The encounter with the Immortal's Echo, with its resonant voice and cryptic wisdom, had left Li Wei with a renewed sense of purpose, his spirit fortified by the affirmation that persistence, not the scroll, defined his Dao. The hidden valley, with its shimmering pool, ancient tree, and glowing blossoms, pulsed with an energy that seemed to resonate with 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 intriguing new challenge: "The Starstone's Secret, where the cultivator unlocks the hidden truth within the vessel of their soul, revealing the Dao's deeper light."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, sacred artifacts like jade pendants or spirit stones often held hidden powers—secrets that amplified a cultivator's qi or revealed cosmic truths when unlocked. The scroll's description was more poetic but equally compelling: "Seek the truth within the vessel that binds the soul, for its light unveils the Dao's path. Purity reveals, but doubt obscures." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, felt a surge of excitement. The Starstone, with its spiral carvings and faint warmth, had been his constant companion since the Soul Binding, resonating with his qi through every trial. Could it hold a secret that would propel him closer to immortality? 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.
Li Wei prepared with the reverence of a seeker uncovering a sacred mystery. 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 hidden truths. 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 "unlock the vessel," so he chose a clear night, when the valley's sky was a tapestry of stars and the Starstone's spirals seemed to glow brightest, to begin.
As midnight cloaked the valley in starlight, Li Wei sat by the altar, the Starstone cradled in both hands, 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 anticipation. He focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a radiant star, his Nascent Soul a glowing figure reaching for the Starstone's secret. The scroll urged him to "seek the truth within," so he gazed into the Starstone's spirals, imagining his qi flowing into its carvings, unlocking its hidden light. The warmth in his dantian pulsed, and the Starstone grew warmer, its spirals seeming to shimmer, as if responding to his intent.
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 the Starstone floated, its spirals spinning like galaxies. His Nascent Soul stood before it, radiant and resolute, and a voice, soft yet commanding, echoed: "What truth do you seek?" Li Wei's heart raced, doubts flickering—the scroll's jest, the betrayals, his frail body—but he answered, his voice hoarse but resolute: "The truth of the Dao, the light of my path." The spirals glowed brighter, revealing fleeting images—his trials, the lightning, the Celestial River, the Immortal's Echo—as if the Starstone held his journey's essence. The vision was exhilarating, but his body faltered, the fever spiking as dizziness gripped him. He collapsed by the altar, gasping, Azure Dragon whining and nudging his face.
The Starstone felt warmer, as if infused with the secret's light, and the warmth in his dantian pulsed stronger, clearer, as if the trance had refined his qi. Had he truly unlocked the Starstone's secret, or was it another fevered vision? The scroll promised revelation but warned of doubt, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd glimpsed the truth, even at a cost. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Starstone's Secret glimpsed. Qi amplified, truth revealed. Body falters, soul shines." The valley's whispers seemed to approve, their murmurs blending with the starlight, the ancient tree's blossoms glowing brighter.
During the next video call with the Order of the Jade Dawn, Li Wei shared the experience, holding up the Starstone, its spirals glinting in the campfire's light. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine unlocking," urging him to brew an elixir with the valley's water to solidify the secret. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, praised his insight but insisted he seek medical care: "The secret lights 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 Starstone's Secret unveiled the Dao, 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 soul illuminated by the Starstone's light, one shimmering secret at a time toward immortality.