Cyber Cultivation

Half an hour later.

Su Jiu stood in place for a long while, holding the misshapen sugar figurine Su Ji had blown into an odd form.

She watched as Su Ji pulled her through one bustling stall after another, his childlike curiosity making him seem as if he’d never grown up.

In the end, she still opened her mouth and took a small, delicate bite from the top of the sugar figurine.

Too sweet.

An overwhelming sweetness exploded on her tongue, making her delicate brows furrow involuntarily.

She didn’t particularly like this taste.

Yet, for some reason, as she stared at the ugly sugar figurine in her hand, she couldn’t bring herself to throw it away.

Su Ji returned after buying a bag of roasted chestnuts, peeling one open and popping it into his mouth. He turned back, mumbling, "Junior Sister, these are delicious too, you—"

His words trailed off as he noticed Su Jiu nibbling at the sugar figurine, her expression peculiar—somewhere between distaste and reluctant enjoyment.

Su Ji grinned but said nothing more.

By the time the sun hung directly overhead, shrinking their shadows to their shortest, Su Ji finally dusted the chestnut crumbs from his hands and set aside his playful demeanor.

"Time’s up. Let’s go."

……

Without further delay, the two transformed into streaks of light, streaking toward Anyang City.

When they arrived, the scene was far from what Su Ji had expected.

Outside Anyang City, on an open stretch of land, more than just the two rival sects awaited them.

Four distinct factions stood in clear divisions.

One group consisted of cultivators from the Blood Fiend Sect.

Clad in dark crimson robes, their faint yet unmistakable aura of bloodlust was impossible to conceal. Even from a distance, a chilling, oppressive energy radiated from them.

Another faction belonged to the Joyful Union Sect.

This time, however, the group was composed entirely of men.

Their sunken eyes, unnaturally pale complexions, and gloomy expressions made it seem as if the very light around them dimmed in their presence.

Most disciples from these two sects appeared young, with the oldest looking no more than thirty.

Of course, a cultivator’s true age could never be judged by appearance alone.

Beyond these two sects, a man and a woman sat atop Anyang City’s walls.

Their features were unremarkable, dressed in plain gray linen robes, their builds ordinary in every way.

Su Ji probed their spiritual energy and found it unimpressive.

The only unusual detail was the enormous wooden box strapped to the man’s back—large, rectangular, resembling an upright coffin.

As for the woman…

Su Ji’s gaze settled on her, and his pupils contracted slightly.

Around her waist and the nape of her neck, something coiled.

She made no effort to hide it. From time to time, a slender, jade-green segment would peek out from beneath her plain clothing.

The segment gleamed with a metallic sheen under the sunlight.

It was not flesh and blood.

Instead, it resembled interlocking scales of amber-like metal, assembled through some unknown method.

Had Su Ji’s cultivation reached the Golden Core stage, he might have glimpsed the intricate gears within, driven by minuscule array cores, rotating in an esoteric rhythm.

A dull buzz filled Su Ji’s mind.

Instinctively, he whipped his head around, eyes wide with shock as he stared at Su Jiu beside him.

"Cyberpunk cultivation?"

With this thought in mind, he focused his gaze once more on the man carrying the coffin.

Sure enough, perched on the man's shoulder was a palm-sized frog.

The frog was entirely pitch-black, also forged from metal, with two red crystal stones for eyes that flickered faintly as they blinked.

Su Jiu clearly didn’t understand what Su Ji was referring to, but as she followed his line of sight, her expression grew solemn.

Lowering her voice, she leaned in and whispered an explanation to Su Ji.

"The Holy Land has intervened."

Her tone carried a trace of wariness.

"It’s someone from the Puppet Heaven Holy Land."

Su Ji’s heart jolted.

The Puppet Heaven Holy Land!

He’d never even heard of it!