The Celestial Trial, with its roaring storm and radiant vision of an unbowed Nascent Soul, had left Li Wei with a fortified spirit, his qi pulsing clearer despite the toll on his frail body. 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 a haunting new challenge: "The Immortal's Echo, where the voices of ancient masters resound, offering wisdom or judgment to the cultivator's soul."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, echoes of immortals were profound encounters—spectral voices of past masters who imparted divine secrets or tested disciples with cryptic trials. The scroll's description was more introspective but equally compelling: "Listen to the echoes of those who walked the Dao, for their wisdom guides or condemns. Hear with purity, lest the heart be swayed by illusion." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, felt a mix of awe and trepidation. The valley's whispers, which had guided him through trials like the Celestial Chorus, often seemed to carry voices of ancient cultivators. Could this be the Immortal's Echo? 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 hear these voices.
Li Wei prepared with the reverence of a disciple seeking ancestral wisdom. 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 beacon for ancient voices. 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 to "hear the echoes," so he chose a moonless night, when the valley's darkness would amplify the whispers, to begin.
As midnight cloaked the valley in shadow, Li Wei sat by the altar, 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 grow louder, forming distinct voices that echoed with ancient authority. He focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a radiant star, his Nascent Soul a glowing figure ready to hear the immortals. The scroll urged him to "listen with purity," so he opened his mind, letting the whispers guide his trance. The warmth in his dantian pulsed, and he felt a tingling sensation, as if the voices were drawing closer.
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 void where a figure appeared—a robed elder, its form shimmering like the Starstone's spirals, its eyes glowing with timeless wisdom. "You seek the Dao," it said, its voice a resonant echo. "But is your path truth, or delusion?" Li Wei's heart raced, doubts flooding in—the scroll's jest, the betrayals of Wang Hao and Lin Tao, the pull of Mei Ling's smile. "My path is my truth," he answered, his voice hoarse but resolute. The figure's eyes narrowed, and it spoke again: "The Dao is in persistence, not in scrolls. Will you endure?" Li Wei's qi surged, but his body faltered, the fever spiking as dizziness gripped him. He chanted louder, visualizing his Nascent Soul standing firm, and the figure nodded faintly before fading.
Li Wei awoke gasping, slumped by the altar, Azure Dragon whining and nudging his face. The Starstone felt warmer, as if infused with the echo's wisdom, and the warmth in his dantian pulsed stronger, clearer, as if the encounter had refined his qi. Had he truly heard an immortal's voice, or was it another fevered vision? The scroll promised guidance but warned of illusion, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd passed the test, his spirit strengthened by the elder's words. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Immortal's Echo heard. Wisdom gained, path questioned. Body falters, spirit endures." The valley's whispers seemed to approve, their murmurs softening, 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 robed elder and its cryptic wisdom. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine visitation," urging him to brew an elixir to solidify the guidance. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, praised his resilience but insisted he seek medical care: "The echoes guide 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 Immortal's Echo offered wisdom, 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 guided by the echoes of the ancients, one resonant whisper at a time toward immortality.