Spring had arrived.
This year marked Xu Xi's seventh year in the wizarding world, his physical age now 24.
The evolution of his soul had spurred the growth of his body.
Coupled with the enhancements of various spells,
Xu Xi's lifespan had long surpassed that of ordinary humans. Though his eyes held the depth of past experiences, his body bore no trace of time's passage.
Seated atop the Nether Raven,
he gazed at the gloomy sky ahead.
In Xu Xi's eyes, a lifeless world was reflected.
"The destination remains unchanged—we continue toward the heart of the world."
"The journey is long, but there's no need to rush. I can first advance to a Third-Circle Wizard and study Servia's body."
He raised a hand to block the wind.
Death energy swiftly gathered,
then was stripped away and analyzed.
This was part of the results Xu Xi had obtained from studying the girl's body through the lens of a Second-Circle Wizard.
"Life and death, an endless cycle—intertwined yet eternal."
"Compared to the fully necrotic undead, Servia's body is far more unique, making it easier to observe the essence of death."
"If I end the simulation now,"
"the real-world version of me would likely wield the authority of death more skillfully, rather than merely relying on Krisha's power."
Xu Xi had always been diligent.
Even when relying on others, he never stopped striving to improve his strength.
This was the persistence of a cultivator—and the vigilance of self-preservation.
Xu Xi often felt that something in the real world was off, sending inexplicable shivers down his spine.
"Advancing to a Third-Circle Wizard requires the convergence of one's Truth."
"For wizards, Truth represents cognition, thought, and accumulated knowledge."
"To converge Truth is to converge the self."
"Only when the soul materializes and one's path solidifies into one does one earn the right to seek the Truth of the world."
Xu Xi pondered in silence,
channeling his soul energy midair,
exploring the path to becoming a Third-Circle Wizard.
Throughout this, the undead girl in armor sat upright beside him, her hand resting diagonally on her sword hilt.
Her expression was solemn, as if she were engaged in a grand task.
Steadfast, enduring, and willingly maintaining her vigil.
"Servia, you really don’t have to stay here," Xu Xi had once told her.
But her response was firm.
"No, Lord Wizard."
"I am your knight attendant. Protecting you is my duty."
The emerald of the Clawphire Family was unyielding, leaving Xu Xi no choice but to accept her guardianship.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
It wasn’t until the muffled thunder of spring roared,
its echoes reverberating endlessly, that Xu Xi withdrew from his soul meditation to prevent the Nether Raven from veering off course.
The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was the familiar overcast sky—
and the faint trembling of the warrior beside him.
The winds howled, the clouds churned, and jagged arcs of lightning slithered through the sky, fierce and glaring.
Torrential rain brewed violently, spreading across the horizon.
To ensure smooth flight,
before leaving the small town, Xu Xi had preemptively cast defensive spells. Though the Nether Raven appeared unadorned, it was inscribed with spells to block wind, fire, dilute impacts, and shield against toxic gases.
No matter how fierce the storm outside, those inside remained unaffected.
Yet the warrior was still frightened.
"Clank—"
"Creak—"
Her trembling body caused her armor to clatter, the vibrations obvious. But Servia remained seated beside Xu Xi, maintaining her protective stance.
"Servia, are you alright?"
Xu Xi raised a hand and cast a spell,
completely silencing the outside world.
No matter how violently the wind howled or the rain lashed, all sound dissipated into nothingness.
"I'm sorry, Lord Wizard."
Once she regained her composure, the girl beneath the hood spoke in a voice laced with guilt.
"I should be the one protecting you, yet in the end, it’s you who helps me."
She felt ashamed,
burdened by self-reproach.
She believed she had failed Xu Xi's trust—and the honor of the Clawphire Family.
"Don’t worry about it, Servia. It’s really nothing."
Xu Xi smiled,
lighting a necrotic mushroom to soothe her nerves.
"But…"
"Servia, fear is natural. There’s no need to feel ashamed."
Dark clouds surged from all directions, encircling the swiftly flying Nether Raven. Its pale form streaked across the blackened sky like a white meteor.
Xu Xi’s words cut through the warrior’s unease,
like a tiny pebble dropped into water,
rippling outward in delicate waves.
"In this world, no matter how strong someone is, there will always be things they fear."
"You shouldn’t feel guilty or inadequate because of it."
"I believe that as long as you keep striving, Servia, you’ll one day face them without hesitation."
Hearing this,
the girl felt somewhat reassured.
But curiosity lingered in her voice. "Lord Wizard, do you also have things you fear?"
"Yes, of course."
"Like what?"
Xu Xi hesitated, then hesitated again, feeling as though countless things in his heart could fit the answer.
He feared the quarrels among the supreme beings in his household.
He feared that Li Wanshou, Niu, and the others might not fare well.
And—
he feared the unpredictable assaults of trucks.
In the end, with a resigned tone, he gave this reply:
"There are too many things I fear to list them all."
The answer was so unexpected
that the undead girl froze for a moment.
She had always seen Xu Xi as mysterious and invincible, yet he himself denied that image, admitting he too had fears.
"I see…"
"I understand now, Lord Wizard."
It was strange. Beneath the hood, her face was one Xu Xi knew to be marred,
yet in the blur of shadows,
he thought he glimpsed a beautiful maiden smiling.
Platinum hair, emerald eyes, shimmering like molten gold.
"Servia, are you smiling?"
"N-no, Lord Wizard! I’m not laughing at you!"
Flustered, she waved her hands, awkwardly fidgeting with her fingers as she confessed:
"I just feel… a little closer to you now."
Not in distance,
but in heart.
So even the seemingly omnipotent Lord Wizard has fears…
Servia smiled faintly, her gaze drifting to the shadows below—a vast expanse of death-tainted land left behind by the Nether Raven.
Since leaving Clawphire,
she had seen nothing familiar, no lands she recognized.
Everything before her was foreign.
It was lonely, and at times frightening.
But because Xu Xi was here, even a timid undead could muster courage. She was no longer alone.
"...Thank you, Lord Wizard."
Servia tilted her head slightly, observing the layers of soundproof barriers Xu Xi had cast for her.
Then she turned,
her luminous jade-green eyes fixed on his figure.
"If it can be of use to you, this body is yours to study."
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
