21 21. True Cultivator (I)

Gray descended from the mountains laden with goods to sell. He entered Blue Lake Village in broad daylight, walking confidently through the main street. Several people looked at him curiously, especially at the massive bags of goods he carried on his shoulders and in his arms. It didn't seem natural; he was carrying so much he looked like a pack animal.

Earth bear meat was good but spiritual beasts like that didn't grow on trees. It was still easier to buy food in the village. He also wanted to buy everything edible in the village to fill fairy sister's big appetite. She was doing her best teaching a block of wood like him and he had to keep her fed and happy.

"Hey, I was worried about you, but it looks like you are alright…" Old Li greeted him. "Woah, you have a lot of stuff!"

Gray nodded, "Probably can't fit through the door…"

"Come."

Old Li led him around to the storage barn in the back. Gray dropped the sacks onto the ground and rubbed his stiff shoulders. He watched as Old Li buzzed around the sacks and examined the goods.

"Good ore, good ore." Old Li muttered, "Oh, an earth bear pelt! I usually don't get these… you sure you want to sell this?"

Gray shrugged. He didn't mind if Old Li earned some profit off of him. Old Li had helped him in the past when he was starving. It wasn't much, but he appreciated it.

"Your loss." Old Li said and examined the fur, "A fully grown earth bear. Amazing, there's almost no damage to the fur. What the hell happened to you? How did you do it?"

"I managed to become a cultivator." Gray said vaguely. Of course, he wasn't going to tell him about Xueling.

"You? Impossible!"

Old Li rushed up and touched his palm to Gray's chest.

Gray shrank back and slapped the offending hand away, "What are you doing?"

Old Li laughed, "I just checked your cultivation by touching you. Congratulations, you're now a true cultivator. I told you Flame Palm was great but you didn't trust me. I didn't know your talent was so good, you certainly fooled me."

Gray snorted, "Naturally I'm talented. I am the strongest as well as the smartest of the valley."

"Cheh, lucky bastard. Don't get too full of yourself. I will tell you this. Old Road and Old Wu are still looking for you. They have eyes and ears around the village. Be careful when you leave, they might be waiting in ambush. Old Wu is especially dangerous. He is at the 2nd Level of the Spiritual Strengthening Realm and you aren't his opponent."

"Huh, only the second level." Gray said, "Is he around today?"

"Yeah, he should be in town, watch out when you leave." Old Li said.

"No need. I'm tired of their shit and I'm going to settle this today. Just watch me."

"What… huh?"

Gray didn't bother explaining and walk out of the shop. The village was small and he knew where Old Road lived. He ignored Old Li who was following behind as well as stares from curious villagers and arrived in front of the wooden house where his enemy was.

Old Road was a good miner and the Road Gang made a decent amount of money. He was able to afford a nice house that was one of the biggest in the village.

Gray's anger flared as he saw a familiar face pop out of a side window.

Bang!

He blew open the door with one kick and bellowed like a wild beast, "Old Road, you asshole! I am Gray, the strongest man in the King's Mountains. Come out and fight me if you dare!"

Several crashing sounds came from inside the house and Old Road emerged along with three of his gang. They all had some sort of weapon in their hands, a pickaxe, a club, a kitchen knife.

"The idiot is here, all by himself. Hurry, get Old Wu, get the others!" Old Road yelled.

"Yes, boss!"

Two of the men ran off while the one stayed behind with Old Road.

"What queer medicine did you eat, Gray? You want to fight in the village? You are quite daring." Old Road said.

"Fuck off. I'm here to settle the score with you bastards of the Road Gang and Old Wu's hunting gang. You are all despicable old farts, trying to rob a child like me. I'm sure other people will understand and not interfere." Gray said. "This grudge has to be settled today!"

"Hahaha. You? A child? Good joke. Are you going to give up my meteorite or will we have to beat it out of you?"

Gray ignored him and waited for them to make the first move. This pissed Old Road off but he didn't dare face Gray alone.

The village wasn't big and one of the miners soon returned with Old Wu and his hunters. Gray was now surrounded by eight men, each menacing and ready to fight. A crowd of bystanders had also gathered, curious about the ruckus that was about to occur.

The air was tense and charged. Gray stood still and relaxed but his spiritual energy was already buzzing with excitement and ready to unleash. The men around him were ready for payback, having suffered a humiliating loss in the previous bout.

Old Wu and Old Road sensed something wasn't quite right and conversed quickly, discussing the plan of action.

Old Wu was the one who to took the lead and stepped up. "Since you don't want to give up the meteorite you stole from Old Road, we have no choice but to force it out of you. Pian, let's go. Hold him down while I make him squeal."

"Yes!" A man stepped forward towards Gray.

Pian was only slightly shorter than Gray with a rugged, tough build. He would have been the biggest man in the village if not for Gray. He was a powerful hunter and Old Wu's right-hand man. If things went well, he would be the future leader of the hunting gang.

He had the same unreasonable demeanor as Old Wu but not quite as strong. From the spiritual energy that emitted from their bodies, they had higher cultivations than him. Old Wu was at the second level while Pian was probably at the peak of the first level. However, they were still far below him in terms of raw power.

"Strength!" Pian shouted and flexed his arms.

Colorless strands of spiritual emerge from the man's spiritual sea and collect in his arms. The skin of his arms changed to a darker color, almost like leather. It must be whatever cultivation art the hunters practiced. It probably toughened their skin to fight against beasts.

"Are you done yet?" Gray taunted.

Pian gave a shout and charged. His arms raised for a powerful punch aimed straight at Gray's face.

But in Gray's eyes, it was extremely slow!

Bam!

Gray leg shot out like a battering ram. It happened so fast that Pian had no chance to react. It connected with his chest and blasted him back like a ragdoll. Infused with spiritual energy, such a kick was several times more powerful than a kick from an ox.

Pian tumbled to the ground. He tried to get back up but fell back down.

"Uhhh…"

He could not get up again and continued to moan on the ground.

"What!"

"Impossible!"

Fearful and amazed shouts erupted from his enemies as well as the bystanders. Pian was one of the stronger men in the village and he had been defeated in one blow. Few had ever seen something like this. Old Road and the miners were horrified.

"You… when did you breakthrough?" Old Wu spat.

He came to this conclusion immediately even though Gray was only sixteen. Most of the cultivators in the village only managed to learn after they became an adult and earned enough money to buy cultivation lessons. This meant nobody was a true cultivator until well past their early twenties. But to be able to defeat Pian in one punch, it was the only possibility.

Gray chuckled, "Not just any breakthrough. I am a true cultivator, not trash like you. I can take all of you with ease. I will give you one chance to give up and kiss my feet."

"Fuck you, fat ass!" Old Wu yelled, "Everyone, attack!"