The Programmer Cultivator-Chapter 101 - 97: On Xuanhua Tower

Zhang Deming nodded in confirmation.

Feng Mingyou spoke up, "So, you’re saying you’ve joined some secret organization behind the Sect’s back, and you don’t actually have connections in the Sect’s upper echelons?"

’So that’s what he thought I was hinting at yesterday. I see.’

Zhang Deming nodded again. "Yes."

Feng Mingyou’s expression flickered, turning a little grim. This was a far cry from what he had expected; he felt like he’d gotten in way over his head.

He knew that while the Sect’s management was lax, joining another organization behind its back was a different matter entirely.

But Feng Mingyou knew it was too late to say anything now.

Things had already come to this. With the other party revealing himself as a member of a secret organization, he no longer had a choice.

At a time like this, rather than saying something discordant that would destroy the tacit understanding between them, it was better to just take things one step at a time.

Feng Mingyou took a deep breath, his calm expression returning. "In that case, does this... Alliance of yours have a way to guarantee I can learn a Tier Two Technique quickly?"

Zhang Deming smiled when he heard this.

’He’s a smart one, able to find the most advantageous position so quickly.’

Zhang Deming directly took out a glass-like bead, placed it on the table, and said, "Steward Feng should recognize this, right?"

Feng Mingyou’s pupils contracted. He picked up the Spirit Nurturing Ball and examined it for a moment before saying in astonishment, "A Mastery Level Tier Two Technique Spirit Nurturing Ball?"

It was no wonder he was so shocked. The value of a Spirit Nurturing Ball was typically at least double the price of the Technique itself.

A single Tier Two Spirit Nurturing Ball had a starting price of sixty to a hundred Spirit Stones, and it held its value even better than Spirit Stones.

And that was just for an ordinary Spirit Nurturing Ball. Mastery Level ones hardly ever circulated on the market.

This was because those who hadn’t learned the Technique could use it with at least a forty percent success rate, while those who had already learned it could still use it to deepen their comprehension of the Technique.

More importantly, as the difficulty of learning Tier Two Techniques increased, every single Tier Two Spirit Nurturing Ball was considered a strategic resource by the Sect.

They weren’t something you could buy with just money; they were usually given out as high-level rewards.

Zhang Deming nodded. "To be precise, it’s a Spirit Nurturing Ball for the Spirit Water Technique."

Hearing this, Feng Mingyou’s pupils constricted even more violently. He had only just given the Magic Book to Zhang Deming yesterday.

If it was really as he suspected, then this Blue Sky Alliance was truly extraordinary.

The Spirit Nurturing Master behind this alone would be enough to make countless people risk everything to join.

After all, the Celestial Spirit Sect, a major Upper Sect in the Hongmeng Realm, only had three Spirit Nurturing Masters.

"One isn’t enough. The standard success rate for a Spirit Nurturing Ball is twenty percent. Mastery Level is forty percent.

And since I haven’t spent years studying it, I’m completely unfamiliar with the Spirit Water Technique.

To guarantee success, I’ll need three, statistically speaking.

And you must be well aware of how many resources that represents," Feng Mingyou said, a hint of melancholy in his voice.

Zhang Deming silently took out two more. "The Blue Sky Alliance’s Spirit Nurturing Balls are different from those outside. They have a forty to fifty percent success rate.

These should be enough."

Feng Mingyou stared at the three Spirit Nurturing Balls, a rare hint of greed appearing in his eyes. He gave a wry smile.

"All of these together would be enough to gather a decent set of resources for a breakthrough. It seems I’m truly selling my soul this time.

Name your price. What must I do to get these?"

His words carried a surprising hint of nonchalance, almost as if he felt liberated.

Zhang Deming took out a blank sheet of paper and handed it to Feng Mingyou.

With a grave expression, Feng Mingyou stared intently at the blank paper for a long time. After five or six minutes with no result, he turned his head in confusion, looked at Zhang Deming, and asked:

"What is the meaning of this? Forgive my poor eyesight, but I don’t see any mystery here."

Zhang Deming explained, "This is a Soul Blood Contract, similar to a Dao Heart Oath, but just a bit more binding.

Once you sign it, Steward Feng, you can begin cultivating the Technique."

Feng Mingyou asked, "Since it’s a contract, where are the terms?"

Zhang Deming replied, "You’ll know them after you sign."

Feng Mingyou was speechless. "..."

’What kind of one-sided contract is this? I only find out the terms after I sign?!’

Seeing Feng Mingyou’s silence, Zhang Deming said, "Rest assured, I wouldn’t go to all this trouble just to swindle you, Steward Feng."

"How do I sign it?" Feng Mingyou asked.

"A drop of blood will suffice," Zhang Deming replied.

At his words, a current of water surged in Feng Mingyou’s hand, condensing into a transparent Water Needle. He pricked the tip of his finger with it gently.

He let a drop of blood from his fingertip fall onto the blank paper.

Then, just like Qu Qizhong, he focused his full attention, watching with extreme caution. He stared blankly at the paper, waiting for a change.

But the blood simply soaked into the sheet, spreading like a stain on ordinary paper.

After a long moment, he proved quicker on the uptake than Qu Qizhong; he came to his senses without Zhang Deming having to prompt him.

’I guess... I probably... can’t see anything unusual about this paper at all.’

Seeing him snap out of it, Zhang Deming silently took back the paper and said, "Steward Feng, you can begin your comprehension of the Enlightenment Dao now. I’ll stand guard for you.

By the way, these items are an advance, not a gift.

So, it would be best if you used as few as possible, Steward. After all, starting out in the Alliance saddled with debt isn’t a very pleasant thought."

Feng Mingyou nodded, picked up one of the Spirit Nurturing Balls, and began to channel his Spiritual Power into it.

Countless points of white light formed a hollow sphere, enveloping Feng Mingyou. At the sphere’s center, a nimble stream of water swirled back and forth before swimming into the space between his eyebrows.

On the surface of the hollow sphere, countless sparse points of light flickered endlessly.