You Are Already Dead

Xu Xi's growth was remarkably smooth.

Opportunities.

Powerful enemies.

Life-and-death crises.

Breakthroughs in dire straits.

Every trope a protagonist must experience, he went through them all.

He had slain Quasi-Emperors amidst the stars, dominated constellations with his might, and clashed with ancient divine beasts in brutal physical combat.

In the twentieth year of the simulation,

Xu Xi turned 35.

He shattered the Dao and ascended as an Emperor, reaching the grand finale of his protagonist's journey.

Yet, this also marked the inevitable encounter in every Xuanhuan novel—

A supremely powerful antagonist, one who had schemed for countless ages, only to watch the protagonist grow unchecked and suffer a crushing defeat at the final moment.

"You... are impressive."

Beyond the boundaries of the realm,

Countless strands of gray immortal light cascaded down.

The skeletal remains of innumerable Emperors formed the tapestry of the world's myriad Daos, their wails of anguish and despair paving the path for a stronger existence to stride into the future.

Fight!

Fight again!

Those bones trembled, resonating with unwillingness, yet they were suppressed by a sinister crimson figure.

His form was indistinct yet undeniably real, layered with countless temporal echoes—a single being embodying an entire realm.

When he spoke, his voice thundered,

Echoing endlessly in Xu Xi's ears.

"Even in my era, you would have been the most dazzling talent, far surpassing my own brilliance."

"But this path... is far more arduous than you know."

"The Emperor Realm is not the limit of cultivation, yet breaking beyond it is as futile as fishing for the moon in water."

"Here, beyond the realms, I have battled countless newly ascended Emperors, devouring their Daos and principles, absorbing their life essence."

"And yet, I have only taken half a step forward."

"And you... shall become the new fuel for my progress."

The crimson-haired, horrifyingly grotesque figure

Suddenly burst into maniacal laughter.

"Kekeke!... Kekeke!... Kekekeke!"

The laughter was utterly malevolent, perfectly complementing his twisted, unsettling form. Xu Xi couldn't help but muse—this was the textbook definition of a great villain.

Including the nonsensical rambling.

It fit the trope of "villains dying due to excessive monologues" perfectly.

"You... are the first Emperor of the Tianxuan Realm, the Tianxuan Emperor?"

Xu Xi revealed the other's identity.

"An Emperor's name shall not be spoken lightly!"

"Junior, you have courted death!"

Tianxuan Emperor's laughter ceased abruptly. His cold gaze locked onto Xu Xi as he unleashed his full power, his blood and qi collapsing the fabric of the myriad Daos.

Chaos energy billowed, as if to recreate the primordial universe.

"Arrogant brat, perish!"

Great terror.

Great conviction.

A world-shaking immortal light condensed into a single fist, shattering layer upon layer of space.

Though the blow had yet to land, Tianxuan Emperor could already envision the wretched state in which Xu Xi would meet his end.

But—

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

The "frail" junior's expression remained utterly calm. Suddenly, five objects materialized around him:

One shaped like a teardrop,

One like a necklace,

One resembling a red thread,

One akin to a brooch,

And one in the form of a ring.

"Cheap tricks," Tianxuan Emperor frowned, ignoring Xu Xi's muttered repetitions of "tenfold."

He charged. He struck. He fell.

"Sever."

A single, understated word—yet it halted time itself. The strike pierced the highest heavens and the deepest abyss, annihilating eternity, erasing past and future alike.

The invincible Tianxuan Emperor.

He... was dead.

Xu Xi retracted his right hand, shaped like a blade, and shook his head. With this, his protagonist's journey had reached its conclusion.

"As expected, the protection of destiny fades after the finale."

Xu Xi sensed the dwindling fortune within him and nodded. "Makes sense. The Tianxuan Realm's ceiling is the Emperor Realm. The world cannot nurture beings far beyond its own limits."

Amidst swirling chaos and flickering shadows,

Five figures materialized around Xu Xi.

They had witnessed his battle in its entirety, standing guard with unwavering devotion.

"Brother, shall we return to Earth?" Xu Moli asked.

The exploration of the Life Simulator was complete. The Sea of Possibilities had been charted, and the existence of unknown paths confirmed.

The protagonist's storyline in the Tianxuan Realm had also been fully cleared.

Realistically,

Continuing the simulation offered diminishing returns.

"Let's wait a little longer," Xu Xi decided to stay for a while, curious to see how much of his ascension speed remained without the buff of the "Protagonist's Destiny" trait.

[Simulation Year 20, Age 35]

[You shattered the Dao and ascended as an Emperor, becoming the supreme ruler of your era, wielding unrivaled power and conviction]

[You trained diligently]

[You single-handedly slew the mastermind behind the Tianxuan Realm's darkness]

[From this day forth, the Tianxuan Realm would flourish, with countless people venerating you as a paragon and erecting golden statues in your honor]

[Wu Yingxue worked tirelessly to dispel rumors]

[But due to your overwhelming strength, tales about you spread like wildfire, impossible to suppress]

[The rumors evolved—from Wu Yingxue marrying you, to you simultaneously wedding five women]

[You fell into a long silence]

[The power of misinformation was terrifying indeed]

[Simulation Year 30, Age 45]

[You remained in the Tianxuan Realm, leveraging its meager boosts to fortune and comprehension to refine your Destiny-Indestructible Body and explore paths beyond the Emperor Realm]

[Simulation Year 40, Age 55]

[The rumors about you grew increasingly absurd]

[During a casual stroll, you overheard someone earnestly claim that you and the Princess had consummated their relationship, even bearing a son and daughter]

[That same year, the five Supreme Maidens engaged in a friendly spar, with the Valiant Princess holding her own against four opponents]

[Simulation Year 45, Age 60]

[With the aid of the Supreme Maidens, you successfully mapped the path beyond the Emperor Realm]

[However, as your power grew, the Tianxuan Realm could no longer sustain you]

[You chose to depart]

[Wandering the chaotic multiverse of the Xuanhuan realm, seeking the catalyst for your breakthrough]

[...]

[Simulation Year 60, Age 75]

[Your bottleneck shattered, elevating you beyond the Emperor Realm]

[The Gaze of the Supreme remained active—]

[Under their watch, your Destiny-Indestructible Body underwent metamorphosis, evolving toward a state of boundless unity]

["This one must not be allowed to live!"]

[Within the Chaotic Sea of Realms, a powerhouse, terrified by your progress, vowed to eliminate you]

[Yet, this powerhouse mysteriously vanished en route, and you narrowly escaped calamity]

[Simulation Year 100, Age 115]

[Thanks to the Supreme Maidens' unwavering support and your own relentless efforts, you broke through yet again, reaching an indescribable, unfathomable realm]

"A hundred years have passed already..."

"It seems this is my limit."

Amidst the fog-shrouded chaos,

Xu Xi halted his journey, ceasing his travels and tempering.

His gaze lowered as he contemplated his growth, arriving at a final conclusion.

His current level in the Xuanhuan system

Was equivalent to the Golden Immortal stage in cultivation, or the rank of a Greater Deity in the magical arts.

This achievement was hardly surprising. After all, during this simulation, five Supreme Maidens had paved his way, scouring the cosmos for treasures to aid him.

If possible,

Xu Xi would have loved to maintain this momentum until he ascended as a Xuanhuan Supreme.

But his newly broken-through body whispered an intuition—

A warning.

A revelation.

This was a path he could not tread.

The simulator's response confirmed it.

[Ding—]

[You have reached your peak. End the simulation?]