The Programmer Cultivator

THWUMP...

With a strange, soft sound, the Long Sword struck the Shield. Zhang Deming’s face turned pale; even his Tier Three Shield, supported by his Duality Cultivation, had almost shattered.

HISS...

’What the hell is this thing? I can’t sense any Cultivation from it, so why is its attack so powerful?’

’This attack’s intensity... it’s at least on par with a standard technique from a Three Talents cultivator!’

Zhang Deming’s expression changed drastically. Light Wings materialized on his back. The instant the second Sword arrived, he quickly sidestepped, attempting to dodge the second Long Sword’s attack.

But as soon as he sidestepped, the second Long Sword flickered and instantly reappeared before Zhang Deming. It was immeasurably faster than him, and it once again slashed down on his Shield.

THWUMP... CRACK...

With another soft sound, the Spiritual Shield shattered completely. Before he could react, the first Long Sword slashed at him again.

The instant the Sword’s light struck, Zhang Deming exploded into a cloud of threads that scattered in all directions.

The two pursuing Long Swords paused for a moment. Then, a Spiritual Light surged from them as they prepared to slash at the scattered Jade Threads.

Displaying an unusual Spirituality, the threads swiftly reconverged, and a figure reformed. The moment Zhang Deming’s body materialized, the Sword Shadow was already before him again.

’This isn’t working!’

’This thing’s speed is on a completely different level. If I keep dodging, it’s only a matter of time before I get hit.’

A thought flashed through Zhang Deming’s mind, and his figure flickered.

Technique: Vine Body Incarnation.

A Vine Technique Clone appeared where he stood, while Zhang Deming transformed into invisible threads, activating his Escape Skill.

Just then, the two Sword Shadows slashed down in unison on Zhang Deming’s Vine Technique Clone.

The instant their light struck the body, the Sword Shadows flickered. The illusory blades turned solid in that flash, and a single slash diced the new clone into several pieces.

Meanwhile, Zhang Deming’s figure materialized a short distance away. With a surge of Spiritual Power, he activated a Technique.

Developed Technique: Vine Body Stab!

As the Technique activated, countless Jade Spikes erupted from the severed clone, each one shimmering with a dreamy light.

The two Sword Shadows had just struck the clone, their momentum spent. They were, without a doubt, impaled by the Jade Vines on the clone’s body.

KRA-ACK...

Once the spikes pierced their blades, the two Sword Shadows shattered, exploding into pools of Spiritual Light on the ground.

Zhang Deming was momentarily stunned. He had only intended it as a probing attack. He never thought that the incredibly ferocious-looking Sword Shadows would be so lopsided in their abilities.

Their attack was maxed out, but their Physique and defense were practically nonexistent. They were so fragile the word ”fragile” didn’t even cover it. A single probing attack from his Dream Skill-enhanced Jade Spikes had been enough to annihilate them.

The sheer contrast made Zhang Deming pause; it took him a moment to process what had happened.

CLINK...

A faint sound caught Zhang Deming’s attention. He looked over and saw that when the two Sword Shadows shattered, two small, thumb-sized orbs had fallen to the ground.

With a flicker of interest, Zhang Deming sent a Jade Vine slithering out to retrieve the two orbs. Looking at the orbs, which seemed both real and illusory, a Spiritual Light flashed in his eyes.

’This is?’

’A Spirit Bead from a Spirit Body?’

’No, that’s not right!’

’Why does it also look like a Soul Bead from a Soul Body?’

The vast amount of information he had crammed over the past year felt insufficient at this moment. Zhang Deming was puzzled, unable to immediately figure out what they were.

He didn’t inspect them further, instead storing them away with a flick of his hand. He turned to survey the battlefield. Because everyone had intentionally spread out, Zhang Deming was now some distance from the others.

As Zhang Deming looked over, the scene was rather interesting. Nangong Cheng was currently standing with Tong Hou and Feng Mingyou, two Sword Shadows hovering before them.

The three of them stood motionless, as if trapped within a Crystal Ball chessboard patterned with a Yin Yang Fish.

Zhang Deming had thought Li Shifan, who should have been struggling the most, would be in a worse state. But while he looked somewhat battered, he was standing perfectly still and clutching his Long Sword. His aura pulsed, making him seem like an upright sword himself.

A Sword Shadow circled him relentlessly. With its extremely low Spiritual Wisdom, the Sword Shadow was completely unable to distinguish Li Shifan from an actual sword.

However, it seemed to sense that something was not quite right, so it didn’t leave, just continuing to circle Li Shifan.

Looking at the two combat zones—one guy pretending to be a sword, the other group flat-out immobilized—Zhang Deming was a bit speechless.

It seemed that none of them had any effective means to deal with these strange Spirit Bodies; they were all at a loss. Shaking his head, Zhang Deming turned his gaze to Li Shifan first.

Li Shifan’s expression was tense, and he remained completely still. His entire aura was entwined with the Long Sword in his hands, merging with the surrounding environment.

He had become not just like a sword, but a sword with an aura remarkably similar to the Sword Shadow’s.

Watching the Sword Shadow circle Li Shifan nonstop, Zhang Deming wondered, if he didn’t intervene, would the Sword Shadow eventually take a liking to him?

’For example, what if it mistakes him for a scabbard and, in a fit of excitement, tries to plunge into Li Shifan’s body?’

After letting his thoughts wander bizarrely, Zhang Deming snapped back to reality. A dream-like light emanated from his hands, and he pressed them to the ground.

Developed Technique: Thorny Dreamland Spike!

Jade-like spikes, shimmering with a surreal glow, erupted from the ground at Li Shifan’s feet. Under Zhang Deming’s control, they scraped past his body as they shot toward the sky.

Thanks to Zhang Deming’s control, although there were countless spikes all around Li Shifan, not one of them pierced him.

But even for someone with a Qi Cultivation Skill like Li Shifan, his body trembled. He went completely stiff, an intense chill running from the soles of his feet to his crotch. For some reason, the memory of what happened to Qiu Ape surfaced in his mind.

Surrounded by the spikes, Li Shifan even forgot about the danger. Gazing at the exceptionally beautiful Jade Spikes all around him, he only felt his asshole clench and his balls go cold. His face couldn’t help but twitch.

...