Chapter 60: The Gods Blocked the Way Forward

The trembling sound grew increasingly piercing, striking directly at the eardrums and penetrating deep into the mind. When the frequency of the trembling reached its peak, Xu Xi’s spiritual energy expanded accordingly. At first, it was like a gentle stream, but within seconds, it transformed into a raging river, surging, crashing, and engulfing the surrounding elements. “Not enough…” Xu Xi murmured, grabbing his magic staff. Over a dozen contract magic circles appeared out of thin air, and elemental spirits fell from the void. These were all the elemental spirits Xu Xi had contracted through his Elemental Perception and the Wisdom of Mortals since simulating the magical world. Earth, wind, water, fire, light, darkness, thunder, air, life, death, nature, destruction… There were 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!!!” The elements surged, and magical power stirred. Finally, after repeated elemental surges, Xu Xi’s spiritual energy was purified, and he successfully gained control over all the unruly elements. Not like an apprentice trying to communicate, nor like an Official Mage trying to resonate, but to dominate, to impose his will over the elements, to control them completely. Grand Magister. Promotion successful! “I didn’t expect this breakthrough to bring such a massive increase in power,” Xu Xi exhaled softly, as cracking sounds occasionally echoed around him. His spiritual energy was too powerful, continuously and constantly affecting his surroundings. Between the closing of his eyes, there was an intangible light and sharpness. This was a sign of his spiritual energy manifesting externally. Xu Xi sat in meditation for ten minutes, calming the joy and excitement after his breakthrough. Slowly, his eyes returned to their usual appearance. “Grand Mage.” “Grand Magister.” “From the names, the difference between the two realms is just a single word.” “But in terms of power, the gap between them is like heaven and earth. The latter has already transcended ordinary spellcasters, moving towards divinity.” After familiarizing himself with his newfound strength, in the dim meditation room, Xu Xi opened his palm, and a hazy glow flickered in his hand. The light was so soft and delicate, blooming with heat in its faintness, gradually transforming from light to fire, and then from flames to 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 energy, and they dissipated with a soft chime. This was the power, or rather the privilege, of a Grand Magister. The ability to freely manipulate the elements he knew. Shaping, extending, controlling. If this control were developed to its extreme, combined with profound spiritual energy, it would form a personal elemental domain, advancing to the rank of Saint Magister. “Truly astonishing,” Xu Xi mused. Starting from the Grand Magister, the magic system embarked on the path to divinity, with status and essence gradually rising until igniting the Divine Flame, wielding divine authority, and becoming a true world ruler. This was a path to immortality. Condensing knowledge, mastering rules, understanding the essence of the world. The journey to the end was extremely arduous, no easier than the path of immortal cultivation. No, more accurately, no path to transcendence was easy. “Immortal gods… tsk.” “What a pity, this time I couldn’t ignite the Divine Flame and experience the thrill of ascension.” Xu Xi clicked his tongue, waving his staff to send all the elemental spirits flying around him back to their respective elemental planes. The residual elements floated in the air, dreamlike and colorful, a rather dazzling sight. Xu Xi calmly watched this beautiful scene. The Wisdom of Mortals was too overpowering. In just fifteen years of simulated life, it had elevated Xu Xi from an ordinary person to a Grand Magister who controlled elements. Within the limited lifespan of a mortal, Xu Xi was certain that his promotion to Saint Magister was inevitable. But that was as far as it went. Not to mention becoming a true god, even a demigod or false god was beyond Xu Xi’s reach. The Wisdom of Mortals granted Xu Xi unparalleled talent, whether in cultivating spiritual energy, learning magic, or comprehending the truths of the world, it provided immense assistance. But correspondingly, the price for obtaining this wisdom was that everything about Xu Xi was confined to the limits of a mortal, including lifespan. “…” In the silent meditation room, under the dim yellow light, Xu Xi looked down at his 29-year-old hands. Slender 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 I don’t even have the chance to try,” Xu Xi’s tone carried regret as he looked up at the ceiling of the meditation room. The ceiling, made of special steel stone, was exceptionally hard and durable, thick enough to block out everything. But Xu Xi’s eyes were steady, as if piercing through the steel stone, seeing further and more distant scenes, gazing at the infinitely high Heavenly Realm, where the gods looked down upon all beings with cold eyes. “According to my current cultivation speed, with the help of the Wisdom of Mortals, even if breaking through to Saint Magister is extremely difficult, I won’t spend too much time.” “By this logic, I should still have plenty of time to research how to break through the limitations and truly ascend to godhood.” “But alas…” Xu Xi sighed lightly, “The gods of this world have completely suppressed the laws of the elements.” When weak, it was imperceptible. But after becoming a Grand Magister and joining the ranks of those who control elements, Xu Xi clearly sensed that the elemental laws of the magical world were extremely bland. Undoubtedly, this was the work of the gods, a shackle specifically designed to limit newcomers. Making the already difficult path of elemental mages even harder to see the truths of the world, to ignite the Divine Flame, and to wield divine authority. With the limitations of a mortal lifespan ahead and the gods blocking the path behind, Xu Xi couldn’t see any possibility of becoming a god. He smiled wryly, “It seems this life can only go as far as Saint Magister.” That was enough. That was more than enough. Xu Xi was quite satisfied with this outcome, though deep down, there was still a small regret. After all, those who often read web novels would more or less fantasize about their glorious moments of becoming immortals or gods. “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 trait; I can’t waste the Wisdom of Mortals.” “And also—” “Before I die, I’ll spend more time nurturing Cressa.”