The little flying insect was dead, and the light screen had shattered.

But this space still showed no signs of crumbling.

Qin Zhou didn’t sit idly by, but after searching the entire space, he found no way out.

Qin Zhou sat back down, feeling a touch of helplessness.

Xiao Lu really had no intention of letting him leave.

Qin Zhou knew there was no escaping being captured. After all, he was just a low-level Nascent Soul cultivator.

In his worst-case scenario, he’d considered that Xiao Lu might kill him or simply send him back to his original world. The former was less likely. After all, even if he wasn’t the protagonist of this world, Xiao Lu was essentially his system; perhaps his death would have some impact on it.

At least, that’s how things stood for now.

He had survived.

Although he was indeed locked up.

However, he hadn’t left himself completely without a backup plan.

Just like the Dao Companion Mark, there was another mark etched into his soul. It was the mark left behind when he opened the World Tree’s teleportation gate in the Spirit Mountain Realm.

If outsiders invaded the Spirit Mountain Realm, no matter where he was, the God of Creation system would forcibly teleport him there.

Qin Zhou ran his fingers over the teleportation rune on his arm.

To escape this space, does he really have to pin his hopes on an invasion by those from another world?

Or perhaps Wen Jue might find him first.

But the chances were too slim.

He didn’t even know if he was still within the Zhutian Realm.

“My cultivation is still too low,” Qin Zhou murmured.

Next time he goes out, he really needs to focus on improving his cultivation. If he becomes a powerful cultivator, he won’t be at the mercy of others in every situation.

Just as he was thinking this—

Qin Zhou’s body suddenly wavered.

The entire space began to shake violently.

An earthquake?

No.

Qin Zhou looked up, toward the source of the tremors.

‘Boom’

‘Boom’

Two successive, powerful impacts echoed from the spatial wall beside Qin Zhou.

‘Boom—’

After an exceptionally violent hammer blow, the wall shattered. Light seeped through the cracks, and the fake background turned into garbled code.

The light was somewhat blinding.

The entire wall collapsed, and the figure of a young man holding a sledgehammer appeared before him.

Qin Zhou raised his eyes, a hint of surprise on his face.

At the very least, he hadn’t expected Wen Jue to arrive first.

Wen Jue exhaled a breath of stale air, his gaze gradually softening. “Why are you looking at me like that…”

“…Because you got here too fast.”

“If you’d been a moment later, I’d have been afraid that thing would’ve killed you.” Wen Jue stepped through the wall and walked in. The screen filled with garbled characters made him frown slightly, but seeing that Qin Zhou was unharmed, he let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, meditating, are we?” Wen Jue said sarcastically.

“You’ve been scheming so much behind the scenes, but you never thought about how to save yourself?” Wen Jue was a bit annoyed. He had sensed that something was off with the Heavenly Dao, but he hadn’t expected Qin Zhou to have already seen through his intentions—and even had Shisi bind himself to the World Tree first.

He had clearly made so many preparations, yet he hadn’t told a single person.

“If I hadn’t come, how would you have gotten out?”

Qin Zhou listened, yet seemed not to hear, merely staring at his face, slightly lost in thought.

Veins throbbed on Wen Jue’s forehead. He grabbed Qin Zhou by the collar, leaned in close, and whispered into his ear, “Anyway, you never expected me to show up here! Should I not have come? Anyway, even if I hadn’t come, you’d have found a way out.”

Qin Zhou: “I was wrong.”

Wen Jue: “!?”

The apology came so quickly that Wen Jue couldn’t react. “I… I wasn’t asking you to admit you were wrong.”

“There’s no such thing as ‘you shouldn’t have come.’ I’m glad you did.” Qin Zhou smiled as he took his hand.

How could he not be glad?

Cultivating was for self-preservation in this world, to survive longer.

And the meaning of a cultivation partner, perhaps, was for a moment like this.

No matter where he was, there would always be someone thinking of him, who would then come looking for him regardless of the cost—scouring heaven and earth, fearless and selfless.

He could have waited a little longer to leave.

But the feeling of being found was extraordinary—a surprise that went beyond any plan.

It had nothing to do with strength.

His bond with this world was difficult to explain simply as the relationship between a player and a game. For a very long time, this game had provided him with immense emotional support.

Xiao Lu said humans love novelty and tire of the old. But Qin Zhou knew better. It wasn’t just the abandoned characters who were the most pitiful; after discovering he could no longer log into the game, he, too, had lost his emotional anchor.

One must look forward; life must go on.

Yet he was gradually withering away, turning into a barren wasteland.

Perhaps this sounds incoherent.

But now he clearly felt the spring rain nourishing him, and the barren land seemed to be sprouting new life.

Wen Jue was the flower he had poured his heart and soul into cultivating. He was the source of his greatest sense of accomplishment from playing the game.

And his flower seemed to be providing nourishment, giving back to this barren land of his.

No one dislikes the feeling of being loved.

Fortunately, the person he cherished as a treasure also regarded him as a treasure.

