The trembling sound grew increasingly piercing.
It struck directly at the eardrums, penetrating deep into the mind.
As the frequency of the tremors reached its peak, Xu Xi's spiritual energy expanded accordingly. At first, it was like a babbling brook, but within seconds, it transformed into a raging river.
It surged.
It crashed.
It devoured.
Enveloping the surrounding elements at will.
"Not enough yet..." Xu Xi murmured. He reached out and grasped his staff, and more than ten contract magic circles materialized out of thin air, summoning elemental spirits from the void.
These were all the elemental spirits Xu Xi had contracted since entering the simulated magical world.
Through elemental perception and the wisdom of a mortal, he had bound them.
Earth, Wind, Water, Fire.
Light, Darkness, Thunder, Air.
Life, Death, Nature, Destruction...
Too many, far too many. Over a dozen elemental spirits had crossed over from their respective elemental planes, providing Xu Xi with an endless tide of elements.
Only such an exaggerated elemental tide could satisfy Xu Xi's extraordinary tenfold magical power and his vast, surging spiritual energy.
"Boom!!!"
Elements clashed, and magical power surged.
Finally, after repeated elemental purging, Xu Xi's spiritual energy was refined, and he successfully gained control over all the unruly elements.
Not like an apprentice, who merely communicated with them.
Nor like a formal mage, who resonated with them.
But control, true control. With his own will, he dominated the elements, mastering them in every aspect.
Grand Magus.
Promotion successful!
"I never expected this breakthrough to bring such a significant increase in power," Xu Xi exhaled softly, as faint cracking sounds echoed around him.
His spiritual energy was too powerful, constantly and ceaselessly influencing his surroundings.
Between the opening and closing of his eyes, there was an intangible light and sharpness.
This was the manifestation of his spiritual energy.
Xu Xi sat in meditation for ten minutes, calming the joy and excitement of his breakthrough. Slowly, his eyes returned to their usual appearance.
"Grand Mage."
"Grand Magus."
"Judging by the names, the difference between these two realms is just a single character."
"But in terms of power, the gap is as vast as heaven and earth. The latter has already transcended ordinary spellcasters, moving toward divinity."
After familiarizing himself with his newfound strength,
In the dimly lit meditation room, Xu Xi spread open his palm, and a hazy glow flickered in his hand.
The light was soft and delicate, radiating warmth from its faintness, gradually transforming from light into fire, and then from flames into flowing water.
The elemental forces changed according to Xu Xi's will.
Fire and Water.
Wind and Earth.
Light and Darkness.
Life and Death.
Finally, all the elements condensed into a single point, flickering and swaying at Xu Xi's fingertip, until he withdrew his spiritual control, and they dissipated with a soft hum.
This was the power of a Grand Magus, or rather, their privilege.
The ability to freely manipulate the elements they were familiar with.
Shaping, extending, controlling.
If this control were developed to its limit and combined with profound spiritual energy, it would form a unique elemental domain, elevating one to the rank of Sanctuary Magus.
"Truly astonishing," Xu Xi mused.
From the level of Grand Magus onward, the path of magic ascends toward divinity, with one's essence and status gradually rising until one ignites the divine spark, wields divine authority, and becomes a true world ruler.
This is a path to immortality.
Condensing knowledge, mastering rules, understanding the essence of the world.
The journey to the end is incredibly arduous, no less difficult than the path of cultivation. No, to be more precise, no path to transcendence is easy.
"Immortal gods... tsk."
"Unfortunately, this time, I couldn't ignite the divine spark to experience the thrill of ascension."
Xu Xi clicked his tongue lightly.
He waved his staff, sending all the elemental spirits fluttering around him back to their respective elemental planes.
The remnants of the elements lingered in the air, dreamlike and colorful, creating a dazzling spectacle.
Xu Xi calmly observed this beautiful scene.
[The Wisdom of Mortals] was far too extraordinary. In just fifteen years of simulated life, it had elevated Xu Xi from an ordinary person to a Grand Magus who commanded the elements.
Within the limited lifespan of a mortal, Xu Xi was certain that his promotion to Sanctuary Magus was inevitable.
But that was as far as it went.
Not to mention ascending to true godhood, even becoming a demigod or a false god was beyond Xu Xi's reach.
[The Wisdom of Mortals] endowed Xu Xi with unparalleled talent, whether in cultivating spiritual energy, learning magic, or comprehending the truths of the world. It provided immense assistance.
But correspondingly,
The price of obtaining this wisdom was that Xu Xi's everything was confined to the limits of mortality, including his lifespan.
"..."
In the silent meditation room, under the dim yellow light, Xu Xi looked down at his 29-year-old hands.
Long and dexterous, as if they had never changed.
But upon closer inspection, one could see the traces left by time.
"The river of time is indeed difficult to cross. It's a pity that I don't even have the chance to attempt it," Xu Xi's tone carried a hint of regret as he gazed up at the ceiling of the meditation room.
The ceiling, forged from special steelstone, was exceptionally hard and durable, thick enough to block out everything.
Xu Xi's eyes were steady and profound.
As if they could pierce through the steelstone, seeing further and higher, to the infinitely distant heavens, where the gods gazed down at all beings with cold indifference.
"According to my current rate of cultivation, with the help of [The Wisdom of Mortals], even if breaking through to Sanctuary Magus is extremely difficult, it won't take me too much time."
"By this logic, I should still have plenty of time to research how to break through these limitations and truly ascend to godhood."
"Unfortunately..."
Xu Xi sighed softly, "The gods of this world have completely suppressed the laws of the elements."
When one is weak, it is impossible to perceive.
But after ascending to Grand Magus and becoming one who also commands the elements, Xu Xi could clearly sense that the elemental laws of the magical world were exceedingly dull.
Undoubtedly, this was the handiwork of the gods, a shackle specifically designed to restrict those who came after.
Making it even more difficult for elemental mages, whose cultivation was already challenging,
To glimpse the truths of the world.
And thus ignite the divine spark and wield divine authority.
With the limitation of mortal lifespan ahead and the gods blocking the path behind, Xu Xi could not see any possibility of achieving godhood.
He smiled calmly, "It seems that in this lifetime, I can only go as far as Sanctuary Magus."
That was enough.
That was more than enough.
Xu Xi was already quite satisfied with this outcome, though deep down, there was still a small trace of regret.
After all, anyone who has read web novels for a long time has, at some point, fantasized about the glorious moment of becoming an immortal or a god.
"Since I can't become a god, I'll spend the rest of my time learning other things."
"After all, it's rare to have a red-tier trait. I can't waste [The Wisdom of Mortals]."
"And also—"
"Before I die, I should nurture Krisha as much as possible."
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!" "......"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down 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.
