The alchemical experiment, though harrowing, had left Li Wei with a renewed sense of possibility. The visions induced by his crude elixir—fleeting images of soaring through clouds and the valley's ancient tree glowing like a celestial beacon—lingered in his mind, fueling his belief that he was inching closer to immortality. The warmth in his dantian, now a steady pulse despite the physical toll of his potion, reassured him that the scroll's teachings were true. Yet, the hidden valley, with its shimmering pool and whispering tree, began to feel like a cocoon, insulating him from the wider world of cultivation. The scroll's next passage stirred a new challenge: "The cultivator must face rival clans, for only through conflict is the spirit tempered." Li Wei, alone with Azure Dragon, interpreted this as a call to confront imagined adversaries, to prove his qi against the shadows of his own making.
In his clearing, under the ancient tree's glowing blossoms, Li Wei pored over the scroll, its words igniting his imagination. The cultivation novels he'd read in Beijing were filled with tales of clan warfare—epic battles between sects vying for spiritual supremacy, their techniques clashing in bursts of light and power. The valley was peaceful, its mist and murmurs a stark contrast to such drama, but Li Wei's mind conjured rivals: shadowy cultivators lurking beyond the cliffs, their qi pulsing with malice. The betrayal of Wang Hao, who had mocked the Order of the Jade Dawn online, fueled his paranoia. What if real rivals existed, watching his progress, waiting to steal his scroll or jade slip?
To prepare, Li Wei trained with renewed vigor. He crafted a new "weapon" from a sturdy branch, sharpening it into a makeshift sword he dubbed "Star Blade," imbuing it with his qi during long meditation sessions. He practiced forms inspired by the scroll's diagrams and IronWill's martial arts videos, moving through the valley with Azure Dragon at his side, the dog's limping gait a quiet encouragement. Each swing of the Star Blade was a strike against imagined foes, his chants echoing off the cliffs as he visualized qi bursting from his strikes. The warmth in his dantian surged with each motion, and he swore he saw faint sparks trailing his blade, like embers in the twilight.
One afternoon, as he trained near the pool, a rustle in the ferns startled him. Azure Dragon growled, hackles raised, and Li Wei spun, Star Blade ready, his heart pounding. "Show yourself!" he shouted, imagining a rival cultivator emerging to challenge him. Instead, a hiker stumbled into the valley, a middle-aged man in bright orange gear, his backpack jingling with water bottles. "Whoa, easy there!" the hiker said, raising his hands, eyes wide at the sight of Li Wei's wild appearance and makeshift sword. "Just passing through, mate. Nice… stick?"
Li Wei's face flushed, but his imagination seized the moment. This was no mere hiker—this was a scout from a rival clan, testing his defenses! The scroll had warned of "deceptions cloaked in mortal guise," and Li Wei saw the man's confusion as a ploy. "Leave this sacred ground!" he bellowed, adopting a stance from his training, his qi surging as he pointed the Star Blade. The hiker backed away, muttering about "crazy hermits," and fled through the crevice, leaving Li Wei triumphant but shaken.
He collapsed by the altar, panting, Azure Dragon nudging his hand. Had he overreacted? The hiker was likely just a lost tourist, not a cultivator, but the scroll's talk of rival clans had set his nerves on edge. He scribbled in his notebook: "First clan skirmish. Intruder repelled with qi intent. Valley defended." The warmth in his dantian felt stronger, as if the confrontation had sharpened his focus, even if it was imagined. He shared the incident with the Order of the Jade Dawn during their next video call, framing it as a victory over a "rival scout." Zhang Wei cheered, suggesting they prepare "spiritual wards" for the valley, while Liu Mei, ever cautious, urged him to distinguish reality from delusion. "The mind creates enemies where none exist," she warned.
That night, under the valley's starry sky, Li Wei meditated with the jade slip, visualizing a protective barrier of qi around his sanctuary. The scroll spoke of clan warfare as a test of resolve, and whether the hiker was a true rival or not, Li Wei had stood his ground. The whispers of the ancient tree seemed to approve, their murmurs blending with his chants. Azure Dragon slept by the altar, a loyal guardian, and Li Wei felt a surge of pride. The valley was his domain, and he would defend it against any foe—real or imagined. The scroll promised greater battles ahead, but with his sect's support and his growing qi, Li Wei was ready to face them, one shadow at a time.