The Programmer Cultivator

On a round stone lay a tattered, chopstick-length Scroll. A Broken Sword had pierced straight through it, pinning it to the stone. Impaled along with it was a damaged Puppet made of woven vines.

On the hilt of the Broken Sword and on the neck of the middle-aged man’s corpse, there was a Protective Talisman. The talisman was marked with an inverted character for "Blessed Fortune."

And around the brilliantly glowing round stone were scattered numerous blade fragments, Scroll fragments, and pieces of the Puppet’s vines.

The auras of the three objects—the Broken Sword, the torn Scroll, and the damaged Puppet—intertwined to form a pillar of Sword Qi. It shot up from within the room, burst through the roof, and soared into the sky.

Just then, as the two stood stunned, the auras of the three objects continued to entwine. The head-sized round stone beneath them flashed, and a Sword Shadow was born.

The Sword Shadow drifted out dazedly, floating towards the outside. With its birth, the intertwined auras of the three objects weakened by a barely perceptible degree.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Deming and Li Shifan were both stunned.

Immediately, Zhang Deming’s gaze fell on the round stone beneath the three objects, his eyes burning with intensity. ’If I’m not mistaken, that’s really a Spirit Summoning Essence Soul Jade, one of the main materials for a Summoning’s Three Talents Promotion!’

From what Zhang Deming knew, only this item could nurture a Sword Shadow in such a manner. They had only guessed it might be a Summoning Spirit’s birth because they had seen the Sword Shadow and the way it had appeared.

"Senior Brother, it looks like this really is a Summoning Spirit being born," Li Shifan said, his eyes also on the round stone beneath the three objects.

Zhang Deming nodded. "I’ve seen detailed information about the Spirit Summoning Essence Soul Jade in the Spirit Nurturing Peak’s archives. That is definitely a Spirit Summoning Essence Soul Jade."

Li Shifan looked at the Broken Sword and the Puppet and Scroll pinned beneath it. "What now? Should we take it?"

Zhang Deming paused at his words. He looked at the scene before them, unsure how to proceed. He hesitated, then said, "You cultivate the Sword Artifact Dao. Take a close look and tell me what grade these three items are."

Upon hearing this, Li Shifan’s eyes flickered, and a miniature Sword Shadow appeared in his pupils as he gazed at the three objects.

But with a single glance, Li Shifan froze. His expression changed drastically as he said in horror, "These aren’t Artifacts! They’re... people..."

Before Li Shifan could finish, Zhang Deming also sensed something was wrong. At the same moment Li Shifan spoke, the sky-piercing Sword Qi from the Broken Sword suddenly halted and retracted completely.

"Sigh..."

A faint sigh emanated from where the three objects lay.

Hearing this sound, both Zhang Deming and Li Shifan tensed up.

"I was planning to wait until you got closer before making a move, but it seems I’ll have to force the issue." An ethereal figure emerged from the Broken Sword, sighing faintly as it looked at the two of them.

"Old Ghost Xin, since you’re ready to act, then let me go first!" The vine Puppet pinned by the Broken Sword opened its eyes and spoke.

"There are only two of them. How do we divide them?" An illusion also drifted out from the Scroll at the bottom and asked.

The Soul Body on the Broken Sword paused for a moment. "I’ll take the Sword Dao kid. You two both belong to the Summoning arts, so decide between yourselves. Is that acceptable?"

"Hmph, on what grounds do the two of us have to share one while you get one for yourself?" the damaged Puppet demanded.

"On the grounds that I currently have the advantage. If I’m not willing, you’ll both remain trapped here until you waste away and die. Besides, even if I gave him to you, would you dare try to forcefully take the body of this Sword Dao kid?" the Broken Sword Illusion replied.

The three had exchanged only a few sentences when the Protective Talisman on the neck of the corpse in front of them flashed, echoing the symbol on the hilt of the Broken Sword.

As the Protective Talisman flashed, an inverted character for "Blessed Fortune" appeared. The three objects on the Spirit Summoning Essence Soul Jade all trembled violently. The ethereal figures on the Broken Sword and the Damaged Painting became somewhat more transparent.

"Damn it! This Blessed Fortune Dao Cultivator is still so troublesome even in death! We’ve had the worst luck!" the Puppet said, trembling.

"Let’s move! If we delay any longer, who knows what other unlucky thing will happen! After this calamity is over, I never want to see anyone from the Blessed Fortune Dao ever again!" the Broken Sword quivered, its illusionary figure flickering as it spoke.

The Scroll’s illusion was about to reply when it paused. It said, "Since you’re here, don’t even think about leaving. The three of us have fought bitterly for so many years just to lure in two juniors like you. We can’t let such a rare chance to escape slip away."

Zhang Deming and Li Shifan, who had been quietly backing away, froze. The door behind them slammed shut.

The moment the door shut, hearing the words of the Damaged Painting’s illusion, Li Shifan no longer hesitated. He brought his hands together before his chest as if holding a ball and began to chant, "Infinite Hongmeng, root of all Spirits..."

Li Shifan had just begun to act when the illusion on the Broken Sword stiffened. Its form suddenly changed as it exclaimed, "Is that...? A petition for an Outer Body Incarnation? Damn it! Under the death curse of a Blessed Fortune Cultivator, I knew we wouldn’t get lucky. Move now! Any more delays and who knows what other accident will happen!"

As soon as the illusion finished speaking, the Broken Sword trembled and all its Spiritual Light vanished. Then, the entire illusionary figure lunged like lightning into Li Shifan’s body.

Li Shifan, who had just started chanting the Spell, froze instantly. Before he could finish, he stood rooted to the spot.

As the Broken Sword’s Spiritual Light faded, the torn Scroll and damaged Puppet pinned beneath it were simultaneously released.

The Puppet quickly said, "This junior is a pure Summoning Dao Cultivator. I’ll take him. You’re not a good match."

The illusion on the Scroll didn’t dare delay either. It quickly said, "Swear a Dao Heart oath that you’ll take me out of here after you’re done."

"Done!" The Puppet nodded. A strange sigil flew from the Scroll and imprinted itself on the Puppet’s shoulder.

Without another word, an illusionary figure also drifted out of the Puppet and lunged directly at Zhang Deming.

...