The reforging of his soul in the Starlit Forge Reborn, though it had pushed Li Wei's frail body to the brink with fever and pain, had left him with a purified sense of purpose, his qi pulsing clearer as if his nascent Golden Core and fledgling Nascent Soul had been reshaped 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 Harmony, where the cultivator aligns body and spirit with the Dao, forging a balance that resonates with the heavens."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, harmony was a sacred state—cultivators achieving perfect balance between body, mind, and qi to ascend to divine realms. The scroll's description was more poetic but equally compelling: "Let body and spirit sing as one, their qi in tune with the cosmos. Harmony lights the path to eternity, but discord dims the soul." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, felt a surge of determination. His earlier trials—the Spirit Tide, the Starlit Forge—had pushed his qi to new heights, but his frail body, ravaged by hunger, fever, and the throbbing infections in his hand and arm, threatened to disrupt the balance. The valley's mystical aura and the scroll's promise fueled his resolve to achieve this harmony.
Li Wei prepared with the reverence of a musician tuning a sacred instrument. 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 chord. 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 by the pool to "align body and spirit," so he chose a twilight hour, when the valley's energy felt most balanced, to begin.
As the sky deepened to a violet hue, Li Wei sat by the shimmering pool, its surface reflecting the first stars. He held the Starstone in one hand, the jade slip pressed to his chest, and chanted the scroll's incantations, their rhythmic tones blending with the valley's whispers, which seemed to hum with a harmonious melody. He focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a radiant star, his Nascent Soul a glowing figure ready to harmonize with his body. The scroll urged him to "sing as one," so he imagined his qi flowing through his meridians, aligning his frail body with his vibrant spirit. The warmth in his dantian pulsed, and he felt a tingling sensation, as if his body and soul were tuning to the same celestial note.
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 his Nascent Soul stood, radiant and serene, surrounded by a symphony of light. His body, frail and scarred, appeared beside it, glowing faintly as their energies merged. A voice, resonant and gentle, echoed: "Can your body and soul sing together?" Li Wei's heart raced, doubts flickering—the scroll's jest, his physical weakness, the pull of Mei Ling's smile—but he chanted louder, visualizing his qi as a harmonious chord, binding body and soul. The symphony swelled, but his body faltered, the fever spiking as dizziness gripped him. He collapsed by the pool, gasping, Azure Dragon whining and nudging his face.
The Starstone felt warmer, as if infused with the harmony's energy, and the warmth in his dantian pulsed stronger, clearer, as if his body and soul had briefly aligned. Had he truly achieved the Celestial Harmony, or was it another fevered vision? The scroll promised a balanced path but warned of discord, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd passed the test, even at a cost. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Celestial Harmony sought. Qi aligns, soul sings. Body falters, path resonates." The valley's whispers seemed to approve, their murmurs blending with the evening 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 symphony of light and the merging of body and soul. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine alignment," urging him to brew an elixir with the valley's water to stabilize the harmony. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, praised his effort but insisted he seek medical care: "Harmony lifts 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 Celestial Harmony lit the path to eternity, 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 body and soul in fleeting harmony, one resonant chord at a time toward immortality.