The Programmer Cultivator

’So, either the host metallic sphere has some special method of concealment, or we didn’t look in the right place. Or perhaps it’s both.’

’But we already did a thorough sweep, so it shouldn’t be...’

’Wait. A sweep... what about *under*ground?’

As a thought struck him, a glint flashed in Zhang Deming’s eyes. He looked down at the metallic mountain peak beneath his feet.

"Deming, what should we do? Keep looking, or just turn in the mission?" The four of them had been discussing it without reaching a decision, so Li Shifan turned to Zhang Deming, who had been silent ever since they arrived.

Hearing this, Zhang Deming snapped out of his thoughts. He looked up to see the other four staring at him, paused for a moment, and said, "Since we’ve finished exploring, let’s head back.

We diligently completed the exploration; that fact won’t change. The Alliance has a comprehensive mission evaluation system, so you don’t need to worry about that.

It just means we didn’t find any other information. At most, the mission reward will probably be standard, with no unexpected bonuses.

Besides, for a mission involving the Five Elements Remnants, I’d rather it be standard. Extra rewards signify unexpected circumstances. And I don’t think an unexpected situation involving a Blessed Land is something cultivators at our level of Cultivation can easily handle."

The others mulled this over for a moment. Nangong Cheng replied, "Alright then. Let’s head back. We can turn in the mission together after we’re out of the mountains."

Seeing this, everyone nodded, having made their decision. The five of them then set off, heading out of the mountains.

When they reached the edge of the Concealing Array, Zhang Deming paused, glancing back one last time at the metal peak. The four behind him also stopped and looked back.

The five then passed through the Array and left the area. The moment he was outside the Concealing Array, Zhang Deming finally felt his tense heart relax a little.

Ever since he’d guessed about the possibility of something underground, Zhang Deming had felt like he was walking on a landmine. It was only after leaving the mountain that he felt a wave of relief and could finally let his guard down.

The five of them quickly left the mountain, but Zhang Deming didn’t recall any of the dozen or so Bean Soldiers he had summoned earlier. ’Now that I have a theory,’ he thought, ’it would be a waste of this trip not to go underground and take a look.’

Of course, he didn’t act rashly. Instead, he had several Bean Soldiers fuse into one and lie quietly at the edge of the mountain peak. It wouldn’t be too late to act once he was back in the Sect and his own safety was guaranteed.

’It’s always better to be cautious when you’re away from home.’

Once he returned to the Sect, he could explore the underground. If something unexpected happened, it would only be a Bean Soldier—a temporarily summoned one at that, not one he had meticulously nurtured. He wouldn’t feel the loss if it were destroyed. At worst, the Technique would be broken, and he’d suffer a little backlash.

’If I really find the host,’ he thought with a mental chuckle, ’I might not be able to do anything about it myself, but the Sect has been looking for this thing for a long time.’

This host sphere had fused with the Earth Spirit of Geng Metal Heaven, leaving it half-crippled. The Sect was extremely concerned about this damn thing.

’If I can confirm its location but can’t handle it myself, I can just call in the big guns—unleash a Supreme Elder! I’ll use the Sect as my ultimate move and strike right at their nest!’

’But there’s no rush. I’ll wait until my main body is safely holed up back in the Sect. Safety comes first.’

Bean Soldiers were different from Mirror Image Clones. They didn’t need an anchor point, nor would they dissipate after moving a certain distance away from one. Therefore, he was in no hurry at all. He would act when he was fully prepared.

...

「Several days later.」

After deciding to return, the group, led by Zhang Deming, managed to avoid many Demon Beast territories. They also gathered a few One and Two-Star Spiritual Materials, but the most precious prize was still the main Business Dao material they had acquired earlier.

Back in the Shallow Area of the Hengduan Mountain Range, on the small hill where they had first met, the group finally returned after several days of travel.

The journey had taken about ten days in total. For the three Duality Cultivators, including Zhang Deming, it was nothing. With their level of Cultivation, they could already engage in Fasting to a certain extent. Going ten days or even half a month without proper rest was, at most, like pulling a half-nighter for them.

However, Tong Hou and Feng Mingyou had rarely rested along the way, mostly just taking short breaks when their Spiritual Power was recovering. Combined with the occasional intense Combat, the two at the Tai Chi level were quite exhausted.

Once the five had regrouped, they took out their respective materials from their storage pouches. Looking at the pile, Zhang Deming spoke up.

"The main haul from this trip should be this main Business Dao material—Red Silk Energy Grass—and the Bloodline from the hybrid Demon Dog, a cross between a Mountain-Piercing Mastiff and a Thunder Spirit Dog. Does anyone want the materials themselves?"

Hearing this, they all just looked at one another. No one spoke up.

Seeing this, Zhang Deming said, "No one needs the materials? Then let’s settle it with Spirit Stones."

Nangong Cheng frowned slightly. "When will we settle it? Will I need to stay in Celestial Spirit City for a few days?"

Zhang Deming smiled. "If you’re in a hurry, I have plenty of Spirit Stones on hand and can pay you out now. Of course, if we do that, I can only pay the standard market price, including for these two materials.

If you’re not in a hurry, we could find a shop and hold a small auction. We’d probably be able to sell them for a few more Spirit Stones that way."

Nangong Cheng immediately shook his head. "A shop auction like that won’t earn us many more Spirit Stones, and it’s a lot of trouble. Since you have the Spirit Stones, let’s just settle it at market price. You can keep the extra as a fee for your trouble."

The two materials combined were worth two or three thousand Spirit Stones at most. With a small, in-store auction and a limited market, they’d be lucky to get an extra two or three hundred Spirit Stones.

Split five ways, that would only amount to a few dozen Spirit Stones each. For all the trouble it would cause, Nangong Cheng clearly didn’t think it was worth it. After all, he was a Duality Cultivator and had some wealth to his name.

As for the other materials, they were all quite ordinary. While they were worth some Spirit Stones, their prices were stable, so it made little difference whether they were auctioned or not.

"Yeah, going through all that trouble for several days just to earn a few dozen extra Spirit Stones... I’d make more just by taking another trip into the mountains. It’s too much of a hassle. Let’s just forget it," Li Shifan added.