The Programmer Cultivator

Zhang Deming watched his reaction, his brow furrowing slightly as he asked in confusion, ”And why is that?”

Qin Shizhong said in a low voice, ”Martial Uncle, giving me these things is just a waste of materials. It took me a full fifteen years just to comprehend the *Snake Body Transformation*.

After all these years, if I had any chance of comprehending the *Dragon and Snake Transformation*, I would have had some inkling of it by now.

I can recite the *Dragon and Snake Transformation* backwards and forwards, but I don’t even know which way the door to this Technique opens. I don’t have the slightest clue about it. It’s completely hopeless.

Not to mention, to use the Two-Tailed Spirit Fox for my promotion, I would also need to comprehend the Tier Two *Powerful Ape Transformation*. I can’t even manage the Tier One *Monkey Transformation*.

If I were to take these two sets of materials, they would only end up collecting dust in my warehouse, and your painstaking efforts, Martial Uncle, would all be for naught.”

Hearing this, Zhang Deming’s expression cleared with understanding. So that was the reason.

He understood this quite well. ’For Disciples with insufficient Talent, resources are often not the biggest problem. No, that’s not quite right... Hmm... Rather, they haven’t even reached the point where they need to worry about resources.

The first insurmountable barrier blocking their promotion is the most fundamental problem: comprehending the Techniques.

To reach Tai Chi, the ideal scenario is to use a Tier Two Mastery Level Technique to activate the Rune Core.

This alone provides at least a twenty percent bonus to the success rate. If you only have a technique at Tier One Mastery, that bonus drops by over five, or even a full ten, percentage points.

If your technique is only at Tier One Entry, Proficient, or Control Level, not only do you get no bonus, it actually becomes an obstacle to your promotion.

Even if you gather all the materials, you’d be lucky if one out of several hundred managed to advance to Tai Chi.

Of course, if you have no materials at all but your Cultivation is sufficient, you could imitate the Ancient Cultivators and attempt a ’naked’ promotion. But the success rate for that... it’s just pathetically low!

These days, even those with Immortal Spirit Roots rarely dare to be so reckless. That alone tells you something.

Not only is the success rate pathetic, but you’re also extremely vulnerable to a severe backlash. Permanent injury is a light outcome; one wrong move and you could die, your Dao utterly collapsing.

It’s just like medicine in my past life. In ancient times, if you got injured, you relied entirely on your body’s resilience to fight it off. The slightest carelessness could lead to a fatal infection.

But as times developed, modern medicine brought a whole host of specialized drugs and treatments. How many idiots would still try to just tough it out?

Promotion in Hongmeng today follows the exact same logic.’

This was also one of the fundamental reasons why, despite Loose Cultivators being as numerous as the sea and Tai Chi Cultivators living for up to four or five hundred years, there were still extremely few Tai Chi-level Loose Cultivators. In fact, it was the most important reason.

Seeing this, Zhang Deming spoke up, ”Do you remember what I said half a year ago?”

Qin Shizhong paused. This time, he nodded and said, ”I remember. Martial Uncle told me not to rush my promotion, that waiting a while would be no... harm...”

Before he could finish his sentence, a strange light flickered in his eyes as he looked at Zhang Deming.

Zhang Deming smiled. ”Figured it out? That’s right. If you choose this second option, I’ll help you with the Foundation Establishment Technique. I’ll find Steward Zhang Wu and resolve the matter for you.

But if I do that, you’ll truly be selling yourself to me. Do you have any idea how much all of this is worth? Most of these things are items that have a price but can’t be found on the market.”

Qin Shizhong was completely stunned. Seeing his reaction, Zhang Deming deliberately frowned and said, ”What? Unwilling? Then you can just pick the first option.”

”I’m willing! I am willing!” Qin Shizhong snapped back to his senses and replied quickly.

Zhang Deming smiled. ”So you’re choosing the second option?”

Qin Shizhong immediately nodded. ”Yes, I choose the second option. I choose the promotion assistance.”

Zhang Deming nodded. ”Then how many Spirit Stones do you have right now?”

Qin Shizhong hesitated. Zhang Deming looked at him and said, ”What, are you afraid I’m going to take your Spirit Stones?”

Qin Shizhong immediately replied, ”Five thousand!”

Zhang Deming was slightly taken aback. ’No wonder he hesitated,’ he thought. ’Damn, that’s dozens of times more than what eighty percent of the Tai Chi Cultivators in the Sect have!’

Fearing a misunderstanding, Qin Shizhong quickly said, ”I didn’t earn this much from our previous material trades, Martial Uncle.

A small part of these Spirit Stones is from back then, but the majority is from seventy percent of the shop’s revenue from ordinary goods over the last six months. Also, a number of Disciples inexplicably gave some to me as offerings of respect.

In that regard...”

Zhang Deming waved his hand. ”The fact that you can make money is your own skill. You don’t need to explain all this to me.”

Zhang Deming paused, then said, ”Since you have so many Spirit Stones, I can rest easy. I won’t have to worry about the formulas anymore.

I’ve provided you with the most difficult part, the main materials. As for the Auxiliary Materials, since you work at the Flying Spring Waterfall Tower, you’ll definitely have access. You just need to earn some Contribution points and exchange them.

As for the second Tai Chi Bloodline, what do you want to choose? A Dragon and Snake type?”

’With the Two-Tailed Spirit Fox, his advancement would definitely center on a dual transformation. One part was the gravity-based Qiu Ape on the table; the second part was up to him.’

Qin Shizhong nodded. ”Yes. After all, I’m familiar with snake-type transformations, having meditated on them for so many years. It would be the easiest for me to get the hang of.”

Zhang Deming nodded. ”Alright. In that case, choose an agility-and-speed-type Dragon and Snake for your snake transformation. It would be best to find a rare Poisonous Dragon Python. Remember, don’t get a common Power-Constrictor Dragon Python.

After all, your main focus will be a dual transformation. The Powerful Ape is already positioned as a ’meat shield,’ so it’s best to position the Dragon and Snake Transformation as an agile attacker.”

Although the terms Zhang Deming used were unfamiliar, they were quite easy to understand, and Qin Shizhong got the gist.

He listened quietly, nodding only after a long moment. ”I’ll remember that,” he said.

Hearing this, Zhang Deming nodded. ”Alright. If there’s nothing else, you can go and start preparing. Once I’ve contacted Steward Zhang Wu, we’ll know if this fortuitous opportunity is yours to have.”

...