Edmund was silent for a long moment before replying, “Inside your inner dimension, yes. I can manifest here because this space is bound to you. Outside of it, though, I can’t even stabilize my form. Just maintaining this realm drains most of my remaining strength.”

  Lauren frowned. “You mean… you can’t materialize outside?”

  He met her eyes calmly. “Not yet. But once I finish absorbing the seventh-level beast core, I’ll recover.”

  “Well, that’s reassuring,” she muttered, gncing around.

  The space was vast and eerily empty, like a bnk canvas waiting for a world to be painted on it.

  “Why is it like this? There’s nothing here. I thought my whole body could come in.”

  Edmund’s gaze swept across the endless expanse. “It’s still forming. Once it stabilizes, your body will be able to enter physically.”

  Lauren tilted her head. “And how long will that take?”

  “You’re the first cultivator I’ve ever seen gain access to an inner dimension during early Core Formation,” he said. “There’s no precedent… so it’s hard to say.”

  “…” She sighed. “Fine, whatever. Just send me out. I need to find Dante and the others.”

  “Close your eyes,” Edmund said. “Focus on your body. Feel the outside world.”

  With a thought, Lauren’s consciousness snapped back.

  She opened her eyes to the familiar desote ndscape. The desert was still and silent, as though nothing had happened.

  She exhaled, summoned her flying boat, and shot into the air.

  It took more than ten days before she finally saw the glint of light on the horizon — a familiar flying boat hovering in the distance.

  “Hey! Ms. Lauren!”

  Nash was the first to notice her, waving wildly from the deck.

  Lauren smiled, dismissed her own boat, and nded gracefully beside them.

  “When did you guys get here?” she asked.

  “Not long before you,” Nash said. “We arrived this morning. Ms. Lauren, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Lauren replied with a light smile.

  But as she turned, her gaze met Dante’s — and his expression was dead serious, almost identical to Gerald’s when he was lecturing someone.

  Lauren’s smile faltered. “I had a way to escape,” she expined. “Master and Senior Brother gave me plenty of life-saving tools. I told you to leave first for a reason.”

  Dante bowed slightly. “I was being… overly cautious.”

  “Overly cautious?” Nash grinned and spped his shoulder. “You worry too damn much. Ms. Lauren’s a disciple of the Immortal Master — she’s not that easy to kill. You look like a worried dad.”

  Dante: “…”

  Lauren couldn’t help but chuckle. As the two bickered, she sent a silent message to Edmund, asking him to contact the Scaly Dragon inside her spiritual core to discuss their next step — the crossing.

  When she was done, she turned back to the group. “Alright, enough talking. Let’s head back to the mountain.”

  “Got it, I’ll ready the boat.”

  The flying boat carried them toward a teleportation array. They passed through two smaller arrays, then a rge one, before finally emerging over the misty peaks of Hogwarts Mountain.

  Once they nded, the four of them exchanged Sound Transmission Talismans, then went their separate ways to report to their respective masters.

  Lauren had barely stepped onto the familiar stone path when a figure appeared at the door.

  “Senior Brother Tarot?”

  He strode toward her quickly, worry etched across his face. “You’re back! Are you alright?”

  Lauren smiled and shook her head. “I’m fine, Senior Brother.”

  “Fine?” Tarot frowned and gave her a light push toward the courtyard. “Fine, my ass. Come inside. Start talking.”

  Lauren blinked in surprise. “Brother? You’re leaving?”

  Tarot gave her a look. “Leaving? No, we’re going to see Master. Come on.”

  “Huh? Why so suddenly? Did something happen?”

  “The Sect Leader came to see Master,” he said, his tone serious. “Said something happened to you.”

  Lauren froze.

  Wait—could it be because Dante had summoned Gerald’s shadow? Maybe Gerald sensed their danger and passed word to Drake.

  Oh.

  That actually worked out well—she’d been pnning to see Master anyway.

  They arrived outside Starfell Hall together, and the grand doors opened on their own with a low hum.

  Tarot nudged her forward. “Go on.”

  She blinked. “Brother, you’re not coming in?”

  “I was just sent to bring you. You go ahead.”

  “…Alright.”

  Lauren stepped inside alone. The vast hall was quiet, its air heavy with the faint hum of spiritual energy.

  At the far end, Drake sat cross-legged on a cushion, eyes closed, his face calm and unreadable—detached, almost otherworldly.

  “Master,” she said softly, bowing. “I’m back.”

  Drake opened his eyes. His gaze was like still water—calm, deep, impossible to read.

  “Sit.”

  Before she could move, a second cushion appeared in front of her with a flick of his sleeve.

  Lauren bowed again and sat cross-legged. She was about to speak when Drake’s voice came, low and even.

  “Did you see the light?”

  Lauren froze.

  How… how did he know?

  That was outside the South Sea. His divine sense shouldn’t have reached that far.

  “Hold out your hand.”

  Her body tensed. Reflexively, she clenched her fist.

  But her hand wouldn’t obey her. The moment Drake spoke, it rose on its own, palm up, as though pulled by an invisible force.

  Her chest tightened.

  That simple gesture sent a jolt through her—a sharp memory from her childhood. The orphanage hadn’t been the warm, loving pce people liked to imagine. Back then, when she was told to hold her hand out, palm up, it only ever meant one thing—punishment.

  Drake’s eyes flickered. He saw the sudden fear drain her face and hesitated.

  He’d only meant to reveal the spiritual mark—the swastika-shaped seal he’d sensed on her palm—but now… he paused.

  After a moment, he reached into his sleeve, pulled out a small storage pouch, and set it gently into her open hand.

  Lauren blinked in confusion.

  What… what was he doing?

  “I heard from your senior brother that you borrowed spirit stones from him,” Drake said, his tone calm as ever.

  Uh…

  That wasn’t what she was expecting at all. She’d braced herself for interrogation—or worse.

  Lauren nodded awkwardly. “Yes, Master.”

  “Spend these,” Drake said simply.

  She extended her spiritual sense into the pouch and almost gasped. Inside were a hundred high-grade spirit stones.

  A hundred.

  “Master, that’s… too much,” she said, stunned.

  Drake’s expression didn’t change. “It’s fine. I’m old. I can’t use them up anyway. Gerald still sends them every year, and they just take up space.”

  Lauren’s lips twitched.

  Ah, this…

  Was Master really trying to take humblebragging to a whole new level?

  Lauren felt a strange warmth in her chest as she held the pouch of spirit stones.

  “Lauren,” Drake said quietly, “what are you afraid of?”

  She hesitated, then smiled faintly. “I’m… not really afraid of anything. It’s just—when I was a kid, if I stretched my hand out like that, I’d get hit. Guess it’s just an old reflex. I’m fine now.”