The imagined Great War, though born of Li Wei's feverish mind, had left him with a profound sense of triumph. The hidden valley, with its shimmering pool, ancient tree, and glowing blossoms, pulsed with an energy that seemed to affirm the strength of 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 sacred guide through his trials. The warmth in his dantian, denser and more vibrant after each challenge, urged him onward. The scroll's latest passage unveiled a momentous challenge: "The Ascension Ritual, where the cultivator offers their spirit to the heavens, seeking the spark of immortality."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, ascension rituals were climactic events—grand ceremonies where cultivators transcended mortality, their bodies glowing as they soared into the heavens. The scroll's description was less dramatic but equally profound: "Under the full moon's gaze, align the qi with the cosmos, and offer the soul to the divine. Success brings eternity; failure scatters the spirit." It warned of intense spiritual and physical strain, requiring absolute harmony with the environment. Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and imagined wars, saw this as the culmination of his journey thus far, a chance to prove his worth to the heavens. His body, weakened by hunger, alchemical mishaps, and recurring fever, trembled at the thought, but his spirit burned with unyielding resolve.
The valley's mystical aura, with its ancient tree and radiant blossoms, seemed the perfect stage for such a ritual. Li Wei prepared with the reverence of a priest, knowing the full moon was only days away. He reinforced his altar with the heaviest stones yet, carving spirals inspired by the Starstone into their surfaces, believing they would channel the valley's qi. He placed the scroll, jade slip, stolen booklet, and Starstone at the altar's center, surrounding them with a circle of the ancient tree's glowing blossoms, their light pulsing like stars. Azure Dragon watched, head tilted, as Li Wei fasted, sipping only the valley's crystal-clear water, which he believed was infused with spiritual essence. He practiced his Heavenly Sword Art forms, the Star Blade slicing through the mist, to align his body and qi for the ritual.
On the night of the full moon, the valley glowed with an ethereal light, the pool reflecting the moon's radiance like a mirror to the heavens. Li Wei stood before the altar, the Starstone in one hand, the jade slip in the other, his heart pounding with anticipation. The scroll instructed a meditative trance under the moon's peak, so he began chanting its incantations, their rhythmic tones blending with the valley's whispers. He visualized his Golden Core as a blazing star, his Nascent Soul a radiant figure within, reaching toward the sky. The warmth in his dantian surged, spreading through his meridians, and he felt the valley's energy rise to meet it, the blossoms glowing brighter, the mist swirling like a celestial dance.
Hours passed, his body trembling from the strain, his feverish haze intensifying. The scroll had warned of "offering the soul," and Li Wei poured his intent into the ritual, imagining his Nascent Soul ascending to the heavens. In his trance, the valley faded, replaced by a cosmic expanse—a sea of stars where his radiant soul floated, tethered to the Starstone. A voice, like the one from the Void Crossing, echoed: "Are you worthy of eternity?" Li Wei's spirit surged forward, his qi blazing, and he saw fireworks—bursts of light exploding across the void, as if the heavens celebrated his offering. The sensation was exhilarating, his body weightless, his soul unbound.
But the strain was too much. His weakened body buckled, and a wave of dizziness shattered the trance. He collapsed by the altar, gasping, the Starstone and jade slip falling from his hands. Azure Dragon whined, nudging his face, as Li Wei's vision swam with lingering sparks. His heart raced, his fever spiking, but the warmth in his dantian pulsed stronger, denser, as if the ritual had refined it. Had he ascended, even briefly, or was it another delusion born of exhaustion? The scroll promised a spark of immortality, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd touched it, his Nascent Soul strengthened by the offering.
He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Ascension Ritual performed. Fireworks in the void, soul offered. Qi ascends, body falters." The valley's whispers seemed to chant in approval, the ancient tree's blossoms glowing like miniature moons. During the next video call with the Order of the Jade Dawn, Li Wei shared the ritual, describing the cosmic fireworks and the voice in the void. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine communion," urging him to stabilize his qi with alchemy. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, warned him to rest: "The heavens test the body as much as the soul." Chen Xiu and Zhao Feng, awed, shared their own meditative visions, though their debates hinted at lingering 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 Ascension Ritual was a gateway to immortality, but also warned of greater trials. The valley's energy, his sect's faith, and the scroll's guidance bolstered him, even as his fever lingered like a shadow. With his Golden Core pulsing and his Nascent Soul glowing faintly within, Li Wei felt ready to face the next challenge, his spirit soaring toward the heavens, one perilous step at a time.