The Programmer Cultivator

Chapter 259 - 1: Preparation

He hadn’t been back in nearly a month, but everything was just as he had left it. A few servant disciples kept the place neat and tidy.

Zhang Deming grabbed a bite to eat, then ignored everything else, went straight to his room, flopped onto the bed, and fell asleep.

Over the past year, this had become the place where Zhang Deming felt safest.

Moments later, Zhang Deming was fast asleep.

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The next morning, Zhang Deming got up, washed, and practiced his swordplay for a while. After eating breakfast, he waited for someone to arrive.

But Zhang Deming waited for the better part of the morning, and the expected visit never came. No one from the Inner Sect showed up.

After a moment of thought, he figured out the likely reason. ’The combat in the back mountains probably isn’t over. A battle involving a Three Talents Great Cultivator won’t likely end in just a day or two.’

So, Zhang Deming stopped waiting. Since he had plenty of time, he decided to take care of his own business first. That way, he could make proper preparations and face whatever came next with more ease.

Having made up his mind, Zhang Deming contacted Qin Shizhong. He had nearly used up the last batch of materials.

After ordering a new batch of goods and settling the previous bill, Zhang Deming took the materials and Spirit Nurturing Beads to Celestial Spirit City.

He hadn’t visited in a month, and Celestial Spirit City seemed a lot busier.

Most of the chatter was about the Secret Realm in the back mountains. As he walked, Zhang Deming heard innumerable versions of the story.

The most common version claimed an apocalyptic battle was still raging in the back mountains, with tales of seas rolling back and the very earth cracking apart. Each rumor was told with incredible conviction.

As for what was actually happening, who the hell knew.

In any case, few people in the circles Zhang Deming moved in knew the truth.

Zhang Deming, however, had managed to get a vague glimpse through the Dragon Turtle’s point of light, so he had a rough idea.

However, because he couldn’t bring the Dragon Turtle to him, the view through the connection was even fuzzier than the time he’d watched the Dragon Turtle’s Enlightenment Dao.

At most, Zhang Deming could only get a sense of the general activity; actually observing the battle was impossible.

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Because he had fed the Dragon Turtle earlier, of this month’s quota of one hundred fifty Spirit Nurturing Beads, Zhang Deming currently only had a little over a hundred.

Furthermore, he didn’t have a single defensive one, so he didn’t immediately contact Qu Qizhong to make the delivery.

Instead, he went to the Spirit Vein area in East City and rented a Spirit Vein for a week.

He was a regular customer, and they knew he was a wealthy client.

As a result, the rental process was incredibly convenient for Zhang Deming. Moreover, the steward of the rental office, Yann Dunming, was a savvy man.

The Two-Star Spirit Vein Cave Mansions weren’t in high demand, so many of them were vacant.

Thus, as long as other mansions were available, Yann Dunming kept the one Zhang Deming usually rented off the market.

Whenever Zhang Deming came to rent, Yann Dunming would give him that particular Cave Mansion. Of course, Zhang Deming wasn’t the only one who received such treatment.

He did the same for all the regular clients of the Two-Star Spirit Vein mansions.

Thanks to this arrangement, all Zhang Deming had to do was pay the Spirit Stones before heading back to his usual Cave Mansion.

He deactivated the Sealing Array in the bedroom, and a dense wave of Spiritual Power gushed out.

The script in his body immediately began to run at high speed.

With a flip of his hand, Zhang Deming took out the materials for the Spirit Nurturing Beads and began to craft them nonstop.

’It’s been almost a month. Qu Qizhong is about to run out of stock. I have to rush-produce a batch.’

He only needed to replenish a few dozen defensive Spirit Nurturing Beads, so a full day of grinding would be enough to solve the problem. That was why he had intentionally ordered more defensive materials this time.

Spiritual Power surged, and countless Spiritual Power Light Points formed a hollow sphere, enveloping Zhang Deming.

He skillfully infused the sphere with his insights into the Tier One Spiritual Shield, adding a slight personal touch to give it a unique signature.

This method didn’t improve the quality of the Spirit Nurturing Bead. Strictly speaking, it actually lowered it.

But he had started doing this ever since his shop was surrounded, and the expected follow-up never came.

’Insights that are too standardized, with no personal signature, could easily attract trouble, even for a Tier One Spirit Ball.’

’It’s better to be cautious. You can never be too careful.’

After spending the better part of the day at it, and with his script rapidly restoring his energy, Zhang Deming had crafted thirty Spiritual Shield Spirit Nurturing Beads.

Zhang Deming paused, eyeing the One-Star materials, but ultimately decided against making any Tier Two Spirit Nurturing Beads.

The main reason was that he didn’t understand why, after the incident at his shop, everyone was suddenly acting as if it didn’t exist.

Even the round-the-clock surveillance had vanished. This was completely different from what Zhang Deming had expected.

His original plan was to intimidate them with a show of force and then gradually make contact, but somehow, it had inexplicably ended up like this.

So, even though with his current Cultivation it wouldn’t be too difficult to create Spirit Nurturing Beads for Tier Two Techniques—in fact, he could probably even manage to create Tier Three ones—but Zhang Deming didn’t dare make Tier Two Spirit Nurturing Beads a regularly sold item, wanting to maintain this strange, unspoken truce.

’For now, it’s best to wait and see how things develop. Besides, I have three Spirit Crystals now, which is three hundred thousand Experience Points.’

’Until I’ve drained these three Spirit Crystals, I’m not in urgent need of Spirit Stones. I still have around three thousand Spirit Stones in savings, after all.’

’In terms of Spirit Stones alone, my net worth definitely puts me in the big-shot league, even among Tai Chi Cultivators or Duality Great Cultivators.’

Thirty Spiritual Shield Spirit Nurturing Beads was a bit on the low side, but it would be enough to sell for a while.

With that, Zhang Deming got up and left the Cave Mansion. He found a corner in a bustling area of Celestial Spirit City and left the one hundred and fifty Spirit Nurturing Beads there.

Zhang Deming entered his Spirit Nurturing Space and sent Qu Qizhong a message.

Then, disguised as an ordinary person, he waited quietly.

A few moments later, Qu Qizhong arrived, quickly retrieved the goods, and immediately turned to leave.

Zhang Deming remained where he was, carefully surveying the area for a full half hour to make sure no one was following Qu Qizhong.

’So, what in the world are the City Lord’s Mansion’s Ji Family and East City’s Zhou Family planning?’

’They can’t be so scared by a single Outer Body Incarnation that they won’t make a move, right?’

’They’re major Noble Families of the Celestial Spirit Sect, for crying out loud. There’s no way they’re that timid.’

’At the very least, they should have notified the Sect. What the hell is this situation? A new Spirit Nurturing Master pops up, and they don’t even try to make contact?’

It was impossible for Zhang Deming not to be puzzled. But given the circumstances, he couldn’t just blow his own cover, march up to their door, and ask, "Hey, what about the Spirit Nurturing Master persona I prepared? Why aren’t you coming to investigate me?"

He wasn’t an idiot!

No reaction was for the best. He could just quietly sell his Spirit Nurturing Beads, earn a stable income of over a thousand Spirit Stones a month, and peacefully focus on improving his Cultivation.

He shook his head, pushing the wild thoughts from his mind. Since no one was following him and he couldn’t figure out their reasoning, Zhang Deming silently slipped away.

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