News of the “Savior” Qin Zhou was the talk of both the upper realm and the lower realm.

Wen Jue had not yet lifted the barrier between the upper realm and the lower realm, so while ordinary people knew of his existence, they always felt he was someone far removed from them.

Only the merchants who came and went at the Qin residence would occasionally ask—

“Mr. Qin, is your son’s name Qin Zhou?”

“My son’s name is Qin Zhou, but he certainly isn’t that legendary Savior.” Father Qin could only reply with a smile.

“Where is Young Master Qin serving these days?”

“He received guidance from a sage, embarked on the path to immortality, and has now reported to a sect.” Mr. Qin said no more than that. He merely sighed with a smile, his tone tinged with pride. Even if he wasn’t the savior, his son was still a source of pride for them.

But was it really something to be proud of?

Young Master Qin had gone to the upper realm ever since that day.

With his Nascent Soul cultivation, no matter which sect he joined, would be seen by others as exceptionally gifted.

Though his soul and body are finally at peace, his heart remains constantly restless.

After all, he had repaid kindness with betrayal, made a deal with the Heavenly Dao, and harmed Senior Qin Zhou.

Young Master Qin dared not return to look; he had only fled in panic to the upper realm after that.

It wasn’t until the announcement of the Tiantong Secret Realm’s reopening appeared in the world, and news of the savior Qin Zhou broke, that Young Master Qin became even more afraid to return.

Given Senior Qin Zhou’s power, killing him would likely be a simple matter.

“Qin Zhou, are you hiding something from us? You’ve been keeping a low profile—could it be that you’re the Savior mentioned in that announcement?” Even his fellow disciples teased him.

Young Master Qin could only offer a wry smile.

What kind of savior was he? He knew who the savior was, but unfortunately, they were sworn enemies.

Young Master Qin had no choice but to continue his cultivation while living in constant fear.

Later on, even the slightest sound would startle him into looking around, terrified that Qin Zhou might come knocking to seek revenge.

Seeing his timid demeanor, Lu Qi puckered his lips. “He nearly led the village chief astray with that fake Heavenly Dao—are we just going to let him off like that?”

“Karma has been set in motion. Since a demon has taken root in his heart, his path to cultivation is bound to be fraught with difficulties,” Wen Jue said indifferently. “Qin Zhou doesn’t like killing people. Let’s leave it at that.”

“Is that all?”

“I’ve already informed Zhanyu that there’s a new cultivator at Lingyan Sect named Qin Zhou—a Nascent Soul cultivator who was nothing but a cultivation failure just half a year ago. Among those who go to Immortal-Demon City to seek the Savior will surely take a keen interest in this Young Master Qin.” Since he had nearly led Qin Zhou into a trap, he ought to shoulder some of the trouble brought on by this public announcement.

Qin Zhou does not like killing people.

But he cannot stand seeing this man live too comfortably.

“If he reveals the village chief’s identity…”

Wen Jue: “That does not matter.”

Qin Zhou’s true identity would be exposed to the world sooner or later.

He deserved the respect of the world and was entitled to its supreme glory.

Meanwhile, Qin Zhou had successfully reached the Fusion Realm.

Still chewing on the pill, he opened the new item the system had granted him after completing the world-saving mission—

*The Book of Civilization Evolution*

Just hearing the name, one could tell it was no ordinary item.

Flipping to the first page, he found information about the Zhutian Realm.

Similar to the Villager’s Handbook, the first page was densely packed with details about the Zhutian Realm.

【Zhutian Realm】

【Protagonist: Lu Shisi】

【World’s Highest Combat Power: Early Tribulation Crossing】

【World’s Average Combat Power: Early Spirit Transformation】

【World Tree Status: Sprout】

【World Spiritual Energy Level: Level 1】

【World Civilization Level: Level 1】

【……】

Interestingly, when he turned to the second page, there was nothing but a giant question mark. It looked exactly like a species not yet collected in a Spirit Beast Compendium—still in a state of discovery.

The book had a total of 133 pages. Excluding the one dedicated to the Zhutian Realm, exactly 132 pages remained.

