The Programmer Cultivator

After Tong Hou left, Zhang Deming pondered for a long time before opening his editor and checking his inventory.

Selling one hundred and fifty Spirit Nurturing Beads each month now guaranteed Zhang Deming at least fifty or more Enlightenment Dao scenes.

This ensured a monthly income of at least one Merit point and ten Qi Fortune points.

About two months had passed since he last spent any.

Adding to that the income from the Flower Demon Elves he had been cultivating during this period...

...his inventory now held: Merit: 4.2, Qi Fortune: 32.4, Karma: 1.0.

This was the capital that gave Zhang Deming the confidence to accept the order. ’Even if I don’t know a single Chess Dao Technique, it doesn’t matter. I can just use Qi Fortune to edit them.’

’As long as I can get my hands on this Tier Five Cyan Wood Divine Refining Technique, it should be worth it.’

Zhang Deming flipped his hand over, revealing the Cyan Wood Divine Refining Technique. After a moment of contemplation, he rummaged through his storage bag and pulled out a piece of beast hide.

Spiritual Power surged as Zhang Deming quickly replicated the Cyan Wood Divine Refining Technique onto the beast hide. He then put the book away.

With a thought, he opened his Cultivation Script. His consciousness touched a Qi Fortune Light Ball and selected ”Mount.”

Just as Zhang Deming had guessed, this mounting process, much like the previous script fusion, didn’t require him to unmount his previously equipped Cultivation Technique.

The beast hide in his hand, which bore the Cyan Wood Divine Refining Technique, vanished along with the Qi Fortune Light Ball.

Zhang Deming sensed a slight tremor from the script. After a moment of fluctuation, everything stopped. The Cultivation Technique Script had already transformed.

Cultivation Technique: Water Wood Divine Control Method (Tier Six)

Cultivation: Tai Chi Lv2 (281,000 / 600,000)

Rune Core: Spirit Nurturing Summoning Skill Lv3 (5/50)

Branch Rune: Enhancement Skill Lv3 (50/500)

Skills: Omitted...

Spiritual Power Recovery: 200 Spiritual Power / 3 minutes

Experience Growth: 20 Experience / 3 minutes

Looking at the information on the panel, the anxiety in Zhang Deming’s heart finally subsided.

’It seems the rumors are true,’ he thought. ’The Five Elements Secret Scripture really is formed by fusing the Core Cultivation Techniques from the Five Great Secret Realms.’

’The reason outsiders can’t achieve this is probably because fusing the five Cultivation Techniques into the Secret Scripture requires a specific method.’

’A method known only to the absolute core members of the Five Elements Blessed Land.’

’But with the sudden disappearance of the Five Elements Blessed Land, the fusion method was lost as well.’

’That’s why the world believes the Five Elements Secret Scripture is lost. And yet, my script just managed to fuse two of the techniques.’

The Tier Five Cyan Wood Divine Refining Technique and the Turtle Water Defense Array had become the Tier Six Water Wood Divine Control Skill.

The panel as a whole hadn’t changed much; even the maximum experience required for his Cultivation hadn’t decreased.

’It seems that for cultivation in the Tai Chi Stage, both Tier Five and Tier Six Cultivation Techniques are already at the optimal level.’

Only the Spiritual Power Recovery and Experience Growth had doubled. While this might not seem like a huge change, for Zhang Deming’s cultivation progress, it represented an exponential boost.

And it wasn’t as simple as just doubling. Take Spiritual Power Recovery, for example.

Ordinary Tai Chi Cultivators generally used Tier Two Techniques and rarely used Tier Three.

Even if they could comprehend a Tier Four Technique, using it would be impossible, as they could not afford the Spiritual Power consumption.

Previously, Zhang Deming had never even considered upgrading a Technique to Tier Four during the Tai Chi Stage. There was a simple reason: even if he used Spirit Crystals, his Spiritual Power Recovery couldn’t keep up with the immense drain of a Tier Four Technique.

But now, he could actually attempt it.

Therefore, while his Spiritual Power Recovery had merely doubled on paper, its effect on the growth of Zhang Deming’s strength was far more than a simple twofold increase.

’Of course, I might not actually do it,’ Zhang Deming thought. ’After all, messing with Tier Four Techniques during the Tai Chi Stage is still really dangerous.’

’Law-Level Techniques are a massive leap.’

As for the Experience Growth, the improvement wasn’t as significant for Zhang Deming. Aside from Spirit Absorption Stones, even his Three-Star Cave Mansion hadn’t been able to push his previous Cultivation Technique to its limit.

Thus, the current increase only quickened the speed at which Zhang Deming could use Spirit Absorption Stones. But he didn’t lack the time for that; what he lacked were Spirit Stones...

’Well... I no longer lack the one or two Spirit Stones needed for everyday expenses.’

’What I lack are Spirit Stones in the thousands, the kind needed to rapidly advance my Cultivation.’

’Since the higher-ups believe I’m a ’reincarnation’, the typical drawbacks of rapid cultivation advancement no longer apply to me.’

So, he still lacked Spirit Stones—a massive quantity of Spirit Stones.

...

Now that he had digested his gains, it was time to consider the matter of the custom Glove Beads.

A Four-Star contract wasn’t something he could afford to violate. If he did, with his current Cultivation, he’d be hitting the jackpot just to survive with a single breath left in his body.

Zhang Deming closed the panel, tidied himself up, and left the Jade Delicacy Tower in high spirits.

Arriving once again at the Magic Pavilion on Hundred Arts Street, Zhang Deming was already quite familiar with the place, having been there several times before.

Of course, to be cautious, Zhang Deming had used a different face for each visit.

Zhang Deming expertly made his way to the second floor, where a Female Cultivator Attendant immediately approached him.

Before she could speak, Zhang Deming said, ”Which section is for Chess Dao Techniques? The book-based ones, for my own cultivation.”

The Apprentice Stage Female Cultivator Attendant paused for a moment, then smiled and said, ”This way, Senior!”

With a smile, she led Zhang Deming to the Chess Dao Technique section.

Upon reaching the area, Zhang Deming found quite a few bookshelves, each one filled with books.

They were primarily Tier Two and Tier Three Techniques, with the occasional Tier One book mixed in.

From this, it was clear that in the Hongmeng Realm, the Chess Dao was considered one of the major paths among the many Miscellaneous Arts.