What do you mean I'm a cultivator?-Chapter 37

Jiang Cheng exhaled, steadying his breath as the last traces of static flickered across his fingertips. The charred wood fragment rested securely within his robes, hidden from sight. The well’s water rippled softly, its unnatural charge now fading.

It was time to climb up.

He looked up. The walls of the well stretched high above him, jagged where the stone had cracked from the tree’s impact. Climbing normally would be slow and tedious, but he had no intention of doing things the ordinary way.

His Qi surged, flowing through his body.

With a sharp inhale, he bent his knees and launched himself upward. His foot struck the damp stone wall, but instead of slipping, his Qi stuck on it, giving him a foothold. He pushed off, twisting mid air and landing lightly on the opposite side.

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This technique, was one of his own creation. Many cultivators had figured out how to explode materials like wood from the inside, with improper use of Qi, just like how Cheng had once done by accident.

But unlike most cultivators, content with learning a technique and flaunting it, Cheng had dived deeper. Why had the Chuck of wood exploded? Because of Will. Sure, he willed the Qi, making it explode the chuck of wood. But was it really just conveying his thought to his Qi?

No. And as he practiced, he discovered how exactly his Qi made the block of wood explode. Vibrations. The Qi flowing into the material started vibrating, causing said piece to be destroyed from the inside. And focusing on Vibrating his Qi, lead to a far more potent , and efficient explosion, as he could use less Qi in to do so.

And so, the natural thought came to him. What if he tried to do the opposite? Instead of trying to make something explode to bits from within, He instead tried to force it to remain as it was.

And the result, was this. Sure, it was a half baked technique, lacking in real functionality. But it was the beginning of one.

It wasn't like wood glue mortals used to conjoin two things together. But, it was still more efficient by just pumping more Qi in order to run up the wall.

And more importantly, it was less destructive, as his shoes wouldn't leave imprints on the material.

Step by step, he ascended, his movements controlled and fluid. To an outside observer, it would look as if he were running effortlessly up the walls of the well, each step barely leaving a trace. His robes billowed slightly from the force, but his body remained steady.

As he neared the top, the murmurs of the villagers finally reached his ears.

"Is he… climbing?"

"How can he move like that on the walls?"

"Truly an immortal!"

With one final burst of strength, Jiang Cheng kicked off the wall and vaulted over the rim of the well. He landed lightly, with a soft thud on the dirt ground.

Elder Yaozhi stepped forward, his deep set eyes filled with both curiosity and concern. "What did you find?"

Jiang Cheng hesitated for only a brief second, but his face remained unreadable. He couldn’t let them know about the fragment. If the sect caught wind of it, they would take it from him.

Instead, he let out a breath and gestured toward the well. "The damage is worse than it looks. The impact of the tree cracked the walls deeply, but more importantly, the underground water veins had been disturbed by Lightning Qi.

The elder’s brows furrowed. "Then the well…?" he spoke out concerned. With no well, the village would have to make a new one, and likely suffer plenty.

"It’s still usable." Jiang Cheng continued, adjusting his sleeve, "but it will take time to recover. The residual lightning Qi is fading now, so the water should eventually clear. However, the stone lining is severely weakened. You’ll need to reinforce it before it collapses further."

Elder Yaozhi stroked his beard, deep in thought. "That will not be easy. This well has stood for two decades. If the foundation is damaged, we may need to dig a new one."

Jiang Cheng shook his head. "Not necessary. I can mend the stones with a Technique. But, I'll need days at the very least. And the same stone that the well was built out of."

The elder nodded, clearly impressed. "A technique you say? truly, your power knows no bounds." He spoke, cupping his hands in thanks.

"Anyone could do this, should they have the technique. It's nothing to brag about." Cheng spoke, his fingers subtly curled around the fragment hidden within his robes.

This wasn’t just a routine repair. The tree had absorbed something powerful. And now, that power was his. He could feel that he could connect with this fragment.

For now, he would keep it secret. Scratch that. It would remain a secret for as long as he could.

Moments later, inside Elder Yaozhi’s modest home, the scent of freshly brewed tea filled the air, earthy and rich. Jiang Cheng sat across from the elder at a worn wooden table, steam curling from the two porcelain cups between them. The old man’s movements were slow but practiced as he took a sip of the tea, his eyes carrying the weight of years of wisdom.

