That night, Qin Zhou discovered a sack of alchemical ingredients had appeared in the courtyard, mostly low-grade materials like Spiritual Heart Fruits and Spirit Forging Grass.

Who had sent these was self-evident.

The next day, as soon as Qin Zhou returned to the Qin residence, he heard news that the Zhang family had moved away from Ping City.

Rumors spread that Zhang Heming had angered a divine being. When found outside the city, he was barely clinging to life, moaning in agony.

The Zhang family dared not stay and moved away with their entire household.

Even the cultivators who had assisted the Zhangs in alchemy vanished overnight from Ping City, as if driven by some unknown shock.

The rumors grew louder and louder, gradually reaching even the common folk—

The Qin family had the backing of noble figures from the Immortal Realm; they were no longer to be trifled with.

“All the herbal merchants previously connected to the Zhangs have come looking for us. The shop’s been swamped. The mistress asked me to tell the young master: if he has matters to attend to, his own affairs come first. Don’t worry about the shop,” Chen San reported.

Qin Zhou nodded. “You’ve worked hard for the Immortal Pill Society.”

Chen San scratched his head and chuckled, “Glad I could be of service to the young master.”

Qin Zhou handed him a porcelain bottle and a piece of paper.

Chen San took them quickly. “Young master, what are these?”

“Your contract with the Qin family, and the pill I mentioned earlier—the one that enhances innate talent.” Qin Zhou was a man who rewarded and punished with clear distinction.

Chen San’s eyes widened slightly, clearly taken aback.

“Chen San, I’ve given you these things, but the path you choose is still yours. If you wish to cultivate and become an immortal, take these pills and follow me from now on. If you want to live as an ordinary person, spending a hundred peaceful years with family and friends, I’d recommend that you to Mother to become an entry-level alchemist for the Qin family.”

“Young Master…” Chen San was stunned by these words, unable to weigh the pros and cons. “Young Master, I only delivered your message at the Immortal Pill Gathering…”

Qin Zhou shook his head. “Merit deserves reward.” He never shortchanged his own people.

Seeing Chen San’s silence, Qin Zhou added, “You have until I depart Ping City to consider your choice.”

Chen San snapped his head up. “You’re leaving Ping City?”

“All journeys must end.”

True enough, the young master was pursuing immortal cultivation. Chen San reflected inwardly. But what about himself?

Chen San offered no definitive answer to Qin Zhou.

Nor did Qin Zhou press him.

After leaving the refined pills behind, he returned to the village.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Pushing open the courtyard gate, Qin Zhou instinctively glanced eastward. Wen Jue was absent.

Qin Zhou surmised that Wen Jue’s recent frequent ‘astral projections’ had inevitably left him in need of rest.

Wen Jue had been a tremendous help with this matter.

It was time to prepare a token of gratitude.

With that thought, Qin Zhou reentered the alchemy chamber.

A calming incense burned within, its scent sharpening the mind. A three-legged alchemy furnace stood waist-high in the room. Its surface was a plain green, unremarkable at first glance, yet upon closer inspection, it revealed a certain refinement. Qin Zhou knew this old companion was rather ordinary compared to the furnaces of master alchemists.

Yet beneath its unassuming exterior, this modest green cauldron held a treasure within.

If the Face Washing Pill had consumed three years of his life, this cauldron had demanded eight.

This was a ‘divine artifact’ capable of refining seventh-tier pills.

Cultivation levels comprised seven major realms: Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Transformation of the Spirit, Merging of the Body, and Great Perfection. Pills corresponded almost perfectly, also possessing seven tiers.

Pill furnaces could be upgraded, and Qin Zhou’s furnace was max-level.

This was thanks to his other title—

Artificer Celestial Master.

However, possessing a max-level furnace didn’t mean he could pop seventh-tier pills like candy.

The ingredients for seventh-tier pills themselves were treasures encountered only once in a thousand years.

