The unveiling of the Hidden Truth, with its profound realization that the Dao was in the pursuit rather than the scroll, had left Li Wei with a clarified sense of purpose, his qi pulsing stronger as if his nascent Golden Core and fledgling Nascent Soul had been refined 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 transcendent new challenge: "The Spirit's Call, where the cultivator hears the voice of the Dao, summoning the soul to ascend beyond the mortal veil."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, spiritual calls were divine summons—voices of the cosmos or ancient masters that guided cultivators to higher realms or tested their resolve. The scroll's description was more poetic but equally compelling: "Listen for the Dao's voice in the silence of the heart, let qi answer its call, and rise toward eternity. Purity hears the truth, but doubt deafens the soul." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, felt a surge of awe. The valley's whispers, ever-present in his meditations, had guided him through trials like the Celestial Chorus and Immortal's Echo. Could this be the Dao itself calling? 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 disciple awaiting a divine summons. 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 the Dao's voice. 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 call," so he chose a clear night, when the valley's sky was a tapestry of stars and its whispers sang most vividly, to begin.
As midnight cloaked the valley in starlight, 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 form a haunting melody, rising and falling like a divine summons. He focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a radiant star, his Nascent Soul a glowing figure ready to answer the call. 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 valley's energy were drawing a voice 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 radiant figure stood—his Nascent Soul, or perhaps the Dao itself—its voice a resonant hum: "Why do you seek eternity?" Li Wei's heart raced, doubts flickering—the scroll's jest, the betrayals, his frail body—but he answered, his voice hoarse but resolute: "To live the Dao, to honor my pursuit." The figure's voice grew clearer, echoing: "The call is within. Will you answer?" Li Wei's qi surged, his Nascent Soul glowing brighter, 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 call's energy, and the warmth in his dantian pulsed stronger, clearer, as if the Dao had spoken. Had he truly heard the Spirit's Call, or was it another fevered vision? The scroll promised truth but warned of doubt, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd answered, even at a cost. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Spirit's Call answered. Dao speaks, qi rises. Body falters, soul ascends." 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, describing the radiant figure and its resonant voice. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine summons," urging him to brew an elixir with the valley's water to solidify the call. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, praised his connection but insisted he seek medical care: "The Dao calls 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 Spirit's Call summoned the soul 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 soul answering the Dao's call, one resonant whisper at a time toward immortality.