The Programmer Cultivator

Zhang Deming and Li Shifan both paused and looked in the direction the Sword Shadow had come from. It seemed to have originated from the center of this space.

With a thought, Zhang Deming sent a vine wrapping around Li Shifan’s waist and said, "Flying!"

Li Shifan paused for a moment. He felt them both lift off the ground and begin to float before they shot forward at high speed.

The space within the valley wasn’t large. At Zhang Deming’s speed, they arrived in moments.

From a distance, Zhang Deming and Li Shifan spotted a small courtyard at the center of the valley. In front of the courtyard were several acres of Spirit Fields, with a number of Spirit Plants growing within them.

They stopped in front of the Spirit Fields outside the small courtyard. There weren’t many fields, just three plots.

There were two Two-Star Spirit Fields and one Three-Star Spirit Field. Judging by their neat appearance, they must have been meticulously cared for in the past.

Even though they had gone untended for who knows how many years, a complete Array was still operating, so the Spirit Fields were not overgrown with weeds.

However, the vegetation in the three Spirit Fields had been sparse to begin with. Due to the sharp Sword Qi permeating the air, most of the Spirit Plants in the Two-Star Spirit Fields had withered and died.

Only a One-Star Sword Grass and a Two-Star Mystic Sword Fruit—both Sword Dao Spirit Plants—were still growing intact. Due to their great age and an environment that suited them perfectly, both Spirit Plants had surpassed their original tier, reaching the level of top-tier Two-Star Spiritual Materials.

If not for the limitations of the Spirit Field, which couldn’t support Three-Star Spiritual Materials, both plants might have spontaneously advanced to the Three-Star level, gained Spiritual Wisdom, and become Medicine Spirits.

Even as Two-Star materials, both plants now possessed an exceptional Spirituality. Zhang Deming estimated that if he were to act, it wouldn’t take a very powerful Cultivation Technique to complete their Spirit Awakening.

As for the Three-Star Spirit Field, judging by the layout, there had originally been only five Spirit Plants.

But now, two had withered and died, leaving only three. And these three were all on their last breath, not far from death themselves.

Zhang Deming took a closer look, examining the two withered plants as well. ’Originally, these five Medicinal Herbs had likely all reached the point of spontaneously developing Spirit Wisdom, thanks to their innate qualities and great age.’

’If left undisturbed, in a few tens of thousands or even a hundred thousand years, five Medicine Spirit siblings might have emerged.’

’But the permeating Sword Qi extinguished that possibility. Judging by the three that still survived, the Sword Qi must have appeared sometime later, and not too long ago at that.’

’Of course, "not too long ago" is relative to the lifespan of these Spirit Plants.’

’It is often extremely difficult for a Spirit Plant to gain sentience. But once it does, it’s considered a genius among demons. Its cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds, and it won’t take long for it to become a Great Demon.’

’However, due to their inherent nature, these Great Demons are mostly pure and innocent. That’s why in Hongmeng, they are called Elves, rather than fiends or demons.’

Zhang Deming first looked at the two Two-Star Spirit Plants. "One is Sword Grass, a top-level main ingredient for the Sword Dao’s Foundation Establishment Tai Chi. The other looks to be a Mystic Sword Fruit, which is exactly what you need, right?"

Li Shifan nodded. "Yes, that’s right. Even though they advanced spontaneously, they haven’t mutated."

"This Sword Grass in particular, now that it’s a Two-Star Spiritual Material, can be used not only as a primary ingredient for Sword Dao Foundation Establishment but also as an auxiliary material for achieving Duality."

"Regardless of which it’s used for, it should greatly increase the success rate of the advancement."

"Especially for Tai Chi Foundation Establishment. Using this, this ingredient alone could probably increase the success rate by twenty to thirty percent."

Zhang Deming nodded. "They certainly seem to be worth a lot of Spirit Stones. So, do you want them, or should we sell them for Spirit Stones?"

Li Shifan hesitated for a moment, then said, "I’ll take them. With these two, my chances of achieving Duality should reach around ninety percent."

Zhang Deming didn’t object. Instead, a smile touched his lips, as Li Shifan’s words clearly indicated he was intentionally making a concession.

After all, there were still three Three-Star medicinal herbs before them. Even if they were a bit withered, they were still intact, and given their great age, their efficacy wouldn’t be diminished by much.

After settling the ownership of the two items, they turned their attention to the three Three-Star Spirit Plants.

Li Shifan’s brow furrowed slightly. "This one is a Wisdom-Nurturing Spirit Ginseng, isn’t it? And this one should be a Fuling Soul Infant Fruit. What’s this third plant?"

Zhang Deming smiled. "It should be Polo Spirit Grass."

Li Shifan paused and glanced at Zhang Deming. "They’re all Summoning Class materials?"

Zhang Deming nodded. "Polo Spirit Grass and Fuling Soul Infant Fruit are common Three-Star auxiliary resources for Summoning. As far as advancement resources go, they’re considered quite precious."

"This Wisdom-Nurturing Spirit Ginseng is a material used for developing Summoning Techniques. For Spirit Type summons, or those with corporeal forms, using this item can greatly enhance their Spirituality and their bond with their master."

Li Shifan paused slightly and glanced at the small courtyard before them. "Was the original owner a Summoning Dao Cultivator?"

"Judging by the remains of these Spirit Plants, most likely," Zhang Deming said, looking at the dead plants covering the ground. He paused before adding, "The Polo Spirit Grass and the Fuling Soul Infant Fruit could be part of my Three-Star formulas in the future, so I’ll take them. The remaining Wisdom-Nurturing Spirit Ginseng is yours."

Li Shifan paused before saying, "I have no use for it. Since it’s a Summoning Dao material, you should take it as well, Senior Brother."

Zhang Deming shook his head. "Remember what I said before? When we’re exploring together, no matter how close we are, we have to be clear about how we divide things."

"We got here by working together. I might have done a lot, but you pulled your weight too. Let’s stick to this division, so we don’t have any disagreements down the road."