"Perhaps, as more Boundary Ruins merge with Earth, I will once again see Mo Li and Krisha."
Xu Xi slowly rose to his feet.
The empty room was bathed in sunlight, which fell on his eyelids as they fluttered open and closed, highlighting the depth of his past and the scattered strands of his hair.
He turned his head slightly.
Gazing out the window at the rustling leaves.
In Xu Xi's eyes, the passage of time was reflected.
When he first activated the Life Simulator, it was during the scorching heat of summer.
By the time he started the second simulation, summer was already drawing to a close.
Now, more than a month had passed, and the sweltering heat of summer had been swept away by a cool breeze, leaving behind the fragmented and withering signs of autumn.
"Time is truly wondrous."
"It makes one grow, yet also makes one stand still."
Outside, petals drifted in the wind. Xu Xi watched this scene and suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
When thinking of the cold autumn, aside from loneliness and desolation, it also brings to mind warm, comforting food. Xu Xi decided to prepare a hot pot with beef and lamb today.
He stepped out of his bedroom.
Passed through the courtyard filled with Dragon's Blood Grass.
Pushed open the gate and left.
On the street, fiery red maple leaves danced on either side, their fallen counterparts blanketing the ground. Many ordinary pedestrians walked and chatted along the way.
There were couples cuddling and laughing, exuding sweetness.
A family of three held hands, their atmosphere warm and tender.
Friends chased and played with each other, full of joy and delight.
The sounds of the passersby added color to the lonely and desolate autumn, making the cold wind seem less biting.
This scene.
Made Xu Xi recall the two small figures who used to wait for him at the door during the cold winter days.
But alas, they were no longer visible in the real world.
"Better think about what ingredients to buy. I can get a lot today and eat to my heart's content," Xu Xi thought as he entered the supermarket, quickly selecting the items he needed, paying, and heading straight home.
He had no desire for entertainment.
No extravagant hobbies.
For Xu Xi, wasting time on such things was far less appealing than enjoying a good meal or continuing his secluded cultivation.
The former offered a delightful culinary experience, while the latter genuinely enhanced his strength—both far surpassing anything else in his eyes.
"Crunch—"
"Crunch—"
Each step of his shoes landed on the dry leaves, producing crisp echoes, a unique farewell to autumn.
Xu Xi carried a shopping bag filled with ingredients, walking at a leisurely pace.
But the next moment.
His steps came to a halt.
It was abrupt, it was unexpected.
After a long time, as Xu Xi walked the path home, he once again saw the figure standing quietly at the courtyard gate, obediently waiting for his return.
"I'm back, Mentor."
The voice of the witch was as calm as ever.
Flat, devoid of fluctuation, like a quiet stream flowing past the ears, silently carrying everything away.
It was hollow, yet pleasant to hear.
This reunion was so sudden, without warning or signs, yet when it happened, it felt as though it was destined, not something to be surprised about.
What attitude, what words should he use to welcome the returned witch?
"Welcome home, Krisha."
After a moment of stunned silence, Xu Xi's eyes softened. He extended his hand toward the witch, palm facing up, offering a simple gesture of invitation.
Once, he had met the witch in the autumn of a simulated world.
Now, he reunited with her in the autumn of the real world.
It all seemed like an echo of fate.
"Mentor…"
The witch, as still as a doll, trembled slightly. One step, two steps, she moved toward Xu Xi.
Her eyes—black, gold, and red—were a mesmerizing mix of colors, radiating an impulse Xu Xi had never seen before.
"Krisha?" Xu Xi expected the witch to take his hand, but what happened next was far beyond his expectations.
The witch's pace quickened, almost to the point of running, her footsteps echoing like the pounding of a heart, until she wordlessly crashed into Xu Xi's embrace.
Their heartbeats seemed to merge in that moment, time freezing into an eternal infinity.
Krisha held Xu Xi tightly.
So tightly.
"Mentor, I’ve finally… seen you again."
"I’ve been waiting, waiting all this time… You didn’t lie to me… We really met…"
Autumn is a season of sorrow, a time to reminisce with a heavy heart. But at this moment, separation gave way to reunion, and the witch experienced the reunion she had waited a lifetime for.
Dampness seeped through Xu Xi's shirt.
It was the witch's tears.
She hugged him so tightly, as if trying to merge herself into his body, never to part again.
Xu Xi only needed to glance down to see Krisha's delicate face, now brimming with tears. They were not tears of sadness, but of joy.
Warm and bitter, they flowed freely, expressing the emotions in the witch's heart in their own unique way.
"I’m sorry, Krisha, for making you wait so long."
The weight of it all was deeply moving. Xu Xi spoke softly, comforting her.
His hand reached out, as it had countless times before, gently resting on the witch's silver-gray hair, stroking it to give her a sense of security.
Suddenly.
The sound of scattered applause rose around them.
Growing louder, more fervent.
It was only then that Xu Xi noticed a crowd of onlookers had gathered.
They seemed to have misunderstood the situation. Some were moved to tears, others clapped loudly, offering all kinds of blessings.
"This…"
Xu Xi was at a loss for words and could only quickly lead Krisha back into the courtyard.
By the time they returned, Krisha had calmed down. She apologized to Xu Xi, feeling that she had caused unnecessary trouble.
"It’s fine, Krisha."
"That doesn’t matter."
Xu Xi’s voice was soft. With a wave of his hand, water flowed gently, wiping away the tear stains on the witch’s face.
Krisha remained motionless.
Quiet, obedient, sitting still as she watched Xu Xi’s movements.
Her vacant eyes could only see Xu Xi’s face.
The witch herself didn’t quite understand why her body had instinctively shed tears upon seeing Xu Xi, even though she had resolved not to trouble him before their reunion.
Why was that…
Was it because a lost item had returned to its owner’s hand?
Was it because a shadow had found light again?
Or was it because she had found the one she loved?
Krisha didn’t know, and she felt no need to ponder it. Her time of drifting alone had ended, the cold and lonely days were gone. From now on, she only needed to follow Xu Xi’s commands.
"Mentor…"
The silver-haired witch suddenly spoke.
"What is it, Krisha? Is something wrong?"
Xu Xi asked.
"Could you…" Krisha opened her palm, revealing a sapphire necklace she had removed years ago. Its bright blue light sparkled in her hand. "Put this necklace on me again…?"
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
