The successful binding of his soul to the Starstone, however tentative, had imbued Li Wei with a profound sense of progress. The hidden valley, with its shimmering pool, ancient tree, and glowing blossoms, pulsed with an energy that seemed to resonate with the warmth in his dantian—a warmth he believed was his nascent Golden Core, nurturing a fledgling Nascent Soul. Azure Dragon, his scruffy spirit beast, remained a loyal companion, curled by the stone altar as Li Wei pored over the scroll, its worn bamboo slats a sacred map through his trials. The scroll's latest passage unveiled a daunting new challenge: "The Great War, where the cultivator faces the clash of celestial forces, proving their qi in the crucible of conflict."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, great wars were epic battles between sects or against demonic forces, with cultivators wielding qi-infused swords and unleashing storms of power. The scroll's description was less grandiose but equally intense: "In the heart of strife, the cultivator's spirit is forged. Face the war within and without, and let qi prevail." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and spiritual trials, interpreted this as a call to confront imagined adversaries, both external and internal, to solidify his path to immortality. His body, weakened by hunger, alchemical mishaps, and recurring fever, protested, but his spirit burned with resolve, fueled by the valley's mystical aura.
The valley's serene beauty seemed an unlikely battlefield, but Li Wei's imagination transformed it into a stage for his Great War. The scroll's talk of "celestial forces" conjured visions of rival cultivators, demonic spirits, or even the heavens themselves testing his worth. The betrayal of Wang Hao and Lin Tao had made him wary of real enemies, and his encounter with the hiker—whom he'd imagined as a rival scout—fed his paranoia. He decided to prepare the valley as a fortress, a sacred ground to defend against any foe, real or imagined. With Azure Dragon at his side, he set to work, his Star Blade and Starstone as his weapons and talisman.
Li Wei began by fortifying his altar, piling heavier stones to create a barrier, envisioning it as a spiritual ward against invaders. He carved crude symbols into the stones, mimicking the spirals on the Starstone, believing they would channel the valley's qi. He gathered branches and vines, weaving them into makeshift defenses around the clearing—barricades to slow any "rival clan" that might breach the valley's crevice entrance. Azure Dragon, limping but alert, sniffed the barriers, his tail wagging as if approving his master's efforts. Li Wei practiced his Heavenly Sword Art, swinging the Star Blade through the mist, visualizing qi bursting from each strike to repel enemies. The warmth in his dantian surged, and he swore he saw sparks trailing the blade, a sign that his qi was ready for war.
Each night, Li Wei meditated under the ancient tree, the Starstone pressed to his chest, chanting the scroll's incantations to strengthen his resolve. He imagined a Great War unfolding—a clash of cultivators, their qi clashing like thunder, the valley a battleground where he stood as its guardian. In his trances, he saw shadowy figures circling the altar, their forms shifting like the demonic possession he'd faced, but he banished them with bursts of imagined qi, his Star Blade slashing through the mist. The valley's whispers seemed to join his chants, their murmurs a battle cry, and the glowing blossoms glowed brighter, as if fueling his war.
One stormy evening, as thunder rumbled over Mount Tai, Li Wei's paranoia peaked. A rustle in the bushes sent Azure Dragon barking, and Li Wei leapt to his feet, Star Blade in hand, convinced a rival had breached his defenses. "Show yourself!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the cliffs. The wind howled, and a branch snapped, revealing nothing but the storm's chaos. Yet, Li Wei saw it as a test, a skirmish in his Great War. He stood atop his altar, chanting loudly, visualizing his qi as a radiant shield. The warmth in his dantian blazed, and for a moment, he felt invincible, as if the valley itself fought with him.
Exhausted, he collapsed by the altar, Azure Dragon nudging his hand. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Great War faced. Valley defended, qi unleashed. Spirit forged in conflict." Had he fought a real enemy, or just the shadows of his mind? The scroll promised that conflict refined the cultivator, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd triumphed, his qi stronger for it. During the next video call with the Order of the Jade Dawn, he shared his tale of defending the valley, framing it as a celestial battle. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "heroic stand," while Liu Mei urged him to rest, warning of delusions born of fever. Chen Xiu and Zhao Feng, inspired, shared their own "battle meditations," though their debates hinted at ongoing tensions.
As dawn broke, Li Wei sat by the pool, the Starstone warm in his hands, Azure Dragon snoring softly. The scroll promised that the Great War was a crucible for the spirit, but also warned of greater trials. The valley's whispers seemed to chant in approval, their murmurs a soft encouragement. With his sect's faith and the scroll's guidance, Li Wei felt ready to face the next challenge, his Golden Core pulsing as a beacon of his unyielding pursuit of immortality, forged in the fires of an imagined war.