Chen San worked swiftly, and Qin Zhou didn’t rest either.

By nightfall, the rooms and courtyard were tidied up.

Only now, alone, could Qin Zhou properly examine his interface.

The attribute panel he could see was identical to those of the hundreds of villagers he’d once nurtured—talents, stats, and values laid bare.

The interface displayed it unabashedly, in stark clarity—

Talent Growth: 0.01

Qin Zhou: …

Qin Zhou closed the talent panel.

Reopened it.

Looked again.

Talent Growth: 0.01

Confirming he hadn’t misread, Qin Zhou murmured, “A complete waste of space.”

No wonder no sect would take him in.

That afternoon, he’d coaxed quite a bit of information out of Chen San. At least he now understood his identity and situation fairly clearly.

Zhutian was divided into Upper and Lower Realms. Those who could ascend to the Upper Realm were all immortal beings. Nearly all the powerful figures of Zhutian resided there—the true gathering place of cultivators.

The Lower Realm was mostly inhabited by mortals. Of course, sects existed in the Lower Realm too, tasked with selecting promising disciples for cultivation. If a sect produced even one cultivator strong enough to ascend to the Upper Realm, it would be a tremendous honor for the entire sect.

As for the name ‘Zhutian,’ Qin Zhou wasn’t sure if it had any connection to him. Back when he renamed his Small Cultivation Mountain Village, he had called it Zhutian Small Village.

Admittedly, the name was a relic of his adolescent, overly dramatic phase.

Returning to the present, Qin Zhou now resided in the Lower Realm. Not far from the small mountain village lay a county town under the jurisdiction of Xihe Province. The Qin family was a prominent household in the county, their business extending to the provincial capital—specifically, the alchemy trade.

These pills weren’t traditional Chinese medicine, but rather a Spiritual Pill suitable for low-tier cultivators or ordinary mortals.

The Qin family’s backing came from several cultivator clans, which is why they could operate in the pill trade. Yet, lacking any disciples from immortal sects, they appeared wealthy but were actually dependent on others.

Qin Zhou, the sole heir of the Qin family, was the hope of the entire household. From childhood, expectations were high for him. Yet, the greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment. Just days ago, he underwent a talent assessment. Not only did he lack any Spiritual Root, but he possessed not even a shred of Wisdom Root. Not a single sect was willing to accept him.

The young man, proud and ambitious, felt this setback left him too ashamed to face his parents. He fled to clear his head. Whether by accident or design, his wandering led him to become Qin Zhou.

Qin Zhou sighed.

He didn’t know if his arrival had caused trouble for this young master of the Qin family. But since the previous incarnation had unfinished business, he would do his best to help fulfill it.

“Only 0.01 talent…”

Qin Zhou thought, Tomorrow, he must get his alchemy chamber organized.

To wash up his measly 0.01 talent, there was no other way for now but to grind pills and consume pills.

Fortunately, he was quite familiar with the process of washing talent points through pills.

Lost in thought, Qin Zhou felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

At the same time.

At the Upper Realms, the Immortal Restraint Prison.

Someone stirred from slumber, slowly lifting their eyelids.

Snow-white skin bloomed like a night-blooming cereus under moonlight, veiled in a soft haze—bright yet gentle.

He wore a single white robe, his hands tightly shackled by iron chains and suspended high. His head was slightly bowed, his jet-black hair cascading down. Merely sitting cross-legged, he seemed like a deity descended to the mortal world.

The prison was deathly silent.

Until he himself broke the stillness, murmuring to himself, “Someone has entered the barrier.”

“Which useless fool ventured into the village again?” His voice was cold, his eyes already flickering with a faint glint of murderous intent.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

The night passed.

Qin Zhou awoke as dawn broke faintly. His body felt no unusual strain, thanks to Young Master Qin’s consistent regimen of exercise.

Upon rising and opening the door, Chen San was already repairing the well in the courtyard.