The number of remaining worlds that could be matched on the Tongtian Rankings was also 132. This number… was truly intriguing.

Qin Zhou dared to speculate that the remaining 132 pages might belong to other worlds…

Did they really think of him as a savior?

There weren’t that many World Fruits brought from the Spirit Mountain Realm, and it was certainly impossible to plant a World Tree in every single world.

Qin Zhou gave it a quick skim before closing the book.

He didn’t have such lofty ambitions, nor was he so self-sacrificing as to revive every single world that might have invaded the Zhutian Realm.

Chewing on a pill, he walked out of the alchemy chamber and sat down in the courtyard.

He could hear the voices of villagers coming from outside the courtyard.

“Fourth Brother, where are you going?”

“I’m going to find Third Brother. I want to make some modifications to my halberd.”

“Is it not comfortable to use?”

“No, I just want Third Brother to engrave some characters for me. Where’s Second Brother?”

“He just got back from Third Brother’s place. I’m going to find Lu Yi to practice my skills.”

The faint voices drifting over made Qin Zhou realize that, compared to serving as a patriarch in a sect, everyone seemed to prefer staying in the village.

It wasn’t the busy farming season, but everyone had their own tasks to attend to.

It was just like being back in the early days of the game. Even across the small courtyard, he could hear the sounds of villagers chasing and playing.

Now that the commotion had died down, there was a sense of peaceful tranquility.

The sunlight fell on Qin Zhou’s face, bringing a touch of warmth.

Soon, the courtyard gate swung open. Lu Er stood in the doorway and, upon spotting Qin Zhou sitting in the courtyard, immediately stood at attention.

“Village Chief.”

“Mm.” Qin Zhou popped a pill into his mouth and chewed it.

“Is Lu Yi here?”

“No.”

Hearing this, Lu Er didn’t leave; instead, he walked in and thanked Qin Zhou: “The new sword… I got it. Thank you, Village Chief.”

Qin Zhou shook his head. “It was all forged by Lu San. I only provided the materials.”

That said, Qin Zhou’s warehouse was indeed nearly empty.

Now, almost every villager possessed a seventh-tier spirit artifact.

Although their old equipment was durable and wouldn’t rot, its low tier no longer matched everyone’s cultivation levels.

For cultivators at the Fusion Realm and above, a good, well-suited weapon provides a boost no less significant than advancing a tier.

“Village Chief, do you think those people from another world will be very strong?” Lu Er came over to Qin Zhou, sat down, and asked.

Lu Qi had set up numerous formations around the World Tree. Combined with Lu Shi’s talismans, the abilities of others, and various esoteric arts… they had densely enveloped the entire back mountain. Even he wasn’t sure if he could walk out alive.

“Not strong,” Qin Zhou replied after a moment’s thought, speaking honestly.

“But just to be safe, I won’t stop anyone from going.”

The demons of the past must be washed away with new memories. Whether it’s those who died in that desperate battle, or those who couldn’t fight but are unable to avenge the others.

Lu Er fell silent. Yet he couldn’t deny that the Village Chief was right.

“You want to warm up? How about sparring with me?” Qin Zhou asked suddenly. “I was actually going to ask Old Four, but you happened to show up.”

Lu Er:?

Seeing Lu Er’s stunned expression, Qin Zhou asked calmly, “I’m at the Fusion Realm. In terms of cultivation level, you’re one major realm above me. If I can escape from you, then I likely won’t be held back when facing people from other worlds.”

Lu Er understood and immediately said, “I can suppress my cultivation to the Fusion Realm to spar with you.”

Lu Er stood up, took a deep breath, yet couldn’t hide the excitement in his heart.

Sparring with the village chief… even if he had to suppress his cultivation, he was willing.

“That’s even better.”

Wen Jue had rushed back after noticing the barrier’s instability.

Two powerhouses above the Fusion Realm sparring in this village were the very cause of the barrier’s disturbance.

Quite a few villagers were watching the match from the sidelines.

Old Four was still cheering them on.

