The Programmer Cultivator

’One Rune, three Technique effects. I’ve hit the jackpot. If it were a Rune Core...’

Because of this trait, the Two-Tailed Demon Fox Bloodline was once considered one of the top-tier main materials for the Bloodline path when one Promoted to Tai Chi.

Zhang Deming stared at the Advanced Apprentice Level Two-Tailed Demon Fox, his eyes burning with intensity.

’You’re the one who walked right into this!’

The vines writhed without pause. Just then, the Two-Tailed Demon Fox launched another attack at Zhang Deming.

One of its fiery red tails swayed gently. From its tip, a fireball the size of an orange rapidly condensed and shot toward Zhang Deming like a lightning bolt.

Light Wings appeared at his heels, and he dodged away at lightning speed.

The Two-Tailed Demon Fox, however, split its mouth into a disturbingly human-like grin. It flicked its second tail, but nothing seemed to happen.

’Huh?’

Zhang Deming’s heart seemed to skip a beat. Horrified, he whipped his head around to look.

The fireball he had dodged had somehow changed direction and was now right in front of him.

Without hesitation, the vines around Zhang Deming coiled like snakes, rapidly forming a thick Vine Shield.

BOOM!

A violent explosion rang out. The Vine Shield was instantly blasted to ash, and the Spiritual Shield on Zhang Deming’s body rippled like water.

But, weakened by the Vine Shield, the Spiritual Shield managed to block the rest of the attack.

However, the immense force of the blast sent Zhang Deming flying forward.

’So one tail is for its Fire Element Bloodline, and the other is for a tracking or homing-type Bloodline ability?’

The thought flashed through his mind. The force of the blast was sending him hurtling toward the Two-Tailed Demon Fox.

The Two-Tailed Demon Fox didn’t hesitate either, lunging at Zhang Deming once more.

Realizing his opponent specialized in Fire Element Techniques, Zhang Deming regenerated the tattered vines covering his body.

They rapidly shifted from pliable to resilient, taking on a brilliant, jade-like sheen. The tips of the vines now glinted with a cold light.

As the Two-Tailed Demon Fox closed in, it raised a Fox Palm, revealing claws that flashed with a cold light.

The vines around Zhang Deming shot out to meet it without the slightest hesitation.

CLANG... CLANG...

A few sharp clangs, like metal striking metal, rang out. Neither side had gained an advantage.

Man and Demon Beast became a blur of motion, locked in close combat. The Two-Tailed Demon Fox lunged and dodged relentlessly.

Several sharp, glinting vines coiled around Zhang Deming, striking out at the Two-Tailed Demon Fox again and again.

After a few moments of struggle, the Two-Tailed Demon Fox suddenly whipped its fiery red tail.

At point-blank range, it launched another orange-sized fireball straight at Zhang Deming’s face.

The fireball was already incredibly fast. Now, locked on and fired at point-blank range, it left Zhang Deming no room to dodge.

’Bring it on! You think I’m scared?’

A cold glint flashed in Zhang Deming’s eyes. Without hesitation, he directed the tips of several vines to pierce the incoming fireball.

The sharp yet flexible vines all over his body wrapped tightly around him, layer by layer, until he resembled a mummy.

BOOM!

The fireball, pierced by the vines, exploded right between the man and the fox.

The massive force of the explosion sent them both flying.

Even though the Two-Tailed Demon Fox was highly immune to its own Spiritual Power fireballs, the physical shockwave from the explosion was indiscriminate.

The vine tips in front of Zhang Deming were completely obliterated, and his Spiritual Shield shattered as expected.

After being weakened by those two layers, the mummy-like wrapping of vines, though now in tatters, managed to block the rest of the attack.

In mid-air, Light Wings materialized at Zhang Deming’s heels, vibrating intensely.

Zhang Deming flipped several times in the air to correct his orientation. The instant he landed, he slammed both hands onto the ground.

"Technique: Thorny Earth Spike!"

The Two-Tailed Demon Fox was too agile. Without a way to restrain it, the powerful Thorny Earth Spike was all but useless—hitting the target was the main problem.

That’s why Zhang Deming had been holding it in reserve.

Zhang Deming seized the brief opening created when the Two-Tailed Demon Fox was sent flying by its own attack.