“Young Master, this well seems completely blocked. Should I go to town and find someone to dig it out…”

“No need. Leave it be. If nothing else comes up, go to town and buy some daily necessities and food to bring back.”

Chen San glanced at the sky. It was indeed about time; the young master would need to eat.

Qin Zhou pulled the jade pendant from his waist and handed it directly to him. “Use this to borrow some silver from the money house. If that doesn’t work, just pawn the pendant.” Chen San took it carefully and swiftly left the village, heading down the mountain.

If the well containing spiritual energy was blocked, then that acre of spiritual field on the back mountain was likely…

As expected, when Qin Zhou reached the rear mountain, the two or three acres of spirit fields meant for cultivating alchemical ingredients had now become a wasteland.

Ten thousand years—it was far more than mere changes of the sea and fields.

Though barren, the land seemed well-preserved, showing no signs of damage. As for the wasteland… it could simply be reclaimed.

The crucial question Qin Zhou urgently needed to resolve was whether this land could still cultivate spiritual materials after reclamation.

Thus, Qin Zhou descended the mountain.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

The moment he entered the city, Qin Zhou felt the weight of unusual stares.

“Isn’t that the eldest young master of the Qin family?”

“Word’s out—the Qin heir has zero talent for cultivation. They say he shamelessly lingered at the Immortal’s residence that day, yet not a single immortal sect would take him.”

“Seems even the immortal sect backing the Qin family refused to take him!”

“Didn’t he storm off on horseback earlier? Why’s he wandering back looking so lost now?”

“He’s hungry, that’s all.”

“Enough, enough! He’s looking this way. Shut up and move along.”

How come it seems like the whole town knows he failed the entrance exam?

Qin Zhou paused, but didn’t really care.

He grabbed a random passerby, asked for directions, and started walking in the direction the person pointed.

The gawking vendors watching his retreating figure couldn’t help but ask the passerby: What did that Young Master Qin just ask you?“

The passerby scratched his head in confusion. ”He asked me… how to get to the Qin family’s shop…“

”It’s over, it’s over! That Young Master Qin has gone mad!“

”The Qin family is finished.”

“Stop being so cynical! Even if Young Master Qin really is foolish, the Qin family’s wealth is enough to keep him comfortable for life!”

“Tsk!”

Meanwhile, in the distance, two shop assistants wiped their eyes to make sure they hadn’t mistaken that figure. After exchanging glances for a moment—

“Come on, let’s tell the young master! Qin Zhou is back!”

Following the direction pointed out by passersby, Qin Zhou indeed spotted the imposing shop.

The multi-story pill shop stood tall, its entrance guarded by several men whose imposing presence hinted at formidable martial prowess.

As Qin Zhou approached, the guards recognized him and called out, “Young Master!”

Qin Zhou gave a slight nod and walked straight inside.

Rumors had been swirling around town these past days about the eldest young master of the Qin household being dejected after failing to join a sect due to his lack of talent. But the shopkeeper knew the truth—the young master had run away from home.

Unexpectedly, the young master appeared here. Surprised yet relieved, the shopkeeper stepped forward. “Young Master, you’ve come.”

Qin Zhou got straight to the point. “Do you have any Spiritual Heart Fruits?”

Spiritual Heart Fruit—the primary ingredient for crafting Grade One Spiritual Pills.

“Young Master, we still have some Spiritual Pills in stock. I’ll send someone to fetch them immediately. But though they are Spiritual Pills, they shouldn’t be consumed in excess…” the shopkeeper said with a smile.

“I want Spiritual Heart Fruit.” Thinking he might have misheard, Qin Zhou repeated, “Add one liang of Spirit Forging Grass, and five qian of Soul Return Grass.”

He rattled off several more alchemical ingredients, leaving the shopkeeper stunned. What was the young master planning? Alchemy?

But why would alchemy require Soul Return Grass?

“Put it on my tab. Consider it credit.”

