The Programmer Cultivator

Zhang Deming was stunned. He looked down, and his entire body... well... his entire monkey body went rigid.

He was currently about the size of a normal person, but in the form of an upright ape. Aside from a thick coat of fur, he was completely bare.

’Hmm... *everywhere*!’

This was fundamentally different from the legendary Monkey King, who wore a tiger-skin kilt around his waist.

Zhang Deming looked down and stiffened. He then mechanically raised his head, just in time to lock eyes with Dang Rushuang again.

"Holy shit!!!"

The moment their eyes met, Zhang Deming finally snapped to his senses and instantly covered his crotch.

As Spiritual Power surged through him, he transformed back into his human form. Simultaneously, more Spiritual Power swirled around his body as fine threads of vines wove themselves together, forming a jade-green outfit that covered his nakedness.

Zhang Deming then flipped his hand, retrieving a set of clothes. But just as he was about to put them on, he froze.

"Senior Sister, isn’t it a bit inappropriate for you to be staring like that?" Zhang Deming asked.

"But you’re covered, aren’t you?" Dang Rushuang replied, watching him with a teasing smirk.

Zhang Deming shook his head, speechless. ’Can’t mess with her, definitely can’t mess with her. Who knows what this girl is plotting?’

’Besides, she seems to be best friends with Juan’er. It’s fine to joke around with someone like her occasionally, but anything else... It’s best not to get on her bad side!’

With a wave of his hand, Zhang Deming conjured an Array Light Screen between them and finally began to put on his clothes.

A moment later, Zhang Deming finished dressing and dispelled the Light Screen. They looked at each other, and an awkward silence fell between them.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Deming broke it. "So, what’s your situation? Why aren’t you with the disaster relief team? What are you doing out here?"

Dang Rushuang’s expression froze. "Right!" she exclaimed. "My Second Grand-uncle!"

"Huh?! Wha—?" The words "Second Grand-uncle" left Zhang Deming utterly baffled. "Senior Sister, you... we’re not related, are we?"

Dang Rushuang paused. Looking at the aura still lingering around Zhang Deming, she asked quickly, "How long can you maintain your current state?"

Zhang Deming hesitated for a moment before replying, "There’s no time limit, per se. I can keep this up until my Spiritual Power is depleted. But I can’t circulate my Cultivation Technique to recover Spiritual Power and prolong the state."

"So your current condition is..." Dang Rushuang asked nervously.

Zhang Deming said, "If I push myself to the limit, I can maintain that previous level of power for five times as long. But... that’s my trump card, my last resort..."

Dang Rushuang’s face lit up. "Let’s go back! Don’t worry, the Sect will compensate you for your trouble, and my family will give you extra compensation on top of that.

And we’re just going back to try. If things prove impossible, we’ll get out and find reinforcements. You’ll still be compensated regardless."

Zhang Deming gave Dang Rushuang a puzzled look. "Senior Sister, what are you...?"

"We’ll talk on the way!" With that, Dang Rushuang took the lead and set off.

Zhang Deming wasn’t bothered that she had made the decision without his consent. After all, it was only natural for fellow disciples to help each other in a crisis. The Sect even had an iron-clad rule to that effect. It was understandable that someone like Dang Rushuang, who rarely ventured outside the Sect, would consider his help a given.

Since Zhang Deming hadn’t planned on leaving anyway, he said nothing and followed her.

The two of them sped toward the mountainside, and Dang Rushuang began her explanation, speaking quickly.

"The chaos with the Five Elements Remnants from over half a month ago... Junior Brother Zhang, you should know more about that than I do, right?" Dang Rushuang asked, glancing at him.

The hijacking of the Honor Guard, which had triggered the whole disaster with the Five Elements Remnants, was news that had already spread throughout the surrounding Upper Sects, even with the Communication Control Room destroyed. To say nothing of their own Celestial Spirit Sect. A person of Dang Rushuang’s standing would certainly know the events in great detail.

Zhang Deming nodded. "Yes, I was there when it all began."

Dang Rushuang continued, "Because of what happened to you and the others, Junior Brother, turmoil erupted across the territories of several nearby Upper Sects. Our Celestial Spirit Sect and the Hua Shui Palace were hit the hardest. Because..."

She trailed off, hesitating. She likely wasn’t sure if Zhang Deming was privy to this information and struggled for a moment to find the right words.

"Because of unresolved historical issues?" Zhang Deming finished for her. His one sentence revealed he knew a great deal, which put her at ease.

Dang Rushuang nodded. "Yes. Because of certain unresolved historical issues, the Celestial Spirit Sect and Hua Shui Palace suffered the most. It even caused significant trouble within our own Sect.

Then, before things could even settle down, the Ancestor brought back the Honor Guard, along with news that the Five Elements Remnants were causing widespread disasters across the Sect’s territory."

Dang Rushuang glanced at Zhang Deming, saw that he was listening intently, and went on, "After that, every peak began to mobilize. The entire Inner Sect was deployed, and even many Outer Sect disciples were drafted to help with miscellaneous tasks.

The disaster caused by the Five Elements Remnants was fierce, but under the full might of the Sect, they couldn’t mount any effective resistance due to their lack of High-Tier Cultivators.

Besides, their rebellion was spread across several sects’ territories. No matter how long they prepared, their High-Tier Cultivators and Martial Artists were completely outmatched. As a result, they began to vanish almost as soon as we made contact. Many of them even disappeared ahead of time, avoiding us completely.

They left a trail of disaster in their wake. With many Minor Sects and smaller Noble Families wiped out, the Sect’s initial efforts were focused on rescue operations. The Ancestor’s intention was to first tend to our own lands before going out to settle scores.