"You handled that well." Yaozhi finally said, setting the teapot down. "Not just the well, but the people. The villagers trust you even more now."

Jiang Cheng lifted his cup, letting the warmth seep into his fingers before taking a sip. "I didn’t do it for trust."

Yaozhi chuckled. "Maybe not. But it still matters. A cultivator should understand the weight of their actions, whether they seek gratitude or not."

Jiang Cheng only gave a small nod, his silver eyes scanning the room briefly. Though sparse, the home was well kept, the wooden beams sturdy despite their age. The flickering lantern light cast soft shadows against the walls, illuminating the subtle presence of another.

He didn’t have to turn his head to know someone was watching.

From just beyond the sliding paper door, barely out of sight, a young presence lingered. He could hear the faint rustle of fabric, the careful attempt at quiet breathing.

When he broke through into the late stage Qi condensation, thanks to the fragment's stored Qi, His senses were even sharper than before, allowing him to feel the presence of any mortal with ease.

The great granddaughter. Hopefully Lian's stares were not really what he took them for.

Jiang Cheng ignored it once more, turning his focus back to the discussion. "You mentioned that the well’s stones originally came from a nearby source?"

Yaozhi nodded. "Yes. A small quarry, just beyond the eastern woods. It's not much. A simple mine, but the stone there is dense and strong. Perfect for structures meant to last."

"That explains why the well lasted for so long without issues." Jiang Cheng mused. "If I mend it using the same stone, it should recover faster. And it would make my life easier, of course."

Jiang spoke. And there was truth to his words. unlike melting two metals together, mending like this required Qi. and two different stones would have different compositions. He wasn't sure of what, but he speculated that earth, metal, and even water Qi had a hand in it.

"That was my thought as well." The elder stroked his beard. "But the quarry has been abandoned for some years. There’s been talk of strange occurrences. Miners hearing whispers in the dark, tools going missing, and even reports of beasts lurking in the deeper tunnels. It’s why we haven’t retrieved stone from there in over a decade."

Jiang Cheng's eye's narrowed. "Beasts?"

"Perhaps." Yaozhi admitted. "But nothing certain. Most of it could be superstition. Still, the villagers won’t go near it anymore. If we’re to gather stone, someone will have to check the area first." His gaze settled meaningfully on Jiang Cheng. "I assume you’re up for it?"

Jiang Cheng set his cup down with a quiet clink. "Of course."

For a moment, the only sound was the gentle bubbling of the teapot. Then, a soft creak.

Jiang Cheng shifted his gaze, catching the briefest glimpse of movement before the paper screen slid shut.

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The girl had moved. Perhaps to brew some more tea? Who knew.

Amused, he let out a slow breath. Perhaps, if he failed to keep going, settling down with a pretty girl might not be so bad. He thought. But the thought left a bad taste to his mouth.

But why should he settle? he was a cultivator. And such ideas were harmful. He will keep climbing. No matter what.

Tomorrow, he’d investigate the mine.

And if something truly lurked in its depths, well… it had better be ready. But Cheng hoped it wasn't moles. He had developed a slight dislike for the creatures.

The next morning, Jiang Cheng found himself standing at the entrance of the abandoned mine. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and stone. Sunlight barely reached past the jagged opening, leaving most of the cavern shrouded in dim twilight.

He stepped inside without hesitation, Letting his Qi flow in his eyes, sharpening his vision. Torchlight wouldn't be needed for something so simple.

For all the rumors and superstitions surrounding the place, it was quiet. But not in a way that set him on edge. If anything, it was peaceful as though the earth itself had been left undisturbed for far too long.

He walked deeper, his steps echoing softly against the stone walls. The path sloped downward, revealing long abandoned mining tunnels reinforced with thick wooden beams. Old tools were scattered about, rusted pickaxes leaning against rock piles, forgotten lanterns covered in dust.

But no sign of anything strange.

No beasts lurking in the shadows. No whispered voices in the dark.

Just an empty mine.

Jiang Cheng exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "Figures."

He set to work. If something really had been lucking in the depths, like some kind of beast, it would have already become a problem.

