The Programmer Cultivator

’Speaking of which, someone like Qian Xiaogong only has a Qi Fortune of six. That guy, Tong Hou, had ten or twenty right from the start...’

’I wouldn’t have known without a comparison, but now that I’ve made one... this guy is pretty impressive. Who is he, exactly?’

As these thoughts flickered through his mind, Zhang Deming exited the Spirit Nurturing Space. Today had truly been a good day; good things kept happening one after another!

’Hmm... aside from making me feel jealous!’

In a good mood, Zhang Deming continued his passive cultivation, crafted Spirit Nurturing Beads, and let his thoughts wander aimlessly.

...

For the next several days, Zhang Deming peacefully continued his passive cultivation and crafted Spirit Nurturing Beads, occasionally observing Nangong Cheng and Qian Xiaogong through their respective light dots.

Neither of the two was a loner; one had changed his Dao, and the other had achieved cross-tier Enlightenment Dao. These were not trivial matters. Thus, after completing their epiphanies, they were busy for several days before their lives returned to normal.

After observing them for long enough, on this day, Zhang Deming entered the Spirit Nurturing Space.

With a single step, Zhang Deming arrived atop Xuanhua Tower. He beckoned with his hand, and a ball of light materialized.

Rune Summoning: Spirit Nurturing Summoning Technique - Dragon Turtle!

As the Technique activated, the ball of light rapidly stretched, taking the form of Elder Huang. Zhang Deming’s consciousness sank directly into it.

Elder Huang then opened his eyes. He sensed his current state and felt that without the enhancement from Feng Mingyou’s Tea Dao, his persona as Elder Huang was missing something.

Therefore, Zhang Deming waved his hand again, and another ball of light appeared.

Rune Summoning: Spirit Nurturing Summoning Technique - Feng Mingyou!

As the ball of light merged into his body, Elder Huang’s aura changed instantly. An Extraordinary, nonchalant air emanated from him. Sensing the change, Zhang Deming nodded in satisfaction.

After glancing around and seeing no issues, Zhang Deming beckoned with his hand, and three dots of light appeared before him.

They represented Tong Hou, Nangong Cheng, and Qian Xiaogong.

He had chosen the evening, and since all three happened to be cultivating in their rooms, Zhang Deming, having observed this through their light dots, didn’t need to take any special precautions.

He reached out and quickly tapped the three dots of light. Three portals materialized.

The figures of the three men appeared almost simultaneously. Each was dazed for a moment before snapping back to their senses.

What happened next was rather amusing...

After coming to his senses, Qian Xiaogong looked around, completely bewildered. When he realized his situation, he put on the cutest expression he could muster, widening his huge eyes and staring at Elder Huang with an adorably lost look.

His big eyes seemed to sparkle, and combined with his exceptional good looks, the effect was devastating, even though he hadn’t cultivated a single Charm Skill.

Anyone with malicious intent toward him, as long as they weren’t a complete degenerate, would probably find their ill will plummeting in that moment. As expected of a child raised by a grandmaster of the Incense Dao; even his methods for dealing with enemies were unique.

Nangong Cheng’s expression, however, changed drastically. He struck a pose with one hand behind his back and the other before his stomach, chanting, "The Storyteller’s Dao, a tale for every ear! From the storyteller’s tongue, a lotus appears!"

But when he finished his incantation, not a single booklet appeared before him. He froze, stunned once more.

Tong Hou’s reaction, however, was what truly puzzled Elder Huang.

The moment Tong Hou came to his senses and realized his surroundings had changed, his expression twisted. Ignoring everything else, he immediately crossed his arms over his chest and chanted, "Let a thousand blades pierce my flesh, ten thousand arrows skewer my soul! Let my body fall to the Asura realm! Sacrificial Dao: Soul Evasion and Body Wound!"

Tong Hou and Nangong Cheng had acted at almost the same time, and they froze at the same time, realizing that their Techniques had absolutely no effect. They couldn’t even sense the slightest fluctuation of Spiritual Power.

With his hands behind his back, Elder Huang watched the trio’s performance with a strange expression. After a brief moment of shock, the two men quickly regained their composure.

Tong Hou, in particular, actually relaxed a little after getting a clear look at Elder Huang’s face. Although he remained on guard, he was no longer in the state of desperate panic he’d been in just moments before.

Evidently, this was not the worst-case scenario he had envisioned.

His practiced, well-prepared reaction just now was clearly intended for a different kind of crisis.

Elder Huang looked at Nangong Cheng and said, "Storytelling may be a grand Dao, but here before me, you’d best not use it."

Nangong Cheng was taken aback and did not reply immediately.

Elder Huang then turned his gaze to Tong Hou and said with great interest, "Young man, you carry quite a few strange things with you."

"Cultivating the Yin Yang Chess Dao is already strange and rare enough, yet you’re also hiding the Sacrificial Dao, a path that walks the line between righteous and evil."

"And to have cultivated it to such a level... With your meager Cultivation, you couldn’t have reached this stage on your own, could you?"

"Did its previous master sacrifice their own Dao to you?"

"Tsk, tsk. Your reaction was truly amusing. You arrived here, understood nothing, and immediately tried a do-or-die escape. Who did you think had captured you?"

"Oh, and how did you break the seal from the sacrificial backlash to reopen your own Dao?"

"However..."

Elder Huang paused, then continued, "You’re certainly creative. The Yin Yang Chess Dao of a Trapped Position combined with the Sacrificial Dao... Haha, setting up the board just to make a sacrifice. It truly is... a perfect complement."

"I’ve seen my share of junior disciples, but I’ve rarely met one with your kind of ingenuity. You have a promising future."

Neither Tong Hou nor Nangong Cheng replied, both warily observing their surroundings.

Just then, the dazed and bewildered Qian Xiaogong finally spoke up. With an incredibly cute expression and a voice to match, he said, "Grandfather, can you tell Xiaogong where this is? Xiaogong is a little scared!"

Hearing this, Elder Huang’s expression twitched. He resisted the urge to reach out and pinch the boy’s adorable face and said:

"Little one, playing dumb is useless before me. When your mother taught you this trick, didn’t she tell you not to use it on old men? You’re liable to run into a ’strange’ one."

Hearing this, the super-cute expression on Qian Xiaogong’s face froze for an instant, and a flash of panic flickered deep in his eyes. He quickly forced himself to calm down. His emotional control and management of his expression were quite good, at least far beyond that of his peers.

...