The weaving of the Spirit Veil, though it had pushed Li Wei's frail body to the brink with fever and pain, had left him with a fortified spirit, his qi pulsing clearer as if his nascent Golden Core and fledgling Nascent Soul had been strengthened by the trial. 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 formidable new challenge: "The Celestial Trial, where the cultivator faces the heavens' judgment in a storm of divine wrath, proving the soul's worth."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, celestial trials were climactic battles—storms of divine lightning or cosmic forces that tested a cultivator's resilience to ascend to higher realms. The scroll's description was more poetic but equally daunting: "When the heavens roar, stand unbowed before their might. Let qi shield the soul, and prove the path's truth. Falter, and the spirit scatters." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, felt a surge of anticipation mixed with dread. His earlier encounters with storms—the Lightning Tribulation and Final Tribulation—had nearly broken him, yet they had forged his spirit. 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 divine judgment.
Li Wei prepared with the reverence of a warrior bracing for a cosmic battle. He reinforced his altar with heavy 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 ward against the heavens' wrath. 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 standing firm in a storm, so he chose a rocky outcrop overlooking the pool, where he had faced the Final Tribulation, and waited for the heavens to unleash their test.
As night fell, dark clouds gathered over Mount Tai, their edges crackling with an ominous light. Thunder rumbled, and a chill wind whipped through the valley, stirring the mist. Li Wei stood on the outcrop, the Starstone in one hand, the jade slip pressed to his chest, his Star Blade tucked into his belt. He chanted the scroll's incantations, their rhythmic tones blending with the valley's whispers and the storm's growing roar. He focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a radiant star, his Nascent Soul a glowing figure shielded by qi. The scroll urged him to "stand unbowed," so he raised his arms, imagining his qi as a radiant barrier against the heavens' might. The warmth in his dantian surged, pulsing in rhythm with the thunder, and he felt ready to face the trial.
The storm unleashed its fury, lightning striking the outcrop with a deafening crack, the shockwave nearly knocking Li Wei off his feet. Rain lashed his face, soaking his tattered clothes, and his fever spiked, his infected wounds throbbing with each heartbeat. He chanted louder, his voice hoarse but resolute, visualizing his qi shielding his soul. Another bolt struck nearby, singeing the air, and he swore he felt a surge of heat, as if his Nascent Soul were absorbing the lightning's power. "I am the Dao!" he shouted, his words swallowed by the storm. The valley seemed to respond, the ancient tree's blossoms glowing brighter, the mist swirling like a celestial army.
Hours passed, the storm relentless, his body trembling from the strain. In a fleeting moment, he saw a vision—his Nascent Soul standing tall, radiant and unbowed, as lightning parted to reveal a starry path. But his body faltered, the fever overwhelming, and a final bolt struck the outcrop, 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, clearer, as if the trial had refined his qi. Had he endured the heavens' judgment, or was it another delusion? The scroll promised proof of the soul's worth, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd passed.
He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Celestial Trial endured. Qi holds, soul unbowed. Body falters, path shines." The valley's whispers seemed to approve, their murmurs blending with the morning breeze, the ancient tree's blossoms glowing brighter. During the next video call with the Order of the Jade Dawn, Li Wei shared the ordeal, describing the storm and his radiant vision. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine judgment," urging him to brew an elixir to stabilize his qi. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, praised his courage but insisted he seek medical care: "The heavens test 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 debate that tested Li Wei's leadership. He hid his worsening fever and pain, fearing their concern might fracture the sect's unity.
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 Celestial Trial proved 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 unbowed by the heavens' wrath, one stormy trial at a time toward immortality.