The breakfast ended in an oddly tense atmosphere.
The breakfast prepared by the maid.
The breakfast prepared by the witch.
Xu Xi chose to have both.
Using the laws of space and time, he took the first bite of both breakfasts simultaneously, with the same rhythm and force.
The situation was perfectly resolved.
But after breakfast, Xu Xi fell into deep thought.
Was this just a coincidence, or was it an invisible competition between the two girls?
Or perhaps, something even worse?
"Could it be..."
"Did Ailei taking me away last night leave a bad impression on Krisha?"
"Even after a night, their conflict hasn't been resolved?"
Xu Xi pondered.
Worried about such a possibility, he privately asked each girl about their thoughts on the other.
The witch paused from watering the Dragon Blood Grass.
With her hollow yet enchanting eyes, she calmly looked at Xu Xi and said, "...She's someone quite similar to me. I’m a little intrigued."
Intrigued, not resentful.
Xu Xi felt slightly reassured.
He then went to ask the maid, who was trying to plant Meteor Flowers in the courtyard soil.
She gently pressed the hair on her forehead to keep it from being blown away by the strong wind.
"...She’s a formidable opponent."
Opponent?
Was she referring to Krisha's divine combat prowess?
Indeed, Krisha, who held the authority of creation and destruction, was a formidable figure even among the highest deities.
Xu Xi thought deeply.
Perhaps the situation wasn’t as serious as he had imagined.
Both girls seemed normal, and their words didn’t suggest any hostility. It was likely just his overthinking.
That made sense.
After all, the witch and the maid were both so well-behaved.
How could there be any conflict between them?
This was just him scaring himself for no reason.
"The weather is clear, the sun is warm, today is a good day..." Xu Xi mused aloud.
Ailei's arrival increased the number of members in the courtyard by one.
Xu Xi prepared a new room for her, along with the necessary daily essentials.
"Thank you, Master," the girl said gracefully, tidying up the room's interior with precise movements.
Shortly after, to Xu Xi's confusion, the maid's body began to dissolve, reverting to the original RTX-9090 identification plate.
In its place, a new body was generated through quantum information.
"Ailei, was your previous body inconvenient?"
In response to Xu Xi's question, the maid politely explained that there was no difference between the two bodies.
She simply wanted to place the RTX-9090 plate back into the collection cabinet.
It was just something she felt like doing.
Well, if you ignored the commotion of her instantly securing the first spot, it was indeed a simple act.
"What is this? A new season of the Collection Cabinet Wars?"
In the living room, Xu Xi set down his teacup, the sound of the cup meeting the table crisp and pleasant.
While savoring the lingering aroma of tea in his mouth, he quietly released his spiritual energy to observe the invisible battle within the collection cabinet.
"Krisha and Ailei are fighting so fiercely?"
"They’ve firmly secured the first and second spots."
"In comparison, Mo Li and Ying Xue’s movements are much quieter, almost like—"
"Spectators?"
Xu Xi chuckled.
He couldn’t quite grasp the girls' thoughts.
But he found such daily life peaceful and amusing.
He liked it.
And he enjoyed it.
"I don’t need to worry about simulations for now."
"First, I’ll focus on advancing my cultivation and martial arts realms."
"I can feel it—the breakthrough is close at hand, and I could ascend further at any moment."
…………
In autumn, everything grew quieter and more profound.
The golden sunlight was warm and gentle, draping everything in a soft veil, but the warmth was quickly shattered whenever a cold wind blew.
Dead branches swayed in the wind.
Leaves were blown to the ground.
Xu Xi's life moved at a slow and steady pace.
In between his rigorous cultivation, he often tended to the Dragon Blood Grass in the courtyard and the Meteor Flowers Ailei had recently planted.
When in the mood, he would sit by the pond, leisurely casting a fishing line.
"Is that... a Quantum Leviathan?"
"And a Poseidon Fish?"
That afternoon, the sound of a light knock on the head was particularly crisp.
"Ailei, don’t sneak these in anymore. And you too, Krisha."
"...Yes, Master."
"...Yes, Mentor."
By the pond, Xu Xi looked exasperated as he scolded the maid and the witch.
Not far away, Wu Yingxue was munching on sunflower seeds.
Xu Mo Li wasn’t present; she was still busy in the Realm of Severance and only returned on rare occasions.
…………
Time passed, and the new maid gradually adapted to life in the courtyard.
However, the overlapping service attributes of the domestic android and the witch’s behavior led to Xu Xi often receiving double the service.
Sometimes it was two cups of hot tea.
Sometimes it was two servings of food.
Xu Xi found it amusing, as the scenes were just too comical.
Meanwhile, after long and arduous cultivation, Xu Xi’s realm finally began to break through.
On the cultivation side, he reached the Great Ascension Stage.
On the martial arts side, he condensed a second inner world.
Both extraordinary systems were now just one step away from true transformation and ascension.
"Although, with my current strength and the presence of Mo Li and the others, safety is no longer a concern."
"But when it comes to power, you can never have too much."
"It’s always good to get a little stronger."
In the first month of winter, Xu Xi slowly rose from his cultivation state.
Above the courtyard, a thick, ominous tribulation cloud rapidly formed. But before Xu Xi could react, the cloud dispersed on its own, as if fleeing in terror.
"By my calculations, Earth has been evolving for several years now."
"The once-naive planetary consciousness has become increasingly sentient, and it doesn’t dare approach Yanshan City anymore."
Xu Xi sighed.
He had actually wanted to experience the legendary process of tempering his body through heavenly tribulation, as often described in web novels.
But with several supreme beings around, the heavenly tribulation didn’t dare come close.
Tap—
Tap—
Xu Xi walked out of the cultivation chamber, and the slightly harsh sunlight danced on his eyelashes, causing him to squint instinctively.
A familiar voice came from not far away.
Lively.
Excited.
"Sir, I need to talk to you!" Wu Yingxue ran over, stopping hurriedly in front of Xu Xi.
Her red-and-white martial robe was as spirited and bold as Xu Xi remembered, and her carefree demeanor hadn’t changed a bit.
"What is it, Yingxue? Take your time."
"Sir, it’s about Niu!"
The girl explained that the people of the Survival Army living in the suburbs of Yanshan City wanted Xu Xi to come over and serve as a witness.
Little Niu, the honest man who once followed Xu Xi, was now preparing to propose.
Xu Xi: "Huh?"