Xu Xi's current cultivation is somewhat delicate.
Cultivation.
Magic.
Martial Arts.
All three advancing simultaneously, integrating their strengths into one.
With the support of Eternal Tear Drops and the Crown of Supremacy.
Xu Xi's cultivation speed has been extremely rapid; the Divine Transformation Realm is already showing signs of loosening, and the Sanctuary Magus has signs of the Divine Flame being ignited.
The Inner World of the Human Immortal is a bit more complicated.
Without a dedicated plugin, the progress isn't too rapid.
However, the knowledge of Cultivation and Magic complement each other, allowing for steady advancement.
"Cultivators transcend tribulations and ascend to achieve immortality."
"Mages condense divine nature and ascend to eternal gods."
"Warriors perfect the universe and achieve immortality without death."
"Right now, I excel in all but none perfectly."
"The Cultivation is a bit short of ascension, the Inner World of Martial Arts hasn't fully developed. It seems Magic will break through first, then drive the other two systems."
Xu Xi steps out of the study.
As he walks, he feels the three completely different systems of the supernatural within him.
He can't help but marvel at the wonders of the simulator.
And the deliciousness of relying on others.
Without the simulator, without the soft support from his sister and the witch, Xu Xi would never have achieved such strength today.
"What should I buy..."
"A bit troublesome..."
Xu Xi is considering gifts for his sister and the witch for the new year.
He also thinks about preparing one for the yet-to-arrive princess.
And for his master in the capital, as well as the simpleton Ah Niu.
The first New Year's Eve in the real world is of great significance to Xu Xi. He wants to make it as perfect as possible.
"It's hard."
The courtyard's empty branches rustle.
Grass leaves rub and turn.
The wind perfectly highlights the cold desolation of winter.
After leaving the study, Xu Xi arrives at the courtyard filled with Dragon Blood Grass, planning to pass through it and exit through the gate.
But there is someone else in the courtyard.
When Xu Xi arrives, she is expressionlessly trimming the Dragon Blood Grass.
Her silver-gray hair flows like a waterfall, a signature trait of the witch, and her composed calmness is uniquely her own charm.
"Master?"
Seeing Xu Xi's arrival,
Krisha blinks dazedly.
"Are you going out?"
Her voice carries no emotion, perfectly flat like still water, yet suffused with a calm gentle wind passing through the treetops.
On a winter afternoon, the witch slowly stands up.
She asks Xu Xi.
"Yes, I'm planning to go out and buy some things for the New Year," Xu Xi answers honestly, sharing his plans with Krisha.
"Krisha."
Xu Xi glances at the empty courtyard, then at the witch, who has just finished tending to the Dragon Blood Grass, her expression blank.
He extends an invitation: "Would you like to come with me?"
The witch never gets tired.
Eternal Supremacy has transcended all.
She willingly takes care of everything in the courtyard for Xu Xi.
However,
Seeing the witch standing alone in the empty courtyard, Xu Xi feels this isn't right. The witch needs something different from her usual routine.
At the very least, she shouldn't be confined to just the grass and the cold, desolate courtyard.
"...Okay."
Krisha agrees.
Her skirt sways in the wind, her coat flapping, her silvery-gray hair slightly transparent in the air.
The witch isn't particularly interested in going out; her "small world" is limited to this courtyard.
However,
This world's value lies in the presence of the "sun." When the "sun" departs, the witch only needs to follow like a shadow.
"Let's go then, Krisha."
Xu Xi laughs and takes the witch's hand.
The desolate courtyard is only filled with sunlight and the howling winter wind.
The witch seems too wooden and dull.
Her expressionless face often makes Xu Xi feel that if he lets go of her hand, she'll just stand there.
It's hard to let go.
So, Xu Xi holds Krisha's hand, opens the courtyard gate, and takes her into the outside world.
On the streets, soft snowflakes fall from the sky, pure and delicate, nearly weightless.
It's a silent, beautiful scene.
Passersby find themselves unconsciously covered in snowflakes, which are easily brushed off with a hand.
"It's so cold, the wind feels like it's cutting."
"Indeed, but the snow this year is beautiful."
People talk about the winter's chill,
Their faces excited, preparing for the upcoming New Year.
Adults' laughter, children's noise, make the harsh winter less desolate, even giving it a hint of summer.
"Krisha, is there anything you'd like to buy?"
Xu Xi walks along the street,
Looking at the witch quietly following beside him.
"No," her delicate face shakes slightly, her hair fluttering. She conveys her wishes to Xu Xi, "You decide."
The witch's will is to follow Xu Xi's words.
As an "item,"
This is her only thought.
Her own preferences? Interests? Desires?
Those aren't absent, but to the witch, the outcome is the same—she only wants to obey Xu Xi's commands.
"Then let's head to the supermarket," Xu Xi says, gently rubbing the witch's head.
Sometimes,
Xu Xi also thinks this.
He succeeded in restoring the witch's emotions, but are these emotions a bit off?
"For New Year's, we should have a rich feast, with all kinds of meat, as well as the corresponding vegetables and fruits."
"And some small snacks and candy."
"Finally, some festive decorations that embody the spirit of the New Year."
Xu Xi takes the witch and enters a supermarket in Yanshan City. After a few rounds of shopping, he fills half of his spatial ring.
The witch is very well-behaved,
Listening like a doll.
Her mixed black, gold, and red eyes,
Always focused on Xu Xi, handing him items when needed.
The ocean-blue necklace around her neck reflects a soft blur under the supermarket's lights, both the reflection of light and the witch's unspoken heart.
After some time,
Xu Xi finishes buying the items needed for the New Year.
The only thing missing are the New Year's gifts for different people.
The spacious, brightly lit supermarket space, with its various categorized goods, feels overwhelming and causes indecision.
"Krisha, what would you like as a gift?" Xu Xi asks the witch, who has been quietly staying by his side all along.
In the second simulation, Xu Xi once gave her a wand and a necklace, which the witch seemed to like.
This time,
Xu Xi wants the witch to decide herself.
But the witch only shakes her head, her hollow voice conveying certainty: "Whatever you give me, I like."
Without any falsehoods, only absolute truth.
The silver-gray witch has no expression, as if she never knows joy or sorrow. But no matter what Xu Xi gives her, she genuinely likes it, simply because it carries the warmth of the "sun" and his intentions.