With the help of Shen Yun and the Lu family, the entire back mountain was replanted after the harvest.

The small village had reached Level 4, but Qin Zhou had no intention of rushing the process by using Spirit Essence to hasten the ripening of the fruits.

The amount of experience required to advance from Level 4 to Level 5 was far greater than that needed to go from Level 3 to Level 4.

Thus, once the work in the fields was completed, everyone went their separate ways.

At the same time, it was time for Qin Zhou to fulfill his promise and send Shen Yun back to the Spirit Mountain Realm.

The hole in the sky that Wen Jue had smashed open was likely the passage connecting the two realms. Although Wen Jue had temporarily sealed the hole with a barrier, the breach still existed.

Besides, since the Heavenly Dao had already agreed to send Shen Yun back, it would certainly be able to return him to the Spirit Mountain Realm.

“I need to go open the barrier. I’ll take him back,” Wen Jue volunteered.

Hearing this, Shen Yun’s hands trembled slightly.

Senior Lu Yi would send him!

Senior Lu Yi would personally escort him back to the Spirit Mountain Realm!

Shen Yun suppressed his excitement, swallowed hard, and looked at Qin Zhou, his eyes filled with trepidation, afraid that Qin Zhou might refuse.

Having stayed in the village for a few days, he had already figured out whose word carried the most weight here.

Sure enough, Qin Zhou didn’t agree immediately.

He glanced at Wen Jue first.

Noticing that Wen Jue had lowered his head to hide his unease, he understood the reason.

“Can’t I go instead?” Wen Jue asked him in a low voice. “If I were to go with you to the Cangyun Sword Sect… it wouldn’t be appropriate, would it?”

Wouldn’t be appropriate?

Indeed, regardless of whether Lu Yi had once been a disciple of the Cangyun Sword Sect, the current Wen Jue was a demon lord—a demon lord whose name was known throughout the entire cultivation world. Especially after the Demon-Slaying Campaign…

Indeed, from every angle, it wasn’t quite appropriate.

But…

“I have a Face-Changing Pill,” Qin Zhou’s five words cut short Wen Jue’s hopes. “A temporary Face-Changing Pill can alter your appearance for a short time.”

Wen Jue: “……”

“As long as Shen Yun reaches Kunxian Mountain, the Heavenly Dao will send him back,” Qin Zhou said.

Seeing this, the hope in Shen Yun’s eyes vanished instantly.

I knew the Village Chief wouldn’t give in so easily!

“Shen Yun.”

“Yes!” Shen Yun, who had been lost in thoughts like, ‘Right, how could the Village Chief possibly let Senior Lu Yi send him? I’m already grateful that Senior Lu Yi even offered,’ suddenly snapped back to reality.

“Are you curious about Zhutian Realm?”

Shen Yun nodded. “I won’t lie to you, Senior. I am indeed a bit curious.” He scratched his head. “Actually, I’d already traveled to many places before meeting you all.”

But how did the Village Chief know that?

Qin Zhou hummed in acknowledgment. “Would you like to come back next time?”

Shen Yun: ?

What does that mean?

Suddenly, a beam of light belonging to the Heavenly Dao appeared, revealing a villager’s invitation before Shen Yun’s eyes.

【Are you willing to become one of the villagers of the ‘Lord of Zhutian Realm’?】

Shen Yun stared intently at those words.

Shen Yun’s face flushed red at a visible speed; his breathing grew ragged, and his brain nearly overheated in the span of two seconds—

Village Chief = Lord of Zhutian Realm

Lord of Zhutian Realm = The Creator God of their Spirit Mountain Realm

So, the Village Chief is… the Creator God?!

“I… I… I…” Shen Yun glanced at Wen Jue, then at Qin Zhou, before finally casting a helpless gaze towards Shisi, who was still moving things in the distance.

He knew the Village Chief’s status was no ordinary one.

He had even gleaned something from the way the Village Chief and Senior Lu Yi interacted, but… how could the Village Chief be the Lord of Zhutian Realm!

Back home, everyone believed that Senior Lu Yi was the Creator God’s own son.

How could it be… Hmm?

No, the focus right now is the Creator God!

Shen Yun desperately wanted to tell Qin Zhou right then and there: He was his Creator God! He was his subject!

But he couldn’t…

Given that this was a world from thousands of years ago, the Village Chief likely hadn’t established the ‘Spirit Mountain Realm’ yet.

Shen Yun took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

“Become my villager, and you can travel to this world whenever you like. You’ll also have access to the ‘Treatise on Ten Thousand Spirits’.”

Shen Yun: “……”

The Creator God even knew he wanted to see the ‘Treatise on Ten Thousand Spirits’!

