The Programmer Cultivator

"So, you’re saying this is some kind of Defense Array, like an onion router specifically designed to prevent tracking?"

Zhang Deming suddenly spoke up, using a piece of professional jargon that both he and Xue Su would understand.

Xue Su paused when he heard the word ’router,’ glancing at Zhang Deming with a slight frown.

"What’s a ’router’?" Sha Xingping asked.

Taking his cue from Xue Su, Zhang Deming replied, "Um, it’s a specialized term for Arrays."

"What I mean is, this Array is like an onion. You peel away one layer after another, and it’s almost impossible to find its core."

Sha Xingping nodded. "So, does that mean you’re the only one who can break this Array?"

Xue Su shook his head. "That’s what I was getting at. The core of this thing is too complex; I can’t seem to find an in."

"It’s a bit beyond my current level. Stacking is a technique that, at a minimum, one only starts to encounter at the level of a Tai Chi Array Cultivator."

"Ha, so brute-forcing it is out, and this is the answer we get for breaking it with Array techniques. What’s the plan now?"

"Do we turn back?"

"Can we even find the way out?" Sha Xingping asked.

The men exchanged uncertain glances. Suddenly, Sha Xingping’s Spiritual Power surged as he began to attack the Array Light Curtain.

No one tried to stop him. The others watched Sha Xingping’s assault, while Zhang Deming kept his eyes on Xue Su, who was incessantly working on the code.

After watching for a long time, Zhang Deming realized his earlier sarcastic comment had been spot-on. ’It’s really fucking true.’

Once Xue Su used some unknown Technique to connect the Array to his Quantum Notebook...

...this damn Array, once translated by the notebook, really did turn into a freaking firewall.

An onion firewall that, in theory, shouldn’t even exist.

Every time he hacked through the first layer, the firewall would abruptly vanish.

Before he could continue the hack, the vanished firewall would reappear, but changed, as if randomized.

In the world of software, this kind of behavior should be fundamentally impossible. A virtual firewall could never achieve such an effect.

But this was a real Array; the code was just a translation of it. Thus, it had genuinely managed to become an ’onion firewall’.

He had to admit, this Stacking technique was truly an advanced skill for Arrays.

Clearly, whoever set up this Array was a true master.

After a long while, Sha Xingping ceased his futile assault.

Xue Su, however, kept his brow tightly furrowed, trying again and again. He’d unconsciously run a hand through his hair every so often, his fingers dancing nonstop. Zhang Deming was starting to get a little worried for the man’s hair.

"That approach is never going to work," Zhang Deming said after watching for a long while. "Why don’t I give it a try?"

The others all paused. Sha Xingping looked at Zhang Deming and asked, "You minored in Arrays?"

Zhang Deming paused for a moment. "In a sense, I guess so."

"Uh, what do you mean, ’in a sense’?" Sha Xingping asked.

Zhang Deming didn’t answer him, but Xue Su understood. Zhang Deming was likely implying that while he didn’t know Array techniques, he did know how to hack.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Xue Su flicked the Light Screen over to Zhang Deming.

Staring at the Light Screen, Zhang Deming’s fingers began to fly.

He broke through the first layer in moments. Watching Zhang Deming take the same approach, Xue Su shook his head. "It’s no use. I’ve already tried that countless times."

"Once you break the first layer, you only have a very short window of time, not nearly enough to get through to the second."

"Besides, even if you’re skilled enough to break into the second layer, the first layer’s restoration won’t be delayed."

"So, forget about not knowing how many layers there are. Even with just three layers alternating, restoring, and changing, they can cycle endlessly to form an infinite barrier."

"There’s no breaking this damn thing. You can’t hack your way in."

Zhang Deming just chuckled at his words. "Who said anything about hacking through every layer?"

As he spoke, Zhang Deming had already breached the first layer, but he didn’t press the attack.

Instead, he pulled up the first layer’s code and started running a search.

A flash of realization crossed Xue Su’s face. "You’re looking for the Source Code?"

