The Eternal Vow

"Great Wizard."

"Though it may be a bit late, please accept this."

At the end of their conversation, Servia gazed at the supreme adornments on Xu Xi's person, gathering the laws in her palm to condense something entirely new.

It was the hero's apology to the wizard.

And also her unwillingness to fall behind—an attack in disguise.

She had arrived last, but that didn’t mean she would resign herself to fate.

The true war had only just begun!

"Servia, what is this?" Xu Xi had a vague premonition of what was coming.

"Great Wizard, you’ve always taken care of me. This is my gift and gratitude in return. Please accept it."

Light coalesced.

Servia gently clasped Xu Xi's wrist, lifting his ring finger.

Condensation, contraction, fixation.

A deep green ring slowly formed on Xu Xi's left ring finger, shimmering like jade glass—radiant yet profound.

This position was known as the "seat of eternal love."

[Ding—]

[Congratulations, Host, on obtaining a special item: Oath of Eternity]

[Oath of Eternity]

[Item Description]: Her longing lingers in the Sea of Chaos, transformed into an eternal wait, all for the sake of their next encounter.

[Item Effects]:

- Soul cultivation speed increased tenfold.

- Wizardry potency increased tenfold.

- Comprehension of truth accelerated tenfold.

- Potion refinement efficacy boosted tenfold.

- Magical artifact forging effectiveness enhanced tenfold.

- Growth speed of spell pathways multiplied tenfold.

- Damage against undead amplified tenfold.

- Damage against beings of immortality multiplied a hundredfold.

[Blessing of Genesis]: You exist eternally; none can deny the foundation of your being.

[Blessing of Finality]: You transcend death, forever untouched by the end of annihilation.

[Blessing of the Soul]: Your soul grows ceaselessly until it reaches the limits of your physical form.

Daily refresh of "Holy Light": Any malice that approaches you triggers its protection, reflection, and pursuit.

Daily refresh of "Holy Sword": Ignores rank and authority to inflict fundamental damage upon enemies you designate.

[Usage Requirement]: One who has promised to reunite with Her.

Freshly served soft rice?

Xu Xi marveled.

He had simply worked too hard, and now the rewards chased after him.

"Great Wizard… do you… not like it?"

"I love it, Servia. Thank you for this gift."

Hearing Xu Xi's approval, the hero's face bloomed into a smile—pure and radiant.

"I’m so glad you like it. I was worried you might find it useless, especially since you’ve already become a Seventh-Circle Wizard."

"Not at all, Servia. This gift is a tremendous help."

Xu Xi thought the hero’s concerns were unnecessary.

Who would ever complain about such freshly served soft rice?

The only oddity was its placement. Had Servia put it on the wrong finger?

"Whoosh!"

Xu Xi attempted to move the Oath of Eternity to another finger.

But the ring was peculiar—the moment it was pulled from his left ring finger, it instantly snapped back into place as if nothing had happened.

Xu Xi: ?

"Great Wizard, the weather is lovely today, don’t you think?"

Servia turned her head away unnaturally.

Servia began changing the subject.

Servia’s face flushed with an uncharacteristic shade of pink.

Though Earth had just entered autumn, the lingering heat of summer and the faint chirping of insects still filled the air.

Yet Xu Xi could already feel it—

The bitter chill of winter’s approach, and the first fire of the season.

......

"Mentor, could you spare some time to try the new tea I prepared?"

"Sir, I’d like to watch a movie too."

"Master, Ailei feels weak… I need your embrace to regain my strength."

Like Wu Yingxue, Servia had left a doppelgänger behind in her original world to accompany her family.

Her true self, however, had taken up residence on Earth.

Her reasoning was flawless:

"I am the Great Wizard’s knight. I must guard him at close range."

As she spoke,

The young woman lowered her gaze slightly, her eyes tender as they lingered on the ring on her own finger—then on the matching one on Xu Xi’s.

The courtyard was silent.

And yet, it was filled with noise.

Something had cracked.

In the days that followed, aside from Xu Moli’s carefree demeanor, the witch, the noblewoman, and the mechanical maid all grew busier, frequently finding reasons to seek Xu Xi out.

"Somehow, it’s exhausting… yet fulfilling."

In the study of the courtyard,

Heavy wooden shelves lined both sides, allowing only sparse beams of light to pierce through, illuminating the drifting motes of dust.

Xu Xi strode down the central aisle and took his seat at the broad desk by the window.

As he settled in,

Beyond the sound of the chair scraping, there came the faint, rapid shuffling from the display cabinet in the distant bedroom.

Indeed.

The display cabinet had entered a new season.

Fierce. Heated.

Xu Xi paid it no mind—or rather, he had grown accustomed to such daily occurrences.

"Quiet, peaceful, yet noisy."

"This kind of life… is actually quite nice."

He pulled open a drawer and retrieved several notebooks, jotting down new cultivation records and plans for the future.

Earth’s ascension was proceeding smoothly.

There was no longer any need for worry.

And the girls could finally appear on Earth in their true forms.

Xu Xi smiled as he witnessed their beauty, accompanying them through each ordinary day.

Was it too dull?

He didn’t think so.

Compared to the years when he was confined to a wheelchair, living in constant fear, this peaceful routine was everything he had ever desired.

He cherished it. He loved it.

"Eternal Supremacy…"

"My current realm is still far from Moli and the others."

"But compared to ordinary people on Earth, I’ve already achieved enough to be proud of."

Flipping through the records in his notebook, Xu Xi pondered:

"In terms of strength, there’s no need to rush."

"My current level—True Immortal, True God, Martial Transcendence, Seventh-Circle Wizard—is more than sufficient for now. Further progress will take time."

After a moment’s thought, he wrote two new words on the page:

[Life] and [Simulation].

Once power reached a certain threshold, the pursuit of it lost meaning. Rather than endlessly chasing strength, Xu Xi preferred to focus on the daily life of the courtyard.

Tasting new candies with his sister.

Experimenting with new dishes with the witch.

Counting stars with the noblewoman.

Observing the interplay of water and light with the mechanical maid.

Cultivating new flavors of necrotic mushrooms with the hero.

These mundane, uneventful moments—devoid of thrill or danger—were what Xu Xi treasured most.

Next was simulation.

"Everyone has descended to Earth in their true forms."

"In other words, the next time I activate the simulation, five supreme beings from across the cosmos will assist me in uncovering the truth behind the simulator."

"If even that yields no results, then I’ll have no choice but to give up on understanding its nature."

After careful consideration, Xu Xi settled on a date—not too near, not too far.

Next year.

He would initiate the simulation again, this time with the aid of five supreme beings, to explore another facet of the world.

"Which one should I choose…?"

"For greater rewards, the fantasy side might be best."

"For lower difficulty, the urban side would suffice."

"Other aspects also have their own merits."

"Tsk, this is troublesome."