The Programmer Cultivator

Zhang Deming nodded. ”It’s a bargaining chip, but it’s not an even trade.

We help you avert extinction, and in return, you only help us access the trial?

If it were you, would you make a deal like that?”

Qing Danhong hesitated for a moment, then said, ”My clan is willing to once again become vassals to the Human Race, to serve as the Upper Immortals’ gardeners.”

Zhang Deming’s expression shifted; he was clearly tempted. Li Shifan’s voice transmitted to his ear, ”If we really manage to bring them back with us, we should be able to enter the Inner Sect without any conditions, right?”

Although Li Shifan was also tempted, he didn’t interrupt. After all, their roles had been set from the beginning.

Zhang Deming was playing the good cop, and he was the bad cop.

Zhang Deming looked at Qing Danhong and said, ”Hmm, that sounds a bit more interesting. So, have you figured out the cause of this mutation?”

Qing Danhong said, ”Our water source comes from the core area. The water is already polluted by the time it flows out of the Land of Trial.

But as a vassal clan, we cannot enter the Inner Sect Core Trial.”

”Ha! You really know how to do business.

In other words, to help you, we must enter the Inner Sect Trial and find out the cause.

And yet you’re using access to it as a bargaining chip?

Aren’t you being a little too clever with your deal-making?” Li Shifan interjected.

Qing Danhong looked at him and said, ”We have no other choice. We were forced to resort to this desperate measure.”

”So, regardless of whether we make a deal, we’ll have to go through the Inner Sect Core Trial either way, is that right?” Zhang Deming asked, looking at Qing Danhong.

Qing Danhong hesitated before nodding. ”Yes.”

”In that case, I’ll agree for now. We will do our best when the time comes, but as for whether we succeed, that will be up to fate.

But don’t worry too much. You arranged for the Secret Realm to open this time, didn’t you?

If we really can’t solve the problem, you all have the option of leaving the Secret Realm. Our Sect can still provide you with a place to survive.

So, at the very least, you have a guaranteed way to avoid extinction,” Zhang Deming replied calmly.

Hearing this, Qing Danhong pondered for a moment, then bowed to Zhang Deming again. ”We thank you two Upper Immortals in advance for your great kindness. The Cyan Wood Flower Demon Spirit Race will always remember this.”

A small smile touched Zhang Deming’s lips. The Cyan Wood Flower Demon race didn’t make promises lightly, as they held them in the highest regard.

With a smile, Zhang Deming said, ”Let’s dispense with the pleasantries. First, tell us about the situation in the Secret Realm.”

Qing Danhong paused for a moment, then began, ”Since the Cyan Wood Secret Realm fell and went into Concealment, its four sections have been isolated from each other.

The first is the Entry Level trial on the periphery, which was previously used to assess whether Outer Sect Disciples could enter the Inner Sect.

Only by passing the trial could one be considered to have entered the Cyan Wood Secret Realm and be counted as a Disciple of Cyan Wood Heaven.

The second part consists of the two regions where our Flower Demon clan lives: the Flower Sea Ancestral Land, our birthplace, and the current Cyan Wood Forest.

The two areas were originally connected, but they are now separated by the Ghost Vines.

In the past, they were mostly used as Blessed Lands for various kinds of planting or raising creatures.

They later became our clan’s main home, but as we fell into decline, they have fallen into complete desolation.

Finally, there is the core region: the Inner Sect Core Land of Trial.

By passing the trial, one can live in the core of the Cyan Wood Secret Realm and gain unrestricted access to the entire realm.

In the past, many Inner Sect Disciples, Core Disciples, Direct Disciples, and the like used to live inside.

Later, they all disappeared. According to our clan’s records, no one has entered it for a very long time.

That’s the general situation of the Cyan Wood Secret Realm.

Do you two Upper Immortals wish to enter the trial now?”

Zhang Deming waved his hand. ”No hurry. We just got here. Let’s look around first.”

The three of them talked for a while longer. After they had finished their discussion, at Zhang Deming’s request to look around, Qing Danhong began to guide the two of them on a tour of their clan’s lands.

·········

The entire valley was shaped like a giant gourd.

The upper part was the living area of the Flower Demon Elves, the Snow Crystal Forest.

