The Programmer Cultivator

Then, countless points of Spiritual Light gathered on Zhang Deming’s back, forming a pair of magnificent wings. With a slight tremor, he shot into the sky and flew toward the Mountain Peak Cloud Pool.

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Spirit Nurturing Peak was vast and towering, but with his current flying speed and the automatic recognition from the Identity Token at his waist, Zhang Deming faced no obstacles. He reached the Mountain Peak Cloud Pool in just a moment.

Zhang Deming passed through a cluster of buildings and stopped in the courtyard area behind the main hall. He retracted his wings and stepped into the Array.

The Jade Pendant at his waist flashed, and Zhang Deming passed through the Array, arriving at the familiar Cave Mansion area.

In the center of the three courtyards, inside the pavilion at the mouth of the spiritual meridian, Yuee Mengsheng and the other two were already waiting.

Zhang Deming hurried forward and bowed to the three of them. "Greetings, Senior Brothers," he said.

They nodded, gesturing for Zhang Deming to take a seat.

After Zhang Deming was seated, Gan Zili looked at him and asked, "Junior Brother Zhang, have you been to the Cyan Wood Secret Realm in the last few days?"

’You summoned me here, so how could you not know whether I went?’

Zhang Deming glanced at Gan Zili, nodded, and replied succinctly, "Yes, I went yesterday."

Gan Zili and the other two paused, not having received the explanation they were expecting. The impatient Guk Liancai asked directly, "Then what about the matter with your Child? Don’t you have anything to say?"

Zhang Deming glanced at the silent Yuee Mengsheng and Gan Zili, then smiled. "Surely my three Senior Brothers don’t believe I’m the one behind her transformation?"

"I don’t know if you caused it or not, but you have to know something, right?" Guk Liancai retorted. "After all, you brought her back, and she is your Child. If you claim to know nothing, or that your Child truly reached this state through sudden enlightenment, then I’ll really have to start investigating her."

Zhang Deming nodded. "Yes, an investigation sounds good. I’m curious myself."

Gan Zili had thought Guk Liancai was being too aggressive and was about to intervene, but he was taken aback by Zhang Deming’s response. "Junior Brother Zhang, are you serious?" he asked, surprised.

Zhang Deming spread his hands. "Of course I’m serious. I wouldn’t joke with you, Senior Brothers. You probably wouldn’t believe it, but I truly did just find her by chance.

Given the situation, I’m sure you find that hard to accept. In any case, I’m extremely curious about this girl myself, so an investigation is fine by me.

But don’t go too far. After all, I’m the one who brought her here, and she’s under my care. Besides, she’s a Sect Disciple with a clean background and has Duality Cultivation. It wouldn’t be right to be too harsh."

But Guk Liancai just stared at Zhang Deming. "You really just *found* her? You randomly pick up a person and this happens? How credible do you think that is, Junior Brother? Oh, and the other one—you didn’t happen to ’find’ her in the same way, did you?"

Zhang Deming paused, then, uncharacteristically direct, he asked, "Senior Brother Guk, did Master Dang discipline you today?"

Guk Liancai’s expression stiffened, and his face instantly darkened.

Gan Zili paused. "How did you know?" he asked. "Did Master Dang tell you?"

Zhang Deming shook his head. "No, I just felt that Senior Brother Guk is unusually short-tempered today. Plus, with what happened a few days ago... you know..."

Zhang Deming watched as Guk Liancai’s face grew darker and the ’fiery temper’ around him flared—and it was a literal fire! He trailed off, wisely opting for a strategic silence.

A smile spread across Gan Zili’s face. He looked at Zhang Deming and said, "Looks like Junior Brother Zhang has us all figured out."

"Don’t change the subject," Guk Liancai snapped. "We’re discussing the matter of the Cross-Tier Promotion."

Zhang Deming said, "There’s really not much to say. I genuinely found her by chance. She was a descendant of a Sect Disciple stationed externally, so according to the rules, I brought her back.

Oh, and this cross-tier thing isn’t the first time it’s happened to her. When she first began cultivating, she became an Intermediate Apprentice overnight. This is the second time."

Gan Zili was astonished. Even the usually listless Yuee Mengsheng glanced at Zhang Deming. "Both times were a traceless, sudden enlightenment?" he asked.

Zhang Deming shook his head. "I don’t know. She had already been an Intermediate Apprentice for a while when I met her. That’s just what the kid told me; I didn’t see it for myself."

"In that case, we’ll have to take a proper look," Yuee Mengsheng mused. He paused, then asked for confirmation, "You’re certain you’re okay with us investigating her?"

Zhang Deming smiled. "Please, Senior Brothers, make whatever arrangements you see fit. I have no objections. As I said, I’m curious too. Just don’t overdo it."

They all nodded. Seeing Zhang Deming’s cooperative attitude, even Guk Liancai stopped pushing the issue.

Gan Zili said, "Then that settles it. We called you here today, Junior Brother, to discuss three matters."

Zhang Deming was taken aback. ’Three matters?’ He’d thought their impatient summons was solely about this one issue.

"The first matter was the cross-tier affair, which is now settled. So, on to the second: the orders!" Gan Zili glanced at Zhang Deming, then at the other two, and continued:

"Last year, the Flower Demon Elf breeding project used up our regular order quota, so our Celestial Spirit Nurturing Peak’s completion rate was quite low. In any other year, the Sect Leader would have likely been nagging us by now. However..."

Gan Zili paused, his gaze landing on Zhang Deming again before he continued, "...but thanks to Junior Brother Zhang, we still haven’t heard a word from the Sect Leader. It seems he’s suddenly feeling confident about the work ethic here on Spirit Nurturing Peak."