“I… have no reason to refuse.” Shen Yun clenched his fists, brimming with excitement.

Once he returned, he would write a book about this journey to another world!

【Bond Established Successfully】

【New Villager Acquired: Shen Yun】

Qin Zhou nodded in satisfaction.

Wen Jue, however, was far from pleased. She leaned in close to Qin Zhou from behind and whispered in his ear, “The way he looks at you makes me unhappy.”

Only then did Qin Zhou notice that Shen Yun’s eyes were bright and sparkling, as if filled with stars.

He now understood, to some extent, the meaning of the trait “Beloved of All Spirits.”

Though he was the Lord of the Red Cloud Sea, shouldering the responsibility of exterminating demon beasts in the Spirit Mountain Realm was his birthright. But Shen Yun had been among spirit beasts since birth; his nature was pure and kind-hearted. No wonder the beasts were fond of him.

Qin Zhou’s assessment was—

“Just a little kid.”

Wen Jue furrowed his brow. “Everyone’s just a little kid in your eyes.”

Qin Zhou chuckled and said, “Right, only little kids get jealous of other little kids.”

Teased as he was, Wen Jue didn’t get annoyed; instead, he asked, “Don’t you ever get jealous?”

Qin Zhou replied without hesitation, “I do.”

“Huh?” The unexpected answer surprised Wen Jue.

“That’s why I won’t let you go.” Qin Zhou whispered, taking his hand.

Wen Jue let out an “oh,” but clearly brightened up, wrapping his hand around Qin Zhou’s and playing with it.

Qin Zhou sighed and gently squeezed his fingers in return.

Cute.

Shen Yun looked at the two of them and thought to himself that on this trip, he had not only met the Creator God and Senior Lu Yi, but also learned some secrets unknown to ordinary people in the Spirit Mountain Realm.

When he went back to write his book, he absolutely had to include this part!

Even if people dismissed it as unverified folklore, he didn’t care! This was the feeling of being the only one awake while everyone else was drunk!

After seeing Shen Yun off, it was time to head to the Cangyun Sword Sect.

Glancing back, he saw Lu Er standing rigidly in the courtyard, staring blankly at the well without blinking.

Jiang Huan stood behind his master, keeping a close watch on him, afraid that Lu Er might do something reckless and jump into the well.

Lu Xiao stood beside him, wanting to say there was no need to worry, but seeing Jiang Huan’s battle-ready posture, he found it rather amusing.

“Left Guardian.”

“Hmm?”

“Ever since you were a child, you’ve been the model student with top grades in your father’s eyes. Logically, you should have risen to prominence by now,” Lu Xiao analyzed earnestly. “But suddenly, your father returned and discovered you’ve been stagnating for many years.”

Jiang Huan:?

“That’s exactly how my father feels right now,” Lu Xiao sighed. “It’s true that my father hasn’t made any progress in his cultivation for many years.”

Jiang Huan: “……Actually, Master is already very powerful.”

Mid-Great Perfection—how many in this cultivation world have reached that level?

No, wait.

His master is the revered Cangyun Sword Immortal… Isn’t that enough to “make a name for oneself”?

What on earth is this family’s definition of “making a name for oneself”?!

“But according to my other father, my own father used to be able to exchange a few moves with Uncle Wen,” Lu Xiao admitted. “My father said Uncle Wen is now in the Tribulation Stage.”

The Tribulation Stage… Jiang Huan said nothing, merely glancing at the Great Demon at the village entrance before silently looking away.

“Come to think of it, why are you still here?” Jiang Huan asked, puzzled. Where was the Patriarch of the Taishang Sect?

“My father left first. It was Brother Zhanyu’s idea: as long as my father could find a new Qilin Pearl to replace the one in the sect’s protective array and hand it over to the village elder, the thing he was worried about wouldn’t happen.”

A hint of regret flashed in Jiang Huan’s eyes. “Actually, I’m quite curious about those past memories.”

Lu Xiao said nothing.

Just then, Zhanyu emerged from the house and cleared his throat softly. “There isn’t a single new Qilin Pearl left in this world.”

Qilin Pearls are spiritual orbs formed when crystals are nurtured by spiritual energy over many years.

“Qilin Pearls are born of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; like seventh-tier Soul-Birthing Grass, they are things that can be encountered but not sought after.”

“Even I have only ever seen one,” Zhanyu explained. “That one originally belonged to my grandfather, the village chief. But since Seventh Uncle liked it, the village chief gave it to him.”

“That would be the one on the Cangyun Sword Sect’s protective array.”

Nowadays, spiritual energy in the cultivation world is scarce; there is no place left where a Qilin Pearl could be nurtured.

