The Programmer Cultivator

The last twenty-one Spirit Nurturing Beads had brought Zhang Deming another nine images and points of light, but he still hadn’t acted on them.

As for the Qi Fortune Light Balls, he now had a little over three, and more than one golden light ball as well.

After editing two Techniques, he would have exactly one gold and one silver ball left as spares.

Looking at the light balls in his inventory, Zhang Deming took out the Technique he had exchanged for at the Scripture Pavilion two days ago.

First, Zhang Deming took out the *Jade Thorn Earth Spike Technique*.

"Ordinary Energy: 1. Can be edited as a small plugin.

Editing conditions met!

..."

As the familiar information appeared, Zhang Deming entered the command ’/Dantian’.

The control panel changed, switching to the secondary Dantian page.

Zhang Deming: Dantian > if () {Thorny Earth Spike Technique cast successful} else {Thorny Earth Spike Technique cast failed}.

Looking at the familiar code, it seemed the Thorny Earth Spike Technique was just an ordinary Technique. Zhang Deming had performed this kind of edit several times now and was quite used to the process.

’if (has sufficient Spiritual Power AND casts Thorny Earth Spike Technique)

{then, Thorny Earth Spike Technique cast successful}

else {then, Thorny Earth Spike Technique cast failed}.’

After checking it over once, Zhang Deming clicked "Complete and Upload".

The code condensed into a ball of light and flew into Zhang Deming’s Dantian.

But to Zhang Deming’s astonishment, the light ball for the Thorny Earth Spike Technique didn’t form a new Rune. Instead, it flew directly into the small, sapling-like Rune Ball of the Growth Technique.

Inside the Rune Ball, the sapling-shaped Growth Technique Rune grew directly into a mature thorny vine.

’This... Isn’t this a technique series, something that should only appear after condensing a Rune Core and then using that Rune Core to develop a new Technique?’

’So all these Runes in my Dantian are freaking pseudo-Rune Cores? They can all be used as a foundation to build a series?’

Looking at the Runes in his Dantian, each one orbiting the single vortex of the Cultivation Technique Script, Zhang Deming’s expression was a sight to behold.

’With so many pseudo-Rune Cores, does this mean my chances of failure when promoting to the Tai Chi realm are very small?’

His thoughts drifted for a long while before Zhang Deming came back to his senses.

He went out into the courtyard, his hands a blur of motion as Spiritual Power surged forth.

Instantly, a patch of ground in the courtyard abruptly sprouted a circle of sharp vines, like Earth Spikes.

Sensing the Technique, Zhang Deming willed it with a thought, and all the sharp Earth Spikes instantly softened, swaying like normal vines.

’The original Thorny Earth Spike Technique didn’t have this ability!’

Seeing this change, Zhang Deming was certain that the Thorny Earth Spike Technique had indeed become a developed Technique of the Growth Technique.

Now, in addition to entanglement, the Growth Technique also possessed the sharp characteristic of a Thorny Earth Spike.

Confirming this, Zhang Deming couldn’t help but smile.

He turned and went back into his room. He still had one more Technique to edit.

He once again took out the remaining Technique, *Shadow: Mastery of Hundred Close Combat Techniques*, and without hesitation, opened his inventory and selected a Qi Fortune Light Ball.

"Ordinary Energy: 1. Can be edited as a small plugin.

Editing conditions met!

..."

Zhang Deming quickly entered the command, and the page changed again.

Zhang Deming: Dantian > if () {Shadow: Mastery of Hundred Close Combat Techniques cast successful} else {Shadow: Mastery of Hundred Close Combat Techniques cast failed}.

Looking at the generated code framework, Zhang Deming breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that due to the technique’s unique nature, the code framework would have some weird issue, and he wouldn’t know where to start.

Since there were no issues, he felt much more at ease and expertly began to type out the code.

’if (has sufficient Spiritual Power AND casts Shadow: Mastery of Hundred Close Combat Techniques)

{then, Shadow: Mastery of Hundred Close Combat Techniques cast successful}

else {then, Shadow: Mastery of Hundred Close Combat Techniques cast failed}.’

It was a very familiar routine by now. Zhang Deming clicked "Complete and Upload".

But what should have been a perfectly normal routine once again took an unexpected turn.

All the code Runes spread out before Zhang Deming, turning into countless motes of light-like Runes that hung motionless in the air.

Zhang Deming stared, completely baffled, at the room full of star-like motes of light. Looking closely, he discovered that each mote was actually a complex Rune.

