The Programmer Cultivator

After all, he and one other person were the only ones to escape in recent years. And what happened right after? The Celestial Spirit Sect discovered the Turtle Water Secret Realm. It’d be strange if he didn’t have a hand in that.

If we drag this out, I’m afraid something will happen to the ancestral land. Losing the Turtle Water Secret Realm is no big deal.

If something happens to the ancestral land, the Celestial Heart Altar will have very little protection before the ritual begins. If it’s discovered, the altar could easily be destroyed.

And if the Celestial Heart Altar is truly destroyed, all our years of preparation will have been for nothing.”

Guann Zhenzhen froze upon hearing this. ”But you...” she said.

Qu Wenbai said, ”I can’t worry about that now. We have to act first.”

With that, his black, mist-like form floated out of the listless boy’s body and returned to his own. Simultaneously, black mist floated out from the three other boys surrounding his main body, merging into Qu Wenbai as well.

The stooped figure of Qu Wenbai opened his eyes and staggered to his feet.

”COUGH, COUGH...”

The moment he stood, he began to cough uncontrollably, spitting up a good deal of fresh blood and flecks of internal organs.

”Your injuries?” Guann Zhenzhen asked with a frown.

”The Blessed Fortune Cultivator wounded my origin soul, and then an Elder from the Celestial Spirit Sect aggravated it. The damage has taken root, so it won’t heal properly anytime soon.

But it doesn’t matter. If we can get this started successfully, with the Celestial Heart Altar, none of this will be a problem,” Qu Wenbai said nonchalantly, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth and suppressing another cough.

As he spoke, he staggered toward the square outside the grand hall. Seeing this, Guann Zhenzhen quickly moved to follow him out of the hall and onto a high platform overlooking the square.

At this moment, the vast majority of the Qu Family’s Cultivators from the clan lands were already gathered here.

Each one was shrouded in a faint, grey-black Soul Mist. Their expressions were listless, and their eyes were devoid of light, clearly all of them under control.

Looking at the square full of his clansmen, Qu Wenbai murmured, ”You can’t blame me for this fate. If you must blame someone, blame your clan head for attempting to betray the Qu Family.”

As he spoke, a massive Soul Shadow wielding a scythe slowly materialized behind him.

As the figure moved, all the Disciples in the square were released from their control, but every one of them had lost their minds. Their expressions turned ghastly, like vengeful spirits.

The instant they could move, every single person went berserk, pouncing on the Disciples around them.

Some opened their mouths and bit down, tearing chunks of flesh from others and swallowing them whole.

Other Disciples lunged at the women, regardless of age, their eyes bloodshot as they began to thrust, completely ignoring others tearing at their own bodies.

Some Disciples were even more frenzied, using their bare fists—devoid of any Spiritual Light—to beat other Disciples to a bloody pulp, each punch landing with sickening impact.

In just a few moments, the clean square had become a purgatory on earth. All manner of sins were slowly born from the carnage.

Wisps of intensely evil soul qi rose from the square and drifted toward Qu Wenbai. Both he and Guann Zhenzhen watched it all with detached indifference.

Behind the pair, the controlled Qu Qingxian and Qu Zhiwen could only watch helplessly. They watched their juniors meet such a miserable end, watched all the atrocities unfolding in the square, their eyes nearly splitting with rage.

The younger Qu Zhiwen glared so intensely that the corners of his eyes tore, trickling blood. He stared at Qu Wenbai and his companion with a look of absolute hatred.

Qu Qingxian tried to move his body one last time. After seeing the scene before him, he stopped trying and, without any ritual, began to chant loudly, ”Infinite Hongmeng, root of all spirits...”

He had barely begun to speak when Qu Wenbai and Guann Zhenzhen both stiffened. Qu Wenbai simply raised a hand and waved, and Qu Qingxian was instantly silenced.

Still, a very faint wisp of an aura managed to spread out.

”This aura... is it an Incarnation Spell Order? Does your Qu Family have other members out there?” Guann Zhenzhen asked with a frown.

Qu Wenbai shook his head. ”I’m not entirely sure. After I was sealed by that Demon Monk from Leiyin Temple, I lost contact with the branch that was sent out.”

”Then what is this?” Guann Zhenzhen asked.

”I don’t know either, but a little Enchanting Soul will tell us!” As he finished speaking, a black, dreamlike light began to glow in his hand.

...

「Celestial Spirit Sect, Spirit Nurturing Peak, Spirit Nurturing Main Hall」

After Zhang Deming and the other four entered the main hall, he used his Peak Master’s Identity Jade Pendant to activate the hall’s defensive Array. Seeing him take such cautious measures, the other four all frowned.

No one spoke first. Instead, they each found their seats. As they were in the main hall, everyone naturally took their places in the primary council seats.

Dang Xiangjun sat in the very center. Yuee Mengsheng and Zhang Deming sat to his right, while Guk Liancai and Gan Zili sat to his left. The layout of the grand hall was similar to the Celestial Spirit Hall, with the seats arranged in a fan-like pattern.

After the five were seated, Guk Liancai glanced at Dang Xiangjun but did not rush to be the first to speak. He sat there obediently, displaying an attitude of neither curiosity nor contentiousness.

Instead, it was Gan Zili who spoke first. ”Junior Brother Zhang,” he asked, ”you summoned us so urgently, even using your authority as Peak Master and calling on Master Dang. Has something happened?”

Zhang Deming nodded. He didn’t answer Gan Zili immediately, but instead turned to Dang Xiangjun and said, ”Master Dang, do you know anything about the Ancient Five Elements Blessed Land?

I’ve looked through a lot of materials in the Spirit Nurturing Peak’s Information Room, but there wasn’t much I could find.”

Dang Xiangjun paused at his words and looked at Zhang Deming. ”Why are you asking about that? For historical reasons, this matter is...

Well... it’s something of a taboo in the Sect, so many details are poorly documented. Within the Secret Group, it’s classified as a top-secret file. You can’t access it with ordinary clearance.”