The Moonlit Pact had woven a fragile thread of unity among the Order of the Jade Dawn, their shared meditation under the lunar glow strengthening Li Wei's resolve despite the persistent fever and throbbing pain that plagued his frail body. The hidden valley, with its shimmering pool, ancient tree, and glowing blossoms, pulsed with an energy that seemed to affirm the warmth in his dantian—a warmth he believed was his nascent Golden Core, nurturing a fledgling Nascent Soul. 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 hauntingly familiar challenge: "The Demon's Echo, where past fears resurface to test the cultivator's heart, echoing doubts that must be silenced by the light of the Dao."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had devoured in his Beijing days, demons were recurring foes—manifestations of fear, doubt, or past failures that challenged a cultivator's resolve. The scroll's description was more introspective but equally compelling: "The shadows of the heart return, whispering lies of failure. Banish them with unyielding qi, for only the steadfast ascend." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, felt a surge of dread. His earlier battle with the inner demon—the sneering doppelgänger that mocked his delusions—had been a victory, but the betrayals of Wang Hao and Lin Tao, the hiker's ridicule, and his own doubts about the scroll's jest lingered like echoes. His body, ravaged by hunger, fever, and the infected wounds on his hand and arm, ached with every movement, but the valley's mystical aura and the scroll's promise urged him to confront these shadows once more.
Li Wei prepared with the reverence of a warrior facing a familiar 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 like a ward against darkness. 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 "silence the echoes," 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 seemed to carry a faint, mocking undertone. He focused on his dantian, visualizing his Golden Core as a radiant star, his Nascent Soul a glowing figure ready to face the echoes. The scroll urged him to "banish the shadows," so he imagined his qi as a blazing light, piercing the darkness of his doubts. 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 smoke. Figures emerged—Wang Hao's sneering face, Lin Tao's cold betrayal, the hiker's mocking grin, and his old boss from Beijing, berating his failures. "You're a fool chasing madness," they whispered, their voices a chorus of doubt. "Your scroll is a lie, your qi a delusion." A flicker of Mei Ling's smile stirred longing, threatening to pull him back to the mortal world. Li Wei's heart raced, his qi flickering like a candle in a storm, but he clung to 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 wavered, their whispers fading.
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 felt warmer, as if infused with his victory, and the warmth in his dantian pulsed stronger, clearer, as if the Demon's Echo had been silenced. Had he truly banished the shadows, or was it another fevered vision? The scroll promised a steadfast spirit would ascend, and Li Wei chose to believe he'd passed the test, even at a cost. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Demon's Echo faced. Shadows banished, qi shines. Body falters, heart endures." The valley's whispers seemed to approve, their murmurs softening, 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, eyes wide, called it a "divine purge," urging him to brew an elixir to fortify his qi. Liu Mei, her serene face lit by moonlight, praised his resilience but insisted he seek medical care: "The heart triumphs, but the body must endure." Chen Xiu saw it as proof of spiritual mastery, 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 Demon's Echo tested the heart, but also opened new paths. 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 fortified against the echoes of doubt, one radiant slash at a time toward immortality.