The fleeting harmony achieved in the Celestial Harmony, though it had pushed Li Wei's frail body to the brink with fever and pain, had left him with a strengthened spirit, his qi pulsing clearer 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 an introspective new challenge: "The Hidden Truth, where the cultivator unveils the deepest essence of the Dao, piercing the veil of illusion to see the path's core."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in Beijing, hidden truths were pivotal revelations—secrets of the universe or the cultivator's own nature that unlocked higher realms of power or understanding. The scroll's description was more poetic but equally compelling: "Seek the truth buried within the heart of the Dao, for its light dispels all illusion. Clarity reveals, but doubt obscures the path." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, felt a mix of anticipation and unease. His earlier realization that the scroll might be a centuries-old jest had reframed his pursuit, but doubts lingered—about his qi, his visions, and his frail body, ravaged by hunger, fever, and the throbbing infections in his hand and arm. The valley's mystical aura and the scroll's promise fueled his determination to uncover this truth, whatever it might be.
Li Wei prepared with the reverence of a seeker unveiling 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 truth. 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 "pierce the veil of illusion," so he chose a twilight hour, when the valley's energy felt most introspective, 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 quiet urgency. He focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a radiant star, his Nascent Soul a glowing figure ready to unveil the truth. The scroll urged him to "seek within," so he let his mind drift, questioning his journey—the scroll's jest, the betrayals of Wang Hao and Lin Tao, the pull of Mei Ling's smile, the warmth he called qi. The warmth in his dantian pulsed, and he felt a tingling sensation, as if the valley's energy were guiding him toward clarity.
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 his Nascent Soul stood, radiant and resolute, before a shimmering veil. A voice, soft yet commanding, echoed: "What is the Dao's truth?" Li Wei's heart raced, doubts flooding in—his visions, his frail body, the scroll's irony. He answered, his voice hoarse but resolute: "The Dao is my pursuit, my will to seek beyond delusion." The veil parted, revealing a vision of his journey—lightning, the Celestial River, the Starstone's glow—not as divine feats but as acts of persistence, a man's heart refusing to yield. The voice spoke again: "The truth is in the seeking, not the scroll." The vision shattered, and he awoke gasping, slumped by the pool, Azure Dragon whining and nudging his face.
The Starstone felt warmer, as if infused with the truth's light, and the warmth in his dantian pulsed stronger, clearer, as if the trance had refined his qi. Had he truly unveiled the Hidden Truth, or was it another fevered vision? The scroll promised clarity but warned of doubt, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd passed the test, his spirit illuminated by the realization that the Dao was his journey, not a destination. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Hidden Truth glimpsed. Dao is pursuit, not scroll. Body falters, soul shines." 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 parted veil and the voice's wisdom. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine revelation," urging him to brew an elixir to solidify the truth. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, praised his insight but insisted he seek medical care: "The truth 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 Hidden Truth dispelled illusion, 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 truth of his pursuit, one introspective step at a time toward immortality.