Chapter230 – Talk with Wallace

Suddenly, the clouds above split apart. A colossal pillar of pure white light descended from the heavens and enveloped him.

Lauren raised her sleeve to shield her eyes, leaving only a narrow slit to see through.

From Light’s body, shadows began to rise.

One.

Two.

Three. Then countless.

Layer upon layer of identical silhouettes ascended through the pillar of light, forming an afterimage so dense it looked like the light itself had substance. It was impossible to count them. Finally, the last shadow separated from his body.

The heavenly pillar retracted abruptly, swallowed back into the sky. The clouds closed. The blinding radiance vanished. Silence returned.

Lauren lowered her sleeve and walked forward slowly.

Light still sat there. The monk’s robes were unchanged. But the body within them—

Was nothing more than dry husk, like bark stripped from a dead tree.

“Master Light,” she said softly. As she stepped closer, the withered body dissolved into specks of light. And vanished completely.

Lauren had once heard how great Buddhist masters “passed into nirvana.”

While immortal cultivators called it ascension, Buddhists called it passing away. Thousands of disciples would chant scriptures as the master shed his mortal shell and entered a higher realm. But Light…

Had no disciples chanting for him. Only a single witness. Lauren.

She looked up at the sky and bowed deeply.

“Congratulations, Master Light,” she said quietly. “May your merits be complete. May you ascend in peace.”

.......

Lauren returned to Starfell Summit. Tarot caught up with her almost immediately. “Where the hell have you been?” he demanded. “You disappeared for half a month without a word.”

He lowered his voice. “They said you went with that bald monk—Light. Is that true?” He frowned. “That man’s a lunatic. You—” He stopped mid-sentence when he saw her expression. “…Are you alright?”

Lauren nodded faintly. “I’m fine. I just went to see Grand Master Light off.”

Tarot blinked. “See him off? Why would you do that?”

“He left all his disciples here and went alone. When I saw his back as he walked away…” She paused. “He looked lonely.”

Tarot snorted. “Lonely? Haven’t you heard what he’s done? The man was insane.”

Lauren didn’t seem to hear him. “I heard that when other masters pass away, they’re surrounded by thousands of disciples chanting sutras. Grand Master Light ascended without a single disciple at his side.”

Tarot stared at her. “You didn’t… chant sutras for him, did you?”

Lauren shook her head. “Of course not. I wouldn’t even know how. I just watched.”

Her gaze drifted. “It was… different. Ascending through Buddhist practice isn’t like immortal ascension. There are no heavenly tribulations.”

Tarot nodded slowly. “That’s because Buddhist cultivators accumulate merit. If their merit is sufficient, they don’t need to undergo tribulations. If it’s not… they still have to face them.”

He suddenly stiffened. “Wait. Don’t tell me that demonic monk actually ascended?”

“Yes,” Lauren said quietly. “I saw it with my own eyes.”

“He didn’t face tribulations?”

“No.”

Tarot scoffed. “Impossible. If that mad monk can ascend through Buddhist nirvana, then pigs will start flying.”

Lauren took a slow breath. “I don’t know about pigs flying,” she said flatly, “but Grand Master Light really did ascend through the path of Buddhist passing. It was genuine. I watched the whole thing.”

She added regretfully, “It’s a pity I don’t know how to preserve a Buddha body. Otherwise, I would’ve brought it back for you to see.”

Seeing that she wasn’t joking, Tarot frowned.

“That’s strange,” he muttered. “Ascension itself isn’t strange. But ascending through pure Buddhist merit… where did he get enough merit to erase his karmic burdens?”

Lauren tilted her head slightly. “Maybe we’ve misunderstood him. He persuaded people to become monks, yes—but he shaved their heads, not their throats. Where would he get so much karma from?”

Tarot hesitated. “But if someone refused, he would perform a ritual to ‘help them reincarnate.’”

Lauren rolled her eyes. “Do you think people are stupid? If the choice is between shaving your head and losing your head, anyone with half a brain knows which one to pick. He might’ve killed a few stubborn ones—but not that many.”

Tarot scratched his chin. “…That actually makes sense.”

“Before he went mad, he was a renowned Dharma Master,” Lauren continued. “I heard his merit had already reached perfection. Back when the Boundary-Breaking Stone was present, his clone performed countless salvation rituals. All that merit returned to his original body.”

She shrugged. “He probably had more than enough.”

Tarot slowly nodded.

The world was unpredictable. Not everything could be judged by rumors alone.

As they spoke, they arrived outside Starfell Hall. A tall, slender young man stood before the entrance.

He wore black robes that emphasized his lean frame. From behind, his posture was eerily reminiscent of her master.

The young man turned at the sound of footsteps. He froze for a moment—then immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply. “Wallace greets Master. Greets Senior Uncle.”

So this was the disciple she had accepted three years ago. He had grown. Sixteen now—no longer a boy. The lightning-shaped mark on his forehead had begun to show faint traces, strikingly similar to the one her master once bore.

For a brief second, it felt like seeing an old friend. Lauren paused, then smiled. “Wallace, you’ve grown so much. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Tarot snorted beside her. “It’s only been three years. How could you not recognize him?”

Lauren shot him a look. “It’s called ‘boys change when they grow up.’”

“How has he changed?” Tarot countered. “He looks exactly the same as three years ago. Just taller.”

Lauren: “…” Why are you arguing with me in front of my disciple? Have some dignity.

She cleared her throat. “I heard you went out for training recently. You’re back already?”

Before Wallace could answer, Tarot jumped in, “He wasn’t supposed to be. He heard you were back and rushed home.”

Lauren raised a brow. “Why rush?”

“How could he not?” Tarot scoffed. “You returned and left again the next day. Then you vanished for three years. All you think about is cultivating for ascension. What if you went into seclusion again?”

Lauren opened her mouth. I— Why is my disciple standing right here while you do all the talking?

She forced a smile. “Senior Brother, didn’t you say you had something to attend to?”

Tarot blinked. “Did I?”

“You should go handle it.”

She turned to Wallace. “Come inside.”

Tarot: “…” What was I supposed to do again?

.....

Inside Starfell Hall, Lauren sat on the main seat and gestured to the futon opposite her. “Sit. Let’s talk.”

“Yes, Master.”

Wallace sat cross-legged before her, posture straight. “I heard you won first place in the Qi Training competition?”

“Yes.” He lowered his head slightly. “I didn’t disappoint Master.”

Lauren waved dismissively. “Just do your best. Don’t force yourself into a corner for the sake of expectations. You’re still young. You’ll have countless opportunities ahead.”

Wallace looked up. “But Master,” he said earnestly, “you’ve always been exceptional. If Grandmaster had instructed you to take first place, wouldn’t you have given it everything?”

Lauren smiled faintly. “No.”

Wallace blinked. “No?”

“Shortly after I joined the sect,” she said, “Timothy from the Moonlit Sect came to provoke us. My master told me to catch up to him within three years—and defeat him.”

Wallace nodded eagerly. “I’ve heard of him. He was powerful. Later, he was nearly killed by you.”