The Programmer Cultivator

After all five were dead, Zhang Deming’s expression shifted slightly. The surrounding vines surged and searched the five bodies.

’What a bunch of paupers. They couldn’t even scrape together ten Spirit Stones.’

Then again, they were just starting out. It’s normal they hadn’t made a score and didn’t have anything. You don’t bring a fortune with you to go robbing, after all.

There were some miscellaneous scraps that might be worth about twenty Spirit Stones in total, but... ’it would be a bit humiliating to take this junk back and ask someone to sell it for me!’

Zhang Deming only picked up the Spirit Stones. He didn’t bother with anything else.

He waved his hand. The vines turned blood-red, sprouting from each corpse until the bodies were completely covered. After swaying for a moment, all the Ruby Vines dissolved into motes of light and vanished. The corpses on the ground had disappeared as well.

He looked at the clothes and the pile of junk on the ground. The array pulsed, concealing it all.

He paused. Then, struck by a wicked sense of humor, he casually tossed a Spirit Nurturing Bead for the Agility Technique into the mix.

’In a jungle like this, if it remains undiscovered for some time, maybe far in the future it’ll become a fortuitous encounter for some mortal or a newly-initiated Apprentice...’

’...who would then embark on the path of Cultivation and begin a legendary life, or something like that.’

Zhang Deming left the perimeter of the array, indulging in his wicked thoughts.

Once his Qi Replenishing was complete, he flew for another stretch before landing and breaking into a run. He repeated this cycle over and over.

After traveling like this for an hour or two, Zhang Deming was already far from Huayue City.

Suddenly, while moving at high speed, Zhang Deming came to an abrupt halt and dodged to the side.

A dagger materialized from thin air right where he had been standing, an attack he had barely managed to dodge.

Zhang Deming’s expression darkened. He stopped and looked toward his attacker: a figure completely shrouded in gray mist.

By now it was evening, and the primeval jungle was already dim. His opponent was like a shadow in the encroaching darkness.

’Close Combat Techniques? The Assassination Dao?’

Zhang Deming watched the figure, his brow furrowed. ’He’s like me, cultivating support techniques that are easily overlooked.’

’And he even has a direct Invisibility technique. The combination of the two makes it countless times more effective.’

After its first strike failed, the gray mist around the dark figure swirled, and it vanished completely.

Spiritual Light and runes flashed in Zhang Deming’s eyes as he dodged to the side again.

”Law Order: Here, Concealing Skills shall be completely suppressed by Pupil Skills.”

This was the first time Zhang Deming had used his Oratory skill at full power and in its fixed format since its upgrade and Fusion.

A strange ripple spread out along with the sound waves.

The previously invisible dark figure gradually became clear to Zhang Deming’s eyes.

”A Speech Cultivator?!” the dark figure spoke for the first time. Its voice was hoarse, deep, and laced with surprise.

The Assassination Dao was a powerful branch of Close Combat Techniques, but once its concealment effect was broken, its combat effectiveness would be drastically reduced.

Zhang Deming ignored the figure’s words. Now that he had a clear view of his opponent, he waved his hand, and the surrounding vines grew rapidly, shooting toward the dark figure to ensnare it.

At the same time, he made a grasping motion with his hand. Countless thread-like vines, nearly invisible to the naked eye, rapidly wove together in his palm, forming an emerald Long Sword. A Spiritual Shield also manifested around him.

The dark figure, surrounded by the vines, dissolved its body into a cloud of black smoke. After dodging the vines from all directions, it reformed and charged at Zhang Deming.

Wielding his Long Sword, Zhang Deming neither dodged nor retreated, choosing to engage his opponent in close combat.

The moment they clashed, they exchanged dozens of blows in a rapid exchange.

Having seen Zhang Deming use the Vine Technique and Oratory, the dark figure had assumed he was purely a Technique Cultivator.

It never expected Zhang Deming’s Swordsmanship to be so impressive as well.

In the middle of their fight, the dark figure hesitated, seeming to want to retreat. It might have been because this target was proving too difficult, or for some other reason.

”You dare get distracted while fighting me? Who gave you the nerve?”

The moment his opponent was distracted, Zhang Deming’s eyes turned cold. He tanked a dagger strike with his Spiritual Shield and unleashed a full-powered slash at the figure.

The dark figure stiffened. It dissolved into a cloud of dark smoke once more, pulling back to dodge Zhang Deming’s Long Sword attack before reforming.

Halfway through his swing, Zhang Deming let go of the Long Sword.

’Technique: Sword Control Skill!’

The moment he released it, the Long Sword shot forward like a streak of light, flying toward the dark figure, which had just reformed as it retreated.

The dark figure only had time to tilt its head. The Long Sword grazed its neck as it shot past, breaking the skin and drawing thin trails of blood.

A glint flashed in Zhang Deming’s eyes. ’That mist-form can’t be used twice in such a short period. That means he must be using an obscure technique from the Assassination Dao—Smoke Shadow Escape.’

’Now that I’ve figured out your main trick, things will be much easier.’

He beckoned at his opponent. The Long Sword, which had not flown far, spun around in mid-air and shot toward the dark figure’s back.

The dark figure was clearly rich in combat experience. The moment Zhang Deming let go of his Long Sword, it realized he was likely using the Sword Control Skill, a technique that every Sword Cultivator was sure to specialize in.

Therefore, after barely dodging the Long Sword, he didn’t stop, but instead performed several quick side flips to evade the sword’s returning attack.

As Zhang Deming caught the Long Sword once more, both of them paused for a moment.

After a brief standoff, just as Zhang Deming was about to close the distance again, the dark figure suddenly floated backward in retreat.