A large part of this area was covered in Snow Crystal Trees, a type of low-grade, Non-Star Spirit Wood.

It had a weak effect similar to a Spirit-Storage Tree, helping to refresh the mind and spirit.

Therefore, the Flower Demon Elves used it as their habitat.

As Zhang Deming and Li Shifan toured the area, they could sense the former prosperity and peaceful life of the Flower Demon Elves.

In the Snow Crystal Forest, many of the trees had exquisite or elegant treehouses.

But now, apart from the few near Qing Danhong’s home, most were empty.

Instead of adding a lively atmosphere to the forest, these empty treehouses gave off a sense of desolation and somberness.

After a tour of the area, the two arrived at the ”neck” of the gourd-shaped valley.

Passing through the opening at the ”waist” of the gourd, the view suddenly opened up. It was no longer an endless expanse of trees.

The bottom of the gourd was a vast canyon plain, more than twice the size of the Snow Crystal Forest they had just left.

Still surrounded by mountains, there wasn’t a single tree in the canyon. It was a sea of flowers—a uniform expanse of pink blossoms in full bloom.

The entire Flower Sea was made up of only two types of plants.

Well... to be more precise, it was one species of plant, with two different varieties.

The base plants were all these pink flowers. Every half-acre or so, an exceptionally tall Flower Wood stood amidst the sea of flowers.

They were evenly distributed throughout the Flower Sea. The Flower Woods were the same species as the flowers in the sea, just exceptionally large.

Within the pink blossom at the top of each, a petite figure was being nurtured, all of them sleeping peacefully like infants.

But upon closer inspection, one would discover that these tall Flower Woods seemed to possess an exceptional Spirituality.

The few remaining Flower Demon Elves fluttered about the Flower Sea, meticulously tending to it.

The arrival of Qing Danhong with Zhang Deming and Li Shifan instantly attracted the attention of several Flower Demons, causing a slight commotion.

But they quickly settled down because of Qing Danhong’s presence.

Several Flower Demons, surrounding a delicate little girl, flew forward. After curiously sizing up Zhang Deming and Li Shifan, they looked at Qing Danhong and asked, ”Aunt Hong, are they from the Human Race?”

Qing Danhong replied, ”Yes. Don’t disturb the two Upper Immortals. Go on about your business.”

The small Flower Demons looked curiously at Zhang Deming and Li Shifan before reluctantly flying back.

Qing Danhong smiled at Zhang Deming and Li Shifan. ”These children are young and haven’t seen much of the world. Please forgive them, Upper Immortals.”

Zhang Deming didn’t respond to that. Instead, he looked at the Flower Sea and said, ”I recall that both Flower Demons and Flower Demon Elves can be birthed from flowers.

But after a Flower Demon Elf fully gains its Spiritual Wisdom, adult Flower Demon Elves can start to mate and reproduce, can’t they?

Since reproducing through the Flower Woods has become so difficult, why not try to reproduce through mating?”

”What you’re referring to, Upper Immortal, are the mixed-blood Flower Demon Elves. That is also the reason why Flower Demon Elves are classified as a Sub-Human Race,” Qing Danhong replied.

Zhang Deming asked, bewildered, ”Mixed-blood?”

Qing Danhong nodded. ”Yes. Only mixed-blood Flower Demon Elves, born from unions with the Human Race, possess the ability to reproduce with other Flower Demon Elves.”

Zhang Deming glanced at the petite figures of the Flower Demons, his expression turning strange.

The Flower Demon Elves were all incredibly beautiful and delicate, but at only a meter tall, regardless of gender... ’Wouldn’t any human who could bring themselves to mate with one have to be a bit of a pervert?’

Perhaps reading the meaning behind Zhang Deming’s expression, Qing Danhong explained, ”The first mixed-blood Flower Demons were mostly of the Royal Race.

The Royal Race Flower Demons were not only exceptionally beautiful but also stood out for their height among the Flower Demons.

They generally stood between 1.5 and 1.6 meters tall, which, to a human, would only be considered petite, not strangely so.

It was also because the Royal Race was so beautiful that the Flower Demon Elf Royal Family needed to seek the protection of a patron when living in the outside world.

Otherwise, survival would have been extremely difficult. This is also why we chose a life of seclusion.

The Royal Race no longer wished to curry favor and serve the Human Race.”