The effort to forge a new Star Blade in the Spirit Forge, though marred by its splintering failure, had deepened Li Wei's connection to his cultivation, the warmth in his dantian pulsing stronger as if his nascent Golden Core had been tempered by the act. The hidden valley, with its shimmering pool, ancient tree, and glowing blossoms, pulsed with an energy that seemed to affirm his 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 mystical new challenge: "The Celestial River, where the cultivator's qi merges with the flow of heaven's essence, guiding the soul toward eternity."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, celestial rivers were mythical streams—cosmic currents of qi that carried cultivators to divine realms or unlocked hidden powers. The scroll's description was more poetic but equally compelling: "Seek the river where earth and sky converge, let qi flow with its current, and the path to immortality shall unfold. Beware, for the tide tests the spirit's strength." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, felt a surge of excitement. During his foraging, he'd noticed a narrow stream fed by the valley's shimmering pool, its waters glowing faintly at night with an ethereal light. Could this be the Celestial River, a conduit for divine qi? His body, ravaged by hunger, fever, and the fresh wound on his hand from the broken blade, ached with every step, but the valley's mystical aura and the scroll's promise fueled his determination.
Li Wei prepared with the reverence of a pilgrim approaching a sacred site. He reinforced his altar with smooth stones, their surfaces carved with star-like patterns 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 pulsing like stars reflected in water. Azure Dragon watched, head tilted, as Li Wei sipped the valley's crystal-clear water, its coolness soothing his persistent fever. The scroll suggested a meditative trance by the river's banks, so he chose a moonlit night, when the stream's faint glow was most vivid, to begin.
As midnight bathed the valley in silver light, Li Wei sat by the stream, its gentle flow shimmering as if infused with starlight. The Starstone rested in his lap, its spirals warm under his touch, while the jade slip pressed against his chest. He chanted the scroll's incantations, their rhythmic tones blending with the valley's whispers and the stream's soft murmur, which seemed to carry a melody of its own. He focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a radiant star, its light flowing into the stream like a tributary joining a greater river. The scroll urged him to "merge with the current," so he imagined his Nascent Soul—a glowing figure—swimming through the stream's ethereal waters, carried toward the heavens.
Hours passed, his body trembling from the strain, his fever intensifying, the pain in his wounded hand throbbing with each heartbeat. The warmth in his dantian surged, pulsing in rhythm with the stream's flow, and the valley seemed to fade, replaced by a vision of a vast, celestial river—a shimmering expanse of stars stretching across an infinite sky. His Nascent Soul swam its currents, weightless and radiant, guided by a distant light that felt like the Dao itself. A voice, soft yet resonant, echoed: "Can your spirit endure the tide?" Li Wei's qi flared, but his body faltered, the fever spiking as dizziness gripped him. He clung to the Starstone, willing his Nascent Soul to press forward, but the vision shattered, and he awoke gasping, slumped by the stream, Azure Dragon whining and nudging his face.
The Starstone felt warmer, as if infused with the stream's energy, and the warmth in his dantian pulsed stronger, clearer, as if the Celestial River had refined his qi. Had he truly merged with a divine current, or was it another delusion born of fever and exhaustion? The scroll promised a path to eternity but warned of the tide's test, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd passed, even if his body paid the price. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Celestial River crossed. Qi flows with stars, soul guided. Body falters, spirit soars." The valley's whispers seemed to approve, their murmurs blending with the stream's gentle flow, the ancient tree's blossoms glowing brighter.
Determined to honor the vision, Li Wei resolved to return to the stream each night, strengthening his connection to its flow. He bathed his wounded hand in its waters, believing they held healing qi, though the infection lingered. During the next video call with the Order of the Jade Dawn, he shared the experience, describing the celestial river and its guiding light. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine current," urging him to brew an elixir with the stream's water to enhance his qi. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, praised his vision but insisted he seek a doctor: "The river strengthens the soul, but the body must endure." Chen Xiu saw it as a sign of ascension, while Zhao Feng, skeptical, suggested it was a fever dream, sparking a debate that tested Li Wei's leadership. He hid his worsening fever and the throbbing in his hand, fearing their concern might shake their faith.
As dawn broke, Li Wei sat by the stream, the Starstone warm in his hands, Azure Dragon snoring softly. The scroll promised that the Celestial River guided the soul to eternity, but also warned of greater trials. The valley's energy, his sect's support, and the scroll's guidance bolstered him, even as his body weakened. With his Golden Core and Nascent Soul pulsing as beacons, Li Wei felt ready to face the next challenge, his spirit carried by the river's flow, one shimmering step at a time toward immortality.