Chapter 11 – Seven Heavenly Lights
The peak of Mount Lihai was illuminated by the golden glow of four Heavenly Spiritual Fruits. The four disciples who had arrived first, Yuji Daofei, Yun Xiwe, Xieyi Zui, and Wang Xuei who had just caught up, stood in awe.
Strong winds swayed the hanging leaves, and the spiritual aura from the fruits made the air feel heavy. Below them, the other prospective disciples looked up with mixed expressions of amazement and bitterness.
"Can we just take them right away" asked Yuji Daofei, his brows narrowing. His voice remained calm, but it clearly held caution.
Yun Xiwe stared at the fruits with deep doubt. "They… are too quiet. As if hiding something," she murmured softly.
Xieyi Zui said nothing. Her eyes were focused, yet her body stayed alert, as if ready to face whatever might appear.
Wang Xuei steadied her breathing. Her hands trembled slightly, whether from fatigue or something else. She did not speak a word, only stared at the four fruits as if she were about to devour them whole.
Elsewhere, Jia Wei and Jia Yuwei were still holding out in the Domain Zhi. They gazed at the peak of Mount Lihai through a small spiritual telescope in Yuwei's hands.
"Who do you think will get them" asked Yuwei, her eyes sparkling.
Jia Wei crossed her arms. "Yuji, if I had to guess. But that girl from the Yun family also seems calm. And Xieyi… she looks like she's waiting for something."
Yuwei nodded. "I wonder… can those fruits really be taken just like that"
Meanwhile, Fang Sei and Hui Baifa stood on the northern side of the mountain, atop a large rock. They observed from afar, their expressions equally serious.
"Four Heavenly Fruits… and they are all there. Interesting," murmured Fang Sei, his voice flat.
Hui Baifa smirked faintly. "It's still too soon to know who will win."
Not far from them, We Jita sat cross-legged on a large rock, staring at the sky. He seemed restless, occasionally glancing toward the empty mountain path.
"Still not here… they will definitely come," he muttered, as if convincing himself.
Day 169.
The sky was clear, but the atmosphere at the peak darkened for a moment. Ripples of energy suddenly appeared, sweeping across the peak with an unseen force. A sharp gust of wind enveloped them.
"Watch out" Yun Xiwe instinctively stepped back.
Xieyi Zui held her ground to avoid being pushed, while Yuji Daofei dug his feet deep into the ground, his eyes widening.
Wang Xuei, who had just reached the peak plateau, was startled and nearly slipped. Fortunately, she managed to grab a sharp rock at her side. Her breath quickened.
"What was that just now" asked Wang Xuei hoarsely.
At that very moment, the sky above them trembled. A new light appeared, blue and red, blazing like holy fire dancing among the clouds. Three more Heavenly Spiritual Fruits emerged from within the vortex of ripples, floating gracefully among faintly glowing boulders.
"More Heavenly Fruits" Yun Xiwe stared in disbelief.
"Seven…" whispered Xieyi Zui, her breath thin.
Yuji Daofei remained silent, but his eyes burned. He had never imagined witnessing this with his own eyes.
Down below, an uproar erupted.
"No way…! Three more appeared"
"This has never happened before"
"Why did it suddenly become seven"
Voices of disbelief echoed from various parts of Mount Lihai's slopes.
Jia Wei grabbed her sister's shoulder. "Do you see that Seven! Heavenly Fruits…! This is insane!"
Yuwei was speechless, her eyes perfectly round. "They… they are witnessing the miracle of this world firsthand."
Hui Baifa slowly stood, his gaze darkening. "If I could get even one of those… the entire world would kneel."
Fang Sei narrowed his eyes. "Seven heavenly lights. Something is changing."
We Jita finally stood as well. He felt a completely different aura enveloping the entire mountain. "This is not just an ordinary selection," he whispered. "This… is a beginning."
The air at the peak of Mount Lihai grew denser, rumbling with power never before felt. Ripples of energy continued to radiate from the seven Heavenly Spiritual Fruits now hanging in the air, slowly rotating with a blinding glow. Blue-green, blood-red, and gold formed an illusory vortex like the crown of the gods.
As if responding to the presence of the seven fruits, the sky changed. A rainbow light descended softly from the slowly rolling gray clouds, shining on the peak with a sacred glow, yet it was not tranquility that could be felt. Instead… a suffocating pressure, like an ancient being watching them from another dimension.
Yuji Daofei stepped forward slightly, sweat dripping down his temples, not from fear… but from the spiritual pressure pressing against every pore of his body. His eyes locked sharply on the fruits, but his voice remained steady, though filled with wonder.
