The Programmer Cultivator

Spirit Root: Twenty-one points.

Number of Tests: Fifty-seven, with none missed.

The two men stared at the file and froze. The words ”fifty-seven tests” in particular made their brows twitch.

A Spirit Root test in the Sect was never performed more than five times. At least, neither of them had ever heard of it happening more than that.

As long as there was no foul play, five tests were more than enough to thoroughly ascertain every aspect of a person’s aptitude.

But fifty-seven times? ’Hell, do they think these Spirit Root tests don’t consume the Sect’s resources?’

The first one or two were fine, as they were at most preliminary scans. But from the third test onward, the examinations had to be incredibly detailed.

Otherwise, what was the point of repeating it so many times if you couldn’t find anything new?

Therefore, these fifty-seven tests weren’t just simple scans with a Spirit Testing Disc. This was practically a showcase of every single testing method the Spirit Testing Department had at its disposal.

Ten years in the Sect, and fifty-seven damn tests. ’Is he treating Spirit Root testing like an annual physical?’

Coming in five or six times a year? ’Was he auditing the Spirit Testing Department to see if they were just a bunch of slackers?’

’Or was he pushing them to research new Spirit Root testing methods?’

For such a ridiculous record to even exist, there was only one possibility. In the entire Sect, only one person could get away with something so outrageous in broad daylight.

For most Disciples, something like this would be a black mark on their record, but for *that* woman...

Yang Sinan’s expression darkened as he looked at Zhou Tong. ”Senior Brother Zhou,” he said, ”if you keep staring, I’ll have to shamelessly deny ever seeing this. You can deal with Master Yuee by yourself then!”

Zhou Tong’s face stiffened. He sheepishly closed the Light Screen and explained, ”My hand slipped. Right, it slipped. I didn’t see a thing.”

Beside them, Dang Qian and Fang Qing were staring intently at the ruins, their heads tilted up as if they hadn’t noticed the exchange at all.

Seeing this, the two men were even more exasperated.

Li Shifan had been watching the entire bizarre exchange, completely baffled.

He looked down at Zhang Deming, whom he was supporting, his gaze growing profound. ’Looks like this senior brother of mine is far more mysterious than I ever imagined!’

’Next, I might really need to look into his past.’

”Tell us what happened inside,” Zhou Tong said, turning to the bowing Li Shifan after closing the Light Screen.

At his words, Dang Qian and Fang Qing also turned to look at Li Shifan.

Li Shifan began, ”Answering you, Masters, after Senior Brother Zhang and I entered, we went through a trial...”

Li Shifan gave a truthful and concise account of their experience, though he naturally left some things out.

When Li Shifan finally finished his story, Zhou Tong and the other three fell silent. After a moment, Dang Qian frowned, his expression grave as he said:

”You’re saying there’s a mutated ocean inside, formed from Karma fused with many other things?”

Li Shifan nodded, then immediately shook his head. ”I didn’t say it. Elder Huang did.”

”Elder Huang? The senior who appeared earlier as an Incarnation?

What’s your relationship with him? What is his Cultivation level? Who is he, exactly?” Fang Qing’s expression shifted as he pressed for answers.

Li Shifan said, ”I’m not too sure myself. Why don’t you ask my Li Family Ancestor?”

”Your family’s Ancestor? Who’s that?” Fang Qing asked doubtfully.

Li Shifan took a deep breath. ’Things have come to this. I clearly can’t keep a low profile in the Outer Sect anymore. My only choice is to reveal as much of my value as possible.’

As Li Shifan closed his eyes, a Scroll appeared above his head.

Zhou Tong frowned. ”A Lifebound Painting from the Painting Dao? Isn’t he a Sword Cultivator? What the hell is this?”

Before he could say more, the Scroll slowly unfurled, and the figure of a young man emerged from within.

”An ascended Lifebound Painting! And his surname is Li?” Fang Qing’s expression shifted.

Of the four, the most stunned was the refined-looking Dang Qian. He stared blankly at Li Cheng’s figure for a moment, then performed a deep bow. ”Master Li? I trust you’ve been well!”

His voice was laced with a world-weary nostalgia, filled with a torrent of emotions.

Li Cheng’s gaze swept over the four before landing on Dang Qian. He smiled. ”Dang... Junior Brother, you’ve been well, too. With your current Cultivation, you really shouldn’t address me like that anymore.