“I’ll go back and make you some candied hawthorn,” Qin Zhou said suddenly.

“…Huh?” Why bring up candied hawthorn all of a sudden?

Wen Jue froze for a moment, then reached out and touched Qin Zhou’s forehead. “That thing didn’t do anything to you, did it?”

The fleeting tenderness in Qin Zhou’s heart was caught off guard by this cluelessness.

He felt a surge of irritation.

Grabbing Wen Jue’s hand, Qin Zhou smiled. “If you don’t want sugar-coated hawthorn, then let’s have something else.”

Wen Jue:?

Wen Jue looked down and found Qin Zhou’s gaze fixed intently on him, not blinking.

That gaze was far too intense.

His fingers were held captive. Wen Jue’s breathing quickened slightly. He wasn’t exactly inexperienced.

“What… else?” Wen Jue pressed his lips together, his head gradually dropping. “Shisi is waiting for us outside.”

Qin Zhou turned around.

A round head peeked out from the corner of the crumbling wall. Shisi’s face was full of mischief: “It’s fine if I wait a little longer.”

Thankfully, the village chief was okay.

If the village chief is okay, then Lu Yi is okay too, and everyone is okay—how wonderful!

Only Yinhe, held in Wen Jue’s hand, let out a shrill, explosive cry—

It doesn’t want to wait!

Whether it’s eating candied hawthorn or anything else, it doesn’t want to hear any of it!

It would become impure!!

Waaah, let it go!

……

Only after stepping outside did he realize that Qin Zhou had been locked up in the Immortal Restraint Prison.

To be precise, he was trapped in a corner of the Immortal Restraint Prison—a gap between this place and the outside world. This must be Xiao Lu’s hideout. It’s also the core where the entire game system exists.

When he first crossed over, he must have been brought here by Xiao Lu.

“This is what was left behind after that little flying bug was killed.” Wen Jue raised his hand and handed him a small, square piece of metal.

Qin Zhou froze for a moment.

This is…

The moment Qin Zhou touched the chip, something reappeared in his mind—

【Host detected. Reactivating system.】

【Intelligent system damaged beyond repair. System downgraded to minimum level; can only provide basic functions to the host.】

【Host has completed the ultimate mission: ‘Become the Savior and cause the new World Tree to sprout.’】

【Reward obtained—*The Book of Civilization Evolution*】

【Please do not disappoint the Supreme Being’s expectations, Host. Make the world better and better!】

Something was placed into Qin Zhou’s Cosmos Bag.

Qin Zhou stared blankly at the system prompt.

The Book of Civilization’s Evolution…

It was a game item he had never seen, or even heard of.

So, does this mean a new chapter has begun?

Suddenly, Wen Jue nudged him. “Shall we head back?”

Qin Zhou nodded. “Let’s go.”

“By the way, was it also your doing that the second brother and the others all mysteriously went to Chen San’s place?”

“I had to give Xiao Lu a chance to make its move.”

Wen Jue frowned at this. He knew it—this guy had everything calculated.

Qin Zhou took his hand. “This is a one-time exception.”

“Hmph.”

“I don’t have time to munch on candied hawthorn,” Wen Jue said suddenly. “The World Tree has sprouted. It really is time to lift the barrier between the upper realm and the lower realm.”

Shisi stood beside Wen Jue and sighed as he asked a question he’d never dared to voice before—

“What will the future be like?”

“It will be the best it can be,” Qin Zhou replied.

“That’s right,” Wen Jue nodded emphatically.

Shisi chuckled, “That’s wonderful!”

The group was chatting happily when suddenly—

A golden streak of light fell from the sky, and golden characters flashed before everyone’s eyes—

【The World Tree has been reborn. The Tongtian Secret Realm will reopen. Those recognized by ‘Savior Qin Zhou’ will gain the qualification to seek the Dao within the Tongtian Secret Realm.】

【All cultivators may go to ‘The Little Mountain Village of the Zhutian Realm’ to find ‘Savior Qin Zhou’!】

Qin Zhou froze as he stared at the words ‘Savior Qin Zhou’.

A system with no intelligence… Is this some kind of joke?

It doesn’t even hide its name—not a shred of subtlety.

Shisi cautiously glanced at the village chief’s expression, then couldn’t help but laugh: “Looks like our little village is about to get lively.”

“Not necessarily,” Wen Jue tried to reassure the dazed Qin Zhou, “Apart from the villagers, no one knows where the Little Mountain Village of the Zhutian Realm is.”

“Hmm, the stele for the Little Mountain Village of the Zhutian Realm is in Immortal-Demon City.” Qin Zhou suddenly let out a sigh of relief. “Let’s go back and ask Zhanyu if there’s anything he wants.”

Grandpa Village Chief, you can give us anything.

“Aren’t you going to ask me?” Wen Jue raised an eyebrow.

Is Zhanyu the only one you want to please?

“What about me? What about me?” Shisi giggled. “Village Chief, don’t forget about me!”

Qin Zhou: “……”

The future is unpredictable; upon reflection, it’s all just awkward.