The imagined confrontation with the Phantom Sect, whether a true spiritual challenge or a product of Li Wei's fevered paranoia, had sharpened his vigilance, reinforcing his belief in the sanctity of his path. The hidden valley, with its shimmering pool, ancient tree, and glowing blossoms, pulsed with an energy that seemed to affirm 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 an introspective new challenge: "The Starlit Mirror, where the cultivator gazes upon their soul's truth, reflecting the Dao's light or the shadows of delusion."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, mirrors were mystical artifacts—portals that revealed a cultivator's true nature, exposing strengths or hidden flaws. The scroll's description was more poetic but equally compelling: "Under the stars' gaze, let the soul's reflection reveal the path. Seek truth, for the mirror spares no deception." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, felt a mix of anticipation and dread. His recent trials had brought clarity, but the scroll's jest and his frail health—ravaged by hunger, fever, and the infected wound on his hand—stirred doubts. Was his Golden Core real, or a delusion born of desperation? The valley's mystical aura and the scroll's promise urged him to face the mirror, whatever truth it held.
Li Wei chose the valley's shimmering pool as his Starlit Mirror, its surface reflecting the stars like a liquid sky. He prepared with reverence, reinforcing his altar with smooth stones 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, surrounded by the ancient tree's glowing blossoms, their light pulsing like celestial guides. 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 under the stars, so he waited for a clear night, when the valley glowed with cosmic light, to begin.
As midnight bathed the valley in starlight, Li Wei knelt by the pool, the Starstone in one hand, the jade slip pressed to his chest. He chanted the scroll's incantations, their rhythmic tones blending with the valley's whispers, which seemed to hum with an otherworldly melody. He focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a radiant star, his Nascent Soul a glowing figure within, ready to face its reflection. The scroll urged him to "gaze upon the soul," so he stared into the pool, its surface mirroring the stars and his own gaunt face—wild hair, sunken eyes, a feverish glint. The warmth in his dantian pulsed, and he leaned closer, seeking his Nascent Soul's truth.
Hours passed, his body trembling from the strain, his fever intensifying, the pain in his infected hand throbbing. The pool's reflection shifted, no longer showing his face but a radiant figure—his Nascent Soul, glowing with golden light, its eyes piercing yet kind. A voice, soft yet resonant, echoed in his mind: "What is your truth?" Li Wei's heart raced, memories flooding in—his Beijing life, his mother's worried voice, Mei Ling's shy smile, the betrayals of Wang Hao and Lin Tao. Doubt surged: was his qi a delusion, his scroll a prank? The figure's eyes narrowed, and it spoke again: "Is the Dao in your heart, or in your dreams?"
Li Wei clutched the Starstone, its warmth grounding him, and chanted louder, willing his Nascent Soul to shine brighter. "My truth is my pursuit," he declared, his voice hoarse but resolute. "The Dao is in my will, my trials, my hope." The figure smiled faintly, its glow intensifying, and the pool's reflection rippled, showing flashes of his journey—lightning, the phoenix rebirth, the Celestial River. The vision was exhilarating, but his body faltered, the fever spiking as dizziness gripped him. He collapsed by the pool, gasping, Azure Dragon whining and nudging his face. The Starstone felt warmer, as if infused with the mirror's truth, and his dantian pulsed stronger, clearer, as if the reflection had refined his qi.
Li Wei scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Starlit Mirror faced. Soul seen, truth questioned. Qi endures, path clarified." Had he truly gazed upon his Nascent Soul, or was it another fevered vision? The scroll promised truth but warned of deception, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd passed the test, his spirit strengthened by the reflection. The valley's whispers seemed to approve, their murmurs blending with the breeze, the ancient tree's blossoms glowing brighter.
During the next video call with the Order of the Jade Dawn, Li Wei shared the experience, describing the radiant figure and its piercing question. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine reflection," urging him to brew an elixir to solidify the vision's truth. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, praised his introspection but insisted he seek medical care: "The soul shines, but the body must endure." Chen Xiu saw it as proof 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 pain in his hand, fearing their concern might fracture the sect's unity.
As dawn broke, Li Wei sat by the pool, the Starstone warm in his hands, Azure Dragon snoring softly. The scroll promised that the Starlit Mirror revealed the soul's truth, 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 clarified by the mirror's light, one reflective gaze at a time toward immortality.