Not Far Ahead, But Evenly Matched

"Krisha, did anything happen while I was away?"

"Rest assured, everything is fine."

"Good."

Walking side by side with the witch.

On the road.

Xu Xi inquired about the state of the courtyard during his seclusion and other matters.

The witch had managed the courtyard exceptionally well.

Earth, too, remained peaceful, with no unusual occurrences.

The slightest disturbance would draw the friendly gaze of the four supreme beings.

"Mentor, I’ve prepared lunch for you," Krisha said in a tone as plain as water, inviting Xu Xi to the kitchen.

Xu Xi agreed.

However, upon arriving at the dining table,

what he saw was not just the meal prepared by the witch, but also a lavish feast laid out by the mechanical maid.

"Forgive me, Master."

Ailei, wearing a homely apron, wore an apologetic expression. "To celebrate your ascension, I forgot to greet you upon your return."

Ah…

So that’s how it is…

Not one leading far ahead, but evenly matched…

Xu Xi calmly took his seat, deftly employing the laws of time and space to savor both Krisha’s and Ailei’s dishes simultaneously.

In a way, this was also a form of training—

an effective way to refine his mastery over temporal and spatial laws.

"Thank you. I enjoyed this lunch very much."

With those words, Xu Xi perfectly concluded the day.

After finishing the meals prepared by the witch and the mechanical maid,

Xu Xi left the courtyard.

"As my mentor’s disciple, it’s only right to share this good news with him."

"After all, he’s always been concerned about my path to immortality."

A seemingly ordinary step effortlessly traversed space and time.

Encased in the laws of time and space,

Xu Xi crossed vast distances in a single stride, traveling from Yanshan City straight to the capital. With his formidable divine sense, he scanned the world and pinpointed Li Wanshou’s location.

"Not at the Heavenly Sword Sect?"

"Then he must be at the Supernatural United Bureau."

His figure flickered.

No longer needing Li Wanshou to pull him in,

this time, Xu Xi entered Li Wanshou’s wooden-attribute miniature world solely by his own power.

The place remained as familiar as ever.

The babbling of streams, the rustling of bamboo leaves.

Golden light, perfectly cast from the sky above, refracted off the flowing water into shimmering ripples, like undulating mirrors.

"Who goes there?!"

A surge of immortal light erupted,

but upon recognizing Xu Xi, it froze in an odd hesitation.

"Master, I’ve attained immortality," Xu Xi said, descending to the ground with a smile, revealing his aura.

The realm of a True Immortal—fully manifested!

Shock, confusion, overwhelming joy.

In the span of a single breath, Li Wanshou’s expression cycled through these emotions before settling into a trembling stroke of his white beard:

"Hmph! This master saw it coming long ago!"

"You reckless disciple, rushing here the moment you achieve immortality—what will people think?"

The old man chastised Xu Xi,

though the smile in his eyes was impossible to hide.

He waved for Xu Xi to sit, retrieving a jar of immortal wine he had treasured for years and happily pouring a full cup for his disciple.

Then, he filled his own cup just as generously.

"Drink!"

Under Xu Xi’s stunned gaze,

Li Wanshou downed the wine in one go, his face flushing red from the intoxication.

The old man seemed intent on indulging in the drunkenness, refusing to dispel it with immortal energy.

"Master, you’ve had a bit too much."

"Nonsense! This is only the first cup!"

The gaunt Sword Immortal of Wood now glared, slamming the table as he rose: "A rare occasion like this calls for three whole jars!"

With a flick of his sleeve, several jars of immortal wine materialized on the table.

Xu Xi could only relent,

letting the old man drink his fill while joining him for a few cups.

In the end, Li Wanshou couldn’t fulfill his boast of downing three jars.

The wine was too strong, too fiery—he couldn’t finish, nor could he handle it.

"Good wine… The brews of the immortal realm are truly something else…"

"This master is happy!"

The liquor burned his throat hoarse, stinging his clouded eyes until they glistened faintly.

Li Wanshou swayed as he stood, gazing at Xu Xi with a complicated expression—relieved pride mixed with wordless melancholy.

"You foolish disciple…"

"You’ve finally… achieved immortality."

"From here on, the path is yours alone to walk. This master has nothing left to teach…"

Loneliness.

Reluctance.

The old man drank cup after cup, soon succumbing to the wine’s dreamlike sweetness and collapsing onto the stone table in deep slumber.

"We’ll walk it together, Master."

"After all, this unruly disciple still needs your guidance."

Gently swirling his cup,

the brimming liquid rippled, releasing its rich aroma.

Clear yet lingering, wild yet mellow.

Xu Xi sat in silence, watching bamboo leaves drift in the miniature world as he sipped the immortal brew, savoring its throat-searing fire and the sweetness that followed.

"I’ll take my leave, Master."

Before departing,

Xu Xi refilled the empty cup across the table—

the one meant for Li Wanshou.

By the time his figure vanished,

a withered hand emerged from the darkness of the deserted world, grasping the cup.

After a pause, it was drained in one gulp.

Much later, a grumbling voice echoed in the stillness:

"Already an immortal, yet you won’t even let this old man rest."

The tone was complaining, but the sorrow had faded.

……

After leaving the Supernatural United Bureau, Xu Xi made a detour to check on the red dragon. Finding Rex Santos in high spirits, he left satisfied.

Good spirits meant good dragon blood.

A cause for celebration.

Xu Xi returned to Yanshan City, leaving Rex Santos to jolt upright from his pile of gold, scanning his treasure hall in bewilderment as an inexplicable shiver of fear ran down his spine.

"Just my imagination?" Rex Santos muttered, burying his head back into the mountain of coins.

Eyes half-lidded, basking in contentment.

Ah~~~

This was the life a dragon deserved.

……

Tranquility returned once more.

Without the advantage of a singular high realm to propel him, Xu Xi’s cultivation speed slowed. Thus, upon returning to Yanshan City, he abandoned endless seclusion.

Instead, he let nature take its course, allowing the supreme beings’ support to elevate his realm gradually.

Embracing the calm of everyday life.

Sunlight spilled bright and golden, a gentle breeze rustling the courtyard’s flowers and the hair of Krisha and Ailei.

Wu Yingxue crouched beside Xu Xi, studying a cookbook.

Mo Li was absent—

she had been venturing beyond the boundaries more frequently lately,

as if driven by boundless motivation.

Perhaps because of this, Earth’s ascension accelerated further. Each dawn, Xu Xi could keenly sense the planet’s transformation and the growing clarity of its consciousness.

The age of spiritual revival was drawing to a close.

Earth was on the verge of a transcendent evolution—

soon to become the convergence point of all realms.

"This is faster than I anticipated. Is it due to the combined efforts of multiple supreme beings, creating an overwhelming momentum?" Xu Xi mused in his study, gazing at the sky outside his window, where radiant clouds stretched endlessly and faint immortal melodies drifted.