The unlocking of the Starstone's Secret, though it had pushed Li Wei's frail body to the brink with fever and pain, had left him with a radiant sense of clarity, his qi pulsing stronger as if his nascent Golden Core and fledgling Nascent Soul had been illuminated 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 unifying new challenge: "The Celestial Pact, where the cultivator binds their sect to the heavens, forging a shared vow to ascend as one."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, celestial pacts were sacred covenants—oaths that united sects under divine guidance, their combined qi amplifying their pursuit of immortality. The scroll's description was more poetic but equally compelling: "Under the stars' eternal gaze, let the sect's souls align with the Dao, their qi sealed in a celestial vow. Unity is the key to eternity, but discord breaks the bond." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, saw this as a chance to strengthen the Order of the Jade Dawn, his virtual sect, which had been tested by the betrayals of Wang Hao and Lin Tao and the clashing beliefs of Zhang Wei, Liu Mei, Chen Xiu, and Zhao Feng. 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 lead.
Li Wei prepared with the reverence of a leader forging a divine alliance. 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 celestial beacon. 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 shared ritual under the stars, so he proposed a virtual "Celestial Pact," a ceremony where each member would meditate simultaneously, pledging their souls to the Dao. Using his battered phone, charged during a painful trek to Old Chen's teahouse in the village, he scheduled the ritual for a clear night, urging the Order to prepare.
Li Wei spent the intervening days meditating by the pool, visualizing the sect's energies merging like the stars in the night sky. He carved a vow on a valley stone: "The Jade Dawn binds its souls to the Dao, our qi united under the heavens." His fever spiked, his infected wounds throbbing, but he saw the pain as part of the trial, a sacrifice for unity. Azure Dragon stayed close, his amber eyes watchful, as if sensing the ritual's weight. On the chosen night, the valley glowed with starlight, the pool reflecting the cosmos like a mirror. Li Wei sat by the altar, his phone propped against a rock, the Starstone in one hand, the jade slip pressed to his chest. The Order joined the call: Zhang Wei from his cluttered Shanghai dorm, vials glinting; Liu Mei from her Sichuan rooftop, moonlight on her serene face; Chen Xiu from a candlelit room, her eyes fervent; Zhao Feng from a spartan gym, his expression guarded.
Li Wei began, chanting the scroll's incantations, their rhythmic tones blending with the valley's whispers and the stars' silent glow. He urged each member to share their pledge, offering his own trials—lightning, the Celestial River, the Starstone's Secret—as a testament. Zhang Wei spoke of his alchemical breakthroughs, his voice trembling with passion. Liu Mei shared a vision of starlit qi guiding her soul, her words calm but profound. Chen Xiu recounted her cave meditations, her mysticism fervent, while Zhao Feng described a martial stance that grounded his qi, his tone pragmatic. Li Wei led a collective meditation, visualizing their qi merging into a radiant celestial light, the warmth in his dantian surging as if connecting across the miles. Visions of unity filled his trance—a circle of glowing figures under the stars, their energies intertwined—but his fever spiked, dizziness threatening to break his focus. Azure Dragon whined, nudging his leg, as Li Wei clung to the Starstone, willing the pact to hold.
The ritual ended with a shared vow: "We, the Jade Dawn, bind our souls to the Dao under the heavens' gaze." Li Wei felt a fleeting harmony, as if their qi had truly united, but his body faltered, collapsing as the call ended. He awoke by the altar, Azure Dragon guarding him, his fever burning but his spirit alight. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Celestial Pact sealed. Sect united, qi aligned. Body falters, vow endures." 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, Li Wei shared the pact's success, describing the vision of unity. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine convergence," urging alchemical rituals to strengthen it. Liu Mei praised his leadership but insisted he seek medical care: "Unity binds the soul, but the body must endure." Chen Xiu's fervent mysticism clashed with Zhao Feng's pragmatism, their debate testing Li Wei's resolve. He hid his worsening fever and throbbing wounds, fearing their concern might fracture the pact'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 Celestial Pact united the sect with eternity, but also warned of greater trials. The valley's energy, his sect's faith, 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 lead, his sect united under the stars, one celestial vow at a time toward immortality.