"Why… why did they appear again Three at once"
Yun Xiwe swallowed. The rainbow light cast a soft shadow over her pale face.
"This is beyond all recorded sect history. There has never been a record of seven Heavenly Spiritual Fruits appearing like this…"
Xieyi Zui stood among them, her face calm but her eyes unable to hide her shock. She said nothing, only gazing at the sky that seemed to be witnessing the trial of these prospective disciples.
Wang Xuei, still holding her knees after almost falling earlier, looked up at the sky, then at the fruits with her lips half open.
"Is this… a blessing Or a warning" she murmured softly, almost inaudible. But they all knew this was no ordinary occurrence.
Meanwhile, other disciples still on the slopes or climbing looked upward with burning eyes.
Some of them shouted, their spirits reignited.
"There are seven! There is still hope!"
"We must reach the top! This is a rare chance!"
"The heavens give a sign, whoever dares, come and take it!"
Legs that once trembled now moved again.
Hands that were weary now gripped the rocks once more.
Obstacles no longer mattered as the seven heavenly lights shone at the peak, calling to anyone bold enough to challenge fate.
In the distance, behind massive boulders, Fang Sei narrowed his eyes.
"The heavens are playing…" he said softly.
Hui Baifa stood beside him, his face dark yet full of fighting spirit.
"If I could get just one… the entire sect would remember my name."
Not far from them, We Jita looked up at the sky from his seat. The rainbow light brushed over his windblown hair. He muttered softly while gazing toward the climbing path.
"They still haven't arrived… but if they see this… they will surely climb as well."
Meanwhile, Jia Wei and Yuwei gazed at the peak from behind the ruins of Zhi.
Yuwei gripped her brother's arm tightly.
"We were right… this is not over."
Jia Wei nodded slowly.
"The question is… who is worthy to touch those seven heavenly lights"
The sky gave no answer.
Mount Lihai only rumbled softly, as if waiting for those who dared… or those who would be destroyed by their own ambition.
The footsteps of the four remaining disciples echoed softly against the sharp wind blowing over the final slope of Mount Lihai. Yuji Daofei was at the front, his eyes never leaving the seven glowing fruits in the sky. The Heavenly Spiritual Fruits, once thought to be merely a symbol, a legend… now hung before them.
Yet none of them could get closer than ten steps. Every step forward felt like defying the will of the heavens itself.
Yun Xiwe wiped the sweat from her forehead. "This… is too heavy. And… we have not even accessed our spiritual power yet…"
Xieyi Zui looked sharply upward, then spoke softly but firmly, "Do you still remember before entering the Domain Zhi… the elders mentioned the number of Spiritual Fruits"
Yuji stopped. Wang Xuei, who had been sitting in a daze, slowly looked up.
"…One hundred and eighty Earth Fruits, one hundred and ten Sky Fruits, twenty-five Lightning…" Xieyi continued slowly. "And ten Heavenly."
Silence. Their eyes slowly rose, counting the seven fruits hanging, emitting silvery white light that pierced the clouds, mixed with rainbow colors from the changing sky.
"But this… is seven. And all of them are Heavenly, will three more appear" said Wang Xuei softly.
In the distance, far from the slopes of Mount Lihai, Fang Sei and Hui Baifa stood atop a large rock, only watching in silence.
"He is trying to force his will," Fang Sei said quietly, watching Yuji from afar. "Even though he knows it is not yet time."
Hui Baifa narrowed his eyes. "Maybe… he wants to prove that fate can be defied."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Domain Zhi, Jia Wei and Jia Yuwei stood beneath the shade of tall trees. They too were looking toward Mount Lihai.
"Those fruits… do not belong to anyone," murmured Yuwei.
"True," replied Jia Wei briefly. "But just watch, to see who is stubborn enough to try."
Not far from there, We Jita sat on a large rock, waiting for his two friends who had fallen behind. His gaze was fixed on the sky. He noticed something different about the rainbow light above; it was not only beautiful, but also… threatening.
Back at Mount Lihai, the four disciples were still trying.
Yuji took a step forward, but the gust of wind struck his body like a wall. Yun Xiwe clenched her teeth, trying to follow, but her chest felt heavily compressed as if her body was being rejected by an invisible force. Wang Xuei slowly stood, her eyes narrowing, analyzing the space and distance, searching for an opening.
And Xieyi Zui… only looked at the fruits, then lowered her gaze.
"I know why we cannot touch them," she murmured softly. "Those fruits are not only testing the strength of the body… but also the contents of the heart."