Alpha-Five had completed his lifespan breakthrough.

To say he was majestic would be an understatement. He was awe-inspiring.

His feathers were a glossy, burnished russet, shimmering under the sun. His comb was a vibrant, dripping crimson, standing tall like a bloody crown. In the drab, filthy coop, he was a singular stroke of brilliance.

He was tall, robust, and imposing. Standing amidst the flock, the phrase “a crane among chickens” didn’t even do him justice.

He would stretch his neck against the wind, striking a pose so dashing it drew the covetous gazes of every hen in the yard.

Even Alpha-Three and Alpha-Four—the two female Spirit Poultry who usually treated the males with cold disdain—found themselves drifting toward Alpha-Five, their movements seemingly accidental but entirely deliberate.

Yes, Alpha-Five was a rooster.

However, this fellow was… complicated.

Whether he was simply too young to understand the joys of hens, or whether he had inherited the chronic laziness of the other roosters, he completely ignored the females preening around him.

Instead, he spent his days strutting through the manor with a high-stepping, militaristic gait, like a general inspecting his conquered territory.

His favorite pastime was standing in front of the water vat, staring at his own reflection, grooming his wings, and sighing at his own beauty.

A true narcissist.

“What a show-off,” Wang Ba laughed, cursing affectionately.

Still, he had to admit, Alpha-Five possessed a certain charisma. As the saying went: Lu Bu among men, Red Hare among horses.

Well, this was Alpha-Five among fowl.

It was no wonder the aloof hens couldn’t control themselves.

But if Alpha-Five wouldn’t make a move, Wang Ba was stuck.

“Should I go to the market and buy some aphrodisiacs?”

Wang Ba stroked his chin, considering the option.

It wasn’t a low blow. In his previous life, during large-scale breeding operations, using stimulants was standard procedure.

The idea was tempting.

He didn’t know exactly what grade Alpha-Five was, but judging by lifespan alone, this rooster was leagues above the other Spirit Poultry. He was the perfect stud.

The only hesitation Wang Ba had was maturity. He wasn’t sure if Alpha-Five was biologically ready.

If he forced an immature rooster to mate, the hens would only lay unfertilized eggs. Worse, it could damage their bodies.

“No, I won’t force it for now.”

“I’ll head to the market first. I need to check if there are any Meridian-Unblocking Grass seeds.”

The seeds were the key ingredient in his recipe to ‘whitewash’ his Spirit Poultry. Without them, he couldn’t use the official method to explain his success.

He tidied up the coop, then reached under the feed vat and retrieved a Spirit Stone. He hesitated for a split second before grabbing a second one.

As a laborer, carrying two Spirit Stones was bordering on flaunting wealth, but it was just barely within the realm of normalcy.

With two Spirit Stones and a pouch of silver earned from selling chicken manure, Wang Ba cautiously set off for the West Garden Market.

This time, he did not activate his Yin God power. He kept his head down.

He circled the market a few times before finally locating the tag for ‘Meridian-Unblocking Grass Seeds’ at Lu’s Grain Depot.

“Shopkeeper, why is there only a tag here? The bin is empty.”

Wang Ba pointed at the shelf, feigning confusion.

“Meridian-Unblocking Grass seeds?”

Shopkeeper Lu, an acquaintance from previous transactions, glanced up. He scanned his memory, matched Wang Ba’s face to a vague recollection of a chicken farmer, and shook his head.

“You’re buying them to practice the Physique Strengthening Scripture, right?”

“If I had even a single seed left, it would have been snatched up days ago. You think stock like that sits around? If you want some, you have to line up at dawn on the first of the month.”

“Practice the… Physique Strengthening Scripture?”

Wang Ba froze. A jolt of realization hit him like a lightning bolt.

“Of course,” Shopkeeper Lu said, sounding bored. “Meridian-Unblocking Grass seeds clear the channels and accelerate the cultivation of the Physique Strengthening Scripture. Without them, trying to master that manual is just a daydream.”

Wang Ba’s mind raced.

So that’s it!

No wonder Old Man Sun was able to reach the Ninth Layer at his age. I thought he was a hidden genius, but he was doping! There are treasures that assist with the scripture!

