as this place wasn't the best to completely focus on cultivating.

By night, he would sit by the fire, carefully cooking and consuming more of the jade mole's meat while listening to Deng Bo's seemingly endless supply of tales.

The caravan leader proved to be a treasure trove of information.

Some valuable, some merely fairy tales, but all entertaining.

He spoke of hidden valleys where gravity worked differently, of strange tribes in the far mountains who could communicate with beasts, of ancient ruins filled with treasures and traps alike.

"There's a town three provinces east." Deng Bo said on the third evening, his voice lowered conspiratorially despite there being no one nearby to overhear.

"where they say a fallen immortal lives as a beggar. Every new moon, he heals one person of any ailment, no matter how severe. Some say it is to experience mortal life. Some say it is of good karma."

Jiang Cheng nodded away, filing away the information. While likely exaggerated, the core of the story might contain some truth.

Perhaps not an immortal, but a powerful cultivator in seclusion, or someone with a unique bloodline ability.

Each day, Jiang Cheng consumed more of the jade mole's flesh, Eating to fullness practically all day.

The Qi contained within the meat was dense and potent, requiring careful absorption and circulation. He spent hours in meditation between meals, processing the denser Qi and incorporating it into his own dantian.

By the fourth day, something remarkable had happened. Not only had he recovered the Qi he'd depleted during the crisis, but his dantian felt fuller, more robust than before.

The concentrated energy of the near foundation establishment beast had accelerated his recovery far beyond what normal meditation could have achieved.

As he sat cross-legged on the final evening, Jiang Cheng's eyes sharpened. The level of Qi in his dantian now hovered just below the threshold of the seventh stage of Qi Condensation. What might have taken months, if not a full year of diligent cultivation, had been accomplished in mere days.

"Just a bit more." he muttered to himself, opening his eyes to stare into the dying embers of the fire.

"We leave at dawn tomorrow, Young hero." Deng Bo said, stretching his arms above his head. "The mine's stable enough now, and the sect will send their people to properly secure it soon. You ready to head back?"

Jiang Cheng nodded, his thoughts already turning to the sect. He would need to report everything that had happened, from the initial encounter with the jade mole to the arrival of the inner sect disciples. His survival alone would likely earn him some recognition, perhaps even the opportunity to access better cultivation resources.

The part that had him really mad, was the jade mole though. Just it's flesh, and not only had he recovered all the Qi he spent running away, but even progressed.

He had heard that in the inner sect, they even have animals. Meaning that inner disciples enjoyed cultivation resourses comparable or even better than the jade mole he had eaten here, almost every day.

It was really unfair. After all, the inner disciples just ripped the core of the monster, likely just for confirmation, as they didn't really seem to care about it.

Perhaps if it had broken through, then it might have had more worth.

As he prepared for sleep, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but wonder if things could have gone differently. If he had allowed those wandering cultivators to enter the mine, they would likely have perished. The inner sect disciples would have arrived regardless, dealt with the threat just as efficiently... but would they have left the corpse behind?

Probably not. They might have taken it away to punish him, or disposed of it entirely right in front of him, denying him this unexpected boon.

Morning came with a flurry of activity. The caravan was packed efficiently, the routine movements of experienced travelers making short work of the camp. Jiang Cheng had little to gather.

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Just his robes, his sword, and the remaining portions of the jade mole meat, carefully wrapped and stored, after being smoked with the help of Deng bo, giving Cheng another skill in his arsenal. Of Course, he'd need to practice a few times to get the hang of it, but having done it once already, he'd likely do it on his onw, if need come ever again.

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As he boarded the caravan wagon that would take him back to the sect, he cast one final glance at the mine entrance. What had begun as a simple mission had turned into something much more significant.

Not just for his cultivation, but for his understanding of the cultivation world.

The gulf between realms was vast. With the right resources, the right opportunities, and perhaps a measure of luck, he too might one day stand at the threshold of Foundation Establishment.

Who was he kidding? he would. Because he was Jiang Cheng. And he knew, with his Weird ideas, and Perception, two unique things that could make him stand out, that he would.

The wagon lurched forward, beginning the journey back. Jiang Cheng closed his eyes, focusing inward on his nearly full dantian. The seventh stage beckoned, closer than he could have imagined just days ago.

The journey back to the sect passed in relative silence. While Deng Bo and his men were still riding the high of having survived the jade mole encounter, Jiang Cheng spent most of his time in light meditation, circulating the Qi he had absorbed from the meat. He could feel it settling into his dantian, transforming from the denser late stage Qi, into the mid stage his dantian was holding.

