Chapter 60: The Gods Blocked the Path Ahead

The buzzing sound grew increasingly ear-piercing.

It struck the eardrums and pierced deep into the mind.

When the frequency of the buzzing reached its peak, Xu Xi's Mental Energy expanded along with it; at first, it was like a murmuring stream, but after a few seconds, it turned into a surging, angry river.

Sweeping through.

Crashing against.

Devouring.

Wrapping around the surrounding elements at will.

“Not enough…”, Xu Xi murmured as he reached out to grab his Magic Staff, and over ten Contract Circles appeared out of thin air, with Elemental Spirits dropping from the Void Realm.

Those were from the Simulated Magic World.

All the Elemental Spirits Xu Xi had contracted through Elemental Perception and Mortals Wisdom.

Earth, Wind, Water, Fire.

Light, Darkness, Thunder, Qi.

Life, Death, Nature, Destruction…

There were too many, simply too many—a total of over ten Elemental Spirits traveled from their respective Elemental Planes, providing Xu Xi with a continuous Elemental Tide.

Only such an exaggerated Elemental Tide…

…could satisfy Xu Xi's ten times the mana that was different from ordinary people, as well as his vast and surging Mental Energy.

“Boom!!!”

Elements surged, and mana seethed.

Finally, through wave after wave of elemental washing, Xu Xi's Mental Energy was purified, and he successfully gained control over all the violent elements.

It was not communicating like an apprentice.

Nor was it resonating like an Official Mage.

It was control—using his own will to reign over the elements and control them in all aspects.

Archmage.

Advancement successful!

“I didn't expect this Breakthrough to bring such a massive increase in strength,” Xu Xi exhaled a breath of turbid air, as cracking sounds rang out from the surroundings from time to time.

His Mental Energy was too powerful, continuously and constantly affecting the surroundings.

Between the closing and opening of his eyes, there was an even more invisible brightness and sharpness.

This was a sign of the external manifestation of Mental Energy.

Xu Xi sat in meditation for ten minutes to calm the joy and excitement after his Breakthrough, and gradually, his eyes returned to their normal appearance.

“Archmage.”

“Archmage.”

“From the names, the difference between the two Realms is merely a single character.”

“But from the perspective of strength, the gap between them is like heaven and earth; the latter has already moved away from ordinary spellcasters and is advancing toward the direction of a god.”

After becoming familiar with his skyrocketing strength.

In the dim meditation room, Xu Xi spread his palm, and a hazy glow flickered in his palm.

The light was so soft and delicate, blooming with heat in its weakness, gradually transforming from light into fire, and then water gushed out from the flames.

The power of the elements 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 fingertips, until Xu Xi withdrew the Mental Energy controlling them, and they suddenly dissipated with a soft chime.

This was the power of an Archmage, or rather, the privilege.

The ability to manipulate the elements one is familiar with at will.

Shaping, extending, and controlling.

If this control were developed to the extreme and combined with profound Mental Energy, it would form a personal Elemental Domain, leading to a promotion to a Sanctuary Archmage.

“It is truly amazing,” Xu Xi expressed such a sentiment.

Starting from the Archmage rank, the magic system embarks on the path of the gods; one's status and essence improve step by step until the divine fire is ignited and Authority is wielded, becoming a world controller in the truest sense.

This is a road leading to immortality.

Condensing knowledge, mastering Laws, and understanding the essence of the world.

The journey to the end is extremely arduous and no easier than the cultivation side; no, more accurately, no transcendent path is easy.

“An immortal god… tsk.”

“What a pity, I won't be able to ignite the divine fire this time and experience the exhilaration of ascending to godhood.”

Xu Xi clicked his tongue softly.

He waved his Magic Staff, sending all the Elemental Spirits flying around him back to their respective Elemental Planes.

The residual elements drifted in the air, dreamlike and multicolored, looking quite brilliant.

Xu Xi calmly gazed at this beautiful scene.

[Mortals Wisdom] was far too Heaven-Defying; in just fifteen years of a simulated life, it allowed Xu Xi to advance from an ordinary person to an Archmage who controlled the elements.

Within his limited Mortal lifespan, Xu Xi could be certain that his advancement to a Sanctuary Archmage was inevitable.

But it would only go that far.

Let alone ascending to a True God, even just becoming a demigod or a false god would have nothing to do with Xu Xi.

[Mortals Wisdom] gave Xu Xi unparalleled talent, providing immense help whether it was cultivating Mental Energy, learning magic, or piercing through the truths of the world.

However, correspondingly…

The price for obtaining this wisdom was that everything about Xu Xi was limited to the range of a Mortal, including his lifespan.

“…”

In the silent meditation room, with the help of the yellowish lamplight, Xu Xi lowered his head and looked at his 29-year-old hands.

Slender and nimble, as if they had never changed.

But if one looked closely, they could find the traces left by time.

“The long river of time is indeed difficult to cross, and unfortunately, I don't even have the chance to try crossing it,” Xu Xi's tone held regret as he looked up at the ceiling of the meditation room.

The ceiling, cast from special steel-stone, was exceptionally hard and durable, with a thickness sufficient to isolate everything.

Xu Xi's eyes were steady and deep.

As if piercing through the steel-stone, he saw more and farther scenes, seeing that infinitely high Celestial Realm and the gods looking down upon all living beings with indifferent gazes.

“According to the current cultivation speed, with the help of Mortals Wisdom, even though breaking through to a Sanctuary Archmage is extremely difficult, I won't spend too much time on it.”

“Based on this logic, I should still have plenty of spare time to research how to break through the limitations and truly ascend to godhood.”

“What a pity…”

Xu Xi sighed softly: “The gods of this world have already completely suppressed the Laws of the elements.”

It was impossible to detect when weak.

But after advancing to an Archmage and becoming one who also controlled the elements, Xu Xi clearly sensed that the elemental Laws of the Magic World were extremely lackluster.

Without a doubt, this was the handiwork of the gods, shackles specifically designed to limit those who came after them.

It made it even harder for Elemental Mages, whose cultivation was already difficult…

…to see the truths of the world.

And thus ignite the divine fire and wield the Authority of a Divine Office.

With the Mortal lifespan limiting him from the front and the gods blocking the path from behind, Xu Xi couldn't think of any possibility for his Immortal Ascension or becoming a god.

He smiled frankly: “It seems that in this life, I can only stop at the Sanctuary Archmage rank.”

That is enough.

This is quite enough.

Xu Xi was already very satisfied with such a result, though deep in his heart, there was still a tiny bit of regret.

After all, people who read web novels year-round have more or less fantasized about their own moment of glory in Immortal Ascension or becoming a god.

“Since I can't become a god, I'll spend the time to come learning more of other things.”

“After all, it's rare to have a Red Trait, so I can't waste Mortals Wisdom.”

“And one more thing—”

“Before I die, I'll nurture Klisa more.”