’So what am I supposed to do?’

Staring blankly at these runic motes of light, Zhang Deming was at a complete loss.

He decided to reach out and grab a mote of light to see what would happen. As he stretched out his hand, the "Health-Fist Skill" automatically surfaced in his mind. At that moment, a mote of light representing a Fist Skill flew toward him.

But it only flickered a few times in front of him before shattering. It seemed that because the Health-Fist wasn’t a proper Technique, its level was too low. The runic mote of light directly shattered.

’Ha, so I was supposed to learn the corresponding Close Combat Techniques *before* learning this thing? Then the corresponding motes of light would strengthen them?’

’Mm, and it probably has a Fusion effect at the end, too.’

’My previous idea that learning this would instantly teach me a whole bunch of Close Combat Techniques was just a dream, huh.’

’So what now?’

Zhang Deming looked at the sky full of light motes, completely baffled.

However, as the Fist Skill runic mote shattered before him, it was as if the system detected that Zhang Deming hadn’t cultivated any other corresponding Techniques.

The sky full of runic motes, like light bulbs, all began to shatter in unison. In the blink of an eye, only fragments filled the air.

Just then, Zhang Deming’s editor vibrated.

All the Rune fragments converged, reforming into a single white ball of light that flew into Zhang Deming’s Dantian.

The ball of light vibrated nonstop within his Dantian, struggling to form into any kind of Rune.

It wasn’t until the ball of light flew over to the cluster of other Magic Rune Balls that something happened. All the Rune Balls trembled in unison, and the new ball of light, as if sensing something, began a slow and difficult transformation.

Compared to the previous light balls that had turned into Runes the moment they entered his Dantian, this one was transforming at a snail’s pace.

After a long time, under Zhang Deming’s nervous gaze, the ball of light finally transformed into a "+" shaped Rune.

Looking at this plus-sign Rune Ball, Zhang Deming was completely bewildered.

’Did I learn it or not?’

He knew that previously, whenever he finished editing a Technique, the moment the Magic Rune Ball appeared, a corresponding burst of comprehension about the Technique would flood his mind.

This included insights, casting steps, and even various methods of casting.

But this time, although the Rune Ball had painstakingly finished forming, he hadn’t received a single shred of comprehension about the *Shadow: Mastery of Hundred Close Combat Techniques* Technique!

Without the corresponding insight, with only a Rune Light Ball, how was he supposed to cast it?

Feeling completely at a loss, Zhang Deming left the room and went into the courtyard. He’d know whether this Skill editing had succeeded or failed after a quick test.

But after arriving in the courtyard, Zhang Deming froze, baffled again. Without the relevant technique comprehension, how was he supposed to cast a Technique that was only a Rune in his Dantian?

’So this Technique has become a useless Rune?’

Zhang Deming stood there awkwardly for a moment. He tried to recall some of the Spells from when he’d browsed the *Shadow: Mastery of Hundred Close Combat Techniques* and clumsily attempted to perform them with his hands.

After a moment, Zhang Deming gave up. He didn’t have a photographic memory, and he hadn’t read the *Shadow: Mastery of Hundred Close Combat Techniques* in detail to begin with.

But when Zhang Deming looked at the situation in his Dantian again, he was slightly taken aback.

The "+" Rune Ball had vanished from his Dantian. Now, beneath the Growth Technique Rune he had just cast, there was a shadow—the shadow of a "+".

’Could it be?’

A guess formed in Zhang Deming’s mind, and he cast the Growth Technique with a surge of pleasant surprise.

The small blades of grass in the garden abruptly twisted and grew, instantly transforming into a ferocious vine.

Its power was already approaching that of a Secret Level Mid Grade Tier Two Technique!

Previously, when the Thorny Earth Spike Technique was integrated, the Growth Technique had only gained an Earth Spike ability. Its other capabilities had only seen a slight boost of about ten percent.

But now, the improvement was closer to fifty or sixty percent.

Filled with pleasant surprise, Zhang Deming considered a certain possibility.

He quickly canceled the Growth Technique. The moment he did, the shadow-like "+" Rune inside his body detached itself.

Seeing this, Zhang Deming manifested the Light Wings at his heels and, with a thought, tried to cast the *Shadow: Mastery of Hundred Close Combat Techniques* Technique.

The "+" Rune in his Dantian shot out along the Spiritual Energy Threads, exiting his Dantian and merging into the Light Wings.