Does that mean I can use them too? With the seeds aiding my cultivation and my panel stealing lifespan… wouldn’t my progress be explosive?

But the surge of excitement was quickly doused by his inherent caution.

Wait. No.

If Old Man Sun had these seeds and still got stuck at the Ninth Layer, then there must be a limit. A bottleneck.

Is it the technique itself? or is it a problem with the seeds?

Suddenly, Deacon Li’s parting words echoed in his mind.

‘If you reach the Ninth Layer, you’ll understand…’

An unbelievable thought flashed through Wang Ba’s mind. He leaned over the counter, lowering his voice.

“Dare I ask, Shopkeeper… do you know if anyone has ever actually succeeded in cultivating the Physique Strengthening Scripture?”

Shopkeeper Lu looked up, surprised by the intensity of the question. He fell silent for a moment before nodding.

“Naturally, there are!”

“I won’t bore you with ancient history. Take Elder He, the head of the ‘Clean Mountain Department’—you laborers deal with his people often. Years ago, he was just a laborer like you. He rose to prominence solely by relying on the Physique Strengthening Scripture. It was quite the Grandmaster tale back then.”

“Even among the current top ten disciples of the Outer Sect, there are those who used the scripture to forge a Postnatal Spiritual Root.”

Lu paused, his expression turning grave.

“Of course, such people are the minority. Do not hold too much hope.”

Shopkeeper Lu spoke sincerely.

But he knew, from long experience, that these words fell on deaf ears.

Every laborer believed they were the exception. They saw themselves as dragons trapped in shallow water, convinced that one day they would soar ninety thousand miles into the heavens.

At least three or four out of every ten laborers held this delusion.

Sure enough, Lu saw the tension leave the shoulders of the thirty-something laborer in front of him.

The man looked relieved. He had heard ‘success stories’ and immediately thought, ‘I can do it too.’ He completely ignored the statistical reality that out of tens of thousands, only one or two ever made it.

But Lu had done his duty. He offered the warning; he wouldn’t waste his breath repeating it.

“Shopkeeper,” Wang Ba asked again, “how exactly do you use these seeds to aid cultivation? I haven’t been in the sect long, so I’m ignorant of the methods. Please, enlighten me.”

As he spoke, Wang Ba slid a few silver ingots across the counter.

Shopkeeper Lu pocketed the silver smoothly. His annoyance faded slightly.

“You hold the seed under your tongue,” he explained. “Let your saliva dissolve it slowly while you circulate the Physique Strengthening Scripture. You can use one liang per day. One liang of seeds is equivalent to five days of bitter hard work!”

Wang Ba did the mental math instantly.

“So… that means it would take roughly two hundred and five years to reach the Tenth Layer?”

Shopkeeper Lu blinked, surprised by the laborer’s quick arithmetic.

To nurture a Spiritual Root, one had to complete the Tenth Layer.

Two hundred years was still an eternity, but compared to the original estimate of over a thousand years? It was a massive leap in hope.

Lu practiced the technique himself, so he knew the numbers well. However, the first nine layers were one thing. Breaking from the Ninth to the Tenth… that was the real nightmare.

But that involved Sect secrets. Speaking too deeply with strangers is a taboo.

Lu simply nodded. “Roughly, yes.”

Wang Ba’s next question, however, nearly made Lu choke.

“Shopkeeper, then do you know the price of First-Grade, Top-Quality Meridian-Unblocking Grass seeds?”

Lu stared at him.

You haven’t even figured out how to use the damn things, and you’re asking for Top-Quality?

He couldn’t help but frown.

“Kid, I only sell Low-Grade seeds here. One liang costs two Spirit Stones. You want Top-Quality? Guess how much those are worth?”

Wang Ba fell silent instantly.

Two Spirit Stones for Low-Grade? That was his entire fortune.

He was stunned. The price was astronomical.

Seeing the laborer’s dismay, Shopkeeper Lu’s shark-like instincts kicked in. A smile crept back onto his face.

“Customer, if you find the seeds too expensive… I actually have a substitute.”

“Let me be clear: this stuff only has one-third the potency of the seeds. But the price? It’s more than ten times cheaper. Interested?”