Chapter 66: Your Body Begins to Fall Asleep

The false appearances peeled away layer by layer.

Like falling petals.

Like shattered mirror reflections.

In the faintly flickering haze, Cressa’s face revealed its true form.

It was the face of a 17-year-old girl, unmarred by time, unweathered by the past, her delicate features still maintaining the indifference Xu Xi was familiar with.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Xu Xi spoke gently, his gaze filled with affection.

He stood before the immortal witch, one showing signs of age, the other still youthful, forming a stark contrast.

Unseen.

The boundary between life and death quietly emerged.

Creating a tiny gap between the two.

“……”, the atmosphere was somewhat silent, tinged with a faint sense of sorrow. Xu Xi could only stroke Cressa’s head, comforting the trembling witch in this way.

Outside, there was a rustling sound, the noise of autumn leaves falling.

Autumn had arrived.

Signaling that the harsh winter was not far away.

[Simulation Year 50, you are 64, Cressa is 56]

[You begin to try and maintain your health, casting Life Magic on yourself every day to restore vitality, but unfortunately, your body cannot retain the vigorous life force and continues to age and decline]

[Outside, the Divine Church is still frantically searching for your traces, but you are well hidden and have not been discovered]

[Simulation Year 51, you are 65, Cressa is 57]

[You have developed some leisure hobbies of the elderly, such as sitting at the door sunbathing, staring outside all day, or planting some beautiful flowers and plants]

[Cressa remains as before, serving by your side every day, brewing you a bitter Spirit-Clearing Herb potion when needed]

[Simulation Year 52, you are 66, Cressa is 58]

[Your body remains healthy, although not as robust as in your youth, you have not fallen ill]

[You are pleased, guessing that you might live a bit longer]

[Simulation Year 53, you are 67, Cressa is 59]

[The witch’s cooking skills have improved. To enhance the meals, she often goes to the market alone to buy ingredients. Now, she no longer mistakes poisonous ingredients]

[Simulation Year 54, you are 68, Cressa is 60]

[Unable to progress in magic, you immerse yourself in planting flowers and plants. You plant a patch of Dragon Blood Grass in the garden, the materials sponsored by an unknown Red Dragon]

[The witch stands beside you, carefully wiping the blood off “Gray Rekindling”, her movements熟练]

[Simulation Year 55…]

[Simulation Year 56…]

[Simulation Year 57…]

The years rotate, like a movie on fast forward, flying through the mind at a frantic speed, and when you come to, only many blurred memories remain.

Xu Xi’s body ages year by year.

Like the twilight of the setting sun.

Though there is still light, though there is still warmth, behind that lingering sunset, an endless gray desolation can be seen.

Simulation Year 61, Xu Xi is 75, by now, Xu Xi has a full head of white hair.

He sits at the courtyard gate, half-lying in a resting posture.

His graying hair glistens slightly in the sunlight, his wrinkled face bearing deep, steady eyes, all his spiritual energy contained within, hidden and not released.

“So stifling…”

Xu Xi says.

Long ago, he knew that an aging body would be much more inconvenient than in youth.

But when this day truly came, Xu Xi realized that the feeling of aging was far more terrifying than he had imagined.

Many things that could once be done easily.

Just after some years.

Could no longer be done.

“Only my spiritual energy is strong enough, allowing me to use it and magic to find alternative paths, assisting in all aspects of life.”

“Otherwise, this retired life would truly be unbearable.”

The wind element surges, helping Xu Xi to stand.

The earth element sinks, dust on his robe all blown away.

Then.

Xu Xi’s body levitates, his robe billowing, gently enveloped by the wind element, slowly flying into the house within the courtyard.

“Mentor, welcome back”, Cressa with her gray-silver hair, has been waiting here for a long time, she opens the door for Xu Xi, and they enter the house together.

On the dining table is the lunch prepared in advance by the witch.

Steaming hot, the aroma enticing.

“Cressa, your cooking has improved even more”, Xu Xi tastes it and smiles, giving such an evaluation,

“Yes, thank you for your evaluation, I will continue to work hard.”

The witch’s voice is as calm as water.

But Xu Xi knows, this does not mean the witch is perfunctory, just that the lack of emotion prevents her from reasonably expressing joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.

After the meal.

Cressa uses wind magic and water magic to start cleaning the dishes, doing the post-meal cleanup.

Xu Xi walks slowly towards the living room, steps slow, reaching a wooden recliner, facing the sunlight, towards the flowers and plants, closing his eyes and lying down quietly.

He is truly old.

The slowness of the body creates fatigue in the spirit.

Now, he sleeps more each day, especially during this afternoon period, often feeling drowsy.

“Then, let’s sleep a bit more today.”

Lying on the slightly cool brown wooden rocking chair, the fatigue from the body quickly overwhelms consciousness, Xu Xi feels the surroundings becoming darker, also quieter.

Whole body.

Whole soul.

Whole self.

All falling at an extremely fast speed.

“Mentor… Mentor…!”

In his daze, Xu Xi seems to hear Cressa’s voice, he thinks it must be an illusion.

So tired.

So want to sleep more.

Consciousness drifts in confusion, the soul lost in blankness, sleeping deeper, sleeping further, after much changing, finally returns to the body.

“What is this…”

Xu Xi opens his eyes in bewilderment.

He finds that he, who should be lying in the living room, has actually returned to the bedroom bed.

Was it Cressa who did this?

Xu Xi guesses so, instinctively wanting to speak, but the burning dryness in his throat makes him cough violently.

“Cough! …Cough! Cough cough!”

“Mentor, water is here.”

At the critical moment, it is Cressa who hands over the water cup.

Xu Xi drinks it all in one go, the cool water moistens his lips, then flows down his throat, replenishing the parched body.

“Thanks, Cressa.”

Xu Xi puts down the empty water cup, instinctively looking towards the witch’s direction.

But just this glance.

Xu Xi is stunned.

The witch before him, not only changed clothes, but her face is also extremely haggard, as if she has experienced something extremely sad.

“…You finally woke up, Mentor.”

[You lay down for a nap as usual]

[This sleep was extremely peaceful, making you feel comfortable]

[As if all fatigue and aging have completely left you]

[After waking up, you learn from Cressa that you have actually slept for a full three days, you are surprised, you are stunned, you start to research the reason behind it]

[Wisdom of Mortals continues to activate…]

[You understand the truth, as age increases, the decaying mortal body gradually cannot bear your extraordinary spirit, hence, the body spontaneously enters a sleep state, allowing itself to rest]