The Programmer Cultivator

As they were locked in a battle of attrition, Qu Wenbai believed victory was in his grasp, a faint smile gracing his lips.

But before he could witness Zhang Deming’s Spiritual Power run dry, he froze. Horrified, he whipped his head around to look at the other battlefield.

...

While Zhang Deming and his opponent were locked in their struggle, a different battle raged elsewhere. Lu Ya, with his Three Talents Martial Arts Dao, unleashed a torrent of explosive True Essence. He was completely overwhelming a Three Talents Monk, leaving him no room to retaliate.

Through his actions, he was showing his opponent the difference between a mere mortal and a true Martial Artist.

Meanwhile, Guan Shouxin had transformed into countless disgusting, fist-sized Puppets. He attacked another Monk while simultaneously directing a portion of the Puppets to assault Huixin.

Even though Huixin was a top genius from the Xuande Temple Blessed Land and was suppressing his Cultivation, he was, at the end of the day, just a Duality Cultivator.

He might have been able to barely hold his own against an ordinary Three Talents Cultivator. But against Guan Shouxin—even just a fraction of his power—Huixin was completely unable to defend himself.

This was because Guan Shouxin was not only a Peak Three Talents Cultivator, but he was also empowered by the Celestial Heart Altar. With the majority of its blessing, he was far more powerful than any ordinary Three Talents Cultivator.

In this state, Guan Shouxin not only suppressed the other Three Talents Monk, leaving him unable to retaliate, but he also had enough spare power to put Huixin in mortal peril.

Seeing this, the two old Monks protecting Huixin knew they could delay no longer. Without another moment’s hesitation, they prepared to go all out.

In the heat of battle, they took a minor injury to create some distance, giving themselves a brief moment to breathe. The two immediately flanked Huixin, who had been preparing for this moment.

When the two Three Talents Monks appeared at his sides like Dharma Protection Vajras, he no longer hesitated. He immediately pressed his palms together and declared:

"Law Order: Avatars here, activate Enhancement!"

"Law Order: Avatars here, enhance Sensation!"

Following Huixin’s lead, the two Monks at his sides also pressed their palms together. The one on the left intoned, "My Vow: I sacrifice one hundred years of Cultivation to momentarily sever the blockade and raise an Absolute Defense!"

A strange ripple spread out in the wake of his vow. Simultaneously, a golden Shield materialized before the three of them.

Golden light flowed across the Shield. Although it rippled continuously under the ensuing attacks from Guan Shouxin and Lu Ya, it remained exceptionally stable. After all, this Shield was created by a Three Talents Great Cultivator sacrificing his very foundation.

The Monk to Huixin’s right also pressed his palms together and declared, "My Vow: I sacrifice one hundred years of Cultivation to send a message, using an Artifact as a conduit!"

As his vow concluded, his power intertwined with Huixin’s Law Orders and the power of the Monk on the left, surging into the Prayer Beads around Huixin’s neck.

Huixin wore a small string of Prayer Beads around his neck. All the beads were a brownish-yellow, except for the one at the very bottom, which was a dull gold. The difference was unnoticeable without close inspection.

But spurred by this power, that single bead erupted with a dazzling golden light.

"Oh no!"

"Damn it!"

"This is bad!"

Seeing this, the expressions of Guan Shouxin and Lu Ya changed at once. Even Qu Wenbai, still locked in a struggle with Zhang Deming, sensed the abrupt change. His face fell, and he cried out in alarm.

On the altar, both Duan Yuanbing, who was monitoring everything, and Guann Zhenzhen, who was controlling the Filth Insects to hunt down disciples scurrying through the buildings, sensed that something had gone wrong below.

"Old Demon Duan, what’s going on? What are you doing? Your only job was the blockade, and you still let something slip through?" Guann Zhenzhen demanded.

Duan Yuanbing was currently in a mechanical state, using the Celestial Heart Altar as a focal point to constantly monitor all disturbances. He replied robotically, "The enemy made a vow by sacrificing their Cultivation’s foundation, triggering a special Artifact. In its current state, the Celestial Heart Altar cannot block the transmission."

Duan Yuanbing’s mechanical words betrayed no emotion. Even as he replied, he began to activate the altar, because down below, a golden light was already surging from Huixin’s chest.

As the altar activated, the three figures below dissolved into streams of light, reverting into five objects that came to rest, suspended above the Celestial Heart Altar.

...

Zhang Deming had sensed the fluctuation of Wish Power and stopped moving the moment he heard the Law Order and the great vows. In the next instant, as Qu Wenbai was forced to return to the Celestial Heart Altar, he felt a weight lift from his body. The Cloak that had enveloped him slowly dissipated.

After dispelling his defenses, Zhang Deming looked toward the other battlefield. Huixin stood with his palms pressed together, a golden light surging from his body. The prayer bead on his chest radiated an endless brilliance, which coalesced behind him into the massive, phantom image of a Buddha.

Seeing the phantom’s face, Zhang Deming’s expression flickered. ’It’s actually the famous Bodhisattva from Xuande Temple—Pu Hua Bodhisattva.’ This was an existence who had achieved the Bodhisattva Fruit Position a very long time ago.

Buddhist Will Cultivators, much like the Academy’s Book Cultivators, possessed another Skill besides their Rune Core: the Precepts.

When they cultivate this Skill, they condense something akin to the Literary Gallbladder and Literary Heart, which the Buddhist Sect calls Buddha Nature.

Once condensed, this thing acts as a second, partial Rune Core, and it also serves to empower the primary Rune Core.

Therefore, with it, a Buddhist Sect Cultivator becomes fundamentally much stronger than an ordinary Cultivator.

But for every gain, there is a loss. The greater the power, the greater the restriction—this is an immutable principle among the Ten Thousand Laws of Hongmeng.

The Precepts Technique not only requires arduous cultivation of the Precepts Skill but also demands strict adherence to monastic rules. While one can choose to break certain precepts, doing so carries the risk of extinguishing one’s Buddha Nature or even having one’s entire path of cultivation destroyed.

Moreover, to maintain this fundamental power, one must walk the path to its end: opening their Original Vow at Three Talents, becoming a Bodhisattva at Four Symbols, and achieving Buddhahood at Five Elements...

At each step, the Precepts undergo a further Ascension Technique, until they finally fuse with the Wish Dao to perfect the Mahayana Scripture Buddhism. This process connects them to the Merit Pool, forming a Merit Golden Wheel that hangs behind their head. This is the ultimate embodiment of Merit, the path to becoming a Buddha, a progenitor of a lineage.

And this Pu Hua Bodhisattva was one such individual, having achieved the Bodhisattva Fruit Position long ago, making him one of Xuande Temple’s most famous Bodhisattvas.

Huixin was now in a peculiar state. Golden light surged around him as he stood with his palms pressed together and his eyes tightly shut. Behind him, however, the phantom of Pu Hua Bodhisattva slowly opened its eyes.

After opening its eyes, Pu Hua’s gaze fell upon the two Three Talents Monks flanking Huixin. "What has happened," the Bodhisattva asked, "that you were forced to use my Golden Body Relic?"