“Since there isn’t a single Qilin Pearl left in the world, why did the Young City Lord ask the Supreme Patriarch to find a new one…” Jiang Huan was taken aback.

Lu Xiao was also surprised.

Zhanyu smiled faintly. “He’s got nothing better to do anyway. I just wanted to give Seventh Uncle something to keep him occupied.”

Jiang Huan:?

Even Lu Xiao was taken aback.

“All these years in Immortal-Demon City, caught between the Cangyun Sword Sect and the Demon Sect, I haven’t exactly been idle,” Zhanyu sighed with a laugh, then returned to his room.

Jiang Huan and Lu Xiao fell silent together, yet a single thought crossed both their minds—

We must not offend this man!

Before leaving the village, Lady Qin actually came by in person.

But Qin Zhou didn’t see her; he simply pretended not to be there, thus fooling his mother.

Lady Qin left a letter for Qin Zhou, the gist of which was to thank him for saving her son’s life and for saving the Qin family’s business, and so on.

After reading it, Qin Zhou said nothing more.

He simply followed Wen Jue’s earlier advice and made some mung bean cakes for him.

The sweet pastries satisfied a certain sweet tooth and brought a smile to Qin Zhou’s eyes.

Before leaving the village, he had someone deliver another letter to the Qin residence in Pingcheng.

The gist of it was to inform them that consuming the elixir could also prolong their lives.

Although they wouldn’t live as long as Zhanyu, it would ensure they’d still be in good health when their real son returned.

Afterward, Qin Zhou set off for the Cangyun Sword Sect.

Returning to the Upper Realm, Qin Zhou no longer found it novel.

Prices at the inns in Boundary City had returned to normal, but the inn’s lobby remained as bustling as ever.

Qin Zhou didn’t check in; he simply sat in the inn and listened.

“Has the Demon-Slaying Plan just vanished into thin air? We haven’t heard a peep about it.”

“I heard not a single one survived. According to a former disciple of the Guiyuan Sect, the moment they saw their Ancestor’s spirit tablet shatter, the Guiyuan Sect ceased to exist in this world.”

“Are they afraid that the demon lord will come seeking revenge?”

“That’s probably the idea. If you ask me, you can’t really blame the demon lord for being ruthless. The Guiyuan Sect started the trouble first; they wanted to be the leader of the righteous path, but simply didn’t have the ability.”

“No, who cares about slaying demons or not these days? Shouldn’t we be discussing the True Words of the Dao? The Lord of the Heavens has reappeared in the world, and the Tongtian Secret Realm has opened—hasn’t anyone gone to take a look?”

“Some have gone.”

“And what happened?”

“None of them could get in. Isn’t it clear in the True Words of the Dao? Only Nascent Soul cultivators recognized by the Lord of the Heavens can enter the Secret Realm to seek the Dao. The problem now is, the Lord of the Heavens has reappeared in the world, but where is he? No one knows his name or what he looks like.”

“This Tongtian Secret Realm… it won’t open anytime soon.”

“Everyone’s searching for the Lord of the Heavens right now. Everyone’s gone back to their respective sects to look for information.”

“Looking for information probably won’t help. The Lord of the Heavens is a figure from ten thousand years ago… Only ancient sects that have existed for a long time might have some records of his deeds.”

“Right, and since so much time has passed, many sects have undergone drastic changes. Their founding ancestors are long gone, so there’s likely no one left who knows the old stories.”

As the conversation reached this point, someone had a sudden realization. “The Cangyun Sword Sect! Isn’t the Cangyun Sword Sect…”

A sect that has existed for so long, and one that boasts figures like the Cangyun Sword Immortal, who has lived for over ten thousand years…

“You’d dare barge into the Cangyun Sword Sect?” someone scolded with a laugh. “Why don’t you go ask the Cangyun Sword Immortal yourself where the Lord of the Heavens is?”

Lu Er, Qin Zhou, and their group—who were sitting at the table next to them but had become taciturn after taking the Facial Rejuvenation Pill—remained silent.

“But… the Tongtian Secret Realm is a matter of great importance to all cultivators in the cultivation world. If enough people ask, even the Cangyun Sword Immortal will likely have to come out and say a few words.”

“What you say makes some sense.”

“Village Chief.” Lu Er pondered for a long time before finally speaking with difficulty, “As for the Sword Heart matter, I’ll do my best.” 

So, this trip…

“We’re almost there anyway; we have to go at least once,” Qin Zhou interrupted him.

Lu Er lowered his head: “……”

The Cangyun Sword Sect is still too close to Boundary City.

He should have had the Cangyun Sword Sect relocate long ago.

To the deep mountains where Old Three resides.