Wen Jue wanted to yell at him, but upon seeing that the sparring partners were Qin Zhou and Lu Er, he held his tongue.

“What on earth is going on? What has Second Brother lost his mind for?” Wen Jue didn’t rush forward recklessly; he merely asked with a frown.

“He’s sparring with the village chief,” Old Four remarked with admiration. “I thought the village chief would be completely overwhelmed, but it turns out he’s stronger than I imagined.”

Although they knew the village chief possessed many treasures they’d never seen before, and even considered that as an alchemist, he likely had many unexpected tricks up his sleeve, he still hadn’t expected that Qin Zhou could actually fight Lu Er—who had suppressed his cultivation—to such a dead heat. It was truly beyond imagination.

Wen Jue: “It’s not that he can’t fight; he just rarely uses his power.”

“I get it. I’ve seen those techniques of his in the Spirit Mountain Realm,” Fourth Brother nodded emphatically.

But that wasn’t what Wen Jue meant to say.

As Qin Zhou’s Dao companion, he might only have a partial understanding of Qin Zhou’s past. But there were some things he knew all too well. In the Spirit Mountain Realm, because Qin Zhou was a Creator God, he possessed power that was, in the eyes of the other villagers, simply unmatched.

But in Zhutian Realm, Qin Zhou, just like Yan Qi, was a “protagonist” from the Zhutian Realm.

Yan Qi had only been a protagonist for a few years, while Qin Zhou was already a battle-hardened “village chief.”

Thousands of years ago, Qin Zhou was the one bold enough to lead him into the lair of a Tiered Spirit Beast. Although in battle he was often the one charging ahead while Qin Zhou took charge of command, that didn’t mean Qin Zhou lacked the corresponding strength.

The fact that the Yinhe had recognized Qin Zhou as its master—and had never changed masters in nine thousand years—should have made it clear that he was no ordinary being.

Qin Zhou, who possessed the cultivation of the Fusion Realm and could still wield the Yinhe, was someone even he had to give a wide berth to. It was hard to say whether Lu Er was suppressing his own cultivation to go easy on Qin Zhou or if Qin Zhou was holding back against him.

The sparring session with Lu Er… well, that’s just for show; it doesn’t count.

“But why didn’t he ask me to spar?” Wen Jue muttered.

The Fourth Brother’s eyes lit up the moment he heard this: “Big Brother, how about me?”

Wen Jue:?

“If Second Brother won’t spar with you, I will!” Fourth Brother rolled up his sleeves and picked up his long spear, which he’d just engraved with a new ‘Four’ character. “Don’t let my appearance fool you—I’m already in the late stage of the Fusion Realm. I’m just a step away from the Great Perfection Realm.”

Wen Jue: “……”

Who wants to spar with Lu Er anyway?

“Big Brother, are you looking down on me?” The Fourth Brother looked utterly aggrieved, like a child denied candy. “You think my cultivation is too low.”

Back when he was in the Spirit Transformation Realm and the Eldest Brother was in the Fusion Realm, they used to spar from time to time.

After dying and coming back to life, even the Eldest Brother looked down on him, a mere Fusion Realm cultivator.

Wen Jue couldn’t defend himself. “Fine, fine, I’ll spar with you.”

In just a few short days since his resurrection, Fourth Brother had already reached the late stage of the Fusion Realm. That alone was astonishing enough.

Just as the corners of Fourth Brother’s mouth began to turn up, Wen Jue’s expression suddenly darkened. “We can’t spar.”

Fourth Brother: 

Immediately afterward, a telepathic message from Shisi came from the distance—

“Village Chief, a teleportation gate has appeared on the back mountain!”

Almost simultaneously, everyone heard the message.

Even Qin Zhou and Lu Er, who were in the middle of a fight, stopped in unison.

Qin Zhou looked toward the back mountain. Is it here?

【Intruder detected in this world. Village Chief, please immediately prepare forces to repel the enemy!】

【You can now summon all villagers with a single click. Do you wish to summon them immediately?】

Qin Zhou didn’t hesitate for a moment.

It was time.

One-click summon!