The achievement of the Celestial Harmony Reborn, though it had pushed Li Wei's frail body to the brink with fever and pain, had left him with a radiant spirit, his qi pulsing clearer as if his nascent Golden Core and fledgling Nascent Soul had been strengthened 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 profound new challenge: "The Hidden Truth Reborn, where the cultivator unveils the deepest essence of the Dao anew, piercing the final veil of illusion to see the eternal light."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had read in Beijing, ultimate truths were transformative revelations—cosmic secrets or realizations of the self that propelled cultivators to divine realms. The scroll's description was poetic but compelling: "Seek the truth reborn within the heart of the Dao, for its light dispels all illusion. Clarity reveals eternity, but doubt binds the soul." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, felt a mix of awe and trepidation. His earlier realization during the Celestial Truth—that the Dao was in his striving, not the scroll—had reframed his journey, 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 reborn truth.
Li Wei prepared with the reverence of a seeker unveiling a divine 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 brief relief against his persistent fever. The scroll suggested a meditative trance to "pierce the final veil," so he chose a clear night, when the valley's sky was a tapestry of stars, to begin.
As midnight cloaked the valley in starlight, Li Wei sat by the shimmering pool, its surface reflecting the cosmos like a mirror. 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 hummed with 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 anew," 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 before a radiant veil, its glow piercing yet serene. A voice, soft but commanding, echoed: "What is the Dao's truth reborn?" 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 strive beyond illusion." The veil parted, revealing a vision of his journey—lightning, the Celestial River, the Starstone—not as divine feats but as acts of resilience, a man's heart enduring despite all odds. The voice spoke again: "The truth reborn is in your heart's persistence." The vision shattered, and he awoke gasping, slumped by the pool, Azure Dragon whining and nudging his face.
The Starstone glowed warmer, as if infused with the truth's light, and his dantian pulsed clearer, as if his soul had been refined. Had he truly unveiled the Hidden Truth Reborn, or was it another fevered vision? The scroll promised clarity but warned of doubt, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd glimpsed eternity. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Hidden Truth Reborn glimpsed. Dao is persistence, soul shines. Body falters, path 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 experience, describing the parted veil and the voice's wisdom. Zhang Wei called it a "divine revelation," urging him to brew an elixir to solidify the truth. Liu Mei praised his insight but urged 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 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 Hidden Truth Reborn revealed eternity, but 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, he felt ready to face the next challenge, his soul illuminated by the truth of his persistence, one radiant revelation at a time toward immortality.