It’s been two hundred years since we last saw each other, hasn’t it?”

”Two hundred and thirty-one years, Master,” Dang Qian replied with a smile.

”Time really does fly. In over two hundred years, the little fellow from back then has already become a Duality Great Cultivator.

And yet my Li Family... has fallen to such a state. The ways of the world are truly fickle,” Li Cheng lamented.

A world-weary look also crossed Dang Qian’s face. ”Senior Brother Li... he...”

”Dead. He wouldn’t listen to my advice. He insisted on begging me to intervene for the family’s sake, time and time again, until his Qi Fortune was completely exhausted. His luck turned so foul he died from sheer Unbelievable Misfortune,” Li Cheng said sadly.

”A pity. Senior Brother Li’s Talent back then was much greater than mine,” Dang Qian said.

Li Cheng said, ”You and he were the closest back then. Seeing the heights you’ve reached today, I’m sure he can rest a little more peacefully.”

Dang Qian just smiled. ”It was all just good luck.”

”Good luck is a wonderful thing to have. Luck is more important than Talent,” Li Cheng said mournfully.

Dang Qian’s expression stiffened. He quickly changed the subject, looking at Li Shifan. ”Master Li, this is?”

Li Cheng laughed. ”Just call me Senior Brother. ’Master’ is too improper. This is the last heir of my Li Family.”

Dang Qian had an I-knew-it look on his face. ”So, Senior Brother, you’re once again...”

Li Cheng nodded. ”Yes. Once again playing the role of the ancestor who exploits him from behind the scenes!”

Hearing this jest, a nostalgic look appeared on Dang Qian’s face.

It was a joke from back when he was still a nobody, one he shared with the most talented Li Family Disciple of that generation.

”I was the one who was presumptuous back then. Please don’t tease me about it anymore, Senior Brother,” Dang Qian said.

”And this is...?”

Seeing how familiar the two were, Zhou Tong interjected.

”Look at me, getting caught up in reminiscing. Senior Brother Li, let me introduce you,” Dang Qian said, turning to the others.

”This is Zhou Tong, a Disciple from the law-enforcing Zhou Family.

This is Fang Qing, the current supervisor of the Array Department.

And this is Yang Sinan, from the Yang Family which manages resources.”

He then turned to introduce him to the three: ”This is Li Cheng, the Ancestor of the Li Family, a peripheral Tai Chi Clan.”

Fang Qing had an I-knew-it look on his face and said, ”So, the notoriously unlucky...”

”Yes. That Li Family,” Dang Qian said, cutting off Fang Qing’s thoughtless remark.

Everyone present was an old monster who had lived for at least a century. They were all quite knowledgeable about the Sect, or at least about its more public affairs.

Thus, they all knew a thing or two about the Li Family. After all, both Li Cheng and the Li Family had been quite famous back in the day.

On one hand, there was Li Cheng and his Lifebound Painting. On the other, there was the Li Family’s famed Unbelievable Misfortune.

Back when the Li Family was still somewhat prominent, some of its Disciples had such awful luck they’d literally step in dog crap the moment they walked out the door. Many people kept their distance.

After they exchanged brief pleasantries, Dang Qian spoke, ”Senior Brother Li, we summoned you to ask about that senior, Elder Huang.”

Li Cheng shook his head at the question. ”Don’t bother looking into Elder Huang’s affairs. I don’t know the details myself.”

Dang Qian frowned. ”Senior Brother Li, with an answer like that, I won’t be able to report back to the Master.”

Li Cheng laughed. ”It’s no use trying to pressure me with the Sect’s Master. I truly don’t know much about Elder Huang’s affairs, and I wouldn’t dare to speculate carelessly.

It’s just as he said: we are merely junior Disciples who share some history with him.

Rather than worrying about that, you should be more concerned about the Secret Realm.

If I’m not mistaken, something has gone wrong in the back of the Hengduan Mountain Range, hasn’t it?”

Hearing this, Dang Qian nodded. ”Yes, and it’s a major problem.

Several of the Sect’s Masters have been investigating the area for over a year, but they still can’t find the source.

The Masters say it might involve a mutation related to Karma.”

Li Cheng said, ”Then you should quickly notify the Sect to send more people.”

Dang Qian nodded and said, ”Don’t worry about that, Senior Brother. We’ve already sent word. I expect they will arrive any moment now.”