The Programmer Cultivator

That’s right. The person who fell out of the shattered Jade Disc was none other than Dang Rushuang, someone Zhang Deming had met before—the Dang Family’s talented young lady, the apple of their eye.

SMACK...

After the two of them vanished, the Substitute left in their place was struck by a giant fist before it could even move, exploding into a shower of splintered vines.

The giant fist shattered along with it. The fist was dark brown, and when it exploded, it splattered in all directions like sludge.

The sludge transformed the surrounding area into a vast swamp, and a strange barrier of light spread out, trapping the entire swamp within it.

Just then, about five or six meters from where the Substitute had been, Zhang Deming reappeared, holding Dang Rushuang.

"Damn it, we’re too late!" Dang Rushuang said, her expression grim as she took in the scene after they reappeared.

Zhang Deming was breathing heavily. He glanced at Dang Rushuang and, seeing how violently agitated her Heart Spirit was, said something completely unrelated: "You should go on a diet."

Her expression grim and her nerves stretched taut, Dang Rushuang froze at his words. For a brief moment, she forgot all about her anxiety and shot Zhang Deming a strange look.

Seeing his indifferent expression, she glanced down at the vine wrapped around her chest and replied in an equally strange tone, "Have you had your fill of piercing me? If so, perhaps Junior Brother can pull it out now?"

"Ahem..." Zhang Deming had only been trying to lighten the mood with his usual humor, seeing how rattled her Heart Spirit was. He never expected Dang Rushuang to suddenly make such a crude joke; it almost threw him for a loop.

’What in the world has this girl been up to, hanging around with Juan’er all day?!’

While coughing, Zhang Deming changed his right hand back to normal.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

PLOP...

Extremely weak and severely injured, Dang Rushuang was suddenly let go by Zhang Deming and fell right on her butt into the swampy sludge.

"You..." Dang Rushuang, now covered in sludge, was at a loss for words.

Zhang Deming spread his hands. "You told me to pull it out. Don’t tell me you’re going to blame me now. That’s not fair. You were the one who told me to pull it out, and you’re the one who’s unhappy about it!"

Dang Rushuang took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She struggled to her feet, choosing to ignore Zhang Deming’s words. In that moment, her Heart Spirit also stabilized.

"Feeling better now? If so, tell me what’s going on. Why are you here, and what is this?" Zhang Deming asked, looking at her and gesturing toward the barrier-like shield surrounding them.

The entire swamp was now enveloped by a strange fluctuation, and a transparent barrier of light had them trapped. If nothing else, Zhang Deming could clearly sense that the barrier pulsed with the power of at least the Three Talents realm.

"Can you break through it quickly?" Dang Rushuang didn’t answer him, asking a question of her own instead.

"Ha! I say, Senior Sister Dang, your eyes don’t seem to be injured. This is a Barrier with the strength of the Three Talents realm, at least, and you want me to break it *quickly*? You really overestimate me, your junior brother!" Zhang Deming said, looking at her with a sarcastic tone.

Hearing this, Dang Rushuang said, "We’re in trouble."

"What exactly is—"

Before Zhang Deming could finish his question, Spiritual Light began to surge within the swamp. As the light gathered, the sludge not far from them started to coalesce into an ugly Puppet.

The Puppet bore some resemblance to Guan Shouxin; its entire body was covered in the same scabies-like sores, and sludge writhed on its surface. However, it was clearly not the same person.

The moment the Puppet appeared, Zhang Deming tensed up. The being before them was a Three Talents Cultivator—and a Three Talents Great Cultivator of the Earth Realm, at that.

"Do you have a way to escape? If you do, don’t worry about me. Run home and get reinforcements!" After the Puppet appeared, Dang Rushuang’s pale face darkened slightly, and she turned to Zhang Deming decisively.

Zhang Deming was taken aback for a moment, looking at Dang Rushuang in surprise. The Dang Family had certainly raised her well. ’Except for her being such an unreliable, mischievous imp,’ he thought.

Zhang Deming said, "It’s fine. You used our Senior Uncle’s technique to escape just now, didn’t you? You forced your way out by relying on the Dao Mark on my body, right?

"Now that his Dao Mark has been activated, he should have sensed it. If we can just hold out for a bit, reinforcements should arrive."

"Senior Uncle?" Dang Rushuang paused, startled. She looked at the faint Jade Disc tattoo on Zhang Deming’s arm. "The one that pulled me out just now... that was the Ancestor’s Dao Mark on you?"

"What else did you think it was?" Zhang Deming retorted.

"We’re screwed!" Dang Rushuang’s expression changed drastically.

Before Zhang Deming could ask why, she quickly explained, "This is an important hidden stronghold of the Five Elements Remnants! They’ve sealed off all Dao Mark senses in this entire area! I was just wondering why the Disc Escape the Ancestor gave me suddenly found a connection."

Before the two could speak further, the Puppet finished forming.

Dang Rushuang paused mid-sentence and said urgently, "Forget about me! If you have a way, run! The Ancestor can’t sense what’s happening here. We can’t hold out for reinforcements."

Zhang Deming ignored her. With a wave of his hand, he pushed her to the edge of the light barrier and faced the sludge Puppet, his expression grave.

...