“Good morning, Krisha.”
“Good night, Krisha.”
“Good morning, Master.”
“Good night, Master.”
Each day began and ended with this exchange of simple greetings, marking the passage of time in an unassuming rhythm.
Days turned into months, and months into years.
In the moment, time felt sluggish, but in hindsight, it moved faster than a fleeting shadow.
The witch grew up. Xu Xi grew old.
At fifty-two years of age, Xu Xi was not yet at the end of his life, but he could already feel the slow decay deep within his body.
“After so many years, I’ve finally reached my limit and have the chance to go further.”
The realm of the Holy Domain Mage was within reach.
To prepare for this monumental breakthrough, Xu Xi stopped his world travels. Along with Krisha, he settled in a quiet city, meditating and refining his spiritual power to ensure the best conditions for the advancement.
The city was called Lawush, a place steeped in religious fervor. Most of its citizens were devout followers of various gods. Churches, adorned with divine emblems, dotted the landscape—sun patterns for the Sun God, hammers for the Blacksmith God, and vines for the Goddess of Nature.
The grandest sight was a towering stone statue of the God of Light, a marvel of craftsmanship imbued with the prayers and devotion of countless believers.
“Praise the God of Light, Lord of Endless Glory!”
“Great Lord, I humbly pray for your blessing.”
“May your eternal light guide me even in my dreams!”
“The holy light shines upon me from above!”
Kneeling before the statue, worshippers chanted with fervor, their voices filled with awe and longing.
Xu Xi observed the scene in silence, then shifted his gaze to the heavens.
From his perspective, he could see golden threads of faith rising like beams of light, converging far above where the gods resided.
However, despite the outpouring of devotion, the divine aura here was faint, a clear indication that the gods were indifferent to the city’s pleas.
“Master, why do they do this?” Krisha asked, her voice soft but tinged with curiosity.
“Krisha, not everyone can face the world on their own,” Xu Xi explained.
“They need a purpose, a belief to anchor their hearts. It’s not a matter of right or wrong—it’s just another way to live.”
His voice, deeper and heavier with age, carried the weight of his years and his reflections on the nature of existence.
Krisha nodded, feeling as though she understood. She, too, was someone who sought solace in something greater.
But unlike these fervent worshippers who were often met with silence, Krisha felt blessed. Standing beside Xu Xi, her “sun,” she basked in a warmth that filled both her body and soul.
“Let’s go, Krisha. There’s still much to prepare before the breakthrough,” Xu Xi said, gesturing for her to follow.
“Yes, Master.”
Her black dress fluttered as she kept pace, her long silver-gray hair glinting in the sunlight. Wherever Xu Xi led, she followed closely, as though tethered by an invisible bond.
[You decided to make your breakthrough in Lawush City, far from the gods’ notice.]
[This city is insignificant in the eyes of the divine, making it an ideal place to minimize interference during your promotion to Holy Domain Mage.]
[The breakthrough would grant you unimaginable control over elements, second only to the gods themselves. But you remain cautious, suspecting the gods have other ways to hinder mortals like you.]
“Let’s review everything carefully,” Xu Xi muttered to himself.
“First, a large-scale linked concealment magic array.”
“Using the Shadow Orb as the core and a water-aspected siren’s skull, I’ve created a field to suppress my aura.”
“Second, the breath-retaining forbidden spell I devised. It will activate immediately after the breakthrough to delay detection.”
“Finally, the distractions I’ve set up in other cities should draw the gods’ attention away from here.”
Three days later.
On the outskirts of Lawush, Xu Xi stood in an expansive wilderness. His eyes closed, he mentally reviewed his intricate preparations, ensuring nothing had been overlooked.
Krisha, holding the “Gray Rekindling” wand, stood nearby as his vigilant guardian. Her expression was emotionless, her focus unwavering as she watched for any potential disturbances.
Finally, Xu Xi exhaled deeply. “It’s time.”
The promotion to Holy Domain Mage began.
The winds howled. Clouds churned. The ground trembled. Flames roared.
Water surged, light shone, darkness spread, and thunder cracked.
Xu Xi’s mastery over numerous elemental attributes created a domain of extraordinary complexity.
“Gather!”
With a commanding wave of his wand, Xu Xi unleashed a surge of mental power, forcing the chaotic elements to converge.
Again and again, his spiritual energy battered the elemental forces, compressing and shaping them until they aligned in perfect harmony.
Finally, with a thunderous explosion, the transformation was complete.
“Now I have everything I need,” Xu Xi said, more than ten elemental powers swirling around him.
With a mere thought, he restored the chaotic elements to calm, his control absolute.
“This is the power of a Holy Domain Mage, second only to the gods,” he murmured, awed by his newfound strength.
But there was no time for celebration.
Without hesitation, Xu Xi activated his concealment spells and left Lawush with Krisha.
In the heavens, the gods stirred.
Not one, not two, but all the gods descended their gaze.
Invisible wills clashed in the skies above Lawush, searching for the source of the disturbance. Yet, their efforts were in vain.
On the ground, the citizens of Lawush mistook the divine presence for a response to their prayers. They knelt, their voices filled with joy and gratitude.
But their praises were drowned by the booming wrath of the gods.
“Find him. He must be found!”
“This world will not tolerate any new gods claiming our authority!”