The Void Crossing had left Li Wei both exhilarated and drained, the radiant path he'd glimpsed in his trance lingering as a beacon of his progress toward immortality. The hidden valley, with its shimmering pool, ancient tree, and glowing blossoms, pulsed with an energy that seemed to affirm his nascent Golden Core and fledgling Nascent Soul. Azure Dragon, his scruffy spirit beast, remained a steadfast companion, curled by the stone altar as Li Wei pored over the scroll, its worn bamboo slats a testament to his relentless journey. The warmth in his dantian, denser than ever, urged him onward, but his body—weakened by fasting, alchemical mishaps, and the strain of countless trials—was faltering. The scroll's next passage unveiled a transformative challenge: "The Phoenix Rebirth, where the cultivator burns away mortal dross to rise anew, purified in the flames of the Dao."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, the phoenix was a symbol of renewal, a mythical creature that died in fire only to be reborn stronger. The scroll's description was less fantastical but equally profound: "Face the crucible of suffering, let the spirit blaze, and emerge as the phoenix, unbound by mortal frailty." It spoke of a trial that tested both body and soul, requiring the cultivator to endure extreme hardship to refine their qi. Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and the void, saw this as the ultimate test of his resolve, even as a feverish ache gripped him, a lingering consequence of his meridian-opening ritual and toxic potions.
The valley's mystical aura seemed the perfect setting for such a rebirth. Li Wei prepared with solemn care, reinforcing his altar with fresh stones and placing the scroll, jade slip, and stolen booklet at its center, their faint glow a ward against his growing weakness. Azure Dragon watched, head tilted, as Li Wei gathered dry branches for a larger fire, intending to mirror the phoenix's flames. The scroll suggested a ritual of endurance—meditation through pain and deprivation—to "burn away the mortal self." Li Wei, already gaunt from hunger, decided to intensify his fast, sipping only the valley's crystal water, which he believed carried spiritual essence.
As night fell, the valley cloaked in starlight, Li Wei began. He lit the fire, its flames casting dancing shadows across the ancient tree's blossoms. Sitting cross-legged before the altar, he chanted the scroll's incantations, their rhythmic tones blending with the valley's whispers. The scroll instructed him to "embrace the crucible," so he focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a blazing ember, burning away his physical frailties. The fever that had plagued him intensified, his body trembling, sweat soaking his tattered shirt. He saw the fever as part of the trial, a fire within to match the one without.
Hours passed, the flames roaring as Li Wei pushed deeper into meditation. His chants grew hoarse, his vision swimming with heat and exhaustion. The warmth in his dantian surged, a fiery pulse that felt like it was consuming him from within. Pain radiated from his infected needle wounds, his empty stomach, his aching limbs, but he welcomed it, believing it was the "mortal dross" burning away. In his mind's eye, he saw himself as a phoenix, engulfed in flames, his body dissolving into light. The valley seemed to respond, the tree's blossoms glowing brighter, the mist swirling like wings of fire.
But the strain was overwhelming. His fever spiked, his pulse racing erratically, and a wave of dizziness sent him collapsing beside the altar. Azure Dragon whined, nudging his face, but Li Wei was lost in a delirium, his vision filled with flames and a radiant phoenix soaring above the valley. A voice, like the one from the Void Crossing, whispered: "Will you rise, or fall?" He clung to his qi, willing his Golden Core to burn brighter, and gasped, "I will rise!" The vision faded, and he awoke, sprawled in the dirt, the fire reduced to embers, his body wracked with chills.
The fever had broken, leaving him weak but strangely clear-headed. The warmth in his dantian pulsed stronger, as if purified by the ordeal. He scribbled in his notebook, hands shaking: "Phoenix Rebirth endured. Flames within and without. Qi refined, spirit reborn." Had he truly been reborn, or had the fever simply run its course? The scroll promised transformation, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd passed the trial, his Nascent Soul strengthened by the crucible.
During the next video call with the Order of the Jade Dawn, Li Wei shared his experience, describing the phoenix vision and the fire within. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine rebirth," urging him to brew an elixir to stabilize his qi. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, warned him to seek medical care: "The body is the vessel. Don't let it shatter." Chen Xiu and Zhao Feng, awed by his tenacity, offered meditations and exercises to nurture his progress. Li Wei nodded, hiding the extent of his weakness, fearing their concern might waver their faith.
As dawn broke, Li Wei sat by the pool, the jade slip warm in his hands, Azure Dragon snoring softly. The scroll promised that the Phoenix Rebirth was a gateway to greater power, but also greater trials. The valley's whispers seemed to chant in approval, their murmurs a soft encouragement. Ignoring the rational voice urging him to see a doctor, Li Wei focused on his qi, his Golden Core a blazing ember within. With his sect's support and the scroll's guidance, he felt ready to face the next challenge, reborn in spirit, if not in body, on his path to immortality.