NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 12:
Chapter 12: The Last Day of Simulation:
“This body only has one year left to live.”
“Let the simulation come to an end naturally.”
Xu Xi murmured softly, dragging his stiff legs with great effort as he walked back to his old wooden house.
[You feel a sense of relief upon learning that your sister is doing well, but you can’t fully let go. You decide to spend your remaining days silently observing her growth.]
[Your body is deteriorating rapidly. Burning everything to create the outer spiritual root has left you with nothing.]
[Your life begins its countdown.]
[For most people, life is a treasure, and when it approaches its end, they are filled with fear.]
[But you are different. You know that death is merely a return, and you face it calmly.]
[Still, the failing state of your body causes more pain and inconvenience than you had imagined.]
[In the first month of your final year, you awaken one morning to discover that your left leg has completely lost all sensation. No matter what you try, it remains paralyzed.]
[You find humor in the situation, thinking that having one working leg is still better than being entirely immobile, especially compared to the real world.]
[Using the wooden sword given by Master Li Wanshou as a crutch, you become a peculiar figure in the eyes of others, a crippled hermit shuffling through Black Rock City.]
[You laugh at yourself, recalling Tieguai Li of the Eight Immortals, and dub yourself the “Sword-crutch Immortal.”]
[By the third month, your laughter fades.]
[A heavy rainstorm strikes. While making your way home, you lose sensation in half of your body and collapse into a puddle of muddy water.]
[For most people, the puddle would be insignificant, but to someone paralyzed and weak, it becomes an insurmountable obstacle.]
[You struggle, slipping repeatedly, soaking your clothes in the process. The act of standing becomes an agonizing ordeal. You vow never to laugh at your condition again.]
[By the fifth month, you rarely leave your house. Your coughing fits worsen, and every bout brings up black blood. Neighbors shake their heads, pitying your plight.]
[In the eighth month, your health deteriorates further. You lose your sense of taste, and your vision becomes blurry. Except for your sharp mind, you are worse off than an elderly man.
[One night, villains break into your home, seeking to rob you.]
[Even with failing senses and a frail body, you wield the wooden sword and effortlessly eliminate them, hanging their bodies at your door as a warning to others.]
[As time flows on, you enter the final month of your life. Your existence is like a candle in the wind, fragile and flickering.]
[At the turn of autumn and winter, you endure three agonizing hours to drag yourself to the threshold, seeking the warmth of the sun.]
[An unexpected figure appears.]
[It’s your master, the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, Li Wanshou.]
The old man stood silently, staring at his beloved disciple. His face bore a mix of regret and fleeting sadness. Finally, he broke the silence.
“Do you regret it?”
Xu Xi shook his head, his voice steady despite his frailty. “No regrets.”
Li Wanshou’s eyes softened. “How do you feel?”
“It hurts,” Xu Xi admitted, his honesty piercing through the moment like a blade.
The old Nascent Soul Realm cultivator chuckled wryly, casting a series of healing spells even though he knew they would have no effect.
Then, master and disciple sat together on the threshold, sharing their final conversation.
Li Wanshou spoke of Xu Moli’s progress, while Xu Xi recounted his quiet life in Black Rock City.
“That child, Mo Li, is already preparing to break through to the Golden Core Realm,” Li Wanshou said, pride evident in his tone.
Xu Xi smiled faintly, his pain twisting the expression into something bittersweet. “So fast? Wasn’t it less than a year ago that she reached the Foundation Establishment Realm?”
Li Wanshou nodded. “Her talent is even greater than we expected. She may truly ascend to the immortal world one day.”
“That’s… wonderful,” Xu Xi whispered, his voice barely audible.
As the sun set, Li Wanshou left, vanishing into the horizon with a single leap.
Leaning against the doorframe, Xu Xi gazed at the sunset. His life, much like the fading light, was nearing its end.
Yet, he felt content. Knowing his sister was thriving allowed him to let go peacefully.
[The penultimate day of life.]
[You are paralyzed, confined to your bed, unable to move. You rely on pills from your storage bag to sustain yourself, unwilling to die of starvation.]
[The last day of life.]
[You lie quietly, reminiscing about your journey with Xu Moli and your adventures in the immortal cultivation world.]
[You regret not exploring the world of immortality more, not witnessing its wonders. But you feel no remorse for sacrificing your life for your sister’s survival. To you, it was a fair exchange.]
[You close your eyes, embracing the weakening of your spirit and soul, waiting for death to claim you.]
But death didn’t come as expected.
[On this final day, an intense battle erupts above Black Rock City. The clash between cultivators shakes the city to its core, destroying buildings and claiming countless mortal lives.]
[Your wooden house is damaged, and through the broken roof, you witness the chaos in the skies above.]
“BOOM! BOOM!”
Explosions echo as spells collide, flying swords shatter, and spiritual beasts fall.
The righteous path.
The demonic path.
Sect cultivators.
Rogue cultivators.
It was a spectacle Xu Xi could hardly believe—a breathtaking, chaotic war unfolding before his eyes.
“Could this be… the long-feared clash between good and evil?” Xu Xi murmured, astonished.
He remembered the tensions brewing between the two sides during his time at the Heavenly Sword Sect. He hadn’t expected it to escalate into a full-scale war.
Then, a chilling thought crossed his mind.
“Mo Li…”
Xu Xi’s heart sank as he thought of his sister, who was preparing to break through to the Golden Core Realm.
If this truly was a war between good and evil, then Xu Moli, a prodigy of the righteous path, would undoubtedly become a prime target for the demonic cultivators.