The pursuit of the True Path had brought Li Wei a fleeting sense of clarity, grounding his cultivation in simplicity and quieting the grandiose visions that had once driven him. The hidden valley, with its shimmering pool, ancient tree, and glowing blossoms, pulsed with an energy that resonated 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 steadfast companion, curled by the stone altar as Li Wei pored over the scroll, its worn bamboo slats a sacred guide through his trials. Yet, the scroll's latest passage unveiled a haunting new challenge: "The Mentor's Ghost, where the cultivator faces the wisdom of those who came before. Seek their guidance, but beware their judgment."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, ghostly mentors were revered figures—spirits of ancient masters who imparted wisdom or tested disciples with cryptic trials. The scroll's description was more enigmatic but equally compelling: "In the silence of the spirit, the mentor's voice speaks. Listen with reverence, but guard the heart against their sway." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and the pursuit of clarity, felt a mix of awe and trepidation. His only mentor had been Old Chen, the gruff farmer whose practical wisdom he'd reframed as "earth qi manipulation." Could Chen's spirit—or a spectral guide—manifest in the valley to guide him? His body, weakened by hunger, alchemical mishaps, and recurring fever, protested, but his spirit yearned for the wisdom of the ancients.
The valley's mystical aura, with its whispering tree and radiant blossoms, seemed the perfect setting to summon such a guide. Li Wei prepared with solemn care, reinforcing his altar with smooth stones and placing the scroll, jade slip, Starstone, and stolen booklet at its center, their faint glow a ward against doubt. Azure Dragon watched, head tilted, as Li Wei fasted, sipping only the valley's crystal-clear water, which he believed carried spiritual essence. The scroll suggested a deep meditative trance to "open the spirit to the mentor's voice," so Li Wei chose a moonlit night, when the valley glowed with an ethereal light, to begin.
He sat beneath the ancient tree, the Starstone in his hands, and chanted the scroll's incantations, their rhythmic tones blending with the valley's whispers. He focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a radiant star, its light reaching out to summon the mentor's ghost. Hours passed, his body trembling from the strain, his feverish haze intensifying. The warmth in his core surged, and the valley seemed to fade, replaced by a misty expanse where shadows swirled. A figure emerged—not Old Chen, but a robed elder with a flowing beard, his eyes glowing like the Starstone's spirals. "Why do you seek the Dao?" the figure asked, its voice echoing in Li Wei's mind, both stern and gentle.
Li Wei's heart raced, his qi flickering like a flame in a storm. Was this the mentor's ghost, or another delusion born of fever and longing? He answered, his voice trembling but resolute: "To transcend mortality, to touch eternity." The figure's eyes narrowed, and it gestured to the valley, now a vision of Li Wei's Beijing apartment, his mother's worried face, Mei Ling's shy smile. "You cling to the mortal world," it said. "The Dao demands sacrifice. Are you ready?" Li Wei clutched the Starstone, his chants growing louder, and visualized his Nascent Soul—a faint, radiant self—standing firm. "I am ready," he declared, willing his qi to burn brighter.
The figure shifted, its form wavering between Old Chen, his former boss, and the hiker who'd mocked him, each voice challenging his resolve. "You're a fool chasing dreams," it said, echoing Wang Hao's betrayal. "Return to your life." Li Wei's doubts surged, but he focused on his Golden Core, its warmth anchoring him. He shouted, "I am a cultivator!" and the vision shattered, the figure dissolving into mist. He awoke gasping, sprawled by the altar, Azure Dragon whining and nudging his hand. The Starstone felt warmer, as if infused with new energy, and his dantian pulsed stronger, clearer.
Li Wei scribbled in his notebook, hands shaking: "Mentor's Ghost faced. Wisdom challenged, qi refined. Spirit endures." Had he truly summoned a ghost, or was it his mind weaving echoes of his past? The scroll promised guidance but warned of judgment, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd passed the test, his Nascent Soul strengthened by the encounter. During the next video call with the Order of the Jade Dawn, he shared the vision, describing the elder's challenge. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine visitation," while Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, urged caution: "Ghosts reflect the self. Seek truth within." Chen Xiu and Zhao Feng, inspired, shared their own meditative visions, 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 Mentor's Ghost offered wisdom, but also tested the heart. The valley's whispers seemed to approve, their murmurs blending with his chants. With his sect's support 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, guided by the echoes of a ghostly mentor.