Chapter Twenty-Four: Embracing Life Through Death

The second duel between Wang Li and Jiang Yue once again ended with Jiang Yue being carried off to the Hall of Sacred Healers by Zhang Zheng.

This time, however, unlike the previous daytime match that had not yet widely circulated, the outcome of this bout spread instantly throughout both the inner and outer courts of the Pure Yang Monastery, even reaching the ears of cultivators secluded in the sect’s secret realms.

The sudden appearance of the sect leader’s closed-door disciple astonished everyone.

A foundation stage cultivator under the age of twelve—such talent was unprecedented in the five-thousand-year history of Pure Yang Monastery.

Though talent alone does not guarantee future greatness, Jiang Yue’s natural gifts were nonetheless an object of universal envy.

The emergence of such a prodigy was inevitably disheartening, especially for those disciples still meandering through the Qi Refinement stage well into their twenties and thirties.

In truth, the aptitude of Pure Yang Monastery’s disciples was exceptionally high. Whether inner or core disciples, even those in the outer sect would be considered rare geniuses elsewhere. The monastery’s recruitment standards were exacting; save for a select few, such as Wang Li, who had entered through connections, none could be said to lack talent.

Yet comparison is the thief of joy, and when set beside Jiang Yue, the so-called geniuses of ordinary days seemed insignificant; even the inner and core disciples paled in comparison.

Jiang Yue’s dramatic entrance achieved its intended effect. Although her consecutive defeats at the hands of the widely acknowledged “good-for-nothing” Wang Li had tainted her debut with a certain blemish, it did nothing to diminish recognition of her extraordinary gifts.

Indeed, after a brief period of disappointment, all soon recovered their composure.

Such is human nature: faced with a genius within reach or only slightly ahead, people may feel anxious, discouraged, or even motivated to strive harder. But once that genius ascends beyond the realm of aspiration, to heights where others can only look up in awe, the urge to compete simply vanishes.

When the gap becomes unbridgeable, there is no choice but to lie down and accept one’s fate, lest one be consumed by inner demons.

There is, of course, an old saying: “The future is long.” Geniuses arise in every generation; whether they truly mature is another matter, and the disciples would not torment themselves over differences in raw talent.

Compared to their quiet acceptance of Jiang Yue’s brilliance, the disciples were far more concerned about Wang Li’s transformation from a useless nobody into a foundation stage cultivator.

Many were intimately familiar with Wang Li’s previous circumstances—some had watched him grow up as a humble acolyte.

Now, that familiar young novice had been promoted overnight to the post of Transmission Officer in the Library Pavilion. Though the title itself was shrouded in mystery, the reality was clear: Wang Li had surpassed every other disciple.

This abrupt change in status was more than most could readily accept. Especially as word spread from the elders and stewards of various halls that Wang Li was the reincarnation of an ancient soul, the disciples felt spared another blow from genius, but a new dilemma presented itself:

How were they to interact with Wang Li henceforth?

Stationed in the Library Pavilion as the Transmission Officer, Wang Li was now omnipresent; they would meet him at every turn. Were they to address him as Officer Wang Li, or as the little acolyte they had always known?

The suddenness of this transformation left everyone feeling awkward and uncertain.

As for Wang Li’s unimpressive performances in both duels, no one gave them a second thought.

It was unanimously agreed among the disciples that Wang Li must be indulging some eccentric amusement, toying with Jiang Yue in their matches.

Unbeknownst to Wang Li, in the minds of several thousand disciples, he had already become a peculiar sort of “old master” with unusual tastes.

Returning to his small quarters, Wang Li reflected on the lessons and shortcomings of his two bouts with Jiang Yue. Then, he spent an entire day repeatedly simulating battle scenarios against her, going through hundreds of exchanges until he was confident he could defeat her with a single move should they meet again. After another day cultivating the advanced version of “The Rising Purple Qi,” he set out, as instructed by Master Sheng, to present his formal apology at the Sect Leader’s Hall.

Yet neither Master Liuguang nor Liu Wanjin were anywhere to be found.

Back in his room, Master Sheng helped him analyze his next steps in cultivation, after which Wang Li paid a visit to the abode of Master Chuxuan.

This time, however, he found neither Master Chuxuan nor Granny Zheng present.

Left with no alternative, he resumed his cultivation, waiting for Liu Wanjin to appear or for the Sect Leader to summon him.

Jiang Yue’s two challenges could not simply be ignored by the Sect Leader.

As Wang Li meditated in his room, deep within the Pure Yang Secret Realm, Master Liuguang, Liu Wanjin, and Granny Zheng were kneeling before a thatched hut, their demeanor grave and respectful.

“Master, we must trouble you again regarding Wang Li. If he truly comes from beyond our world, the situation is grave indeed. ‘It’ has grown increasingly active over the past tens of thousands of years; I fear ‘it’ may sever the only passageway.”

With utmost reverence, Master Liuguang addressed the hut, “Disciple feels he is close to touching ‘its’ limits. Should anything go wrong now, not only will my own path to immortality be cut off, but so too will the road for countless cultivators. I beg Master, for the sake of the Celestial Profound cultivators, to intervene.”

No response came from within the hut.

“Senior brother, has Master fallen asleep again?” Liu Wanjin whispered mentally.

“Silence! How dare you transmit your voice before Master! Do you want a beating?” Master Liuguang snapped, then fell silent, awaiting a reply.

Suddenly, the wooden door of the hut swung open with a bang, and a bent, elderly figure emerged.

He was a man of great age, with white hair and beard, clad in white robes. There was not the faintest trace of a cultivator’s aura about him; he might have been any ordinary elder of the mortal world.

Yet one thing marked him as extraordinary: in his left eye, he bore a double pupil.

At the elder’s appearance, all three immediately bowed low. “Master!”

The old man surveyed them, then approached Granny Zheng, his voice hoarse: “Foolish child, the path I have walked began and ends in hardship. Why do you insist on treading a road you know to be impassable?”

Granny Zheng lowered her head. “Master, I simply do not wish for you to be left without a successor. And since I have already set foot upon this path, there is no turning back.”

“No, your lifespan is not yet spent; it is not time for your nirvana... You, still, have a way out.”

The elder shook his head slightly. “Back then, when you risked all to walk the path of Nirvana, I did not stop you. Now, all seven of your fate stars are alight; Nirvana is no longer possible. Go seek out Wang Li. The Dao that I cannot unravel, perhaps he can help you.”

At his words, Granny Zheng immediately looked inward at her golden core.

She saw the familiar core, inscribed with seven star marks, slowly rotating within her dantian—a motion so faint as to be nearly imperceptible, the star marks on its surface emitting a subtle glow.

She was bewildered and looked up. “How can this be? My fate stars were extinguished. In just three to five years, I should have condensed the eighth phantom star, and then I would have entered the Tribulation Stage. Why now do all seven stars shine so bright?”

“Is it because my constitution is at odds with your method, Master?”

“Not so,” the elder sighed, shaking his head. “You are the most suited to cultivate the ‘Nirvana Sutra’ of any I have ever known. The fact that you reached the state of seven-star extinction is proof of your affinity with the art.”

“Then why—?”

“The path of Nirvana is a journey of death and rebirth, a way to transcend the cycle of reincarnation. The reason you failed to complete your first Nirvana is because there is a mighty life force nearby—one so domineering it forbids anyone from exploiting the loopholes of rebirth.”

Master Liuguang ventured, “Master, do you mean Wang Li?”

The elder gazed skyward, murmuring, “There are always those who maintain the order of the world. What on earth have I done to deserve this?”