The vision of the Starlit Path, with its radiant trail and guiding starlight, had left Li Wei with a renewed sense of purpose, his qi pulsing clearer as if his nascent Golden Core and fledgling Nascent Soul had been strengthened by the journey. 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 dauntingly familiar challenge: "The Demon's Final Stand, where the shadows of fear make their last assault, testing the cultivator's heart with unyielding doubt."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had read in Beijing, final demonic battles were climactic confrontations—ultimate tests where cultivators vanquished their deepest fears to ascend to higher realms. The scroll's description was more introspective but equally compelling: "The shadows rise one last time, wielding the heart's darkest doubts. Banish them with resolute qi, for only the unyielding ascend." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, felt a surge of dread. His earlier battles with the Inner Demon, Demon's Echo, and Demon's Resurgence had been victories, but the betrayals of Wang Hao and Lin Tao, the hiker's mockery, and the lingering pull of Mei Ling's smile still haunted him. 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 vigilance of a warrior facing a final foe. 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 as a ward against darkness. Azure Dragon watched, head tilted, as Li Wei sipped the valley's crystal-clear water, its coolness a brief relief against his persistent fever. The scroll suggested a meditative trance to "banish the shadows," so he chose a moonless night, when the valley's darkness would amplify the challenge, to begin.
As midnight cloaked the valley in shadow, 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 carried a mocking undertone, echoing his deepest fears. He focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a radiant star, his Nascent Soul a glowing figure ready to face the final stand. The scroll urged him to "stand resolute," so he imagined his qi as a blazing light, piercing the darkness of doubt. The warmth in his dantian pulsed, but as he sank deeper into the trance, his fever intensified, the pain in his infected wounds throbbing with each heartbeat.
The valley faded, replaced by a misty void where shadows swirled like a storm. Figures emerged—Wang Hao's sneering face, Lin Tao's cold betrayal, the hiker's mocking grin, his old boss berating his failures, and Mei Ling, her smile now twisted with pity. "Your path is a delusion," they whispered, their voices a cacophony of doubt. "Your scroll is a jest, your qi a fever dream, your life a failure." Li Wei's heart raced, the pull of Mei Ling's pity threatening to unravel his resolve, but he clutched the Starstone, its warmth grounding him. He chanted louder, his voice hoarse but resolute, visualizing his Nascent Soul wielding a radiant Star Blade, slashing through the shadows. "I am the Dao!" he shouted, his qi surging as the figures recoiled, their whispers fading into silence.
The trance shattered as his body faltered, collapsing by the altar, gasping for breath. Azure Dragon whined, nudging his face, his warmth a quiet comfort. The Starstone glowed warmer, as if infused with his victory, and his dantian pulsed clearer, as if the shadows had been banished. Had he truly overcome the Demon's Final Stand, or was it another fevered vision? The scroll promised ascent through resolve, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd triumphed. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Demon's Final Stand faced. Shadows vanquished, qi shines. Body falters, heart endures." The valley's whispers blended 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 ordeal, describing the shadowy figures and his radiant counterattack. Zhang Wei called it a "divine purge," urging him to brew an elixir to fortify his qi. Liu Mei praised his resilience but urged medical care: "The heart triumphs, 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 Demon's Final Stand cleared the path, but warned of greater challenges. 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 unyielding against doubt, one radiant slash at a time toward immortality.