Shopkeeper: “Young Master, this isn’t about the bill… The intricacies of alchemy…”

Qin Zhou cut him off: “I know what I’m doing.”

“Yes.” Though his face showed no anger, his tone brooked no refusal. The shopkeeper had never seen such a young master before. Left with no choice, he went to fetch the items from the storeroom.

As for the rest, he would report it to the manor later.

Within about a quarter of an hour, Qin Zhou obtained the required ingredients.

Spiritual Heart Fruit, combined with Spirit Forging Grass, produced an ordinary spiritual pill. For an average person with decent talent, a single such pill might serve as their stepping stone into the immortal realm.

But add a single strand of Soul Return Grass, and it transforms into an entry-level Marrow Cleansing Pill.

For those already within an immortal sect, the efficacy of an entry-level Marrow Cleansing Pill was practically negligible. Yet for Qin Zhou, the Marrow Cleansing Pill was precisely what he needed most right now.

With a mere 0.01% growth in talent, who knew how many Marrow Cleansing Pills he’d have to consume to achieve his goal?

Fortunately, the Qin family dealt in pills, which saved him a great deal of trouble.

Reciprocating the favor, if his spirit fields on the back mountain proved effective, the Qin family could achieve self-sufficiency in Spiritual Heart Fruits.

With that thought, Qin Zhou carried his bag out of the shop.

No sooner had he stepped outside than a shout reached his ears—

“Qin Zhou!”

Qin Zhou turned. A short, young man dressed in expensive attire strode toward him with an air of superiority.

“I heard some sect that doesn’t even practice cultivation wants you! Let me see—what did you come back for? Don’t tell me you think Qin family pills will help you break through? That they’ll get you accepted by the great cultivators?”

“Ha ha ha! What a waste of effort. You’re completely devoid of Spiritual Root. Taking pills? Don’t even bother—it’s a waste!”

Seeing Qin Zhou staring back impassively without a word, the short youth sensed something was off, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint it. He continued rambling on: “My bad. Your Qin family’s pills probably aren’t that effective anyway. You’d be better off using all that ill-gotten wealth you’ve racked up over the years to bribe the Immortal Lords. Maybe they’ll take you in to sweep the floors at their sect!”

Qin Zhou: “Who are you?”

The short youth, who had been gloating moments before, choked on his words. “…What did you say?”

“I asked who you are,” Qin Zhou said calmly.

“Qin Zhou! I haven’t seen you in a few days, and you’ve gone completely bonkers!”

Since the other refused to give his name, Qin Zhou saw no point in saying more. He turned and walked away.

“Qin Zhou, you stay right there!”

Seeing Qin Zhou keep walking, the short youth’s anger flared. He raised his hand and barked, “Stop him!”

The guards tried to rush forward, but this was right outside the Qin Family Shop. Several burly guards immediately blocked their path. One roared, “Who dares touch our young master!”

The two sides stood locked in a standoff until finally, the shopkeeper strolled out leisurely.

“Young Master Zhang, what is the meaning of this? Is the entire city of Ping City not large enough for your antics? Must you bring your chaos to the doorstep of our Qin family shop? If this escalates, I doubt the Zhang family will be able to clean up this mess.”

The Zhang and Qin families were at odds, but the Qins had backing from an immortal sect—a force the Zhangs dared not provoke.

Only because their young master was known for his humility did this Zhang brat dare to offend him time and again!

Seeing the commotion, Young Master Zhang didn’t want to escalate matters. He gave a cold snort: “Shopkeeper Qin, fortune favors the bold. The Qin family won’t reign supreme in Ping City forever. Instead of yelling at me here, why not take your young master to get his head examined? He might forget who he is!”

“Let’s go!” Young Master Zhang flung his robe and strode away with his guards.

Only the manager remained, glaring coldly at his retreating back.

“Send two men to protect the young master. Send another back to the Qin residence to inform the mistress.”

“Manager, the young master is already out of sight,” the guard reported helplessly.

Manager: “…”