When Qin Zhou played games, seventh-tier pill ingredients were few and far between. Now… they were likely just as hard to find.

Qin Zhou wasn’t thinking that far ahead.

For now, his focus was on refining a fifth-tier Core Stabilizing Pill.

The highest grade Core Stabilizing Pill it could craft with Spirit Focusing Wood was fifth tier. This was already pushing the wood to its absolute limit. Combined with the ingredients in his backpack, refining a fifth-tier Core Stabilizing Pill wouldn’t be too difficult.

Though he didn’t know Wen Jue’s cultivation level, the grade of a Core Stabilizing Pill—higher or lower—made little difference in its effectiveness.

Qin Zhou sat cross-legged, began grinding the herbs, then kneading the pill.

The Spirit Focusing Wood tasted bitter.

If Wen Jue had to eat it… he wondered if he’d complain about the taste.

Since it was a token of gratitude, both host and guest should be pleased.

Qin Zhou pondered.

Mixing some Spirit Focusing Wood into the sugar-coated pills might just work.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

“These were sent by the young master?” The shopkeeper stared at the bag he’d just received, swallowing hard.

What kind of place sells Spiritual Pill… in cloth sacks?

His young master, after all!

“Yes, the young master sent it,” Chen San nodded. “I’ve already informed the mistress. She said to just record it in the shop ledger.”

The shopkeeper lowered his voice to ask Chen San, “These… did the young master gather all of them himself…?”

Chen San nodded.

“How did the young master acquire so many pill ingredients…?” He recalled the young master had only taken Spiritual Heart Fruit from the shop once.

Chen San shrugged, indicating he had no idea.

The shopkeeper dared not press further. Little did he know these were the ‘alchemical ingredients’ Wen Jue had retrieved from the Zhang family last night. Overnight, Qin Zhou had refined several batches, resulting in the impressive sack before them.

“Shopkeeper, the young master said to ask him for more if it’s insufficient.”

“That won’t do. This sack alone could last us a decade,” the shopkeeper replied, carefully cradling the bag as he retreated.

Chen San watched him disappear and said no more. The young master had declared that after the Immortal Pill Fair, Qin Family’s pills would be in such high demand they’d never have enough to sell. But that was probably not something he needed to share with the shopkeeper.

Little did Chen San know then that the young master’s words would prove prophetic. Within days, Qin Family’s entry-level Spiritual Pill truly sold out completely.

But that’s another story.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

After leaving the pill workshop, Qin Zhou headed to the back mountain.

The ten-day period had passed, and the Spiritual Heart Fruit had sprouted as expected.

Unfortunately, before Qin Zhou could feel joy upon reaching the field’s edge, he sensed something amiss.

He had been tending this plot on the back mountain all along.

The sprouting was a good sign—at least it proved this spirit field could cultivate spiritual materials.

Yet the sprouts were tiny, appearing malnourished.

Crouching by the field, he pinched a clump of soil between his fingers. Though he was only at the second stage of Qi Condensation, his perception of spiritual energy wasn’t exceptionally keen—he could still gauge its quantity.

The spiritual energy within the field was far scarcer than he’d anticipated.

His plan to achieve Spiritual Heart Fruit independence would have to be postponed.

After ten thousand years, the spiritual energy here had dwindled to such a meager state.

Qin Zhou surmised that without Wen Jue’s barrier, the spiritual energy in this field would likely have dissipated long ago.

Was it because of the scarcity of spiritual energy in the mortal realm that the geniuses had divided the world into upper and lower realms?

Originally, Qin Zhou had planned to plant the many newly extracted Spiritual Heart Fruit seeds as well, but now it seemed the spiritual energy here wouldn’t be sufficient to sustain them either.

What a pity—the well in the courtyard…

When Wen Jue’s divine essence descended, night had already fallen. Qin Zhou stood staring blankly at the well in the courtyard.

“What are you doing?” The immaculate Immortal Lord approached silently, coming up behind Qin Zhou. Peering over his shoulder, he saw only the dark, murky well opening—no beautiful moon reflected in the water.