Both had been hit with the same force, so they landed at roughly the same time.

But his opponent didn’t have an Agility Technique to quickly reorient itself in mid-air.

As a result, the moment it landed, it began to tumble backward uncontrollably.

Just then, Zhang Deming activated his Technique. Dozens of spikes erupted from the ground.

Having just landed and yet to regain its balance, the Two-Tailed Demon Fox was impaled through and through by several of the spikes.

KYEE... KYEE...

The Two-Tailed Demon Fox let out a pained shriek. Its eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and a violent Energy surged from its two tails.

Zhang Deming wasn’t about to give it a second chance. Having seized this fleeting opportunity, it was time to press his advantage and kick his opponent while it was down.

With a surge of Spiritual Power, the spikes around the Two-Tailed Demon Fox rapidly softened, transforming into vines that ensnared the beast before it could unleash its final, desperate attack.

They then began to constrict, wrapping around it in layer after layer.

This abrupt transformation interrupted the enraged Two-Tailed Demon Fox just as it was about to erupt with power.

Before it could react, the spikes piercing its body had already injected a massive number of Seeds of Spiritual Power.

There were so many that the Two-Tailed Demon Fox itself could feel its body being invaded by a massive amount of Alien Species Spiritual Power.

Before it could use its own Spiritual Power to expel these Seeds of Spiritual Power, Zhang Deming had already activated them.

Countless seeds began to sprout, growing at an incredible rate.

With almost no resistance, the Two-Tailed Demon Fox was turned into a pile of fertilizer as countless young seedlings burst forth from its body.

The Two-Tailed Demon Fox struggled in agony a few more times, then its entire body went rigid. In an instant, its life force was gone.

Seeing this, Zhang Deming rushed forward, ready to collect the precious heart’s blood and bone marrow.

But just as he stepped forward, the entire Two-Tailed Demon Fox dissolved into a sky full of Spiritual Power Light Points and vanished before his eyes.

Zhang Deming stared at the transformation, momentarily stunned.

’This is... an Illusion Array?’

’Or a True Illusion Technique?’

Zhang Deming immediately scanned his surroundings, carefully extending his senses. But even after a long while, he couldn’t confirm anything.

He could only guess that this entire area was constructed by a powerful Illusion Array.

’To achieve this level of realism... it would take a One-Star, or even a Two-Star, Array Cultivator at the very least!’

Zhang Deming pondered for a moment. He looked up; the Haoyang hung high in the sky. Everything looked and felt completely real.

Crouching slightly, the Light Wings at his heels vibrated. With a few powerful leaps, Zhang Deming landed atop a tall tree.

Gazing out, he saw what appeared to be a vast, though not entirely primeval, sea of trees. Everything, from what he saw to what he felt, was incredibly realistic.

If the Two-Tailed Demon Fox hadn’t dissolved into a cloud of Spiritual Power Light Points right before his eyes, he would never have detected the slightest trace of an Illusion Skill.

After a long period of observation, Zhang Deming dropped back to the ground.

He sent a vine snaking out, and it snapped a tree thick enough to wrap one’s arms around.

The tree crashed to the ground. Even after a long wait, nothing unusual happened. Unlike the Demon Fox, it didn’t dissolve into Spiritual Power Light Points.

’So the environment is real?’

’Is this Illusion Array just layered on top of the real environment?’

’Or is this entire place a complete Illusion Array?’

’If it’s the former, it’s likely a high-quality One-Star Illusion Array. There’d be a small chance I could destroy it with brute force if I went all out.’

’If it’s the latter, then it has to be a Two-Star Illusion Array, at least.’

’An Array of that level isn’t something I can break just by unleashing my full power at my current level.’

’Right, there’s one other possibility. This Secret Realm I’ve entered might have been used for Disciple assessment trials in the past.’

’If that’s the case, then this Secret Realm just got a lot more interesting.’

’It’s clearly in ruins, yet this fragmented, out-of-context trial is still running as if it’s normal. That’s rather intriguing.’

’Is it because the Secret Realm is exceptionally high-level? Or is there another reason?’

After another long period of investigation without finding anything new, Zhang Deming had no choice but to start moving cautiously toward the southwest.

From his earlier observation, Zhang Deming had noted that in the entire forest, the only landmark was a low hill in that direction.