The Programmer Cultivator

Chapter 340 - 41: Duzun Tower Opens

After a long while, just as he could no longer bear it, the old man withdrew his scrutinizing gaze and said, "Such poor aptitude, a barely passable temperament, and a cultivation level that’s just an eyesore. Sigh, after all these years, Duzun Tower is still the same damned way. What a headache!

Why can’t it learn from Xuanhua Tower and find someone at least halfway decent? After all, it only reopens once every tens of thousands of years!"

Xu Weihai was shaken to the core, listening quietly to the old man’s complaints.

"Forget it, forget it. At least this time it’s a person. He can understand human speech, can’t he!" After a long pause, the old man spoke as if resigning himself to his fate.

With that said, before Xu Weihai could react, the old man waved his hand, and the two of them vanished from the gray, hazy space.

When Xu Weihai came to his senses again, he found himself standing before a pavilion on a floating island.

On the plaque above the entrance, the name ’Duzun Tower’ was written in three large, flamboyant characters. At the same time, a verse echoed from the sky.

"Celestial Baiyu City in the heavens, with twelve towers and five citadels.

An Immortal touches my crown, bestowing upon me Longevity from Braiding Hair.

Mistakenly I chased worldly pleasures, delving deep into the truths of chaos and order.

The ninety-six holy lords are but empty names, like floating clouds.

Heaven and Earth are staked on a single throw, yet I cannot forget the call of war.

Through the endless eons, in this vast and boundless cosmos, supremacy stands alone!"

Witnessing all of this, hearing the verse that seemed to drift serenely across millennia from the heavens, he was shaken to the core.

The old man walked to the front of the tower. Gazing at Duzun Tower, he was lost in thought once more, as if immersed in those desolate and ancient years.

After a long moment, he waved his hand, and the tightly shut doors of Duzun Tower swung open with a THUD.

He then turned to the stunned Xu Weihai and said, "I am Yuxing, the director of Duzun Tower of the Blue Sky Alliance."

"Huh? Oh! Ah! Greetings, Senior!"

Xu Weihai’s expression went blank. He was confused for a moment before realizing the man was introducing himself.

The old man, Yuxing, paid no mind to Xu Weihai’s reaction. Instead, he looked at him and said:

"You now have a choice. As the one to reopen Duzun Tower, you can join the Alliance unconditionally and become the first member of Duzun Tower upon its reopening after ten thousand years.

Of course, you can also refuse. If you do, I will leave and select another member."

Xu Weihai was completely stunned, his eyes as wide as lanterns. After a moment, he asked apprehensively, "Senior, may I ask what the Alliance is, and what Duzun Tower is?"

Yuxing’s brow furrowed slightly. "In the Hongmeng Realm today, do the Holy Lands still exist?"

Xu Weihai nodded immediately. "They do. The Three Great Holy Lands stand strong."

"Three?" Yuxing asked in surprise.

Xu Weihai paused for a moment, then quickly explained, "That’s right, the Three Great Holy Lands: the Hongmeng, Spirit Mountain, and Spirit Nurturing Holy Lands.

The Spirit Nurturing Holy Land began its rise ten thousand years ago. A few thousand years ago, it established its Grotto Heaven, carving out a new path in the Hongmeng Realm and achieving the status of a Holy Land."

"To establish a Grotto Heaven and become a great Holy Land in just a few thousand years... It seems the Hongmeng Realm truly has fallen into decline," Yuxing lamented.

Xu Weihai’s lips twitched. He wanted to argue for the might of the Spirit Nurturing Holy Land, but in the end, he didn’t dare to speak. He looked much like a student who, under the intimidating pressure of an old professor, couldn’t bring himself to object, bottling up his frustration until it was unbearable.

Yuxing ignored Xu Weihai’s expression and said, "You can think of the Alliance as a union of the Holy Lands in the current Hongmeng Realm. Duzun Tower represents one of those Holy Lands.

Well, it’s not a perfect analogy, but that’s the general idea."

Hearing this, Xu Weihai’s pupils contracted violently.

’Does this mean that this senior named Yuxing is asking if I want to become a Holy Land Disciple?’

Once he processed this, he said without a shred of hesitation, "Senior, I am willing!"

"In that case, you are now the first provisional Venerable of Duzun Tower.

Normally, the procedure would be to take you to Xuanhua Tower to sign the contract.

But I just checked, and Xuanhua Tower opened a bit early this time. It’s already been open for over a thousand years.

I don’t want to be laughed at by that fellow, Elder Huang, right at the start.

Therefore, we will postpone your contract signing. We’ll go when the time is right, to avoid losing face for Duzun Tower," Yuxing said.

Hearing this, Xu Weihai’s eyes filled with confusion. He vaguely understood the gist of it, but there was much he didn’t comprehend, and he was afraid to ask.

Yuxing glanced at him. "What, you have a problem with that?"

Xu Weihai quickly shook his head. "Senior, what does our Duzun Tower do? What is a Venerable? And what do I need to do?"

Yuxing said, "Duzun Tower is one of the twelve towers of the Alliance, and one of the five main towers at that.

As for what it does...

The purpose of Duzun Tower is to cultivate Venerables—to raise Great Cultivators who can stand as pillars of strength, in order to defend the Alliance.

And your level of cultivation is clearly not up to par.

Therefore, your task is to cultivate diligently.

As the first Venerable of Duzun Tower—even if you’re a provisional one with full status pending—I will teach you well.

As for when you’ll contribute to the Alliance... we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Your current cultivation is simply too pathetic to consider."

Xu Weihai was stunned again. ’So... not only have I become a Holy Land Disciple, but I’m also the sole person being specially groomed? And I don’t even have to do anything in return? Doesn’t that make me a Saint Heir?’

Yuxing glanced at the dazed Xu Weihai. "Alright, that’s enough for today. As for your training, I will come again tomorrow.

I see that you study the Array Dao. This is a Heaven-Reaching Path, but it is also one that most requires an understanding of the changing times.

I have been asleep for over twenty thousand years. I certainly can’t just pass my old knowledge on to you as is.

Today, I need to use the Technique of Wandering the Great Thousand to observe the current state of the Hongmeng Realm and see how the Array Dao has evolved.