What are you looking at?

“This well has dried up.”

“I see. Dried up. Is that strange?” Wen Jue remarked.

Qin Zhou glanced at him—blurred again—and turned back, speechless.

Wen Jue caught his gaze and suddenly understood. “You know this well once held a spirit spring.”

“This mountain once held a spirit spring. What emerged from this well was also spirit water. Unfortunately, the mountain’s spiritual energy gradually diminished, and the spring dried up. Even if we reopened it now, it would only be an ordinary water well.” Wen Jue clasped his hands behind his back, circling the well halfway before his thoughts crystallized. “You want the spirit spring… to irrigate the fields on your back mountain?”

Qin Zhou remained silent, but he didn’t deny Wen Jue’s words.

“You want the sacred spring? I have it,” Wen Jue said with a hint of amusement. “Trade me your secret for it. How about it?”

“No need. That field isn’t urgent,” Qin Zhou refused outright. His original plan was to first cultivate Spiritual Heart Fruit, then later plant higher-grade alchemical ingredients. But now it seemed this matter couldn’t be rushed.

Wen Jue fumed: “You ungrateful—mmph!”

Before he could finish, Qin Zhou’s quick fingers shoved something into his mouth. Just as Wen Jue was about to protest, his tongue touched something—a sugar bean pill.

Slightly sweet.

But this sugar bean pill seemed to contain something else.

“Spirit Focusing Wood?” Wen Jue mumbled. “You refined it?”

Qin Zhou hadn’t expected Wen Jue to not dodge his hand. His fingers seemed to have briefly touched the true face beneath the mosaic, and the warmth lingered on his fingertips as they brushed against those lips.

“…Mm.” Qin Zhou produced a small vial and handed it over. “A token of thanks.”

That small piece of Spirit Focusing Wood had only yielded five Core Stabilizing Pills, leaving four remaining in the vial.

Wen Jue accepted it without hesitation. “Not bad. This one accepts.”

This one again. Qin Zhou glanced up at the mosaic.

“What are you looking at?” Wen Jue’s tone rose slightly, as if hiding something. “Is there a flower on this one’s face?”

Qin Zhou shook his head. There was a mosaic.

“I’m off to refine pills.” Qin Zhou intended to leave after presenting his gift.

This time, Wen Jue didn’t stop him, nor did he call him a pill-obsessed fool who thought of nothing but alchemy.

In the blink of an eye, Qin Zhou glanced back to find that Wen Jue’s spirit essence had already vanished miles away.

Unnoticed by anyone, a cluster of small flowers had quietly bloomed beside the dry well.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

“Huff—” The moment his spirit returned to his body, Wen Jue opened his eyes.

His unblurred face wore an expression beyond description. That face, like a calamity itself, now held a trace of bewilderment.

Only later did he realize the lingering warmth of Qin Zhou’s fingers still touched his lips.

He had been so completely unguarded around Qin Zhou.

“Because he’s the old man’s descendant.”

“And a complete alchemy nut who knows nothing but pill-making. So what if I was unguarded?”

Wen Jue convinced himself, gently shaking his head to push the matter from his mind.

But the Core Stabilizing Pill in his hand…

Wen Jue opened the bottle. The soothing fragrance of the Spirit Focusing Wood wafting to his nose truly seemed to have a tranquilizing effect.

Moreover, upon closer inspection, it contained more than just Spirit Focusing Wood.

It even held rarer spiritual ingredients.

“With something like this in your possession, those useless fools in the upper realm would practically be begging for a mere spiritual spring…”

“Yet, for just a small piece of Spirit Focusing Wood, you managed to get five pills. And you gave them all to this master… I’ll count that as generosity.“

”However, this master isn’t exactly stingy either…”

Wen Jue’s mutterings drifted through the Immortal Restraint Prison, echoing in the vast emptiness.

Just wait.