The resonant summons of the Spirit's Call had left Li Wei with a profound sense of connection to the Dao, his qi pulsing stronger as if his nascent Golden Core and fledgling Nascent Soul had been invigorated by the trial. The hidden valley, with its shimmering pool, ancient tree, and glowing blossoms, pulsed with an energy that affirmed 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 fiery new challenge: "The Celestial Flame, where the cultivator ignites a divine fire to purify the soul's core."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had read in Beijing, celestial flames were divine blazes—fires that burned away impurities, granting cultivators enhanced qi or spiritual clarity. The scroll's description was more poetic but equally compelling: "Kindle the flame that burns with heaven's light, let it purify the soul's essence, and rise with a spirit unbound. Intent fuels the fire, but doubt dims its glow." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, felt a surge of determination. His earlier trials with fire—the Eternal Flame, the Phoenix Rebirth—had tested his resolve, but this flame seemed to demand a deeper purification. 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 resolve.
Li Wei prepared with the reverence of a priest tending a sacred pyre. He reinforced his altar with smooth stones, carved with star-like patterns inspired by the Starstone to channel the valley's qi, and placed the scroll, jade slip, Starstone, and stolen booklet at its center, surrounded by the ancient tree's glowing blossoms, their light pulsing like embers. Azure Dragon watched, head tilted, as Li Wei gathered dry branches, fallen blossoms, and a handful of moon berries, their luminescent skins glowing faintly, to fuel a grand fire. The scroll emphasized intent, so he resolved to infuse the flame with his qi, believing it would purify his Nascent Soul. He sipped the valley's crystal-clear water, its coolness a brief relief against his fever, and chose twilight, when the valley's energy felt most potent, to begin.
As the sky deepened to a violet hue, Li Wei lit the fire, its flames roaring with a crackle that echoed off the cliffs. He sat by the altar, 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 and the fire's hiss. He visualized his Golden Core as a radiant star, its light flowing into the flames, making them burn brighter. The scroll urged him to "purify the soul," so he imagined the fire consuming his doubts—the scroll's jest, the betrayals, the pull of Mei Ling's smile. The warmth in his dantian surged, and the flames seemed to dance with an otherworldly glow, their light reflecting in the pool like a celestial blaze.
Hours passed, his body trembling from the strain, his fever intensifying, the pain in his infected wounds throbbing. In his trance, the valley faded, replaced by a fiery expanse where a phoenix soared, its wings of flame enveloping his Nascent Soul. A voice, resonant and commanding, echoed: "Will you burn, or rise?" Li Wei's heart raced, his qi flaring, but his body faltered, the fever spiking as dizziness gripped him. He chanted louder, visualizing his Nascent Soul emerging from the flames, radiant and purified. The phoenix glowed brighter, but his body collapsed by the altar, gasping, Azure Dragon whining and nudging his face as the fire sputtered to embers.
The Starstone felt warmer, as if infused with the flame's energy, and his dantian pulsed clearer, as if his soul had been refined. Had he truly kindled the Celestial Flame, or was it another fevered vision? The scroll promised purification but warned of doubt, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd passed the test. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Celestial Flame kindled. Soul purified, qi rises. Body falters, spirit burns." The valley's whispers blended with the morning breeze, the ancient tree's blossoms glowing brighter.
During the next video call with the Order of the Jade Dawn, Li Wei shared the ritual, describing the phoenix and the fiery expanse. Zhang Wei, eyes wide, called it a "divine blaze," urging him to brew an elixir with the fire's ashes. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, praised his resolve but urged medical care: "The flame purifies 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 debate that tested Li Wei's leadership. He hid his worsening fever and pain, fearing their concern might fracture the sect's unity.
As dawn broke, Li Wei sat by the pool, the Starstone in his hands, Azure Dragon snoring softly. The scroll promised that the Celestial Flame purified the soul, 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 spirit ablaze with the fire of the Dao, one fiery trial at a time toward immortality.