The Programmer Cultivator

Upon seeing this, Zhang Deming paused again. Under the watchful eyes of the trio, a vine extended, took the Protective Talisman, and placed it on the tea table. ”Well then, I thank you for your kind gesture, Master,” he said.

The old monk Fuyuan replied, ”It is nothing more than the Karma Technique at work.”

After he spoke, he turned his head away again. The scholar, Gu Donglin, gave Zhang Deming a puzzled glance before turning to look at the old monk with an inscrutable expression.

Zhang Deming didn’t hear a word of the ensuing conversation. ’A textbook case of getting what you want and then pretending you don’t know the person.’

Just then, the Law Enforcement Team patrol arrived. Seeing this, the strange trio walked over to them. The scholar, Gu Donglin, stepped forward, and the entire patrol treated him with great respect.

A moment later, the trio, the Law Enforcement Team, and a nun all vanished from the street.

Zhang Deming watched them disappear, then glanced back at the Protective Talisman on the table. He had no intention of picking it up.

’As cautious as I am, I can’t just accept random things from strangers while I’m out, especially something this mysterious.’

’If it weren’t for the situation just now, I wouldn’t have even taken it. I just didn’t want to cause any strange trouble by refusing.’

After sitting quietly for a long while, Zhang Deming finally rose and left. The Protective Talisman he’d left behind on the table began to shimmer faintly.

Zhang Deming didn’t linger; he returned directly to the Huayue Spirit Tower.

As soon as he entered his room, Zhang Deming’s expression shifted. His Heart Spirit entered the Spirit Nurturing Space, where a scene was playing out.

The scene depicted the Outer Sect of the Celestial Spirit Sect, inside a Two-Star Cave Mansion used specifically for Tai Chi promotions.

In the scene, Tong Hou sat quietly for a long time before taking a deep breath. His hands immediately began to move in a blur of motion.

As his hands flew, he opened his mouth and spat out a somewhat blurry Rune Light Ball.

The light ball already contained fragments of Runes. Clearly, his Foundation Establishment Technique had already progressed to the second stage: the level of Control.

After spitting out the Rune Ball, he proceeded to spit several mouthfuls of Essence Qi onto it.

His ruddy complexion instantly turned deathly pale, and he became incredibly weak.

He paused for a moment to recover, then focused his mind. He picked up the various materials before him and, following the promotion method detailed in his Cultivation Technique, transformed them into countless motes of Spiritual Light which he then directed into the ball of runic light.

As he worked, the fragments within the ball of runes slowly began to piece themselves together, becoming more complete.

Eventually, an illusory chessboard materialized within the ball of runes. There were a few pieces on the board, which had the pattern of a Yin Yang Fish as its background.

The instant the Rune was perfected, a powerful Spiritual Power Sea Absorption rapidly formed, encompassing a vast area.

Fueled by an endless influx of Spiritual Power, the Rune slowly solidified until it transformed into a stream of light and flew into the space between his eyebrows.

At this point, the playback of the scene ended. However, unlike the Enlightenment Dao visions, it didn’t disappear but began to play again on a loop.

Meanwhile, in Zhang Deming’s ’warehouse’, the clusters of Qi Fortune began to churn rapidly, condensing one after another.

When everything had stabilized, Zhang Deming found that his Qi Fortune had increased by a full twenty points, but he hadn’t gained a single point of Merit.

’I have to admit, Tong Hou is one very woolly sheep. Too bad it’s white wool. If only it were golden!’

Zhang Deming checked his warehouse stats. Merit: 21.4, Qi Fortune: 207.6, Karma: 2.4.

Now, with three people practicing the Tai Chi he’d taught, Zhang Deming had a general idea of how to acquire this Energy.

’It seems Destiny Alteration provides the greatest gains, but to be sure of the details, I’ll need to observe Xu Weihai’s promotion.’

’If circumstances allow, I should find someone with absolutely no chance of ever cultivating to serve as a proper control for my test.’

’Of course, those are just minor points of comparison. For now, the general strategy is already clear.’

’Once I get back from this trip, I can start making moves to ’raise’ some more lambs and shear their wool.’

...

「Several days passed in a flash.」

Over these few days, Zhang Deming had familiarized himself with Huayue City.

On this day, Huayue City’s grandest event, the Huayue United Auction, finally arrived, eagerly anticipated by countless Cultivators.

Zhang Deming’s morning routine was the same as always: he woke up, exercised, washed up, and ate breakfast.

Since he had a VIP card and a private room reserved for him, Zhang Deming was in no rush. He waited until it was nearly time, then leisurely made his way to the Huayue Auction House.

By the time he arrived, the auction was about to begin, but there was still a steady stream of people entering the venue.

Instead of joining the ordinary queue, Zhang Deming went directly to a small side entrance not far from the main gate.

Two disciples stood guard there.

”Greetings, Senior. This is the VIP entrance. Please present your VIP card,” one of the disciples said, looking at Zhang Deming.

With a flick of his hand, Zhang Deming produced the VIP card that the Wugong Sect had given him.

The disciple inspected it and, without returning it, gestured for him to enter.

Zhang Deming followed him through the door and found a line of Female Cultivators standing just inside.

’Every single one of them,’ he thought, ’would be considered a peerless beauty by the standards of my past life. And not the kind who look terrifying without makeup, either—they were all naturally stunning.’

The guard handed the VIP card to the Female Cultivator at the front of the line, then bowed to Zhang Deming. ”Senior, this Disciple will escort you to your private room.”

Zhang Deming nodded, and the guard turned and left.

The Female Cultivator glanced at the VIP card and stepped forward with a smile. ”Senior, your room is in the Primary VIP section, room number one twenty-one. This way, please.”

Zhang Deming paused for a second, then followed the Female Cultivator for a short distance until they arrived at the door to his room.