So what if we sink Zhongzhou

【Simulation Year 10, Age 25】

【You dominate all the prodigies of this era. Some speculate that only the descendants of Great Emperors might stand a chance against you.】

【Simulation Year 11, Age 26】

【Your might spreads across the Five Domains of Tianxuan.】

【An Emperor’s descendant emerges from seclusion and challenges you. That day, a fragment of the Central Continent shatters under the force of your battle.】

【"So what if we sink the Central Continent!"】

【Distant onlookers hear the Emperor’s descendant’s furious cry.】

【Yet in the end, victory is still yours.】

【Simulation Year 12, Age 27】

【After five years of relentless effort, under the stunned gazes of countless onlookers, you break through from the Severing Dao realm to the Sage realm.】

【You bathe in the divine lightning of the Heavenly Tribulation, emerging unscathed. Instead, you absorb its power, forging it into a new divine phenomenon of your own.】

【Peerless and invincible, your majesty shakes the world.】

【The people of the Central Continent fall into stunned silence. After a long pause, someone describes your ascension thus:】

【"At the end of the Emperor’s Path, who stands supreme? Behold Xu Xi, and all paths fade to nothing!"】

【Simulation Year 13, Age 28】

【Approaching thirty, your Heavenly Fate Body undergoes another transformation, absorbing your destiny, Dao principles, and past to become the one and only Heavenly Fate Indestructible Body.】

【Breaking through from the Sage realm to the Emperor realm is a feat no easier than scaling the heavens.】

【But as you gaze upon your Heavenly Fate Indestructible Body and the girls by your side, you find it not so daunting.】

【Given time,】

【you are confident of reaching the Emperor realm.】

...

The Great Emperors of antiquity.

In the realm hierarchy of Tianxuan, this is a title of immense weight.

Powerful.

Immortal.

Supreme over an era.

They are the mightiest beings revered by all races.

Yet for Xu Xi, attaining the Great Emperor realm is an inevitability.

Heaven’s Chosen (Red): You are the world’s favored child, blessed with unparalleled comprehension, talent, physique, and destiny. The heavens have ordained you as its protagonist, destined to reach the pinnacle of the world.

Tianxuan Realm · Central Continent.

A secluded valley.

Xu Xi summoned the simulation panel, his eyes lingering on the crimson descriptor as he mused.

"Can’t deny it—red descriptors are overpowered."

"In just thirteen years, I’ve reached the Sage realm, second only to the Emperor realm in Tianxuan."

"But..."

"According to the description of ‘Heaven’s Chosen,’ this cheat-like effect seems limited to Tianxuan. Beyond this, I’ll have to rely on myself."

Xu Xi murmured to himself, unfazed.

Nothing in this world was ever perfect.

If he could truly ascend to the highest realm in an instant, he’d suspect he’d fallen into some grand illusion.

"Regardless, this simulation’s rewards are already substantial."

"My strength, divine phenomena, divine abilities, and physique are all maxed out."

"For me, breaking through to the Emperor realm is only a matter of time. There’s no need to rush."

Xu Xi rose to his feet.

He walked deeper into the valley.

"The weather today seems rather nice..."

The glaring sunlight pierced through the valley’s mist, scattering its rays and casting a hazy glow.

Xu Xi raised his thumb and forefinger,

pinching a wind-borne leaf with just the right amount of force.

"What do you think, Servia?"

He glanced back.

A platinum-haired knight followed closely behind him, ever dutiful in her guardianship.

Her hair shimmered like liquid gold, cascading down her back like a sunlit waterfall, rippling with every movement.

Beautiful.

And serene.

"I agree, Lord Sorcerer," Servia quickened her pace to walk beside him.

Her voice was gentle, though her expression remained solemn.

"Servia, you can relax a little. This isn’t Earth—I won’t truly die here."

"...Understood."

Xu Xi noticed the hero’s tension.

He chuckled.

Reaching out, he playfully pinched her cheeks.

Then he turned his gaze skyward, watching as a flock of birds took flight from the distant treetops, their wings glinting in the sunlight.

His fingers loosened.

The leaf spiraled away,

joining the countless others dancing in the wind, creating a mesmerizing spectacle.

The breeze brushed against his face, carrying a faint chill.

"Servia."

"Yes, I’m here."

"I’m sorry to drag you into this so soon after reuniting."

The hero blinked.

Then, her expression softened—nostalgic, content.

"Lord Sorcerer, you truly haven’t changed at all."

"Even when you’ve done nothing wrong, you always feel like you haven’t done enough."

Servia clasped her hands behind her back, fingers fidgeting as she kicked at the ground.

"Actually..."

She paused.

"You don’t owe me an apology. If anything, my debt to you is far greater."

"And—"

"Lord Sorcerer," she suddenly lifted her head, her emerald-green eyes gleaming like precious gems, brimming with warmth.

"I love it here."

"Even if it’s not the world I know."

"Being able to adventure with you again... it makes me truly happy."

"The sun here is bright, the flowers vibrant. No one lingers in death, restless and unfulfilled. An adventure like this—I love it."

"I love adventuring with you, Lord Sorcerer."

Her words were resolute.

Laced with devotion, reliance, and pure, unadulterated joy.

"Is that so...? Then I’m relieved."

Xu Xi studied Servia’s face.

Familiar features stirred memories of their shared past.

With a fond smile, he ruffled her hair, smoothing the wind-tousled platinum locks.

Debts and such—

Xu Xi paid them no mind.

He’d never expected Servia to repay him.

Yet the hero thought otherwise.

Guilt-ridden, she offered her body, soul, and everything she was—should he ever wish to study her Supreme-tier existence.

"No need for that, Servia. Your sincerity is more than enough," Xu Xi reassured her with a smile.

Speaking of which...

Had the valley’s temperature just plummeted?

【Simulation Year 14, Age 29】

【As one of the rare Sage-realm experts, your fame in Tianxuan soars. Divine maidens and holy maidens cast longing glances your way.】

【Before long, rumors of your past engagement resurface, spreading like wildfire across Tianxuan.】

【The world knows you have a fiancée.】

【Wu Yingxue once again solemnly vows to hunt down the rumor-mongers.】

【Simulation Year 15, Age 30】

【Your cultivation grows even more profound. Wherever you go, all races shrink back in fear. Yet you remain humble.】

【You know too well—the Sage realm is but the beginning.】

【To break through your bottleneck, you venture into the outer cosmos, clashing with true-blooded divine beasts and even quasi-Emperor-tier foes.】