The Programmer Cultivator

With the identity token of the ancestral hall’s keeper, he could move freely throughout almost the entire Lu Family estate. So, he sprinted through numerous areas at a speed far beyond that of a normal person, arriving at the Lu Family Patriarch’s residence.

"Eighth Ancestor, what brings you here?" a Gate Guard Disciple asked, looking at the old man.

"Is the Patriarch in?" the old man asked quickly.

"He is, but the Patriarch is currently discussing matters with Patriarch Duan. He instructed us disciples not to disturb him unless it’s urgent." The Gate Guard Disciple nodded, then said hesitantly, "Eighth Ancestor, perhaps you could come back later?"

The old man completely ignored the disciple’s last words. "As long as he’s in."

With that, he quickly walked inside.

"Eighth—" The Gate Guard Disciple started to speak but stopped himself. In the end, he didn’t have the courage to stop the old man. He could only watch helplessly as the elder rushed into the room like a bolt of lightning.

’You could have at least waited for me to announce you...’ the guard muttered speechlessly, watching the old man’s disappearing figure.

The Lu Patriarch lived in a small courtyard. The old man entered the courtyard and rather violently burst through the door. Inside the room, two middle-aged men who were in the middle of a discussion both froze. A powerful aura flared from their bodies for an instant before vanishing.

These two were none other than the current Patriarchs of the Duan and Lu Families. The middle-aged man on the left, with a resolute face and a strong, upright build, was Lu Ya, the current Patriarch of the Lu Family.

The man on the right, who had a refined, almost scholarly air and appeared somewhat frail, was Duan Fangchun, the current Patriarch of the Duan Family.

The two had been discussing something, and the moment they sensed the old man bursting in, their auras had erupted simultaneously. After getting a clear look at the intruder, they both paused, and the auras around them vanished, concealed once more.

"Eighth Brother, what are you doing here?" Lu Ya asked, his brow slightly furrowed as he looked at the old man.

The old man dispensed with all pleasantries and said quickly, "There’s a disturbance at the ancestral hall. The sacrificial Spiritual Light has begun to flicker on its own."

"What?!" Lu Ya was so shocked he shot up from his seat. Staring at the old man, he said, "Eighth Brother, do you have any idea what you’re saying?"

Before the old man could reply, the refined-looking Duan Fangchun on the side transformed into a phantom-like blur and vanished from the room.

Lu Ya paused for a moment, looked at the old man, and said, "Let’s go. We’ll see for ourselves first."

With that, his figure flickered and also disappeared from the room. Seeing this, the old man quickly exited the room and went to the doorway.

The Gate Guard Disciple was taken aback for a second. Seeing the old man emerge, he said, "Eighth Ancestor, I did try to warn you. Now that the Patriarch has thrown you out, you can’t blame me."

The old man paused, shot the disciple a glare, and ordered, "Instruct the Shadows to seal off the ancestral hall."

The Gate Guard Disciple froze and turned his head to look into the courtyard. The main hall’s doors were wide open, and the inside was completely empty.

"Stop looking. The Patriarch has already gone to the ancestral hall. Hurry up and pass on the order," the old man commanded. "Today, not even a fly is to be allowed into the ancestral hall’s courtyard."

The Gate Guard Disciple’s expression turned solemn. He said respectfully, "Yes, I’ll see to it at once."

With that, he turned and, using an exceptionally skillful Qinggong technique, vanished from the old man’s sight.

「...」

Moving like phantoms, their bodies flashing like lightning, Lu Ya and Duan Fangchun arrived at the ancestral hall in a matter of moments.

The Lu Family and the Duan Family shared an ancestral hall. But even so, in the shared hall of two families whose Inheritances stretched back for an unknown number of years, there weren’t many ancestral tablets—fewer than twenty in total.

On the left were the few tablets of the Duan Family, and on the right were those of the Lu Family, with a small gap in the middle.

In front of the many ancestral tablets was an altar table. In the middle of this table, directly in front of the gap between the tablets, sat a strange Incense Burner.

And at the highest point above the gap, in the very center of all the ancestral tablets, was a slightly larger, wordless tablet. Normally, this tablet was unremarkable, aside from being blank and a little odd.

But at this moment, Spiritual Light flickered around it. As countless Runes emerged, the pattern of a miniature altar appeared, faint and flickering. The silver, green, and transparent colors on the altar, in particular, were flashing with the highest frequency.

By the time the two men arrived, the speed at which the Spiritual Light was flickering had already slowed.

Seeing the Spiritual Light and the flowing Runes, both of their expressions changed. Lu Ya said in astonishment, "It really is the sacrificial Spiritual Light?"

Duan Fangchun didn’t reply. He quickly walked to the altar table. The table was quite large, yet it held only a solitary Incense Burner and a bundle of incense sticks.

Duan Fangchun went to the front of the table. Instead of reaching for the incense sticks on top, he pressed down on the table’s surface. As his True Essence surged, a hidden drawer popped out from underneath.

The drawer was long and narrow, not very large, resembling an exquisite medicine box. It was only two or three inches wide and two or three inches high.

Inside the box-like drawer lay about five or six incense sticks. They looked Ordinary, with their only strange feature being their color.

The incense wasn’t the usual green or brown, but red—a vibrant, deep red that seemed to shimmer with the luster of blood.

Duan Fangchun quickly took out one of the incense sticks. After he removed it, the small box-like drawer retracted back into the table.

Duan Fangchun paused, holding the blood-red incense stick. He tilted his head to look at Lu Ya, who had also stepped forward, his eyes filled with a silent question.

The two had known each other for many years; they were not only the closest of friends but also partners. Lu Ya understood the meaning in his eyes without Duan Fangchun needing to speak. Lu Ya nodded and said, "Light it."

Receiving the confirmation, Duan Fangchun gently rubbed the blood-red incense stick between his thumb and forefinger. A few sparks flashed, and the stick was lit. Duan Fangchun then took the incense and placed it in the sole Incense Burner on the altar table.

「...」