"No, no, no, it's all thanks to your excellent teaching."
"Take care, take care, do visit often!"
The red dragon rubbed its claws together, its expression obsequious to the extreme, as it escorted Xu Xi out of the underground palace.
Once Xu Xi had left,
it could no longer contain its excitement, its claws trembling as it let out a strange cackle and pounced on the precious chest of fire gems.
"Mine, all mine!"
"Hahaha, I shall become the new Dragon God, reviving the glory of the great dragons!"
"Blood offerings are good, blood offerings are wonderful, I love blood offerings, and blood offerings love me!"
Rex Santos, the red dragon, was overjoyed.
It stomped its thick limbs, flapped its heavy wings, and rolled around on the floor covered in fire gems, tossing in a heap of gold coins to give itself a luxurious gold bath.
Such is the life of a dragon, marvelous indeed~~~
"Hehe, I am the Dragon God, I am the Dragon God... Dragon God Rex Santos—"
Gradually,
the excitement of acquiring the fire gems and the weakness from losing too much blood intertwined, causing the red dragon to fall into a deep slumber amidst its mountain of gold and silver.
The flames it exhaled continuously scorched the treasures below, creating a haze of white mist.
A scene both comical and serene.
"This, my friend, is what we call mutual benefit," Xu Xi chuckled softly, sensing the dragon's state.
He turned his gaze toward the capital.
New Year's Eve had arrived.
Fiery dragons coiled and rose into the sky, illuminating the dim night, while immortal cultivators soared on their swords, displaying divine techniques to create wondrous phenomena.
A true dragon suppressed the nine heavens, a divine elephant guarded the nine hells.
Lotus flowers cleansed the world, heavenly blossoms fell like rain.
All sorts of incredible phenomena were conjured, though they lacked substance, their appearances were breathtakingly real, perfectly ushering in the New Year amidst the gasps and cheers of the crowd.
"I should head back now. Mo Li and the others are waiting for me."
After pausing to admire the scene for a while,
Xu Xi swung his sword staff, slicing a narrow rift in space. With a light step, he entered it and was transported to the distant Yanshan City.
"Ah, Brother Xi is here!"
"Brother Xu, I’ve come to wish you a Happy New Year!"
"Hey! Who stepped on my foot?"
"Great Master, Great Master!"
Upon arriving at the outskirts of Yanshan City,
the people of the Survival Army quickly gathered like a tide, cheerfully greeting Xu Xi.
Facing the familiar faces, Xu Xi responded with equal warmth and a smile:
"Happy New Year, everyone. Niu, thank you for the gift."
"Uncle Li, Uncle Zhang, here’s some New Year’s money for your children."
"..."
He spoke a lot.
He spoke in a flurry.
The scene was overwhelmingly crowded.
The number of people who had once fought for survival was simply too large, and each one wanted to greet Xu Xi and wish him a Happy New Year. It wasn’t until some time later that the noisy New Year greetings finally came to an end.
Whoosh—
Xu Xi once again activated his spatial teleportation.
From the outskirts of Yanshan City, he teleported back to the courtyard near the city center.
"Brother, Happy New Year!"
A figure rushed toward him—it was his sister, who had been away from the courtyard for a long time, busy with her duties in the Boundary-Slaying Campaign.
She laughed merrily,
grabbing hold of Xu Xi’s left arm.
"Brother, let’s go eat. The New Year’s Eve dinner isn’t complete without you."
"Sorry, Mo Li, did you wait long?"
"Not at all, you came back just in time."
Fireworks bloomed in the sky.
Shadows merged on the ground.
Slender fingers gently tugged at the fabric of Xu Xi’s sleeve, holding and hugging, savoring the comforting warmth.
The girl stayed close,
following her silly brother with the same rhythm.
The New Year’s Eve dinner wasn’t important. Time wasn’t important.
It wasn’t because she wanted to eat the dinner that she waited for Xu Xi.
It was because Xu Xi was there that the dinner held any meaning.
"Let’s go inside, Mo Li."
Soon, the two reached the door of the house. Xu Xi gently pushed it open, and the brightly lit interior came into view.
Krisha, Wu Yingxue, and Ailei.
The other three girls had been waiting inside for some time.
The dining table was laden with a lavish feast, dishes of various styles and ingredients filling the table, their aromas wafting through the air, teasing the senses.
The warm, soft light bathed the room,
casting a gentle glow on the faces of those inside.
It felt cozy, warm, and beautiful.
"Everyone, Happy New Year," Xu Xi smiled as he offered his blessings to the girls.
"Happy New Year, Mentor. Please try my cooking."
"Happy New Year, Master. Let’s eat quickly!"
"Happy New Year, Master. I’ve made a new tonic soup for you."
The kitchen was spacious and bright, with a large vertical window reflecting the fireworks outside. A slight upward glance revealed the sky filled with scattered sparks.
Gorgeous and dazzling.
Mesmerizing and enchanting.
Amidst this unique beauty,
Xu Xi took his seat at the table, followed by Xu Moli, Krisha, Wu Yingxue, and Ailei.
Listening to the crackling of firecrackers outside and looking at the girls around the table, Xu Xi once again felt that his life as a sacrificial offering in the simulator had meaning.
At least,
it had brought about this beautiful reality.
Of course, if possible, Xu Xi wanted to make a few small adjustments.
"..."
Looking at the mountain of food piled in his bowl by the girls, Xu Xi opened his mouth slightly, hesitating, then hesitated again.
He felt full just by looking at it,
even before taking a single bite.
"Brother, hurry up and eat! Why aren’t you eating? I made this especially for you..."
"Mentor, has my cooking... gotten worse?"
Unable to refuse their enthusiasm,
Xu Xi met his sister’s and the sorceress’s eyes, finding it impossible to say no.
In the end,
he paid the price of near nausea to perfectly survive this New Year’s Eve.
"...Krisha."
"Yes, Mentor, I’m here."
"Actually, for future New Year’s Eve dinners, maybe we could make a bit less food."
"Understood, Mentor. I’ll remember that."
The New Year’s Eve celebration came to an end.
As expected, just like last year, Xu Xi prepared gifts for the girls.
The gifts weren’t extravagant—eternal beings didn’t need much.
But the sentiment behind the gifts, as well as the identity of the giver, was something the supreme beings valued deeply.
The next day,
Xu Xi woke up in bed to find himself in the same situation as the previous year.
His body was stiff, his limbs numb—it seemed his sister had once again launched a nighttime ambush.
"Mo Li, you can’t do this anymore."
Xu Xi had no choice but to scold her gently.
The sorceress and the princess remained calm.
The mechanical servant, however, was stunned for a long time.
...
Some time later, the ice on the river began to melt, producing crisp cracking sounds, followed by surging waves of ice.
The New Year had arrived.
Spring once again replaced winter.
A gentle breeze blew, and the plants in the courtyard came to life, dry branches sprouting tender buds, as a blanket of vibrant green covered the soil.
Amidst this warm spring breeze, news arrived from the outskirts of the city: the auspicious day had come, and Niu was finally getting married.