The attempt to forge the Phantom Blade, though ending in a cracked Star Blade and a fresh wound, had left Li Wei with a strengthened spirit, his qi pulsing clearer as if his nascent Golden Core and fledgling Nascent Soul had been refined by the effort. The hidden valley, with its shimmering pool, ancient tree, and glowing blossoms, pulsed with an energy that seemed to affirm his path to immortality. 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 profound new challenge: "The Starlit Trial, where the cultivator faces the judgment of the heavens, their soul laid bare under the stars' gaze."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, trials under the stars were pivotal moments—divine judgments where cultivators proved their worth to ascend to higher realms. The scroll's description was more introspective but equally compelling: "Stand before the stars, let the soul be judged, and prove the purity of your path. Truth shines, but impurity falters." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, felt a mix of awe and trepidation. His recent trials had clarified his pursuit, but doubts lingered—the scroll's jest, the betrayals of Wang Hao and Lin Tao, the pull of Mei Ling's smile. His body, ravaged by hunger, fever, and the throbbing infections in his hand and arm, ached with every movement, but the valley's mystical aura and the scroll's promise fueled his determination to face this celestial judgment.
Li Wei prepared with the reverence of a disciple awaiting divine verdict. 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, surrounded by the ancient tree's glowing blossoms, their light pulsing like a constellation on earth. Azure Dragon watched, head tilted, as Li Wei sipped the valley's crystal-clear water, its coolness a fleeting relief against his persistent fever. The scroll suggested a meditative trance under the stars, so he chose a clear night, when the valley's sky was a tapestry of infinite light, to begin.
As midnight cloaked the valley in starlight, Li Wei lay 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 celestial judgment. He focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a radiant star, his Nascent Soul a glowing figure ready to face the heavens. The scroll urged him to "lay the soul bare," so he gazed upward, letting his mind drift toward the constellations, imagining his Nascent Soul standing before a celestial tribunal. The warmth in his dantian pulsed, and the stars seemed to draw closer, their light enveloping him.
Hours passed, his body trembling from the strain, his fever intensifying, the pain in his infected wounds throbbing with each heartbeat. In his trance, the valley faded, replaced by a starry expanse where a radiant figure—his Nascent Soul—stood before a circle of glowing orbs, their light piercing yet serene. A voice, resonant and commanding, echoed: "Why seek eternity?" Li Wei's heart raced, doubts flooding in—the scroll's jest, the betrayals, his frail body. He answered, his voice trembling but resolute: "To live the Dao, to honor my journey, truth or delusion." The orbs pulsed, and visions of his trials flashed—lightning, the Celestial River, the Eternal Flame. The voice spoke again: "Is your heart pure?" Li Wei's qi flared, but his body faltered, the fever spiking as dizziness gripped him. He clung to the Starstone, shouting, "My heart is my path!" The orbs glowed brighter, then faded, and he awoke gasping, sprawled by the pool, Azure Dragon whining and nudging his face.
The Starstone felt warmer, as if infused with the stars' judgment, and the warmth in his dantian pulsed stronger, clearer, as if the trial had refined his qi. Had he truly faced the heavens' judgment, or was it another fevered vision? The scroll promised truth but warned of impurity, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd passed, even at a cost. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Starlit Trial faced. Soul judged, qi shines. Body falters, path endures." 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 celestial orbs and their piercing question. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine tribunal," urging him to brew an elixir to solidify the judgment's truth. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, praised his courage but insisted he seek medical care: "The stars judge the soul, but the body must endure." Chen Xiu saw it as proof of ascension, while Zhao Feng, skeptical, suggested it was delirium, sparking a heated debate that tested Li Wei's leadership. He hid his worsening fever and the throbbing pain in his wounds, 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 Trial purified the path, but also warned of greater challenges. 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 judged under the stars' gaze, one celestial trial at a time toward immortality.