The Programmer Cultivator

A long while later, the two returned to the entrance of the main hall. Li Shifan said, somewhat stunned, "It seems like there’s nothing here at all?"

Zhang Deming was reminded of Qingshui Town—of the upper and lower caves, one at the bottom of a pool and the other on a cliff, a layout of light and shadow. ’The style here is the same,’ he thought, ’so is the concept behind it also the same?’ He spoke pensively, "Perhaps we took the wrong path."

Li Shifan froze for a moment. "Senior Brother, are you talking about... that spot halfway here, the one with the spatial distortion?"

Zhang Deming nodded. "Exactly. The visible cave is the feint; the hidden one is the source of the airflow."

Li Shifan frowned. "If that’s the case, why is there still a noticeable sense of spatial distortion? To truly hide the real Cave Mansion, shouldn’t the feeling of a spatial connection be completely eliminated? If it’s not, isn’t that just a foolish act of self-deception?"

Zhang Deming spread his hands. "It’s not my Cave Mansion, how could I know all the details? But if I had to guess, maybe that Sword Qi and the blasted-open entrance are the reasons for this obvious spatial anomaly. As for the specifics... who knows!"

The two exchanged a look, scanned the Cave Mansion one last time, and after confirming there was nothing else, they quickly retraced their steps. Since they no longer needed to proceed with caution, they reached their destination in just a few moments.

Standing at the point of distortion, Zhang Deming said, "Spiritual Shield, expand!"

A Spiritual Shield materialized and rapidly expanded, enveloping the two of them.

Li Shifan also formed a quick hand seal, then extended his hands. The three Sword Spirits orbiting his waist expanded once more, slowly growing in size as they encircled the Shield.

With that, the two of them passed through again. A distinct sensation of piercing a thin membrane washed over them, and the slight, stinging pain in their minds returned. They once again felt the sharp, slowly swirling currents of air.

They had previously thought it was a trial to guard the entrance, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case. Standing at the spatial intersection, they studied it for a long time but couldn’t find a single clue.

Li Shifan said, completely at a loss, "Senior Brother, what do we do now?"

The Space Dao, much like the Heart Spirit Dao, is a High Tier path. Very few cultivators start directly on the Space Dao. Most, as with the Heart Spirit Dao, begin with tangentially related practices and only gradually shift their focus toward space.

Those who achieve Entry Level directly in the Space Dao are either Demon Fiends or they possess extraordinary opportunities, or perhaps an Inheritance from a Noble Family with special Techniques.

As someone who was once considered a good-for-nothing, Li Shifan had never had any contact with the Space Dao.

Hearing this, Zhang Deming’s brow also furrowed. Of all space-related Techniques, he only knew one: the Tier Three Sleeve Qiankun.

Although it was a Space Daoist Technique—and a major Skill with vast potential—at its current Tier Three level, it hadn’t yet reached the point of being able to manipulate space.

It hadn’t even generated its own Magic Space yet; Casting still required the aid of Spatial Artifacts. Therefore, when it came to the Space Dao, he was just as clueless.

The two studied the intersection for a long time but made no headway. Just then, a Sword Shadow suddenly popped out. That’s right—it simply popped into existence.

Although a membrane-like barrier stood before them, they couldn’t see it at all. As far as their eyes could see, it was just an ordinary, unremarkable tunnel.

But by taking one step forward, they could feel themselves pass through a thin membrane, and the airflow would instantly vanish.

Yet this Sword Shadow, which they hadn’t seen in their line of sight a moment ago, had suddenly appeared right in front of them, much like the sharp airflow. It was as if it had emerged directly from the invisible membrane.

Zhang Deming habitually extended a sharp spike and pierced it. As the Sword Shadow shattered, a round bead emerged. But Li Shifan didn’t immediately collect the bead; both of them froze simultaneously, staring straight ahead.

As the Sword Shadow shattered, its Spiritual Light scattered. Where the light washed over, a transparent membrane, like a wall of air, became clearly visible. It rippled faintly and flickered a few times before vanishing from their sight.

’This Sword Shadow... could it be the key to get in?’

A flicker of understanding passed over their faces. Their eyes glinted with contemplation, and by a tacit agreement, they began to wait.

A few moments later, another Sword Shadow drifted out. Zhang Deming struck again, shattering it. As the Spiritual Light dispersed, the invisible, wall-like membrane materialized before them once more.

Zhang Deming and Li Shifan stepped toward the membrane at almost the same time and strode through it. This time, a distinct sense of spatial distortion washed over them as they passed through the membrane again.

But when they came to their senses, their brows furrowed. They had once again entered the same tunnel as before.

"It was useless? Did we guess wrong? The Sword Shadow isn’t the key?" Li Shifan asked.

Zhang Deming recalled the sensation of spatial distortion and began piecing together everything they had encountered and observed. "Perhaps this Sword Shadow isn’t the official key," he said, "or rather, it’s not the original key for this place."

Li Shifan paused, asking in confusion, "Senior Brother, what do you mean?"

Zhang Deming spread his hands. "Think about that feeling of distortion, and how the entrance looked like it was blasted open. Could we interpret it like this: the membrane only appeared because of those events. So, what if the Sword Shadow is prying its way out from the inside?"

Li Shifan hesitated. "Even if that’s true, what does it have to do with us? We can’t get in without any spatial abilities."

Zhang Deming gave Li Shifan an inscrutable look. "That’s not necessarily true. If it can pry its way out, that doesn’t mean we can’t get in. Couldn’t we just pry our way in, too?"

Li Shifan followed Zhang Deming’s gaze to the three Sword Spirits spinning around them. He blinked in surprise, then his expression turned to one of dawning realization. "Senior Brother, you mean... use these? Will that really work?"