Using both a pickaxe and his sword, he began cutting into the rock, selecting the strongest sections of stone, by Flooding His Qi into the stone wall. The material's natural Qi made the stone remarkably sturdy, To the point of almost reaching a suitable Qi condensation building quality, but Jiang Cheng's enhanced strength and precise Qi control allowed him to carve out massive, clean cut slabs with ease.

Each strike of his pickaxe sent reverberations through the cavern, loosening chunks of stone that he carefully guided to the ground. When the heavier cuts were needed, he’d switch to his sword, slicing through stubborn rock with sharp, controlled strokes.

It was tedious, but simple work.

Before long, five massive rectangular stones had been carved, each nearly twice the height of an ordinary man and incredibly dense. A single one would have been impossible for a regular person to move yet Jiang Cheng stacked all five onto the old wooden cart with ease.

God. It was during these times where he thanked for it's existence. Let alone the power it granted, it brought another gift to a cultivator. Lifespan.

Some part of him, perhaps that part burred deep within his subconscious was afraid. That he would die eventually. It wasn't a feeling he liked that much. But it helped him focus. To channel that feeling of dread and helplessness into fuel. To drive him forward no matter what.

The cart creaked ominously under the weight, its aged wheels straining against the burden, but it held. Just barely. Thankfully, as He let his Qi flow in it, it stopped complaining about the weight.

Jiang Cheng gave it a testing pull. It resisted at first, but the moment he reinforced himself with Qi, the entire thing lurched forward, sliding across the rocky path as if it weighed nothing.

With that, he turned back toward the village, dragging the absurdly overloaded cart behind him.

A full morning of labor. No danger. No obstacles. Hopefully, it would remain such.

Jiang Cheng moved steadily, dragging the heavy cart along the dirt path. The weight barely registered under the reinforcement of his Qi, but the rhythmic strain of his muscles and the crunch of stone against the ground gave him something to focus on.

Still, his thoughts drifted.

His future.

Would he reach Foundation Establishment?

Or would he fail stuck forever at the peak of Qi Condensation, doomed to stagnation?

He scowled. That thought left a bad taste in his mouth. Many thoughts were bringing such , these past few days. Maybe he just needed something sweet. Too bad his food, was said satiation pills. Would it kill the sect to give them some better tasting ones?

He had seen it before cultivators who couldn’t break through no matter how much they tried on their own, their potential hitting an invisible wall. The others called them “stagnant cultivators”.

Men and women who would never advance further, forced to either accept their fate or seek out dangerous, desperate methods to force a breakthrough.

And those methods rarely ended well.

Jiang Cheng knew the odds. The leap from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment was one of the hardest in cultivation. Some never succeeded. Some never dared to try.

Of course, the people saying that, were lacking in talent. Just like himself. Though it did lead to another thought.

Why, despite his supposed lack of talent, did he progress this fast?

Was something different from the day he woke up feeling....different?

Or were the inner disciples that much better than him?

If he failed. What then?

Should he settle in a place like this? Form his own village, play the role of a local protector, and live out his days guarding mortals from bandits and wild beasts?

He didn’t like that thought. And he hated that his mind kept returning to it.

It felt like giving up.

He had worked too hard. When other outer sect disciples drank, he cultivated. When they socialized, he read.

His goal wasn’t to just survive. He wanted to rise, to reach heights beyond what anyone expected of him.

Jiang Cheng exhaled slowly, pushing those thoughts aside as the village came into view in the distance.

No.

He wouldn’t accept that fate.

He’d reach Foundation Establishment.

He’d find a way to go even further than that. Again and again. And if someone had anything to say? Well, fuck 'em.

Jiang Cheng exhaled as he reached the village, dragging the heavy cart behind him. The familiar murmur of villagers grew quieter as he passed by the square, all eyes turning toward him.

They watched in stunned silence as he lifted one of the massive stone blocks from the cart and set it beside the well with ease.

One stone. Then another.

His muscles flexed under his robes, Qi reinforcing his every movement, making the impossible seem effortless. The stones, each heavier than several grown men, might as well have been firewood in his grasp.

The villagers exchanged whispers.

"That’s got to be a couple hundred jin each. By himself?"

"The immortal's strength is terrifying."

None of them dared to come near him. Even as they watched in awe, there was a quiet hesitation, a reverence bordering on fear.

Jiang Cheng paid them no mind.

