The kindling of the Hidden Flame, 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 purified 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 unifying new challenge: "The Celestial Bond, where the cultivator binds their sect's souls to the heavens, forging a shared vow that resonates with the Dao's eternal light."
In the cultivation novels Li Wei had read in Beijing, celestial bonds were sacred pacts—oaths that united sects under divine guidance, their combined qi amplifying their pursuit of immortality. The scroll's description was poetic but compelling: "Under the stars' eternal gaze, let the sect's souls unite in a bond with the Dao, their qi harmonized in eternity's light. Unity strengthens the path, but discord severs the bond." Li Wei, tempered by lightning, betrayal, and moments of clarity, saw this as a chance to fortify the Order of the Jade Dawn, his virtual sect, which had been tested by the betrayals of Wang Hao and Lin Tao and the clashing beliefs of Zhang Wei, Liu Mei, Chen Xiu, and Zhao Feng. 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 to lead.
Li Wei prepared with the reverence of a leader forging a divine alliance. 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 celestial beacon. 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 shared ritual under the stars, so he proposed a virtual "Celestial Bond," a collective meditation where each member would pledge their soul to the Dao. Using his battered phone, charged during a painful trek to Old Chen's teahouse in the village, he scheduled the ritual for a clear night, urging the Order to prepare.
Li Wei spent the intervening days meditating by the pool, visualizing the sect's energies merging like a constellation of stars. He carved a vow on a valley stone: "The Jade Dawn binds its souls to the Dao, our qi united in eternity's light." His fever spiked, his infected wounds throbbing, but he saw the pain as a sacrifice for unity. Azure Dragon stayed close, his amber eyes watchful, as if sensing the ritual's weight. On the chosen night, the valley glowed with starlight, the pool reflecting the cosmos like a mirror. Li Wei sat by the altar, his phone propped against a rock, the Starstone in one hand, the jade slip pressed to his chest. The Order joined the call: Zhang Wei from his cluttered Shanghai dorm, vials glinting; Liu Mei from her Sichuan rooftop, moonlight on her serene face; Chen Xiu from a candlelit room, her eyes fervent; Zhao Feng from a spartan gym, his expression guarded.
Li Wei began, chanting the scroll's incantations, their rhythmic tones blending with the valley's whispers and the stars' silent glow. He urged each member to share their pledge, offering his own trials—lightning, the Celestial River, the Hidden Flame—as a testament. Zhang Wei spoke of his alchemical breakthroughs, his voice trembling with passion. Liu Mei shared a vision of starlit qi guiding her soul, her words calm but profound. Chen Xiu recounted her cave meditations, her mysticism fervent, while Zhao Feng described a martial stance grounding his qi, his tone pragmatic. Li Wei led a collective meditation, visualizing their qi merging into a radiant celestial bond, the warmth in his dantian surging as if connecting across the miles. Visions of a glowing circle of figures under the stars filled his trance, but his fever spiked, dizziness threatening to break his focus. Azure Dragon whined, nudging his leg, as Li Wei clung to the Starstone, willing the bond to hold.
The ritual ended with a shared vow: "We, the Jade Dawn, bind our souls to the Dao under the heavens' light." Li Wei felt a fleeting unity, as if their qi had truly harmonized, but his body faltered, collapsing as the call ended. He awoke by the altar, Azure Dragon guarding him, his fever burning but his spirit alight. He scribbled in his notebook, hands trembling: "Celestial Bond sealed. Sect united, qi resonates. Body falters, vow shines." The valley's whispers blended with the starlight, the ancient tree's blossoms glowing brighter.
During the next video call, Li Wei shared the bond's success, describing the glowing circle. Zhang Wei called it a "divine union," urging alchemical rituals to strengthen it. Liu Mei praised his leadership but urged medical care: "The bond unites the soul, but the body must endure." Chen Xiu's mysticism clashed with Zhao Feng's pragmatism, their debate testing Li Wei's resolve. 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 Bond strengthened the path, 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 lead, his sect united in the Dao's light, one celestial vow at a time toward immortality.