The Programmer Cultivator

Cultivation Technique: Five Elements Secret Scripture: Fragment (Pseudo-Seven Tier)

Cultivation: Duality Lv1 (15.5 / 4,000,000)

Rune Core: Spirit Nurturing Vine Demon Summoning Skill Lv4 (0/200)

Branch Runes: Enhancement Skill Lv4 (0/600), Oratory Word Spirit Lv4 (0/100), Sleeve Qiankun Lv3 (20/100)

Skills: Flying Technique Lv4 (0/100), Yin Yang Chess Dao: Position Lv3 (0/50), Hidden Breath Technique Lv3 (0/50), Spiritual Shield Lv3 (0/50), Heart Dream Control Lv3 (0/50), Reconnaissance·Spiritual Eye Lv3 (0/50), Sword Control Skill Lv3 (0/50), Splitting Skill Lv3 (0/50)

Spiritual Power Recovery: 350 Spiritual Power / 1 minute

Experience Growth: 35 Experience / 1 minute

Spirit Root: Lv22 (0/20) [Merit]

'Among all my techniques, the ones I need to upgrade to the Law Level most urgently are Splitting Skill, Yin Yang Chess Dao, and Heart Dream Control. Even Sleeve Qiankun can be put on the back burner for now.'

'Besides the fact that Sleeve Qiankun requires eighty Qi Fortune to upgrade, it's just not as urgent. The Splitting Skill and Yin Yang Chess Dao, on the other hand, determine the combat power and sustainability of my subprograms.'

'As for Heart Dream Control... well, that's entirely because I still have those two clumps of Soul Mist from that old ghost of the Qu Family to deal with.'

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Deming made up his mind. 'Even if I'm just living off the basic income from the shop, I still get over thirty Qi Fortune a month.'

'Therefore, any needs that aren't critical can wait. Putting them off for a month or two won't be a problem. Right now, I need to focus on my immediate priorities!'

"Consume fifty Qi Fortune to upgrade the Splitting Skill to the Tier Four Magic Level?"

"Yes!"

"Consume fifty Qi Fortune to upgrade Yin Yang Chess Dao to the Tier Four Magic Level?"

"Yes!"

As two of his techniques reached the Law Level in succession, the aura of Zhang Deming's Main Body, located in the Flying Spring Waterfall Tower, fluctuated faintly. A Yin Yang Fish symbol spun slowly beneath him as a glass-like mirror materialized in the air before him. The mirror shattered again and again, its countless fragments each reflecting an image of Zhang Deming.

When everything stabilized and grew calm once more, his Main Body resumed its idle Cultivation in the Cultivation Room.

Splitting Skill Lv4 (0/100)

Splitting Dao: Allows the user to split their own Dao. Current number of possible splits—sixteen.

Yin Yang Chess Dao: Position Lv4 (0/200)

Trapped Position: An ultimate trap that ensnares both enemy and self. At Tier Four of the Chess Dao, it is conceptually possible to choose one direction to remain un-trapped.

Chess Heart: Calculates positions and layouts, using predictive evasion as defense.

Dark Pawn: Can store Spiritual Power and Vitality. Spiritual Power—Can store five units of Dantian Spiritual Power.

Vitality—Storage limit has been slightly increased to two units. Allows for a degree of tier conversion. Currently, only Vitality from beings one stage below the Main Body's Cultivation (i.e., below the Three Talents Stage) can be converted and absorbed into the Dark Pawn.

Note: Significant loss occurs during Vitality conversion.

Chess Path: A short-range combat Escape Skill that allows for exceptionally agile maneuvers. It leaves behind a trail of Spiritual Power, making it unsuitable for long-distance sprints.

Shell Shedding: A powerful Chess Dao escape skill. At the Law Level, it is comparable and even superior to the Blood Escape Technique. It acts as a Golden Cicada Shell Shedding, where a Spiritual Power illusion can become a Substitute and be left behind to block a calamitous attack.

'The Splitting Skill really is growing exponentially,' Zhang Deming thought in pleasant surprise. 'At Tier Four, it jumped directly to sixteen splits. I could turn my Main Body into an entire squad of super soldiers. I've literally been split apart!'

'As for the Yin Yang Chess Dao, it was originally a technique of the Extreme Dao. Now that I've brought it to the Law Level, the initial "express ride" is over, and its drawbacks are beginning to show.'

'Upgrading it cost two hundred Qi Fortune—double the normal amount. This gap will only widen in the future, which is one of the fundamental reasons it's so difficult to succeed on the path of the Extreme Dao.'

'You get an express ride in the early stages, but not only is the promotion to the Law Level difficult, it only gets harder from there. I suppose you always have to pay your debts in the end.'

'After all, a core principle of the Hongmeng Technique Path is that greater power comes with greater limitations. Still, for me, it's a pretty good deal.'

'For anyone else, doubling the difficulty of a technique's promotion isn't just a matter of doubling the effort.'

'It's like someone whose maximum lift is a hundred pounds. If you add just one more pound, they can't lift it with just a little more effort. That single extra pound could be enough to crush them, or even kill them.'

'But for me, it's just a matter of doubling the Qi Fortune. It's a simple math problem.'

'Doubling the Qi Fortune cost in exchange for five or six technique effects, plus the potential for new combinations, is a huge profit. Of course, that's only because I have my "golden finger." Trying to upgrade it on my own... Forget it. The Extreme Dao truly requires talent.'

After dealing with the techniques, Zhang Deming checked his Qi Fortune. Only a single orb of light remained, and it was the untouchable "circulating" one. An inexplicable sadness washed over him. He always felt sick with sorrow at times like this.

He left the warehouse at once. Out of sight, out of mind.

With a single step, he arrived at Xuanhua Tower. He took a deep breath, and his form shifted until he had the appearance of Elder Huang.

Standing atop Xuanhua Tower, he raised his hand and summoned the Book of All Living Beings from the chaotic clouds. It floated to his side. Then, with another gesture, a ball of light merged into his body.

Rune Technique: Spirit Nurturing Vine Demon Summoning Skill ● Feng Mingyou!

As the power of the Tea Dao manifested, a transcendent aura radiated from Elder Huang.

With that done, Elder Huang reached out and tapped a finger lightly in the air. The book before him began to flip open rapidly.

Back in Huayue Academy, Nangong Cheng was busy setting up defenses against the turmoil in Huayue City with his fellow disciples when his expression suddenly froze. He quickly stood up, flashed into his bedroom, and in a daze, the world before his eyes transformed.