He set the last stone down with a solid thud, then took a step back, brushing dust from his sleeves. His silver eyes flicked over the well’s remains, quickly counting the stones needed.

Two more trips.

That was all it would take. Just to be safe. Then, rebuilding could begin.

He let out a slow breath, rolling his shoulders. He could go back to the mine immediately and finish today. But that would mean pushing his body to the limit after absorbing all that Lightning Qi.

Not a good idea.

If that hadn't happened, he would have probably just brought all the material needed in one trip, Should have been a cart big enough.

His gaze shifted toward Elder Yaozhi’s house. The old man would want to discuss the next steps, no doubt over another round of tea.

This was something he was looking forward to, though. Tea was rather nice, as he had understood. Perhaps the elders back in the core of the sect, drank tea that would progress their cultivation.

It made sense. If you can cultivate at every waking moment, make chances to do so in other ways.

With a final glance at the stacked stones, Jiang Cheng turned and made his way toward the elder’s home, his mind already planning the next trip.

After finishing said tea, with Cheng in the guest room to rest,

Elder Yaozhi made his way toward the well, expecting to see a reasonable stack of stones. Perhaps waist high at most. Something manageable.

But as he approached, his steps faltered.

Then, he almost stumbled.

His eyes widened as he craned his neck up to properly take in the towering blocks of stone. They were massive, taller than he was, and thick enough that just one of them would take a full team of villagers to move.

He swallowed.

“Just. How different is he from when I was his age?” The old man mumbled to himself, staring at the blocks of stone.

Back then, he had been the strongest man in the village, proud of his ability to carry a big log, Smiling at the villagers praising him, back when he was still in his youth.

If said youth was his sixties, As it was around that time when he had come to terms that he would not be able to keep going. Yet compared to what he had just witnessed, it was laughable.

Elder Yaozhi shook his head and sighed. No use dwelling on it. He had a task to complete.

The Path of Immortality: Peering through heavenly secrets.

Scholar Yang yuan. Great elder of the Rising Sun Sect.

...

Chapter 3: Qi condensation.

When a mortal first steps upon the path of cultivation, they begin at the stage known as Qi Condensation. This fundamental transformation marks the separation between mere mortals, and those who seek to transcend their natural limitations.

The process begins with the absorption of ambient qi from the world around us, gathering the vital energy that permeates our very world and beyond.

As we talked in the previous Chapter, There exists a stage below Qi condensation, but many revered scholars ignore it's existence, As nearly all humans naturally progress through the body tempering realm naturally, as long as Qi in the surroundings is plentiful.

It is thought as a false stage, With most not even acknowledge it's exitance in the path of cultivation, as it is reached without a need for will or want.

The distinction myself and...

...

Most mortals live but sixty to eighty years, their bodies gradually deteriorating as their Life qi deteriorates with age. This deterioration is the root cause of aging and death.

However, when one successfully completes the first stage of Qi Condensation, they establish a cycle within their body that prevents this natural dispersal, extending their potential lifespan to one hundred and twenty years.

It is thought that the awakening of one's dantian, Stimulates the Life Qi in the body to propagate, Leading to a longer lifespan.

Even The highest cultivators are not sure how this link between Qi and body leads to such a phenomenon, but I hope to still be alive to witness such.

Master Wei of the Azure Peak once wrote:

"The body of a cultivator who has completed Qi Condensation is like a sealed vessel rather than a leaking pot. Where once their essence flowed away with each passing year, now it circulates and strengthens, nourishing their flesh and bones beyond what nature intended."

The key transformation occurs when the cultivator forms their dantian, the energy center located three finger widths below the navel.

This spiritual nexus becomes a reservoir for the gathered qi, allowing the practitioner to store energy rather than having it dissipate. With each cycle of breath, with each meditation session, this reservoir grows fuller and the cultivator's connection to their mortal limitations grows weaker.

It is not merely the quantity of years that changes, but their quality. A cultivator at even the mid stage Qi Condensation will find their eyesight sharper, their hearing keener, and their muscles more responsive than what they naturally should be. Minor ailments cease to trouble them, and wounds heal with remarkable speed.

Even without the aid of Qi, their overall health is at a higher level than a mortal of a same age.

...

However, this is merely the first step on a much longer journey.

Chapter 4: Foundation Establishment.

....