Zhang Deming nodded. "That’s right."

Xue Su frowned. "But what’s the point?"

"This isn’t a single-layer firewall. If you can’t break through all the layers, you can’t touch the Source Code. All you can do by finding the first layer’s code is look at it; you can’t actually alter its data."

As his fingers flew across the screen, Zhang Deming said, "You’d be right, under normal circumstances. But who said anything about altering it?"

"In the world of hacking, onion routers are effective at preventing IP tracking because they generate only fake addresses."

"But this Onion Array... every single layer is real."

"The moment something becomes real, it presents a massive point of attack."

"Since it’s an Array, there has to be a door to get in and out. Front door, back door—doesn’t matter. There has to be *some* way in, right? It’s not like it was built to be a perfectly sealed egg with no cracks."

"So no matter how it changes, that ’door’ within each layer’s Source Code has to remain constant."

A bright light flared in Xue Su’s eyes. "You’re planning to pull the login credentials directly from the Source Code, enter with normal user permissions, and achieve your ’hack’ that way?"

Zhang Deming nodded. "Yeah, that’s the gist of it."

Xue Su stared at Zhang Deming. "You... you’re a genius. The way your mind works... I’m speechless. When you joined the Celestial Spirit Sect, why on earth didn’t you choose to be an Array Cultivator?"

Zhang Deming gave him a bewildered look. "But... isn’t this a pretty basic hacking method?"

Xue Su rolled his eyes at Zhang Deming. ’Basic?’

’Basic in a circle of world-class hackers, maybe!’

The other two men listened to their discussion with completely baffled expressions, having no clue what they were talking about.

Because the other two were there, Xue Su didn’t elaborate.

’After all,’ he thought, ’we’re both undercover. Code-related talk can be passed off as explanations about Arrays, but if I say too much, the other two will realize something is strange.’

Besides, the two of them only had a tacit understanding at this point. They hadn’t officially made contact and established any kind of cross-departmental cooperation.

"Found it!" Zhang Deming said happily. "But how do I turn this code into an Entry Order for the Array?"

Xue Su looked at the notebook. On it was a string of Runes that Zhang Deming had pulled out.

In programming terms, it was basically the username and password.

He pulled the Light Screen back toward himself and made a few swift inputs.

He input a string of Command Tokens, which traveled through the connecting filaments to the white wall of air.

The wall of air rippled, then began to peel open on its own, layer by layer.

With looks of delighted surprise, the others glanced at Xue Su, then turned to look at Zhang Deming.

Zhang Deming spoke up. "Let’s go. It seems this trial is designed for a team."

The group nodded and stepped through the Array.

The previous light source hadn’t just been coming from the Array’s wall of air. After passing through the Array, the passage was nearly at its end, and they could all see the exit.

"By the way," Zhang Deming suddenly asked, "do any of you have specific information about these ruins?"

"It tests individual skill, then teamwork... what exactly are these ruins?"

Xue Su shook his head. "I just got a tip about the ruins at a gathering. I’m not sure about the specifics."

"Same here," Sha Xingping said.

Everyone turned to look at Qu Hua. Despite seeming like a lone wolf, he had been the first to jump into the entrance, as if he knew the place.

Qu Hua, who had remained on high alert due to his injuries, saw their questioning gazes and said, "I also stumbled upon the information by chance and managed to get a Command Token."

"Is that right?" Zhang Deming said, his brow furrowed slightly. "So, in other words, everyone just mysteriously learned that these ruins exist, but no one has any specific details about them."

Sha Xingping replied, "Isn’t that normal? A lot of ruins are like this. If specific information were available, it’d mean the place had already been picked clean."

Zhang Deming didn’t reply. He couldn’t shake the feeling that if this was supposed to be a test of teamwork, the arrangement in the great hall made no sense. Furthermore, there had been something odd about the Onion Defense Array’s Source Code, though he kept that to himself.

From the very beginning, something about these ruins had felt off to him.

’Then again, maybe I’m just overthinking things.’