To tell the truth, Cheng was a bit displeased. If he could have somehow eaten the mole hours after it was killed, he'd likely be near the eight stage. but as time passed, it seemed like the Qi was escaping the meat, making it dissipate into less and less gains for Cheng.

Of course, that was just him being greedy, but who was to blame him?

Three days later, the sprawling steps of the Falling star Sect came into view. Unlike the first time he had laid eyes on it, Jiang Cheng now understood more of what he was seeing.

The outer buildings, where the common disciples trained and lived, were impressive enough to outsiders, like the mortal he was before joining.

But beyond them, nestled higher up the mountain, stood the inner sect facilities, their elegant pagodas and training grounds visible only as distant silhouettes.

And somewhere even higher, hidden by clouds and perhaps powerful arrays, lay the core sect. Where the core elders and those who had surpassed the Spiritual sea realm resided.

The cream of the crop. The elites of the falling star sect.

"Well, here we are." Deng Bo said as the wagon came to a halt at the base of the thousand stone steps that led to the sect's main entrance. "This is as far as we go."

Jiang Cheng nodded, gathering his belongings. "Your stories were interesting. Deng bo."

Deng Bo's eyes twinkled. "Remember this old trader when you rise through the ranks, young hero."

With a calm face, Jiang Cheng stepped down from the wagon, the wind lightly blowing his somewhat long black hair, reminding him that he might need to cut them.

Jiang Cheng stood at the base of the steps, eyes traveling upward.

One step. The two. The more and more, carved directly into the mountain face. He was intimately familiar with each one of them. He had cleaned each one many, many times, during his daily toils in the outer sect.

Taking a deep breath, he began his ascent.

By the time he reached the halfway point, he could feel the difference in his cultivation. Before the jade mole incident, this climb would have left him wanting to take a slight break, be it a minute or two.

Now, his breath remained steady, his legs strong. The meat had not only replenished his Qi but had strengthened his physical form as well.

Perhaps that was something he should look into. If he can't be a super genius in the realm of Qi alone, perhaps he should look in ways to compliment it.

As he neared the top, he noticed an unexpected figure waiting for him. A slender man in blue and silver robes, the mark of an inner sect disciple. The man stood with perfect posture, hands clasped behind his back, his expression impassive.

Upon seeing Jiang Cheng, he stepped forward, giving a cursory glance at the jade token hanging from Jiang Cheng's belt, the jade he was given in his first mission ever, imbued with a drop of his blood, containing his aura. For any disciple that had taken a mission, the sect had their aura recorded.

"Outer Sect Disciple Jiang Cheng." the man said, his voice neither warm nor cold. "Your return has been noted."

Jiang Cheng offered a formal bow. "I Jiang Cheng greet Senior."

"Elder Feng has requested your presence."

The words sent a jolt of surprise through Jiang Cheng. Elder Feng.

The same one that distributed the pills each month. The same that had brought him a profound terror when his strong perception merely grazed his hidden aura.

Sure, by now he had realized that to be in charge of the inner sect, he might not be a strong cultivator. but he was strong enough nonetheless, compared to himself.

Why would someone of such status wish to see him?

"This disciple is honored." Jiang Cheng managed to say, concealing his confusion. "May I ask the reason?"

The inner sect disciple's expression didn't change. "It is not my place to speculate on an elder's intentions. Follow me."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and began walking toward a path Jiang Cheng had never had a need top use, one that led not to the outer sect quarters, but toward the inner sect grounds, one alike the one where the bazaar was typically holded.

As they walked, other outer disciples glanced their way with open curiosity. It was unusual for an outer sect disciple to be escorted by an inner sect member, let alone being taken toward the inner grounds.

Though, they seemed not so surprised. Perhaps word of what had happened, might have spread a little in this part of the outer sect.

"The two disciples who were sent to deal with the jade mole returned five days ago."

the inner sect disciple said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"They spoke of your performance favorably."

Jiang Cheng almost stumbled in surprise. He certainly didn't expect that. Most inner disciples her had seen, were not interested in praising, or having anything to do with outer disciples.

"I merely did my duty, senior."

"Perhaps." The inner sect disciple's tone gave away nothing.

They approached an ornate gate guarded by two disciples whose cultivation bases were clearly at the Foundation Establishment. The guards gave Jiang Cheng appraising looks but made no move to block their path.