Xu Xi was going to die.
It was not a joke, nor a metaphor, but a genuine, imminent death that would mark the end of his existence.
No one needed to remind him. When he opened his eyes again, the weakness and lifelessness surging within his body made it clear to him.
In fact,
it was already a miracle that he had awakened at all.
During his previous slumber, Xu Xi had truly felt his soul gradually detaching from his body, drifting toward the void—a place of eternal silence known as death.
"My current state..."
"is probably what they call the final rally before death."
Pain, chest tightness, suffocation, dizziness.
A wave of unbearable symptoms assaulted him, making the newly awakened Xu Xi feel drowsy once more. His heavy eyelids drooped lower and lower.
He knew.
This slumber was different from before. He would not wake again, would not continue. This was the true embrace of death.
And so, with a hoarse voice, Xu Xi called out the name of the witch.
His voice was so weak that it was almost imperceptible, like a faint tremor in the air. His aged face struggled to move his lips and produce sound.
"Krisha..."
"Master, I'm here."
Krisha, who still looked seventeen, responded softly to Xu Xi.
It was as if she feared that even the slightest increase in volume would cause him pain.
Today was a good day.
The weather was clear, the sun bright.
Golden rays of sunlight streamed through the window, filling the room with light and dispelling the unwelcome silence. More importantly, her master, who had been asleep for years, had finally awakened.
Yet,
for some reason, for some inexplicable reason, her heart, which should have been filled with joy, instead let out a mournful cry.
The heartbeat in her chest slowed unconsciously.
"I'm sorry, Krisha, for letting you see me in such a sorry state," Xu Xi said, with the witch's help, propping himself up on the bed with his arms. He managed to sit up and offered Krisha a strained smile.
Please...
Please...
Don’t say anymore.
The sorrow in her chest continued to build.
Looking at Xu Xi's aged face, meeting his cloudy, swollen eyes, and hearing his barely audible voice, as if it might vanish in the next second,
Krisha felt her heartstrings tremble even more.
"You... don’t need to worry about it."
The witch didn’t care about Xu Xi’s aged appearance. To her, looks and appearances didn’t matter. What she truly cared about was Xu Xi himself.
Her sun.
Her light.
Her salvation.
But aging also meant something else, something the witch absolutely did not want to face, yet something that was inevitably going to happen.
"Master, I’ll prepare lunch for you."
Krisha suddenly stood up and headed for the door.
The witch had already sensed something. She didn’t want to hear it, didn’t dare to see it, and was too afraid to face it. So, she chose to run away.
But Xu Xi’s voice
stopped her.
"Cough... cough cough..."
"No need, Krisha. I think... I won’t have the chance to eat."
In the heavy atmosphere of the room, Xu Xi forced a smile, speaking in a tone that feigned lightness despite his exhaustion.
Krisha’s body trembled even more violently.
"Are you tired? Please rest assured, I’ll keep waiting, no matter how long it takes..."
"Krisha."
"I’ll wait for you forever, always..."
"Krisha."
Xu Xi called the witch’s name over and over.
His voice was extremely weak, his breath faint, as if it might dissipate with the slightest breeze.
Finally, the witch quieted down.
She stood with her back to Xu Xi, unmoving, no longer making a sound. Only her body continued to tremble, as if enduring some indescribable pain.
"Come here, Krisha. There are some things I want to tell you."
The bitter cold of winter would eventually arrive, freezing the heart.
Even if one refused to face the chill, no amount of resistance could stop the coming of winter. It was an inevitability.
"Yes..."
The witch returned to Xu Xi’s bedside.
"Sit down."
The witch obediently sat on the small wooden chair by the bed under Xu Xi’s gaze.
The chair wasn’t very high, so when Krisha sat, her head was just at the right height for Xu Xi to touch.
And so,
Xu Xi extended his withered, aged hand and gently placed it on Krisha’s head, stroking her silver-gray hair one last time, feeling its softness.
"Krisha, I’m going to be gone for a long time."
The witch’s body trembled even more.
But under the soothing touch of his hand, she gradually calmed down.
"I’ve always been a burden to you. It should have been me taking care of you, but for the past few decades, it’s been you looking after me while I slept."
"Now, it’s finally coming to an end."
"You can rest too."
No, I don’t want to rest.
Please...
Please...
Let me, as your possession, continue to be used by you... No matter how long, no matter how hard... As long as you don’t leave, as long as you stay by my side...
"I’ll be gone for a long time, so long that it’s impossible to measure. So, while I’m away, Krisha, you must take care of yourself."
"In the study, I’ve left some materials that should be useful to you."
"The meditation room’s array has been modified. It should still help you, even if you break through to the Demigod level."
"In the desk drawer in the bedroom, I’ve left some of my collections from over the years. You can use them or sell them—it’s all up to you."
Stop...
Please stop...
The pain in the witch’s chest grew heavier and heavier, forcing her to clutch at her chest, as if to shield her already battered heart.
Though Xu Xi didn’t say it outright,
though he deliberately avoided the word,
how could Krisha not understand?
Her master, the only savior in her life, the sun that had illuminated her for decades, was about to fall into eternal silence.
Death.
A word so close to Xu Xi, yet infinitely distant to the witch. Just the thought of it tore through Krisha’s sensitive and fragile heart, layer by layer, revealing her true helplessness.
"I won’t accept it."
The witch interrupted Xu Xi with a trembling voice.
This was the first time she had ever contradicted him.
"I won’t accept what you’re saying."
"Your possessions can only be used by you. I’ll wait for you, always, always, always..."
Her once hollow and lifeless eyes now trembled violently.
Meeting Xu Xi’s gaze,
she refused him.
The withered hand stroking Krisha’s head paused for a moment, as if surprised by the witch’s defiance.
] [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!"
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.
ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
