The Programmer Cultivator

The Long Sword was peculiar. Its blade was conventional enough, like jade, but the section embedded in Qu Wenbai’s body had fanned out like the roots of a tree, forming a cluster of Jade Vines.

Now, however, most of the vines had been corroded and severed, leaving only a few strands and this short segment. It resembled a root system, with branches spreading out and shimmering with a dreamy, jade-like light. Specks of black mist still clung to its surface.

No wonder he hadn’t rashly pulled out the Long Sword. Instead, he planned to stall for time, allowing the corrosion to finish its work on the blade. A Long Sword like this was something you wouldn’t dare to remove.

Elder Huang stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression placid as he silently watched Qu Wenbai retreat. He made no move to pursue him.

Qu Wenbai reappeared some distance away, his face a mask of shock and suspicion as he stared at the motionless Elder Huang.

"I’ll give you a way out," Elder Huang said, looking at the suspicious Qu Wenbai. "Heal the disciples in this square who are not yet dead, and I’ll grant you a swift death. How does that sound?"

Qu Wenbai’s face darkened as he looked at Elder Huang. "I am merely injured and have no desire to fight with an Incarnation of yours. Do you really think you have me cornered?"

Elder Huang shook his head. "So be it. This will just be more trouble for me later."

Rune Technique: Spirit Species—Vine Growth!

With that, Elder Huang gave Qu Wenbai a cold glance and activated the Technique. In the time it took him to speak those few sentences, he had converted most of the Spiritual Power within his Incarnation into Spirit Species and injected them into Qu Wenbai’s body.

Thanks to the Wishing Size ability, combined with the inherently stealthy nature of the Spirit Species, Qu Wenbai remained completely unaware.

Although Qu Wenbai had unintentionally destroyed many of the Spirit Species while corroding the Long Sword, the sheer quantity Elder Huang had used ensured that the remaining number was more than enough to take his life.

As Elder Huang’s Technique flared to life, Qu Wenbai’s body went rigid, his expression twisting in horror. He instinctively transformed into a black mist, then into a Soul Shadow, and even attempted Soul Division to use a fragment of his soul as a Substitute Death, but it was all for naught.

Even after his Vine Technique reached Tier Four and the Spirit Species underwent a qualitative change, the restriction for using this move remained exactly the same.

In fact, even now that it had fused with the Bean Soldier and Spirit Nurturing Summoning Technique to become an ultimate Tier Four Technique, the prerequisite for using this move was still to inject it into the target’s body.

And this was a restriction at the Law Level. Using Wishing Size to have the target simply inhale them wouldn’t work.

Conceptually, one had to use a Vine Technique-related Skill to inflict an injury and inject the Spirit Species into the target’s body to activate this move.

Such an extreme restriction brought with it extreme damage. The Law Level transformation of the Spirit Species had been almost entirely channeled into its destructive power. Now, the Spirit Species could, in some ways, rival an ultimate Law Level Curse Technique.

That was why Qu Wenbai’s rapid series of transformations had no effect.

"AAAAHHH..."

After just a moment, his rapid transformations ceased, and he let out a wretched scream.

He collapsed to his knees, his Spiritual Power surging violently. Black mist roiled around him as he desperately tried to suppress the eruption from within his body.

Elder Huang watched him dispassionately and murmured, "Once you’re hit by my Vine Technique, you can’t escape so easily. The more you struggle, the more painful it becomes for the one afflicted.

"After all, any plant that is suppressed will only grow more forcefully, but also more grotesquely.

"However, for a Cultivator like you, so devoid of humanity you can barely be considered a person, using this Skill is hardly a crime against nature. Consider this a bit of vengeance for the Vengeful Spirits in this square and for the disciples who have not yet died."

Watching Qu Wenbai’s body tremble in agony as he struggled to suppress the erupting Spirit Species, Elder Huang’s gaze remained as cold as ice, utterly unmoved.

Even Qu Qingxian and Qu Zhiwen watched the struggling Qu Wenbai with a sense of vindictive satisfaction.

Qu Wenbai’s body convulsed as he desperately suppressed the growth and destruction of the Spirit Species within him. His Soul-Devouring Dao, a branch of the Devouring Dao, had previously been miraculously effective against many Techniques.

This was especially true for variant Curse Techniques like this one; some that entered his body could even be converted into Resources for his own use.

This time, however, his Devouring Dao failed. Or rather, it had met its match. When faced with his Devouring Power, the Spirit Species inside him instinctively transformed to resemble rubies, countering devouring with devouring.

The difference was that one power was righteous and balanced, while the other was utterly evil. As the two forces wrestled, countless Spirit Species slowly sprouted innumerable vines. Qu Wenbai’s withered, stooped frame visibly rounded out, as if he were gaining weight.

"PFFFT..."

Following a soft noise, Qu Wenbai’s expression froze. His entire aura fell into disarray for an instant, allowing the suppressed vines to burst forth and grow another segment.

Elder Huang, Qu Qingxian, and Qu Zhiwen, who had been watching him coldly, were momentarily stunned, their expressions turning bizarre.

Qu Wenbai, who had been trying so hard to suppress everything, had perhaps slipped up. Or perhaps the "leaking" area was the hardest to control. Or maybe... he had done it intentionally to relieve the pressure.

After the soft sound, a fart-like noise echoed from behind Qu Wenbai. A string of Ruby Vines shot out from his nether regions, released along with the gas.

The Vine resembled a string of rubies, shimmering with a dreamy light and swaying gently. It was so beautiful that one could hardly tell where it had emerged from.

Qu Qingxian and Qu Zhiwen stared at Qu Wenbai, their gazes haunted and their expressions bizarre. Elder Huang’s face twitched, and he could barely maintain his placid composure.

After a moment of stunned confusion, Qu Wenbai realized what had happened. His aura erupted violently, and he took on a frenzied posture.

But even so, the vines inside his body continued to grow. The Ruby Vine he had "liberated" from his rear began to slither around, winding its way up his body.

...

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