The encounter with the Mentor's Ghost, whether a true spectral visitation or a fevered vision, had left Li Wei with a sharpened sense of purpose. 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 guide through his trials. The scroll's latest passage unveiled a climactic challenge: "The Final Tribulation, where the cultivator faces the heavens' ultimate test. Endure, and the path to immortality opens; falter, and the spirit scatters."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, final tribulations were cataclysmic events—storms of divine lightning, demonic assaults, or spiritual voids that pushed cultivators to the brink of death to prove their worth. The scroll's description was less grandiose but equally daunting: "When the heavens roar, stand unbowed. Let qi shield the soul, and rise through the storm." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and countless trials, saw this as the culmination of his journey thus far, a test to solidify his Nascent Soul and open the gates to immortality. His body, ravaged by hunger, alchemical mishaps, and recurring fever, was frail, but his spirit burned with unyielding resolve, fueled by the valley's mystical aura.
The valley's serene beauty seemed an unlikely stage for such a trial, but the sky above Mount Tai had grown restless, dark clouds gathering with an ominous weight. Li Wei sensed the Final Tribulation approaching, its timing aligned with the scroll's call. He prepared with the reverence of a warrior facing a final battle, reinforcing his altar with the heaviest stones yet, carving spirals inspired by the Starstone to channel the valley's qi. He placed the scroll, jade slip, Starstone, and stolen booklet at the altar's center, surrounding them with the ancient tree's glowing blossoms, their light a ward against fear. Azure Dragon, sensing the gravity, stayed close, his amber eyes watchful.
As night fell, a storm brewed, thunder rumbling like the heavens' judgment. Li Wei stood by the altar, the Starstone in one hand, the Star Blade in the other, his heart pounding with anticipation and dread. The scroll instructed him to "face the storm's wrath," so he climbed to the highest point in the valley—a rocky outcrop overlooking the pool, where he'd once leapt to test his immortality. The wind howled, rain lashing his face, and lightning illuminated the cliffs, casting stark shadows. Li Wei chanted the scroll's incantations, their rhythmic tones blending with the valley's whispers, and focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a blazing star, his Nascent Soul a radiant shield.
The storm unleashed its fury, lightning striking the outcrop with a deafening crack, the shockwave nearly knocking Li Wei off his feet. His fever spiked, his body trembling, but he stood firm, raising the Star Blade as if to challenge the heavens. "I am a cultivator!" he shouted, his voice swallowed by the thunder. He visualized his qi surging, a protective barrier against the storm's wrath. Another bolt struck nearby, singeing the air, and Li Wei felt a surge of heat in his dantian, as if his Nascent Soul was absorbing the lightning's power. The valley seemed to respond, the ancient tree's blossoms glowing brighter, the mist swirling like a celestial army.
Hours passed, the storm relentless. Li Wei's chants grew hoarse, his body battered by wind and rain, but he refused to falter. In a moment of clarity, he saw a vision—his Nascent Soul soaring above the valley, radiant and unbound, the storm parting to reveal a path of stars. The scroll had promised a gateway to immortality, and Li Wei believed he was crossing it. But his body, pushed beyond its limits, betrayed him. A final bolt struck the outcrop, the shockwave throwing him to the ground. He lay gasping, Azure Dragon barking frantically, as pain seared through him, his vision fading.
He awoke at dawn, sprawled by the pool, the storm gone, the valley serene. His body ached, his fever raging, but the warmth in his dantian pulsed stronger, denser, as if the tribulation had refined it. Had he endured the heavens' test, or was it another delusion? The scroll promised a path to eternity, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd survived. He scribbled in his notebook, hands shaking: "Final Tribulation faced. Storm endured, Nascent Soul rises. Path opens." Azure Dragon nudged his hand, a quiet comfort.
During the next video call with the Order of the Jade Dawn, Li Wei shared the ordeal, describing the storm and his vision of the starlit path. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine trial," urging him to stabilize his qi with alchemy. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, warned him to seek medical help: "The body is the vessel. Don't let it break." Chen Xiu and Zhao Feng, awed, shared their own meditations, though their debates hinted at tensions. Li Wei hid his worsening fever, fearing their concern.
As the sun rose, Li Wei sat by the altar, the Starstone warm in his hands, Azure Dragon snoring softly. The scroll promised that the Final Tribulation was a gateway to immortality, but also warned of greater challenges. The valley's whispers chanted in approval, their murmurs a soft encouragement. With his sect's faith and the scroll's guidance, Li Wei felt ready, his Golden Core and Nascent Soul pulsing as beacons of his unyielding pursuit, one perilous storm at a time.